Football Champions

It's an off year for English football. Despite all the money and hype, amid all the allegations of racist abuse and "handshakegate"s and other drama, English teams have consistently come up short in international competitions.

Take Arsenal. Here is a team that sit fourth in the English Premier League, which is good enough to make the UEFA Champions League next year. Other than one embarrassing display at Old Trafford in late August, Gunners have looked fully capable of hanging with the best teams in England.

Today, against AC Milan in the first elimination round of this year's UCL tourney, Gunners looked more like a youth side taking on the senior club -- or if you prefer a U.S.-centric comparison, the JVs facing the varsity. Either way, it wasn't pretty. Arsene Wenger's men were outplayed, outhustled and overwhelmed by the rossoneri, going down 4-0 in a game that frankly didn't look that close. The teams really didn't look like they belonged on the same pitch at the same time. Milan's pace was far faster, their passing crisper, their marking tighter. They made better runs in attack. Their goalkeeping was better. This was Arsenal's worst-ever defeat in European competition and one that, barring a miracle in the return leg, will leave them with nothing but the FA Cup and fourth place in the Prem to play for.

And it's not just Arse, either. Neither Manchester club (currently 1-2 in the Premiership) made it out of the group stage of this year's Champions League. That's just embarrassing considering the payroll disparities between the Mancunians and their group stage opponents, particularly in Man U's case (Otelul Gulati and FC Basel? Really?).

Or take the Europa League. Tottenham Hotspur were drawn into a group with teams from Ireland, Russia and Greece (Greece!) and couldn't even finish second. This is a club, Spurs, that are supposed to have a realistic shot at winning the league in the first time in (what might as well be) centuries. Birmingham City and Fulham didn't make it out of their groups either. I know there's a big gap between those clubs and the ones at the top of the Premiership table, but come on. Interestingly enough, the team with the toughest Europa League draw, Stoke City, actually qualified for the elimination round.

All of which begs the question: is this just a one year anomaly we are looking at? Or is the sun finally setting on the Premiership empire? Time will tell, but the signs are ominous. Last year's Champions League finale showed us just how far the gap has widened between the best team from Spain and its English counterpart. This year's Champions League and Europa League group stages demonstrated that English clubs at the very least play down to the level of inferior opponents, if they can indeed be called that. Today we saw that the fourth-placed Premiership side were little more than target practice for the top team in Italy.

What is the cause of this? That is another topic for another day but suffice it to say that it can't be economic, given all the petro and oligarch cash that has flooded the Premiership in recent years. That would mean that the players are certainly still world class. What about the coaching? We can sing the praises of Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp and others, and deservedly so, but maybe, just maybe their counterparts on the continent have overtaken them. Arsenal especially just seem to lack something this season that could suggest Wenger has lost his magic touch. Do English teams maybe have a handicap when it comes to fitness levels? Have they gotten sloppy with their defending? These things deserve a look. Stay tuned.

Yes I called it football, which I assure you has absolutely nothing to do with my desire to attract search engine traffic from outside the U.S.

Anyway, it is clear that the era of the "big four" in the English Premiership is over almost as quickly as it started. In its wake a three-tiered structure has emerged. Only, it's not quite as clear cut as the previous one. That is largely due to the fact that the new pecking order is still shaking out, which is very much the nature of the beast. Whenever there is a change in power structure, be it political, artistic or in more important areas of life, a period of upheaval is all but inevitable. Such is the situation we find ourselves in at the start of the new decade in the English Premier League.

How has this three-tiered power structure taken hold thus far? Let's take a look:

1. The top tier: Manchester United and Chelsea
This one's pretty easy. Man U and Chelsea have dominated the Premiership the past five years, during which time they have held a stranglehold on the league trophy. During the big four era, which we're defining as 2003 to 2009 (none of the big four finished outside the top five during this stretch), Arsenal and Liverpool figured into the title chase as well. That is no longer the case this season. It actually hasn't been the case in some time where Arsenal is concerned. Since 2005, when Gunners finished second, they have finished fourth three times and third once (in 2008). So Arsenal, though a splendid team, can no longer be viewed in the same class as the "elite two". By contrast, one could make the case that Arsene Wenger's side dominated the Premiership for the period before that: Between 1998 and 2005 Arsenal finished first or second every year, capturing three trophies. They remain the only team to go undefeated over the course of a Premiership season (in 2003-2004). We don't expect anybody to match that feat anytime soon, if ever. Or at least not in our lifetimes. The last team to do it before Arsenal were Preston North End in 1889.

As for Liverpool, they only finished second two times last decade. And we all know what's been going on this season (though at the time of this writing they were somewhat miraculously back in fifth place).

