Well gentleman. I’m sorry to say this, but I’m going to have to be taking a hiatus from the blog until my time here in the office is over. I’ve got a lot on my plate at work, and while that usually wouldn’t keep me from posting, thinking of questions, tracking you down so I get your response, I also have a lot of job hunting and missions trip leading that I’ll be preparing for before May 27th.
After that time, I think I’ll be back to head the blog up, and we can enjoy one of my favorite parts of being a footy fan, the TRANSFER WINDOW.
Lots of what we say and beleive will be revealed as rubbish coem August, but it’s still fun, and satisfies some small person in my being who never really understood why people love soap operas. Except now I do, because in the transfer window, everyday is a soap opera! hoorayyy.
Anyway, let’s not lose touch, and I hope this isn’t too upsetting for anyone. I doubt it will be. But anyway, take care boys, and remember.
For the small, humble gatherings of lower level football, the escapism offered by the sport itself is arguably the most cherished part of the game. Teams like Leeds, Xerex, Tenerife, Napoli- the ability to enjoy such a team is a gift in itself. Hope drives them. Potential fans the flame, and while we as fans of larger clubs are actually able to see results in the immediate, these disciples of footy rarely ever see glory.
While we love watching out team play, we can only slightly relate to the small club fan’s devotion and unwavering, and slightly unhealthy obsession.
Perhaps we can relate in other sports… ie – Me and the Orioles, Willie and the Redskins, or BLo and Manchester United. ( ok ok, low blow) Anyway, here’s the question.
If you could manage or own any team in the world, other than the major powers of football, what club would it be? Why?
JMo: Ajax. For the style they offer to the world stage, and the seemingly endless fountain of young talent, I would love to manage/own them. The city of Amsterdam isn’t the classiest but it is beautiful. While Ajax is considered a lesser club on the European stage, their national success is impressive, not to mention the club’s tremendous history and fan base. The players who have walked that pitch are some of the best in history, and o, did I mention their style. Good grief I love watching them play. O, and there’s this. Besitkas of Turkey is a close, CLOSE second. Mainly because of this. Watch all 1:40.
Diaz: Real Oviedo, currently of Spain’s Segunda “B” division. Founded in 1926, this club has a wealth of history from being the first Asturian club to gain promotion to the Primera, to having their stadium comandeered by Francisco Franco’s troops during the Civil War to store armanents this club is one of Spain’s most historic.As being someone whose family originally hales from a small town about 70 kilometers from the city, it would be an incredible joy and experience to try to right the ship and lead Real Oviedo back to Spain’s top flight.
BLo: I would have to say…Roma. Beautiful city, great history, excellent fanbase, and they’ve played in the Champions League. They have the respect of everyone in Italy for their style of play and their respect for the game. If not Roma…maybe Ajax.
Chad Brown: Leeds United for me, which, not coincidentally, is my choice in manager mode every year in FIFA. Currently toinling away inEngland’s League One thanks to a legendary case of mismanagement and spending beyond their means (though in position for promotion to the CCC at the moment), Leedsa has a rich history including an appearance in the Champions League semi finals in 2001. With a fanbase as rabid as ever and a stadium that holds 40,000, Leeds is on the slow road back to Premiere League football, and the manager who gets them there will never buy another pint in West Yorkshire.
JJ:
Willie: I will have to say Hearts, of Edinburgh, Scotland. There is no realistic pressure to win the league; finishing third is the real aim, and the manager has a decent shot at doing just that. Even so, Hearts are established in the SPL, and the manager’s job will certainly be secure for the next season with at least a top-half finish. A club somewhere in the 5th-10th place position in the EPL is tempting, but I think there would still be way more stress involved with that job than I’d care to deal with, considering just how difficult it would be to actually win anything. Also, it may not be Glasgow, but who wouldn’t want to live in Edinburgh?
Jeff Hill:
Hoss: Newcastle. Coming up to the premiership, great stadium, loyal fans, great potential as a club with good funds.
Steph:
Cameron: If they’re not too big, Newcastle. Awesome home kit, huge fan support, they’re getting promoted and will probably be sold, so the table is set to build them into a solid top half of the table team. Otherwise, if they stay up, I’d say West Ham. Mainly due to the fan support and the hopes that they get some cash help this summer, which is a possibility.
