The Video Ref

Short-termism... football's long-term problem?

2012-01-25T12:08:00.002Z

The recent return of football icons Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to the clubs where they were (and still are) idolised has been heralded as a welcome boost to the fortunes of both teams, by the majority of fans who are able to sing songs bearing their names once more.

However, for some, including more sceptical followers of Manchester United and Arsenal, the moves to reunite their team with an aging player either on his last legs (Henry) or seven months into retirement (Scholes) is a desperate signal of the lack of quality and cover available in their squad.

Paul Scholes returned from retirement after just over seven months away from the game

These transfers are not unique. Henry’s path from the MLS back to the Premier League has been echoed by Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan, two of LA Galaxy’s three marquee players (Beckham being the third of the golden triangle), joining Aston Villa and Everton on short-term loan deals in their domestic off-season. For Donovan, it is the second time in three years he has made such a move, and Keane’s return comes only months after he left for a new beginning across the Atlantic.

In a similar fashion, Liverpool’s summer splurge of Fenway Sports Group’s wealth was supplemented with a free transfer move for Craig Bellamy from his status as surplus to requirements at Manchester City. Bellamy’s return to Anfield has proved successful so far, with the Welshman hitting seven goals despite long-standing knee problems limiting his input in a somewhat stuttering start to Kenny Dalglish’s first full season since returning to the Liverpool helm.

These transfers all share a few things in common. They are, firstly, involving players with renowned Premier League reputations and abilities, bringing much-wanted experience and understanding to managers who feel, for whatever reason, that their return would be a boost to the club. They are also financially beneficial; with the clubs only having to pay wages and perhaps, in the case of Henry, Donovan and Keane, a small loan transfer fee for their services. Another benefit is that they are recognised by all fans, new or old, sceptical or not, as players with an ability; something that is seldom the case with some signings made either as a building block in the summer or a quick patch-up job in January.

One aspect that the deals also share is that of being painfully short-term in duration. Scholes and Bellamy aside, the MLS loans are all for a period of roughly six weeks, with their parent clubs keen to stress that their men return for pre-season training to schedule. And even with regards to Scholes and Bellamy, both free-transfers with no other club commitments, their respective ages (37 and 32) dictate that neither man is likely to be a part of their manager’s long-term thoughts.

So why then do these moves continue to take place, when their benefits have expired before too long? Short-termism is a habit that football, and many other sports, would do well to avoid paying too much lip service too. A quick look at how many young players make the grade in the Premier League will tell you everything about the squad-building strategies at clubs throughout the division, not just the top teams.

The return of Scholes was the signal for Darron Gibson to leave for pastures new at Everton, and his departure seems to be not the only one due at Old Trafford. Highly rated youngsters Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba are linked with moves to Newcastle and Juventus respectively, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire to keep them away from the first-team setup. Both are undeniably talented players, though Morrison admittedly comes with an enfant terrible tag, but Ferguson’s preference for a retired Scholes over a player who, if successful, could be a focal point of a United team for years to come, is low-risk and frankly uninspiring to a generation of footballers. Does Sir Alex remember the success he had with a certain batch of youngsters (Scholes included) almost 20 years ago?

The same too can be said at Arsenal, with the likes of Benik Afobe and Ryo Miyaichi restricted by Henry’s return. Also, Nathan Delfouneso, an England U21 international striker, has found himself resigned to a loan move to Leicester to find first-team football this week, following Keane’s move to Villa Park. And Liverpool’s Bellamy signing saw Dani Pacheco leave on loan, with fellow young stars Raheem Sterling and Suso patiently waiting in the wings for a chance. Everton too, as seen with the likes of Leon Osman, Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell and the recent development of Ross Barkley, have a well respected youth academy, so how much has Donovan’s arrival stemmed the development of Jose Baxter, summer signings Apostolos Vellios and Magaye Gueye, and young Connor McAleny?

