Abramovich or Berlusconi - footballs worst sugar daddy

Rafa Benitez endured a less than hospitable welcome to Stamford Bridge at the weekend and the decision by hierarchy to explicitly call him out as the "interim first team coach" won't endure him to Chelsea fans any time soon. 

Trizia Fiorellino, chair of Chelsea Supporters' Group, has bizarrely maintained that the crowd will continue to boo Benitez for the rest of the season, obviously a psychic and a spokeswoman. After the 0-0 draw on Sunday, Fiorellino added that: “The fans don't expect to pick and choose the managers but it was pretty evident there were only two people that were not acceptable in this case - Benitez and Avram Grant.”

It is ironic that Chelsea fans are unable to look past a throwaway comment made in 2007 about fans waving flags, when their fans are quite happy to boo one man for daring to report racial abuse and maintaining unwavering support for the man found guilty of such an offence by the Football Association.

To borrow a phrase from the 52-year-old: Rafa Benitez is a better tactician than Roberto Di Matteo. Fact.

Chelsea fans who are unable to appreciate the two league titles won by Valencia, an extraordinary Champions League win and a dramatic FA Cup in 2006 are blinkered. Di Matteo transformed AVB’s squad into the side that defended their way to glory in Munich and lucked out against a poor Liverpool side at Wembley, but this is a man who was sacked by West Brom the previous season.

Getting a team to park the bus, as Chelsea effectively did in their run to the Champions League final, requires very little tactical nous. Chelsea failed to even defend effectively; Napoli squandered several chances before being eliminated and penalties were conceded to both Bayern and Barcelona that would have swung the ties in their favour if converted.

Di Matteo being moved on after barely a handful of disappointing results should be no surprise to Chelsea fans. That Abramovich did so after a result that effectively eliminated the defending Champions League holders at the group stages, was a more surprising decision. Surely it would have made sense to bring a new man in when their progression was still in their hands?

Chelsea fans might protest at the predisposition to chop and change managers, but Abramovich has bought success to the club, winning their first league title for 40 years.

Those who criticize the Russian should take note of another billionaire sugar daddy, who owns an equally elite football club, Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan.

Despite a one year jail sentence hanging over the retired Italian Prime Minister, his involvement with Milan has increased over the last two weeks, and accordingly results have picked up for the 2011 scudetto winners.

His helicopter visits to Milanello, Milan's training ground, have increased in frequency following the Rossoneri’s alarming slump towards the bottom of Serie A and some indifferent performances in Europe. An intervention last week included recommending that top scorer and Italian sensation Stephan El Shaarawy have a haircut, prior to a crucial game against Anderlecht, which was subsequently won 3-1 (El Shaarawy scoring the opener).

Keen to improve the clubs domestic form the 76-year-old media tycoon then paid a visit to the players last week with a number of suggestions. Most noticeably was the claim that he wanted to replace Massimo Allegri with Pep Guardiola, should the opportunity arise, and that this possibility had even been mooted to the current manager.

"Guardiola? Who wouldn't want him? We have even spoken about it with Allegri," Berlusconi said. "If [appointing Guardiola] was possible we would look into it. Anyone would try to do so if they were presented with such an opportunity … For now we have Allegri. [But] for the future we are having a look."

Abramovich is clearly infatuated with the idea of ‘Barcelona in blue shirts’ and Guardiola taking charge at Stamford Bridge, but even the oil oligarch has stopped short of discussing the idea with a existing manager.

Berlusconi is keen to take a hands on approach at Milan and was insistent that Kevin-Prince Boateng be deployed as a false nine against Juventus at the weekend. Under such pressure Allegri was in no position to resist and the Ghanaian was positioned at the front of a 4-3-3, interchanging with Robinho during the scrappy 1-0 victory, some rebellion from the manager at least.

Further form includes advising Milan forward Alexandre Pato that unless he stops getting injured he'll be sold and also requesting that Allegri combed his hair before media duties. 

