<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/long-live-the-king-how-crucial-ledley-king-is-to-tottenham-hotspur-36248/ledley-king" rel="attachment wp-att-36249"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/long-live-the-king-how-crucial-ledley-king-is-to-tottenham-hotspur-36248/ledley-king" rel="attachment wp-att-36249"></a></figure></div>
Ledley King went down with a groin strain in the 30th minute of Tottenham’s draw with Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday. Leading 1-0, Spurs conspired to blow two leads after King’s departure. King is no stranger to the physio room and has been beset by injury problems ever since the 2004-05 season: the only one of his career in which he started every game in the league. Since then, the overall failure of his knees, coupled with a list of injuries related to his inability to train properly, has seen him miss 129 out of Spurs last 235 league matches. He’s only played 106 games in the league since Martin Jol’s first full season in charge of Spurs. Yet, while playing only 45% of the club’s league matches during the past 6+ campaigns, the club has won 53% of its points total in the matches in which King has played.
With him, they have went 56-25-25 (WDL) since August 2005. Without him, they have struggled to 45-39-45. That is 11 less wins, 14 more draws and 20 more losses without their captain during that time span. It’s no wonder Harry sees him as the most important player on the team. It is why Redknapp is forced to risk playing the oft-injured stalwart. And it’s the reason why the club can’t seem to move past his reign.
It’s not often we see defenders of King’s caliber. It is often forgotten, due to the injuries, that King is one of the best defenders England has produced in Premier League era. He has the elusive combination of speed, intelligence, reading and disposition that distinguishes the near greats from the world class. He organizes that back line effectively, never panics and rarely makes a mistake. And when he does, this happens.
httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Nb-nU3YJ8
He’s great with his feet and as good in the air. He’s big enough to dominate bruisers and quick enough to negate speedsters. In fact, Ledley King’s only weakness is the pair of legs that grant him such brilliance. Were he healthy, we would speak of him as a peer to Vidic, Lucio and Pique.
It is often demanded by some Spurs supporters that his time has passed and it’s time for the club to move on. After all, he’s 31 with dodgy knees and, on his best day, just between injuries. Yet, he’s impossible to replace. One thing most supporters recognize is that had he been blessed with health that equals his talent, that there is no way he would have stayed at Tottenham. He was meant for the biggest stage, and would have easily found his way to one of Real Madrid or Manchester United if he hadn’t been so damaged. So while a bane, his knees have gifted the White Hart Lane faithful a long-term relationship with a defender of the likes they haven’t seen since Gary Mabbutt. He is mentioned in the same breath as Dave Mackay and Mike England, and deservedly so. So how is it that the club can hope to casually replace one the best defenders to play for it EVER?
Even if Spurs cannot equal his talent, can’t they just find a decent pairing and move forward? Well the numbers say that it’s not that easy. Especially for a club trying to return to the Champions League.
When you look at the numbers since the beginning of 05-06 season, King’s presence within the team has meant more in terms of points per game (PPG) in each season except 2009-10, when the difference was .1 PPG better without him. His inclusion within the team during this span has meant .45 more points per game than his absence. And just in case you don’t quite understand how massive .45 PPG is, here’s a table to show the difference.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>2010-2011</td>
<td>1.53</td>
<td>2.17</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>5th to 2nd</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2009-2010</td>
<td>1.89</td>
<td>1.8</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>4th to 4th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2008-2009</td>
<td>0.93</td>
<td>1.58</td>
<td>60</td>
<td>51</td>
<td>8th to 7th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2007-2008</td>
<td>1.15</td>
<td>1.75</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>46</td>
<td>11th to 5th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2006-2007</td>
<td>1.29</td>
<td>1.81</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>60</td>
<td>5th to 3rd</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2005-2006</td>
<td>1.42</td>
<td>1.85</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>5th to 4th</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Table index: Year, PPG w/out King, PPG with King, Adjusted Points,&nbsp;Actual Points, Change
If we look at each season and apply his PPG to get a total for the season, we see some drastic change. Since his last healthy campaign, the only troublesome spot is the 2009-10 season where Spurs actually made 4th. If he had played all games, Spurs would have tallied .09 PPG less, but would have ended on just two less points and still have nipped City for 4th. Whereas in the other 5 years, Spurs would have finished better. But we’re not talking about a mid-table side. Spurs have been on the brink of the top four many times since Jol’s first full season. If King had been healthy, and we suppose that the PPG would have stayed consistent, Spurs would have broken into the top four back in the Lasagna-gate year. In 2006-07, they would have moved up to 3rd. In the 2007-08 season, the post-Cup hangover, which coincided with a King injury, his PPG would have helped Spurs stay in the top 5. And last year, when they lost the Champions League spot in the second half, they would have come in second place*.