McEachran (right) is already a key part of Stuart Pearce's England U21 side

These young players are seeing their path to first-team football halted by players with a short lifespan, limiting their opportunities to games in the failing and frankly worthless reserve league, where disinterested fringe players and fitness-seeking players returning from injury ply their trade, or the alternative of a loan spell to the Football League. One player who has grown impatient with the chances available to him is Chelsea’s talented midfield architect Josh McEachran, a cultured midfielder who has just joined Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea. The Welsh outfit resemble a Barcelona-lite style of football that is currently impressing fans and pundits alike, and McEachran, despite being 18, possesses a confidence on the ball that should see him slot effortlessly into Rodgers’ plans.

The ideal scenario, in an ideal world of course, would be to see these young players, like McEachran and Delfouneso, both highly rated and already in the international setup at youth level, be given first-team football at regular intervals at their parent clubs. Why their managers choose not to do so may vary, but the benefits are there to be seen if they persist with a long-term strategy. More home-grown players, as well as helping to abide with FIFA squad requirements, adds an identity to the team that fans can relate to strongly. Also, the culture at the club is likely to benefit, as more players develop through the same system with the same ideals and an understanding that is born at youth level and allowed to flourish with time, patience and encouragement.

A move to a long-term outlook would also be cost-effective too - another major fillip with UEFAs Financial Fair Play (FFP) laws requiring a more stringent financial rule over clubs and their owners. In the Premier League era, many hundreds of millions have been spent bringing top class players to these shores, to the delights of fans. But it is not so much the big names who push out the young players, as it is the journeymen, the Bosman signings, the squad players, where the question surely must be; would it not be better to give a young player a chance? After all, that’s how the likes of Paul Scholes were given their break.

Arsene Wenger v the fans

2012-01-23T20:29:00.002Z

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. A name with considerable length and belonging to a player who has already achieved a lot in such a short space of time since beginning his career. 43 games and 10 goals for Southampton between his debut at just 16 years and 199 days old on March 2nd 2010 and August 2011, when he left for Arsenal in a £12m deal. He has also represented England at under 18, 19 and 21 age groups, with seven caps and three goals for Stuart Pearce’s side. However, since joining Arsenal in the summer, he has made only limited appearances in the first-team, with Arsene Wenger keen to protect his latest wonder-kid from the hype of a thousand eyes.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has played nine games for Arsenal, scoring twice

Yet by throwing him into the bear-pit of the Emirates, whose fans were admittedly practically comatose until the 74th minute on Sunday against Manchester United, Wenger has unwillingly created a division between himself and the fans, with the young winger a pivotal part of the rift.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s guile and direct wing play, a direct contrast to the under-performing and frustrating style of fellow Southampton graduate Theo Walcott on the opposite flank, was one of few impressive aspects to an Arsenal performance still showing an obvious hangover to the 8-2 drubbing seen at Old Trafford in August. The creator for Robin Van Persie’s equaliser, Oxlade-Chamberlain was seemingly untouchable and, with the enigmatic and puzzling Andrey Arshavin warming up on the touchline, it appeared to a man that the obvious withdrawal would be Walcott, not the lively newcomer. Yet just three minutes after Arsenal equalised following Antonio Valencia’s first half opener, Oxlade-Chamberlain was withdrawn from the game, to a chorus of boos and overall disapproval.

This disapproval wasn’t just left in the stands. Van Persie himself, captain of Arsenal and Wenger’s star man, key goal provider and a senior figure in the dressing room, was seen looking displeased with the tactical substitution, mouthing the word ‘no’ when the fourth official displayed Oxlade-Chamberlain’s number.

Wenger, however, has defended his decision by stating “I have to justify [substituting] a guy of 18 who’s playing his second or third game? I have to stand up for the substitutions I’ve made. I’ve been 30 years in this job and have made 50,000 substitutions and I have to justify every time I make a decision? I do not have to explain to you every decision I make.”

Arsenal fans first booed Oxlade-Chamberlain’s withdrawal, then rose to applaud the youngster’s exit from the pitch, an appreciative gesture for a sparkling cameo. Arshavin’s entrance was met, conversely, with boos, a fitting reception for a player who Gary Neville claimed after the match on Sky’s coverage to be “the most disinterested player in the league... Arsenal fans don’t want him out there.”