Both Berlusconi and Abramovich have enjoyed morally dubious careers outside of football. Abramovich started by smuggling contraband goods, before purchasing Sibneft for $100 million. The Russian clearly bought the oil company at below its market value, as the company was sold to Gazprom for $13 billion in 2005 and has dined out on this capital since.

Berlusconi has courted controversy for decade: whispers of Mafia links refuse to stick, being sentenced to four years in jail for tax fraud, monopolising press freedom in Italy and allegations of sex with a minor in the ‘bunga bunga’ scandal.

Both men have lavished millions on their football clubs and bought varying levels of success with them. Chelsea fans who are unhappy with Roman Abramovich should take note of the crisis unfolding in the red half of Milan. They might be better off with their Russian billionaire. 

Will England ever produce a Pirlo?

A late raft of injuries and withdrawals mean England travel to Sweden with an inexperienced squad, and opportunities have presented themselves to two uncapped wingers, Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha.

Both players have had brilliant seasons thus far and warrant their place in the full national squad, but an appearance on Wednesday is no guarantee that their long time allegiance lies with England. Roy Hodgson indicated in his Tuesday presser, that he was confident both players wanted to represent England at full international level, and expressed the naive and archaic notion that because both players have under-19 and under-21 caps, they would feel obliged to progress to full international status.

With Jack Wilshire’s progression stunted by over 12 months, these two players are the next big hope for the national set-up. Sterling has progressed from QPR trainee to an established Premier League star in three years and looks incredibly assured for a 17-year-old. Zaha, meanwhile, has lit up the Championship this season, after threatening to do so last campaign, at times looking unplayable in the English second division.

I’m convinced that both players will cement themselves as Premier League standard players for years to come and they have the potential to become mainstays of an England national side, but are they the players England need?

They are different players but their speed over the pitch and ability to commit players in one-on-one situations seem to be their main strengths; traits that work perfectly in the rough and tumble of the Premier League, but that are unlikely to transfer success in Europe or on the international stage.

In short pace and individual ability are not integral components of elite football performances, with possession and confidence on the ball now the integral skill for young professionals. Spain are the current trend setters and the history of football indicates that individualistic brilliance is being eroded from the game.

Association Football as pioneered by the British during the mid 1800’s was characterised by individuals who ran directly at opponents, hoping to slalom past them all to score, hence the 2-3-5 formation that existed for almost 100 years. Teams who deduced that a passing game, which utilised the collective of the team, rather than relying on an individual, inevitably started beating the archaic English style of football, and this trend has continued right up to the present day.

Passing was deemed as not being ‘manly’ by early English players and this distrust of possession in favour of a Roy of the Rovers, ‘up and at em’ approach is only just being kicked out of the Premier League. The tempo of the English game is completely unsuited to international fixtures and English teams seldom dominate possession in the Champions League, nor the national side.

Sterling and Zaha are clearly talented players but they are blessed with pace and trickery, not composure on the ball, mental bravery or the spatial awareness to conduct a game from the centre of the pitch. After being reminded of Andrea Pirlo’s brilliance during the summer, a debate briefly arose of whether England could ever produce such a player. Jack Wilshire and Tom Cleverley may be close, Nick Powell and James Ward-Prowse could challenge, but the simple truth is that England are some way from producing a caresser of the football like a Pirlo or Xavi.

Paul Scholes was the closest this country has come to moulding a ‘Pirlo’ and the unwillingness to change mentality away from the break-neck speed of the Premiership and in turn the national team saw Scholes shunted out wide, prompting his retirement from national duty. Glen Hoddle and Matt Le Tissier are another two examples of English technicians who received scandalously few England caps because of this countries distrust of passing.