If we look at this in the most simplistic terms, King’s knees have cost Martin Jol, Juande Ramos and Damien Comolli their jobs. Granted this is a very simplistic look at the effect of Ledley King. It overlooks brilliant performances and grants Spurs points against Manchester United, which wouldn’t have been earned with 11 Ledley King’s who could all shoot lasers from their eyes. But it isn’t without value, and rightly shows that Spurs would have never flirted with relegation and would have entered the Champions League as early as 05-06 and the differences these two events would have made into player recruitment, and could have made Tottenham a major force in the league over the past half-dozen years.
But, his knees are as dodgy as a script by Roger Corman, and we have to live with what-ifs. But it does beg the question, how does a team with Tottenham’s wage structure and transfer budget afford any player that is worth 17 points over a season? So you can see why Levy and Redknapp are loathe to shut the book on this great’s career. Ten games with Ledley is better than 38 with the type of players Spurs can afford.
Here’s to his health. Long live the King!
* I used 1.53 + .45 rather than 2.17 to adjust points

Long Live The King: How Crucial Ledley King Is To Tottenham Hotspur - World Soccer Talk

Long Live The King: How Crucial Ledley King Is To Tottenham Hotspur

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/rafael-van-der-vaart-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-35956/tottenham-sevilla-like-4-4-2" rel="attachment wp-att-35958"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/rafael-van-der-vaart-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-35956/tottenham-sevilla-like-4-4-2" rel="attachment wp-att-35958"></a></figure></div>
The Good
Rafael van der Vaart was an inspiring signing by Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp two summers ago. Bought for a mere £8 million from Real Madrid, he immediately made an impact in a new league. Typically one expects a foreign import to take three months to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, but van der Vaart needed no such adjustment and by that October was named the Barclay’s Player of the Month. He made an even quicker impact for Spurs in the Champions League, where his experience was instrumental for a novice UCL side. He provided a goal and an assist in their first two group matches ever, securing four points that would help them win a solid group that included the holders Inter, Werder Bremen and FC Twente. By January he had scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists in the league and Europe. By the end of the season, he had scored a quarter of Spurs league goals (13), had a total of 15, added 9 assists and played 28 league games and 7 Champions League matches. This season, he has 2 goals in 5 matches. But most important to many supporters, he has scored four times in three matches against Arsenal.
He has been a very positive signing for Tottenham both on the pitch and off. Already the most public face of Tottenham, he arrived as a celebrity player of the likes Spurs hadn’t signed since David Ginola. He has been a pervasive voice for the club in the press, with whom he has a great relationship based on his gregariousness. With a super-model wife, who bucks the trend of trashy WAG’s, he has given the club a very cosmopolitan feel.
So what could be wrong?
The Bad
The issue is not the talent or ability. Both are there in abundance for the Dutchman. But there is an issue, which comes down, as it always does, to the system. Most people don’t realize that Tottenham are built to be almost indistinguishable from the Sevilla side of Juande Ramos, which won consecutive UEFA Cups. This was a system that Damien Comolli started to implement long before the embarrassing tapping up of the eventual Tottenham manager. It is based on a deep lying double pivot (hence my moniker), utilizing pace on the wings and athletic backs in a 4-4-2 with a target man and poacher. It’s best when hitting off transition from the defensive half, so that while it can dominate possession, most of its goals come when the other team is stretched.
