Normal Service Is Resumed (Thank Goodness)

The season starts again. When did they sign him ? Oh he’s there now is he ? Christian Benteke seemed an expensive (£7 million) concept until he pulled on a Villa shirt  and nudged in a sitter to confirm Villa’s first win. Michael Owen, having weighed up all the options he said he had, signed for a place on Stoke’s bench. Remember Dimitar Berebatov ? Apparently he plays better when he’s happy & there were a lot of smiling Fulham fans admiring how well the shirt looked on him.

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This time last year Fulham had Zamora and Johnson up top. I will stick my neck out here and suggest that Berbatov and Rodallega is an improvement in quality. Dimitri  is now 31 now but has just had a couple of seasons rest. If there is to be a productive Indian summer to his career then Martin Jol has done well to keep him in the Premier League. He could have worked in the Bundesliga or in Italy. We all know he is a class act. It’s just that he’s been playing for clubs we don’t like. A happy and scoring Berbatov will entertain us all.

Manchester United, always following their own path, fielded three players with over 1500 appearances combined. When the veteran midfielders had softened up Wigan they made way, (looking knackered on the bench), for two shiny new signings to introduce themselves to the fans. Thingy Buttner and Nick Whatsit took their chance. They are both big strong boys. Alexander Buttner tried very hard to sign for Southampton despite “unspecified” demands from “unnamed” third parties. He now finds himself at the other end of the table with a club which will find plenty of work for a young athletic left back. Nick Powell won Player of the Year, Young Player and Goal of the season at Crewe last year…a winner then. He went to the same school as the best man at my wedding and played for my mate’s team. I have been aware of his work for some time. The pick and mix nature of United’s midfield, with Park/Nani/Anderson/Cleverley/Fletcher all hanging about looking for a game last season, would be improved if the boy Powell makes an impact in this first season. England won’t have to pick Jake Livermore as well.

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Criticism of Paul Scholes, his age, his tackling, his gingerness, is a cheap shot. The best midfield player of his generation, (which now includes that mis-matched pair, Gerrard and Lampard), just keeps on rolling. Any team would be glad of a player like him. He knows what’s expected of a top player and the only problem is that he may be over-used because United look a better team with him on the pitch. Everybody in the world knows that he will be 30 yards from the goal when the ball is played wide. Two or three touches later he is in space in the area and looking to score. We all know it but the keenest brains in football have not yet find a way to stop it happening.

Arsenal get 6 against a team struggling to adjust to the top flight. Southampton may not make that adjustment at all (at least, I hope, not next week when they play Villa). They were so poor that they made Gervinho look like a player, something no other Premier side had done. When Arsenal play like they did yesterday, with Arteta given an unchallenged freedom to pass as he pleases, it is a lovely thing to watch. Other teams that the Gunners will expect to beat will not lay down so easily at the Emirates.

Steve Bould is getting praise for re-establishing defensive solidity. (When 4 arms go up in the air in unison his job will be done). It can’t be too difficult with two solid pros like Mertesacker and Vermeulen in the centre of the back four. Finally, it is no surprise that Lukas Podolski looks the part. In the German side since he was 19, 103 caps at the age of 27. We have known he was a good player for a long time. The absence of RVP  may help him to get nearer the goal and he is already doing the right thing. He is certainly a better player than he is a singer as this Euro pop/rock monstrosity shows.

OK…City v Real Madrid on Tuesday. Let’s get going again.

Irish legends: The Football Stickers

Paul McGrath

This fresh-faced young man joined Manchester United at 22 years old from Irish football where, in his only season, he was the League’s player of the year & had earned the lengthy nickname “The Black Pearl of Inchicore”. At Old Trafford he became the first recipient of the man of the match award at an F.A. Cup Final. By the time Fergie arrived his career was interrupted by injury. He also played a prominent part in the drinking culture at the club. Arnold Muhren has written that the prevailing smell at morning training was stale beer. Sir Alex had to break this clique quickly as his captain & star player, Bryan Robson, was a part of it. Ferguson did not handle McGrath’s situation well. After a failed meeting with a priest. he offered the player a testimonial & a substantial cash settlement to retire.

In 1989, after 7 years & almost 200 appearances Paul left United to join Aston Villa. The move was seen as a gamble by Villa at the time. A 2nd place finish in the League in his first season indicates how he improved the side. Villa fans (myself included) were privileged to see him play the best football of his career. McGrath was a central defender who never appeared hurried but did not lack pace. His anticipation of the play was unrivalled in British football. Your gran could have played alongside him and he would have made her look a decent player.

A new manager, Ron Atkinson, had previously had Paul in his charge at United & was an admirer. Eager to prolong a career blighted by regular knee operations he allowed the player to train as he wanted. The stories of McGrath cycling around the perimeter of the training ground while his team mates sweated are hilarious. The level of consistency & quality he achieved in games is amazing. In 1994 he won the PFA Player of the Year award. In 7 years at Villa he made over 320 appearances & he became a beloved figure at the club. Even when Villa were rubbish you could go to a game & watch a world class player in action.

He played 83 games for Ireland in the most successful period ever enjoyed by the country. McGrath was able to display his talents in a European championships & 2 World Cups. Only the legendary Franco Baresi would have kept him out of a World XI. In the 1994 tournament, though, it was Ireland who beat Baresi’s Italy. In the 1988 Euros a famous victory over England was followed by a 1-0 defeat against the eventual winners Holland, who scored a late & fortunate winner.

Paul McGrath had a troubled life from childhood. I hope the respect in which he is held by his fellow countrymen & by all football supporters helps him to understand that he has made a major contribution to his sport, his country & to many lives.

Liam Brady

Liam Brady joined Arsenal when he was 15 years old. The club had won the League & FA Cup double that year (1971). Brady became a first team regular at 18 in a side on the decline. He was the most elegant midfield player in the English League. On any visit to Highbury in the 70s he was a threat or a treat depending who you were supporting. Arsenal built a team around Liam, There was a strong Irish presence. Stapleton, Rice, Nelson & O’Leary all played at this time. The club reached 3 successive Cup Finals, winning the middle one in 1979. Brady was PFA Player of the year in this season, the first “foreign” player to win the award.