To those who argue that Pirlo wouldn’t cut it over here, on a cold night in Stoke, consider the comments made by Swansea’s €2 million signing, Michu, after just three games in the Premier League. He articulated that although the game was faster in England the ‘space between the lines’ was far greater than La Liga, allowing him more room and freedom to pick a pass and expose defences. The Premier League’s self styled moniker as ‘best in the world’ takes a further battering by the ease with which Santi Cazorla has adapted to a less than convincing Arsenal team. Imagine what an Iniesta or Pirlo would do?

How many fast and direct wingers do Spain play with? Jesus Navas would walk into most teams in Britain, but hardly gets a kick for Del Bosque’s unit which prides itself on monopolising the ball and in turn the game. Until football is reinvented success will come from passing, the economy of thought and movement. Zaha and Sterling are exciting prospects, but not the template of footballs future. 

Gazzamania returns to Serie A

Serie A hosts one of the continents fiercest derbies this Sunday, as Lazio host their local rivals Roma. This is a derby that has clear political and ideological connotations; the socialist Roma tifosi have clashed with the right-wing leaning Lazio ultras for decades and the return of Roma under Zdenek Zeman, who has had spells with both clubs in the past, promises an explosive derby.

An Englishman will be centre stage at the Stade Olimpico on Sunday, and despite a professionally disappointing two years in Rome, Paul Gascoigne enjoys cult status amongst the Lazio fans. Two self inflicted injuries delayed his move to Italy by a whole 12 months, and after finally working his way back to full fitness, Gazza saw fit to score his first goal in Serie A against Roma in the derby, rescuing a point for Dino Zoff's side.

He only went on to score another five goals for the Biancocelesti, including this solo strike against Pescara, but despite leaving for Rangers, after falling out with now Roma boss Zeman ironically, Gascoigne is still deigned a hero by one side of Rome and the club roll out a banner for the Englishman every Rome derby.

Gazza enjoyed as much success off the pitch in Italy and his notable contributions to  Football Italia on the fledgling Channel Four, with James Richardson, are a hilarious insight into his off the field life. Don't just take my word for it. Here is a documentary from about six years ago, narrated by journalist James Richardson, who was privy to Gazza in Serie A. A great watch.

10 players who cost more than Yohan Cabaye

Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye has had a slow start to the 2012/13 season, but after a Zidane-esque volley against Liverpool the midfielder is starting to show the form from last year that reportedly had Arsenal, United and even Barcelona interested.

At £4.4 million, the 26-year-old is surely Graham Carr's shrewdest signing and you have to ask why Lille let their title winning captain leave for such a modest amount in the summer of 2011. A superb debut season on Tyneside and being arguably the best performer from the doomed France EURO 2012 campaign have further increased his potential value.

With Yann M'Vila suspended by the French football association until after Brazil 2014, and the ensuing absence of Hatem Ben Arfa and Samir Nasri for disciplinarian reasons, Cabaye is fast becoming the first choice midfielder for France under Didier Deschamps.

The midfielder is one of Newcastle's most creative outlets and is one of the most technically gifted players in his position in the Premier League. Just to underline how cheap Cabaye was, here are ten players who cost more than the Frenchman. Are any of them better than Cabaye?

£5 million - Jamie O'Hara

As likeable as Mick McCarthy is, signing O'Hara, who has never looked better than Championship fodder, and Roger Johnson for £7 million are sackable offences. Woeful.

£10 million - Jack Rodwell

Rodwell has made five appearances for City after his surprise switch this summer, and has cost his team a goal on at least two occasions so far. A 40% hit rate.

£6.5 million - Marko Marin 

When Chelsea announced they were signing a young, nimble, technically gifted young German, Marko Marin was probably not the name supporters were hoping for. Commentators in Germany expressed bemusement at the switch and injury has prevented him from proving them right.

£8 million - Charlie Adam

He has a good left peg. But, that is it. £8 million after six good months in a team that was built around you, yet relegated, feel free Liverpool.

