Vein of Form

Negative-Land

2009-04-29T08:54:00.001-05:00

If you have paid any attention to football over the past 5 years you saw this coming. Barcelona being the most attacking side the last half decade against Chelsea, arguably the most negative footballing club to have climbed the ranks to become a “big club”. You laughed at people predicting a blow-out and you contemplated what it will be like sitting through a choppy 90-minutes of scoreless football.

Chelsea’s two EPL titles trump Barca’s two La Liga titles on the basis that the EPL is the superior and more watched league. That being said, Barca has the European Championship that Chelsea so desperately crave. They have gone about collecting their trophy haul the latter half of the decade in very different ways.

Chelsea has bored their own fans, billionaire owner and neutrals to tears while filling their cabinet with silverware under Jose Mourinho. The only difference between Mourinho’s Chelsea and the Sam Allardyce managed Bolton sides were Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba (sorry Kevin Davies and Kevin Nolan). What I am saying is that Chelsea were and continue to be a highly unattractive side that wins.

When someone tries to tinker with that formula – Scolari – the squad falls down the table and people lose their jobs. Hiddink is very much an older version of Mourinho. I am certain he explained very plainly to Drogba that he will get 2-3 chances at the Nou Camp. That if he is to score it will be due his ability to finish one of those chances or create something out of nothing. Drogba failed to finish his one clear opportunity while Chelsea spent the rest of the 90 minutes ignoring him as they fouled Barca and clogged the mid-field.

VoF NOTE: Drogba is a monster. A physical freak and one of the best 3 strikers on the planet when hitting form and not pouting / injured. It is incredibly disheartening to watch a player of this magnitude wasted in that Chelsea lineup. Especially on a European night in the Nou Camp.

Barca meanwhile has given the world a true treat whenever they take the pitch for the last several years. Frank Rikjaard presented us a Ronaldinho in his prime, a young Leo Messi and the likes of Ludovic Giuli and Henrik Larrson. When Ronaldinho lost form, Larrson went back to Sweden, Guili returned to Paris and the club failed to continue dominance over Real Madrid they looked to Pep Guardiola.

And under the ex-Barca captain we’ve witnessed Messi emerge as the co-greatest player alive we all thought he could become. We’ve witnessed Xavi and Andres Inesta become mid-field sensations while Thierry Henry has shown that he can still call upon that legendary form he so regularly displayed with Arsenal. Tune into Gol TV and on any given weekend you can see Barca knock in 4-6 goals and string together passing sequences that make you scrap your jaw off the floor.

But Barca has not overwhelmed their fans with such a trophy haul that they can be described as the “Best Side La Liga Has Witnessed This Decade”. You cannot overlook Real Madrid’s back-to-back domestic titles Valencia’s streak that landed Rafa Benitez a gig at Anfield and Sevilla’s 2 UEFA Cups. Barca have attacked, attacked and attacked but Liverpool and Chelsea have also eliminated them in the Champions League in recent years.

So for all they hype, is being the best in La Liga really only roughly a UEFA Cup qualifying spot in the EPL table? Does negative football trump an actual attempt to construct The Beautiful Game over a 90-minute period?

The first leg of this year’s Champions League semi-final would indicate so. And when these two sides turn up for the second leg at Stamford Bridge Guus Hiddink will gladly take a 0-0 scoreline into a penalty shoot out.

Vein of Form's MLS Preview Extravaganza!

2009-03-19T20:57:00.003-05:00

Inspired by the Seattle crowd in attendance tonight for the MLS season opener I just had to write an MLS preview and share some thoughts on the league. My thoughts are this league still has a long way to go.

Would you dare disagree? They are opening the season on the same night the NCAA college basketball tournament starts.

I'm sure just as many people are hanging on every Juan Pablo Angel touch of the ball as New York Red Bulls take on expansion side Seattle Sounders as there are monitoring their office pool tourney brackets.

The Seattle crowd tonight is fantastic. But that doesn't change the fact several of the MLS teams are playing in NFL stadiums that suck all atmosphere from the match and during the NFL season have to play with the grid iron lines on the pitch. The schedule does not fall in line with the rest of the footballing world and refusing to go to a single table seems a bit ridiculous at this point.

I think the hardcore soccer fan in America could overlook the lack of quality on the pitch if the MLS would try a bit harder to resemble a top league. By that I mean raise the salary cap, stop expanding the league and let some real depth and talent start to infiltrate the rosters and revamp the playoffs.

I get that in America you have to have playoffs. But why not go to the single table and let the top 4 teams at the end of the season have a home and away semi-final round and then a championship match?

The crowds in Toronto, Chicago, DC and maybe now Seattle show that there is a hunger for soccer and a possible strong culture developing. But until the league gets over the idea that a David Beckham type celebrity is more important than an entertaining and talented league they will never draw more viewers than Gonzaga vs. Akron.

Spittin' Mad?

2009-03-18T21:17:00.004-05:00

Check out this picture of an angry Cesc Fabregas:

One of the top midfielders in the world stalking around in his designer jacket looking to get into some shit with anyone on the Hull squad and coaching staff. And all of this on a bum knee! Cesc is itching so bad to get the feel of the pitch under his feet he is willing to risk an FA fine and suspension because he didn't want the Hull assistant manager to get the last word.

LOL @ that.

This is the dude that Barca or Real Madrid are reportedly willing to spend their summer transfer kitty! Can you imagine how pissed he must get when he sees Nicky B. pulling on the pink boots and pissing and moaning about how much playing time he should be getting?

I have no tolerance for spitting. I think it is a vile and disgusting reaction. If Fabregas did act out like this I hope the FA suspends him not just through the end of this season but through the first few weeks of the next. He's injured as it is so what good will suspending him now do?

But damn, the Vein of Form staff cannot get over the angry little midfielder in the leather coat.

Do You Have A Flag?

2009-03-11T20:51:00.004-05:00

If you are from Spain it is flying at half-mast.

If you are from Italy the answer is no.

Tonight the English Premier League confirmed once again that it is the dominant league in the world. Serie A and La Liga have a huge distance to make up.

Do not let the Barcelona result at Camp Nou over French champion Lyon fool you. The Catalan club is the best of an average bunch. Real Madrid were thrashed by the "Red Hurricane" at Anfield while Atletico Madrid could not get past Porto. Only Villareal will go forward along with Barca to the quarterfinal draw.

And every team will be hoping they draw the Yellow Submarines.

Inter Milan were outclassed over two legs against Manchester United. The gulf in talent was so obvious that Jose Mourinho must have been toasting Sir Alex after the match for not drubbing them by 5 or 6 goals. The supposed "best player in the world" Zlatan Ibrahimovic was invisible. The Inter defense were in shambles for most of the match as Ryan Giggs ran through them. Not Ronaldo or Rooney - both were excellent as well - but the 36 year old Giggs!

Chelsea are reborn under Guus Hiddink and Juventus looked a side that knew it was a matter of time before the wheels came off. Even when Del Piero netted the penalty you never believed Juve were going to pull it off. Chelsea looked like the squad of a few years ago when they could just turn on the championship form whenever it was needed. They did so again on Tuesday and earned their spot.

Finally, Arsenal knocked off Roma in Rome on penalties. Vein of Form felt the most likely of the English sides to go would be Arsenal. This was an even match-up. Both sides in a fight to qualify for next season's Champions League right now and not a great deal between them after the first leg. But the English came through again when needed.

And there is the difference. When the English clubs saw the moment called for a bit of greatness they were capable of rising to the occasion. The Italian clubs could not. They wilted under the pressure and it was evident they don't have the talent or the coaching to overcome the Big 4 from England.

Detractors will say the Champions League is boring. I think the best football teams on the planet are still in the competition so it is anything but boring.