His cerebral approach to the game reflected his personality (not always the case). In 1980 he transferred to Juventus after masterminding that club’s defeat in a Cup Winners Cup semi-final. He was 24 years old & had contributed enough to his first club to be remembered a a “great” at a club with a long & rich history.

He flourished in Italy. In the first 6 years he played 2 seasons each for Juventus, Sampdoria & Inter Milan, holding his place at all 3. In 1987 he returned for a leisurely last hurrah at West Ham. His 72 caps for Ireland were mostly at a time when the team struggled. By the time Jack Charlton arrived to establish an organized & winning side he was past his exceptional best. I have always thought that if Brady had been 5 years younger & had been able to take a place in an Irish team with an already talented midfield then who knows what they could have achieved.

One night at Upton Park I was stood by the corner where Brady came over to take a kick. I went over to give him some stick. “Hang your boots up”, “You suck”…intelligent stuff. It was what you did. I thought that this guy was an cosmopolitan, multi-lingual man, a marvellous passer of the ball who had made his name in 2 countries. He was everything I wanted a modern footballer to be. I left it..it would have been wrong. Nothing stopped me slagging off Glen Hoddle though !

Steve Heighway

Steve Heighway was a footballer with a university degree, a rarity at any time. On completing his finals in 1970 he joined Liverpool as Bill Shankly was dismantling the successful side of the 1960s. He more than played his part in maintaining the club’s success, eventually playing in their greatest win. To keep Steve company Liverpool signed another graduate, Brian Hall. He did not have to discuss politics with Tommy Smith. They were nicknamed “Big Bamber” & “Little Bamber” after the host of University Challenge.

Heighway started as a winger, supplying Keegan & Toshack with crosses. He had outstanding pace and strength. James McLean, who seems to have the ability to actually cross the ball reminds me of him. He won his share of medals, 4 League titles & the UEFA Cup. he got his share of goals and he did not always have that beard. In 1977 Liverpool reached their first European Cup final and played Borussia Monchengladbach (give us a “B”). Were Liverpool good enough to be the best in Europe ? Heighway produced a pass of the highest quality for McDermott to score the opening goal. The question was answered.

In his 11 years at Anfield he was always a favourite. He left to play in the US in 1981, returning to Liverpool in 89 to run their youth academy. In those 11 years he played only 34 times for Ireland. His club was busy & a convenient “injury” allowed a little rest. There were some good Irish players in his generation though perhaps not enough. It is his career with Liverpool for which he is remembered.

3 songs about football

The season just gathers momentum & we stop for the World Cup qualifiers. Players who signed on Friday and have yet to learn the names of the blokes sat either side of them in the dressing room now have two weeks away before the respective coaching staffs try to remember their names. England players are dropping out of the squad like they are not really bothered whether they play or not. No football now for 4 days…it’s not good.

I intended to write about Liverpool but the world & her Auntie have a view on that. It remains that no club is two wins in the next two games away from a decent start. So…let’s bang a tune on.

In the 1980s the happening pop TV show in the UK was “The Tube”. They were eager to get Half Man Half Biscuit on to the show. Their funny, lo-fi, post punk was selling quite well. However “The Tube” was aired live on Friday evenings & HMHB were Tranmere Rovers fans. Tranmere played their home games on a Friday night at that time. The band were not prepared to miss a game just so they could be on TV.

The band wrote a few songs about football. The wonderfully titled “All I Want For Xmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit” is about Subutteo & Scalextric. They are still going & sometimes come up with a new song to match those of the first two LPs.

There is a song about George Best but it is very poor & the accompanying video is too grainy. The Spencer Davis Group provide a fine accompaniment to this tribute. It was said that defenders had “twisted blood” after playing against George & you can see why.

Man of the People Mark E. Smith & his band the Fall. An all-encompassing commentary on authorities, players (“his downfall was a blonde girl, but it’s none of your business !”). media and fans. It anticipates the adoption of a corporate ethos & all seated stadia by the clubs but maybe Mark has mixed feelings now that Manchester City are winning trophies. His book “Renegade, The Life & Tales of…” is a funny, irascible and intelligent rap about the music industry, the universe & everything.

Too Soon To Know

I’ve been trying to step away from the keyboard for a while. To let the dust from the Premier League’s opening salvo settle before drawing conclusions that are better made with consideration than in haste. No sides are “in crisis” yet. You go down the shops and when you come back Adam Johnson has joined Sunderland. There is still a week of the window to go and there are teams with holes that obviously need to be plugged. By next Saturday some will have improved their prospects while others will seem to have pissed their money away.

However, big football is back to thrill, divert and frustrate us all. It will be better to get some of these thoughts out of my head so that I can concentrate on serious issues like how come the two teams which have claim on my heart are yet to even draw a game never mind win one !

So, Swansea City actually liked to play an attractive passing game & were not just forced to by the previous manager. Eight goals scored and none conceded deserves a rave review and it has been achieved without two of the stars of last season, Allen and Sigurdsson. Scott Sinclair is now “doing a Dempsey” and putting his season on hold until the end of the transfer window. If he is still a Swan next week then he may find it more difficult to get a game than Clint will.

It is good to see that a place has finally been found for Wayne Routledge. Since he left Palace he has been an unhappy wanderer around the league. Other wide players of similar ability, Wright-Phillips, Lennon, Downing have got the big moves while it seemed as if he would fit no-one’s plans. At 27 he should be more mature and ready to make the most of this chance to play regularly. Of course Michu is not going to keep up his average all season (or he will end up with 60 goals) but it is already a case of “Gylfi who ?”. A talent for arriving late into the penalty area and then behaving as if you have been there before and know what you are doing can take you a long way in the Premier League. A snip at £2 million, there are players who cost over £10 million who may not have three goals by Xmas. I want to finish with a “Respect” to Ashley Williams who for the past four seasons has risen to the challenge of defending against a rising quality of strikers. It may be that he is in a “Roger Johnson” situation and would be rubbish if he moved away. No matter, every side needs guys like Ashley who know how far they have come and what needs to be done.

