AFC Ajax: Past Masters?

Man United's Europa league draw against Ajax today was met with a sharp intake of breath. Instinctively, many would feel that having to play the reigning Dutch champions, a team with one of the greatest histories on record, is a daunting, difficult prospect for a weakened United side.

But is it?

There is an awful lot to like about Ajax. This is the club that embodies our love affair with Dutch football. Boasting probably the finest youth programme in world football, the likes of Cruijff, Dennis Bergkamp, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van der Vaart all learned to play the game here. The philosophy of the club filtered into the Dutch 'total football' of the 1970s, powered the sublime Champions-League winning team of 1995, and then passed through Johann Cruijff to the Barcelona and Spain outfits of today. In short, it is responsible for some of the finest footballing sides we have seen in the history of the game.

However, in a game increasingly monopolised by the super-rich, today's Ajax is a club that is in danger of being left behind.

Year after year, players emerge at the Amsterdam ArenA who show themselves to be world class. In the last decade, these include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sneijder, Luis Suarez, Thomas Vermaelen and Nigel de Jong. The common thread? All of them were sold at their peak, and went on to reach the zeniths of their careers elsewhere. Today's star attractions, Gregory van der Wiel and teenager Christian Eriksen, the latter already compared to the Laudrup brothers, will both be at new, bigger clubs in the next twelve months. Operating a conveyor belt like this may help to ease a reported debt crisis, but as far as re-discovering former glories are concerned, Ajax is standing still.

Building a young side, then failing to maintain it, also has its knock-on effects on the pitch. Ajax has managed to win just one of the last seven Dutch titles, and finds itself in fourth place in this campaign. Perhaps most embarrassingly, with hindsight, was losing out to Steve McClaren's FC Twente for the title in 2009-10, despite a goal difference of +86. In Europe, the club has not reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League for eight years, and for five of those years has failed to qualify for the competition at all.

This is not the Ajax, therefore, that many of us remember with a mixture of admiration and fear. So how to turn things around? In its time of need, Ajax has turned to its messiah, and has almost instantly instigated the mother of all boardroom tussles currently playing out in front of the TV cameras.

Last month the Ajax supervisory board, including the goggle-eyed Edgar Davids, decided to appoint Louis van Gaal, one of the most successful coaches in Dutch history, as a director. Unfortunately, they forgot to mention this to their new board member, Johan Cruijff, who since retiring as one of the most gifted footballers the world has ever seen, has made a career out of shouting at people. He also hates Louis van Gaal.

Cue an absolutely enormous public row, complete with alleged racist remarks thrown by Cruijff at Davids. Backed by a team of Ajax coaches including Dennis Bergkamp, Ronald de Boer, Wim Jonk, Marc Overmars and Jaap Stam (what a team that would be), Cruijff has now taken the club's board to court, the appointment of van Gaal has been blocked and many senior club officials have stepped down.

If this is the drastic action needed to keep Ajax from sliding down the world football ladder, then long may it continue. But in all likelihood, even if this somehow in the club's best interests, it is unlikely to save them by the time February rolls around.

Reading v West Ham: View from the home end

The first FLB video blog comes from a pretty desperate place.

Please enjoy, sympathise or laugh as you see fit.

Sepp Blatter: Football's Great Dictator

Benito Mussolini famously claimed that "Race is a feeling, not a reality." FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments this week that, essentially, racial abuse in football is non-existent, can be put down to misunderstanding and can be shrugged off with a handshake, has similarly unpleasant overtones.

Drawing a parallel with one of the founding fathers of Fascism, responsible for the death of nearly half a million people, is not very complimentary. Sepp Blatter hasn't killed anyone. But his incredibly suspicious stranglehold on power, along with a stubborn resistance to change the status quo, have earned him a reputation that will blight the football history books for years to come.

Surprising as it may be to learn, Sepp Blatter began his career in public relations. You would have thought, therefore, that he would be well aware of how toxic he has become to the FIFA brand, and the only way to salvage things is to resign. His blunt refusal to do so paints a picture of a man who is willing to sacrifice progress for the sake of power, and every year he remains is one that costs the sporting world dearly.

If FIFA were a country - Blatter would be the third-longest serving leader in Europe. One of those ran unopposed, the other was elected after opposing candidates were beaten by police. The next man on the list after Blatter would be Vladimir Putin. Again, this is not pleasant company to be linked with, but after winning four elections, two of them unopposed, with serious challengers finding themselves thrown out of FIFA shortly before the vote, how else should his career be interpreted?

You then have to consider Blatter's continued outbursts, which serve only to grow football's reputation as backward-thinking, sectarian and and exclusive. In recent years, FIFA's president has managed to offend and alienate the most marginalised and vulnerable sections of the football community, particularly women, homosexuals and now blacks. If football is to grow, these are precisely the groups that need not to feel threatened by the game. Under FIFA's current leadership, this is never going to happen.

The latest outburst may be Blatter's most outrageous. It has certainly caused the most press controversy, and rightly so. From the president of world football's governing body, the only response to racism allegations that you can give is a very hard line. Regardless of whether he was mis-quoted, this is nothing like the response that Blatter gave.

Unlike other names mentioned here, getting rid of him will not be achieved by military coup. Only by adopting the one language that Blatter understands, namely sponsorship and endorsements, will results be achieved. At the risk of exclusion from official FIFA events, few are likely to be bold enough to take this kind of action. But the continued popularity of the sport may require that they do.

England Parker the Bus

We learned two things from last night's victory over Spain. First, we defend fine, better even, without John Terry in the side. Second, we need to stop wrapping our best young players in cotton wool and confining them to the Under 21s; they can compete very well at senior level and need to be given more opportunities to do so.

