World Cup 2010; Psychic squid Paul writes for IBWM!

"ten squid on Spain....I said, ten squid on Spain!"

With a direct link from his erm, pad, at the Sea Life Aquarium at downtown Oberhausen; Paul, the psychic squid, has written for IBWM a not selling out at all piece.....

Hi sports fans!  

It's always tough when your team drops out of the World Cup, and I've already watched England (spent my early years in Weymouth) and my adopted Germany miss out in South Africa, but there's still plenty excitement to come!

Much as I would have loved to see Germany in the final, that feeling just went though my tentacles....I said tentacles...and I just had to plump for Spain.

And do you know what else? I really fancy Spain to 'tank' Holland too.  I've not been wrong so far, so if you fancy a piece of the action, why not get a few 'squid' on Espana for Sunday?  And who better to place your bet with than Bet365 who have joined up with this site.

You can click the (l)ink on the right and they'll help you through the whole process.  Don't miss out and I'll 'sea' you again soon!

Cesc now set for Arsenal stay

Barcelona President Sandro Rosell; managing Catalan expectations

Positive developments for Arsenal today with the news that Barcelona have hit problems in their proposed move for Gooner’s captain Cesc Fabregas.  IBWM's Jeff Livingstone reports.

Last week, IBWM reported on the seemingly inevitable nature of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas’ move to Barcelona.  To my mind, it looked more a case of when than if; however developments in Catalonia earlier today have cast doubt over Barca’s chances of securing a deal for the player.

Despite reports last week claiming that increased revenues had made Barca ‘the biggest sports team in world’  – the club recorded turnover of over €445m for the last financial year – emergency moves have been made to secure a €150m loan to pay staff and player wages.

This news follows rumors in Spanish financial circles that Barca’s main Television partner, MediaPro, was on the verge of collapse and Barcelona FC was effectively insolvent.  The Catalan club entered into a 7-year €1 billion contract with MediaPro in 2006, but there have been suspicions that the firm had been in difficulties for some time and today it applied for bankruptcy protection.

Speaking via the club’s own website; newly installed president Sandro Rosell, who succeeded Joan Laporta in the role, attempted to reassure socios - the clubs membership - that the Barcelona club itself was not bankrupt, but stated that it would ‘have to finance’.  Rosell admitted that there were cash flow problems at the Camp Nou and confirmed that Barca would be adopting an austerity policy, with restrictions placed on ‘unnecessary’ spending.  Rosell also confirmed that Barcelona had received verbal assurances from MediaPro about payments, but pointed out that the deal was not underwritten by one of Spain’s banks, unlike Real Madrid’s own TV tie up.

With the Catalan region facing severe hardship due to Spain’s own financial problems, it’s difficult to see the situation improving quickly for Barca.  With Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta cemented into their midfield positions; it could be that a move for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas - unable to displace any of the Barca trio from the current Spanish side - would also fall into the unnecessary spending category.

Having just spent €40m on Valencia’s David Villa, and bidding for €20m for Juan Mata from the same club, Barca are unlikely to be awash with transfer cash.  The potential sales of Yaya Toure - to Manchester City - and possibly Zlatan Ibrahimovic will generate income for Barca, but it remains to be seen whether further cash is reinvested into the first team squad.  It’s worth considering that Dmitry Chygrynskiy was returned to Shakhtar Donetsk this week at a €5m loss to Barca.

 

With Fabregas under contract until 2014, the only chance that Barcelona appear to have in signing the Arsenal captain will rest on whether he is prepared to instigate the transfer himself.  Rosell did add the line that “everyone knows he wants to come here” when referring to Fabregas, but “denied adamantly” that Barca would be prepared to pay €50-60m for the player, with Arsenal unlikely to sell for less.

With the move now looking more of an obsession for Joan Laporta, the more pragmatic Rosell appeared to offer encouragement to Arsenal by managing the expectations of Barca fans, describing publicity for the potential deal for Fabregas as; “the worst thing that could have happened”.

Good news for Arsenal fans, and it could be good news for England if the FA learn from Germany.  Read IBWM's take on this to find out more.