Throw in Bayern Munich, Porto and Barcelona and you have a very interesting mix. Even Villareal could surprise someone in the quarters. We just don't know who will be healthy when the next matches kick off.

We do know that after tonight no one can doubt where the best football in Europe is being played.

Sporting in for Another Bruising?

2009-03-09T19:01:00.004-05:00

I will argue that the Bayern Munich thumping of Sporting Lisbon in Lisbon is the most unbelievable result from the first leg of the Round of 16. Five away goals from a Bayern Munich club that hasn't exactly overwhelmed in the Bundesliga this season. In fact, they've been an overwhelming disappointment.

In the Champions League group stage, if a team goes to a minnow country like Denmark, Belgium or Ukraine and puts 5 goals away it is a big story for the day. But to do that in the final 16 is insane!

I look at it this way: Had Liverpool put away a quarter of their chances over the previous 7 or 8 matches they would be on level points with Manchester United. So, for Bayern Munich to have been so lethal and taken advantage of all their chances is truly amazing.

But how great would it be in Sporting Lisbon came back? What an amazing story this could be. I won't watch this match. However, I'd be lying if I said I would not be thinking throughout the day how much I would love to see a comeback of that magnitude. It could happen. It probably won't happen. But I am not going to write it off entirely.

Vein of Form predictions to go through: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea, Villareal, Porto, Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter Milan

Designated Player on a Whlole New Level

2009-03-06T14:39:00.001-06:00

The problem with Major League Soccer could well be their lack of vision. They don't see a brilliant marketing opportunity when it is right in front of them. The Designated Player gimmick has been a failure. I mean, no one outside of the hardcore fan realizes that Guillermo Schelotto or Juan Pablo Angel qualify as DPs. And even fewer people understand that the chubby and grouchy looking Cuauhtemoc Blanco that stomps around the pitch is a total fucking legend in Mexico.

And David Beckham! I mean, Beckham...

No, my dear readers, MLS has not gone gimmicky enough in this case. To fix this I suggest allowing anyone in the entire world to qualify as a DP.

Think about Daniel Radcliffe pulling on a Kansas City Wizards uniform! The movie wizard becomes a KC Wizard. Now that is a true Designated Player. Couldn't the Houston Rockets center Yao Ming split his time between the NBA and playing for the Houston Dynamo? What an opportunity to grow the MLS brand in Asia!

The dude from the movie Goal! The Dream Begins could play for Chivas USA. Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarrett could get a run out with the league champs Columbus Crew. Once his prison sentence is over of course.

Endless possiblities.

MLS doesn't need to bring their season schedule in line with the European season or go to a single table with relegation. The need to embrace the complete marketing whore and gimmick overdrive that all the major American sports leagues have come to love.

Take that Euro Snobs!

Only when the league stops trying to take itself serious will the casual fan begin to take it serious.

I know how these things work. I'm a world renowned blogger.

Wandering Welshman

2009-03-04T13:07:00.001-06:00

Of all the injury concerns today Manchester City have the two biggest: Robinho and Craig Bellamy. I find Bellamy to be a fascinating player. Every transfer window his name comes up as being able to fill some club's "need". Which in most cases tends to mean a proven goal scorer.

And while Bellamy has scored in the Premier League for every club he's played for I would hardly consider him a prolific scorer. You would have to go back to his time with Norwich City in the old First Division to find a strike rate that is considered close to prolific.

At Newcastle he was consistent. Here are those numbers:

01-02: 27 appearances / 9 goals
02-03: 29 appearances / 7 goals
03-04: 16 appearances / 5 goals
04-05: 21 appearances / 7 goals

He leaves to go play for Celtic (04-05: 12 appearances / 7 goals) and returns to Blackburn where he has an outstanding season under Mark Hughes. By outstanding I mean 27 appearances and 13 goals. Along comes a transfer window and Liverpool felt he could fill their lack of goals need and they sign him.

A "dream move" for Bellamy at the time he was given plenty of chances (27 appearances) but did not continue the form he was in with Blackburn (7 goals). He featured in 12 matches in Europe and netted twice.

He will forever be remembered at Liverpool for taking a golf club to John Arne Riise while the squad was off on holiday/training. This incident made it impossible for Bellamy to stay with the team as he was eventually for the off to West Ham. I maintain to this day that Riise was responsible for Liverpool losing the Champions League semi-final clash to Chelsea because of his own goal. So, in that regard Bellamy was quite right to tee off on the Norwegian.

FYI: I'm getting all this from Wikipedia (except the taking of golf club to Riise). I don't have some bizarre storage of knowledge regarding Craig Bellamy.

Moving right along, over 21 appearances with West Ham he scored 7 times. Another transfer window and another club in need of scoring. Add to that the fact that West Ham are in dire need of cash. This time the richest club in the world - Man City - comes calling and through 5 appearances he has 3 goals. An impressive early return.

I'm only writing about this because I want to avoid writing about Manchester United's inevitable pummeling of Newcastle and moving 7 points clear.

Hughes was able to get the best out of Bellamy during their time together at Blackburn and the hope will be a healthy Bellamy will produce the same at City. Some people will argue his goals per season is impressive and that he is more than just an average striker. I would certainly be open to hearing those arguments.

I totally expect Hughes to be fired after the season. And the owners of the club plan on spending on big names. Which means Bellamy will move on once again.

Hiddink and Dunk

2009-03-03T15:44:00.003-06:00

I hate to push down my terrific post on Beckham / AC Milan vs. MLS but I feel the need to point out when a Vein of Form prediction comes good: Chelsea won 1-0 against Portsmouth. A few days ago I wrote that Chelsea would win out in the league with 1-0 or 2-1 scorelines.

I call this Dink & Dunk Football. That is the type of squad they are. They can't play the exciting, epic football that Roman was demanding. Guus Hiddink realizes this and will keep putting the team in a position to sneak a goal and defend solidly.

It is not going to be pretty. In fact, watching Chelsea is going to be pretty fucking boring. But it was that way under Mourinho and they won 2 titles.

On a final note: More like David Ngoal!!! Am I right?!?!?

Beckham is Burning

2009-03-03T10:51:00.003-06:00

Major League Soccer cannot win this fight with David Beckham. They have every right to demand fair compensation but at a certain point they need to accept an offer and let Beckham remain in Milan.

Beckham is not going to be pleased with having to return to LA Galaxy. Any move back to the United Stated effectively ends his chances of getting in the England squad. You want to see a media savvy, fan friendly and all around terrific professional morph into Terrell Owens? Just wait until Becks has to board a flight to LA.

MLS are going to lose Beckham when his contract expires. Even if he cannot get a contract with a top European club he is going to blow out of LA even if it means taking an offer to play in the Championship. I am kidding of course. On principle alone he has to leave MLS if they force his return.

The Beckham Experiment has failed. He didn't play well. He hasn't ensured long-term viability for the league (MLS had that already before he signed). He hasn't brought traditionally non-soccer fans to the game. But MLS is still expanding into Seattle with plans to add 2-3 more cities in the coming years.

Given the economic climate and the cost of attending a sporting event in America, it could be argued that taking in an MLS game is the best value for your entertainment dollar. I would gladly pay to see Chicago Fire play Kansas City Wizards over watching the Chicago Cubs play anyone.

Were Beckham to leave now it would fly under the radar in America. Baseball spring training is beginning, the NFL draft is around the corner, the NBA season is reaching its climax and NCAA basketball's March Madness is set to begin. No one will pay any attention to this story.

I say let Beckham stay in Milan. Take whatever money AC Milan will offer. Rebuild the Galaxy and come up with an alternative means to promote the league.

Another underwear model is going to be playing for Seattle Sounders - Freddie Ljungberg.

The MLS at least has that. Now just improve the quality on the pitch and do away with this ridiculous playoff system and we can get serious.

