TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| The hunger that could drive Gerrard away Roberto Mancini may be on to something – Liverpool cannot carry on disappointing their star playerAnother year, another transfer window. Time to wonder, do I dare? Roberto Mancini was probably only joking when he suggested Liverpool might like to make Manchester City a belated Christmas present of Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres, though for one member of that talented trio his humour must have touched a nerve.Torres and Mascherano are both young enough and sufficiently coveted in Spain to make new careers elsewhere should Liverpool prove to be a stumbling block rather than a springboard to their trophy ambitions. Neither player has actually won anything at Anfield yet and both are too good to be sustained indefinitely by empty promises and collective underachievement.Gerrard is a bit different. Four years older than the other two and 30 next birthday, he has done what few English players will manage in lifting a European Cup. He scored the FA Cup final goal of the decade the following season to enhance his medal collection, and had his chance to join a slicker club with real title prospects but rejected it in favour of staying on Merseyside.So far so good, but Gerrard must have imagined Liverpool would have added a league championship by now so that he could stop feeling inferior to Liverpool captains of the past, players who not only treated Europe as a playground but maintained a near stranglehold on domestic success. Gerrard is not a greedy individual, and will recognise that only the nuclear option of joining Manchester United would have brought him honours over the past decade to compare with those stacked up by Kenny Dalglish and Co a quarter of a century earlier, yet it is reasonable for a player of his ability at a club of Liverpool's stature to hope for the occasional title. Liverpool know more than anyone that winning the league is the true measure of a team's worth and that long gaps between titles do not look good in the history books, and while Gerrard may be being unnecessarily harsh on himself by dwelling on his failure to match the standard set by his predecessors, he is aware that his own value is unquestioned and his frustration is surely understandable.Unfortunately, just as Liverpool's story of annual disappointment has crept up almost by stealth to amount to a startling two decades, giving Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United the time to reel in their record number of titles, so the greater part of Gerrard's playing career has flashed by with the eye trained on the future rather than the present. It only seems five minutes since Gérard Houllier was protecting his leggy young colt because he had not yet finished growing up. The bundle of energy who played all over the pitch in Istanbul in 2005 and ended up at right-back as his team completed their unbelievable comeback had already been captain for two years. Gerrard had already turned down Chelsea once by then, though admitted in 2004 that he was unhappy with the progress Liverpool had made. He was pacified by the arrival of Rafael BenÃtez and as emotional as everyone else about the riotous instant success in the Champions League, yet it was clear his commitment to the club was based on a conviction that Liverpool would continue to improve and would soon be ruffling United's feathers, if not knocking them back off their perch. Even with the arrival of Torres, Mascherano and Pepe Reina, that has so far not happened and BenÃtez has just admitted, having little choice, that Liverpool's goal for the rest of the season is merely recovering their top-four place. Life, as another famous Liverpudlian said, is what happens while you're busy making other plans.So what should Gerrard's plan be? There is no shortage of leading clubs in England and elsewhere who would want him. Mancini was not joking to that extent. Gerrard has done his growing up. He is not a colt or a perpetual youth any more, he is a fine player at his peak with one big move left in him, should he wish to exercise that option. Michael Ballack was almost exactly the same age when he came to England to join Chelsea, though given that the perennially unlucky German has not yet managed to get his hands on the main prizes at Stamford Bridge either, that is possibly not the best comparison to make. Neither is Michael Owen, who left Anfield in search of silverware the year before Liverpool conquered Europe.In abstract at least (his contractual position is settled) Gerrard has a dilemma of Shakespearean complexity. He longs to win a title, but would a title with another club do, or does it have to be with Liverpool? The latter might never happen, the former might not feel the same (and still might never happen). What is a loyal, one-club player to do when titles are two-horse races? Would it be letting the side down to seek a move from Merseyside, or are Liverpool letting Gerrard down by failing to mount a proper challenge? These are difficult questions when Liverpool performed so well in the league last season and in Torres have arguably the sharpest striker in the business. Liverpool are tantalisingly close to success – even in their present state – yet for all Gerrard knows that situation