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News and Views pertaining to Chelsea.

Adam’s Premier League Column: Wigan Athletic Confirm Relegation

  By O-Posts Team | May 17, 2013 - 22:40 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s been coming; we were just too afraid to admit it. After Wigan’s cup heroics at the weekend, there was a possibility that they could perform the ‘Great Escape’ that they have managed on countless occasions, and in fashionable style, too.

It looked like survival was on the cards after some impressive wins and vital draws, although where I think it was lost was after the FA Cup semi-final victory against Millwall. Since that game, they lost to Manchester City, West Ham and Swansea, whilst picking up a point against Tottenham and a win at West Brom. Against Swansea you felt that they were running on pure emotion, and perhaps it was just a season too far for the Latics.

They’ve left a rather big gap in the Barclays Premier League and it is a shame that they’ve dropped down to the Championship after seven years in the top-flight. I reckon that they have the credentials to come back up within their first season, or definitely the second. I do believe however that it all depends on which players decide to stay and of course whether their manager, Roberto Martinez, stays at the DW Stadium.

Since David Moyes has transferred to Old Trafford to replace the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson, who said an emotional goodbye to the club in which he won thirteen league titles, Martinez has been linked with the Everton job. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was lured to Everton and I’m sure he could do a brilliant job there. Martinez will want to remain a Premier League manager, I’m sure of it.

The result that sent them down – a 4-1 loss to Arsenal – ensured that the Gunners can clinch Champions League football if they win on the last day of the season, and Tottenham need a win to clinch the spot, as long as Arsenal draw or lose. It will make for an exciting spectacle on the last day of the season, and these are what makes the Premier League rich in excitement.

Another change in the Premier League has happened at former Premier League Champions Manchester City. On the same date that Sergio ‘Aguerooooo’ scored that infamous injury time winner to steal the title off United, City sacked Roberto Mancini. The decision had been brewing for some time, and I believe that the FA Cup loss to Wigan may have tipped the decision that was eventually made, although I feel that had he won the cup, it still might not have saved his job.

Speculation has been growing as to whom may replace the Italian, with Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini the leading candidate for the notorious job. Whether the former Real Madrid man can lead City to the success that they all crave is another thing. It’s no easy club to manage.

I’d love to see Mourinho take control of the dugout at Etihad, but that may end up just being a distant dream. Time will tell, but it didn’t seem to have an effect on the side as City stormed to a 2-0 victory at relegated Reading with Brian Kidd in charge after Mancini’s assistant, David Platt, stepped down.

David Moyes, whom I mentioned earlier, waved goodbye to the faithful at Goodison Park with the perfect send-off, beating West Ham United 2-0. It was an encouraging performance too.

Norwich ensured survival at the weekend with a telling 4-0 victory against Steve Clark’s West Brom, who have eased off the pace since survival was confirmed. I’m pleased that Norwich haveensured Premier League football for another campaign as they have an English manager in charge. I’ll support any English boss and wish them success.

Newcastle beat lowly QPR to beat the drop when a short Bosingwa ball tricked its way back to ‘keeper Robert Green, and his punt up field found Gouffran who tapped in to hand the three points to the visitors.

Tottenham kept up with Arsenal after Adebayor netted the winner from close-range. Up the other end of the table, Di Canio’s Sunderland drew at home to Southampton, and the Italian has done what was needed to be done. They’ve looked fresher since the change and at times joyous to watch, especially in the Tyne wear derby.

Daniel Sturridge netted an impressive hat-trick, his first in senior football, to beat Martin Jol’s Fulham 3-1 at Craven Cottage. The pick of the bunch was a sublime lob which found the bottom corner, similar to the goal he scored during the 2012 London Olympics for Team GB.

I’m looking forward to what the final day has in store in terms of the Champions League spot. But we all know that there will be far less drama than what we have experienced on the last day before.

 

Written by Adam May

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Adam’s Premier League Column: Villa Spark Revival

  By O-Posts Team | May 7, 2013 - 20:43 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Due to various commitments through school and other means, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to write a column for O-Posts. I’d like to personally congratulate Manchester United on their 13th league title under Sir Alex Ferguson, and it’s a testament to him how well United have bounced back from that stoppage time winner from Sergio Aguero last May. That seems a distant and feint memory now.

 

Norwich 1 Aston Villa 2

Villa reached the magic points tally of 40, although Paul Lambert, Villa’s manager, isn’t sure whether they are safe just yet. What they do know however is that their future is now in their hands after two wins on the bounce, the first a 6-1 drubbing of Sunderland, and the crucial away win at Carrow Road.

Lambert has stuck by his young-guns throughout the campaign, and is being rewarded with some great individual performances of late. I reckon if Villa beat the drop, and it’s looking increasingly likely that they will, and are able to keep the majority of the squad then they could be an impressive team next season. The likes of Lowton, Weimann, Benteke and Agbonlahor have really stood out and improved. And it was the latter who grabbed all three points.

Villa’s first goal came in the second-half when Ashley Westwood set-up Gabriel Agbonlahor who lashed in a superb goal of great quality.

On 72 minutes, youngster Joe Bennett fouled Robert Snodgrass to give referee Kevin Friend no option but to award a penalty, which was only Norwich’s second of the campaign. Grant Holt stepped up and converted, sending Brad Guzan the wrong way.
Villa were only momentarily disheartened, and Villa stole the three points with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Ashley Westwood picked up the ball again and slotted a pin-point pass into the path of the on-running Agbonlahor, who let the ball run across his body before firing a low-shot into the far corner, his ninth league goal of the campaign.

It was a crucial three points for Villa, and Norwich will now be worried as they have two tough games remaining, at home to West Brom then away to Manchester City, to get results from in order to beat the drop.