£8.5 million - Matt Jarvis

Not strictly the same position as Cabaye, but this is an extortionate amount for a player who's only party piece is running as close to the bye-line and lifting the ball in the box. #englishpremium

£5.8 million - Joey Barton

Pre Graham Carr, Newcastle decided to sell Scott Parker to West Ham for sub £5 million and replace him with Joey Barton. Parker eventually won Football Writers Player of the year. Barton, meanwhile has been farmed out to France.

£20 million - Alberto Aquilani

Aquilani wasn't bad, per se, he just never really got a run of games in England, either because of injury or managers who didn't take a fancy to his lackadaisical Italian stylings.

£12 million - Gareth Barry

Barry earned his move to Manchester City, after nearly replacing Xabi Alonso at Liverpool, on the back of scoring lots of penalties for Aston Villa. His last performance against Ajax, was a reminder of how out of his depth the once 'saviour for England' has fallen.

£6.5 million - Kleberson

No list of midfield flops would be complete without Kleberson, who infamously won a World Cup with Brazil in 2002. People often forget that he helped knock England out in 2002, but a haul of two goals in 20 games for United was deemed a 'flop'.

Ajax to the future

Ajax rolled back the years with their vintage display against Manchester City in the Champions League, and with a starting XI that boasted seven academy graduates the future looks bright for the four-time European Cup winners.

Frank De Boer's side had an average age of just 24.36 years and boasted little European experience, but tore apart the defending Premier League champions who lurch from one poor showing to another. Mancini might be the domestic cup specialist, winning the Coppa Italia with three clubs as a manager and the FA Cup with City, but his performances in Europe have never lived up to billing.

Despite winning three straight scudettos with Internazionale in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Mancini was sacked by the hard to please Massimo Moratti after failing to impress in Europe and the same infliction seems to hinder Manchester City. They have been slow starters domestically and against the elite of Europe these defensive errors will be punished, as Ajax discovered and who grew in confidence before controlling the game.

Despite the excellent showing, it is unlikely that Ajax will escape Group D, but De Boer and his assistant Dennis Bergkamp will have been delighted with the way their young team out-manoeuvred Manchester City. Manchester City were poor last week and offered little in attack, but against Dortmund and Real, the Dutch champions defence was harshly exposed. Hardly a surprise, when you look at the calibre of defenders who have left the Amsterdam Arean in the last three years; Vermaelen, Vertonghen, Van der Wiel and Anita.

Ajax have retained their offensive-minded players for the last two seasons; Christian Eriksen pulling the strings along with nationalised Dutchman, and captain at just 23, Siem De Jong. The forward interchanged position with Ryan Babel constantly and slammed home the equaliser for Ajax in some style. However, if Ajax continue to flounder in the group stages without progressing to the knock-outs they will be unable to fend of preying clubs who take a shine to their young stars.

The Dutch giants have been unlucky to draw Real Madrid in their group two years running, and wind up in this years 'group of death', but young stars like Eriksen and De Jong are likely to leave for a stronger league in the near future. The Bosman ruling decimated the Louis Van Gaal drilled Champions League winning side of 1994-95 and the growing financial excesses of the Premier League and the big two in Spain will continue to threaten Ajax.

Eriksen has been on the radar of European heavyweights for three years, and despite two failed showings for Denmark on the international stage he is the most attractive prospect in the current set-up. The Dane was actually on trial at Chelsea as a 15-year-old, eventually electing to further his career in the Netherlands but the next young Danish star making headlines for Ajax is 18-year-old, Viktor Fischer.

Fischer burst onto the scene as a result of a hat-trick which eliminated Liverpool from the inaugural NextGen Series, as Ajax made it to the final of the new tournament designed to give under-19s an early taste of continental competition. He finished as top-scorer with nine goals en route to the final, where Ajax were beaten by an Inter Milan side, led by current boss Andrea Stramaccioni, and has started equally well in this years competition, scoring four of the 10 goals that Ajax have smashed home in their first two games.