Wenger's decision to withdraw Oxlade-Chamberlain was met with boos

But is Wenger right? Do the fans have a right to criticise a manager’s tactical decision? Some would argue that a manager’s decision, right or wrong, should be respected. After all, he is in the position of responsibility afforded to him, so should therefore be supported with whatever decision he chooses to make.

There is another school of thought however, which says that the modern fan is well-versed in the tactics of the game, and knows when a substitution should, or rather should not, be made. The saturation of football on television means that fans are consuming more of the game, and therefore having a wider opportunity to discuss individual decisions and tactics in pubs, bars, concourses, offices, on forums and in homes across the country. Throw into that a stronger media focus on the tactical outlook of the game (the Guardian’s chalkboards, blogs, plus the excellent Zonal Marking website to name but a few) and even the fact that a generation of fans have grown up outsmarting friends and strangers on games like FIFA, Pro Evo and Football Manager, and the modern fascination with tactical decisions is born. The more knowledge an individual, or a collective, possesses, the more opinions they form and thus the more likely they are to contend any decision they would not have made. In Wenger’s case, this arrived on Sunday to a crescendo of boos at the hands of 55,000 Arsenal fans.

This incident aside, it isn’t the first time that a substitution involving Oxlade-Chamberlain has thrown Wenger’s tactical beliefs wide open. In the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, Arsenal were trailing 3-1 after 62 minutes. With the game delicately poised, and Arsenal managing to survive despite a growing injury list, Wenger opted to withdraw young central midfielder Francis Coquelin for Oxlade-Chamberlain, thus removing the one man who was shielding the Arsenal defence. Half an hour later, with Arsenal’s midfield disrupted, Manchester United had run amok and sealed a dramatic 8-2 victory.

In the recent 3-2 defeat at Swansea, Wenger tried to rescue the game with eight minutes remaining by withdrawing central defender Per Mertesacker for Oxlade-Chamberlain, resulting in an obvious reshuffle. Although no more goals were scored, Wenger’s decision to weaken the defence, and therefore the midfield, played into the hands of Brendan Rodgers’ counter-attacking Swansea side, who came dangerously close to adding a fourth. Arsenal were unable to grab a point, but Wenger did himself no favours in trying to provide confidence to the fans.

Arsenal fans have always been more than willing to support Wenger, given the brand of football he prefers and the philosophy he imposes. But two key grumbles, a lack of investment in the right areas of the team, and tactical decisions such as yesterday’s introduction for Arshavin for a sparkling Oxlade-Chamberlain, are starting to create significant cracks in the relationship between the two sides. Failure to hit the top four could be very bad news for Wenger.

The curious tale of Anzhi Makhachkala

2012-01-07T14:04:00.007Z

Lurking amongst the football gossip columns in recent months, alongside the stellar names of the English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, has been a relative newcomer to football’s A List. A club whose name is as difficult to pronounce as it is to comprehend how their story and background can be linked to the players and ambitions they are. But then again, Anzhi Makhachkala are no other club.

Anzhi rose to prominence in football circles when they announced the signing of Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto’o in August of last year. The most surprising aspect of the transfer, however, wasn’t just the fact that an internationally renowned striker would chose to move to one of the traditionally less glamorous European leagues. It was more the fact that a seemingly unknown Russian side had the financial wealth to furnish Internazionale with €21m (£18.4m) and Eto’o with an annual salary of around €10m (£8.7m).

Eto'o earns a reputed £167,825 a week at Anzhi

The man behind the club and the financial power that has provided the gossip columns with numerous unheralded and spurious rumours in the past six months is oil tycoon Suleiman Kerimov. Kerimov, a 45 year-old Russian who stand in 118th position on the Forbes billionaires list, has made his fortune from investing in failing oil companies and later selling them on for huge profits, and more recently from capitalising on the financial meltdown that hit Russia in 2008.

Kerimov was born in Derbent, Dagestan, a birthright that has forged a relationship with local side Anzhi. The side, who currently sit seventh in the Russian Premier League, are based in the notoriously unsafe Dagestan Republic, an ethnically diverse area in the North Caucasus region of South-West Russia. The area, as excellently described by Rossiyskaya Gazeta’s Anna Nemtsova, is rife with low-level guerrilla war, a complicated and painful conflict marked by suicide bombings, the assassination of police, mayors and religious leaders, and the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims.