 

West Brom 2 Wigan 3

This result was a real surprise for me. But then, the more I think about it, is it a surprise? Is it a surprise given the way that the Latics always seem to dig deep and get results when it matters at this time of year? They won this match without playing their best football. In truth, they were rather poor. Their passing play was off colour and scrappy at times. Only Maloney really drove them forward. But it was their shear willpower and wanting to push on and score that got them the result.

The home side, who don’t have anything to play for other than pride, took the lead through Shane Long. However, ten minutes later, Kone struck gold for Wigan with six minutes to play until half-time. They had to come from behind yet again as McAuley put the Baggies 2-1 up. James McArther got on the end of Shaun Maloney’s drilled cross and headed in past goalkeeper Foster to level.

Youngster Callum McManaman then converted from close-range to give Wigan the three points, which took their points total to 35 at the time of writing. This will give them great confidence going into the FA Cup final with 2011 winners Manchester City, especially if they can beat Swansea who have been somewhat off colour of late.

As for West Brom, they will be scratching their heads as to how they didn’t get the three points, and they’ll be looking to bounce back against Manchester City.

 

Tottenham 1 Southampton 0

Gareth Bale haunted his former club at White Hart lane with a strike that we’ve all come to expect from the winger-cum-striker. For those that haven’t seen the strike, he picked the ball up on the right-wing and drifted inside past the helpless Luke Shaw, before unleashing a telling shot that had no back-lift whatsoever, and the ball found the bottom corner with four minutes left to play.

I hope for the sake of English football that Bale stays at Tottenham for a least another season. It would be a real shame to see him move abroad to either Barcelona or Real Madrid, as some reports suggest. I’ve heard that Sir Alex Ferguson is interested in acquiring his services at Old Trafford next season, but I cannot see how the Champions will be able to meet Spurs’ justification of £60million for the Welshman.

Champions League football will be a big decider in where Bale ends up, and this victory may edge him closer to putting pen to paper with the London club. It seems like he’s revelling in playing under AVB who, it seems, has got the best out of Bale this season.

Whilst he may not have had the best of games against the Saints, when you score a winner like he did (and 19 other league goals at the time of writing this season) you can sort of allow for it! Sort of…

 

REMINDER: This was written prior to all midweek fixtures. An overview of the mid-week games will be in the next column.

 

My Team of the Week

 

Written by Adam May

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Gareth Bale: Can Spurs really hold onto their award-winning winger?

  By O-Posts Team | May 3, 2013 - 22:31 | , , , , , , , , ,
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After seeing his star-player achieve the individual clean sweep by picking up the PFA Player of the Year, Young Player of the year and the FWA Player of the Year, Andre-Villas Boas remained predictably calm and assured when it came to the inevitable question of Gareth Bale’s future. “I’d be extremely surprised if Bale left, because this is the assurance I have” said the Portuguese coach, “the information I have from the club is he is here to remain”.

It was an answer typical of the manager whose dealings with the media usually verge on the languid and serene. Keen not to transfer attention from the conclusion to Spurs’ season which remains immersed in the battle for Champions League qualification, Villas-Boas carefully trod around the subject, giving the most diplomatic of answers. The chairman has sorted it. Bale will remain at Spurs. There is nothing to see here apart from Bale accepting his award.

It was curious enough however to hear Villas-Boas apply the responsibility for keeping Bale to Daniel Levy, suggesting that he is under no illusion that if the club received a mammoth financial offer for the winger in the summer, the decision-making will be down to those in charge of the accounts, not the team. “It’s not up to me to judge the finances of the club- I’m the head coach, it’s the chairman’s decision.”

Such recognition and acclaim in the form of Bale’s individual awards this week will only intensify the anticipation that a sizeable bid for the winger will arrive in the summer. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been repeatedly linked with the 23 year old and in the week where both club’s need for squad renovation was made so glaringly obvious in the Champions League, Bale is likely to have become a genuine target.

There could be no argument as to the validity of Bale’s awards given he has contributed 24 goals to Tottenham’s overall season and provided another 8. In the Premier League, he has been the driving force behind the club’s quest for Champions League football, his 19 strikes directly contributing to 24 of Spurs’ 62 point tally.

His versatility has been seamless, performing the attacking midfield role as well as that of a central-striker with the same unrelenting power and athleticism that has seen many full-backs dismissed from his usual left-wing home. He has burst past defenders with skill and dynamism, applying a devastating finish to his near-imperious armoury.

He can be the one man wave of momentum that tore through Aston Villa, Norwich and Newcastle, the precision passer that turned the game with Manchester City, or the thunderous goalscorer of unerring accuracy and power that did for West Ham and Swansea. It is the wide range of attributes that drew comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo during his February form.

Perhaps it was obscene and sensationalist to elevate Bale to the esteemed company of the unstoppable Madrid winger, but there is nothing strange about suggesting Bale hints at the same muscular physique and majestic ability as the Portuguese four years his senior.

There is no doubting he has entered into the same mould of player who possesses wonderful physical vigour to compliment the dexterity of his feet. “World Class” can be an over-used adjective in the modern game but it is hard to argue with the perception that Bale has the potential to join that bracket.

It is the immediate future that will go some way to dictating how far that potential will take Bale, with the prospect of again having to miss out on participation in Europe’s premier competition becoming increasingly possible as Spurs cling on to fourth spot.

Villas-Boas was unequivocal when it came to “the player remaining independent of the objective of achieving Champions League qualification or not”, but there has to be a suspicion that missing out once again on a place with Europe’s elite would weaken the bargaining power of Levy and co.