Billard: Leeds United. Sitting in League One of England Leeds is definitely a lesser team, however, they are an extremely storied team with alot of history behind them. They have shown their capabilities in the English tournament with a victory over Man-U and are still a clas organization with class talent, namely Jermaine Beckford. Like all teams in the lower conferences they are made up of very young players with alot of room for growth, and I think it would be ore fun to coach a team that is not simply competing to win a division, but competing to enter into a whole new league.
That’s right. Our own little Cuban/Spanish/whatever the heck he feels like being that day, has won the golden boot for “most correctly” predicting the outcome of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The little genius predicted…
Inter 3 – Moscow 1
Bayern Munich 2 (1 away goal) – Manchester United 2
Barcelona 6 – Arsenal 4
Lyon 3 – Bordeaux 2
Here’s a little something to make us smile as we sulk away with being defeated by this real man of genius.
Hello once again. I’m grateful for your patience with me as I’ve been quite busy flying around for Easter and posting my iReports for CNN’s coverage of the Champions League. If you haven’t taken a look at them, you should. Why? Because you know me, and no one else you know is posting things on CNN.
There, I’ve had my nea nea moment.
We all know injuries are the great fear of any club’s supporter, which leads to the Panel’s next question.
Question: Which recent star’s injury will impact his club’s chances this year the most? Why?
yikes
JMo: I have to go with the ole bulldog here. Wayne Rooney has been playing the best football of his life. He’s scoring at will, and is in a system where he is the lynchpin for all offensive activity. In other clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern, key players are missing, but those teams are flexible in attack. A characteristic that Sir Alex Ferguson, at least at the moment, simply doesn’t possess.
Diaz:
BLo: Wayne Rooney. His injury could easily cost United both the EPL and Champions League.
Chad Brown: I should preface this by saying the English league is the only league I regularly watch/follow, but for me it’s Wayne Rooney hands down. Rooney has taken a United side that was supposed to be in “rebuilding” mode (as much as Manchester United can be in rebuilding mode anyway), and singlehandedly put them right in the thick of the title chase in both the league and Europe. Without him against Chelsea, United had no end product, and for all their pressure and possession in the Chelsea half, created very little. No coincidence.
JJ: Fabregas. Top Scorer, midfield maestro, and captain for the Gunners. Nasri can’t cut it in the CAM role. Silverware hopes not gone, but severely damaged.
Willie: Rooney. He is good.
Jeff Hill: Rooney – U****d are pretty much without a reliable goal scorer at center forward, which puts the onus on players like Scholes, Giggs, and other players to chip in goals. If he’s really back in the next week or so, it won’t make much of a difference, but i could see them dropping a few points between now and the end of April without him.
Hoss: Rooney. United not a title contender without him.
Steph:
Cameron: I think Fabergas for Arsenal. United still has some decent attacking options, but with all of their main strikers injured, Arsenal needed Fabergas to generate some offensive creativity.
Billard: ayne Rooney. In the premier league alone Rooney has 1/3 of his teams goals, 26 of 77. Without Rooney man-u are barely contenders, their second leading goal scorer is Berbatov with 12, who has proven he is not capable of being a featured striker, and their third leading goal scorer is the other team. Man-u has been gifted 11 own goals this season. Neither of these other options are reliable.
Question – “Who will advance past the quarter finals of the Champions League? By what aggregate score?”
