Guardian: The Uefa president Michel Platini has been warned by the Premier League to keep out of its affairs, after he claimed that there were not enough homegrown players and coaches in the English top flight.
→ continue reading
To his credit, Steve McClaren made few excuses when braving the media after his swift dismissal as England manager in the wake of his team’s defeat at home to Croatia.
“This is one of the saddest days of my career,” he said. “When I was appointed 18 months ago it was the proudest day of my career and I was honoured to be England’s head coach. I’ve enjoyed every minute and I’m sad to leave my position. I feel bad for all the people who are missing out: the country and the fans.
“I could make excuses about injuries, bad luck and decisions but ultimately we had 12 games to qualify and we didn’t do it. That’s failure. I said 18 months ago that I’d live and die by results and the results haven’t gone my way.
“All I want to do now is concentrate on getting over this huge disappointment. Although this is a sad day, I’ll recover and bounce back and wait for the next challenge - I’m not one to lie around on the beach. I believe that after 18 months, I’m a better manager. I’ve learned a lot over the last 18 months and now I’m moving on.”
McClaren’s fate was sealed the moment the final whistle blew on another dismal England performance. The names of likely successors are already attracting the interest of the bookmakers, with the smart money backing the Italian Fabio Capello now that FA king-maker Brian Barwick has said that nationality will not be an issue. It would be churlish to say that his conviction has arrived two years too late.
No matter the identity of the next England manager, he could do worse than make Sir Alex the first person he contacts.
Despite the rich talk of dumping the nation’s failing stars in favour of a new and younger generation, the future coach will know that a successful negotiation of the World Cup qualifiers demands that he bring on the country’s brighter prospects whilst retaining the favour of the old campaigners who still have much to offer.
To that end, Old Trafford should be the new man’s first port of call, with a mission to secure the confidence of the players who should form the spine of the England team in the immediate future – Ben Foster, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Rooney.
Rooney and Ferdinand’s contribution to the national cause goes without saying. Foster, currently on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury, will know that his international prospects are boosted with every replay of Scott Carson’s schoolboy howler against Croatia. The keeper may never recover. The ageing Portsmouth sticksman David James is history whilst Spurs’ Paul Robinson totters on the brink of international oblivion.
The continued misfiring of Lampard and Gerrard requires the attention of the new coach too. He must show courage, break with the past and give Hargreaves a run in the side. The Lampard-Gerrard pairing which has struggled for any kind of form under the reigns of Sven and McClaren, disproves the truism that talented players can play together. If one has to go, it must be Lampard, who has failed to bring his Stamford Bridge exuberance onto the international stage.
Once the spine of the side has been settled, the new coach would be wise to follow the new tactical model emerging at Old Trafford. Much has already been made of United’s success in curtailing Arsenal’s feared midfield at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month. That achievement, in stark contrast to the limp efforts of last term, was achieved courtesy of disciplined performances but also because of a tactical innovation which saw United play with two holding midfield players. The 4-2-3-1 formation denied Arsenal the room in which to weave the midfield patterns that did for United last year. Whilst many fans see 4-4-2 as the mother’s milk of football, it might not for the moment give England the resilience needed to take on and defeat cleverer opponents.
Hargreaves and Gerrard could be given the anchor roles, with Lennon, Rooney, and Cole just in front and Michael Owen, as the lone forward. Some observers will struggle to see the difference between this line-up and some of the failed ploys pursued under McClaren’s doomed leadership. However, as every gourmet chef knows, it is not only the ingredients which make a cake good enough to eat.
Guardian: The Premier League is in discussions with Downing Street over ways in which it can increase the number of home-grown players appearing regularly for England’s leading clubs.
→ continue reading
A billion-pound club, multi-millionaire players but at heart, United are a pub team.
That’s the impression the Sun gives this morning with its story showing Red legends waiting on a road verge to be picked up by the team bus.
So, Ronaldo, Giggs and Rooney aren’t so different to the rest of us after all!
Redville
Although the Everton - Blackburn game was a typically painful affair to watch, it again illustrated the truly remarkable job that Mark Hughes is doing at Ewood.
→ continue reading
Pride of place in the red universe, on day two of the Premiership, goes to Peter Schmeichel’s lad Kasper, whose safe goalkeeping helped City to a win over Derby.
→ continue reading
As United faced up to yet another Wayne Rooney injury, it was the Premiership’s goalkeepers who stole the show in the second act of the first day of the new season.
→ continue reading
