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  • April 27, 2010
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Football Filtered 23/04/10

Hello and welcome to my latest look at what has been passing through the Football Filter this week.

First up and the most viewed story of the week was another tale of rich footballers failing to control what’s in their trousers. THE GUARDIAN reports on a deepening sex scandal in France involving Franck Ribery, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema, Hatem ben Arfa and a teenage prostitute – well at least John Terry wasn’t involved! Still, the allegations could dent France’s World Cup 2010 odds.

Next up the craziness at Man City knows no bounds as they launch a £50 million bid for Fernando Torres, again according to THE GUARDIAN. With Arab riches behind them it is easy to believe they could be planning a bid, but it would cause shockwaves through the league if the deal did happen. With so much uncertainty at Liverpool involving the owners, the manager and players, a £50 million cheque may be too much to resist.

More stupid footballers – this time Charles N’Zogbia, who thought it would be a good idea to let someone else take his driving theory test. His manager at Wigan Roberto Martinez strangely praised him in THE INDEPENDENT but he surely must be having serious words with the former Newcastle man for this indiscretion.

Transfer news now, and one of England’s brightest young stars, Jack Rodwell, could be on his way to Arsenal according to THE TIMES. The 19-year-old England Under-21 international has had an impressive season at Everton and the club are keen to tie him to a new deal that would more than double his already substantial £20,000 wages. Valued at £25million, it remains to be seen whether the Gunners could afford him. Given the side really need a striker and a goalkeeper, it’s also doubtful if Rodwell would have pundits making Arsenal a Premier League title tip for next season.

List time, we all love a list, and with Fulham and Liverpool embarking on European road trips this week THE INDEPENDENT has given us the ten best European semi-finals. Good stuff.

After 25 years of almost unparalleled success Sir Alex Ferguson could be set to retire from football next summer – and he has recommended David Moyes as his successor according to THE SUN.  There are other contenders of course, with Jose Mourinho among them, but whoever it is they will have a tough job filling the Scotsman’s boots after such a golden period for the club.

And finally…

Back to Liverpool and Fulham and after the volcanic ash flight debacle the two English clubs had to go to Europe the hard way with planes, trains and the odd luxury coach taking them to their Europa League ties. I have to admit I had a laugh when the clubs said they were worried about the players being “tired” from their journey – welcome to the real world guys, it isn’t all first class lounges and fold out beds for the rest of us you know. BACK OF THE NET NEWS has another amusing take on the whole subject.

  • April 8, 2010
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Filter Focus #4 09/04/10

In the week in which defeats for Arsenal and Manchester United brought the Champion’s League hopes of the ‘big four’ to an end, football journalist Will Wainewright takes a look the battle for honours on the home front.

English clubs crash at European hurdle but domestic spoils still up for grabs in best race for years

It would be mad to argue the failures of Manchester United and Arsenal in the Champion’s League this week are good for English football – embittered disciples of lower-league football aside, all fans want to see their country’s top teams shine on the European stage. But this will be the first time in seven years that no English side has made it to the semi-final stage of the Champions League. Even more amazingly, the final has featured at least one English club in each of the last five years. Only in time will we know whether the relative under-performance of English sides this year is a blip or the start of a longer term decline, but, curiously, a rather interesting silver lining has provided the backdrop to these European calamities: the most entertaining top flight title race in years.

Just three points separate the top three teams with five games remaining, a remarkable statistic for a number of reasons. For a competition that rarely strays from a two-horse race finish to the season, for three teams to be still in the running at this stage is the first surprise. But it has not been the brilliance of these three teams that has caught the eye.

It is the unprecedented fallibility of the top teams which has been remarkable.

Current frontrunners Chelsea lost just three games in 2007 (they have lost five already this year) and could still only manage second place in 2007 (although to be fair, they did lose five and win the Premier League in 2006). Second-placed Manchester United have already lost seven games this season. Last year they lost four. If they go on to win the title they will have lost more games in the process than any other title-winning side since Blackburn in 1995.

But Liverpool’s fall from grace has been the most stunning. Their slump from just two defeats all last season to ten so far this term is alarming to say the least. Arsenal’s dogged refusal to be cut adrift from the top two belies the supposed callow nature of their young squad. Their last minute win against Wolves on Saturday was won with their tenth goal in the last ten minutes of their last ten games. The stuff of champions you might think.

But Arsenal are three points, and a further point given their inferior goal difference, off the pace and have tricky games against Manchester City and rivals Tottenham Hotspur to come. Chelsea may be the favourites at the moment, but that term has been swapped between teams so often this season it is barely worth using. United must recover from a calamitous week if they are to take it from them, but after winning the last three titles no one would bet against them.

It all adds to an enthralling race that has partly compensated for their European failures; Fulham, in any case, are doing the business on that front anyway. This year’s Premier League season may not have been characterised by outstanding quality, but it has contained enough upsets to excite any neutral and is far from over yet. Given the ragged nature of their squads and the volatile nature of the season, all three know that winning their last five games is likely to deliver the Premier League Trophy, as they are all three unlikely to manage this. The owners of the clubs may not be best pleased but for the armchair fan, it hasn’t been this good on the home front in years.

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