It was Zinedine Zidane who recently vocalised his opinion that Bale is the best player in the world and predicted that many top level clubs would be waiting patiently with astronomical bids designed to lure Bale away from his north London home. As the individual awards gleamed, it was a certification that Bale’s has been a campaign of the very highest standard, 53% of the Football Writer’s vote being a ringing endorsement of such notion.

Expect Spurs’ resolve to be under the toughest examination in the summer, but expect the final decision to be made in the board-room.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Vitesse Arnhem: Bony the inspiration behind the Vitas’ meteoric rise

  By O-Posts Team | April 30, 2013 - 20:44 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The Eredivisie season 12/13 is drawing to its end, with only three games remaining, Ajax’s four point lead seem sufficient to win their third consecutive title. The most exciting Eredivisie title race in years is over, however the season 12/13 did bring some surprises. The most noteworthy one is Vitesse’s stable performances and indomitable form. To the surprise of most fans, Vitesse sat on a top-flight position throughout most of the season. Let us look back on their marvelous campaign.

Jordania’s wishes to turn Vitesse into the league champions were underlined by a positive transfer period. After last year’s successful campaign wherein the club finished 7th , consequently winning the right to play in the Europa League, supporters were ambitious and hopeful for an even better year. Success comes with sacrifices, due to his good performances, Alexander Buttner moved to English giants Manchester United for an amount estimated at around €5million. Vitesse needed to bolster their squad if they wanted to seriously challenge the traditional top three in the Netherlands.

Jordania is a smart director and thinks long term, instead of splashing cash, the Georgian business owner decided to put his signifant network to work. His close ties with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich allowed him to loan three players from the Blues. Tomas Kalas and Patrick van Aanholt stayed for another season, and Gael Kakuta came to strengthen the wings. The squad seemed competitive on paper, but with an average age of around 22, the team was in dire need of a leader. Former club icon and captain Theo Janssen was signed from Ajax for €500k, along with experienced midfielder Simon Cziommer.

The season started quite negatively for Vitesse, after advancing to the final play-off round in the Europa League after beating Lokomotiv Plovdiv on a 7-5 aggregate score, the team faced Guus Hiddink’s FC Anzhi. Vitesse were unable to cope with the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Yuri Zhirkov, Lassana Diarra and Boussoufa – and the club from Arnhem were sent losing 4-0 on aggregate.

The start of the national campaign gave a better perspective; the first five games were converted into four wins and one draw against ADO Den Haag, resulting in a temporary first place in the Eredivisie. The away victory against Feyenoord [0-1] was utmost surprising, and an awakening call of the traditional top three that Vitesse might prove to be a potential treat in the near future. The team looked sharp and defensively very stable, only conceding two goals in the first five games. With Piet Velthuizen known as a very reliable goalkeeper and the centre back duo: Kashia and Kalas, the defensive line gave an impressive performance of four consecutive clean sheets.

Vitesse’s form would drop after their notable season start. The following six games resulted in two draws against Heracles Almelo and sc Heerenveen, three wins against FC Groningen,FC Utrecht, NAC Breda, and their first loss against AZ Alkmaar, ending their 11 match unbeaten run.

The precarious results could have been far worse, the team struggled in most matches, but it was the rise of Wilfried Bony securing most points for Vitesse. After his dramatic, yet brilliant game winner against Feyenoord, his confidence skyrocketed and the striker netted 8 goals in 5 matches, including a hat-trick against SC Heerenveen.

In the remainder of the first half of the Eredivisie season, Vitesse would earn the nickname: Giant killers. After their last minute victory against Feyenoord, on the third of November, Ajax was brushed aside in their own Amsterdam Arena! Wilfried Bony single-handedly brought down Ajax with a brace.

FC Twente were held off with a draw and a heroic 4-1 victory over neighboring rivals N.E.C made up for their 1-2 loss against PSV. The winter break came by, and Vitesse finished fourth, trailing 6 points behind leaders PSV. Furthermore, the club qualified for the quarterfinals in the KNVB Cup [Dutch National Cup] by demolishing amateur team ADO’10 with 10-1. Vitesse will face Ajax.

Based on last season’s performances, the team progressed quite nicely, but was not considered as one of the title contenders amongst the general Eredivisie public.

Moreover Vitesse was forced to let Wilfried Bony participate in the African Cup, after Sabri Lamouchi called up the strong striker to the Ivorian national team. Wilfried Bony scored 16 Eredivisie goals in the first half. All critics agreed, Vitesse would drop form without Bony.

In the month of January without Bony, Vitesse would silence all of the critics. First off AZ was swept aside with a convincing 4-1 score-line, and afterwards honouring its nickname, Ajax came to Arnhem and were sent home without any points 3-2. And the month’s highlight: rivals N.E.C were defeated in their own stadium in Nijmegen 2-1.

After losing twice against Vitesse, Ajax would finally get their revenge. The two teams locked horns in the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch giant demolished Vitesse 0-4.

Vitesse, survived the month without Bony, and had proven the critics wrong. Nonetheless, the notion of Bony’s skill and goal scoring drift were unquestioned. After Cote D’Ivoire got eliminated in the quarterfinals against Nigeria, Bony returned to Vitesse.

Upon return, his first following match he scored a brace and secured one point against PSV, his team again honouring their nickname of the “giant killers”. Under guidance of Wilfried Bony, Vitesse went on a 7 match winning streak, wherein the bulky striker scored 14 goals in 9 matches. Rutten’s men established theirselves as title contenders, however after a 3-3 draw against relegation candidates Roda JC, Vitesse dropped out of the race.

Bony….. imperious form and the team’s main man.