Barca Bottling, Benitez Conceding, Benzema Brilliant

2009-03-02T08:41:00.003-06:00

I have to tell you by Sunday afternoon I was exhausted from all the football I watched beginning Saturday morning. As planned, I took in the second half of the Everton vs. West Brom match and was pleasantly surprised to see an entertaining half of football by an Everton side that by all accounts looks to have a stranglehold on a UEFA Cup spot.

After that I watched the Middlesbrough thumping of title pretenders Liverpool. How does a squad travel to Madrid and thoroughly dominate for 90 minutes of Champions League football and then look so inept against a relegation fighting Middlesbrough? This blog came out strong in defense of Rafa Benitez last week. That post was written out of love and sincerity for Rafa. But the dude does not know how to compete in the EPL. Liverpool will finish 3rd or 4th and I believe they will watch Chelsea come within 5 points of winning the title.

Guus Hiddink has that team humming right now. Had Wigan equalized under Scolari that team would have folded and accepted another draw or worse given up all 3 points. Instead, they battled to the end and moved up to 2nd in the table. I can picture Chelsea winning the rest of their matches with 1-0 or 2-1 scorelines. Hiddink makes them the most likely English side to win the CL.

Think about it: He was able to take a less talented PSV Eindhoven side to the semi-finals. Now all he has to do is motivate a bunch of over-paid aging players that think they will revitalize their careers in Italy next season. What better way to prove to AC Milan that 32 is the new 24 than to win the CL?

Look at what is going on in Spain right now: Barcelona are bottling it. Just over a month ago I thought they were the surest thing in Europe to win a league and CL double. Scoring at will, controlling the midfield, keeping attackers as far away from Victor Valdez as possible (the weakest link on the team). And now they're only 4 points clear of Real Madrid!

What a match on Sunday. At 2-0 I was certain this was going to be a 4-1 or 5-1 Barca thrashing. And then the match really heated up and by the final whistle I was standing in front of the TV with nervousness watching two clubs I could care less about. That is what is great about football.

And I still had the Inter Milan vs. Roma match to soak up. Hernan Crespo and Luis Figo look like two players that could go forever. Crespo has never been a Mourinho favorite but I thought he was wonderful at Chelsea during his brief stint there. We all know how devastating he was for AC Milan and now at Inter when he gets a chance he seizes it. Not that long ago you could have made the argument that he was one of the top 4-5 strikers in the world. Kind of a shame this guy's career will come to a close and not many people will appreciate how terrific he was.

Manchester United won the Carling Cup on a penalty shoot-out and I couldn't care less.

The player that impressed me most this weekend was Karim Benzema. Slumped on my coach, spent from all the weekend's action I still managed to take in Lyon vs. Rennes. Benzema was great fun to watch. He is so clearly a class above everyone in that league. His pass that led to the Lyon goal was brilliant. He was all over the pitch. I think he'll end up at Real Madrid.

If Real Madrid do not sign Ronaldo - and I don't think he's leaving Man United - they will bring in Benzema to partner with Huntelaar. This will be the start of officially phasing out Raul - still and effective player but the club needs to start thinking beyond this legendary player.

I'm not totally sold on Huntelaar yet but he's scored some goals and looking more comfortable. If Benzema can make a smooth transition to Spain that partnership could be the future of football.

Weekend Football Preview

2009-02-27T09:17:00.002-06:00

Couple of things that I feel the need to point out: First, the Carling Cup is a more important trophy than the UEFA Cup. This only supports my post from yesterday that the UEFA Cup is a meaningless competition that would take years of white-boarding from the footballing world's finest think takes to reimagine in a meaningful way. Don't agree? Take a look at the lineup Harry Redknapp put out yesterday and tell me he was not terrified of suffering an injury going into Sunday's final against Man United.

I fully expect Man United to thump Spurs on Sunday. Sir Alex Ferguson is seeing his career coming to an end in the next 3-4 seasons. If he wins the league this year and the following year and collects another Champions League trophy during that time - all highly reasonable predictions - he could leave even sooner. So, he wants to collect as many trophies in the coming years and will put out a side well capable of beating a Spurs side that should at this point be more focused on remaining in the Premier League rather than winning the Carling Cup.

Second, Rick Parry is resigning his post at Liverpool Football Club. This is either because the club approached Parry and stated that they will fire him if it means keeping Rafa Benitez so he could save face and resign before it comes to that.

Or Parry actually loves the club so much that he was willing to give up this fight, reflect on his career and accept he has been an abject failure. Either way, I see this as the groundwork - in combination with the win at Madrid - to giving Benitez the control he wants over transfers and the youth system and a contract to keep him at the club for the next 10 seasons. To give Benitez that type of control is a bit dangerous. I don't think he has been correct on enough of his transfers to deserve that much control. But his record in Europe is undeniable. His trophy haul with Liverpool and Valencia this decade is top class.

To be fair, were Liverpool to award him the deal he wants, it could be said it is as forward looking and progressive a contract as President Barack Obama's recently announced budget. Not even joking.

Now, to the weekend's football which is not offering up mouth watering fixtures in England. On Saturday I could see myself tuning into the early match of Everton vs. West Brom. But more than likely I'll choose to only watch the second half. I'll of course tune into relegation battling Middlesbrough taking on Liverpool. Liverpool will know that over the next few days they will gain two games on Man United and can close the gap to a single point. The league leaders will have two games in hand, true, but psychologically they will know they must win those games.

I think the best match in England this weekend is Hull City against Blackburn. I don't believe Blackburn will go down. Not with Sam Allardyce in charge. And I don't believe Hull are as good as their early season form indicated. All three promoted sides will be relegated. I firmly believe that.

And interesting match in Germany this weekend: Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen. Both sides had great victories in Europe this week (Bayern Munich scoring 5 away goals against Sporting Lisbon & Bremen knocking out AC Milan in the UEFA Cup).

I don't think Bayern Munich can win the Bundesliga. A league that is the most exciting in Europe this season. When sixth place Wolfsburg are only seven points behind leader Hamburg you know we're set for an exciting finish.

I also find it amazing that the loan of Landon Donovan could lead to the end of Jurgen Klinsmann as manager at Bayern. Donovan hasn't a great deal of minutes but he's gotten enough where it should be proof enough that he just isn't a good enough player for Europe. He's the best player in CONCACAF region. Which means he is maybe good enough to get a game with a mid-table Dutch club or a club in Serie B.

Sunday features Inter Milan vs. Roma in Serie A. I think Roma believe they can get something out of this match. Both clubs had terrible mid-week Champions League performances. The difference being Roma get to play host to Arsenal in the return leg and Inter know they must score at Old Trafford. I don't think either will go through. But what I am saying is that Roma will feel better about the mid-week result and know they need these points more than Inter.

Finally, it will be extremely interesting to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona on Sunday. The reason being Barca have slipped - just slightly - in the league and did not boss Lyon the way many expected in the Champions League. Atletico meanwhile played well enough for a draw against Porto. Lots of pressure on Barca to right the ship this week. Atletico have zero defense. This could get ugly if Barca are in the mood.

UEFA Cup: Should We Care?

2009-02-26T15:35:00.003-06:00

Watching the UEFA Cup matches this afternoon with a non-football fan it was asked of me why these matches matter. After all, the importance of the Tuesday and Wednesday Champions League matches far outweighed any significance today's matches carried. This is a common question my non-football fans ask. And while I am not only an extraordinary blogger of football, an immense recreational league talent (were I actually on a recrational side) I am also viewed as a footballing fountain of knowledge. So, it is understood why I would be looked to for an explanation of why the UEFA Cup matters.