One thing we didn't learn, but I suspect might have just dawned on Fabio Capello, is that Scott Parker is our most important player. Most of us got the point when he won the 2010 football writer's player of the year. The reason he wasn't part of the World Cup squad, and why Michael Carrick and Shaun Wright-Phillips were, is that he won the award playing for West Ham. Now in a Tottenham side that has been unbeaten since he joined, I wouldn't be surprised to see him captaining his country in next year's European Championships. What remains incredible is that he has been overlooked at club and international level for so long.

Last summer, Parker made it clear that he was going to leave West Ham. Here's a list of the teams that should have been bidding:

• Everyone

In the end, Tottenham and Fenerbache were the only two teams to make their interest public. Spurs got him for £5.5 million. Now, they have a foundation to build their team around. With Parker anchoring the midfield, winning possession and playing it forward, the front five of Bale, Modric, Van der Vaart, Lennon and Adebayor can concentrate on attacking. Which they are quite good at. On current form, they will make the Champions League, worth £60 million. In my book, this spells a return on investment of ten times in the first year. 

Arsenal and Liverpool, meanwhile, spent well over Parker's price tag on players like Mertesacker (slow), Andre Santos (hilarious) and Jordan Henderson (weak) - so how does that sit with fans if this yields fifth or sixth place?

England's problem is, Van der Vaart, Bale and Modric aren't English. We don't currently have players like that, as was made painfully clear last night. Players such as Alex Chamberlain, Tom Cleverley and Jack Wilshere offer something like that level of attacking flair, but playing them all together is probably a decision a braver coach that Capello will need to make. 

For the immediate future, England's focus needs to be on how to take the ball from Parker and do something with it in the final third. The success of this venture will determine whether we make it out of the group in Poland and Ukraine. But it's encouraging to know at least that our historic 'problem position' - which needn't have been a problem for the past five years, has finally been sewn up.

Mario Balotelli: Always Me

There are so many reasons to be fascinated by Mario Balotelli. Until recently, so few of them involved football.

Bought by Manchester City for a huge price tag, the Italian teenager arrived with a reputation of exceptional talent, ridiculous temper and a tendency to piss people off. Within a month of arriving, he had pretty much summed this up by scoring three brilliant goals, getting sent off for kicking an opponent, and crashing a £120,000 sports car.

The rest of the season followed a similar pattern, leaving observers to express a mix of anger, amusement, or genuine concern for the guy's sanity. Crucially, however, the on-field form was not good enough for most to tolerate it. After a high-profile bust up with the manager during the summer, involving a back-heel and an open goal, he seemed almost certain to vanish from the Man City picture.

Not any more.

Balotelli's fortunes, however, are not down to a change in lifestyle. In recent months he has, among other things:
Set his house on fire with fireworks
Got caught up in a money laundering case after visiting the Neapolitan mafia
Given £1000 to a homeless
Driven a young fan to school to confront a kid that was bullying him
Thrown a dart at a City youth team player
Failed to put on a bib

Is he a footballer, or Mr Toad from Wind in the Willows? Perhaps he doesn't even know.

As a professional, the only possible way to justify this kind of exuberance is to show some pretty terrific form. The the kind of form that Balotelli has displayed this season. Six goals in seven games, no red cards, and with today's performance in today's thrashing of Man Utd, the ability to play the role of match-winner on the big occasion too. At only 21, he is vastly ahead of most players in his age bracket, and already there are very few centre forwards of his ability in world football.

On scoring his first goal today, he revealed a t-shirt printed with the words 'Why always me?' The answer is, of course, that no other Premier League player would print their own t-shirt asking such a question in the first place.

However, the exciting development in Balotelli's career is that stunts such as these are becoming an amusing side show, rather than the main attraction. Slowly but surely it appears that, after 18 months, Mario Balotelli and the english game are finding a mutual love for one another. Which makes for a very bright and prosperous future indeed. Unless you're a United fan.

Why not to pick Rooney for the Euros

Alan Shearer says that, despite the three-match ban handed down to him by UEFA, Rooney should still be picked for next summer's European Championships. For many, that is reason enough to believe precisely the opposite. But in case you're still undecided (or Geordie), I thought I'd offer a few more detailed reasons why England's best player should not be taken to the tournament.

1. Three games is too long
England will do well to make it out the group during Euro 2012. If they do, the players that get us there deserve to maintain their place for the knockout stages. Tournament football is about consistency, you don't go chopping and changing half way through. We took David Beckham to the 2002 World Cup when we shouldn't have. Can anyone say that was a gamble that paid off?

2. Play the system, not the man
International football teams, at least the top ones, play to a set system, and the players fit into that. For club football, perhaps a team will build itself around one player, but in the international game that is just not the case. If Messi has to play out of position for Argentina why should England make exceptions for Rooney? And more pertinently, would Spain take Xavi or Iniesta if they were in this position? Would Portugal take Ronaldo, or Netherlands take Sneijder? You're damn right they wouldn't. To panic around the loss of one player is an embarrassing indictment of how far our international game has sunk.

3. Potential replacements
As talented as Rooney is, his performances for England do not make him undroppable. Our squad is supposed to believe that, if their form drops, then another will come in to take their place. If Rooney is taken to the Euros, this will undo that mentality altogether. If Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge or Alex Chamberlain were to play in the opening three games and then be replaced by Rooney, what kind of message does that send to our young, emerging players? The decision Capello makes this summer could have significant knock on effects long after his reign has ended.

4. He is a knob
To kick another player when your team is in control of its final qualifying match, for whatever reason, is inexcusable. Representing your country at a major tournament should be a major honour, and Rooney's actions suggest that the event means precious little to him. Perhaps by taking the privilege away, it would teach him a bloody lesson.

Barca's bid for immortality

For the past five years, one football club has set the standard for all others to follow.

In a feat unlikely to be matched for a generation, Barcelona have won every club honour in sight, repeatedly, while the core of its team won the European Championships and World Cup at international level. Arguably four of the world's five best players appear in the Barcelona squad, they give more to charity than any other side, and in footballing terms they are feared twice as much as their nearest competitors. But still, there remains one goal yet to achieve.