could pertain for the next five years or even longer.He is tied to Liverpool for the rest of his career, or at least until what he imagines will be close to the end of his career in 2013. His chance of a move to Chelsea may have gone and he has probably never spent more than five seconds of his life imagining he would play for Manchester City, yet, even so, Mancini may be on to something. Liverpool cannot carry on as they have been doing. Clubs who do not win trophies sell players. And nothing in football is unthinkable.Short change is no good in hard timesAfter the unedifying example set by Wolves at Old Trafford last month, the Premier League urgently needs to do something to prevent weaker teams picking their matches.In case no one had realised, money is tight at the moment, and any branch of the entertainment industry that expects people to pay Premier League prices to watch acts of surrender is heading for trouble. At least Wolves were honest about what they were doing, even if Mick McCarthy would be well-advised not to try anything as feeble again.Roberto MartÃnez has just managed to lose 5-0 on the same ground with his first team, meaning that the aggregate score for the season now stands at Manchester United 10 Wigan 0. This is the same Wigan that managed to beat Chelsea quite convincingly, yet apart from a brief period under Steve Bruce they have always played like doormats against United.Portsmouth were just as bad against Arsenal on Wednesday, displaying all the defensive strength of a wet paper bag in losing 4-1 at home and generally playing like a team who never gave themselves so much as a prayer of getting any kind of result. Maybe there are dozens of reasons for the bottom-placed and most financially stricken club to feel that way, though 10 days earlier Pompey had ambushed Liverpool, vigorously contesting every challenge and overwhelming their opponents through sheer work rate.This sort of in-and-out running gives the Premier League a bad name. One might expect Manchester United and Arsenal to be better than Wigan and Portsmouth, but recent results suggest they are vastly superior to Chelsea and Liverpool, too. Supposing United now win the title on goal difference, as Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested they might? Supposing Pompey's disappearing act over Christmas means Arsenal edge Liverpool out of the top four? If the test of a competitive league is whether bottom can beat top, Wigan and Portsmouth have both posted notable, encouraging results this season. Sadly, that means nothing at all if they award themselves a day off the next time.Steven GerrardFernando TorresLiverpoolRoberto ManciniManchester CityPaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Beckham still has the class to inspire Impressive return to Milan shows that David Beckham could have a World Cup role to play for EnglandDavid Beckham likes to show the world his highly marketable smile but he has never looked more genuinely happy on a football pitch than in his time with Milan, which resumed on Wednesday night with a 5-2 victory over Genoa. And for Fabio Capello, who had chosen to spend the evening at San Siro rather than the snowbound Eastlands or Emirates, he produced an encouraging performance.In his years with Manchester United Beckham was making his name and building his brand. With England he had responsibilities. With Real Madrid he was having to prove his right to be called a galáctico. With the LA Galaxy he is getting paid an awful lot of money but is doing his work out of sight of most of the footballing world. With Milan he can relax.This is an aristocratic club where he is wanted for his qualities as a footballer. Adriano Galliani, who wields the power on behalf of Silvio Berlusconi, treats the Englishman with warm respect but not undue deference, as did Carlo Ancelotti. Leonardo, Ancelotti's successor, has given him a similar welcome. The former Brazil player has recovered from a sticky start and can now look on Beckham's arrival as a welcome reinforcement rather than a one-man rescue mission.At the club's training centre a team of physiotherapists, kinesiologists and dieticians are the world leaders in the art of keeping footballers fit and functioning well beyond their normal expiry dates. Beckham has made use of their expertise and advice, and on Wednesday he showed there is no physical reason why he should not play a part in the World Cup finals, which begin five weeks after his 35th birthday.In a BBC radio interview last weekend he teased his interviewer with the suggestion that he might still be playing at 40. No one mentioned Stanley Matthews and the half-century but as long as he is capable of making himself useful then he will not lack for employment opportunities.Out of necessity, in fact, he has cleverly reinvented himself as a utility player, albeit in a five-star, de luxe version of the role. Before the match against Genoa it was first suggested that, given Milan's injury problems, Leonardo would ask him to play at right-back. No problem, he said. Then the situation changed and he was scheduled for a slot on the right of the three-man midfield. On the morning of the match La Gazzetta dello Sport predicted that he would be positioned in the hole behind the three strikers. When the team took the field, however, it could