However, just last week, league leaders Ajax drew against SC Heerenveen, giving Vitesse, PSV and Feyenoord a glimmer of hope. Vitesse could shrink the gap to three points, but had a tough match up ahead. The surprising side had to travel to Rotterdam, to face Feyenoord in the Kuip. Beforehand, winning would seem impossible, as Feyenoord maintains an impressive 24-match unbeaten run in de Kuip, furthermore troublesome news arose in the Vitesse camp.

Wilfried Bony injured himself during training, and will be unavailable during the match, alongside teenage star Marco van Ginkel. The overwhelming Feyenoord crowd and the loss of Wilfried Bony proved too much to handle for Vitesse. Feyenoord defeated Vitesse 2-0.

Vitesse is now sitting comfortably in fourth position, still fighting strong for the second place [gives right to enter the Champions League play-offs], and although the title is unrealistic, finishing on that second spot would be an extraordinary achievement, and one to be proud of.

This season, Jordania’s wish will not come true, but major steps have been taken. The general public’s laughter has ended, Vitesse managed to upset the traditional three, and most certainly in the near future, Jordania will get what he wants.

 

Written by Siew Joe Lee

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Marquinhos: Defensive prodigy – a rare breed in Calcio

  By O-Posts Team | April 28, 2013 - 18:20 | , , , , , , , , , ,
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Every year, upon the start of the European football calendar after each Summer, names are touted around of suggestions and hot tips for the new campaign’s “breakout stars”. 8 months ago, few people would’ve paid any attention to the name – Marcos Aoás Corrêa – on Italian outfit AS Roma’s “Transfer Ins” list.

Signed on a loan deal with a permanent option, the young Brazilian with his moniker – Marquinhos – is now an in-demand starlet and highly tipped to be a future Seleção star.

 

Background:

Marquinhos joined Cornthians in 2002, at the age of 8, and proceeded to move up the youth ranks of the Timão over the next 10 years. Marquinhos impressed so much during his time in Corinthians’ youth ranks that he was called-up by and made captain of Brazil’s U17s in the 2011 South American Under-17 championship. With Brazil winning the South American U17 title, they qualified for the U17 FIFA World Cup that year, with Marquinhos again being handed the captaincy.

In Mexico, Brazil finished 4th, with Marquinhos playing 6 of their 7 matches and earning only 1 yellow card. After a stellar 2011, Marquinhos continued to shine in 2012. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (São Paulo Youth Football Cup), the young Brazilian added more impressive displays to his CV, culminating in a 2-1 win over Fluminense in the Final. Marquinhos was clearly banging on Corinthians’ 1st-team door.

With his maturity and leadership qualities, and not forgetting his on-pitch quality, it was of no surprise that Marquinhos eventually broke into Corinthians’ 1st-team.

 

Breakthrough at Corinthians:

With his impressive performances at youth level, Marquinhos’ form in the aforementioned prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior proved to be the final piece in the jigsaw of proving to Corinthians 1st-team Head Coach Tite that he was ready for a shot in the 1st-team. A 1st-team debutant at the age of 18, Marquinhos went on to make 6 1st-team appearances in the 2012 Brasileirão, playing the full 90 minutes on 5 occasions, and providing 1 assist.

While impressive when given the chance, the youngster also showed some versatility – playing in central defence in 2 full matches and as a defensive midfielder in 3 full matches. Coach Tite was so impressed with Marquinhos that the young Brazilian, then aged 17, was on the 1st-team bench for each and every one of the knockout stage matches of Corinthians’ victorious 2012 Copa Libertadores triumph.

Just look at that, within the span of 6 months, Marquinhos had become a Copa Libertadores champion and also turned 18 along the way.

 

Into the big time – AS Roma:

After catching the eye of Roma’s South American scouts, they took the gamble of signing the then 18-year-old in the summer of 2012, despite him having just 6 months of 1st-team experience in Brazil. The deal was a loan (€1.5m fee) with a €3m permanent option – with the trigger being Marquinhos making 8 1st-team appearances of 45 minutes a piece.

Barely a few weeks after his signing was formalised, Marquinhos made his 1st-team debut on 16 September 2012, playing the last 16 minutes of a 3-2 loss to Bologna. A fortnight later, the young centreback came off the bench to play an hour of a catastrophic 4-1 thrashing at the hands of defending Italian champions Juventus.

Slowly but surely cementing his spot in the Giallorossi Starting XI, Marquinhos has gone on to make 23 Serie A appearances(all but 3 as a starter) and 3 in the Coppa Italia. The only thing that broke his string of 12 consecutive 1st-team appearances is a suspension from being sent off, following a late handball, in a 3-1 win over Milan just before the winter break.

Roma’s summer signing became such as crucial 1st-teamer that the club withdrew him from international duty at the South American Under-20 championship, held in January 2013.

 

Overview – Majestic debut season in Calcio:

An 18-year-old holding a starting spot Serie A is most rare, let alone at a team as big as La Maggica. Marquinhos is a rare breed, such is the unforgiving nature of Calcio, what with the intense scrutiny of TV pundits on the various well-followed match review shows.

Leandro Castan, Marquinhos’ former Corinthians team-mate, has been left to fight for the other starting spot in central defence with Nicolas Burdisso. Ironically, 2012 summer signing Leandro Castan had insisted upon Roma signing Marquinhos.

In light of Roma’s much-talked-about defensive problems – a negative of Zdenek Zeman’s gung-ho offensive tactics – this season, Marquinhos has more-or-less escaped criticism, a result of the 18-year-old consistently delivering impressive performances every week. Despite still being only 18, Marquinhos has been Roma’s most important defender since cementing his starting spot in the middle of the Giallorossi defence.