For such a gifted group of players, the rare and intangible honour of footballing immortality is now within reach. And this season is the last step in establishing Barcelona circa 2010 as precisely that, immortal. Already the team of their generation, the new approach of this season will grant the title of the best club side ever. If everything goes to plan.

For the first league game of the season, coach Pep Guardiola set out a 3-4-3 formation, the like of which is almost never seen in the modern game. But its rarity is precisely why this is such a genius move.

Currently Barcelona's style is known as 'tiki-taka', essentially 'pass and move'. Now while this sounds very nice, future schools of football need more than a soundbyte. Barcelona need to establish a set up that is unlike any other, unique to themselves for others to imitate. This is why, beyond all of the footballing majesty that has come before, the new formation represents the piece of the puzzle that could complete Barcelona's everlasting stamp on history.

Becoming the purveyors of a unique footballing style is incredibly rare, and was last accomplished by Dutch 'total football' in the 1970s. Again, more than just a soundbyte, total football brought the 4-3-3 to worldwide attention, and this model, which incorporates a holding midfielder, has been the blueprint for many successful sides since that date. But while the majority of Premier League sides still view the concept of three forwards as risky and avant-garde, Barcelona could be about to re-write the rule book all over again.

Playing with just three at the back would be suicidal if any other team attempted it. But Barcelona are here to prove that it can be done. Success with such an attacking system would, most importantly, destroy all modern-day assumptions that the defence is the rock on which to build a top side. Many hugely influential schools of thought, such as the Italians, or any side coached by Jose Mourinho, have built the strongest, meanest defences possible, relying on physically dominating opponents at the back, safe in the knowledge that if you don't concede, you can't lose.

Putting the defence first is an approach that normally works, so is hard to criticise. Except that it isn't very entertaining. As successful as Mourinho has been in his career, he is a key target of critics who say that modern day football has become dull. It is what Mourinho stands for, as much as his powerful Real Madrid side, that Barcelona are battling against this season.

At the weekend, Guardiola's team played one recognised defender (a left-back) and won 5-0. The diamond midfield formation provided both the stability of a holding player and the fluidity to allow creative freedom for the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Andreas Iniesta. As the scoreline suggests, it was absolutely devastating. Normally a lineup like that only works on the Playstation, but turning fantasy to reality has been part of Barcelona's mission statement of late.

The main obstacle will, of course, be Madrid. Mourinho's side will take the title race to a very, very close finish if they are to be denied this season, and will be there or thereabouts in the Champions League also. But often in sport the true artisans (Federer, Ali, Senna) will rise to the very top and be remembered forever, and not a single side is like Barcelona. They are very, very close. Having beaten everyone else, they may as well start taking on ideologies now, and I for one wouldn't bet against them.

Last Chance Saloon as Transfer Window Closes

I forget what football was like before transfer windows. It must have been calmer, with clubs quietly going about their dealings under far less media scrutiny, making carefully-selected purchases of players they actually needed, not having to contend with the inflated greed of agents and finding out that their best player had been sold before Sky Sports News. It must have been a lot less exciting.

In the next 24 hours, clubs across the country will simultaneously hold and be held to ransom in last-minute deals for players who are either desperate to move or will only consider doing so if their wages are doubled. Managers know that if they don’t act now, they will face the anger of a fan base that expects new arrivals at every available opportunity. Many will throw money around in a panic, needlessly disrupting their squads by selling or introducing a player to ‘change the way we play’ and others will take no action, through stubbornness or poverty, in many cases jeopardising the club’s chances of success on the pitch.

Although ridiculous in many ways, the transfer window does make a fair degree of business sense. By creating a limited time period for transactions to be made, the most agile, organised and flexible teams will be rewarded. In the past few years, Wolves have made six or seven signings in the first two weeks of August, kept their best players locked in a safe, and sat back to watch the month’s madness unfold. New captain Roger Johnson, who was bought for £7million, would be worth probably double that if he were still available today.

Inevitably, therefore, there are those who are slow to act, and will be punished tomorrow for their profligacy. And rightly so. Football is an industry that cannot be seen to be standing still; fans want new names to go with their new strip, and need to feel that their club is keeping up with the competition. Failing to take necessary steps to adjust the squad could destroy a season, and the presence of the window is a good way of rewarding impetus and punishing dalliance.

Having played 3-5 games already, many will have made their minds up about the changes that need to be made at their clubs. In my view, the window should be closed before a ball is kicked, so as not to pile needless pressure on managers and torture fans with the notion that their team may not be this crap in two week’s time. Nevertheless, the current system does help managers to see where the faults lie – and in my view the following should be busiest until 11pm tomorrow evening:

Swansea City
Needed: Striker
Top-tier football rewards strong defences, and this is the hardest goal to achieve. Having seemingly done so, newly-promoted Swansea have only one major concern – they have failed to find the net in three games, including two very winnable home matches. Danny Graham, brought in from Watford, has missed a number of sitters and last season’s top scorer Scott Sinclair has realised that Premier League defenders can actually mark. The difference between the Welsh side sliding out of the league or finishing in respectable mid-table is, for me, dependant on unearthing a natural finisher before close of play tomorrow.

Manchester City
Needed: Selling
The country’s most exciting squad is ridiculously bloated, and simply by having this level of personnel at the training ground, murmurings of discontent are likely to take their toll on squad morale. Some have already left on loan, but to fall in line with financial regulations and give some of the youngsters a glimmer of hope, City will need to be rid of many on a permanent basis. The likes of Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nedum Onuoha are unwanted and easily good enough to fit into most other Premier Leauge lineups, while Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli are the type of personalities that no truly great side would ever put up with.

Leicester City
Needed: Loan star
How much money has Sven spent? And on what? David Nugent? Despite being the Championship’s big spenders, Leicester do not look like they have a squad that can compete at the top of the league. Solid, yes, but the starting lineup is anything but exciting. What did make them a decent watch last year was the presence of Yakubu for a few months in early 2011. Finding another unwanted Premier League performer, of which there are a great deal, would probably deliver the promotion charge that this club feels it deserves.