be seen that he was lining up on the right of the attacking tridente, replacing the injured Alexandre Pato alongside Marco Borriello and Ronaldinho.After three minutes he raced down the right alongside his marker, Domenico Criscito, and performed the old familiar trick of getting in a cross without having to beat the defender first. This was one of his best, a fast, low, curling effort that invited Borriello to meet it with an improvised flourish which brought a wonderful save from Marco Amelia. A dozen minutes later he produced his own brilliant first-time flick, showing an impressive degree of physical commitment to put Borriello through again.On the half-hour he drifted into central midfield and flighted a ball up to Borriello of which his team-mate Andrea Pirlo, the master quarterback, would have been proud. Borriello headed it down for Massimo Ambrosini, who drew a foul from Amelia. From the spot Ronaldinho made amends for an earlier miss.Beckham roved around the pitch as the match went on, maintaining the momentum with sensible short passes and only occasionally attempting more ambitious deliveries. By the time he was withdrawn, after 75 minutes, Milan were 5-1 up and he had unquestionably played his part."He's already one of us again," Ambrosini, the captain, said afterwards. "Like all great champions, he takes new situations in his stride. He's arrived to find a new coach and a new formation but he's adapted straight away."Leonardo's assessment was equally encouraging. "During the week, unforeseen circumstances meant that he practised in all the roles," the coach said."But he ended up playing on the right side of the attack and he read the game perfectly."England's manager has already made it clear that as long as Beckham is fit he will be on the plane in June. On Wednesday Capello watched an impressively athletic and mature player who is unlikely to start matches in South Africa and might not be the player whom you would ask to make the tackle that would save your life but who, along with his experience and his technical gifts, now commands a versatility that could prove extremely valuable.David BeckhamMilanFabio CapelloEnglandRichard Williamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Victory keeps Schalke in 2nd: Germany Kevin Kuranyi scored early in the second half to give Schalke a 1-0 win over Nuremberg on Sunday to remain second in the Bundesliga, while Borussia Dortmund secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Cologne with a stoppage-time winner. cbc.ca |
Reading 1 Burnley 0: match report After third-round replay win over Liverpool, Gylfi Sigurdsson's late winner sees Championship side produce another Cup upset. telegraph.co.uk |
Lerner backs Villa to tune of £138.6m • Lerner has funded ownership with own money• Aston Villa made £7.3m loss last yearAston Villa's US-based owner, Randy Lerner, has put almost £140m into the club since his 2006 takeover, according to official documents. The club's statement of capital, filed at Companies House this month, shows that £138.6m has been invested from Lerner's UK holding company, Reform Acquisitions.The financial accounts for the year to 31 May 2009 are not due to be filed until the end of next month, so it cannot yet be seen how exactly the money was paid to the club. However, the most recent published figures, for the previous year, to 31 May 2008, reveal that the investment up to then, £49.5m, was in the form of loan notes, from Lerner's holding company in the United States.During that year the manager Martin O'Neill's signings and a more than doubling of players' wages led to Villa recording a £7.3m loss. The interest paid on the loan notes owed to Lerner's US company was at a fairly standard 2% above interbank rates, amounting to £4m, which came out of Villa's own income, including fans' ticket money.Lerner's quiet revolution at Villa Park, where his £62.6m takeover was financed with his own and his family trust's money and the £138.6m has since strengthened the team, makes a stark contrast to the regime at Manchester United. There the Glazer family loaded their own borrowings to take the club over on to United itself, and the club were recently revealed to have debts of £716m, not one penny of it paid in as investment for the club.Lerner's funding of Villa, principally to provide O'Neill with money to spend on transfers and wages, has beenmade in nine separate injections since July 2007, according to Companies House documents. The amounts paid to the club range from £8m, in November 2007, to £30m, in August 2008. The money is routed from Reform Acquisitions, which, in the most recent accounts, was shown to have borrowed the investment up to that date from Lerner's US company, also called Reform Acquisitions.this month when he was replaced after the Browns' poor season.The investment and stewardship from Lerner have brought a transformation in Villa's fortunes and qualification for the Carling Cup final, their first Wembley final in a decade. However from 2012-13, the new "financial fair play initiative" from Uefa will require all clubs involved in European competition not to be making consistent losses, regardless of whether they are supported financially by an owner.Aston VillaPremier LeagueBusinessDavid Connguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |