FFP ONLY BOLSTERS ELITE BRAND CLUBS

Every football club in Europe must operate within the parameters of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations but the rules do not encourage competition and seem only to serve teams with a global brand already in place.

D. Ray Morton, 16th January 2015.

British transfer record signing Ángel Di María will not be Manchester United's last mega purchse

Some comparisons were made in the past week about the managerial records of Manchester United's current manager, Louis van Gaal, and last year's horror show ran by David Moyes. At this stage of last season, United had accumulated the same amount of points (though their league position is superior). It begged the question, just how well is van Gaal really doing and how can United push on and become the force, again, that they were under Sir Alex Ferguson? Their solution? Cash. Having spent a fortune last summer, including the British transfer record signing of Ángel Di María, they are set to do the same again between now and the end of next August. There is talk of spending €150m on three targets: AS Roma's Kevin Strootman, Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne.

In this supposed period of austerity and responsibility in football, how is it possible for United to shell out such vast amounts of money whilst other clubs remain hamstrung by revenue limitations? It is all about the size of the brand. There are maybe a handful of teams with this luxury. United are one of them. A huge corporate brand that flogs merchandise throughout Asia in the manner of which smaller clubs can only dream of. Barcelona, Real Madrid and arguably Bayern Munich are also amongst this elite. Nouveau riche sides like Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris St. Germain do not have this luxury as their spending comes from wealthy individuals as opposed to generating revenue through merchandise sales and sponsorship deals. Although Chelsea, City and PSG aspire to dominate Europe, they are still outside that top bracket when it comes to flogging replica kits globally.

This global brand gravy train for the few brings about many questions. Seeing as these few clubs can continue to spend massive amounts of money thanks to the strength of their brand, does it not make football less competitive from a strictly capitalistic sense? Spend all you like as long as it is not from some rich man's pocket. This is something that is new to football. Though many clubs would produce their own players in the past, teams really only improved considerably when they were bankrolled by a wealthy owner. Who could imagine a Brian Clough in this era, a great manager famed for bringing small provincial clubs from the lower divisions to challenging in the top flight? That was done through old-fashioned investment and sound coaching.

Brian Clough, though a socialist politically, cleverly used his owners' capitalist endeavour to reach success

FFP removes this possibility because every investment made needs to be backed up. There are inconsistencies, such as the building of Man City's development centre which does not fall within the jurisdiction of FFP. The idea is to try and spend a fortune developing home-grown players rather than spending it in the transfer market. Either way, such projects will just become "player factories" where young players will get moved on in order to generate money for the main team. These players will never get a look in. Since City have funded this ambitious youth system, not a single player from it has made a first-team appearance. Chelsea do similar things in that many of their players get loaned out to feeder club, Vitesse Arnhem, where their price rises without any true chance of breaking into Chelsea's real first-team.

So there is a glass ceiling there for these just-off top clubs. Is this really good for football? Is it just financial reshuffling that ensures the rich stay rich? When UEFA came out with the idea for FFP, it seemed like money in football was finally going to be cleaned up. It has not been. It has only been moved around differently leaving smaller clubs with a sense of limitation, frustration and confusion.

PREMIER LEAGUE WRAP-UP AFTER WEEKEND 2

The English and Welsh Premier League is past its second weekend as title co-favourites Manchester City and Chelsea dominate whilst the supposedly revitalised Manchester United continue to falter.

 

D. Ray Morton, 26th August 2014.

Stevan Jovetic put in arguably his finest Premier league performance thus far last night as he scored twice to help Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 at the Etihad

The Good

Last night, Manchester City swept aside a defensively frail Liverpool side thanks to a fine brace from in-form Stevan Jovetic and another from substitute Sergio Agüero in an exciting clash at the Etihad. Liverpool scored one of their own through another sub, Rickie Lambert, but it was not enough to claw back against the defending champions. Jovetic's performance was particularly impressive demonstrating the pace and technique he had shown at his former club Fiorentina but was not seen much last campaign as he struggled with injuries. Edin Džeko is another luxurious forward option and with Álvaro Negredo yet to come back, one imagines goals should not be a problem for Manuel Pellegrini's team as the campaign wears on.

Tottenham are sitting pretty on top of the Premier League table thanks to a storming win against Queens Park Rangers at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino's men strolled to a 4-0 victory against former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's newly-promoted relegation candidates. The manner of the victory was worth taking note of. Spurs pressed extremely well and managed to keep possession beautifully throughout. This was the brand of football the Tottenham faithful wished for last season but it never materialised under André Villas-Boas or the man who followed him, Tim Sherwood. Érik Lamela impressed again and the club record signing is starting to show signs that he will not continue to be the flop that he was last season. New recruit, Eric Dier looks like an early candidate for signing of the season. Pochettino is developing a collective confidence at Spurs and as long as their players continue to grasp his philosophy, they will push hard for a Champions League spot. 