I told my friend that this is another competition that the clubs must qualify for. It serves as a goal for mid-table sides to strive for on their way to never becoming financially stable enough to compete for a Champions League spot. The UEFA Cup provides an extra means of generating revenue, fan enthusiasm and exposure for clubs from smaller footballing countries (Belgium, Russia, Scotland, etc.).

My friend - who happens to love American football - said, "So it is a second rate competition".

Well sort of. I told him that football has so many layers to it and that going into great detail about each layer so he would no longer ask me questions about such silly things like the UEFA Cup would exert more frustration on my end than would be worth the trouble.

I suggested he imagine the NFL set up another post-season competition where the 6-8 teams that were not good enough to make the playoffs were allowed in. And that in the actual playoff competition, the teams that lose in the "Wild Card Round" were allowed to play back into this second competition. The NFL could give the championship game a title such as the American Bowl or the Almost-Super Bowl.

We both agreed that this would be terribly lame and that no one would give a shit. So, why do people care about the UEFA Cup? I don't know that there is any overhaul this competition could be given that would raise its profile or make anyone outside of the fans of the competing clubs care.

By the looks of the lineup Aston Villa paraded out in their loss to CSKA Moscow not even a team fighting for a top 4 spot in the English Premier league cares.

Would Sevilla trade their back-to-back UEFA Cup trophies for a single Champions League trophy? Of course.

Do the players on St. Entienne and Olympiakos realize this blogger is struggling to continue watching their match because it has no contexual relevance in my life? A life that revolves around following The Beautiful Game? Of course they do.

I ask you dear reader, please tell me why the UEFA Cup - soon to be Europa Cup - matters?

Yossi Good-Bye & I Say Goal

2009-02-26T11:15:00.003-06:00

I am glad that Rafa Benitez does not have an ear piece that links him to a direct feed to my soul during matches. Because that would mean during last night's epic triumph in Madrid, he would have heard my soul demanding that Yossi Benayoun be taken off at half-time.

The reason I wanted Benayoun taken off is that I could not endure another poorly weighted pass in the area that killed another Liverpool attack. I was losing a piece of my soul with each Benayoun touch of the ball. And I could not endure much more.

Benayoun would make my Top 3 Least Liked Liverpool Players list right now. I don't believe he is a player that belongs in the squad of a club that has ambitions of winning a league title. I don't believe Benayoun would make the bench on any of the following: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa.

For the record, my Top 3 LLLP are: 1. Ryan Babel 2. Benayoun 3. Andrea Dossena

This list is posted for all to observe at my desk at the Vein of Form offices and I could make a long post backing up my argument for each of these players.

But this post is about last night's victory. And about the genius of Rafa Benitez. Not about Benayoun's 82nd minute header that he drove past Iker Casillas - whom I believe is the best 'keeper in the world.

Yes, Benitez is a genius and a manager with a heart of oak. During his time at Liverpool he has won a Champions League trophy with possibly the worst squad to ever win the Champions League. He has gotten to another CL final and lost in a semi-final that were it not for a John Arne Riise own goal in the first leg would have seen him manage the club in 3 CL finals. In addition, he has won an FA Cup trophy and currently has Liverpool second in the table. They are 7 points behind Manchester United as I write this. They will probably not win the league but are as close to re-claiming that trophy as they have ever been in the past 19 years.

That being said, I cannot get over the disappointment of home draws with Hull, Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Manchester City. Those results are the reason Liverpool are not going to get their hands on the league trophy.

But Benitez has still managed to overcome off-the-pitch distractions from his no-nothing owners and the How-Do-I-Still-Have-A-Job Rick Parry.

Without him in charge last night Liverpool would have suffered a defeat. I believe this. He was without Steven Gerrard - the best box-to-box player in the world - and Fernando Torres could have come off at half-time as his injured ankle rendered him ineffective (So dangerous is Torres that he was left on because playing on one good ankle makes him better than most strikers in the world).

Benitez got a Man of the Match performance out of Fabio Aurelio, his back line defended like lions (again) and he left Benayoun on the pitch when most would have gotten irritated with his inability to produce the end product: a quality pass or a pre-82nd minute strike.

And now Liverpool will take an away goal lead to Anfield and Real Madrid will know they are up against all odds. Were this Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal or a Mourinho led Inter Milan I would be worried. But this is a staggering Real Madrid side that can claim Arjen Robben as their most gutty player (HA!). Not to mention a manager in Juande Ramos that is merely a caretaker at this point.

Benitez sent a message to the owners: You cannot win this competition without me with this squad.

Benitez sent a message to Real Madrid's board: You cannot beat me so you might as well pay me.

A glorious European night for Liverpool and their manager. A manager that is 2-3 quality players away from returning Liverpool to the top of the English Premier League. Any owners with the slightest football knowledge can see that and will give him the contract and funding he so deserves.

Oh, Knowledeable Owners, where are you?

Liverpool Get Coaching in 2nd Half

2007-11-24T11:54:00.000-06:00

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez usually wears a suit & tie during matches. However, today he was patrolling the sidelines at St. James' Park in a track suit. Was this a nod to his owners that told him to focus on coaching the players he has rather than focus on funds for the January transfer window? Or was Benitez signaling to The FA that he is very serious about interviewing for the England job and that he is as much a coach as a manager?

Either way, he did not have Liverpool ready for the match against Newcastle today. That was evident from the sloppy passing all over the pitch. Momo Sissoko was lost once again. Lucas looked uncertain at the best of times and when Steve Finnan's crossing is off you know something is wrong with Liverpool. Were it not for Steven Gerrard's wonderful strike of a free kick the first half would have ended scoreless.

Fernando Torres did not bring his shooting boots and Harry Kewell looks a few weeks away from being a threat to do much of anything on the pitch. But as the sides came out for the second half Liverpool were sharp, confident and deadly. Newcastle were to be frank, dreadful.

So, had Sam Allardyce not already withdrawn his name from England manager consideration, his side's performances as of late would have canceled him out anyways. Withdrawing his name seemed the easy way out of a job that would never have been offered to him. But Benitez had Liverpool passing well, his strikers were working hard and his decision to bring Ryan Babel resulted in a beautiful goal for the Dutchman after a nice combination play with Gerrard.

The defense was also more assured. Sami Hyypia has been playing inspirational football in the absence of Danny Agger. Yes, at times Hyypia has been caught out of position or scored for the opposition. But he knows how to play alongside Jamie Carragher. Benitez has apparently been able to wrestle the last bit of contribution out of the aging defender as once Agger is healthy he will walk right into the starting role.

If the Liverpool owners do not provide Benitez the funds he is after in January there will be some fireworks at the club. Liverpool look a couple signings away from threatening Arsenal for the title. The squad is extremely talented and have not lived up to their potential. Both owner and manager can make a convincing case that they are correct.

Whatever was said in the locker room at halftime worked for Liverpool. They were a different side. They looked every bit a top 3 side. Newcastle only got worse as the matched progressed. This is clearly a testament to the depth at the two clubs, but also the coaching. Allardyce has gotten nothing out of his bunch. Benitez has yet to suffer defeat in the league.

If it is coaching the owners want it is coaching Benitez can deliver. And if he coaches well enough Liverpool might just push hard for the Premier League title. His record speaks for itself in Spain and England. Even the best need a little motivation at times. But if Benitez decides to start showing up on the sidelines in track suits more often supporters might be a bit concerned he is motivated enough to try his tactics with the English national team.