JMo –
Inter Milan vs CSKA Moscow 3-1 (2-0 at the San Siro, 1-1 in Moscow)
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich 4-3 (2-1 at Old Trafford, 2-2 in Munich)
Bordeaux vs Lyon 2-2 (Bordeaux on away goals)
Barcelona vs Arsenal 4-2 (3-1 at the Camp Nou, 1-1 at the Emirates)
Diaz -
Inter 3 – Moscow 1
Bayern Munich 2 (1 away goal) – Manchester United 2
Barcelona 6 – Arsenal 4
Lyon 3 – Bordeaux 2
BLo –
Inter vs Moscow: Inter wins 4-2 on aggregate
Bayern vs United: United wins 3-2 on aggregate
Bordeaux vs Lyon: Bordeaux wins 2-1 on aggregate
Arsenal vs Barcelona: Barcelona wins 4-2 on aggregate
Chad Brown -
Jon Julian -
Inter v Moscow: Inter 4-2 agg
Bayern v ManU: ManU 4-1 agg
Arsenal v Barcelona: Arsenal 3-3 agg (4-3 penalties) HAHAHA
Bordeaux v. Lyon: Bordeaux 3-2 agg
Hoss -
Jeff Hill -
Manure/Bayern–4-2 agg
Lyon/Bordeaux–2-3 agg
Inter/CSKA–4-2 agg
Barca/Arsenal–5-3 agg
Cameron -
Inter 3-1 agg (2-0 at home, 1-1 at Moscow)
Rags 5-3 agg (3-1 at home, 2-2 at Munich)
Barca 7-3 agg (4-1 at home, 3-2 at Gooners)
Lyon 2-1 agg (1-0 at home, 1-1 away)
Willie -
Inter vs Moscow: Inter wins 5-1 on aggregate
Bayern vs United: United wins 4-2 on aggregate
Arsenal vs Barcelona: Barcelona wins 5-3 on aggregate
Bordeaux vs Lyon: Lyon wins 2-1 on aggregate
In other words, which manager’s firing would produce the most consequences for a team in Europe? Those consequences can be good, or bad.
JMo: “While I do think Jose Mourinho leaving Inter would drastically change the outlook of Serie A, I have to go with Rafa Benitez, even if he does have magic powers. I don’t think he knows what he’s doing anymore. The players are uninspired. And regardless of who’s most at fault, it’s undeniable that switching managers even if more a moment, boosts moral with the promise of change and hope. And if you give Stevie even a hint of confidence, he’ll ride you all the way to the top four. If L’Pool stay out of the top 4, I don’t even want to think about the amount of money they’re going to lose as club.”
Diaz: “Tony Mowbray of Celtic. They are 13 points out of #1 in the old firm league. Meaning they will miss the CL qualifying for a second year running. Meaning they will miss out again on almost 20 million Euros. For a big-ish club, this can be devastating. He was given a large transfer kitty to start the year for him to build a team that he wanted. That team ended up shipping away goals and dropping to inferior teams such as Falkrick on 2 occasions, Midlotian, Hibernian, and Aberdeen. More so, he was able to attract Robbie Keane, probably the biggest player to come to the SPL in the last 10 years and did not start him or even bring on the pitch in the biggest match of the season against Rangers. Celtic must rebuild, and Tony Mowbary should not be a part of the club’s new foundation.
BLo: “Might be a tad….controversial. But what about Mr. Wenger? The past 3-4 seasons he has consistently needed more talent up top, in the center of the park, and in goal to just compete with the top teams in both England and Europe, and he just has not done it. Their last EPL title was in 2004. Their last FA Cup title 2005. Carling Cup? 2007. For all of Arsenal’s beautiful football, they’ve got nothing to show for it.
Many in the stands and media have called for Wenger to either change tactics, or splash cash on players, but he continues to keep the attitude of winning with young players. His team plays soft, is easily intimidated, and does not have the mental strength to compete with the other big clubs of Europe. It’s not working, and it won’t work until Arsene either leaves the club, or changes his policies. With the knowledge that losing Fabregas to either Real Madrid or Barcelona is going to happen sooner rather than later, Wegner should be doing more to win now. Instead, he continues to settle for second rate. With managers all across Europe being fired, it’s a wonder that Arsene isn’t feeling more heat.
PS PLEASE let Liverpool keep Rafa. That’s disaster never gets old.”
Chad Brown: “It has to be Rafa Benitez, but the issue with this question is who does the club get that’s gonna do better? Rafa is certainly to blame with his excessive transfer moves and asinine rotation policy (not to mention his mismanagement of talented prospects like Babel), but given Pool’s current lack of money, I’m not sure anyone they get is going to do any better in the near future.”