Chelsea
Needed: Creator
It’s fair to say that the big northern clubs have stolen the Premier League headlines so far this season. By contrast Chelsea have looked old, tired and very beatable. With five top class forwards on board, you’d expect goals not to be an issue, but the lack of service from midfield leaves the likes of Fernando Torres worryingly isolated. Throw Luka Modric, Yoann Gourcuff or Wesley Sneijder into the equation and the picture would very definitely change.

Blackburn
Needed: New owners
The farce of Blackburn’s season keeps getting more extreme. Missing two penalties against Everton, only to concede one in injury time, was followed by the board blocking transfers that the manager wanted to make. The same board honestly thought that Raul would join earlier in the summer. The sooner Rovers allow someone who understands football to make the decisions, the quicker they can halt what looks like an alarming slide down the football league pyramid.

Arsenal
Needed: Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal’s keeper is not yet good enough. If they had a defence, they wouldn’t be good enough either. No team with genuine title aspirations has ever conceded eight in a single match. Ever. It appears likely that one or two defenders will come in that will prevent that embarrassment from reoccurring, but what Arsenal will miss most this season is the superstar who recently departed to Barcelona. You cannot replace a player like Cesc Fabregas, and to compound the issue Arsenal have sold their second best player into the bargain. In terms of heart, creativity and rapport with the fans, there will be a loss, and a reduced points tally come May. Replacements for Fabregas and Samir Nasri should have been secured long ago, sure in the knowledge that the two would move on, and with the 60 million they received there are players available to help fill the void. But it will take a stunning day of activity in order to secure them.

Stoke
Needed: Physical presence
Wilson Palacios. Peter Crouch. Carlton Cole. Jonathan Woodgate. Romelu Lukaku. Matthew Upson. The players Stoke have been linked with and have bought this summer are exclusively either 6ft plus or over 14 stone. Preferably both. So should revolutionise their long-throw, ten-in-the-box, essentially wrong brand of football. Will be refreshing to see.

And the rest…

Reading – Full backs. Andy Griffin and Ian Harte have as much pace as the old woman I found passed out on the road yesterday.

Bristol City – Centre-backs. Club legend Louis Carey is no longer cut out for this level.

Norwich – Wingers. Grant Holt is a very un-glamorous footballer but will get goals if provided for by wingers with genuine pace. Without them, he probably won't.

Swindon – Striker. With new arrival Alan Connell injured, finding a goalscoring replacement for recently-departed Charlie Austin will be key to the success of Paulo Di Canio’s first season in management.

Spurs – Central midfield. Likely arrivals of Scott Parker and Yossi Benayoun would be a welcome addition, with or without Modric’s presence.

West Ham – Keep Scott Parker. Come on Scott, it’s Portsmouth at home next….

Blackburn Rovers: Premier League turkeys

If you haven't already seen the latest promotional video from Blackburn's owners, poultry company Venky's, do it now. Stop what you're doing and put it on.

The Premier League has some odd people running clubs, and I think it's safe to say this is one of the more bizarre. But this is a problem for Blackburn that goes beyond fluorescent chicken. It is likely to cost the former Premier League champions their league status.

The owners promise Champions League football, make bizarre offers for big names like Ronaldinho, try to re-name the stadium, and generally exhibit no interest or knowledge in football whatsoever. This is compounded by selling their one promising player for 16.5 million, and sitting on the cash rather than make it available for their sitting duck of a manager, Steve Kean, to buy new players.

One decent forward has gone out (Kalinic), and has been replaced by David Goodwillie, who scored a handful of goals in the SPL. Which is by no means an indication of quality. Their best remaining player, Chris Samba, is likely to be on his way before August 31, and there looks like there won't be a sniff of new blood coming in.

By contrast, their opponents today, Wolves, have kept hold of their promising young players, added a quality centre-half in Roger Johnson, and are run by a chairman you've never even heard of. They stayed up on the final day of last season, but have done enough over the summer in my opinion to improve their prospects, if only slightly.

The same can't be said for Blackburn, who I see taking a pretty fast route to Championship football, starting with a 2-1 defeat at Ewood Park today (take that to the bookies).

Embarrassing adverts are are no doubt entertaining, but when the future of a club is so recklessly jeopardised, many will feel there is nothing funny about it.

For me, it's still bloody funny.

Team GB FC: 2012 Squad

It looks, for all the world, like the GB Olympic football team has been given the green light. At least by someone.

The Scottish, the Irish and the Welsh may not like it, but in the face of (mostly) overwhelming public opinion, it feels like some collective pride should be swallowed, fears of deinviduation be put to one side, and the farce of Olympic football be embraced as a one-off.

So under the terms of the games, a squad of 18 can be picked. All but three must be under the age of 23. Given free reign of the four countries, and with a view to maintaining a vaguely fair spread, my choice of personnel would be as follows:


GK: Joe Hart (+23) - Man City / England

RB: Kyle Walker - Tottenham / England

CB: Chris Smalling - Man Utd / England

CB: Phil Jones - Man Utd / England

LB: Ryan McGivern - Man City / N.Ireland

MF: Jack Wilshere - Arsenal / England

MF: Aaron Ramsey - Arsenal / Wales

LW: Gareth Bale - Tottenham / Wales

AM: Charlie Adam (+23) - Blackpool / Scotland

RW: Daniel Sturridge - Chelsea / England

CF: Wayne Rooney (+23) - Man Utd / England

Subs
Rhys Taylor (GK) - Chelsea / Wales
Danny Wilson - Liverpool / Scotland
Lee Hodson - Watford / N.Ireland
Barry Bannan - Aston Villa / Scotland
Joe Allen - Swansea / Wales
Jonjo Shelvey - Liverpool / England
Danny Welbeck - Man Utd - England


Terrifying it may not be, but 2012 does at least represent a chance for some promising youngsters to get high-profile national team exposure and maybe even enjoy a certain degree of success. Perhaps the prevailing reason to get behind this exercise is that ultimately, a GB team stands a very good chance of a medal. Unless Stuart Pearce is placed in charge, that is.

Big Sam's West Ham. God Damn.

It is beyond reasonable doubt that Sam Allardyce is a good football manager. Famously, his teams are difficult to beat and, particularly at Bolton and Notts County, he has enjoyed unprecedented success. He has a 30-40% win rate at every club he has managed, and has experienced promotion on more than one occasion. Last season, West Ham were at their most flimsy, pathetically easy to beat even with a two goal head start, and we now need a manager who can get us back to the Premiership within two years. So the right man has been put in charge then? Far, far from it.

Yes, Allardyce is a good manager. But Pol Pot was a pretty decent mobiliser of troops. Simon Cowell is a very successful music exec. Margaret Thatcher could get an industry privatised in the blink of an eye. The point being, sometimes success is not for the greater good, and this is what West Ham's owners, two men who I am increasingly becoming convinced are ruining the club, have forgotten.

For all Big Sam's success, no club he has ever left has been worse off for it. At Blackpool and Notts County, promotion pushes were replaced by mid-table mediocrity. Hardly a disaster. Bolton are now proving that mid-table Premier League finishes can be achieved playing attractive, passing football rather than long ball and fouling. Newcastle went down with the team Allardyce created, but came roaring back under Chris Houghton, a man who I can't believe was not offered the Upton Park job. Aside from the fact he would commit himself to the right style of play and would have been just as likely to win promotion, I bet he wouldn't have asked for £1 million a year.

But wages are far from Allardyce's biggest fault. This honour, unquestionably, goes to a style of football that is set resolutely in the football dark ages. In a week where modern, passing, probing, possession football has been so wonderfully exhibited by Barcelona (and to a lesser extent, Swansea), seeing West Ham make such a backwards move is nothing short of mortifying. Like it or not, we are one of those awkward clubs that believes it has the divine right to see the right kind of football played, and Allardyce is not a purveyor of that style. Long ball, cheap free-kicks and an overly physical style will not go down well at West Ham, even if it brings success, and although our new manager has expressed his desire to keep our passing style, I just don't believe him.

Recent history suggests I may well be right in my suspicions. At Newcastle, Allardyce took over a team that liked overly attacking football. He did not supply this. Strikers like Alan Smith were bought and converted into dirty midfielders. Not pretty. This style was not just ugly on the eye, Newcastle also slipped from 5th to 18th in the disciplinary table under Allardyce. The fans made their voices heard, and the St James' Park average attendance fell by 3,000 compared to the season before. If footballing profit can be defined by bums on seats, Sam Allardyce is the proverbial thumb tack. At a time when we desperately need a large influx of fans to fill our new stadium, why employ a manager who makes it his business not to entertain?

Avram Grant was the worst manager in the history of West Ham United. Six months ago, I would have hailed Allardyce as our great white hope to stave off relegation, by fair means or foul. But having gone down, we had a chance to rebuild the club in a progressive, forward-thinking manner. I.e. under Chris Houghton, or another young, ambitious coach. Bournemouth, Swansea, Norwich, Doncaster, even sodding Stevenage, have proven that this strategy has long-term benefits. Today's news is a backwards step that may well change my perception of what it is to be a West Ham fan. Yes, we may achieve promotion. But it will cost our footballing soul.

Is Anderson the new Scholes?

It's a cardinal sin, but I am very prone to criticising Alex Ferguson's signings. None more so than when, in the summer of 2007, he splashed out £40 million on two youngsters from the Portuguese league, Anderson and Nani. For two years, the pair appeared far too lightweight. But the latter has appeared to get his act together over the last two years, contributing plenty of goals and assists and sometimes looking half as good as Ronaldo. Which will do most teams just fine. For his Brazilian co-signing, however, the jury is largely still out. Can he ever nail down a regular place in the side? Recent evidence has suggested perhaps he can.

The more I watch Anderson, the more I am convinced Ferguson is a canny old bastard. He has been used sporadically, and at 23 this may prompt many professionals, especially those looking to get into the Brazil side, to seek out another club. But United have been desperately lacking a creative midfielder, especially this season, and it's clear that Paul Scholes can no longer fill the void. You just get the impression that, come August, it will be Anderson who suddenly emerges into this role, fulfilling the plan his manager had all along.

In the games where United have been at their most impressive this season, Anderson has played a big part. The 7-1 demolition of Blackburn, the 5-0 over Birmingham, the ground out 1-0 over Arsenal and the Champions League semi against Schalke. In all of the above, his energy from midfield has sparked some devastating counter attacks, his slide-rule balls have created endless chances, he has got on the scoresheet himself and wasn't afraid to put in a tackle. Which, unlike Scholes, he executed well; he has only been booked 5 times all season.

You can see, therefore, where my seed of positivity has come from. Turning into Scholes 2.0 requires a significant development, particularly in the goals department, but it is a transition the player, and more importantly the manager, is more than capable of making. There is always a surprise package in United's line up for the big games, and come Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona, Anderson's pace, tenacity and flair could be an interesting counter-point to Barcelona's tiki-taka. He lasted only 45 minutes in the 2009 final, so may be even more determined to prove how far he has come.

United are linked with some big names this summer: Sneijder, Modric, Ashley Young, but it would be just like Ferguson to shun these in favour of a lovingly-developed, 'home-grown' talent that is ready for the big time. Would they be that much worse off for it? Instinct says yes, which almost certainly means it would be another stoke of managerial genius.

The FLB Premier League end of season awards

Everyone else is doing them, thought it was time I had a go.

In a season where many of its established stars have faded into obscurity, the Premier League has been at its most surprising and entertaining over the last nine months. So how to round it all up? The following prize giveaway, The Beavers 2011, if you will, are the latest attempt to define the most notable Premiership peaks and troughs.