Oh yeah, Anjel Ranjel, Angle Rangle, Anghel Ranghel…it is of no consequence…crazy name, crazy guy. Now that Dirk Kuyt has left the Prem the only thing we know about football is that no-one can pronounce his name properly !

Enough. I will hold fire on the new manager (he was some player !). I will only say that whenever his name is spoken it is the law that you must now say…”he was some player”.

3-2 is the magic number

This season marks the disappearance of three ex-centre halves as managers of Premier League clubs. These scarred (scared ?) miserablists, Bruce, McCarthy & McLeish, all regarded survival at any cost as the be-all and end-all of their jobs. McCarthy would cynically send his stiffs out in games he thought were beyond winning. McLeish regarded a 0-0 home draw as a triumph for his tactics. All three would consider that they were facing the “realities” of managing teams in the lower half of the league.

In the first week of the season three managers, two of them new to this survival game, have taken their sides to the stadiums of the top three teams and have lost by the odd goal in five. Do Adkins & McDermott not know the etiquette of smaller teams visiting the palaces ?  You let them get a couple of goals in the first quarter &, in return, the princes do not embarrass you too badly. Surely all players want to play in big games against big clubs at packed stadia. They do not want to be saved for the midweek six-pointer against Wigan. They want to do their best against the best. If there is a new trend in the Premier League for unfancied teams to give it a go then let’s hope that every now and again they get some reward for it. We will all be more entertained as a result.

Here’s a before and after of Mr McDermott for our younger viewers. It happens, I am afraid to say, to all of us. Just don’t let yourself go like Steve Bruce has.

Goalkeepers

I have thought for some time that a goalkeeper can become shot shy in a way a boxer can take too many punches. A keeper who has spent too much time trying to save good shots can start to think well…I wont get that one. It happened to David Seaman and I think that Given, Green, Schwarzer, Friedel and Jaaskelainen may be getting to this stage. I know that an error by a keeper is magnified but the Prem has some of the most talented players in the world coming to show their talents. Is it too much to ask that the clubs put a bit of effort into signing some decent custodians ?

Finally…what is the story with the yellow piping around the bottom of the Villa shirt ? We play in claret and blue with some white. No yellow ! I am sure that if this is put right then the season will sort itself out.

Messi with the kid

The UK cover of FIFA 13 features the happy image of the finest player in the world today. Lionel gets on the cover of any football game which will pay him enough money for his image. Alongside Messi is the successor to David Seaman. James, Walker, Martyn, Wright, Robinson, Carson, Foster, Green & Kirkland all tried to be that guy & were never up to the job.Ray Clemence (now back in the job) & Franco Tancredi never really earned their money as goalkeeping coaches did they? Joe Hart should, barring injury, remain at the top of his profession for some time. He deserves his place in the spotlight.

The third of our stars is a lad who has started just 6 games in the Premier League and has scored 2 goals. Alex Oxlade -Chamberlain may be the future of English football but the three or four players in front of him for his position at Arsenal must be thinking this is all a bit previous. Let’s hope he turns out better than his dad who, four years after his 8th and final England game was in the second tier of the game.

The Spanish cover of the game features Messi and Roberto Soldado. The Italian cover has Claudio Marchisio alongside him. Two established players at the top of their game. Other members of the third best national team in the world must be wondering how they can manoeuvre such prestigious endorsement gigs for themselves.

Photos from a league that no longer exists.

Well, the preview is done and posted. At Xmas I’ll gather the five posts together under the title “Just How Wrong Can One Man Be”. All we have to do now is wait for the big kick-off. Time for a little light relief.

The North American Soccer League was regarded in England as somewhere for old players to go and earn a few quid when they could not cut it in the home leagues. Some even went for their Summer holiday. However it was dressed up, ( some of the razzle and indeed the dazzle is now everywhere), however many ageing superstars signed on, it was never gonna be forever. The USA will not embrace football until another 20 minutes of commercials can be crowbarred into a game by the networks.

This team photo includes some of those British expedition. Keith Eddy, a stalwart at Watford and Sheffield United. Steve Hunt did not make it the first time around at Villa,  returning in the 80s after his sojourn. The manager, Gordon Bradley had emigrated to Canada after 130 games at Carlisle. After spells with Toronto Roma & the New York Ukranians (I am not making this up !) he got the job at Cosmos. Giorgio Chinaglia was a face, 734 goals in 713 goals apparently. some of those games were jumpers for goalposts. There are others. Barry Mahy had been a bit part player at my club, Scunthorpe, in the 60s. The assistant coach is a professor !

What makes this photo special is the bloke third from the left in the front row. Charlie Aitken played 561 games for Aston Villa, the most by any player. He is a legend at Villa Park, more for his durability, his loyalty and his enthusiasm than any outstanding ability. Any photo of Charlie brings a smile to the faces of Villa fans of a certain age.

In 1976 a mate was in New York and went to see the Cosmos. The crowd were cheering goal kicks because they gained a lot of ground ! Charlie crossed the ball for the bloke sitting next to him to score. The bloke sitting next to him is Pele, the most famous footballer in the history of the game. Hadn’t Charlie done well for himself ?

George Best was a natural for the NASL. As a personality in football he was ahead of his time. When the pressure of being “El Beatle” combined with problems at Manchester United meant that he left the club he never could find a proper home in England. His style, on and off the field, was made for the new league. He played for 6 seasons around the league. In the early pictures he is bearded and a little thick around the waist. There are colour pics of George but he looks so fit and happy in this one from 1979. The player on his right is Teofilio Cubillas. This Peruvian international had made his name in the 1970 World Cup. He was outstanding again in 1978. I saw him play for Porto in a UEFA Cup game and he was some player.