JJ:
Willie:”Rafa has got to go. In his first season at Anfield, Liverpool won the Champions League and brought home the F.A. Cup a year later. He has done nothing since; Rafa’s mission to bring the league title back to Anfield has been a complete failure. Rafa has been limited in the transfer market by the club’s incompetent owners; compared other managers of Euro giants, has had very little cash to work with. It is what Rafa has done with his few opportunities to throw some money around that is most telling about his tenure, and his fate in Merseyside. His record signing of Torres was a great move. But a year later, he blew 20 million on Robbie Keane while destroying his relationship with Xabi Alonso, who Liverpool lost a year later”
Jeff Hill: “Clearly the only acceptable answer is Rafa – the guy has a terrible track record in the transfer market, is terrible at man management, poor tactically…he’s pretty much the total package.
Oh, and the panel is now more bloated than Michael Johnson.”
Hoss:
Steph:
Cameron: “I’d say that Rafa has to be at the top of the list. His wreckless transfer policies and questionable tactics have devastated Liverpool, and if they lose Torres this summer, it’s only going to get worse.”
Billard: “Friedhelm Funkel. Interim coach of Hertha Berlin; after the firing of Lucien Favre after the first 6 games of the season, Funkel has coached a team that finished fourth in the Bundesliga last year to a record of 3 wins, 6 draws, and 17 losses. He has accumulated an amazing 15 points over 26 league matches, and is currently sitting in last place, 9 points from safety, with 8 games remaining. To say any one of us could have done better would be an understatement.”
M2:
Scott: “That is a tough one, but I would have to say Liverpool. They have great players, no doubt they should be doing better than what they are. Some say that the players don’t mix and they should sell this guy or that. However, while that may be true to an extent some responsibility must fall on the manager, whether that be selling players, loaning them or bringing players in to lineup changes, taking care of the chemistry issues. I’m a believer in the manager needs to step up and tell the players such as Torres, yes you are good but you’re not the team. Rafa Benitez, grow a sack, control your team or you will be getting your walking papers.”
Alright gentlemen, and lady, after we went public on Facebook yesterday, I’ve been given some interesting feedback, and we have a few people very interested in contributing/causing problems in our little community here.
So because of this, I’ve decided to invite four new members to the The Panel. Here they are.
Cameron Butcher: and faithful supporter of Manchester City, or Citeh as I will be calling them. He’s quite the interesting fellow, and surely will look to stir up some thoughts on the questions we have before us. Definitely another guy who’d rather be in the Middle Eastlands than watching the Washington Nationals.
Kevin Billard: Never mind the stalker-esque photo, Kevin knows his german football, and will add another squad to the blog. Representing Bayern Munich and basically all of Germany,Kevin can contribute both in opinion and tactical analysis if we ever have post-match discussions. I’m excited to have him, and don’t let those cute schoolboy frames fool you, this one’s a killer.
Michael Moynihan: While I was initially hesitant to admit my Father access to The Panel, I realized that he is the most up-to-date Chelsea fan I’ve met. His knowledge of “what’s happening” is real and true, and while he may not be the most youthful of the bunch, his opinions will be sure to add a West London flavor to the site. Not to mention, he has a tendency of getting a little feisty when in combat.
Scott Malone: Yes, you’re seeing things clearly. Scott Malone is joining The Panel. Let’s just consider him the Skip Bayless of the group. He’s sure to start some riots within the community with his Gooner subjectivity, but his knowledge of the game and extensive playing history will hopefully add some strategic and tactical insight. He was there with me to watch Juliano Belletti meg Almunia on what is easily one of the luckiest goals to decide a Champions League final, but I just have to imagine God watches the beautiful game, and figured it an injustice to see Barca go down 1-0 after this travesty, watch at 0:23.
Well there you have it, surely my job is going to get a little harder, but I’m excited to see this thing grow, and hopefully we can start to have some real debates in the comments section. (I’m in the process of learning how to remove the approval system so you can post whatever you want.)
I’ve been MIA for the past week while doing some field reporting for Campus Crusade’s Big Break conference.
If you’re interested, check out my reports from the week. All five days can be found at this link. http://www.ccci.org/ministries-and-locations/ministries/campus-ministry/big-break-2010-week2-day5.htm
Look for another question sent your way either Sunday night or Monday morning. I missed the fun, hopefully you did too.
Again, I am completely flexible with ideas to make this more interesting for everyone. Let me know.