Breakthrough of the season
Jack Wilshere - This was the year he became an Arsenal and England regular. A position he is likely to occupy for the next decade.

Signing of the season
Yaya Toure - Often understated but always effective. The epitome of the midfield dynamo; his bursts from midfield are devastating and his eight goals included the winner in the FA Cup final. Can't for the life of me think why Barcelona sold him, but their decision has helped propel Manchester City into the Champions League.

Javier Hernandez also deserves an honourable mention for always popping up with a goal when United really needed one.

Shock of the season
R**n G***s shagging Imogen Thomas. Genuinely tarnished my view of one of my biggest sporting idols.

Comedy moment of the season
European leagues qualify here, so I can include the moment Sergio Ramos dropped the Copa del Rey off the side of Real Madrid's victory coach. Crunch.

Manager of the season
Owen Coyle - He turned Bolton into an interesting team. There has to be an award for that. But additionally, his side were in the Premiership top four, they never once got involved in a relegation fight, they turned Daniel Sturridge into one of England's hottest prospects and they scored more goals at home than Arsenal. Boom.

Sacking of the season
Roy Hodgson - Saved both Liverpool and West Brom's seasons. He is now back in the running for the England job.

Flop of the season
Joe Cole - At the World Cup, we screamed for him to come off the bench. He was the one to make the difference. His arrival at Anfield was supposed to revolutionise both the player and the club's fortunes; as it turns out the Reds did just fine without him. The pace has gone, defenders can read his tricks before he makes them, and the goals have dried up. Potentially a cheap pick up during the coming transfer window.

Twat of the season
David Sullivan - Refused to sack the worst manager in West Ham, if not Premier League, history, publicised a botched attempt to recruit Martin O'Neill and Steven Sidwell, and was only too happy to admit defeat at times it was totally inappropriate to. Today's defeat was probably our worst display of the season, and the majority of our starting 11 chose to not even turn up. It's painfully clear what that says about the way the club is run.

(Twat #2, Robbie Savage. You're not a pundit mate.)

Game of the season
Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 - A game that defined Arsenal's season. Occasionally sublime but ultimately shambolic. Check Tioté's last-minute volley also qualifies for its own award as 'Jump out of your seat moment of the season'.

Team of the season
Blackpool - They were more fun than anyone else by a mile. They ended up one point from Premiership survival, and scored more goals than anyone else in the bottom half of the league. For a team containing the likes of Ian Evatt, Keith Southern and Brett Ormerod, that is really quite amusing.

Goal of the season
Nedum Onuoha v Chelsea - The most surprising result of the season was capped by Sunderland's centre-back beating three Chelsea defenders and clipping a delightful finish across goal, while off balance. Has not scored since. Worth waiting for the next one though.

#2 - Jermaine Beckford v Chelsea from today. Are you kidding me?!

Player of the season
Joe Hart - It's worth pointing out that Man City aren't fantastic defensively. Vincent Kompany aside, the players back there are ordinary. Yet Hart has kept more clean sheets than any other keeper, and that is why his side ultimately finished third. He also established himself as England's number one for a generation. Had Arsenal made their move for him last summer, they would have had silverware, no doubt about it.

And that's your lot. Further contributions are welcome and may well be entered for the Beavers 2012.

West Ham United: The New Reality

I've been a West Ham fan for 17 years. I remember the 2003 relegation after Glenn Roeder's brain tumour; I remember being knocked out of cups by the likes of Wrexham, Chesterfield and Swansea. I remember the play-off defeat to Iain Dowie's Crystal Palace. But I have never felt more disappointed, let down or upset, than over the last couple of days. Blowing yet another comfortable lead against inferior opposition, not seeing any of the fight that previous West Ham sides have shown, and a racism-infused end of season fight has got to be up there with one of the more unpleasant relegation experiences.

My November blog called for it. The fans kept calling for it, the press raised the issue after every game. Yet Avram Grant still kept his job. When someone is so obviously failing, the blind refusal to take any action smacks of ineptitude or worse, contempt for the business you are in charge of.

There is more than a touch of the Mike Ashley's about our owners David Gold and David Sullivan. Too fond of their own opinions, too slow to act, and then making the wrong decision when called upon. Can you be too fond of a club to see you're slowly killing it? Possibly. Then there is Karen Brady, a footballing tidal wave. The Steve Sidwell affair was just insulting for everyone at the club. The frequent quips about what players are up for sale, how poor a performance was or what games qualify as 'save our season' are little better.

Unquestionably, what needs to happen now is a re-shuffle of Tunisian proportions. Total overhaul, with a young, creative coach given three years to build a strong side, achieving promotion in the process. My hunch is for Chris Houghton at present, but others should be considered before he is given the call.

For now, this is how I see the summer exodus looking.

Definitely gone
Scott Parker - Most combative midfielder England has got. United, Liverpool and Arsenal all really need one of those.
Robert Green - Better than probably ten of the current Premier League number ones.
Matthew Upson - Out of contract, out of shape, out of favour. Good shout for one of the promoted sides.

Barring a miracle
Demba Ba - The fact that he only signed in January, and has reportedly dodgy knees, might work in our favour. Relegated sides tend to keep one player they have no right to; this could be ours.
Carlton Cole - Will the lower Prem teams think he is good enough?
Jack Collison - Didn't get enough football last season, people may have forgotten how talented he is.
Thomas Hitzlsperger - Wage demands may put teams off.

Fingers crossed
Junior Stanislas - Has pace and can shoot, inconsistent against top teams but potentially lethal in the Championship.
James Tomkins - Looks a top player on his day. Needs a full season as first choice before anyone can make their minds up.
Mark Noble - Would be made captain if he stayed, loves the club and hasn't really showed his best form of late.
Jordan Spence - Had a great loan spell at Bristol City, now has the choice of the Wolves bench or making our right-back slot his own.