Second on the right is Gerd Muller, “Der Bomber”. This hero of Germany and Bayern Munich was the best pure goalscorer in European football. Three European Cups, a European Championship and a World Cup, he won it all. They look very happy and money could not buy two of these guys if they played today.

The shirts of the NASL always looked like those kits you designed when you were 10 years old. Garish colours and lightning bolts were the order of the day. The Colorado Caribous turned it up to 11 with this unique design. It remains unique because who the hell would copy it ?

The fringes on the front would not fare well on a rainy English February. The back looks as though a whiskery mountain man has peeled it straight from the back of a buffalo with his Bowie knife.

Brian Tinnion, who wore the shirt, had played 380 games in England and Wales (Wrexham fans will have fond memories)  before touring the US league. He settled there and managed a number of clubs and colleges.

Four (yes four) New Boys

Queens Park Rangers

It was such a scuffle last year for the Rs. Once they had kept Warnock on it was always going to be so. They got a proper manager after Xmas, gave him a few quid for some strikers, and it was their home form more than the win over City on the last day which kept them up. I have included Q.P.R. in this section because Mark Hughes is in the process of changing the side and, possibly, the mindset of the club. He is talking the correct talk and it’s now time to see if he can walk the walk. (I will not be the one telling him he can’t. He has always intimidated me a little).

Hughes has made 6 signings and one loan. Diakite was there last year. The rest have not only got Premier League experience but we have heard of them. No more Clint Hill, Fitz Hall, Paddy Kenny, Tommy Smith, Shaun Derry and the rest of Warnock’s usual suspects. Robert Green replaces the comedy keeper. Junior Hoilett and Andrew Johnson join Zamora and Cisse in the forward line.Ryan Nelson, Fabio and Bosingwa will strengthen the defence and Park will surely play every week now. There has not been a bundle spent on transfer fees but the wages of these boys will not come cheap.

It will be interesting to see if the erratic Taarabt or the tiny Wright-Phillips get a game. Taarabt is just the kind of player they love at Loftus Road. If Hughes leaves him out of the starting XI it will indicate his approach to the season. At least there will be no Joey Barton. My mind is too full with more important things to even consider the wanker.

I liked going to Q.P.R. I saw Marsh, Bowles, Ferdinand, Stainrod, all the greats. I used to take a friend’s son. He told me he wished he lived opposite the ground so that he could open his bedroom curtains onto the best view every morning. I loved this. It is the kind of love a football supporter has for his club. For Daniel (now grown) and those others who have suffered with the Hoops, I wish them luck.

West Ham United

Big Sam did the job he was asked to do and the Hammers are back where they think they belong. The immediate bounce back can be essential to these mid-range clubs. You can end up lost, like Leicester and Forest, or, even worse, you could be Leeds United. Allardyce got some of his lads in (Nolan, Taylor, Faye) and made it through the play offs.

West Ham, despite their history and tradition of good football, have always seemed a smaller club than the Big Three in London. I’ve been there when it was buzzing and packed but the supporters were happy with being in the top division and to win the odd game. There has never been a long term plan to build the club into one that can win regularly. While Sam is there it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. This has got to be his last go in the Prem. Will he go for expediency or for team building ? It’s Allardyce..we know the answer.

He has bought three keepers. It looks as if Jaaskelainen gets the shout even though he has been looking a little punch drunk recently. The defence is bolstered by McCartney and Collins, two very experienced guys. In midfield Diarra looks a bit of a steal and could be one of the best signings around. Diame is over from Wigan too. I know noble will look busy and I have hopes for Jack Collison who is a good player and now needs to get better.

In attack Allardyce cannot surely be thinking that Cole will be any great help. He has all the attributes of a player but when he doesn’t fancy it then forget him. Maybe Vaz Te, so prolific last season, will be ready for it this time around, maybe not…yeah maybe not. So, it’s Modibo Maiga then. In a strange twist he failed a medical at Newcastle last year (see Demba Ba). £6 million does not get you much these days.

I am not the biggest fan of Allardyce, as a man and as a manager. I have had some hairy old times getting to and from Upton Park because of those cheery East End bootboys. Bottom 6 all season says I.

Southampton

As a Scunthorpe man I am, as we all are up here, a big fan of Nigel Adkins. As we used to sing, “We don’t need Mourinho. We’ve got the physio”. At his two clubs he has learned how to improve a side sensibly and gradually. Last January, with the club in an amazing position he went to what he knew and brought Billy Sharp in. It was Billy’s goals that had helped make Adkins’ rep and a win situation for both of them. Adkins was thrilled to take Scunthorpe to the Championship, to clubs with names in Europe. Now he gets to play with the big boys for at least a season.

Sharp will not get many goals at a higher level. There is no guarantee that Ricky Lambert will either though he certainly has the taste for it. Adkins has spent his money on Jay Rodrigues from Burnley and, more surprisingly and excitingly, Gaston Ramirez from Bologna. Ramirez had a good Olympics and Southampton have nipped in while other clubs dithered. An interesting couple of acquisitions…we shall see.

In midfield Steven Davis should help Jack Cork who has not trained on as well as hoped. There is not a lot of quality around just plenty of grafters. Similarly in defence players like Fonte and Butterfield will have to step up. Only Clyne has been added.

Whenever Adkins has had a decision to make as a manager he has, it seems to me, done the sensible thing. He will be setting his players attainable goals but I am not sure there is the quality through the squad. Last season Swansea and Norwich showed that an organised enterprising team can enjoy success beyond just hanging on to their place in the division. It is all new to most of them and they may find it a tough season. If Nigel gets it right…next England manager ?

Reading

I remember Brian McDermott when he had hair. He took his chance at Reading and has had a praiseworthy two and a half seasons in charge. He seems to have a good connection with his side. At the turn of the year he recognised exactly what the team needed. Jason Roberts is not the answer to everybody’s prayers but he was just the job and promotion was the prize. Reading had a shot at this before in the Coppell years. They had some decent players who all went on to other Premier clubs. Will it be any different this time ?

