Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti have both been warned by the FA after making comments about referee Howard Webb.Manchester United boss Ferguson and Chelsea’s Ancelotti both made comments about Webb ahead of the Red Devil’s crucial 2-1 English Premier League win over Chelsea on May 8.
The Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday that the pair had broken the rule that forbids managers from talking about referees prior to a match.
“It was a minor breach but a breach nevertheless,” an FA statement said.
The chairman of the commission said Ferguson’s minor breach should act as a warning to all managers.
“This rule was brought in at the start of the 2009/10 season and this was reiterated formally to all clubs again on 21 October 2010,” the chairman said.
“This is a clear breach of the rule and it is the first such a matter has been placed in front of a commission.”
“As a result of this charge, the commission were aware of other occasions where pre-match comments were made by other managers.”
“In this case, it was considered to be a minor breach and it should be taken as a warning to all managers in the future that any such breach, even positive comments, are likely to result in a charge by the FA.”
Ancelotti was also warned for making similar comments, with the FA saying: “The Chelsea manager’s warning relates to his pre-match media comments prior to the Premier League match with Manchester United on May 8.”
United clinched their 19th league title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Saturday, but it was the win over Chelsea on May 8 that put them well-clear in the title race.
Ferguson had made comments about Webb two days before the game, but was not critical of the official.
“We are getting the best referee. There is no doubt about that,” Ferguson said. “But (getting a bad decision) is definitely our big fear.”
Ancelotti’s comments were almost identical to his counterpart, saying: “Howard Webb is a fantastic referee, he has experience, he has skills, but this is football and sometimes when things are not good you speak about the bad decisions against you.”
Ferguson also received a five-game touchline ban and 30,000-pound fine for criticism of referee Martin Atkinson earlier in the year.
Rafael Van Der Vaart is hungry. He wants the ball all the time. This is undoubtedly an excellent quality in a player. Because of Van der Vaart’s appetite and his status within the Tottenham Hotspur side, he has quickly and firmly established himself as the first choice set-piece taker but after a series of dreadful decisions against Manchester United on Monday night, this duty should definitely be put under review.
When playing against a side of United’s quality, every set-piece should be treated with great importance, there are few opportunities against the Champions and all should be taken seriously. Corners and free kicks must be viewed as a chance to test the defence and in particular, on Monday, to test the new goalkeeper. Van Der Vaart failed to do this completely. One of his corners didn’t even make it onto the pitch and he struck a horribly wasteful shot from 40 yards when both centre backs had gone forward. Harry Redknapp was furious and rightly so.
In the big games Van Der Vaart does get particularly carried away, the occasion seems to inflate his already considerable sense of self-importance and, whilst this benefited Spurs last season, particularly in the Champions League and against Arsenal at White Hart Lane, it was evident on Monday that his enthusiasm doesn’t always benefit the team. Aside from screaming at Lennon and then throwing a strop, he was hot-headed and rushing on Monday when what was needed was a cool head. By all means put van der Vaart on the free kicks from the edge of the box, he cannot really do much worse than Gareth Bale’s return of 1, but when Spurs are trying to slow down play and take the pressure of their back four, the last thing they need is a selfishly taken, rushed set-piece.
Perhaps taking Van der Vaart off set pieces entirely is too strong a reaction to this one particularly poor display as he is undoubtedly a talented enough player to whip in a great cross, but getting him to calm down and reminding him of the priority to put the ball into a dangerous area might be a start. There are several other players capable of delivering in the Tottenham side, particularly Tom Huddlestone and Gareth Bale. It wouldn’t hurt to let them have a go and at least make Van der Vaart appreciate his responsibilities a bit more on the process.
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Chelsea scored three first half goals to comfortably see off Wolves at Stamford Bridge and relieve the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Consecutive home defeats at the hands of top four rivals Arsenal and Liverpool had put the Portugeuse boss in a precarious position with reports suggestion that owner Roman Abramovich was set to dispense with his services after barely five months in charge. A series of under-par performances had seen the Blues come in for some serious criticism but they roared back into life scoring three goals in the first forty five minutes to secure an important win. Captain John Terry started things off heading home Juan Mata’s corner after seven minutes before the Spaniard set up Daniel Sturridge to make it two just before the half hour. The midfielder then got on the scoresheet himself on the stroke of half time lashing home Ashley Cole’s low cross to complete the scoring and put the smile back on his managers face. Eyes will now be cast over to Mick McCarthy who must be shouldering his fair share of pressure with his side now fourth bottom after losing for the seventh time in nine games. Wanderer’s have won only once in that sequence and look form candidate for relegation after putting in another poor display in West London. McCarthy’s men rarely threatened the home side who strolled to one of their more convincing wins of the season.