Tottenham celebrate during their 4-0 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers

Speaking of Champions League spots, we move onto...

The Bad

 

Another disappointing weekend for Manchester United. This was the side that was supposed to pull up its pants this season, attack the top four spots and maybe even make a run for the title. Instead, two weeks in, they look like a shambles. Louis van Gaal's three at the back continues to struggle and their 1-1 away draw to Sunderland was lucky if anything as the Black Cats played the better football. Marcos Rojo and Ángel Di Maria (a reported €80m record signing) are set to come in soon and the other major clubs will get stuck into their European campaigns but big questions are being asked already. Is three at the back the way forward in a league that predominantly features lone striker formations? Will doubts creep in? Will the new players bed in or become expensive failures? Right now it is looking grim. Even if they continue to throw their money around and go after further targets before 1st September, such a rapidly slapped together XI could struggle some more. Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Rojo and Di Maria are all fine players but are not the types to run things on their own.

Di Maria in at Manchester United but that is no guarantee of immediate success

We have already mentioned Liverpool but did not mention the signing of Mario Balotelli. At €20m, it represents a potential bargain but the entire deal is somewhat puzzling. AC Milan were very quick to show him the door despite not having that many great strikers at San Siro already. Filippo Inzaghi became disillusioned with his presence and felt he was a poisonous presence in the dressing room. Brendan Rodgers has dealt with some bad boys in the past but "Super Mario" brings that to a whole new level. Even if he behaves himself off the pitch, he can be a right nuisance on the pitch when things do not go his way. Last season at Milan, he tended to sulk and move around very little if he felt the team was not playing well. Such arrogance, laziness, whatever you will call it, could simply not be accepted under the glaring cameras and the loud-mouthed reactions of the Premier League machine. Balotelli brings his best in patches. That is what he has done throughout his whole career. He may score a free-kick or two but do not expect a Luis Suárez replacement.

Adam Lallana, Mario Balotelli and Kenny Dalglish all happy...before Liverpool proceeded to get thumped by Manchester City

Results

Saturday

Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (D. Costa, E. Hazard)

Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham (Chamakh; Zaraté, Downing, C. Cole)

Southampton 0-0 West Brom

Swansea 1-0 Burnley (N. Dyer)

Everton 2-2 Arsenal (Coleman, Naismith; Ramsey, Giroud)

Sunday

Hull City 1-1 Stoke City (Jelavic; Shawcross)

Tottenham 4-0 QPR (Chadli 2, Dier, Adebayor)

Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United (Rodwell; Mata)

Monday

Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool (Jovetic 2, Agüero; Lambert)

MAN UTD DREAMING BIG BUT WILL THEY GET THEIR GUYS?

Manchester United have already secured two new signings this transfer window and intend to sign more. Will they do better than last summer's mess?

 

Real Madrid's Argetine winger Ángel di Maria is one of Manchester United's main transfer targets but they will have to compete against the megabucks of Paris St. Germain and the draw of Champions League football

D. Ray Morton, 15th July 2014.

Last summer's transfer window was nothing but an unmitigated disaster for Manchester United. David Moyes made many mistakes in his reign as the boss at Old Trafford but Ed Woodward's fumbling in the transfer market did not exactly give him the best platform for a good start. This summer, with new manager Louis van Gaal in place, United cannot afford to screw things up again and spend another season without Champions League football. Their targets are lofty and they will need to be shrewd in order to get the right players at the right prices.

Several names are being bandied around at the moment. These include Real Madrid's Ángel di Maria, Juventus' Arturo Vidal and Borussia Dortmund duo Marco Reus and Mats Hummels. They have already signed Luke Shaw from Southampton and Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao. Two good, albeit expensive, acquisitions. Vidal and di Maria are only outside possibilities right now. The Juve midfielder is in no rush to leave Turin though he accepts that he will probably leave there at some point unless the club make a serious challenge at winning the Champions League. Di Maria is unsettled at Real Madrid but Paris St. Germain are sniffing around which could leave United incapable of matching the wages on offer in the French capital. Hummels had a great World Cup for Germany but Barcelona are rumoured to be hot on his trail.

The Red Devils will be disappointed to have missed out on another German, Toni Kroos, who is on his way to Real Madrid. The lure of the Champions League holders is currently too great for the United to compete with. Arjen Robben, one of van Gaal's World Cup stars, also dismissed the possibility of a return to the Premier League. Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward appears to be operating much like he did last year. Targets are being identified publicly and this may not be the best way to conduct business. It did not work with Moyes but at least van Gaal has international appeal and a world class managerial C.V.