The new big lad up front is Pavel Pogrebnyak. “Pog” had his five minutes in the spotlight with Fulham last season. If it was a flash in the pan it certainly put his asking price up. Reading have paid the money because they want to play with a big centre forward. Other signings have  come for free and with extensive Championship experience. Gunter and McLeary both came from Forest. Guthrie, fresh from the punch up at his wedding, has joined after being released by Newcastle. Nicky Shorey has returned home after his travels (Sidwell and Doyle next ?).The club has paid a fee for Mariappa from Watford who is maybe ready for the big time.

So plenty of new faces to help the slightly hotchpotch team from last season. If Roberts walks in and gets noticed then you know there are no stars. There will be hopes though that, at least, some of these will rise to the challenge. I do, though, look at the squad and no names immediately leap out. a tough first season for a manager who seems to be one of the good guys.

Four who are going to have to be careful

Swansea City

Romario has said that Michael Laudrup is the 5th best player ever. Modestly he includes himself in the four above the Dane ! He was a wonderful midfield playmaker but could be an awkward sod. He missed the 1994 European Championships because of a row with the manager. At Barcelona Cruyff, who doubted his effort, left him out of a European Cup final. His career always seemed to have a degree of calculation about it. The decision to take a job at Mallorca, who were screwed financially, seems to be a false step in the progression. Now he is in the Premier League. We did not see a great deal of him in this country but his quality and his reputation (and his all round insouciance) means that he has credit in the bank before he even starts.

I feel a little sorry for Swansea. The club did so well last season and are now victims of that success. The manager, who had built the team to play a specific way, has moved on. The best players are being cherry picked by wealthier clubs. I’m sure this will continue this season as contracts come up for renewal and players show they belong in the Prem. I have a feeling that the most persistent picker may be the new Liverpool manager.

Spurs have got Caulker back and have nicked Sigurdsson. Joe Allen has joined Rodgers.Vorm, Sinclair, Williams and Brittain are all coveted by other clubs. It’s a pity but Swansea are going to have to manage without outstanding players and rely on those who Rodgers got more than could be expected last season.

Laudrup will look at Danny Graham and think “Really !”. The back up of Lita and Moore are Championship players at best. The on-loan Shechter got 3 goals in Germany last year. A decent striker is a priority and I’m sure somebody will be in (from Spain) in the very near future. The manager has gone to Spain for the three he has brought in. He had Flores and de Guzman at Mallorca last year. Michu is a midfielder who gets goals.

The problem is that the team spirit that Rodgers developed as he set his team new challenges will be difficult to maintain. I wish Laudrup luck. He will be an articulate and stylish addition to the league. However I think it will be a tough season for Swansea.

Norwich

Another club who’s success has cost them their manager. Paul Lambert did a great job at Norwich. Look at the Championship and see the former members of the Premier League who have pissed away the parachute money on poor players and worse managers. Their fans think they should be back in the top tier when in they are lucky not to be playing at Crewe this year. Lambert assembled a team with no stars who got it done last year, Now Chris Hughton has to do it again.

The recruitment policy seems to be the same. They have bought well from the Championship for a couple of years. Hoolahan was outstanding at Blackpool, Pilkington was a good spot. Snodgrass joins Howson from Leeds and Butterfield gets his chance from Barnsley. The experienced Whittaker, part of the Rangers diaspora, is another decent shout.

They are such a team that not many have left since last season. The most visible of them, Holt, tried to attract interest as soon as the season finished and there were no takers. The players have the experience of  a successful season under their belt but the Premiership can be relentless if weakness is shown.

Chris Hughton is totally schooled in English football. In his two previous jobs as a manager he did exactly what was asked of him. This job feels like the first “proper” one he has had. At Newcastle he seemed like a caretaker and Birmingham, in such financial disarray, is a place to get away from sharpish. He will be well aware of the importance of team spirit and will be trying to keep that continuity. They have done this on the cheap and good luck to them. I am not sure they have the quality to turn things round if things do go tits up. We shall see.

West Bromwich Albion

Another season, another new manager. Albion are hardly pulling up trees but their last two managers are now working for England and the Champions league winners. Steve Clarke has been involved at top clubs for some time. However he has looked more and more like the bloke who sits next to the manager over the years. Is he the man for the job ?

Albion did well to finish 10th last season. They were, though, short of goals. Odemwingie, so dynamic in his first season, looked to have his mind on other things sometimes and Fortune is never going to get hatfuls of goals.Shane Long always looks neat and busy but it’s all about goals (see also Kevin Doyle). Rosenberg, an experienced centre forward has come for free and Lukaku is on loan from Chelsea. Clarke has a choice and will hope to find two from the five who can play together.

The club have finally paid the money for Ben Foster when we all thought he was an Albion player anyway. the rest of the squad is experienced if a bit limited. Brunt, Morrison, Gera, Thomas, all decent midfielders. The defence is marshalled by Olsson with a glint of madness and obsession which makes him a fan’s favourite.

I can’t see West Brom having too many problems this season. It’s just that Steve Clarke seems a bit of a miserable sod and he has to keep the impetus of last season going. Like Stoke the Albion thrive on being the underdogs in almost all their games.Hodgson, after his experience at Liverpool was on top of this. Clarke will do well to match his predecessor.

Wigan

The ” little club that could” have scavenged for points in the lower reaches of the Prem since 2005. It is a given that they will spend some time in the bottom three. They always do. Last season it was only the three points gained on the last day of the season which kept them up. Roberto Martinez looks the part stood in the technical area next to the big boys. While the others are fussing about the £70 million worth of midfield he is fighting the double struggle against the football odds and against male pattern baldness. No-one would have criticized Martinez if he had accepted any of the jobs he has, apparently, been in the frame for. He has a connection with the club which is very special. When he finally leaves, or loses the struggle to stay up, he will be remembered more fondly than his predecessors, Jewell and Bruce.