A rapid start was needed to lift the Stamford Bridge faithful out of their seats after conceding two late goals in the space of three days against Liverpool last week and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday. Whilst the performance wasn’t vintage Chelsea did enough to secure the win and got off to a flyer when Terry gave his marker the slip before heading home Mata’s corner to break the deadlock after seven minutes. However the hosts failed to build on that lead allowing Wolves to settle into the game and looked like a side severely lacking in confidence. Despite being presented with a chance to get themselves back into the game the visitors failed to really test the Blues defence as their lack of creativity became increasingly evident. The best they could muster was a looping header from Steven Ward that never really looked like testing Petr Cech. The next goal would go onto define the contest and it was Chelsea who grabbed it on 29 minutes with Mata once again the provider crossing for Sturrige to side foot home from close range for his sixth Premier League goal of the season. The Spaniard was by far the home side’s brightest player and he deservedly got his name on the scoresheet converting Cole’s cross with aplomb and giving Chelsea a cushion going into the break.
Wolves responded well after the restart and should have nicked a goal that would have caused the tension levels to rise inside Stamford Bridge. Steven Fletcher had their best chance firing a shot narrowly wide of Cech’s goal as the away side strived to give their travelling support something to celebrate. The Blues were still a threat though and were denied more goals by some tremendous goalkeeping from Wayne Hennessey who pulled off two stunning saves to keep out strikers from Mata and Sturridge. His opposite number in the home goal was equally as impressive thwarting Matt Jarvis and Fletcher as Wolves threatened to nick a consolation. However neither side could convert the opportunities presented to them with Chelsea holding on to secure a precious three points and more important clean sheet. Villas-Boas will face tougher tests over the festive period and his side will need to perform better away at Newcastle next week.
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Former France defender Lilian Thuram will launch the opening of a new football stadium in El-Bireh, Ramallah, on Thursday.The 1998 World Cup winner has taken time to visit the Qalandia refugee camp in Ramallah, where he met with boys studying at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school.
The 142-time France representative has been invited by the Palestinian Football Association to open the new stadium.
“I think it is very important to come to these places to see the reality and this is the case of Palestine,” Thuram said.
“It is a personal experience and it is a very important visit.”
Thuram said it was important to understand the traditions of the locals, particularly the younger children.
“I found that it is very important to understand the children’s history and their culture,” Thuram said.
“I am originally from Caribbean Islands and my favourite dance is the traditional dance of the Caribbean Islands.”
In 2010, France contributed almost US$10million to the UNRWA.
UNRWA spokesperson Chris Guinness said it was important for the area to benefit from the presence of a French football legend.
With so much pressure on managers and players to perform to the, often unrealistic, standards set for them by fans we should ask ourselves: are there other characters in the football pantomime who are often failed to be held to account? The people I’m talking about are of course the back room staff; the coaches, the assistant managers, the sporting directors and so on. How much influence do they really exert and should we be calling for a change in club staff as much as we do for managers?
Assistant Managers
The fact that Ray Wilkins’ departure last season coincided with a huge dip in form for Chelsea could be coincidental, but clearly it is too important a coincidence to overlook. Whilst nearly all eyes were focused on Carlo Ancelotti it was the absence of his number two that seemingly sparked the demise of Chelsea. They eventually recovered towards the end of the season but in the two months following the sacking of Ray Wilkins Chelsea took just seven league points from a possible twenty-seven including just one win in their nine Premier League games over that period.
Clearly this instance on its own is not enough to state the extent of the role that assistant coaches play in a club’s success, however when you look at the attitude of the most successful manager in British history then their importance is visible. Like any company, to enjoy consistent success football clubs need to reinvent themselves on a regular basis in order to keep up with the changing times of the industry. Whilst Alex Ferguson has been at United for over two decades he has had the foresight to change his assistant managers on a reasonably regular basis. During his time at the club he has worked alongside Archie Knox, Brian Kidd, Steve McClaren, Jimmy Ryan, Carlos Quieroz, Walter Smith and Mike Phelan.
I’m not saying that the continued success of Manchester United is down to the high turnover of staff, clearly Ferguson is the key factor; however, the assistants have invariably helped to add a freshness of ideas that is clearly lacking at other top clubs. Take Arsenal for example. Arsene Wenger, undoubtedly an exceptional manager, seems to have lost his way in recent years. Often it seems that the club are stuck in a rut and, whilst clearly this can’t be blamed purely on Wenger’s assistant Pat Rice, it is undeniable that the Northern Irish, former Arsenal defender has had a role to play. Rice has been assistant manager to Wenger ever since the Frenchman took over and whilst he enjoyed success early on he is indicative of the stagnation at the club, particularly if you consider Arsenal’s defensive frailties over the last few years (Rice is the defensive coach). It doesn’t mean that Rice is a bad coach or assistant, perhaps just that without fresh faces behind the scenes clubs like Arsenal, after a while, lack originality.
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You could also look at England under Fabio Capello. Capello’s number two was Franco Baldini who, it was said, conducted most of the team talks and ‘hands on’ elements to the national squad. If this is true then perhaps he too should be taking some of the blame for performances such as England’s during the World Cup in South Africa.
Bureaucracy
It’s not just the assistants that impact either. The bureaucratisation of football clubs has also had an impact on the teams’ performances. For example the ever-increasing numbers of ‘Directors of Football’ are hugely influential in a clubs success. Take Liverpool’s underwhelming league form this year. Arguably that is down to money poorly spent on expensive, average signings. Who was responsible for the signings of Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson? Damien Comolli – Liverpool’s Director of Football. Or you could look at Chelsea where the hierarchy have signed players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku who, whilst excellent players, were not chosen by the manager and therefore hinder his performance in the role. Lukaku’s recent statement that he was unhappy about his lack of playing time is testament to the influence these individuals have behind the scenes and the negative effects they can have.
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I know a lot of this may seem obvious but the point I’m trying to make is that in a culture in which we are so quick to criticise players, to call for a change in the management of the club and express dissent at the earliest opportunity perhaps we should be looking at the other factors involved. Yes, Arsene Wenger seems to have lost his way a bit but is he actually a worse manager than he was in 2004 or does he just need to refresh his coaching staff? Yes, Villas-Boas has been poor this year but isn’t it understandable when the club keep buying players that he doesn’t want as he attempts to rebuild Chelsea’s squad; and yes, Daglish is hardly the same manager he was but can you blame him when £35m of his transfer money is spent on the likes of Andy Carroll? Ultimately the managers are accountable for the success or failure of a club but next time you find yourself calling for a manager’s head, or declaring your disgust at your manager’s choice of signings, take a minute to consider who else had a role to play.
There are reports that Jermain Defoe may be looking for a move away from Tottenham if he doesn’t get more first-team action. The England striker has recently dropped out of Harry Redknapp’s regular starting line-up; due to his poor Premier League form that has produced only 4 goals this season. Defoe told Sky Sports News “I want to help the club achieve things, win trophies, and get in the Champions League, but when you feel like you are working hard, training hard and being professional, and then for some reason you are not playing, it is difficult.” However doesn’t Defoe’s poor goal return suggest that his exclusion is justified and could a move benefit both Tottenham and the player himself?
It’s easy to understand the situation from both sides and it would be great if Tottenham could afford to keep faith with a misfiring forward – but this is a club that wants to play in the Champions League and to compete with their Premier League rivals they need 3 or 4 strikers all scoring goals on a regular basis. Defoe may rediscover his form next season but can Tottenham afford to take the risk because if he doesn’t they could lose crucial ground over their rivals. However, at 28 and an England career to consider it’s perfectly understandable that Defoe is frustrated by the lack of games and really he needs to be playing on a regular basis. Despite the fact that Defoe has been poor this season he can point to a previously strong record in the Premier League. Last season for instance he scored 18 in the league and 24 overall.
Jermain Defoe though will want to be a little bit careful about what he wishes for, because it’s unlikely that a team in the top six of the Premier League would take the gamble on him. Therefore, he may be scratching around for clubs that really need a striker and those teams may not be competing for honours next season; clubs that come to mind include Everton, Sunderland and Newcastle. But it remains to be seen what kind of transfer fee Tottenham would be looking for and whetever or not that would be within reach of the clubs mentioned. However, Newcastle and Sunderland should have plenty of money available following the big money departures of Andy Carroll and Darren Bent respectively. A move may also be just what Defoe needs to rediscover his goal-scoring touch.
The main issue for Defoe is simply a case of playing a bit part role for a club competing for the top four place or playing on a more regular basis for a team that may not be competing in that area of the table. However, Defoe may feel that with his goals and general ability there is no reason to suggest that these clubs can’t perform very well in the Premier League.
Tottenham will rightly feel that they cannot offer Defoe the assurance of regular first-team football bearing in mind his poor Premier League form. Therefore, they may feel it best to cash in. As I mentioned earlier it’s vital that Tottenham have 3 or 4 strikers that can be relied upon to score goals and at the moment Defoe isn’t reliable.
Follow me on Twitter and tell me if Tottenham should sell Jermain Defoe?
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West Ham manager Avram Grant is relishing the ‘challenge’ ahead of him to keep his side in the Premier League.Grant’s side welcome Stoke to Upton Park on Saturday and a win would see the East Londoners climb out of the bottom three.And Grant claims he is thriving on the pressure as the relegation battle heats up.”I feel the pressure and I enjoy it as much as you can,” he said. “If you are in a comfortable position it’s enjoyable but pressure can push you to think of solutions and what you can do better, so I think the pressure is good. Another word for pressure is challenge and I like the challenge.”West Ham have been reinvigorated of late and are currently sixth in the form table behind the ‘big four’ and Tottenham, but Grant is unwilling to set his team a points target that could secure safety.”Even if you calculate it, it doesn’t affect the preparation for the games,” he said.”We want to win every game and each team in the last 10 places from the bottom has the chance to be relegated.””When we are at our best we are hard to beat, but we have tough games and no game will be easy, including tomorrow (Saturday).”Stoke are on a run of five successive Premier league away defeats but Grant is well aware of their threat.”Even the top teams have a difficult game against Stoke. They are very well organised, have a good manager who knows how to get the best from his players, but we must do our job and take the points,” he said.Demba Ba almost joined Stoke in January but a deal fell through after the Senegalese striker failed a medical. But he has adjusted quickly to life at West Ham with three goals in two league starts and Grant was quick to praise his impact.”I followed him for a long time in the Bundesliga. I like his movement and intelligence. He can score goals and we have seen that in the last games. He is not at his best yet but every game he is getting better,” Grant said.Captain Scott Parker looks set to return after his shoulder injury and defender Matthew Upson has recovered from an Achilles injury while midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has also been declared fit.
The clubs pushing for a spot in the top four have to try and compete both on and off the pitch. Whilst in terms of recent achievements on the pitch teams like Liverpool and Tottenham are falling behind their rivals, both have invested time in considering a new stadium to better compete at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. But should both clubs consider the perils of investing heavily in a new ground?
Building a new, bigger stadium would on the face of it be a huge bonus with increased gate receipts and larger revenues that improved infrastructure can generate. The growth of teams often comes hand in hand with investment on and off the pitch. In recent months both Tottenham and Liverpool have been reportedly keen on building new stadiums. The disappointment over missing out on the Olympic Stadium has not deterred Spurs and Daniel Levy from believing that a new ground is essential to Tottenham’s future growth. Liverpool have been weighing up the prospects of redeveloping Anfield or building a completely new stadium. But would the financial burden of a new ground come at the cost in other areas of the clubs?
Arsenal’s move to the Emirates from Highbury in 2006 was a fantastic long-term move for the Gunners but the project cost £390million with a reported loan of £260million to finance the move. The burden of debt (thought to reach nearly £318million at Arsenal in recent years but now slashed considerably) will always have an impact of financial resources and free cash available in other areas of the club, most notable to fans would be transfer fees and wages. Loans taken out for new stadiums mean interest rates and repayments are a continued issue. The true effect of the debt on spending will only be known by the Gunners’ hierarchy but Arsenal’s conscientious spending on new players in recent years has meant that whilst their infrastructure has improved greatly, they have not developed sufficiently on the pitch.