It just so happens that Ramos’ successor Harry Redknapp is a 4-4-2 style manager and hasn’t seen a need to change the system. In fact, Redknapp has tinkered with the system to get it more like the old Sevilla. Seeing as he had no Daniel Alves style wing-back, he has tried to oust Verdan Corluka with Pascal Chimbonda, Younes Kaboul and Alan Hutton. The more defense minded Croatian has beaten off all completion due to his well crafted partnership with Aaron Lennon. But the arrival of Kyle Walker, who does possess Alves’ ability to get forward as well as mature decision making in defense, may finally be the bombing RB that the system needs. In addition, he moved Luka Modric from the left to a central position to play the role that Maresca did for Sevilla. This left room for the reintroduction of Bale as the pacy left winger the system required. Not having the hard tackling DM of the likes of Poulsen or the tactical defender in Marti, he has sought to fix this by purchasing both Sandro and Scott Parker in successive summers. And realizing that Crouch couldn’t quite replicate the linking role of Kanoute, he brought in Emmanuel Adebayor.
This is a system that Ramos perfected at Sevilla, Comolli tried to buy for while Spurs DoF and that Harry Redknapp has done a better job of replicating then Ramos could while managing the club. It’s a system that works. And when it works, it’s a very entertaining brand of football. It was exciting at Sevilla. It was spectacular two seasons ago, when Spurs piped Liverpool for 4th place. Using Crouch and Defoe as a big-man, small-man pairing it provided a lot of goals from forwards as the speedy Lennon and Bale provided the impetus out wide.
Last year, the system was forced to change. An early season injury to Defoe and the purchase of van der Vaart left Harry without a recognizable 4-4-2. So he improvised and shifted van der Vaart into a false 9 position. But, in reality, the” false” terminology isn’t exactly correct. Van der Vaart played more like an Aussie Rules ruck-rover off of Crouch in the final third. It was a quite unique pairing. And it worked, especially early in the campaign, because defenses didn’t know how to deal with it. As they learned, the pairing lost its proficiency. It became referred to as a 4-4-1-1, which meant it remained a pretty close relative to the system that had brought success to Spurs. But it lacked the flair it once possessed in the league. In Europe it looked like the Mongol Hordes, but in England, the club lost its goal scoring touch. Tottenham never won a game by more than a goal in the league last campaign and scored 12 less than the previous year. And whereas the system had resulted in a forward heavy distribution of goals in 2009-10 (38 of 67), it was the midfield that provided the bulk of the scoring in 2010-11 (31 of 55).
The Ugly
And herein lies the problem. When fit, Rafael van der Vaart will start, or at least he expects to. But he has no place in this Sevilla 4-4-2. He’s not a deep lying CM, a pacy winger or a forward. He’s built for a diamond formation, like at Hamburg SV, or a 4-3-3, like at Ajax. So when he was injured, Adebayor and Defoe formed a partnership that showed itself as a better fit for the system deployed at White Hart Lane. When he returned against Wigan, once again as a ruck-rover, the system was stagnant and the team won by a goal. Last weekend, against Arsenal, Harry experimented with pushing him onto the right with Lennon being injured. Yes, he scored, but he was such a glaring weakness that he had to be pulled for Sandro, so Modric could move to the right in order to keep shape. Van der Vaart kept drifting infield and left Walker exposed and created a 4-3-3 by his unwillingness to play defense. Arsenal’s goal was heavily attributed to the Dutchman’s poor effort to close down Song.
And so we begin this international break with a potential rift in the team. Van der Vaart doesn’t want to play on the right (not that he did) and wants to be played in his proper position. His good relationship with the press will now work against the club, as they are quite willing to listen to such gripes. Much like they were quick to use his complaints about not being put on the Europa League squad: a decision Harry made to save him from the wear and tear of the group stages of that competition.
But the club can’t play him in his natural position without causing issues to the system. Sure Harry could play a diamond, but that means one or two of Sandro, Modric and Parker are now on the bench. The squad lacks the pieces for a 4-3-3. A 4-2-3-1 could be used, but then the wings would be under-exploited, which is a massive strength when Lennon and Bale are healthy. This means that in order to accommodate van der Vaart, the club must revert to a 4-4-1-1; which has become easy to negate over the last year.