As I write Victor Moses is still a Wigan player. If the club lose him to Chelsea they will struggle to find such flair in the rest of their squad. Watson, another ex-Palace boy, and Maloney had a good effect on the midfield at just the right time last April. Maloney has always been a fine player and it will be interesting to watch his progress. Martinez has bought Arouna Kone who got goals last season after a couple of injury blighted seasons. The loss of Rodallega means that it is difficult to see anyone but di Santo playing alongside him.

Throughout the squad there are strong lads and triers. The new boys Fyvie, from Aberdeen and Miyaichi, on loan from Arsenal, will strengthen the midfield. Hey, what can I say ? We wish them all good luck. The Premier League need small clubs who punch above their weight just as much as it needs it’s giants. I am hardly going out on a limb in predicting another tough 38 games for the Latics.

Four who are better safe than sorry

Aston Villa

God, last year was the least enjoyable season ever for this Villa fan. Worse than the relegation season of 1986-87…really. There were so many players who were either not improving or did not seem to care too much. One of the decent ones  had leukemia. Four other decent ones, Barry, Milner, Young and Downing had left for richer pastures.Villa was obviously a place on the way to somewhere else if you were a good, ambitious player.Then there was the manager problem. It was not just that Big Eck had come from the Blues it was more than that. Those who gave him the job had totally mis-judged the position of the club in the Premier League. It was this lack of awareness which so disappointed the fans.

The days of the big ex-centre half managing a Premier League club is so over. McLeish, McCarthy, Bruce and,yes, Allardyce. The time of surviving in the Prem by drawing as many games as possible and finishing one place above relegation has been shown not to work. New younger managers are more positive, more eager to build a viable team and try to establish the club in the top division. McLeish was the worst of them. His ideal result for any game, home or away seemed to be a 0 – 0 draw. By selling players and appointing him the Villa heirarchy acknowledged that we would not be kicking out any glass ceilings. The players took this to mean that one place above relegation would be enough.

Villa are never going to be relegated…really. When this is accepted then it is up to the club to play some decent football. Of course we don’t want every game to be 4 – 3 but there must be an emphasis on some entertainment. If we are a selling club then we must identify up-and-comers who can give us two or three years before the big clubs come calling.

It is Paul Lambert’s job to do this and I think/hope he is the man for it. One of these modern, smart young guys, schooled in more than British football. His dry humour reminds me of a former Villa manager, Ron Saunders…oh my, we can but hope. The team needs an entire overhaul. Stelyan has run the midfield since O’Neill took over. The team needs a new boss. There are decent players there. Some have shown ability, Bent, Agbonlahor, N’Zogbia. There is emerging talent, Clark, Albrighton, maybe Weimann. The new signings are promising, Vlaar, Holman and Lowton. It is up to Lambert to improve all of these players and to develop a coherent team and style.

A big job at a big club. All the fans want is a bit of planning. Setting goals for a team to improve over seasons. Last year all the club aimed for was a clean sheet on Saturday and they were not good enough to even do that. Lambert is maybe one of those guys who’s stay at the club is one while on the way to better things. That’s OK because it means things will be looking up while he is there. Ah, enough.

Fulham

I always liked going to the Cottage. I have not been since Kevin Keegan was beginning the “project” that has established them in the Prem. It looked a long way off at that game against York. Al-Fayed likes the limelight, the thud and blunder big talk but he did get the club into the top division. When they got there reality kicked in. This does not happen at all clubs. There were no mad promises or crazy over-spending. What there was was a succession of decent managers with extensive knowledge of football (excluding Laurie Sanchez) and, seemingly, an ability to get the best out of players who had not shown such quality at their previous clubs. Bobby Zamora has only proved to be a dynamic striker at Fulham. That’s one more club than Carlton Cole has been a success at.

I like Martin Jol. He was a tough, limited, even dirty midfielder. Not exactly your Dutch total footballer but ideal for the grafting Midlands football of the 80s.This year he has to manage without Danny Murphy for so long the heart of the team. It is important that he gets a bit of quality in midfield because he has plenty of experience and potential either side of it. Dempsey (goal machine), Diarra, Dembele and Duff provide a full house of Ds but I hope to see more of Kerim Frei who is a bit young and small to run a midfield but looks a good and inventive player.

Jol has got two new forwards, both on free transfers. For Rodallega it’s a move to a bigger club ! Who knew Fulham would ever be a “bigger club”. Petric was rated at Hamburg, Jol was his boss there and knows what he’s getting. Dempsey’s goals will be important for them. In defence Hangeland never did get that big move and is steady alongside Senderos. I don’t see any problems for Fulham this season and if Jol is given the chance he can improve the team.

I know I am going easy on some of these clubs. Praising players who are probably not good enough to play at a higher level. I like that Fulham, surrounded by bigger London clubs, are established and do not have ideas above their potential. I hope to go to the Cottage again with my good friend Frank, a life-long fan and watch a decent game of Premier League football. Cheers Frank.

Stoke

Tony Pulis..eh ? A natural manager of Rotherham who has made a reputation at Stoke for which the fans will forever be grateful. He now gets to take a player on loan from Dynamo Kiev because he was impressed by him when Stoke played them in the Europa League. You could not make this shit up ! He has kept Stoke up then improved the team year on year by acquiring players with a track record of graft and a determination to fulfill what potential they have. I do, of course, exclude Jermaine Pennant from this. I bet Pulis regrets not selling Kenwyne Jones when he was hot and expensive. He could have got three more players with that money.

Those long throws and free kicks with Crouch, Huth and Shawcross bombing in on the keeper. If they were not effective I am sure that they would not use them. It’s an easy stick with which to beat an unfashionable team. In the last two seasons they have beaten Liverpool at the Britannia. Better organised, motivated and keen to bloody the nose of a more established club. Last year it was a penalty from Jon Walters what won it. How many of these Championship strikers fail in the Prem ? Nugent, Kitson, Scotland, Cox, a bunch of them. Walters runs around like he enjoys the game, every goal a bonus for him.