(All stats are from WhoScored.com)

At first glance, standing at 1.83 metres, the lean Marquinhos is not the most intimidating of central defenders. That said, he does win his share of aerial duels, at 2.3 per game. That figure is the best at Roma and, league-wise, is better than that of bigger names like Philippe Mexes.

Being still only 18, the Brazilian still has room for more physical growth, which can only be a good thing. However, his natural athleticism does more-or-less cover for that, as they enhance his key attributes – his maturity and game-reading ability. Marquinhos evidently has, as the saying goes, “an old head on young shoulders”.

He is currently 18th in the Serie A interceptions chart, on par with veteran Andrea Barzagli, and better than the highly-rated Facundo Roncaglia and Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro. With only 19 fouls (0.8 per game) at the time of writing, Marquinhos is currently 352nd on the “Most Fouls” chart. As with all modern day central defenders, Marquinhos is good on the ball and playing it out of defence, with an impressive 88.8% passing accuracy.

Almost every Serie A centreback would like to have Marquinhos’ statistics, which makes the fact he’s still a teenager all the more staggering.

“No Serie A player has made more last man tackles this season than the teenager (10), who leads his side for both interceptions (2.9) and aerial duels won (2.2) per game, proving that his reading of the game is at the level of a far more seasoned pro.” – Martin Laurence of WhoScored.

 

A look to the future:

Marquinhos has thus far shone, not just adapted, whenever he’s been pushed to the next level – youth team to 1st-team, Corinthians to Roma. This bodes well for the young Brazilian’s career prospects, as football has seen all too many a promising youngster fail to make that “next step”, rendering him unable to realise his full potential.

I’m confident that Marquinhos will not fall under the “what could’ve been” category. With his leadership qualities, maturity and talent, and not forgetting his current high performance level in such a prestigious league, long story short – the sky’s the limit for Marquinhos.

Roma are currently looking to upgrade the youngster’s current €0.8m (per year) wage to fend off interest from elsewhere. With his impressive and mature displays in his debut season in Italy, some of the Football’s biggest clubs are looking to sign him. Among others, FC Barcelona and Manchester City have been linked as potential new employers.

However, the Roma stopper is unlikely to leave the Stadio Olimpico anytime soon. There is still much room for improvement and staying at Roma for at least the next few years will provide the stable environment that promising youngsters like Marquinhos need to develop and, eventually, realise their potential.

Considering the ambitions of this AS Roma “project”, Marquinhos could possibly play out his peak years in the capital club.

Marquinhos told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I am not thinking about a transfer. I owe Roma a lot for the chance they gave me.”

Whether Marquinhos eventually leaves Roma or stays for the long haul, one thing’s are for sure – Marquinhos will become a Seleção star sooner rather than later. Furthermore, with his past as Brazil U17 captain, Marquinhos could eventually captain Brazil at senior level.
Over the course of this 2012/13 season, Marquinhos has proved his worth enough to be justly rated as the best young central defender in the world at the moment, alongside Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane.

Of all the possible “breakout stars” that had been tipped to emerge in the 2012/13 Serie A season, few would’ve bet on an 18-year-old Brazilian centreback being on that list.

Marcos Aoás Corrêa is indeed a rare breed in Calcio.

 

Written by Mark Ooi

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Fan Memories: Football isn’t what it used To Be

  By O-Posts Team | April 27, 2013 - 20:31 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Football has changed in many ways over the last three decades and not wholly for the better. The big clubs have got stronger, the small clubs weaker and the players are now paid a ludicrous amount of money. Loyalty seems to have gone out of the window and cheating is rife.

Having said that the experience of actually attending a game has improved no end, in fact it is a different world altogether and for that I am grateful.

 

Second Class Citizens

There was a time when football supporters were treated so badly that it is a wonder anyone bothered turning up. I had so many bad experiences involving violence from other fans, poor facilities and being transported like cattle that looking back I can’t believe that it all happened.

I was also unfortunate enough to be present at both the Hillsborough and Heysel Stadium disasters where so many people lost their lives. Both of these terrible tragedies were the result of negligence on the part of the authorities and the police, negligence which certainly had its roots in the prevailing attitude that football fans were worthless.

On one occasion prior to these events I was given a rude reminder of just how poor the attitudes of many police officers actually were.

 

Away Match

I was attending Liverpool’s away match at Stoke City and had failed to obtain a ticket for the special supporters’ train and so had to purchase a full price fare on a normal scheduled service. I didn’t realise it at the time but this train ticket was going to cost me a lot more than it appeared.

The journey to Stoke and the match were uneventful and I left the stadium to walk back to the station expecting a similarly hassle free journey home. As I approached the station a police officer shouted at me to join the queue for the supporters’ train and I explained that I did not have a ticket for that service and need to proceed to the station to take the scheduled service back to Liverpool.

At this point the officer grabbed hold of me and threw me against a wall shouting that I had to join the queue. Unfortunately he threw me head first and I smashed my head on the wall. As I got to my feet there was blood pouring out of my head and I got my bearings just in time to see my friend attack the officer in a rage and get himself arrested! He shouted for me to go home and he would see me later.

I at least had the presence of mind to memorise the officer’s number. I then sat down by some garage doors to recover with blood trickling down my neck.

 

Aftermath

Some fellow fans helped me out and I eventually got home, albeit with a head wound and blood all over my clothes. My friend was released the same day and was not charged with anything. He too had memorised the police officer’s number and his recollection matched mine.

We made a complaint regarding the officer’s conduct only to be told that we were in error as the officer whose number we reported was not working at the match that day. The police had obviously closed ranks and there was nothing we could do about it.