United cannot afford another summer of embarrassment and they already have a lot to do in terms of sales. Van Gaal will evaluate his new squad and will surely cut out some of the dead wood. The likes of Marouane Fellaini, Nani and Ashley Young, amongst others, are in line to get the axe. The next six weeks are going to be hectic and clubs will be aware of United's "war chest" of a transfer kitty and their desperation to sign. This will result in paying considerably more for their targets. It should be an interesting window from here on in.

PRE-WORLD CUP VACUUM IS TEDIOUS

D. Ray Morton, 1st June 2014.

The World Cup will be here very soon, finally, amidst fears of unbuilt stadiums

We have entered June and the World Cup will hit our TV screens in eleven days. This period between the end of the domestic football season and the world's biggest international sports event has been downright tedious, however.

Rumour mills have been overloaded and changes are afoot. Possibly the most ridiculous story that has broken out over the past couple of weeks is Yaya Touré's demand for a move away from Manchester City because the club did not acknowledge his birthday. That is one for the ages. An eight year-old could come up with a better excuse and if Touré and his agent do successfully negotiate a mega-bucks move away from the Etihad, City fans will feel both frustration at having lost a great player and the frustration of having egg on their face. Questions will be raised as to why a player like Touré, a freshly-crowned Premier League winner, would flee Manchester despite the riches on offer there. He has flirted with the idea of a return to Barcelona though the Catalan club are unlikely to approach him. Paris St. Germain are the favourites for his signature.

Eden Hazard is not exactly feeling the love at Chelsea right now

Speaking of PSG's attempts to further strengthen their growing empire, Eden Hazard could also be in their cross-hairs. Chelsea's Belgian winger is unsettled at Stamford Bridge due to manager José Mourinho's public announcement that Hazard does not play for the team. A puzzling statement about an extraordinary attacking talent, a future Balon d'Or winner in the making. Could there be some massive clean-up going on behind the scenes at Chelsea? PSG are throwing caution to the wind with their spending but Chelsea are tightening that belt and raking in the cash as evidenced by their swift decision to offload David Luiz to the Parisian giants last month. Are Chelsea forced to sell Hazard for, say, €70m? They are giving the impression that it would a tactical decision which could appease their supporters rather than showing it would be for financial stability. The sale of Hazard would cause waves, however. Bigger waves than a Yaya Touré move considering his age and vast potential. It would also demonstrate that PSG really are on the up and up and Chelsea are stagnating somewhat.

Poor Montolivo. Here is a token "sickening leg-break" snap

Another feature of this pre-carnival vacuum are the World Cup warm up matches. Such drudgery, understandable I guess, but dire to watch all the same. The level of excitement between a late season international friendly and an actual World Cup match is incomparable. These friendlies come at a cost too. Italy have lost Riccardo Montolivo to a horrendous leg break in last night's exhibition against Ireland at Craven Cottage. A huge blow for the azzurri as the AC Milan midfielder was expected to play a key role in their upcoming games against England, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

The only real points of interest so far have been some major managerial appointments. Manchester United have appointed Louis van Gaal, though it is becoming clear that he was not their first choice as the Red Devils sniffed out Borussia Dortmund's Jürgen Klopp and Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti before their futures had been determined. Van Gaal will be flung into an arena of high expectations, that is after he is done with the Netherlands' World Cup campaign which features a tough group with defending champions Spain, Chile and Australia.

Much-loved by the Barcelona faithful, how will he do now as a manager in the Camp Nou hot-seat?

Another fascinating appointment is Barcelona's decision to hire ex-player and ex-Barcelona B coach, Luis Enrique. Leaving his role at Celta Vigo, Enrique will bring a more familiar brand of attacking possession football to Camp Nou but it should be interesting to see how his "fitness freak" conditioning systems will rub off on what is a somewhat rattled squad that could not pick up any significant silverware last season. It will also be a key season for Lionel Messi, some having accused him of taking his foot off the gas to save himself for Argentina's World Cup. Can he recapture his status as the world's finest player or will Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo seize the glory again? Winning a World Cup in-between might be just the tonic Messi needs.

With Tottenham Hotspur poaching manager Mauricio Pochettino from Southampton, one of the funnier quotes this week came from Real Madrid's Angel di Maria: "It hurts when you're always doing your best for your club and then you hear that you might be going to Tottenham." Inadvertently humiliating to Spurs, Pochettino will need to give his squad the kick up the backside to make them a serious club again. He has been challenged with providing that holy grail of a top four finish, a familiar tune from Daniel Levy, and the pressure will be on if results do not match expected standards.

So between preposterous big money transfers, broken legs in friendlies and more managerial merry-go-round, we just want to get on with the World Cup at long last. Will the stadiums be up to scratch? Will Brazil triumph as expected? Bring it on for goodness sake.