The argument that Arsenal and Liverpool have lost touch because of economics holds no water in my view. Yes, Reds are saddled with debt and Gunners might not flash the cash as often or with as much gravity as Chelsea. But both clubs have spent impressive sums on acquisitions in the past year, as the names Andrey Arshavin and Alberto Aquilani attest. Besides, who did Chelsea sign in the January transfer window? What about Man United, who have been sellers (Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez) more than buyers the past year?

The decline of Liverpool and Arsenal is not a result of economics but of mismanagement. With the North London side it appears a case of Wenger being a bit too full of himself and his methods. Sure, Arsenal's style of play is entertaining but it's also finicky. Better defense is needed and a little brawn to go with the finesse would do wonders. With the Merseysiders, it's a clear case of Rafa Benitez' incompetence. Not so much in managing a game (though there too) but more in putting the talent he acquires to proper use.

So Reds and Gunners are no longer in the top tier. But as we'll see they aren't in the second tier either.

2. The middle tier: Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City.
Under its new owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Man City can outspend literally anybody, but it hasn't done them much good yet. That is finally starting to change after Mark Hughes was justifiably shown the door in December. Since Roberto Mancini took over from the Welshman, Citizens have won eight of 10 games and moved up to sixth in the standings. They are equal on points with fifth-placed Liverpool but have two games in hand. So Manchester City could make a move for fourth place, the spot currently occupied by Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have had a solid season after two traumatic campaigns that saw them fall out of the Champions League contention they previously occupied. But Spurs are not an elite team by any means. They have a terrible record against the top three teams in the league and are probably at least two big signings away from being able to contend. Then again, so are a lot of teams. Like Aston Villa, who flirted with third place for a long time last season before falling off the pace. Or Everton, who have not lost a league match this year. Villa and Everton lack the financial resources of City or even Spurs, but they make up for it with two of the best minds in the game. If either David Moyes or Martin O'Neill were English one of them would have gotten the call to manage the Three Lions a long time ago. But England's loss is the Premiership's gain. If Everton had Man United's money, David Moyes would be Alex Ferguson. Come to think of it, he's kind of the obvious heir apparent to Sir Alex at Old Trafford should the old boy step down (dude's 68 years old. It can't be that much longer now).

Together, the Man City-Villa-Spurs-Everton quartet occupy a type of purgatory in the EPL. They aren't good enough to compete with the big boys but aren't bad enough to have to worry about relegation. They may make forays in one direction or the other, and may manage a top three finish one of these years if everything goes exactly right. But mostly, this is who they are. The one possible exception is Man City, who could be seen as favorites to finish third next season now that they have proper leadership.

3. The lower tier: Everybody else (except Liverpool and Arsenal).
Speaking of purgatory, Liverpool and Arsenal aren't in this group either. They're better than that, obviously. They're probably better than the mid-tier clubs as well, though they may not always show it. For now, the fates of these two teams can simply not be determined. It may be another year before they take their spots in the pecking order.

There isn't really much that can be said about the lower tier teams. They are almost without exception wholly uninteresting. Even Fulham, who have been the best of the bunch the past season and a half or so, can be painful to watch sometimes. Each of these clubs may have one or two players who stand out. But once they are fully established, a richer club in England or Europe snatches them up. Though that too is increasingly rare. For the most part these teams trade players with each other. Unable to afford the big talent, they are forced to settle on the bargain bin. Which explains why, no matter how skilled their manager, they are doomed to the Premiership's equivalent of the third estate.

Sure, some will make forays into the top eight from time to time. Others will be relegated. They're essentially interchangeable parts, though every now and then somebody will come around and really stink it up (like Derby County a few years ago or Pompey earlier this season). But for the most part there is very little that separates these teams. On any given day any one of them could beat another one.

In fact, who's to say this pertains just to the bottom 12 Premiership clubs? Are the likes of Hull City and Pompey and Burnley really that much (or at all) better than Newcastle or West Bromwich Albion or Nottingham Forest? I'd have to watch more of the Coca Cola Championship to say for sure, but I have a feeling the difference is negligible.

So there you have it. The new power structure in English football. Get used to it, because it will probably be here for a while.

Photo taken from Independent.co.uk without permission.

The first real soccer weekend of the 2009/2010 season is only half over and it may already be time to revise our Top 25. We were soooo convinced of AC Milan's ascendancy (and equally convinced Inter Milan didn't have it this year) but today's meeting between the two sides reflected the exact opposite. Manchester United was supposed to be in trouble; Arsenal a team on the rise; Real Madrid virtually unbeatable. We raved about Wolfsburg and fretted over Bayern Munich, yet earlier today Bayern won the clash between the two sides by 3-0.