 

Shocking

Looking back it seems crazy that there was a time when football fans were treated so badly and that a police officer could get away with such an assault so easily. I am sure that things like this still happen but it is much rarer now. In those days it was commonplace.

I guess that I should also add that what happened to me on that day in Stoke on Trent was more shocking than it appears as I am a woman and at the time of the assault I was a teenage girl.

 

Byline

Sally Stacey is a keen blogger and football enthusiast who has spent over 30 years visiting football ground across Europe. She is currently writing on behalf of The Plastic Depot.

 

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The Upcoming Football Video Game That Plunges you Into the Seedy World of Match Fixing

  By O-Posts Team | April 26, 2013 - 19:33 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Video games and football have gone hand in hand for decades, with games like FIFA 13, Pro Evolution Soccer and Football Manager hitting the bestseller lists year on year, giving players the chance to play at managing or playing as their favourite teams.

A new game that is currently under development aims to turn the football management game on its head, taking players deep into the sinister underworld of football corruption and allowing them to play as a shady match fixer.

Game Changer – The Football Match Fixing Game is being made for iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, and will be made available in early 2014 if the developers successfully gain funding with their upcoming campaign on popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter.

In Game Changer, you can bribe players, pay off police and officials, blackmail referees and do all kinds of other interesting and immoral things to try and ensure the results you want, and then make a fortune by betting on your fixed outcomes.

As you grow in influence in the criminal underworld, you can fix games in bigger and more prestigious leagues around the world to gain higher profits, as well as being able to team up with crime boss characters and even your real life friends (thanks to social media integration) to get better results.

The game promises to blend elements of conventional football games and sims with the kind of stories and gameplay you normally see in crime games and RPGs, as well as featuring a sophisticated gambling system that allows you to implement all kinds of interesting strategies to make your fortune.

The developers, Game Changer Games, are also keen to make sure the game contains plenty of dark humour, because match fixing is, after all, a pretty horrible thing.

If you are interested in finding out more about the plans for Game Changer and the Kickstarter campaign that will hopefully make the game possible, you can check out the official website at www.gamechangergame.com or follow the developers’ official Twitter account @gamechangergame.

 

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Dede: Towering Brazilian Attracting Some Of Europe’s Biggest Names

  By O-Posts Team | April 25, 2013 - 15:58 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Brazil have created some of the most talented and gifted footballers over the years. The likes of Pele, Falcao, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo have all dazzled the world with their samba brilliance, yet their footballing history has possibly been too top heavy. Too many attackers, not enough defenders to be held in such wondrous regard.

Even full-backs, Roberto Carlos, Carlos Alberto and Cafu have been marvelled at, but not centre-backs. Anybody but the centre-back, the unheralded job that provided the base to a side seemingly not cool enough for Brazilian recognition.

But now, with Bayern Munich’s Dante, Chelsea’s David Luiz and PSG’s Thiago Silva, that is all due to change. The Brazilian centre-back is entering a new age; big, physical, strong and extremely comfortable on the ball, they are all attributes that makes up the aforementioned trio as well as Dede, Cruzerio’s much-coveted 24 year old. Who is he?

Let’s take a look at Anderson Vital De Silva.

 

Background

After impressing with his hometown club Volta Rotunda in the Brazilian State Championship, the big defender earned himself a move to Vasco De Gama in 2009, only to find first team opportunities hard to come by upon his initial arrival. With his one year deal running out a year later, it looked like he may be returning to Volta, or even moving to South Korea.

Dede, however, had other ideas, “there was something I was determined upon” he told World Soccer Magazine back in 2011, “I wasn’t going to leave Vasco by the back door”. And so he didn’t, with injuries hitting the club in a Brazilian Cup game against Vitoria, he was given a chance, repaying the opportunity with a performance of such authority and assurance that it instantly certified him as first choice and earned himself a new contract, stretching to 2014.

He went on to produce some imperious form for Vasco, being recognised as the best right centre-back in the Brasileirao of 2010 and generating comparisons to the Fluminese-made Silva, then at Milan, who was widely-regarded as the most outstanding centre-half to recently hail from Brazil.

His commanding performances helped Vasco to win the 2011 Brazilian Cup and his partnership with Anderson Martins saw them both elected as the best central-defenders of the 2011 Campeonato Carioca. His impressive form also alerted former national-team coach Mano Menezes who included him in the squad for friendlies against Germany and Ghana in the autumn of 2011.

His transformation with Vasco from potential discarded talent was meteoric. By the end of 2012, he was considered as one of the best centre-backs in Brazilian football, seeing high acclaim from Vasco fans who endeared to him by giving him several nicknames; “O-Mito” (The Myth) and “Dedelicia” (or “Dedelicious” as female fans chose).

He was included in numerous advertising campaigns for the club and was elected by SBT, a Brazilian television network, as one of the 100 greatest Brazilian’s of all-time. His popularity in Vasco was clear and he honoured his potential departure by kissing the badge in one of his final games for the club. In total, he made 154 appearances for Vasco.

To date, Dede has received 7 caps for the Brazil national team, appearing often in friendlies and tournaments that are only eligible for native-based players, allowing him to win the Superclasico De Las Americas in September 2011.

Dede is currently the fourth-choice centre-half in the Brazil squad and he will be hoping that his exemplary performances, partnered with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s insistence that he will look more to the Brazilian league set-up for options, will help his cause for regular call-ups as the team head into a World Cup year.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

Dede is strong, powerful and athletic, making full-use of his 6ft 3 inch frame in order to be adept at winning challenges in the air or on the ground. His height means that not many strikers are able to beat him in the air whilst a fine reading of the game, impressive at the relatively young age of 24, sees him able to cut out danger on the ground. His imposing height also makes him a threat at set pieces, suggested by his 18 goals during his time at Vasco.

His extremely impressive pace also means that he is rarely out-foxed by the through ball, cutting out the threat that strikers pose lying on the shoulder of the back four. As well as boasting fine intelligence and strength to block and intercept many shots and dangerous passes, he also possesses superb technical ability that allows him to be comfortable in bringing the ball out of the defence and moving it on.

As well as the two nicknames Vasco fans creatively derived for Dede, they also named him “Dedekenbauer”, suggesting his likeliness to the famous German defender who revolutionised the role of the central-defender, operating on a fine reading of the game, imperious positioning and superb ability on the ball.

Dede really is a complete defender who has attracted the interest of Manchester United, Milan, Benfica and Liverpool during his time with Vasco, all top European clubs basing their interest in the knowledge that Dede, with his physicality and ability on the ball, would not look out of place on the continent should he ever head east from Brazil.

 

His move to Cruzeiro

With the Selecao heading into their home World Cup of 2014, Dede has seen best to stay in his native league and head to Cruzeiro in a deal that is worth £4.7 million. The two clubs are believed to have arranged a 55% and 45% share in player ownership which helps to ease cash-strapped Vasco’s financial troubles. Three players, Diego Rennan, striker Allison and Wellington Paulista will also head to Rio in exchange for the defender.

After moving, he voiced his reluctance to leave Vasco De Gama but understood such a move would help to aid the financial crisis at his former club. He said that even though he was moving to a new setting, his heart would remain with the Rio-based club.

There has been a financial dispute with the transfer, with the move being blocked by the FERJ, a main football institution from Rio, who claim Vasco owe a debt to the Brazilian Federal Justice. They have ruled that until the dispute is sorted, Dede is unable to play for any club, disrupting his immediate start with Cruzeiro. However, that will only be a small snag in a career that threatens to go very far.

Look out for Dede at next year’s World Cup.

 

Written by Adam Gray

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGray1250

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Bayern Munich: Gotze deal shifts the landscape in Munich and further still

  By O-Posts Team | April 23, 2013 - 16:23 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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There was only one thing for Bayern Munich to do after storming to the Bundesliga title by a margin of 20 points with 6 games left, and that was to exercise their financial muscle in order to get even stronger in anticipation for the arrival of Pep Guardiola in the summer. A campaign in which they have lost just once, scored 89 goals and conceded just 14 is seemingly not enough for the Bayern hierarchy as Karl Heinz-Rummenigge, Mathias Sammer and Uli Hoeness have green-lighted a €35 million euro move for Mario Gotze.

20 year old Gotze has been integral to Borussia Dortmund’s recent success after emerging from the club’s impressive youth system back in 2009. Two consecutive Bundesliga titles and this season’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League are already on the honour role for the youngster who Sammer once described as “one of the best we’ve ever produced” whilst in his role as technical director for the German FA. Blessed with fine balance, skill and the nimbleness that allows him to dictate play so majestically in the final third, he fits the mould of a Guardiola footballer quite perfectly.

The attacking midfielder has already scored 31 goals for Dortmund, 10 of which have come in this campaign alongside 9 assists as he remains pivotal to Jurgen Klopp’s wonderfully-gifted young side.

It was Klopp who sparked Bayern’s regeneration after he guided Dortmund to the championship in 2011 and 2012, also managing to land the DFB Pokal with a 5-2 demolition of Munich in Berlin. To compound the frustration, Hoeness and co. had to watch Chelsea steal the Champions League title in their own backyard of the Allianz Arena as Bayern could not turn their dominance into goals. That was the watershed, the club president could take no more and he used last summer as a launch-pad for a relentless pursuit of dominance that has intensified with the acquisition of the mesmerically talented Gotze.

Domestic dominance has been achieved as the club have marched to the title with the utmost arrogance and hubris, also booking another spot in the final of the DFB Pokal with a 6-1 thrashing of Wolfsburg in the semi-final. Now the target is the continent as the Champions League has proved elusive for eleven years despite two recent finals and the recruitment of Guardiola, who won the coveted trophy twice with Barcelona in four years, instigated immediate big-spending to suggest the Bavarians are obstinate on ending their barren-run.

It is Barcelona who stand between Munich and another Champions League final this season, but there is a over-hanging feeling of doubt that Jupp Heynckes, despite transforming Bayern into a Bundesliga behemoth, he does not have the charisma or guile to finally end their long-wait for European success. Hence his ruthless ousting in favour of Guardiola who directed the Barcelona juggernaut to a zenith of footballing brilliance during his four years as coach in Catalonia.

The announcement of Gotze as his first signing suggests he will go about turning Bayern into a nouveau Barcelona, with the German’s technical brilliance joining Toni Kroos and Franck Ribery in an interchangeable attacking-midfield trio.

Gotze’s versatility will allow him to play anywhere behind the potent striking force of Mario Mandzukic, scorer of 19 goals in his debut season at Bayern, or Mario Gomez, who has built on his 83 goal-total of the last two years with 11 this time round. Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller can also stake a claim for inclusion as Guardiola will have to wrestle with the most outrageously talented of squads.

Guardiola.... takes advantage of the Bavarians' financial muscle to sign the outrageously talented Gotze.

Guardiola…. takes advantage of the Bavarians’ financial muscle to sign the outrageously talented Gotze.

