Van der Vaart and Bale give Spurs a new edge

Over the last few seasons Tottenham have bulit up a talented group of players which rivals the depth of any squad in the division. Harry Redknapp has had many injuries to deal with this season, particularly in defense where Gallas and Kaboul are working well together despite both not being first choice. This large squad means that Redknapp has viable backup options in all positions, in stark contrast to David Moyes’ situation at Everton. Even Roy Hodgson does not have the squad depth that Harry enjoys, and has publicly stated that Liverpool need to strengthen in order to manage the strains of a full season. Spurs proved their quality last season by finishing fourth, but this season may be the one where they gain the belief.

The top teams in Europe do not just have the best players, they also have the belief that they can win any game against any opposition. Manchester United currently do not have the most potent squad of players, yet remain unbeaten in all competitions. The mental strength that they display is both impressive and demoralising for opponents, who often lack the belief themselves. United’s comeback at Villa a few weeks ago is a perfect example of how this belief can destabilise an opposition team. If a team reaches a point in a match where they no longer believe that they can get a result, then the match is as good as over. Tottenham’s comeback at the Emirates on Saturday indicates that the players are beginning to believe in their own quality a little more.

This belief is stemming from the emergence of genuine world class ability at White Hart Lane. World Cup finalist Rafael van der Vaart has arrived at Tottenham with the right mentality already in place. He inspires his teammates by never giving up and revels in taking responsibility. His class is beyond doubt and he is at the centre of everything Spurs do at the moment, with a goal and two assists at the weekend. Stepping up to take the penalty at 2-1, Van der Vaart fixed a determined and inspiring stare towards goal, the jeering Arsenal fans faded into an insignificant background, there was no doubt. Van der Vaart wants to take responsibility and enjoys absorbing pressure and Tottenham benefit hugely.

A player with the determination and quality of Rafael van der Vaart needs outlets on the pitch who are willing and able to take advantage of the opportunities that he creates. Spurs have lots of quality in their squad, but in Gareth Bale they have a superstar in the making who is currently enjoying world class levels of form. His touch and finish at the weekend for Tottenham’s first goal were masterful. Bale looks as comfortable and assured in front of goal as he does when bombing down the left wing. His ability to manipulate the ball is extra impressive because he can do it at top speed. In the last year Bale has bulked up physically and has become an immense athlete. His speed and strength is intimidating to play against and his final ball is of such quality and pace that he is a striker’s dream to play with. On top of his wing play, he is now becoming a proven goalscorer.

Together, Bale and van der Vaart give Spurs that extra class which is often so crucial in key moments of games. An accurate final pass or a perfect first touch when in on goal can be the difference between winning and losing. Spurs have a new edge and are growing in belief - the Premier League’s power structure of old is increasingly looking over its shoulder.

Season so far: Magic Madrid

Europe’s top four leagues are a third of the way through, and quite a lot of change is currently in the air. Of the current reigning champions, only Chelsea are top of their respective league, and the two teams who contested last year’s Champions League Final are far from having things their own way this time around. Having lost the Milan derby at the weekend, Inter are 5th in Serie A, six points behind their great rivals AC. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich are having an even harder time of things, twelve points behind leaders Dortmund, they sit in 6th.

Lets take a look at the statistics across the four leagues.

Rooney staying will not paper over the cracks

Wayne Rooney signed a new five year contract with Manchester United at the end of last week, just days after he announced that he wanted to leave. This is undoubtedly good news for the club as Rooney is a fantastic player, but there are big problems at Manchester United which won’t go away just because Rooney has signed on the dotted line.

Manchester United are a European and World football powerhouse and in the last 20 years they have won 11 league titles and 2 European Cups. However, over the last few seasons an unusual pattern has begun to emerge where Man Utd’s squad has dwindled and appears to be getting weaker every season. After receiving a mammoth £80m from the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo, it appears that most of this money has gone to service the club’s debt rather than to bring in top class players.

In May 2008 Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow. Below is the team that they fielded:

Man Utd - 2008 Champions League Final line-up

Only two players have been lost from this line-up, but their performances since leaving the club demonstrate what a huge loss they have been. Carlos Tevez has been in a rich vein of form for rivals Manchester City, scoring 36 goals in 51 games. Cristiano Ronaldo has netted an amazing 43 times in just 47 appearances for Real Madrid. Ronaldo would be a huge loss to any team in the world, and replacing him is arguably an impossible task and neither Nani nor Antonio Valencia have been able to pitch in with enough goals in comparison. In 2007-08 Ronaldo scored an astonishing 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United, and although Wayne Rooney managed a fantastic 34 goals last season, circumstances this season may prevent that from happening again.