The legacy of France 1998; How German football got it right

 The end of the line for England's golden generation.  Picture courtesy of the Daily Mail


The German national team has gained admiration for the quality of its young players this year, but at the turn of the millennium, things weren't quite so rosy.  How did Germany get it right, and what can England learn from them? IBWM’s Jeff Livingstone reports.

After Germany beat England in their 4-1 win at South Africa 2010, the English media asked ‘why don’t we play like that?’  And with good reason; Germany simply outclassed England, with every player in white demonstrating his ability to retain possession and pass the ball.  What was all the more remarkable about this, and what really got up the noses of the tabloids, was that this was a young Germany side, with no apparent big name stars, against England’s golden generation; a side consisting of Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard.

This result was no fluke and the writing had been on the wall for a long time.  While England continued to rely heavily on a group of players that had shone so brightly in the 5-1 demolition of Germany at Munich in 2001, German football had gone through something of a revolution. 

Was it that 5-1 defeat nine years ago that had been the catalyst?  While that result would have stung the German nation, the original seeds of change were sown in 1998.  After coaching his country to become World Cup winners at Italia 90, German legend Franz Beckenbauer stated that Germany would be ‘unbeatable for years to come’.  With a strong national side set to be bolstered by a generation of skilled East German players, Beckenbauers statement did not look unreasonable.

By the summer of 1996, a unified Germany had collected its first major title, beating the Czech Republic to become European Champions for a third time.  At the same time, German’s top flight, the Bundesliga, awash with television money, was drafting in foreign players by the score to supplement the squads of its biggest clubs.

Fast forward to the World Cup at France in 1998 and a German defeat to Croatia and an exit from the tournament.  Time for a change; a new generation of stars ready to pull on the white shirts…….only problem was there weren’t any. 

The influx of TV cash in the 1990’s saw the number of foreign players in the Bundesliga rise from an average of 1-2 per side at the start of the decade, to 6 or 7 per team by the end of it.  The national team was suffering and the defeat to Croatia led the German FA to take action. 

A delegation led by Beckenbauer proposed a radical overhaul of youth football across the country.  Having looked to France as role models, with the French already enjoying the fruits of its 12 élite academies, Beckenbauer and his team proposed the introduction of more than a hundred regional talent centres but more crucially, they wanted the Bundesliga’s top clubs on board. 

The Deutsche FA requested that all clubs participating in Bundesliga’s 1 and 2 set up their own youth academies, stating that each yearly intake must consist of 12 players that were either born in Germany, or could be accepted to play for Germany.

While many of the clubs baulked at the idea, preferring to furnish the bank accounts of top overseas players, the German FA added the all important, and ultimately crucial, catch; failure to comply will see your acceptance into the Bundesliga revoked.  In a nutshell, put up or shut up.

While Bundesliga clubs grudgingly accepted the German association’s requirements, it became clear in 2002 that they had been granted a huge favour.

At the start of the noughties, German football was rocked by the collapse of corporate media giant, the Kirch group.  Bankrolling sport on TV, including the Bundesliga; Kirch media had mirrored the work done by Sky with the English Premier League, to a similar level of success.  However Kirch had overstretched itself considerably and its three main media companies became insolvent in a period from April to June 2002.  With the Bundesliga feeling the full financial effect of Kirch’s collapse, there was no money left for transfers and wages would have to be slashed to stop clubs following the same fate.

From 2002 onwards, German clubs were left with little choice but to field their own home grown players.  While many critics warned against throwing kids in too early, dozens of youngsters thrived.  Mistakes were made and goals were conceded, but with clubs having no-one else to turn to, many youngsters, like Kevin Kuranyi at VfB Stuttgart, learnt from their mistakes and blossomed.

The German national side was clearly in transition for much of the decade, but still managed to reach a World Cup final in 2002.  In 2006, Germany hosted the World Cup, and with the national squad still taking shape, former World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann was asked to help.  With Stuttgart’s Joachim Low drafted in to support the inexperienced Klinsmann, the Germans excelled on home soil and finished third in the tournament, well ahead of national expectation. 

During the World Cup in 2006, the first glimpses of Germany’s future appeared. Luka Podolski, Per Mertesacker, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Phillip Lahm all excelled; Podolski named young player of the tournament.

Klinsmann was ultimately succeeded by Low whose side were beaten finalists in the 2008 European Championships, losing to Fernando Torres single strike for Spain in the final.

The last two years have been the period that German football has really hit top gear.  With the fallout of the Kirch collapse still very evident among many of the top clubs, and a world-wide recession still biting in Germany, there has been little choice for clubs but to continue to blood young talent. 

With first team experience for their clubs in the ranks, the German under 17’s became European champions in 2008; the under 19’s and under 21’s repeating the feat in 2009.  By the time 2010 has rolled around, several players have stepped up to the full national side and you’ll have already seen the evidence of what investment has done for German football. Podolski, Mertesacker, Lahm and Schweinsteiger are still only in their mid 20’s, and this year we have already seen Werder Bremen’s Mesut Ozil, Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller, Stuttgart’s Sami Khedira and Manchester City new boy Jerome Boateng excel.  But there are other potential stars in the current squad waiting to make their mark.  Bayer Leverkusen’s Toni Kroos, Hamburg’s Dennis Aogo, Stuttgart’s Serdar Tasci, Bayern Munich’s Holger Badstuber and Werder Bremen’s Marko Marin are all waiting for their chance.

The production line doesn’t stop there either with several other young players very close to making a step up to the full national side. In Germany, great things are expected of defender Mats Hummels from Dortmund and Borussia’s flying winger Marco Reus - Joachim Low deciding to hold both back until after South Africa - and there is a raft of further talent set to make its mark over the coming years.

In contrast to their German counterparts, the English FA really have no more time to think this one over; action needs to be taken to build those centres of excellence and reel those clubs in immediately. 

England have recently won the under 17 European Championships and with most of the Premier League heavily in debt, English clubs may also have no choice but to play academy players…..but they need to be English. 

Despite a semi-final defeat this time, Germany are set for along spell at the top of international football; if England does host the 2018 World Cup let’s hope that the FA have more to admire than the arch at Wembley stadium.

Do you agree?  Should England look to the German example, or is everything ok?  Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments. 

Pannonian starlets set for big time with Newcastle United

Tamas Kadar, set for a big say in Newcastle United's future.  Picture courtesy of imageshack.

And that’s Pannonian, as in the Pannonian basin; a large area of Eastern Europe which encompasses Slovenia and Hungary, amongst others.  But then, you knew that already dear reader; maybe you want to argue the Carpathian side of things?  Let’s get back to football, eh?

Slovenia and Hungary are mentioned here as they are the homelands of two young players that have every chance of making a mark in the English Premier League this season.  Both are young, both are on the fringes of their full national sides and both are on the books of Newcastle United.

Newcastle have endured a traumatic period of late - some would argue this began in 1892 with no sign of abating - following a downturn in fortunes and a fall through the Premier League trap door.  After enjoying a lengthy stint at the top of the English game, Newcastle slipped from being a key player in Europe’s elite club competitions, to become a mid table, and then ultimately relegated, side on the verge of full implosion.  The slide can be tracked back to the latter days of Sir Bobby Robson's reign, with his subsequent dismissal being a clear reference point for consequent failure.

In 2007, Newcastle United was taken over by billionaire sports retailer Mike Ashley and Newcastle fans felt, with huge financial resources available, it was now their time to stand toe to toe with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal at the top of the tree.  It wasn’t.

Ashley arrived with money to spend, but it was apparent that he had not done his research.  Cash earmarked for investment was required to plug the holes of a heavily listing ship up to its neck in debt and servicing player contracts it could not afford to maintain with sponsorship money already long gone.  The hangover of a decade of financial and footballing mismanagement by Newcastle’s previous owners had arrived with a bang. 

A series of PR disasters and bad decisions ensued and any good feeling the Geordie masses felt toward the club’s new owner was well and truly destroyed by 2008.  If any positive work was being done behind the scenes for the long term financial state of the club, it got lost in a melee of botched attempts at sales and antagonising appointments, with Ashley feeling the full wrath of a city’s discontent.  Invariably the palpable negativity at St James’ Park spilled down from the stands onto the pitch and the club was relegated.