But there are fantastic benefits of having a new ground. The Gunners are reaping the awards of increased gate revenues and being able to sustain competitiveness with an impressive stadium. There is no doubt that to expand, infrastructure is often key. The fact that Arsenal can generate nearly £94million from a 60,000-seat stadium compared to just under £37million in the 36,000 capacity White Hart Lane hit Spurs hard. But clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool must consider whether they are happy being potentially uncompetitive in the transfer market until sufficient revenues could be generated from any move?
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Plans for Spurs’ new £400million stadium will need to be properly financed so there is no long-term debt effect. Tottenham have applied for public funding whilst another possible option reported last month was asking supporters to pay some of their fees for long-term contracts upfront that would effectively part fund any new stadium and hopefully pay off any debt quickly, thus reducing any impact on player investment.
Liverpool are facing the same issue as Spurs and are considering whether redevelop their famous home Anfield or build a new ground in their push for growth. The Reds’ plans have hit many stumbling blocks recently in their desire to increase Anfield’s 45,000 capacity. A potential move to Stanley Park would be an ideal way for Liverpool FC to continue to expand as a brand and business but the financial burden for a club riddled with recent money problems would be a huge risk for the current owners to take.
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The prospect of a new stadium is exciting for any club but for teams like Liverpool and Tottenham, chasing the top tier of the Premier League both on and off the pitch is risky business. The burden of stadium debt may take a toll on other areas of the club and like Arsenal have shown, a new ground doesn’t generate instant success on the pitch. Fans may be looking forward to watching their team in an impressive new stadium in years to come but the true scale of such an investment may come at a cost to more than just the bank balance of clubs.
Should Liverpool and Spurs burden themselves with debt for a new stadium? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5
Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that veteran defender Rio Ferdinand still has a place in the Manchester United first-team, and that his experience will be vital in the club’s quest for honours this season.
The England international has had a frustrating start to the season,as niggling injuries have forced him to watch his side power to the top of the league from the sidelines.
Despite the performances of the team and other defenders in his absence, Ferguson still values Ferdinand as an important part of the United side.
“Rio’s [injury] record is fact. We wish it was better but we use him to our advantage when we have him available because you cannot dismiss the experience he brings,” he stated in a press conference.
“He missed a couple [of matches] after Bolton and one after West Brom but I don’t mind that because with the squad we have got we utilise him the way we want to.”
With the rise to prominence of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, and the ever-steady Jonny Evans also available, Ferdinand’s future has been put in doubt. However the Scottish coach believes that Ferdinand is still integral to the Red Devils squad.
“He walked through the game at Bolton. We are absolutely delighted with Smalling, Evans and Jones. The three of them have been absolutely magnificent. They are the long-term future.
“But there are occasions when you bring in the experience Rio offers because it does make a difference. The young players know that.
“They also know there will be a time when they are left out for the right reasons and knowing they will get better the next time they come in,” he concluded.
United take on Stoke at the Britannia in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, and will look to continue their flawless record in the Premier League.
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Guangzhou Evergrande extended their unbeaten run in the Chinese Super League to 11 with a 2-0 win over Shaanxi Chanba on Saturday.It took until late in the second half for them to find the breakthrough but they maintained their hold on top spot with the victory at the Tianhe Stadium.
Brazilian forward Muriqui opened the scoring on 76 minutes before midfielder Wu Pingfeng wrapped up victory in stoppage time.
Beijing Guoan were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Shandong Luneng.
Australian Joel Griffiths gave Beijing a 49th-minute lead and they looked to be headed for victory until Brazilian Obina struck a late equaliser.
Third-placed Liaoning Hongyun handed struggling Shenzhen Ruby a 6-1 belting.
Midfielder Yu Hanchao scored a brace, while Zhao Junzhe, Yang Xu, Valdo and Xing Xuefei were also on the scoresheet as Liaoning found the net three times in each half.
Only an own goal from Kim Yoo-Jin blemished an otherwise superb performance against bottom-placed Shenzhen.
Elsewhere, a goal from Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano helped Hangzhou Lucheng to a 1-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua, while Nanchang Bayi slumped to a seventh-straight winless league game as an own goal from Sun Yifan handed Changchun Yatai a 1-0 win.
Qingdao Jonoon and the winless Henan Jianye played out a 1-1 draw, as did Dalian Shide and Tianjin Teda.
Meanwhile, Australian Bruce Djite struck the winner as Jiangsu Shuntian overcame Chengdu Blades 1-0.