Klopp meanwhile will be left with the unenviable task of repairing the damage left behind by Gotze’s exit. He will have the money for reinvestment, but many will argue the understanding he had with Marco Reus that devastated many sides is irreplaceable. With Dortmund also rumoured to be likely to lose Robert Lewandowski as he heads into the final year of his contract, the 44 year old coach faces potential dissolution of the side he has moulded into one of the finest attacking sides in Europe. It will be the toughest examinations of Klopp’s burgeoning reputation as Guardiola sets the accelerator off into the distance, fuelled by imperious financial power.

It is a fascinating deal, one that is likely extend the gap between Dortmund and Bayern further than the 20 point chasm that separates them now, and one that comes in the sensitive week both clubs compete in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Despite their comparable achievements on the pitch, this deal highlights the financial disparity that promises to be a huge threat to the competitiveness of one of Europe’s best leagues.

Javi Martinez arrived last year for €35 million and now Gotze comes for €37 million, it is the work of a club intent on competing in an atmosphere of its own.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Fan Culture: England vs Eastern Europe

  By O-Posts Team | April 21, 2013 - 16:49 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Football hooliganism is something which plagues the sport all around the world, but in England, it is something which is hoped to be just about extinguished. Long gone are the terraces which were last seen years ago with the Hillsborough disaster being the trigger for the reform in the English footballing culture , and in their place, are only all seater safe looking stadiums. But the events last Sunday, proved that football hooliganism is long from being diminished.

The Newcastle-Sunderland derby is always a passionate and highly charged affair, as shown by Paolo Di Canio’s vibrant celebrations on the touchline on Sunday, but the behaviour of the Newcastle fans was something which hasn’t been seen in England for sometime. Whether it be throwing bottles at police, or trying in vain to pick fights with rival Sunderland supporters, they have shown that the thug culture in English football is still very much present.

In other countries though, such events wouldn’t even make local news let alone national news. Eastern European football is synonymous with right wing fan groups making trouble, but if it will ever be stamped out, is a question that is surrounded by serious doubt.

An even bigger question though, is what football would be like, without so called ‘ultras’. From their spectacular pre match shows on the stands, which include banners of a high artistic quality, aided with the typically controversial fire crackers, they certainly do add atmosphere. But it isn’t just Eastern Europe that possesses such die hard fans. Well developed footballing countries with rich histories, such as Germany and Italy, haven’t seen their footballing cultures disappear with the success and money that have came their way.

In England though, it’s somewhat a different story. The country may lay claim to having the most popular league in the world, with clubs that consistently perform excellently on the European stage, but it is the only country in Europe, where no fan culture is in existence anywhere. Ever since the Hillsborough incident in 1989, in which 96 fans tragically lost their lives following a crush in the stadium after too many fans were let into the stadium, signalled the end of the English fan movement. Liverpool for example may still have their Kop, but you would be hard-pressed to find any other English club which has anything similar to hardcore fans.

For some though, it’s only a good thing. To be able to go to the stadium with your family to watch a game, and being able to enjoy a family day out while feeling completely safe, is something which you couldn’t do in a country like Russia for example. When I went to an ice hockey in Moscow, a game that was even relatively low key, you couldn’t help by feel intimidated by the police on horses which greeted you around the stadium. It isn’t something that I wouldn’t recommend to parents wishing to take a young child to, but the opposing argument is just as strong.

So called ultras, the right wing hardcore fans, create a fantastic atmosphere at every game, an atmosphere that can seriously intimidate opponents and affect the end result of the game in a serious way. They are just completely non existent in England though, and the closest you will get to an ultra here, is a fan that quite happily join in with the somewhat monotonous and if I’m honest boring chanting, only after their team has scored. If the result isn’t quite going their way though, you shouldn’t be surprised to see the stadium already half empty with 10 minutes still to be played.

It is a problem that is shown up horribly, every time visiting European fans are visiting. Throughout the recent Tottenham-Basel Europa League game in London, you would be hard-pressed to hear any sort of noise that sounded like British and not Swiss voices. It’s hard to know who to point the blame at though, the fans themselves, or the English footballing system which you may say, is preventing any hardcore fans, from making any sort of impact whatsoever.

For me the answer is simple, English fans are too damn lazy to get off their backsides and make an effort, something which is just part of the English culture as whole. While fans in countries such as Russia – and in poorer Eastern bloc countries such as Bosnia and Serbia may be labelled as living in a timewarp with some of their beliefs and actions – no one can doubt, the amount of effort, that they put in to their team week in week out. Something which gives their club – and country as a whole – a real strong identity, an identity that England just doesn’t possess as a result of their own laziness. Any old so called fan can buy a season ticket and sit down at the stadium, but a real fan does more than the bare minimum.

Everything has its positives though, and one of the stand out positives, is that football is a real family game in Britain. Trouble is virtually never seen in the stadium or around it, excluding the odd drunkard that has a few too many. Events on Sunday have shocked everyone somewhat however. Newcastle and Sunderland may be major rivals, but no one predicted, that such behaviour from the Newcastle supporters would have been witnessed. But if you take into account how much alcohol they would have consumed preceding the incident though, and everything starts to appear more and more understandable.

While any behaviour that endangers the safety of other should always be condemned, passion is something that should only be praised. But if anyone calls what was seen on Sunday as footballing passion, then they are just a bit deluded. Young teenagers, who joined in with the incident for the fun of it, don’t deserve the right of being called football supporters.

A more appropriate title, is thugs. Some may argue it was a show of real passion for their club for the Newcastle supporters, but it’s just a shame, that English football passion is more akin to the state of being drunk, than actually being bothered to making an effort.

Eastern Europe may be a few steps behind in terms of infrastructure and commercialism, but are streets ahead with their fans – fans who may be old fashioned – would do anything for their beloved club, something which only deserves to be admired.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

Follow Shaun on Twitter @zenitfan93

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