“What’s the most important position in all of footy, why, and who exemplifies such a position.”
JMo: “Visionary midfielders. Midfield maestros. Generals of the pitch. These sorts of players can dominate a match offensively, and while they may not posses the best defensive qualities, teams can’t beat you if they can’t take the ball from you. Scoring goals is nice, and muscle can get you points, but vision and class is what wins championships. Beautifully captured by Zinedine Zidane
Diaz: “Creative central mid. Does not matter if they are in an advanced position or are more back. Perfect example is Ivan De La Pena. Look at Espanyol’s scoring record without him. Regardless of who they have at the top, they can’t score when he is not on the pitch.”
BLo: “I’ll have to say keeper. You look at a guy like Shay Given who has single handedly kept City in a lot of games this season. When top keepers go down, the effect it has on a team are hard to ignore.”
Chad Brown: “CB, for a few reasons: they marshal the entire defense, see the whole field, organize the offside trap, plus you notice when a team has a weak CB much more than if they have a weak midfielder or striker. Also, there are very few CB’s you’d consider “world class,” and there’s not a club in the world who isn’t looking for one at any time. Embodiment: Cannavaro circa summer 2006.”
JJ: “Central Defender – John Terry. Easily the most athletically demanding. Strength to put forwards off. Aerial dominance. Must be established. Ball distribution. Pace to get back after FK and corner kicks. CONSTANT communication with your line, especially when running offside traps.”
“Carlos Bocanegra, though a veteran of the USMNT, is mediocre at best. And be so our team is mediocre. Too many goals conceded in the absence of a much more promising Onyewu.”
Willie: “The deep-lying central midfielder. It is this players job to win the ball at midfield, hold possesion, distribute, and dictate the course of play for his team. No other position on the pitch yields such influence. Steven Davis does this with such dominance week in and week out for Rangers that each time he is awarded a much deserved man of the match after another commanding performance I can’t help but fear the summer tansfer window.”
Jeff Hill: “Being a defender myself, I’m tempted to say CB, but I think I’d have to say the most important position is the guy who protects the back four, the central midfielder. If you boss the midfield, you’ll be able to create chances, while the other team will struggle. The player that most embodies my ideal CM has to be Essien – it’s no coincidence that Chelsea have struggled without him. Essien is the best box to box midfielder in England, and with the exception of Rooney at the moment, he may be the best player in the Premiership.”
Hoss: “I believe that the most essential position is the striker. A world class striker is essential for almost any team at the top of a given league. Think about what their respective teams would look like without the likes of Rooney, Drogba, Torres, Ibrahimovic, Villa, Tevez, Fabiano, etc. I would venture to say that you fancy your teams chances much more without that player on their team. One could argue that there are many other players on those teams that can fill in that players shoes and score, but these teams with the great strikers are flooded with talent.
What affect would take place if these strikers were on a mid-table team? If we saw the likes of Rooney at Villa, Drogba at Blackburn, Ibra at Getafe, etc., these teams would obviously be more feared and respected, and their table position would improve. Can the same be said with any other position?”
Steph: “Defenders/backs because they have to be super fast and strong to support the goalie, and can also make curcial plays during corner kicks with headers. Best example, Carles Puyol.”
Cameron: “So, I’d have to say the most important position is central midfield. The central midfielder is the little knob on top of the hat, it holds it all together (well it did, before they changed how they’re made). They link the defense with the attack, and they help control the middle of the pitch which is where games are won and lost. If you can’t control the middle then the other team will, and they will be able to build up the attack with no resistance. Having a brick wall in the goal and four lads resembling Superman as your defense won’t do a lick of good if the other team is able to build up at will and come crashing into the box with 7 people. If your central midfielder is tops then you control the game. You dictate the pace and the flow of the game.”
Billard: “The most essential position has to be goalkeeper. Watch a guy like Buffon play, or van der Sar last year, and they keep their teams in games that otherwise would be chalked up as losses. When Foster and Kuszczak had the task of replacing van der Sar this year their play can only be described as shaky at best. Keepers don’t often win games, but they can definitely lose them. Watch Rensing play for Bayern and you’ll see a keeper make an art out of losing games for his team.”