Who cares either way
Freddie Sears - If you can finish, you will be of use whatever level you play at. Unfortunately, he can't.
Danny Gabbidon - Player of the year one season, anonymous the next. Retired from the bloody Wales set up. Get over yourself.

Good riddance
Kieron Dyer - Shocking waste of wages.
Julien Faubert - Like Dyer, except he also thinks he can tackle.
Radoslav Kovac - The most un-elegant footballer I have ever seen.
Luis Boa Morte - One time tricky forward, now fat, fouling central midfielder.
Robbie Keane - Did he actually miss those chances on purpose?

Making the above moves would get rid of the old, rotten core of the side. Which then begs the question of how to re-build it. The likes of Nicky Maynard, Adam Lallana, Luke Chambers and Jonny Howson should be looked at, plus one or two older heads. Typing that last sentence is all the more painful considering that twelve months ago we were linked with Juan Riquelme.

This, however, is the prospect West Ham fans must now confront. I'm reminded of a sign in the Bradford City museum here; this is our 'new reality'. In three years we will move to a stadium with a capacity second only to Manchester United in size. For Premier League football, it will be a big push to fill that space. For home games against Barnsley and Coventry, it's impossible.

If we are not in the top league by 2014, there will be no parachute payments, no fans, and a very bleak future ahead. This is, therefore, our one end goal, and nothing else matters a jot. The best way to save the club is patience, bravery and sensible investment on the part of the club's owners. The time to make some very long lasting decisions is now. Can they keep out of the papers long enough to make it happen? Only time will tell.

The FA Cup Final: Who to hate more

I've always loved the FA Cup final, and normally it's pretty easy to watch as a neutral. This year, however, I'm finding it bloody hard to pick a preference.

For the first time in a long time, neither side competing tomorrow has much of a history in this competition. Man City last reached the final in 1981, and Stoke have never got this far. Neither team really deserves it more, then, but the problem is, it's Man City. And Stoke. Neither side deserves it less.

These sides have among the worst disciplinary records in the league (Man City's is the worst), a fact that is born out of some truly desperate styles of football. City are the most negative top-four side I have ever seen, making sure to shut up shop and play for a 0-0 whenever they come into contact with a big rival. Like Stoke, they believe in getting the edge over opponents by out-muscling them, rather than out-thinking them. Stoke have some pacey wingers, but the vast majority of their goals are scored from three yards by one of the following: Kenwyne Jones, Jonathan Walters, Ricardo Fuller, Mamady Sidibe, John Carew. What do all of these have in common? They were used as extras in the Lord of the Rings battle scenes.

City have the better players, Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure in particular are world class, but this is countered by the fact that their success is bought. For 200 million, fourth place is the bare minimum required, and with the lack of entertainment that comes with it, it's almost impossible to see them as deserving a trophy. Certain players like Joe Hart perhaps deserve success, but then Joleon Lescott is the worst £20million centre-back it is possible to dream of, and Mario Balotelli is too busy being the biggest pikey in living memory to worry about becoming the best striker in the world.

The paradox is, both sets of fans are pretty decent. It should be a great atmosphere at Wembley, fuelled by the feeling that this result really matters to them. What a shame they have to follow the teams they do.

So in the battle of the Premier league spoiled rich kids and the playground bullies, your preference is like choosing between Audley Harrison and David Haye. One is going to upset you that little bit less, but entertainment is almost certainly not an option.

For anyone who fancies a punt on a thrilling 5-4, I highly recommend it.

Nine Reasons Liverpool could win the league next year

It's been written every year since 1990, but you can't help your gut feelings. Next season could be the one where Liverpool finally get their hands on the Premier League title. Below are a list of reasons why this is possible:


1. Kenny Dalglish
Liverpool's coach is the only British manager, other than Alex Ferguson, to have won the league, a feat he achieved at Blackburn in 1995. Despite over a decade in the wilderness, his impact at Anfield since he took over has been astounding.
Comparing his record to Roy Hodgson, one of the league's best managers, makes for interesting reading. Having managed ten fewer league games, Dalglish already has eight more points than Hodgson achieved. His win percentage is 52% versus Hodgson's 42%. His goal difference is +21, significantly better than Hodgson's +12.

This is not a slight on Roy Hodgson; his successor has not just eclipsed him but every other Premier League manager. In fact, if the season started on the day Dalglish took over, Liverpool would be second, one point behind Chelsea, with a game in hand.

2. Kids
"You'll never win anything with kids": An assumption that was extinguished a long time ago, despite Arsene Wenger's best efforts to reinforce it. This season has seen the development of Jay Spearing, John Flanagan, Danny Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly and Jack Robinson as occasional first-teamers. There are more coming, including Paul Ince's son Tom, and Jamaican Raheem Stirling. When they have been called upon, they have all looked very useful, and at the very least they pose an exciting option off the bench.

3. Experience
To compliment the influx of youth, the squad also has a healthy number of seasoned pros who know how to win things. Jamie Carragher, Dirk Kuyt, Fabio Aurelio, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole all fall into this category. Not to mention Raul Meireles, who has four league titles and nearly 50 caps at international level.

4. Steve Clarke
Dalglish may be getting all the credit for the club's recent form, but it's easy to forget that Liverpool have the best assistant coach in the league. Steve Clarke played a massive part in Chelsea's back-to-back league championships, and turned West Ham into a mid-table side. He also has a reputation for establishing very mean defences; he transformed Matthew Upson into an England regular, and since he left the same player has suddenly become fat and useless. The goals against column has gone down sharply at Anfield since Clarke's arrival, and if that trend continues next year, Champions League football is almost guaranteed.

5. Money
Under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool have got their spending power back. And they have done good business. After spending £57million in January, and recuperating all of that through the sale of Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, their front line looks a great deal more dynamic. If they can make the same improvements to their midfield (Scott Parker) and defence (Gary Cahill), there won't be many teams who can contain them.