Pulis went to Wolves to nick Matt Jarvis, a good idea. He came back with Michael Kightly…mmm. He has a new 6 ft 3 inches centre half from the USA. He might be being a bit careful. Of last year’s buys only Crouch was a success. Palacios and Jerome were not appreciatively better than what was already there. Jamie Ness, a walk away from Rangers, is one for the future and at the right price.

If Stoke get the same again from Crouch, Walters & Etherington.If players like Shotton and Shawcross continue to improve then Stoke will continue to be a pain to play against. I can’t see them being in any relegation trouble because Pulis sets achievable if limited goals for his team. A final if, not spending this year’s money on a gradual improvement could lead to more money for better players. Stoke leading the way at Moneyball ? You could not make this…

Sunderland

This lot get into this group solely because I like Martin O’Neill. He made mistakes at Villa (Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Cuellar) but he would not have returned to management without the promise of a few quid to flash about, He shoots from the lip & does not always make much sense but I find him good value. Last season he got the team playing and had a stroke of luck to find McLean ready and waiting. He seems to have stuck with what he holds in the close season. Only one of his boys, Cuellar, has arrived and he was on a free.

The strong word is that he wants Stephen Fletcher from Wolves. Last season Fletcher seemed as though he had found out how to score goals in the Prem. It’s a handy thing to know. Bendtner has gone back to Arsenal & there is no reason why O’neill can trust Wickham to be any use. A big striker is needed to play with Sessignon who looked busy and effective whenever I saw him. McLean looked a strong boy with a directness and a fine knowledge of when and how to cross a ball. He did not come from nowhere. I have friends who have watched him with the Candystripers in Derry since he was 16. If he continues to improve and impress he is going to be an exciting talent.

The defence will remain a Man U old boys reunion. McCartney and Turner have moved to other premier clubs so the manager has little other choice. In midfield I hope that some of them have decent seasons. Obviously Larsson gets a game but Gardner, Vaughan, Ji and Colback need to establish themselves. Pure self-interest this because I just HATE Lee “Cry Baby” Cattermole. He is everything I cannot stand about the mediocrity of the Premier League. I do not want to see him anywhere near it. The sooner he gets himself to his natural home, Birmingham City, the sooner we can forget him.

Sunderland won’t pull up  any trees this season. I am surprised that O’Neill has not spent any money he could squeeze from the club. A more considered spend will probably serve him and the club better.

Postscript

It was announced today that Fabrice Muamba has retired from football after the near fatal heart attack on the pitch last season. It is terrible that such a young, seemingly fit man should have this happen. As an atheist I did not join the prayers from his well being but cared just as much as those that did. The reaction of all involved did credit to the game. Armchair hooligans wish Fabrice all the best in whatever path he chooses in his life.

The Next Four : the Wannabes.

Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers seems like a good bloke. I have only just sorted that he is not Scottish but from Northern Ireland (I am made of Google). He is young, smart, committed to passing football and has won a manager of the month award twice. Now he has one of the toughest jobs in football, restoring Liverpool to what the fans seem to think is their rightful place.

Cutting the ties with King Kenny was inevitable. He must have known, as he was handing out the “Support Suarez” T-shirts in the dressing room, that football in 2012 was no longer the game he knew and Liverpool no longer the club where he had made his legend. The weight of the club’s history, all this “one of the great names in world football” stuff, is just not cutting it any more. The US owners have flashed the cash a little indiscriminately with no real thought to team building (Carroll, Aquilani, Adam, Downing). It would be more appropriate if they noticed that the in the 30 years of dominance the club had 4 managers. Rodgers is the third in two years. Is he the one to give the owners and the fans what they want ?

For some years now I think Liverpool have been, at best, a two man team. It’s always Gerrard and it was Torres. Now it’s him and Suarez. Gerrard is a great player. He is 32 now & not always as fit as he can be. How much longer can the team revolve around him and just how much influence does he have at Anfield ? Joe Allen is Rodgers’ man, he knows the style the manager expects. Has he a strong enough personality to be anything more than the waterboy for the skipper ? The club is looking forward to the return from injury of Lucas. The rest of us are not sat on the edge of our seats.

The best defender, Agger, is coveted by more successful clubs. If he goes then a central defender is a priority. It probably is anyway. What are they gonna do, play Carragher at centre half ? Very 2007. Rodgers has signed a striker he knows. A 21 year old who has scored 15 league goals in his short career. He had better be good because the manager’s handling of his other centre forward has not been as assured as the rest of his introduction to the big time. If Carroll is not in his plans then he should have got rid as soon as. I know  the club will have to bite on a big financial loss but what is the point of having a reserve striker who has been so publicly rejected by the boss ?

I’ve tried to be diplomatic about all this. I like the manager and wish him the best. I hope, but doubt, that he will be given a bit longer than the current England manager was. He has a style of play he favours and it will take some time to impose it and to get the players who can play it (4 more Swansea players ?).I have been lucky enough to see some great Liverpool sides. From St John & Hunt through Keegan & Toshack, Dalglish & Rush to Barnes & Beardsley. However…I am so tired of Liverpool fans living in the past. They have no right to a Champions League place. They have not played well enough, not been a good enough team, to justify these hopes. The reality of 2012 is that other clubs are better prepared for success and it will take an improvement that is not yet apparent before Liverpool are back in the top 4. They can trade on their history all they want, anywhere in the top 6 this season will be a success.

Tottenham Hotspur

Christian Gross, Jacques Santini, Juande Ramos and AVB…just saying.

There were times last year when I felt I was the only one who did not like Harry Redknapp. I thought he was a spiv and a chancer who’s teams were a bit rickety, cobbled together and not built to last. He had two great seasons at White Hart Lane and the England job looked to be a done deal. Now he’s on the rock n roll and his Spurs team has been handed to a guy who had better get it right this time if he wants to continue working in the Prem. I liked him at Chelsea but that was more that there are few likeable characters at the Bridge. His reported inflexibility will not help him as he tries to consolidate with a team that has over-achievd for two seasons.