Anzhi has only existed on the Russian football scene since 1991, and were accustomed to floundering around the 1. Division with only sporadic flirtations with the Premier League for three seasons from 2000, until their promotion back to the top flight in 2010. Kerimov purchased the club in January 2011, and his arrival heralded a major shift in the club’s targets, both on and off the field.

His acquisition of the club has led to suggestions that his role at Anzhi may be part of a Kremlin-led encouragement for wealthy Russian businessmen to improve less well-off areas of the sparse country, something that fellow oligarch Roman Abramovich is familiar with. Despite his purchase of the club rumoured to be less of a business purchase and more of a donation by Dagestan president Magomedsalam Magomedov in return to the promise of investment in the Dagestan area, plans for a new stadium complex are underway. A state-of-the-art arena, anywhere between 40,000 and 50,000 capacity, would help to revitalise the area, adding a splash of glamour and architectural magnificence to a part of Russia with a reputation for violence and assassination. It would certainly be an improvement on their current home, the rundown and archaic Dynamo Stadium.

Anzhi Makhachkala's current home, Dynamo Stadium

In either a new home or the current abode, Anzhi’s players, homegrown or international names, may still find their current match-day routine to be somewhat different to any other club they have played at. Due to safety reasons linked to the areas historical, and present-day, status, Anzhi’s players live in the Russian capital Moscow, training there as a team throughout the week, only flying to Makhachkala for their home games. A two hour flight to cover the 1,250 mile route between the capital and the war-torn region is a confusing state of affairs, with Anzhi’s general director German Chistyakov claiming it to be more of a lifestyle choice than due to the safety concerns - a problem that will be eradicated by the introduction of the new Anzhi Arena.

Eto’o’s arrival was only the start of the big names being linked to the Anzhi revolution. In less than six months since Eto’o arrived in Dagestan/Moscow, the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Robin Van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou, Peter Odemwingie, Gareth Bale, Didier Drogba and Andrey Arshavin, among many, many others, have been linked with a move to Kerimov’s part football team, part community project.

As well as the excellent Hungarian international Balazs Dzsudzsak and former Chelsea wing-back Yuri Zhirkov, the current Anzhi squad, who were previously managed by veteran Gadzhi Gadzhiyev, also have Roberto Carlos in their squad. The aging Brazilian full-back, now 37, became the club’s caretaker player-coach in September, but the appointment was only intended to be temporary. As you would expect with a club of Anzhi’s new-found wealth, managerial heavyweights Guus Hiddink, Jose Mourinho and England manager Fabio Capello were all poised to take over.

Plans for the modern Anzhi Arena complex

Capello et al won’t be heading to Anzhi, however, as Yuri Krasnozhan was appointed as manager this week. The former Lokomotiv Moscow manager will have more familiarity with the Russian Premier League than any of those linked to the job, and his first task will be to unite a squad that is constantly being linked to a host of stellar names yet is currently trailing the league leaders, Zenit St Petersburg, by 13 points.

To many football fans in the UK, Russian football used to be all about Andrey Arshavin, plastic pitches and Champion’s League matches kicking off mid-afternoon. Anzhi’s arrival on the continental scene may not be complete for a number of seasons, but Kerimov’s ambitions to create a football dynasty in the most unexpected of environments has certainly got people talking.

The truly beautiful game

2011-10-10T13:40:00.004+01:00

Imagine playing football for a whole season, and every passing game ending with defeat. Those defeats not coming by a narrow margin, but with a score that would embarrass the most confident of individuals. Each defeat heavier than the one before, each match as one-sided as previously.

Add to this an inability to threaten the opposition defence, not only struggling to create a clear-cut opportunity but failing to score a single goal as a team since you began playing with each other.

How would you feel if that was you? You’d be happy, wouldn’t you? Smile through it all, applaud the opposition at the end of the game, look forward to each game, and play the game with a passionate love for what you were doing.

No? Well, you should.

After all, that is exactly what has happened to the little boys and girls of Margatania FC in Catalonia, Spain. The youngsters, coming together in an under seven’s team, are the subject of one of the sharpest, most heart-warming and genuinely brilliant videos currently doing the rounds on the Internet – l’equip petit (the little team).

l'equip petit from el cangrejo on Vimeo.