So there is trouble brewing at Tottenham. With Lennon almost on the mend, Harry may have to anger one of his prized assets by sitting van der Vaart for the effectiveness of the team; however if he does so, the player will not take it lightly and will most likely use the press in much the same way Harry does, causing internal strife to a club that just settled down after this summer’s Modric saga.

Rafael van der Vaart: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - World Soccer Talk

Rafael van der Vaart: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

<div id="attachment_35295" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/giving-respect-to-the-history-of-all-20-premier-league-clubs-35294/william-mcgregor-statue" rel="attachment wp-att-35295"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>William McGregor, founding father of the Football League in 1888</div>
The focus for a long time was on the “big four” of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Tottenham and Manchester City made enough inroads to turn that into the “Sky Six” temporarily. To be honest, most of the noise generated by the media, which drives the fans is about a handful of clubs. If it weren’t for the negativity about Arsenal, you’d be likely to think there are really just two teams in the league this year: United and City.
Fans eagerly allow this media bias to help form their opinions about other clubs, often calling them “small.”&nbsp;That’s not to say there aren’t smaller or bigger clubs in the Premier League currently. Based on grounds or history, obviously Wigan or Swansea are smaller than United or Arsenal.&nbsp;But they aren’t that small. And it doesn’t mean they are without history and accomplishment. In fact of the Sky Six, do you know how many are founding members of the Football League? None. But that was in 1888, so obviously those clubs no longer matter. Nope! Seven of the 12 founding members are in the top flight today and Derby Co. and Burnley have been back in recent seasons.
For the record, the 12 that started all of this are Accrington (the only one to fold), Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That means that seven clubs in the EPL already have a deeper story than the media would have you believe. The next time somebody calls Blackburn or West Brom a small club, it would be wise to remind them that they won their first F.A. Cups in 1884 and 1888 respectively, before Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool even existed. And if somebody asks “Who is Stoke City,” then the answer is Notts County’s only contemporary.
This isn’t an indictment of the Sky Six, Big Four or the City/Chelsea petro-era. This is a plea to respect all clubs because in the league there is only one club that was born post WWI (Wigan Athletic) and only a few that have no major silverware. This is a list of all 20 EPL clubs and their honours by year of birth:
1863 
Stoke City (as Stoke Ramblers or Stoke FC until 1928) are the second oldest football team in the world. They do not have as many honours as most clubs but they did come in second in the First Division in 1947 and made the final of the F.A. Cup last year. But mostly, they have been around much longer than your club.
1874 
Aston Villa have won the First division seven times, the F.A. Cup seven times and a European Championship in 1982. They have played at Villa Park since 1897 and were once considered the most successful side in England bar none.
Bolton Wanderers (as Christ Church FC until 1877) have won four F.A. Cups and were an early power of English football. While they seemed to have fallen from grace in the 1960’s, they returned to the league in 2000 and have have been a mid-table staple since. They were the first team to win the F.A. Cup at Wembley.
1875 
Blackburn Rovers have won three top flight titles and six F.A. Cups. They still hold the longest undefeated F.A. Cup&nbsp;run at 24 and had Jack Walker to thank for their last title.
1877 
Wolverhampton Wanderers (St. Luke’s until 1879) have won three First Division titles and four F.A. Cups. &nbsp;They have played at Molineux since 1889 and the name Stan Cullis should be in every fan’s knowledge base.
1878 
Everton (St. Domingo’s until 1879) has only been relegated twice since joining the league at the beginning. They have won nine First Division titles, five F.A. Cups and a Cup Winners Cup. Everton’s current financial crisis goes back to Heysel and the loss of brand recognition that the incident cost them due to the European ban.
West Bromich Albion have won one First Division title and have been runners up twice. They have won five F.A. Cups as well. The 1953-54 side that nearly won the double was once named the “Team of the Century” by the media. Their nickname of the Baggies was once a derogatory slur used against them.
Manchester United (Newton Heath until 1902) started life as an awful club. After a change of ownership and name in 1902, they have gone on to win 19 league titles, 11 F.A. Cups, a Cup Winners Cup and three European Cups. In fact, with each new owner United has grown bigger and won more, but United fans seem to long for the days of solid second division obscurity. Makes you almost hope they achieve it.
1879 
Fulham lack honours but they are the oldest London club. Their current period in the top flight is by far their best. They were runners up in the 1975 F.A. Cup and 2010 Europa League. They were denied a piece of the legend of the 1966 World Cup due to a car accident that stymied the career of Johnny Haynes, who had captained the Three Lions 22 times.
Sunderland have won six First Division titles and two F.A. Cups. A massive financial scandal in 1957 involving over-payments of players led to them being relegated for the first time a year later.
1880 
Manchester City (as St. Mark’s or Ardwick until 1894) were a founding member of the Second Division. They have won the First Division twice and the F.A. Cup five times. Like Arsenal’s WM and Tottenham’s Push and Run, they have a tactical plan to their name, called the Revie plan. And they won the Cup Winners Cup in 1970. But since they have so much money, we need to remind them that they were in the third tier of English football in 1999 :p
1882 
Queens Park Rangers formed when two clubs known as St Jude’s and Christchurch Rangers merged. They were a lower tier club until 1967, when they won a League Cup, got promoted twice in succession and came second in the league in 1976. They lost a F.A. Cup final in 1981 and have been a yo-yo club since. They were also the richest club in the world for a short while.
The Modern Era of Football starts with the formation of Tottenham Hotspur (originally Hotspur FC) in 1882 on the Hackney Marshes. They are the only non-league side to win the F.A. Cup (in 1901) and have won it an additional seven times. They were the first side to win the double in 1961 to add to their title in 1951. Any mention of the number of titles since 1961 will not be authorized in the comment section 🙂 They have also won four League Cups and two UEFA Cups.
1886 
Arsenal (originally Woolwich Arsenal) were formed in South London. They have taken up temporary residence in North London since 1913. They were the first southern club in the league and have been managed by two men who changed the English game for the good in Arsene Wenger and Herbert Chapman. They have won 13 league titles, ten F.A. Cups and a Cup Winners Cup.
1892 
Newcastle United&nbsp;were formed from the merger of Newcastle East End and West End and have played at St. James Park since then. They have won four First Division titles, six F.A. Cups and the 1969 Fairs Cup. They have the dramas of Kevin Keegan and Mike Ashley to draw upon in the recent past and the near double in 1905 to draw upon in the distant.
Liverpool split off from Everton over a grounds issue with a board member. They were promoted in 1894 and have won 18 titles, seven F.A. Cups, three UEFA Cups, and five European Championships. The names Heysel and Hillsborough have given this club more drama than any club needs.
1902 
Norwich City were founded in 1902 as well. Unfortunately it took them 70 years to get to the First Division. But still have two League Cups and have been in the top flight a number of times. So “Let’s Be ‘Avin Ya.”
1905 
Chelsea have won four titles, six F.A. Cups, four League Cups and a Cup Winners Cup. They have a strong link to the hooliganism era and were robbed of entry to the first European Championship by the league.
The last two are the two with the least history and honours, but we must respect that the work done to make these clubs has been done in staunchly rugby towns.
1912 
Before this year, Swansea City have played two seasons in the top flight. They hold the record for the fastest rise from the Fourth Division to the First jointly with Wimbledon. They both did it in four years but the Swans did it first. Their reserve team has won the Welsh league 12 times. The Gaffer told me that they are the only team Pele feared, but I think that might be a lie.
1932 
Wigan Athletic were the fourth attempt to raise a club in Wigan. They didn’t make the league until 1978 but in 1995 Dave Whelan took over and they made it to the First Division in 2005 and lost to United in the League Cup final in 2006. They also have two Johnson Paint trophies.
So as you can plainly see, no team is small. No team lacks history or drama or even honours. There are bigger clubs and smaller clubs, but that is always relative to the era. So let’s try to respect all other clubs rather than using derogatory terms based on their attendance, their traveling support, their last trophy or their current financial malaise. And remember, the lower divisions are littered with great teams such as West Ham, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Derby County to name but a few. Your team could end up there with a bad season, and then you might be called small too.