Time to rethink those premonitions? Yes and no. First of all, soccer is a results business. Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna may not have been by the margin (or with the style) one might expect from a team that spent $350 million improving its roster, but three points are three points. Incorporating all those stars into a cohesive unit is going to take time; no way around that. If Real can get results while they do this, the less pressure they'll be under as the season rolls on. Eventually, they may even dazzle us.

After impressing us in their season-opening 2-1 victory at Siena last week, AC Milan disappointed on every level in today's derby with Inter. In many ways the 4-0 score might have even flattered the rossoneri. Sure, Milan went down a man early, but even then they were already down two goals. This game should serve as a wake up call to Leonardo's men, who looked particularly vulnerable defensively (very un-Italian, that). It should also result in a starting spot for Oguchi Onyewu the next time out, which isn't until two weeks' time at Livorno.

Bayern Munich simply needed to win today's match with Wolfsburg and German clubs (particularly its most famous) sometimes are most effective when forced to summon their iron will. Then there was the emergence of a certain Arjen Robben, who scored not once but twice on his debut--and that after coming on as a second half sub. Seems the Dutchman is exactly what the Doktor ordered for the Bavarian side. Figure them to break the Top 25 in its next edition. But two tough road matches await Louis van Gaal's side: Borussia Dortmund Sept. 12 and Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League opener.

That leaves us with Man United and Arsenal, a game that--to be frank--was not won by the better team on the pitch. Arse should have scored more than once in the first half and were unlucky to not get a second shortly after halftime. Rooney's penalty equalizer was the turning point but even then the winning goal was a gift from Abou (Terence Trent) Diaby. Two points can be taken from this game: 1. Sir Alex Ferguson's clubs find ways to win even when they are outplayed and 2. Arsenal still lack the necessary experience and leadership to put teams away when they are on the ropes. Gunners may very well be able to correct this second item in the weeks and months ahead (it's a long season, after all) but so far it's more of the same in the English Premier League.

Elsewhere in England, Liverpool needed a second half comeback to win at Bolton, Chelsea had absolutely no problem with Burnley and break out Tottenham Hotspur! A word of caution on that last one: Excited as we are about Spurs' uncharacteristic (if not unprecedented?) fast start to the season, today's victory was far too close for comfort for us to get truly optimistic about Tottenham's chances over the long term. Sure, a Europa League spot is definitely in the offing, but breaking the Big Four is not something that should be discussed in serious terms. Though if we win our next two league games (Man United at White Hart Lane and Chelsea at the Bridge) that can be revisited. But that's one (actually two) big, big ifs. Especially now that the element of surprise is removed.

Photo taken from Guardian.co.uk without permission.

Having dispense with l'affaire Terry, we're in danger of getting stuck in another rut, that of the shambles that is Tottenham Hotspur. But this was too good to ignore:

stop f****** around, Levy

That was part of a rant by Spurs striker Darren Bent using his Twitter account. Alas, the page has been taken down now, but the article has most of the juicy details. You'd think if there's one guy who'd be sympathetic towards Spurs Chairman Levy it'd be the fellow for whom he paid 17 million GBP. But it seems frustration at rank idiocy trumps loyalty.

This isn't a one-off, either: one could argue that it was Levy f****** around that led to Dimitar Berbatov not leaving until the last day of last summer's transfer window, a move which left Spurs with too little time to find a replacement.

--Smoods

Fans of Tottenham Hotspur are probably relieved that this summer's transfer window is a lot quieter than in previous years -- the club made at least 18 signings of 1 million GBP or more in the last two years according to this website.

But -- aside from two kids -- their one big signing is a puzzling one: a lanky yet skillful international striker for the only club in the Premier League that already had a lanky yet skillful international striker.

While Peter Crouch is five inches taller, the fact is that the two are largely similar players, and arguably equally talented. But that seems to be the way Harry Redknapp works: he blows into a club, decides very quickly that there are some players he doesn't like and sets about bringing in his own guys. That's all good up to a point but the Crouch/Pavlyuchenko situation betrays some pig-headedness -- surely there are other areas of Spurs' squad that need strengthening. Couldn't that money have been spent on a genuine left-footed winger?

At the risk of being repeating what's already been said, it would be great if Spurs could have hired a manager who thought he could work with the squad he was taking over, and whose focus this summer would have been on plugging the obvious holes they have -- a marauding midfielder is desperately needed, too.

Instead, uncertainty reigns, with gossip linking Gareth Bale, David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas, Darren Bent Kevin-Prince Boateng and yes, Pavlyuchenko, with moves away from the club. (Note that except for Jenas those players were bought in the past 2 years.) And in the meantime, Harry's cooing in the direction of a player well past his best, while other teams make the smart moves.

--Smoods