In addition to the loss of key players, United are arguably over relying on their more experienced personnel. Next month Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will turn 36 and 37 respectively. Scholes has played in every league game for Man Utd this season and Giggs has only missed two. 35 year old Gary Neville was very lucky not to get sent off at Stoke on Sunday after two late challenges on the younger and quicker Matthew Etherington. Neville also had a torrid time against the pace of Wolves’ Matt Jarvis in last night’s Carling Cup tie. These examples quite clearly show that Neville is starting to struggle to keep up with the pace of the Premier League, and it will be interesting to see whether or not Ferguson sticks with Neville when Tottenham and Gareth Bale visit Old Trafford this weekend. Ferguson’s reliance on his older players may be because the likes of Darron Gibson and the Da Silva twins have not progressed as quickly as he hoped.

Looking back at Man Utd’s Champions League winning side of 2008, a few more names have struggled for fitness and/or form ever since. Since that match Owen Hargreaves has only managed to play in 4 games, while Rio Ferdinand only appeared in 13 league games last season. Michael Carrick has also struggled for a long time to recapture the form he showed a few seasons ago where he dictated the rhythm of United’s play so well.

Manchester United are beginning to struggle in an emerging world where they can no longer compete financially with the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid. They have missed out on big name signings across Europe such as David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Mesut Ozil. In the league, while United are trying to fight off dramatically improved competition from Manchester City and Spurs, they are struggling to keep up with Chelsea at the very top. This season is crucial for Alex Ferguson’s side, as Liverpool showed what can happen to a big side that is knocked off their comfortable perch.

Things are not heading for disaster at United, however they are certainly missing one or two world class players which they may or may not be able to afford. They need to adapt to the new challenges in both the Premier League and in Europe quickly, otherwise they could get left behind.

Reckless tackles cannot be ignored

After Hatem Ben Arfa’s horrible broken leg at the weekend, Nigel De Jong is now the centre of attention. Nigel De Jong shouldn’t be vilified because he is just another player doing his job as a defensive midfield enforcer. However, maybe this role and what it entails should be looked at. Some players see themselves as destroyers who must break up play and stop the opposition at any cost. This can encourage certain players to play with a reckless abandon that they normally would not. Simply saying that these things happen is not helpful, De Jong’s tackle on Ben Arfa was excessive and not under control. Despite what many pundits would have us believe, tackling is still very much part of the modern game and top defenders often make winning the ball into a thing of beauty. There is no reason why a challenge cannot be both aggressive and controlled. Carelessly lunging around with no regard for your fellow professionals is not acceptable.

Tough opposition ahead for Barcelona

Barcelona suffered a 2-0 shock defeat on Saturday at home to Hercules, with Paraguayan striker Nelson Valdez scoring both goals. This result was definitely a huge upset, and it tells us a few interesting things. First, it was fairly obvious to see that Barcelona were really out of sorts. While they did have the majority of possession they also looked slow, lethargic and uninspired. Most have put this down to last week’s midweek friendly between Spain and Argentina in Buenos Aires. Barcelona had 9 players involved in some way in the friendly match, which involved lots of travelling. It is therefore understandable that Barca’s play seemed unusually flat.

It is also fairly apparent that every team which comes to the Camp Nou this season is pretty much guaranteed to be coming with defending and counter-attacking on their mind. After Inter showed the way last season, Barcelona could find themselves trying to break down hard working and well organised teams week after week. This is unlikely to worry Pep Guardiola at this early stage of the season, but towards the later stages of the Champions League, Barcelona could find Europe’s best coming to do no more than to defend.

In one sense this is a shame for the spectacle of European knockout football, but many big teams have tried to take Barcelona on directly, such as Arsenal in last season’s quarter final, and almost all have failed. Jose Mourinho’s blueprint of dedicated defending and devastating counter attacks may well be taken up by far more teams this season. However, Barcelona will rightfully be favourites to win the Champions League again, and the addition of David Villa should help them in the knockout stages. Regardless of how the opposition sets up, Barca will continue to try and play the beautiful game in the way that they believe it should be played, and expect beauty to defeat the beast more often than not at the Camp Nou this season.

Premier League Preview - Tough at the top

Top of the table is the glamorous place to be, especially in the cash soaked English Premier League. Glory and riches await the teams at the top, but not everyone can get everything they want.

Last season, for the first time in five years, the top four was broken by a new side. This along with a massive cash injection for a Manchester based team has shaken up the usually predictable Title and Champions League races. Champions Chelsea come into the 2010/11 Premier League season as favourites to regain the trophy. Carlo Ancelotti has had a small clear out of unwanted players, and has brought in Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool and Brazil international Ramires from Benfica. A big boost for Chelsea is the return of Michael Essien, who was sorely missed in the Champions League last season. Chelsea arguably still have the strongest team in the division and will be difficult to knock off their perch.

It could be interesting this season to watch the two teams from Manchester battle it out for league superiority. Manchester City have spent huge amounts of money once again this summer, but must overcome their lingering inferiority complex when it comes to competing against Manchester United. On paper it would appear that City have put together a squad which is as talented as it is deep. They have cover in every position, and a good mix of flair, strength and firepower throughout. The additions of Yaya Toure, David Silva and Mario Balotelli show the rest of the league just how serious a threat Manchester City will be this season. United on the other hand have not made any major improvements to their squad for some time. The arrival of Javier Hernandez is somewhat exciting, however United may find that City’s challenge is ultimately too fierce.

Arsenal still have a good chance of making an assault of the title, but in recent years they seem to have been muscled out at crucial times by the top two. Man Utd and Chelsea both beat Arsenal home and away last season and looked relatively comfortable doing so. This will be a worry for Arsene Wenger, and he will hope that his side can show more strength when under pressure this season. The signing of Marouane Chamakh could be a very good one for Arsenal, he is skillful and good in the air and offers the team a different kind of option up front. Wenger will also be hoping that Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie can stay fit throughout 2010/11, unlike last season when their absence was crucial.

Down the road, Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham are aiming to build on last year’s fantastic season. With a Champions League playoff coming up against Young Boys of Bern, Spurs should make it through to the group stages. It is therefore conceivable that Spurs may take their eye off the league and concentrate on progressing to the knockout rounds in Europe. With such fierce competition this year for the top four places, this may not be a bad choice. The Spurs fans are not demanding another top four finish, although it would obviously be desirable. A glamorous run in the Champions League, and a solid top five finish in the Premier League would be an excellent season for the team from White Hart Lane. However, there is a possibility that Tottenham may spend some money in the transfer market after they have secured their Champions League place, so Spurs can still hope for a repeat of last season.

The last two sides aiming to force their way up the table from last season are the two Merseyside clubs. Liverpool and Everton could find themselves fighting it out for league superiority, with Liverpool perhaps no longer in the stronger position. Roy Hodgson has bought wisely over the summer and proved once again last season that his managerial ability is not in question. The arrival Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic could see Liverpool return to the top four this season, but with things so new and unpredictable at Anfield, it is unlikely that they will be able to maintain their form throughout the long and competitive season. David Moyes’ Everton on the other hand are far from new or unpredictable, and their run towards the end of last season shows that they are most likely to improve on last year.

An interesting and hopefully exciting season awaits at both the top and bottom of the Premier League this year. Teams like Tottenham and Everton are closer to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal than they have ever been, and Manchester City’s millions are set to throw everything up in the air. Where will the pieces fall?

Premier League Preview - Middle Ground

Unlike the bottom of the Premier League, the middle can be rather uninspiring. Certain teams seem to win more than enough games to avoid the relegation dogfight, but are still a million miles away from threatening any of the league’s big guns. Fulham and Sunderland look to me to be this season’s ordinary boys. Expect to see an equal amount of wins, draws and losses from these two as they successfully tread water through to May 2011. Roy Hodgson’s departure from the Cottagers is a real blow, and Mark Hughes faces a pretty difficult task if he aims to improve on last season. Bolton struggled last year, finishing with only 39 points. However, Owen Coyle has been in charge for 7 months now, and he starts this season with a competent Bolton side who are playing prettier football than under Megson. Bolton are in a much more healthy position than half the teams in the league this time around. Blackburn Rovers are also led by a talented English manager who has shaped them into a solid team capable of staying in the middle ground.

Following Monday’s news of Martin O’Neill’s departure from Aston Villa, it is now much more likely that they will struggle to maintain their lofty finishes of recent seasons. With James Milner also looking set to leave, Aston Villa may find that they cannot consistently compete with the teams at the top. Villa seem strapped for cash, and their squad has never been renowned for its depth as it is. This season could see Villa graciously fall away.

Premier League Preview - Fighting to stay up

Huge gaps in spending power break England’s top league effectively into 3 separate divisions. Teams in the middle cannot dream of competing with the mega-rich at the top, and teams at the bottom very rarely manage to avoid the dreaded pull of the relegation fight. The Premier League is a very predictable competition, especially when compared with the Football League. Newly promoted Blackpool for instance were tipped to go down last season, only to gain promotion via the playoffs after finishing 6th. The top 6 or 7 in the Premier League are almost permanent fixtures, and things are unlikely to change this year.

The bottom of the Premier League is a difficult and competitive place to be, and especially so this season. New boys Blackpool are hotly tipped to finish bottom of the league, and while I am not inclined to disagree, it should be fun watching the Tangerines this season. Manager Ian Holloway is quite the character and has suggested that his side will be playing some rather ambitious football this season. Holloway said "After watching the World Cup I've realised we need to get more like Spain" "You have to caress the ball, you've got to love it. We need more tiki-taka." Also expected to return straight back down to the Championship are West Bromwich Albion, although Roberto Di Matteo is a promising young manager, and hopefully can go some way to proving himself. West Brom have been up and down more than most over the past decade, but this experience could help them towards the end of the season. The Baggies have made a few solid purchases that are unlikely to stretch the finances beyond their limits, and I can see them just avoiding relegation this season. Teams such as Birmingham City and Stoke City, who did reasonably well last season, may find things a struggle this time around. Both these sides were difficult to beat at home, but Stoke in particular are likely to come up against teams who are fully prepared for the physical side of their play this season. Neither Wolves nor Wigan managed to reach the supposedly magical 40 points last season, yet stayed up because of very poor competition below them. This season’s relegation battle is likely to be far closer, and Wolves and Wigan are set to be involved in the fight. West Ham and Newcastle should be able to avoid the drop, but they both run the risk of being dragged into it all. Newcastle have made some good signings including Sol Campbell and Dan Gosling, while West Ham have brought in Frederic Piquionne and Thomas Hitzlsperger, and if they manage to keep hold of Scott Parker, they should be ok.

Spurs must seize their chance

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have dominated English football for the past decade. The Champions League has been a private playground for these four clubs, and their domination resulted in them being dubbed the ’big four’. In the past 10 years English sides have qualified for the Champions League group stages 37 times, with 35 of those achieved by the ‘big four’. Outside of these four teams, only Leeds United in 2000 and Newcastle United in 2002 have made it into Europe’s finest club competition proper. Newcastle and Everton failed to get past the Third qualifying round in 2003 and 2005 respectively. This trend has been great for the ‘big four’ clubs, but rather embarrassing for the rest of England’s top division. Many neutrals wanted to see a new name in the top four of the Premier League, and last season saw Tottenham Hotspur finish fourth after years of near misses and disappointing shortcomings.

Last season’s fourth place finish has entered Tottenham into the relatively new Champions League Play-off round. The draw was yesterday and Spurs received what would appear to be a pretty straight forward outcome. Tottenham were drawn against Swiss side Young Boys, avoiding the likes of Sampdoria, Auxerre and Dynamo Kiev. In another bonus, the second leg will take place at White Hart Lane on August 25. Back in 2005 Everton were rather unfortunate when they were drawn against Villarreal, who went on to reach the Semi-Finals, eliminating Manchester United (in the group) along the way. Spurs have dodged such bad luck with their draw and have been given an ideal chance to add some fresh English blood to the Champions League for the first time in eight years.

Harry Redknapp has built a large, strong and talented squad over the last season or so. His team has a fantastic home record, and the win at Eastlands at the end of last season which cliched fourth place, was a superb display, showing how far Tottenham have come. Should Tottenham advance to the group stages of the Champions League, I believe that they have a very good chance of making it to the knockout rounds, considering their big squad and strength at White Hart Lane. They proved all their doubters wrong last season, and now Spurs must seize their chance to test themselves at the highest level.

Calm before the storm

Over three weeks have passed since Andres Iniesta’s extra time goal secured the World Cup for Spain. South Africa 2010 is now a distant memory, thoughts of Soccer City have faded and club football is almost ready to get going once again.

The European transfer market may have been a little quieter than last year, but some significant signings have definitely been made. David Villa’s €40 move to Barcelona back in May is clearly the summer’s biggest move. Other notable moves include Yaya Toure & David Silva joining the Manchester City project, and Sami Khedira getting a transfer to Real Madrid. There is still a month left until the window shuts, and hopefully we’ll see a late flurry of exciting transfer action.

This Saturday, Ligue 1 is the first major European top division to begin. The English Premier League starts on August 14, while the Bundesliga gets going a week later on the 21st. We must wait until August 28 for La Liga’s and Serie A’s opening fixtures. We also have the Champions League Playoff Round to look forward to, with both legs taking place this month.

Below are a selection of the best games coming up in August across the top leagues in Europe:

Saturday, August 14
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

Sunday, August 15
Liverpool v Arsenal

Friday, August 20
Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg

Monday, August 23
Manchester City v Liverpool

Saturday, August 28
Bordeaux v Marseille

Sunday, August 29
Fiorentina v Napoli
Sampdoria v Lazio
Mallorca v Real Madrid