Giving Respect to the History of All 20 Premier League Clubs - World Soccer Talk

Giving Respect to the History of All 20 Premier League Clubs

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/blackburn-fix-the-issue-and-save-the-season-34604/blackburn-ewood-park" rel="attachment wp-att-34605"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/blackburn-fix-the-issue-and-save-the-season-34604/blackburn-ewood-park" rel="attachment wp-att-34605"></a></figure></div>
It is quite easy to have a go at Blackburn manager Steve Kean, but it doesn’t matter if you replace him because there is a lack of cohesion to the squad.
Why?
It has been suggested the Venky’s don’t have as much money as was once suggested. Indeed, the Venky’s holding company in India has lost half of it’s value over the last year, dropping from a high of 985R last October to 410R as of yesterday. It has also been rumored that most of the money made on the Jones’ deal was needed to service their debt on the club and thus promises of a £50 million war chest were never realized. But they did spend: £17.5 million on Simon Vukcevic, Scott Dann, Yakubu, David Goodwillie, Radosav Petrovic and Jordan Slew. They also spend £8 million on Mauro Formica and Ruben Rochina in January. And they did openly chase the legendary Raul of Schalke 04 for much of the summer. While nearly £25 million spent on players doesn’t match the number the Venky’s threw around to the press, suggestions that they are putting nothing into the club and leeching it for publicity seem to be false. But broken promises are a worry for Blackburn supporters.
There has also been much has been made of their association with agent Jerome Anderson of Kentaro, who advised them on their purchase of the club. There have been suggestions that he has been behind all of their transfers. This was claimed after Sam Allardyce left and this was once again suggested when the Agent’s son was signed from Aberdeen last April. He was instrumental in getting Rochina, but there seems to be little proof that he is calling the shots. Formica and Dann were highly sought by manager Steve Kean. And it should be noted that none of the six players bought this summer are clients of Kentaro or Jerome Anderson. So conspiracy theories that he is using the club to line his pockets are not very solid. It is known that he is a club supporter, so there might be a more innocent purpose behind his involvement with the club; however, it is understandable why the Blackburn faithful remain weary of this relationship with the man behind the John Obi-Mikel fiasco.
But whether true or not, these worries for Blackburn fans don’t provide an answer to what is happening on the pitch. That is much simpler and goes back to their summer.
Looking at the seven players brought in during the summer, whoever was behind them, whether Keane or Kentaro or the Venky’s, has shown themselves to be shrewd and intelligent in the market. Yes losing Phil Jones was big, but they replaced him with the quite capable Scott Dann, who was in high demand. Emerton was an important player, but was aging. Their two Balkan midfielders, Petrovic and Vukcevic, look like potential gems and should make up for the loss of the Australian on the pitch. But Emerton brought leadership that the team desperately needed too, so their ability to hold onto Christopher Samba was very important. In fact, keeping him might have been the most important move of the summer. And the eventual return on captain Ryan Nelson will be a boost to their on-field presence. Their only other big loss was Kalinic, but he was a squad player, and they have brought in three forwards to boost their front line, but they did so for less than they sold Kalinic. That’s a good summer, but it’s top-heavy with attackers. And that’s the problem.
They bought talent but ignored roles, especially in the midfield. Another way to put it is they have good pieces but not a good unit.
They have plenty in attack, but little in protection. This is where the lack of cohesion seems to lie. This can be seen in the different formations deployed by Kean in the first four matches. He has tried a 4-4-2, a 4-5-1 and a 4-2-3-1. He has tried to play Hoilett both centrally and wide and he has played around with Goodwillie as a lone forward and with a partner.
But this is the wrong area to fix. He needs to fix his central midfield pairing.
With their dearth of attacking midfield talent, they seem build to play a 4-2-3-1. If they use Goodwillie or Roberts, then they will need to move one of their attackers into a false 10 role to play the linking role for these two. With Yakubu, they have no such limitations. But this system relies on a solid pair in the double pivot, and for more than one reason.