The team has lost every game it has played, sometimes by nine, sometimes by 11, sometimes with the potential to concede as many as 27 goals without reply. Not once have any of Margatania’s youngsters achieved the basic target of football – to score a goal. Yet, that is the last thing on their mind as they step out on to the miniature, dusty pitches of Castelldefels near Barcelona where they come together as a team.

Their philosophy on football, something that the youngsters are probably unaware they even possess, has been heralded as something to look up to by many, including Nick Levett, an academy coach at Fulham FC and FA national development manager for youth football.

Levett uses the l’equip petit video at numerous workshops across the country to set the scene as part of his drive for a better youth football platform for children in England. His presentations across the country, preceded by the l’equip petit video, endeavour to show where English youth football can improve to ensure that the enjoyment of the youngsters involved is the paramount priority.

Levett’s excellent presentation (available here) holds up many reasons why English youth football needs drastic redevelopment in order for it to become a healthier environment in which football can be played. Some of the quotes from boys and girls across the country are telling:

· “I don't like it when we try something new and it doesn't go right first time and the adults shout at me” (WorcsU10)

· "When people shout negative stuff it makes me just want to leave the pitch and go home” (Beds U10)

· “Why do I have to defend the same size goal as Petr Cech?” (Josh, U11, Huddersfield)

· “Why is the pitch so much bigger than last year? We’re only a little bit bigger” (DJ, U11, Huddersfield)

· “25 minutes still to go ref! You must be joking. I'm absolutely knackered!” (U14 during a game on adult pitch)

· “Why can’t we take one step at a time? It’s really unfair for the goalkeepers” (Alex, U11, Worcestershire)

· “How am I expected to save shots in a goal that’s so big, when the adults come to take the nets down they use a step ladder?” (Adam, U11, Bedfordshire)

Levett’s main argument is the need for 9v9 games to take the place of 11v11 matches for youngsters in England, who feel dwarfed by massive pitches. From a personal experience, having to play on huge pitches, particularly as a goalkeeper, feels far too overwhelming to take in, especially having to defend goals where you can’t touch the crossbar or dive to either post from the centre of the goal.

An approach that replicates some of the continental nations, namely Spain, Germany and France, would see youth football return to a youth-orientated mantra, where the pitches, games, philosophies and expectations, from the children themselves but also the parents/adults involved as coaches/spectators, are all geared to get the best out of those playing, on both a developmental level and an enjoyment level.

The children of Margatania FC and those quoted in Nick Levett’s presentation share similar thoughts:

L’equip petit:

· “What I like is stopping balls, and that’s it. I have a lot of work.” (Haritz)

· (when asked about scoring a goal) “I’ll be happy, I’ll jump, shout… I’ll become crazy and that’s it.” (Haritz)

· “If one day I’ll score, I’d be so happy that I’ll fly.” (Pol)

· “We don’t care if we don’t score, because we have fun. We’ll score when we grow old.” (Pol)

Levett’s presentation:

· “Setting your mates up to score is as good as scoring as they say thanks and stuff” (Liverpool U10)

· “Losing is ok, its good to learn you don't have to win everything” (Beds U9)

· “Not bothered about winning the league, the game is just for fun” (North Riding U9)

If in Spain, and other countries, these types of football philosophies are already working, then it is surely the right decision for The FA to take this approach on board and return football back to the children.

Rafa Benitez for England?

2011-09-27T08:23:00.001+01:00

Benitez's greatest achievement at Liverpool was the 2005 Champion's League victory

The time is nigh. The déjà-vu feeling of a soon-to-be-departing England manager needing to be replaced is about to rear its ugly head in the nation’s press to a crescendo of Anglophilic patriotism, where only an English manager will appease the majority of the red-top reading cognoscenti.

Yet, for what reason? Has it worked in recent years? The last homegrown manager to assume the helm at Wembley was Steve McLaren, whose managerial stock crashed under the down-pouring of both the heckles from his own fans and the skies above his final, fateful match.

Harry Redknapp may be the favourite for the England job once Fabio Capello departs in a pre-agreed deal following the conclusion of England’s Euro 2012 campaign, with Stuart Pearce likely to be close by in the running by way of his stewardship of the under 21s.

Redknapp is an obvious candidate, due to his position as the most successful English manager currently plying his trade in the Premier League, and an uncanny knack of being able to motivate his players to perform on the greatest stages – something that England may class as a major weakness.

But Redknapp apart, (discounting Pearce as being anywhere near ready for a job of this magnitude) the scarcity of English managers suitable for the job is obvious, so surely the candidate pool should stretch to those born out of these shores.

One such man, Rafa Benitez, may be the perfect groom to take England, perennial bridesmaid’s since 1966, down the aisle of football’s greatest ceremonies once again.

The former Liverpool manager left Anfield for the final time in June 2010, and endured a torrid short spell at Inter Milan, where he felt the wrath of Massimo Moratti’s short shrift and lasted just six months. Yet, Benitez’s undoubted qualities as a manager would fit like a glove in international football, and his familiarity with the facets of the English game should bring his name into the foreground as a prime candidate.

By breaking down what exactly is needed to be a successful international manager, Benitez’s stock rises high above the majority of the available or attractive candidates. His prevalence as a tactically astute thinker – a student of the game for many years – is exactly what is required in a job with an evident emphasis on knockout football.

Those matches are music to Benitez’s ears. Think Istanbul. Think two Champions League final appearances with Liverpool, and a quarter-final berth with Valencia. Think of the UEFA Cup and Super Cup triumphs with Valencia and Liverpool respectively, an English FA Cup and Community Shield, and an Italian Super Cup and Club World Championship in just six months as Inter coach, and Benitez’s abilities to win tournaments where one defeat can spell the end of the road is a remarkable feat. This strength sits on top of his footballing CV, with the miraculous and unfathomable success in Istanbul in 2005 being the best reference possible.

Benitez’s ability to play the media game will also go in his favour should he become England manager. A job known to be poisoned chalice, not least by Harry Redknapp himself, involves a media circus which past managers (Taylor, Hoddle, Eriksson, McLaren) are only too well versed with. At Liverpool, Benitez was more than happy to face the media, with memorable press conferences covering the good, the bad and the ugly (“it’s a fact, no?”) side of his job.

Yet, he was always willing to answer the questions, and in doing so held no fear for his contemporaries, standing up to the managerial might of Mourinho and Ferguson at every opportunity. With the England job requiring a greater reliance on forming these understanding relationships with club managers, Benitez’s ability to talk openly and freely to his peers may be a hindrance at times. However, to quote an old proverb, a palm tree growing in the shade will not bear ripe fruit – the openness to talk to managers is necessary and should be respected, if not always agreed upon.

As a man who still lives in England (Benitez calls Wirral his home and his daughters attend a nearby school), the former Liverpool supremo has always made his sentiments to the club, and English football, clear. After departing Anfield, he made a substantial donation of £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group from his own pocket just hours before becoming Inter Milan manager. And recent speculation towards his future has heralded claims that Benitez has turned down job offers from clubs across Europe to make sure that his next job is the right one. Residing in England, there may be few to suit his requirements, yet the one that would do so perfectly may be just a matter of months away.

Unlike Capello, Benitez is fluent in English and bears a true understanding of the English game, yet acknowledges the need to move away from the archaic and failing 4-4-2 system on the international stage. Benitez’s tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation, something he became au fait with in and around La Liga, worked wonders at Liverpool, and the oft-mocked zonal-marking system was far more successful than claimed – yielding countless clean sheets and one of the best defensive records of any club during his reign.

Most recently, Benitez has launched a blog of his own, www.rafabenitez.com, a statistical analysis of some of football’s subjects that he so intently studies as though he was a manager producing a case report to prepare for an upcoming fixture. What it shows most vocally is that Benitez puts pride in his work as a manager, going out of his way to forgo the punditry cashflow of his managerial colleagues to stay true to what he really cares about – employed or not.

It is time for the recrudescence of Rafa Benitez, and what better man to lead the English revolt against the tiki-taka of the Spanish magicians than a pupil of the philosophy itself.