BARÇA EDGE SENSATIONAL CLÁSICO

BARÇA EDGE SENSATIONAL CLÁSICO

D. Ray Morton, 24th March 2014.

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabéu last night in a remarkable match that keeps the Liga BBVA title race running with only one point separating the top three teams. Atlético Madrid did their part earlier on in the evening by dispatching Real Betis with a 2-0 away win thanks to goals from Gabi and Diego Costa. That set the stage for a mouth-watering clásico with Barcelona desperately needing a win to keep their title challenge going. Depending on how you see it, it was either the game of the season or a game of tactical warfare involving several incidents where both sides did their best to deceive the referee, Alberto Undiano.

Barcelona opted to field the same team that brushed aside Manchester City in the Champions League with Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas all starting as Neymar got the nod ahead of Alexis Sanchez and Pedro.

The idea was to dominate possession, as the Catalans did, by fielding as many of their creative midfield talents as possible rather than the speedy wingers which could be used as impact substitutions later on in the match. Real Madrid also fielded a very strong eleven with Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric and Angel Di Maria playing as Carlo Ancelotti's midfield three behind the dynamic front trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

Many tipped Real to dominate proceedings before kick-off pointing to their impressive record of 15 wins, 3 draws and no defeats in the league since losing to Barca at Camp Nou early on in the season. The Catalans were keeping shtum about a record of their own, however, and that was Lionel Messi having outscored and outperformed Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo so far in 2014.

The first half was a cracker. Neymar and Benzema exchanged early efforts with Ronaldo attempting to buy a penalty kick from Dani Alves several minutes later. Iniesta drew first blood in the 7th minute finishing beautifully with his left foot after being played in with an incisive Messi through ball to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Neymar, Messi and Benzema had several chances for their respective teams but it was the work of Madrid's Di Maria that really caught the eye. Despite collapsing in an unnerving manner after creating Benzema's headed equaliser to make it 1-1, the Argentine winger was everywhere and tormented los culés down the left flank. He continuously took advantage of the space left by Alves and was a real nuisance to deal with. He assisted a second for Benzema within four minutes, the French striker with a neat nods 'n' vols style finish to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

The first half refused to relent as Real continued to storm forward hoping to extend their lead and put the game beyond doubt. Di Maria continued to run his socks off and if Benzema's finishing had been more consistent throughout, they may well have put daylight between them and their rival visitors. They didn't take their opportunities and were punished just before half-time when Messi pounced upon Real's hesitance in the penalty area and fired home a neat, bottom corner finish to undo what should have been a very good first half for Real. 2-2 HT and Di Maria having the game of his life.

Messi's first half strike meant that he had overtaken Alfredo Di Stéfano's 18 clásico goals but it was Real who struck next thanks to some poor officiating. In the 55th minute, Ronaldo was fouled by Alves outside the box when referee Undianco believed the contact had happened inside. The Portuguese stepped up to the spot and fired his side ahead with ease to give Real a 3-2 lead as things looked ominous in the title race.

Barcelona refused to die however and they fought back ten minutes later. Messi played another superb through-ball into the path of Neymar's sprint as Sergio Ramos came in with the clumsiest of challenges to earn his 19th career red card and a penalty for the Catalans. Messi copied Ronaldo's effort down the other end. 3-3.

With Real reduced to ten men, the complection of the game changed vastly. Real were no longer as much of a threat on the counter attack and Barca, already dominant in possession, now suffocated Ancelotti's side by continuously moving the ball left to right and exhausting the men in white shirts. Pedro replaced Neymar and Alves hit the post and eventually, Tata Martino's side won their second penalty of the game as Alonso bundled into Iniesta as he tussled with Daniel Carvajal inside the area. Messi made no mistake. 4-3 to Barcelona and what a climax to the game.

So 4-3 to Barcelona and the title race has been blown wide open. The Madrid sides are a point above them but Atlético must visit Camp Nou on the final day and Real must hope to maintain that one point lead over Barca as their head-to-head record is now inferior should they finish on level points. It should be a fantastic run-in no matter how you look at it. Each of the last nine remaining league matches are vital and any dropped points could spell disaster for each of the three teams.

Player Ratings:

Real Madrid:

López 6.5; Carvajal 6.0, Pepe 6.5, Ramos 5.0, Marcelo 6.0; Xabi Alonso 6.0, Modric 6.5, Di Maria 9.0; Ronaldo 6.5, Benzema 8.0, Bale 6.5. Subs: Varane 6.0, Isco -.

Barcelona:

Valdes 7.0; Dani Alves 6.5, Pique 6.0, Mascherano 6.5, Jordi Alba 6.0; Busquets 6.5, Xavi 7.0, Iniesta 8.5; Fabregas 7.0, Messi* 9.5, Neymar 7.5 Subs: Pedro 6.5, Alexis -.

* = man of the match