MLS Season Wrap-Up

2007-11-21T11:32:00.000-06:00

Vein of Form has given MLS plenty of stick over the course of the season. But after reflecting for the past several days on the season that was, we still don't particularly care for it. The positives first - it is great for MLS that Houston Dynamo have won 2 straight MLS Cups. It would have been even greater had New England Revolution managed to win 3 straight rather than lose 3 straight. The reason being that what the league needs is a super club everyone is chasing. Given that there exists so much parody & that the playoff format allows for mediocre sides to have a shot at being crowned champion, it is important that some separation occur. Houston have the model MLS franchise. The best manager in the league (Dominic Kinnear), the best player in the league (Dwayne De Rosario) and just a terrific group of professional soccer players. Houston did not use a Designated Player marketing gimmick to win & barring Kinnear or DeRo getting picked up by a European club this is a legit threat to win 3 straight cups. Now if they could just get them in a soccer specific stadium & do something about those ugly jerseys...

The glaring problem remains the quality on the pitch. VoF fully understands the league is still in its infancy. The sport has been played for over a hundred years elsewhere at the professional level. So, the fact that most MLS matches are - quite frankly - very boring isn't a surprise. But that doesn't change the fact I refuse to watch matches being played on NFL lines or in stadiums not conducive for the game. Poor quality matches in Toyota Park or Dick's Sporting Goods Park or Pizza Hut Park (God, are we serious here?!?!) is one thing, but to watch a dull match in a cavernous three quarters empty NFL stadium with NFL hash marks on the pitch is disgusting.

New York Red Bull will never prosper playing in The Meadowlands. Kansas City needs emergency help. New England Revolution after 3 straight trips to the MLS cup final deserve their own home. When every match-day features stadia that can showcase the game the way it is meant to be presented raises quality on the pitch whether the actual play has improved or not. Look, the players will be developed in America over the next decade that raise the competitive level of MLS and the US Men's National Team. America will continue to produce European league quality players the likes of Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley & now Freddy Adu. In 10 years time MLS will be much more exciting & appealing. That still doesn't change the league in the Here & the Now.

DP players like David Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel & Cuahetemoc Blanco will come & go over the next few seasons. None as high profile as Beckham but perhaps several that are much better players. Players that will make teammates better (Angel has done so for Jozy Altidore & Blanco has done so for Chris Rolfe) or inspire American kids to play the sport through high school before giving it up for other sports.

The next problem that keeps soccer fans - like those at the VoF offices - from tuning in regularly is the terrible season format & playoff format. The regular season matches are buried amongst the other primary sports in America. They are often times not televised or televised on Spanish language television only. The regular season matches still don't carry the weight about them that the English Premier League or Spain's La Liga have. Where every point won matters. Where a draw at home can devastate the fan base. That isn't apparent after MLS matches.

This is because the playoffs makes it so easy for players to take a match off and coast through the early part of the season. So, when the playoffs do arrive we are not even sure who the best clubs are. Did DC United take the season serious & prove they were the best MLS club in the league? Or did a club like Chicago Fire loaf during the middle stretch & kick it into gear with just enough time to spare to qualify for the playoffs as a legitimate better club than DC United? We don't really know. And until MLS changes to a single table or alters the playoffs to just the top 4 clubs we will not know who the best clubs are during the regular season. We can guess but that is about it.

Finally, ESPN has been a disgrace this season. For a network that airs not just a good chunk of MLS matches but also airs Champions League matches & has purchased the rights to Euro '08 their presentation of the matches is terrible. The talking heads they have doing pre-match, half-time & post-match analysis are unbearable. They have too many match commentators & often times they don't sound like they have a clue what they're talking about. Eric Wynalda is VoF approved. He balances sarcasm, criticism and insight perfectly. He just needs a quality partner. Julie Foudy should be banned from the airwaves.

ESPN should not allow their SportsCenter clowns to do highlights either. They don't take it serious. They make a mockery of the highlights by their tone of voice, their unwillingness to pronounce the names correctly & their lack of knowledge about the sport. If ESPN wants to show the MLS highlights - and they ought to - they should bring in someone else to do the highlights. Someone that can convey knowledge & excitement.

MLS has made its greatest strides forward over the course of this season. But it balances on a knife's edge right now. Next season will be crucial. Beckham & Blanco should be available for the full campaign. Other faces will be brought in. San Jose will be added to the league & with Frank Yallop managing there becomes an instant rivalry with LA Galaxy (not to mention Houston). VoF believes great things can happen for MLS. Now it is just a matter of whether or not the suits in the front offices can allow a proper soccer league to develop & grow. Or if they will fall into the trap that all sports played in America have to be done the American way.

Disaster in DC

2007-11-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Last night's result in Washington DC would under normal circumstances be a complete footballing disaster. But this is the MLS - where normalcy has no place - and the 8th best team in the league preventing the best team from claiming the league championship is totally fine with the empty suits running things. Think of it this way: It would be the equivalent of Reading defeating Manchester United in last year's Premier League and Manchester United being told "Sorry, you may have been some 40 points better than Reading but you didn't get it done in the playoffs". Operating under this mentality, the league should cancel the remaining 1st round matches and allow New York Red Bull and Chicago to meet in the MLS Cup final. That way Juan Pablo Angel & Cuauhtemoc Blanco can allow for at least one Designated Player to be lifting the championship trophy.

I understand this is how soccer in America is operating. That to have a single table and give the best team at the end of the season the championship would be un-American is the reason we have to deal with a playoff format. But it doesn't change the fact the rest of the world does not operate under this format. Playoffs in NFL, NBA and MLB are fine. Do whatever you want because the rest of the word - quite frankly - does not care one bit. However, when MLS is desperate to legitimize the league with the rest of the world, allowing for a catastrophe such as your regular season champion being nothing more than an afterthought is ridiculous. DC United were a class above the rest of the league this season.

They scored more goals than anyone. Played better attacking football than anyone. Have one of the finest American 'keepers on the planet and finished 15 points above Chicago. Losing away and drawing at home over two legs does not mean DC United are not the best team in MLS. It doesn't mean Chicago are more worthy of being crowned MLS champion either. All it really means is that the MLS regular season means absolutely nothing.

So, when MLS Commish Don Garber gives his "State of the League" address on the weekend of the MLS Cup final the irony is that he will be presenting it in Washington DC. Home of the best team in the league. And yet the best team in MLS won't be able to show people just how good play in the league can be. Garber can talk about how the David Beckham signing was a complete flop and the league did nothing to promote Angel, Blanco, Josy Altidore, Dwayne De Rosario, Luciano Emilio, Brad Guzan or Michael Parkhurst. Because why should we lead the non-soccer viewing public to believe the league is made up of some pretty decent players besides Beckham? Garber can talk about how Landon Donovon was voted the best American player by the know nothing American soccer scribes despite the fact he's never made a single player around him better or proven he can raise his own game.

If you really want to see how far MLS has come since its inception it isn't that difficult. One foot has moved slightly forward but the other is firmly entrenched where it was just over a decade ago.

Jol Had to Go

2007-10-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

Was getting Tottenham Hotspur to 5th in the table enough to make Martin Jol bullet proof in the eyes of so many Spurs supporters and members of the press? Take a look at the current squad - a squad Jol was largely responsible - and explain to me how they aren't locked in a top 4 position right now. This isn't bad luck. While I don't think hiring a Spanish manager is the answer (just ask Liverpool how that has served them in the league) I do think Jol had to go. The recent Spurs signing have not come together to form a true squad that gets results and more damaging has been the fact that the players have not improved under Jol's guidance.

Dimitar Berbatov is world class - I don't dispute that. He has been the best Premier League signing over the past couple seasons. He is also as good as gone during the January transfer window. The Bulgarian has had few moments of brilliance this season and I don't hold him solely accountable for that. The players around him are awful. Jol clearly didn't do anything to endear himself to the best player on the squad either. Opponents are willing to focus on Berbatov and give Robbie Keane a chance to get his goals because they are confident enough that the Spurs defense can be broken down without problems. The defense is the glaring mistake of Jol's tenure at the club. He did nothing to shore it up. Michael Dawson is one of the most overrated players in the Premier League. Ledley King may or may not ever play again. Anthony Gardner is useless. Do I need to talk about Paul Robinson?

How about the midfield that Jol assembled? Jermaine Jenas has taken several steps backwards since Jol's arrival. Jenas pops up every now and again with a wonder strike but for the most part he is invisible when on the pitch. Didier Zokora has not improved one iota since coming to London. Tom Huddlestone was supposed to be on the brink of being a regular with the England national team and now he isn't sure thing to see the pitch for Spurs. Steed Malbranque isn't going to get playing time on a club in the Premier League with serious Champions League aspirations and here he is starting regularly for Spurs.

Before the emails start pouring in with subject lines of "Gareth Bale! Gareth Bale!" please wait a moment. Bale is the one moment of brilliance Jol can point to in the transfer market. In three years time Bale will be considered world class. He'll be pushed up to mid-field and be a scoring threat at all times. He is a true play maker and one of the exciting young players in Europe. Spurs fans should thank Jol for his arrival if they are obliged to thank him for anything at all.

As much as I love the Bale signing, it remains overshadowed by how atrocious Darren Bent has been. Bent doesn't go from being one the biggest scoring threats in the league to a bench player overnight. He isn't being properly utilized. Same with Jermaine Defoe. These are two terrific talents that have gone stale with Jol at the helm. I promise you a manager like Sven-Goran Erickson, Alex Ferguson or Mark Hughes would have Defoe or Bent realizing their full potential right now. Look what Hughes has done with Benny McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz. Look was Erickson has done with Elano.

Jol squanders talent. We know that much.

Is Juande Ramos the answer? He's led Sevilla to 2 straight UEFA Cup titles, but I don't think he is the proper fit. Spurs should try to lure Fabio Capello to the club. Everyone knows he can turn clubs around in an instant. Jurgen Klinsmann would also be a strong candidate.

Either way, Spurs will not be in the bottom 3 for long. They won't realize their lofty goals. The club will come good and finish mid-table. With the mourning period of Jol being quite short.

American Football Visits London

2007-10-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

The National Football League is proudly reporting that 88,000 spectators will pack Wembley Stadium this weekend to watch the New York Giants play the Miami Dolphins in the first regular season game to be played in England.

The Giants have a record of 5-2 and are in second place in their division. The Dolphins are 0-7 and considered the worst team in the league. I understand this game was decided upon before the NFL was aware the Giants would be mediocre and the Dolphins dreadful, but that doesn't change the fact this isn't a match up that will turn Europeans on to "American Football".

There are a few questions that are being asked with regards to this game. The first of which is does the NFL plan on doing this every season moving forward? NFL tickets are very expensive. Season tickets especially, and the holders of those tickets are not going to be happy losing a home game every season. Sundays are an event in America because fans are so fiercely loyal to their NFL teams. More loyal than any other sports fans in the country. For these fans to learn they are going to lose a home game will result in a major uproar. The league's counter argument that these overseas games will bring in huge amounts of revenue will fall on deaf ears.

Americans see sports such as soccer, rugby and cricket as alien. They don't relate to them. They don't want much to do with them. Americans hold the NFL and Major League Baseball close to their hearts. It is a part of them and to share this with Europeans is not going to go down well. The NFL has stated it is their plan that eventually every team will be playing a game overseas during the course of a season. I'm not kidding when I say this could lead to a massive revolt by fans. To accommodate this, the NFL will have to either add a regular season game or hire a Public Relations wizard that can cast a spell over the entire fan-base, convincing them that this is for the good of the league.

Another question is: Do Europeans even care? A big chunk of the 88,000 on Sunday will be Americans living, working or stationed by the military in Europe. This is similar to when the European football teams tour America during summers. But the poor MLS attendance would reflect Americans have not taken to soccer. The dead and buried NFL Europe league is proof Europeans were not exactly ready to embrace American football. They prefer their action to be on-going, done in under two hours and devoid of television timeouts and play calling huddles.

The Giants and Dolphins will probably sell quite a few jerseys on Sunday. But the Giants and Dolphins don't have songs that their fans sing the entire game. They don't have a Supporters Section that stands the entire time. In general, atmosphere at American sports can be rather dull. Cheering is very mechanical and that isn't what English football fans are all about when they pack Old Trafford, Anfield or Fratton Park. Americans get up during actual play to hunt down nachos and peanuts, use the bathroom or talk on cell phones! The question of "Do Europeans care?" or "Will the league see long-term success if they launch an actual club overseas?" is already answered. No.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall has plainly stated he would consider having the Super Bowl played in London in the future. For those that don't know, the Super Bowl is basically a national holiday in America. It is an event unlike any other. Partying starts early, fans pack bars for the game and the partying lasts late into the night. And this doesn't necessarily include fans that have their team playing in the Super Bowl! Offices around the country are typically a little empty the Monday after.

The Super Bowl tends to start between 5:30 and 6:30 in the evening. To coordinate the start time with a different time zone the game would have to be moved up at least two hours. What to some might seem a minor change, to others (meaning NFL fans) this could mean a disruption of epic proportion. Not to mention the national pride some invest in the pre-game festivities. There is the singing of the National Anthem, a flyover by fighter jets and sometimes God Bless America is thrown in for good measure! Imagine this going down on foreign soil? The Red State folks in America would be running through the streets in panic.

So, while I agree it is kind of cool to see the NFL played overseas, I don't think this has any legs to stand on long-term. I love soccer. I go to multiple MLS games, pre-season tours of European clubs and am up at the crack of dawn every Saturday to catch the early Premiership match. But I'm in the minority here. I don't mind if the team I support - Green Bay Packers - plays a match in Madrid, Frankfurt or Milan during the season. I love the thought of Packer fans wearing their foam Cheesehead hats walking through the streets of Milan.

That being said, the majority of fans would be throwing their Cheesehead hats through the NFL headquarters windows if that ever came to fruition. The NFL should not plan their end-zone dances just yet. The idea of playing meaningful games on a regular basis overseas has a lot of questions to answer first.

I Don't Want LA Galaxy in the Playoffs

2007-10-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

I hope LA Galaxy get beaten well and good on Thursday against New York Red Bull. It would be a tragedy to see them have an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs on Sunday against Chicago. Galaxy have had one of the most disappointing seasons in MLS history. They don't deserve to be in the playoffs (the same can be said for half the clubs that will qualify). Landon Donovan did not deserve a US player of the year award and he certainly does not deserve any more opportunities to score penalty kicks. Essentially allowing him to boost his goal total for the season and giving MLS further chances to promote a truly ordinary player. David Beckham hysteria has come and gone. The World Series is just days away, the NFL season has several huge story lines and Kobe Bryant trade rumors are growing louder. Beckham would go unnoticed and it is best to let him heal up and make a real go at next season leading this out of sorts club.

Galaxy in the playoffs could hurt the league's image. What does it say about the regular season when a club can go on a brief run and have a shot at winning the championship? Galaxy are not close to being in the same class as DC United, Houston or Chivas USA. Those are clubs that have been consistent the entire season. They are well coached. They have players far more exciting and skillful than the likes of Donovan. I would hate to see their outstanding seasons overshadowed by Galaxy making the playoffs and the MLS putting all their hyping efforts behind Beckham and Donovan.

How many times throughout his career - club and international - have we witnessed Donovan come apart when the pressure is on. When has this "greatest American talent ever" risen to the level all these soccer writers claim he is destined to attain? Probably not as many times as he has scored penalty kicks. But definitely more times than he has scored from open play. For the good of the sport Donovan should end his career with the Galaxy a loser. Unless they make a move for another Designated Player roster spot they will have to let him go. He clearly won't leave the state of California - we know he can't handle being out of his tiny comfort zone. But let him leave LA a loser.

If poor sides are going to be let within a shout of winning the MLS Cup I'd much prefer Chicago or Kansas City be given the chance. I want to see Blanco, Chris Rolfe and Justin Mapp play an extra match or two. I want to see Eddie Johnson light up an opposing defense a couple more times before we can put this MLS season to bed. And that is really what I want to do.

Writing as someone that wants MLS to do well. Writing as someone that goes to matches, watches them on TV and stands up for the league when other sports fans put it down I am upset at the way this season has been handled. Too much hope was placed on Beckham. How in the hell can there not have been a Plan B in place in the event Beckham got hurt? Juan Pablo Angel, Luciano Emilio, Jozy Altidore and Taylor Twellman are legit stars of the league. I beg MLS to promote them next year. It might be too late for Altidore as I expect him to bolt the league the first chance he gets. But there are players currently in the league and that will be coming next season that are more important and more talented than Donovan.

Everything that American sport is supposed to stand for: Heart, Intensity, Desire, Competitiveness - Donovan is the exact opposite. And it hurts the MLS. It drags it right down the ladder in terms of importance on the national landscape. For the good of the league Galaxy should not make the playoffs.

An MLS Cup that goes unnoticed is one thing. An MLS Cup that goes unnoticed with David Beckham participating could set the league back years.

Terrific Grant Wahl Article

2007-10-11T08:34:00.000-05:00

On SI.com Grant Wahl has written a fantastic article about the Heerenveen and US National Team midfielder - Michael Bradley. When most US soccer fans were disgusted this past week to see a Landon Donovan win any type of award, it is encouraging that a soccer writer has focused on a really great, young talent such as Bradley. The writers that were clueless enough to cast a vote for Donovan should not only willingly retire from ever writing about soccer again, but realize there are far more talented US players not just in MLS but abroad.

Things Could Get Worse at Liverpool

2007-10-05T08:43:00.000-05:00

In hindsight, the six goals against Derby were an illusion. It was after all Derby and not some giant of the Premier League such as Birmingham or Wigan, correct? The form Liverpool have hit since the 6 goal explosion against the worst club to play in the top flight in years has revealed that not much has changed at Anfield despite the big spending spree. Rafa Benitez refuses to stop tinkering and the attack refuses to show any sign of consistency. When you have title aspirations and you see the likes of Portsmouth, Birmingham and Wigan in front of you that should be an automatic 9 points. Not 5 points and just one goal to show.

And when you have a squad big enough, talented enough to play in two competitions the likes of Porto (even in Portugal) and a dismal Marseilles (at Anfield) should be an automatic 6 points giving you a clear path to the knock out round of the Champions League. Instead, Benitez has made a complete hash of this early part of the season. By not starting Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel every match he has me totally confused. You sign players like that to start, play 80-90 minutes and get 3 points week in and week out. You don't spend a fortune to let them toil on the bench while mid-table sides dreaming of UEFA Cup qualification out work you over 90 minutes. If you make that your policy. If you make "rotation" your policy you will not win anything. Liverpool fans that doubt that (and there can't be many out there left) need only look at the Premier League results under Benitez for proof it doesn't work.

Two Champions League finals and a miracle win in one of them. Indeed. Phenomenal. But are Liverpool now only a Champions League club? You could argue they are since Benitez essentially refuses to compete in England. You could argue that Liverpool ought to be deeply concerned about Spurs Sunday. The reaction from the players after the Aston Villa draw, running over to Martin Jol and celebrating, proves they are ready to fight for their manager and their season.

If Spurs carry that emotion into Anfield and Liverpool carry their form from mid-week the result will be embarrassingly lopsided in favor of Spurs. Things could get much worse before they get better at Anfield. And if they do get better later on (as they usually do) it will be too late.

Liverpool must now win the next two matches in the Champions League to have any chance of advancing. The next of which will be played in Istanbul. Symbolism aside, it is never easy to win in Turkey.

Consider their league schedule. Sunday at home against Spurs. October 20 (after the International break) away to Everton. October 28 (after visiting Besiktas) home against Arsenal. November 3 away to Blackburn. Listen, that is a stretch of matches that is very dangerous. The early part of their schedule was set up to allow them a blip during this rougher part and not lose ground. Instead, they botched the matches that should have been 3 points and now risk being done and dusted in the title race should they drop points against real competition.

What started to look like a dream season against Derby is long forgotten. It was Derby after all! If Liverpool fail to qualify for the knock out round and if they fail to mount a challenge for the Premier League, Benitez should be shown the door.

Terry Should Save Face, Sit This One Out

2007-10-02T08:49:00.000-05:00

Why is the Chelsea captain willing to risk further injury by rushing back from cheekbone surgery? The Champions League match against Valencia is not a make or break situation. If Chelsea lose - and I fully believe they will get well handled - they can still advance out of the group stage. More important, he should place country before club and ensure his health before the crucial Euro '08 qualifiers in over week. Despite playing uninspiring football at the moment (to put it gently) Chelsea should be able to ease past Bolton on the weekend without Terry as well. This would set them up for another 3 points against Middlesbrough and a chance to move up the table. Risking serious injury is just moronic at this point when Chelsea are in desperate need of looking at the bigger picture.

Terry has not been a motivating or inspiring captain for over a year now. Coming back from a broken cheekbone injury and participating in a Chelsea loss won't help matters. If he plays and Chelsea knock off Valencia I promise it won't be due to Terry. The club needs players like Joe Cole, Michael Essien and Solomon Kalou to have a massive evening. Players will need to pick up the slack when manager Avram Grant decides to give Andriy Shevchenko a run out.

Thus, John Terry should do the right thing and take a week off. He should encourage his teammates on from the bench, boost morale at the club by saying the correct things about manager and owner to the press and ready himself to lead England. An elbow, knee or foot to the face and the man could be on the mend for weeks. With Frank Lampard already battling injury, Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel dealing with PL red card suspensions and Richardo Carvalho's return date not set in stone a serious Terry injury will all but eliminate Chelsea's hopes of a top 3 (or 4 finish).

Sit this one out captain.

Roma Face Difficult Month Ahead

2007-09-28T10:54:00.000-05:00

It would be hard to deny AS Roma the honor of playing the most exciting football in Europe thus far. An argument can be made that they are not playing the best football - look back at the last two results for proof - but at times their attacking is so overwhelming to the opposition I feel like I am witnessing the next Serie A champions.

The draws against Juventus and Fiorentina were huge disappointments. Had just one of those results given Roma full points they would have a bit of breathing room atop Serie A heading into the Saturday clash with reigning champions Inter Milan. Instead, there are questions being raised about the ability of this side to finish matches. They gave away the second goal in each of the past two matches with under 10 minutes to play. For a club with legitimate championship aspirations that is unacceptable and if the trend continues it will be their downfall.

That being said, the match this weekend is the biggest in Europe. Inter Milan were pre-season favorites to repeat, but they have come out flat this season and a dismal result in their first Champions League match has many wondering what kind of side Inter really are. Roma meanwhile were cruising until the Juventus and Fiorentina draws and a look at the next 7 matches reveals if they are to make a challenge for the Serie A title or will end up settling for a 2nd place finish and deep Champions League run.

To begin, the Inter match is going to be massive for them. Totti and Perrotta will be back in the lineup after being rested against Fiorentina. Totti is the best player in Europe right now. I don't doubt that for a second. Giuly has been every bit as outstanding many thought he would and with Mancini back in the fold coupled with Aquilani having a bust out season this attack is second to none.

But the following Tuesday, October 2 Roma must travel to Old Trafford and face Manchester United. While this is not a must win match in order to advance out of the group it will serve as a harsh reminder to last season's disasterous 7-1 thumping. Pressure will be there not to repeat that performance. More so than simply coming away with a point. On current form though I suspect Roma are the better side and could essentially lock up a knock out round appearance with a win at Old Trafford. The following weekend they face a tricky match at Parma before welcoming a very organized (and well supported) Napoli to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, October 21.

Just two days after Napoli they see Sporting Lisbon visit the Stadio Olimpico for a Champions League match. Depending on the outcome against Manchester United, this could very well end up the must win situation that Roma will be keen to avoid. Were Roma to suffer defeat in England, pressure will be immense to get 3 points. Sporting Lisbon could well be a spoiler in this group. A draw at home would cause mass panic.

On October 28 they must travel to AC Milan. Milan are not in good form, but that match is a month away and it will be a hotly contested fight. At this point I can assume everyone will be healthy and available, but honestly, it is easy to predict that there will be some injuries during this difficult stretch. Matches played at this level between such competitive sides always results in injury blows. On October 31 there is the Rome derby. Yes, that is correct. The month of October ends with Roma having to face Lazio mid-week following the AC Milan encounter.

There is no top club in Europe that must endure this difficult of a stretch of matches this early on in the season. If Roma come away from the Serie A matches with 10-12 points I think they will be very satisfied. Anything less and there could be problems in the Eternal City. If Roma grab more than 12 points I think they will march on to win Serie A. The talent is there and manager Luciano Spalletti seems to be the man with the plan to bring trophies to the club. If Roma manage 4 points or more from the two Champions League matches they should expect to be fighting for a top of the group finish.

There is no time for the Roma players (or supporters) to catch their breath over the next month. It will be grueling, exciting and very revealing about just how quality this side are.

Russian Oligarch Spends Millions to Stop Boring Football

2007-09-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

The carefree attitude Jose Mourinho has displayed with this departure indicates he knows that an Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink or Juande Ramos will not have any greater luck with managing Chelsea under Roman Abromavich. Grant is part of Abromavich's inner circle and will execute whatever orders given no questions asked. He is the ultimate lackey. He will not hoist a single trophy for Chelsea unless it is as a guest aboard one of Abromavich's yachts in the coming years. I would not be surprised if Chelsea have a better shot at winning the UEFA Cup over the next 3 seasons than the Champions League, Premier League or FA Cup. Putting the pieces of this very expensive side back together is going to be a task far greater than anyone can believe.

Fabio Capello's name has come up as often as any other potential replacement. However, he was let go of at Real Madrid for playing boring football en route to winning La Liga. Sound familiar? He may be the only manager in the world right now that can come close to being Mourinho's equal. Consider they've both won domestic titles in different European leagues, both have won the Champions League, both manage their sides to be well organized and workman like, and both are looking for a job. Capello's ego is not quite as large as Mourinho's but I promise you it is large enough to create instant problems with the Chelsea owner.

The amount of hysteria surrounding Mourinho's departure proves what a major impact the manager had at Chelsea, on the Premier League and across Europe. Mourinho was given several million dollars yesterday and sent on his way. Personally, if I became several million dollars richer overnight, was considered the best on the planet at what I do and could essentially pick where I wanted to work next I would not go rushing to find employment. The ridiculous Spurs fans claiming "He's coming to us! He's staying in London! We're going to be given a new level of respect!" is laughable. As badly as I want him to stay in the Premier League I know he won't settle on Tottenham Hotspur. He's too big for that club and while it would instantly raise the level of competition between Chelsea and Tottenham to epic levels there are bigger projects to undertake.

He has a history with Barcalona which makes that club an obvious option coupled with their slow start this season in La Liga. He is probably 15 years away from really embracing the opportunity to manage Portugal. Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan will all seem likely to offer him unlimited control. But will having won the Champions League, having won domestic titles and league cups already take some of the luster off doing the same with another gigantic club? Would winning the Champions League with Juventus or Barcelona satisfy him? Another season, another trophy and life goes on. Seems a rather empty life when you get down to it. I'd almost rather be writing for Vein of Form the rest of my life. Almost.

Were he to win with another English club it might be sticking it to the folks at Chelsea, but other than Manchester United what club in England could really attract him? I think Mourinho should sit out a season and return to Portugal to manage at club level. I'm not well versed in that league's history but I have to think it would be exciting to see him tearing up Europe with a Benfica or Sporting Lisbon side rather than an Italian or Spanish side that has unlimited funds and access to any player in the world.

But let us not forget that the man is now very wealthy and successful. I cannot feel too bad for him. I can feel bad that we will be missing his sound bites, the rivalries he cultivated with Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger. If you have the heart (I don't) you might feel bad for the Chelsea fans who must realize their season has come to a very early end.

Champions League Preview (Wednesday 09.19.07)

2007-09-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

The Group E match featuring Barcelona at home against Lyon has lost some of its luster given both sides have not gotten off to the cracking start in league play most would have expected. Barca in particular have looked toothless in the attack despite the presence of Thierry Henry. With each French title won, Lyon appear less and less interested in that competition and more determined than ever to prove their worth in the Champions League. Neither side should be worried about advancing to the knock-out stage and staying healthy will probably be the #1 concern in what I expect to be a match played at a slower tempo than would be achieved were this an occasion that could actually send either out of the competition. In the other match, Rangers will host German champions Stuttgart. This appears - on current form - to be the Scottish club's best shot at earning 3 points. Playing at Ibrox is never easy for the away side and considering Stuttgart's poor start in the Bundesliga I think Rangers will rise to the occasion.

Prediction: Barca 1 - Lyon 1; Rangers 1 - Stuttgart 0

I am quite interested in the Group F fixtures today. Roma hosts Dynamo Kiev, and I fully believe this Roma side is ready for a special season. I love their close season moves and their current Serie A form has been stellar. My only concern here would be that the club may be looking ahead to a huge league match against Juventus on Sunday. However, this is at home and I think it will serve as a nice warm up for the weekend. Manchester United will be visiting Sporting Lisbon. The English champs did not play well on the road last season in this competition. Considering they too have quite the match on Sunday (against Chelsea) in what some are considering a title decider already I think United fans should be ready for disappointment tonight. Look for the Portuguese to use the Cristiano Ronaldo returning home story line to inspire them to full points!

Prediction: Roma 2 - Dynamo Kiev 0; Sporting Lisbon 2 - Manchester United 1

Italian champions Inter Milan will travel to Fenerbahce with last season's poor Champions League performance fresh on the brain. Turkey is always a tough place for clubs to visit and I expect Inter to have a fight on their hands. A couple of injuries will also add to their struggles tonight, but they have enough class in the attack to do away with Fenerbahce. The other Group G match has PSV Eindhoven hosting CSKA Moscow. Seems to me a lot of people think this is Inter and PSV's group to win. However, something about the Moscow club intrigues me and I like them to begin their way to the knock out round with a resounding win tonight in Holland. It won't be an easy task, but I have a feeling the Russian football federation is insistent that their clubs mark a serious arrival on the competition this time round and prove they can compete with the other big leagues.

Prediction: Fenerbahce 1 - Inter Milan 3; PSV Eindhoven 1 - CSKA Moscow 2

My oh my, is it about to kick off in London tonight! Without question the best fixture of the week is Arsenal hosting Sevilla. Forget the off pitch storyline involving Sevilla manager Juande Ramos' interest in managing another North London club (or is it the other way around?) these two have the ability to play the best attacking football on the continent. Arsenal are top of the Premier League table and Sevilla torched the competition last weekend in La Liga. I know both of these sides will advance and only hope the two times they hook up in the group stage nothing is held back. The other two teams offer opportunities for Arsenal and Sevilla to claim full points so I would love to see nothing held back tonight and some truly beautiful football unleashed. Group H also has Slavia Prague hosting Steaua Bucuresti tonight and to be honest I couldn't care less.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 - Sevilla 2; Slavia Prague 1 - Steau Bucuresti 0