At the start of the 2009-10 season, a disjointed club lined up for its first game in the English second tier facing what many expected to be the final leg of a journey to complete oblivion.  A disinterested owner, an unproven manager in Chris Hughton and an overpaid squad of players comprising the bulk of the side that had capitulated the previous year did not look to be the foundations of a rejuvenated club.  However the remaining players rolled up their collective sleeves, dug in and won the division with automatic promotion back to the premier league at something of a canter; Hughton taking the plaudits for an excellent job.  The crowds at St James Park, as ever, remained high and with average attendances of over 43,000 enjoying a winning side, positivity and some stability slowly returned…..albeit with a large dose of apprehension about how long it would last.

In amongst the debris of bad decisions made during Newcastle’s last stint in the Premiership, were some good ones.  The club had resolved to focus on youth development - the North East being renowned as a rich vein of footballing talent – and set about rebuilding links with local youth teams and, in some cases, offering junior coaches ‘a kings ransom’, as one local coach I spoke to put it, to defect to Newcastle from other Premiership clubs.  To supplement the local intake, Newcastle widened its scouting network to bring in talent from overseas and amongst the new recruits were two players that arrived from Eastern Europe full of promise.  Enter 20-year-old Tamas Kadar from Hungary and Haris Vukic of Slovenia, aged 17.

Hungarian defender Kadar was signed in January 2008 from Zalaegerszegi and didn’t take long to make an impression in youth and reserve team matches.  A year after signing for the club, a full blooded tackle during a reserve team game against despised neighbours Sunderland did for young Tamas.  A broken leg was the result, which ruled the player out of Newcastle’s relegation scrap, just as he was needed.  The injury may have been a blessing though as it meant that Kadar avoided being part of the disjointed side that went down; the effects of playing in a relegated team could easily have left a mental scar on the youngster.

Kadar did manage to make his debut for the first team at Newcastle the following season in the more sedate surroundings of the Carling Cup.  Some nervousness had crept into the young Magyar’s (headline writers take note) performances - inevitable following his injury - but by the end of the season Kadar was back to his best and was disappointed not to have played more.

As a composed and classy defender that has covered several positions for his club already, Kadar is a player that wants to play football properly.  In the blood and thunder of the championship, young Tamas has, on more than one occasion, caused Newcastle fans to almost swallow their dentures as he looks to dribble and pass his way from the goal line when row z is the usual clichéd prerequisite.  But this is something that has clearly not been drilled out of the player by Newcastle manager Chris Hughton.  As a former defender and well respected coach in UEFA circles, Hughton has actively encouraged the player to play his football but within reason.

In terms of footballing ability, it is many years since observers of Newcastle’s reserve and junior games have saw anything as good as Haris Vukic.  While several of Europe’s big names dithered, Newcastle nipped in ahead of Bolton to pick up NK Domzale’s 16-year-old attacking midfielder in January 2009.  At 6’ 2” and with great physical strength, Vukic would have been lining up for the magpies on a regular basis had he, like Kadar, not been hampered by injury.  

A league debut at QPR in Newcastle’s final game of the season gave Geordie fans a glimpse of what Vukic can offer, and he too will have been disappointed not to have got more appearances under his belt.  Strength, skill, a range of passing and a ferocious shot all helped a Newcastle junior side destroy a particularly gifted Chelsea XI at the start of last season and Chelsea have continued to monitor the player’s progress, along with Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

For now though, Newcastle have offered no encouragement to any other clubs and made it quite clear that approaches for either Vukic or Kadar are not welcome.  Both players are expected to feature more often for Newcastle this season as they return to their rightful position in England’s top flight.  With money remaining tight on Tyneside, chances will present themselves for both players this year and it has to be good for both that they will be allowed to develop playing first team football, rather than just disappearing into the reserve sides of Europe’s current elite. 

If bids come in that are impossible for Newcastle to turn down, then the recruitment of both will have been a worthwhile exercise, if for no other reason than helping to correct the club’s balance sheet and providing a strong foundation to move forward.  As Newcastle United corrects itself and seeks to ultimately return to the top table, both Vukic and Kadar look to have a big say in the journey. 

Manchester United new boy Hernandez linked with quick switch to Valencia

Javier Hernandez; it's complicated.  Picture courtesy of theoffside.com

Spanish newspaper Marca is today suggesting that 'complications' may have arisen in Javier Hernandez' transfer to Manchester United.

The Iberian daily, never a publication to hold back when stirring things up, have a list of issues, ranging from contractual wranglings to work permit problems, in the background of the deal.

Not for one second is IBWM suggesting there is anything untoward with Hernandez' transfer to Old Trafford - Manchester United have stated categorically that the player belongs to them - but Marca, with a whiff of blood, has long term admirers of Hernandez, Valencia, ready to take the striker on a one year loan basis should there be any issues. Marca also hint that negotiations have taken place with Valencia about a deal should Hernandez not fit in during his first year in England.

Whether United had envisaged any such problems is not yet known, but this looks interesting, with more to the transfer than initially apparent.

Comments welcome.

Danish legend Laudrup returns to Spain

IBWM notes the return to club management of Michael Laudrup, who this week took over the top job at Real Mallorca......and it brought back a few memories.

I can still recall the World Cup in 1986 very vividly.  Due to the time difference between Mexico and the UK, a lot of the games were played through the night, for us UK based folk anyway, which meant that a 12-year-old El Jethro was totally reliant on his tinny little radio with a single white earpiece, and BBC Radio 2's Peter Jones.  I tried to listen to as many games as possible; while there will have been some television coverage of these, there was no way the precocious Jethro was going to be allowed to stay up and watch those.  Not on a school night anyway.  

In amongst the angst I can recall at Bryan Robson's injury and Ray Wilkins dismissal, was the beacon that was the 1986 Denmark team.  Starting the 'group of death' with a 1-0 victory over Alex Ferguson's Scotland (Jock Stein had recently passed away and Sir was in temporary charge), the Danes then went nap against Uruguay with a 6-1 mauling of the South Americans, and a 2-0 win over West Germany. 

The Danish side took to the pitch in those Hummel shirts that just looked fantastic (I'm back to the TV now, you understand) and they played mesmeric football.  Verona's Preben Elkjaer scored a hat trick against Uruguay and was fantastic throughout; but he was assisted by many other talented players, none more so than Michael Laudrup.

At that stage Laudrup was with Juventus, playing second fiddle to Michel Platini, but he shone at Mexico.  I was so convinced that having watched the Danes romp through the group stage with a 100% record that World Cup glory beckoned.  Still too young to appreciate the finer points of the French, Brazilian, Italian and Argentinean sides of earlier tournaments, I concluded that Denmark were by far and away the best team I had ever seen.  Spain next?  Easy.

Denmark '86; mesmeric

Despite taking a 1-0 lead from a Jesper Olsen penalty, Denmark were savagely ripped apart by an Emilio Butragueno inspired Spanish side, with Real Madrid's 'El Buitre' helping himself to four goals in a 5-1 win.  I think that loss actually hurt me more than England's defeat at the hand of Diego Maradona (IBWM still attaches equal blame to Terry Fenwick and Peter Shilton for that one), such was my admiration for Denmark, and probably lay the cornerstone of my fascination with World Football

Despite that setback, the Danes went on to fashion a new side that was ultimately successful in the 1992 European Championships, despite the lack of talisman Laudrup, who went on to achieve greatness as a player in Spain.

Facing regular comparison to Platini at Juventus, Laudrup ultimately made his was to Barcelona, and it was here that he really stood out.  Helping his team to four straight league titles, Laudrup was one of the first Galacticos, defecting to Real Madrid where he picked up a fifth consecutive championship medal.  Despite only turning out for two years in the Spanish capital, Laudrup was voted the 12th best player in Real's history.  Quite an achievement for such a short spell.

Laudrup; trophy winner

After football, Laudrup moved into coaching where he was involved with the national side and then Brondby, whom he steered to a Danish League and Cup double in 2005 before resigning a year later.

Laudrup's most distinctive period as a manger so far only lasted 11 months, but it was enough to get him noticed.  Having led Madrid's third side, Getafe, to the quarter finals of the UEFA cup and a second consecutive Copa Del Ray final, Laudrup's stock was particularly high, especially as his teams were playing high tempo attacking football.  This period saw him heavily linked with Chelsea and Real Madrid amongst others, but ultimately taking the managers job at Spartak Moscow.

A clearly unhappy Laudrup did not stay long in the Russian capital, and was dismissed after only 7 months into his contract; the first time that the Dane had suffered this fate.  Links with several other clubs have came and went, most notably Atletico Madrid, but Laudrup this week returned to La Liga to take the managers role at Real Mallorca.

IBWM is intrigued to see how this one pans out, as Laudrup will want to prove that his time in Moscow was a blip and that he still has what it takes to guide a team to better things.  On the face of it, picking up a job in charge of a team that only missed out on the Champions League on the final day of the season looks like it should be a stroll, but the backdrop to this are Real Mallorca's debts, and the fact that the club entered into administration in May.  

Tough ask, should be interesting.

Manchester United; Cambiasso set for Old Trafford?

Word reaches the IBWM inbox this evening regarding a favourite of this site; Inter Milan's Esteban Cambiasso, and a bid from Manchester United.

No sooner has Uncle Roy Hodgson sorted somewhere to get his car 'looked after', then he finds that the English press have already decided who will be arriving at Anfield....and who are already heading for departures.

"Just a pound....and it will be ok?"

First up, the Daily Mirror have plumped for Rafa Beneitez making a raid on his old club with a bid for midfield destroyer par excellence, Javier Mascherano, with Uncle Roy receiving brer Cambiasso and a leather holdall full of Euros.  Plausible, maybe.  Masch, as regular viewers will recall IBWM likes to refer to him, may well be on his way out of Liverpool this summer and there is clearly a queue of potential suitors across Europe.  Uncle Roy will certainly have his work cut out should any tapping up occur over in South Africa; with a sizable transfer kitty unlikely to be sitting in the managers office at Liverpool, it may well be that the offloading of one of Torres, Gerrard, or Mascherano will be the only money raising option available.

Lot of ifs, buts and maybes there, but then it is silly season so please excuse IBWM
indulging this one.....with good reason.

After all, these swap deals are never likely to happen....it's always far more likely that another club steps in, buys one player in a certain position, that frees up cash and wages and we get the whole domino effect.  But that's not going to happen here is it?  is it?

Good evening, Manchester United.

Now I'm never that taken in with 99% of transfer stories that do the rounds, but the intelligence that IBWM has received on this one, direct from Italia, did not have the word FACT in bold at the end of each sentence.  That's enough for this correspondent.

Looking at this objectively, there certainly looks to be some mileage in this.  Cambiasso is not yet 30, but is as good a defensive screen as you will find anywhere.  Instrumental in Inter's treble winning season, Cambiasso was a huge favourite of Jose Mourinho, with many observers suggesting that the former Chelsea boss would look to take the (prematurely) ex-Argentine international over to Madrid.  But with other players, such as Maicon, looking to be a bigger priority for the special one, who will be looking to a more expansive style in Spain, Cambiasso was set to see out the remainder of his contract - till 2014 - at Inter.

But it's Cambiasso's closeness to Mourinho and the fact that he was so influential to his former gaffers Inter side that makes IBWM wonder.  Benitez will want to put his own stamp on Internazionale; following a treble winning season, Rafa has nowhere left to go.....other than to insist Inter do it again, but better.  

So with this in mind, a move for Mascherano, a younger and  - in the eyes of El Diego - slightly better player than Cambiasso could be on the cards.  But someone will have to pay for that.

I read today that Alex Ferguson likes to plan years in advance, and having just missed out to Chelsea in the race for the Premier League this year, the Manchester United boss will be smarting.

Looking at Manchester United last season, it's clear that Ferguson has already started to strip back an assemble another new side, with several younger players being joined by Javier Hernandez.  But last season, United clearly missed an enforcer in midfield.  Owen Hargreaves' long term absence was a huge factor in not retaining the title and I really can't see United standing still.  It's never been Fergusons style

Every inch a United player

As a wise head with some of his best years still ahead of him, Cambiasso looks every inch a Ferguson player, and it's not difficult to imagine him tidying up in front of the Manchester United defence, allowing Rooney, Nani, and - dare I say - Hernandez to do the unlocking?

The fee mentioned was round the £18m mark.  Lets see.

Comments welcome.