The teen is more of an out-and-out finisher than his compatriot, Eriksen, and made his first ever appearance for the full team in the 3-3 draw with Hercules last weekend. Manchester United were linked with a £5 million bid for the starlet last summer and if his goal-scoring form continues this season he could find himself negotiating with even more clubs.

A product of the De Toemkest academy, Fischer is yet to make his full debut for the Danish national team, but a record of 20 goals from 30 under-17 games suggest his breakthrough will come soon. De Toemkest literally translates as the future, in Dutch and it is easy to see why it is held in such high regard around the world.

Ajax are enshrined to the 4-3-3 formation and much like La Masia, Toemkest preaches a particular style of football; somewhere between 'Total Football' and tika-taka. General manager, David Endt, reveals the philosophy in place, "We're not developing for other clubs; we're developing for ourselves. This is football how we want to play it."

Statistics have become a integral part football coaching in the last decade and Ajax are ahead of their time with their latest innovation - the miCoach performance centre, adjacent to De Toemkest. Resembling an oversized golf ball, the centre contains pressure plates, high-definition cameras for biomechanical analysis of technique and an artificial pitch to replicate the Amsterdam Arena.

Personality and psychology are also analysed in detail, with head of sports science, Edwin Goedhart, explaining that: "talent is 80%... training is 20%. The rest is what we can add [mental coaching/analysis]. Even if it's only 1% improvement, spread over a team that is 11%."

All students at De Toemkest undertake neuropsychological testing and this is used to quantify why certain players make better in-game decisions than others. Goedhart raises a fascinating point about how these tests could "go a long way to developing more natural Dutch leaders, arguably the one failing of the Ajax system" and to a greater extent the national team.

Ferguson misses the point

Sir Alex Ferguson doesn't misread situations very often. 25 years of perpetual success in Manchester and 12 titles indicate this. But his handling of Rio Ferdinand's Kick It Out boycott perhaps reveal a fallibility of the 70 year old.

This weekend player ratings in the Premier League were pushed to one side as interest focused on whether players would pull on a particular top in warm ups. Ferdinand was the lone United player to go incognito, but he was joined by Jason Roberts and two other Reading players, two from West Ham, and the entire contingent from the Liberty stadium.

Michael Vorm was one of the Swansea players who collectively shunned the t-shirt and he calmly and fairly explained why Swansea chose not to wear them. "Everyone expects the governing bodies to do more... They really have to do something and not just say something on a T-shirt."

Whether Ferguson objected to Ferdinand not backing the campaign or rather took affront to his disregard of his instructions is unclear. Ferguson was highly critical when informed about Robert's planned abstention on Friday and it would follow that the same stretch of thought applied to his own players.

Ferguson seemed to have missed the point on Friday, describing Robert's as "a stray sheep" and insisting that everyone should back the campaign. His comments suggested that dissent was a mistake, but without individuals who are prepared to challenge the existing hegemony progress will slow in all aspects of society, of which racial prejudices are one facet.

Alex Ferguson is clearly his own man and rules United with an iron fist. His comments over the weekend bely his trade union and socialist background and instead seem like totalitarian rhetoric. Why should any player be forced to wear a largely irreverent T-shirt bearing a slogan which they feel doesn't fairly represent them?

The FA, who are happy to spend £20 million soliciting favour from FIFA in the failed World Cup bid, and de facto UEFA, contribute just £300,000 to the organisation tasked with eradicating all discrimination in the game. It's a paltry sum and the shirts that hogged headlines are not subsidised by the clubs; KIO pay for the shirts to be printed and even pay for them to be sent out around the country.

The plight of the organisation is one of key aspects to come from this ill timed Kick It Out week and in fairness the player boycotts have attracted publicity that the own organisation could only dream off.

For refusing to wear a T-shirt which is symbolic of a culture that has failed to adequately defend his brother, Ferdinand is reportedly looking at a two week fine. Coupled with his £40,000 fine from the FA for a retweet, the United defender could end up paying more in fines than John Terry.