No more Ledley. Can’t afford Adebayor. The star player wants away (again) and surely Bale is giving it one more year before he moves on. Vertonghen takes Ledley’s place and hopefully will be fitter. The midfield is rammed. Huddlestone, Jenas and even Bentley are still on the books but will surely not get much playing time with Modric (maybe), Bale, Parker,Van der Vaart, Sandro, Sigurdsson & Lennon in front of them. The goals had better come from midfield though because they have no strikers.

Redknapp would not play Defoe unless he wanted two strikers. Now there seems to be little choice but to pick him. I have seen Harry Kane play and he makes Pavlyuchenko look quality. A new striker or two for AVB is essential.

I lived in London for 20 years and know that the newspapers are filled with Spurs fans. They win three games on the run and it’s a renaissance…my ass ! This team is ready to be broken up with the best of it moving to Champions League clubs. They are not likely to spend the money until these sales are made. I’m not sure that Villas Boas is the man to do this job. He should get some of his own guys in (see Brendan Rodgers). Clive Allen has been caretaker the last twice they have needed one. Is he still around the place ?

Newcastle United

The real over-achievers of last season. The man of Toon’s year was the head of scouting. Santon, a whole bunch of French midfield players and the two Senegalese strikers gave Newcastle a new authority in the Premier. I’m sure even the most fervent of the army were surprised at the performances, the consistency and the success.  It is, however, a real bitch when you finish just outside of the Champions League places after three months of dreaming , checking the table and goal difference.

So, the reward is a Thursday night in Lithuania followed by a Sunday kick up from West Brom. This is OK for teams like Stoke & Fulham but if you are serious about the league then it’s tough on the squad to keep the momentum going without raising the white flag in Europe. The team is young, only Coloccini is over 30. What a season Fabricio had. He always was a quality player & it was good to see him thrive. The fact that he did not have to waste his time looking after the over-rated Stephen Taylor (rumbled ever since the handball to the stomach against Villa) surely helped his game. The new guys brought in are for the future too. It’s a good time to be a Newcastle fan. (The man of this year may be the guy who got £3 million for Leon Best…what !)

No-one who knows anything was bothered by Demba Ba’s lack of goals after Xmas. The arrival of Cisse  and his goals kept the momentum going. The pair were obviously a partnership but will goals be as easy to come by this season ? Actually, Shola is 30 too. A game at St James’s will not be the same without Ameobi coming on after an hour. Good job they have got his little bro’ to do it for the next 10 years.

The midfield, especially Cabaye and ben Arfa were a treat. Cabaye was a steal. How was he missed by the bigger clubs ? His forceful creativity is so suited to the Prem rather than some of the fanny merchants who just get passed by. Here lies the problem. Will Newcastle be able to hold on to these ambitious young midfielders and their prolific strikers ? If they become suppliers to the big four then are there other players with enough ability to continue Premiership success ? Obertan, Gosling, Ranger ? Not those guys.

Living in South London I saw a lot of Alan Pardew as a player at Palace. My Millwall mates all said that Palace fans were all  ” accountants and bank clerks”. Pardew, a touch of smarminess about him, was the bank clerks’ hero, all neat hair and keeping it tidy. You wouldn’t find him hitting the nightspots of Croydon after a game (me neither, come to think of it…awful hole). I didn’t really take to him, preferring the erratic and entertaining skills of Vince Hilaire. Pardew never thought himself in the wrong when he lost jobs. Whether his team was rubbish or he was running to a bigger club there was always someone else behaving badly but not Alan. Ah crap..he’s got his chance and there are plenty of good British managers who never do. He may be a smartarse but he has lucked into a team with a winning habit (see Chris Hughton’s promotion team). It will be tough to maintain the level they have set themselves. If he does the job he will break a habit Newcastle have had for generations now.

I am not Newcastle’s biggest fan. Saying you are a big club does not automatically make it so. I am old enough to remember 1969 when Bobby Moncur collected the Fairs Cup. Big clubs win the odd trophy in 40 years. If Pardew could win ANY meaningful trophy for the club that would surely be enough to keep the Geordies happy.

Everton

The law of averages gets Everton into this group of clubs. The most conservative manager in the League, David Moyes, has established an era at Goodison where they finish in the top 8. He did it since Rooney left without having a prolific striker to his name. Beattie, Johnson, Yakubu, Jo, Saha none of them made their mark. Then, in January, he lucked into a pre-fire sale bargain from Rangers. Nicica Jelavic is just the type of centre forward all English fans love. Plays as if he cares, puts himself about and the ball in the net. £5 million for the best Everton no 9 since Big Dunc is good business.

Good timing too because for a large part of Moyes’ management the team had relied heavily on the scoring ability of Tim Cahill. He has stuck to what he knows in replacing the Aussie, Stephen Pienaar has come back where he belongs, alongside Leon Osman (underrated…anyone ?) and Fellaini. Let’s hope young Coleman gets to busily run up and down a bit more this season.

Moyes likes to stick with what he knows and, fortunately for Everton he knows a bit about defenders. He knew Phil Neville had another 200 games in him if he left Manchester (David Weir he got to play for ever). He knew Baines would be half decent eventually when none of us thought that. In Yobo and Distin he made sure that no-one shoved Everton around. Yobo has gone too. Another defender could be needed if  Jagielka is not up to it.

If the big Croat and the other steal from Scotland, Naismith, hit the goal running then Everton may not have their usual terrible start  even if they still finish eighth. Everton have never been a team to play for 0 – 0 but having what they hold has always been a Moyes priority, They are not going anywhere bad and Moyes may have been waiting too long for a bigger job. It would benefit us all if Everton  were more attractive and forward looking. Hey, don’t hold your breath, Moyes has not kept his job for 10 years by trying to score too many goals.