6. English
All championship-winning sides seem to have an English spine to them, and all of a sudden Liverpool seem to have found the right balance. Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard still have a good season or two left in them, while Glen Johnson and Andy Carroll look exceptional on their day. A unit like that can only have a positive impact in the dressing room.

7. Psychology
Liverpool are also the only team to have properly stuffed Man Utd this season. Their 3-1 victory at Anfield was one-way traffic from beginning to end, when everyone's negative assumptions about United's midfield and defence seemed to be vindicated. They also beat Chelsea home and away. These are the sort of results teams will remember, and want to replicate.

8. Luis Suarez
The best buy of the January transfer window, if not the entire season. Gave the standout individual performance of the season against Man United, a sure sign that he can be relied upon on the biggest occasions. In front of goal, he is as good a finisher as Torres circa 2008, and also brings pace on the wings and dead-ball accuracy to the party. Realistically, he hasn't got into his stride yet in the Premier League, but 2011/12 could be the season he really stamps his class.

9. History
Barring a miracle, Man Utd will clinch a 19th league title at the weekend, surpassing Liverpool's record. That will really hurt. Footballers read the press, listen to the analysis, and come August 2011 there will be no team more motivated to show that they belong in the footballing elite once again.

How 'Yes to AV' makes actual sense

I don't pretend to understand the full intricacies of the AV debate, and the raft of celebrity supporters and mud-slinging by each side only seems to cheapen what is a first UK referendum in 35 years and a rare opportunity to make a pretty major change to how we are governed.

Then, joy of joys, the No campaign spelled it out for me with a horse race. The one in front comes in first, but what's this? The horse that came in third has won? That can't be right can it?

This analogy, shown in the 'No to AV' video broadcast, is the linchpin of the argument against voting reform. And for me, it fails miserably.

To boil a nationwide series of ballots to one, straight dash for the line ignores the fact that an election is made up of countless individual races. A better comparison would be motor racing, and then the picture changes dramatically.

In the 2008 Formula One season, Lewis Hamilton won his first driver's title. He won five races along the way. Felipe Massa, however, was 'first past the post' on six occasions; he won more races and would have been crowned champion using our current voting system. This, of course, fails to acknowledge the consistency of Hamilton's season, where he only finished out of the points on three occasions, compared to Massa's five.

Surely the same logic should apply to politics; if one party performs consistently well in more regions, without necessarily winning, surely there should be some reward attached to that. Currently in my home constituency, the Lib Dems win 39% of the vote with not a sausage to show for it. The Green Party took Brighton with a much lower percentage. Under AV, the eventual winners have to have 50% of the population at least partially behind them. Sounds fairer to me.

Leaflets through my door have been screaming the 'one person, one vote' argument for keeping first past the post. In reality, most people don't get anything like that much of a share; mine currently counts for 0.3 of a vote. This therefore totally undermines a central argument of the No campaign: they preach about the power of our vote, and this would actually be increased if they are defeated in the vote tomorrow.

Under AV, voter power in my area increases by 30%. That has to be a good thing. An excellent tool for assessing how AV would affect your vote can be found via http://www.voterpower.org.uk.

Scaremongering about what would help the BNP, cripple us financially or dilute voter power has essentially ruined what should have been an engaging political debate. If you, like me, are swayed by pure numbers, then the Yes/No decision appears a very clear one. So vote Yes tomorrow - if you can be bothered to go to the polls at all that is.

Reason for Arsenal's failure lies between the sticks.

Like most other football fans, I like to watch Arsenal play. In spite of the very Gallic diving, refusing to shoot from any more than 10 yards out and the constant whinging at a defeat, you come away from the Emirates sure that this is the style football should be played in. Quick, two-touch stuff based on using the space available, keeping possession and waiting for the inevitable opening. It doesn't mean you want them to win a trophy, but in a cup final against Birmingham many would pick artistry over bullishness.

Like many, then, I was rather deflated to watch the Blues make off with the trophy. But there was a sense of inevitability about this defeat, a certain awareness that Arsenal were there to be broken. It's something that has followed them for the last three years, and to me it stems entirely from one area of the pitch.

Wojciech Szczesny seems a decent enough goalkeeper, but ultimately a mistake like that was three months in the making. At 20 - he has absolutely no authority over his back four and can't organise things from set pieces. Manuel Almunia is no better, if not worse. Three or four clean sheets in a row are all very well, but how much pressure is an Arsenal keeper typically under in a match? Ultimately it's in the big games when the big questions are answered and Arsenal's trio of Almunia, Szczesny and Fabianski are found wanting every time.

The moment to change goalkeeper came in Paris in 2006, after Jens Lehmann brought down Samuel Eto'o and became the first player to be sent off in a European cup final. Lehmann was 36 at the time - the same age David Seaman was when he started to lose it, but instead of a replacement, Arsene Wenger looked to understudy Manuel Almunia to fill the coming void.

Since Almunia was promoted to number one - Arsenal's defence has been a mess. His first season saw the Gunners ship 10 more goals than league winners Man Utd and the gap widened to 13 in the season after that. Last season, Arsenal conceded 41 league goals - their highest total for nine years - and 13 more than Man Utd. If you wonder why they finished 11 points adrift, the goals against column will go some way to explaining it.

Yes - the back four has not been as solid as previous teams, but that didn't always cause so much of a problem. The Invincibles team saw Pascal Cygan make 18 appearances and they conceded just 26; Philippe Senderos started the 2005 FA Cup Final and helped Arsenal produce one of the best defensive displays in the competition's history.

Arguments over Arsenal's young squad taking time to gel carry little weight any more - no other top side has kept a group of players together for longer. The reality is that this team has been ready to win things for quite some time, but has been consistently held back by its pitiful last line of defence. Majestic football will get you so far, but until the problem is suitably addressed (surely by an Irish chap currently wasting away at Manchester City) the fans will have to make do with a paltry list of 39 honours for some time to come.