Chelsea have kept their own punishment in house and given that any fine greater than two weeks wages needs to be declared to the PFA (it hasn't) the two time former England skipper has got away extremely lightly.

The boycotts of Kick It Out are not necessarily aimed at that specific organisation. The recent scandal in Serbia, the cop out by Chelsea and the lenient punishments for Terry and Suarez have all contributed to a feeling of discontent amongst black players and managers. Who are we, Sir Alex included, to tell them how to protest?

Why are Bielsa's Bilbao imploding?

Last year threatened to be a breakthrough year for Athletic Bilbao and their left-field coach Marcelo Bielsa. However, the start of the 2012-13 season is a harsh reminder that attacking flair requires some defensive discipline and Bielsa’s project looks burnt out, to the point of destruction.

Bilbao made it to two cup finals last season, but were comprehensively swatted aside in both; losing 3-0 to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final and by the same score line in Guardiola’s final match managing Barcelona in the Copa del Rey. Their swaggering defeat of Manchester United in Europe drew attention to the Basque region and the UK press took notice of the man dubbed El Loco for the first time after years of attacking football in Latin America.

United were beaten 5-3 on aggregate (and the three flattered United) and Bielsa’s uncompromising emphasis on attacking football saw them beat Schalke 6-4 and edge past Sporting Lisbon 4-3 on aggregate. In Fernando Llorente they had one of the form strikers in Europe and most expected a close final in the all Spanish affair.

Atletico had other ideas, and Falcao in particular ripped through the Bilbao defence to score two sensational first half goals, before Diego hit Bilbao on the counter on 86 minutes to condemn Bielsa to a runner up medal. Guardiola has gone on record confirming that Bielsa’s philosophy was an influence on his own playing style as a manager and despite averaging possession for 59% of the Europa League Final, Bilbao looked short of ideas and were ruthlessly exposed by their opponents.

The trend has continued this season and Bilbao only have one victory to their name in the league this season. A tally of 14 goals conceded, the most in La Liga, and eight scored indicate that Bielsa’s high pressing and possession based style is being exposed by other teams. Barcelona may have a 6-0-0 record in La Liga, but they have had to work for those wins and having Lionel Messi in your team helps.

By contrast Bilbao have had to make do with the loss of two of their best players over the summer. Javi Martinez eventually left to Bayern Munich, for a massive €40 million, in a protracted transfer which lasted all summer and Fernando Llorente has frequently expressed a desire to leave and has only played one league game this season. He walked out of a recent training session and ‘The Lion King’ looks set to leave for Juventus in January.

Bielsa went as far as to ask both players whether the problem was him; implying the solution “if it is me, I’ll go”, but after a breakthrough year in Europe which massively enhanced their own reputations is it likely that they both wanted to use 2012 as a platform to move on from. Llorente was considered so burnt out over the summer that Vicent Del Bosque didn't give the 27-year-old any game-time at EURO 2012, and the forward will want to complete a ‘big’ move before his stock fades.

Further controversy engulfed the Argentinean coach over the summer after Bielsa reported himself to the police for insulting and attacking the site manager overseeing renovations to the clubs training base. Bielsa was unhappy about promises not being kept and his reaction is indicative of the man who is famous for his touch-line displays, squatting and turning in exasperation like Andre Villas Boas on speed.

Bielsa has completely revolutionised the clubs identity, style of play and assembled the finest collection of Basque players for decades. When in full-flow Bielsa sides are a joy to watch, but Bilbao of 2012/13 look bereft of confidence and seem to still be reeling from their double 3-0 reversals at the end of last year. Bielsa is a flawed genius and another such genius, Bela Guttmann, lived by the moto ‘the third season is fatal’. Bielsa is leading Athletic into his second season and his own idiosyncratic approach may have proved too volatile for the club.