Their fullbacks are old, but more importantly they are exposed as they don’t have wingers that track back to help them. Part of that has been the focus on buying attackers, with only Dann and Petrovic being defense minded players. A talented squad can be rendered useless if even one piece is missing. And they are missing a massive one. They seem to be heavy on false 9/10’s and wing players (Rochina, Formica, Hoilette, Pederson, Vukcevic) but they lack a reliable defensive midfielder, deploying the more box-to-box N’Zonzi with the attack-minded David Dunn against Fulham. If Petrovic can be incorporated into the team, they can pair him with N’Zonzi as a protective pair in front of the back four, who can track wide, when necessary to help Salgado and Givet. Jason Lowe looks like another potential CM who can be used to solidify the midfield. What all three have in common is that they are young and can run, which is important for the tactical needs of this side. When Nelson comes back, they could even think about using Olsson or Samba in a holding role.
Shoring up their central pairing to provide protection, is only one part of the fix if this area is addressed correctly. They need to release their attacking options. Goodwillie’s movement has been very positive so far and all of their midfield attackers have had moments that make you think there is potential at Blackburn for some fun games. But this is where the double pivot is once again needed to help realize this potential. Right now they are relying too heavily on Robinson to hoof the ball, but they lack a target for him. New options need to be found. If they can use N’Zonzi or Howe to link the defense to these attackers they would be much more fluid. If they had a DM to push back and allow Samba to carry the ball out, which is a strength of his, then there is another potential way of linking play. Or if they can use one of the CM’s to push back and release the fullbacks, they have another option (although with the age of Salgado and Givet this isn’t as good as the other two options).
But in the long run, it all comes down to getting their CM pairing right. They didn’t address this key area enough in the summer, but there are options. Whether it is handing Lowe the reigns or getting Petrovic EPL-ready or getting Nelson healthy so they can use one of their solid ball-playing defender in the midfield, if they can fix this crucial area, Blackburn’s season can be turned around. Kean isn’t the problem. He seems to recognize the issue and has been tinkering to find an answer. The Venky’s can replace him, but the new boss would need to fix this just the same. If anyone can do this, Blackburn might not be the relegation fodder that is commonly thought.

Blackburn: Fix The Issue and Save the Season - World Soccer Talk

Blackburn: Fix The Issue and Save the Season

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wenger-panic-buys-and-historical-truths-in-the-transfer-market-34460/arsenals-french-manager-arsene-wenger-g" rel="attachment wp-att-34461"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wenger-panic-buys-and-historical-truths-in-the-transfer-market-34460/arsenals-french-manager-arsene-wenger-g" rel="attachment wp-att-34461"></a></figure></div>
I went to the website Transfer League to look at Arsene Wenger’s recent transfers. I was looking for a pattern for this oft-cited project. But you can’t find significant patterns on just dates and prices. And overall, it’s not that important. Yes, Wenger has been very effective and prosperous by spending a mere 11 million net in his 15 years at Arsenal (and that’s without amortization). But that is not the narrative I was looking for.
It took birth dates and age at purchase to provide the patterns I was seeking, and then I needed to expand it to his full time at Arsenal. If you start to look at Wenger’s purchasing history, there is a very different story to the one we hear about his genius at purchasing youth. It turns out that he is far from a genius and is rather pedestrian at scouting teenagers. But once a player hits 20, Wenger becomes the best assessor of talent on the planet. Unlike a Ferguson, Schaaf and Moyes (contemporaries by duration) who all buy duds on occasion of all ages, Wenger rarely buys a dud with players aged 20-26.
Going through the list of his nearly 100 players bought during the course of his tenure, his best purchases have been in the 20-23 range, rather than teenagers. His record is poor for U21’s and U17’s. After age 26, Wenger has almost no concern with players other than goalkeepers and his few buys have rarely produced quality. Comparing this history with the past window, he took too many chances: two 19 year old kids, an 18 year old, 3 players over 27, two that are 26 and one player that is guaranteed to be a success in Gervinho. More on that statement in a moment. One guarantee and eight purchases in areas where historically he hasn’t been strong. That could be a very bad portent to Arsenal’s season. But not their supporters who demanded this. But patterns are often overlooked.
For this exercise, I have broke down his purchases into U17’s, U21’s, U23’s and then added 26 as further line of demarcation.
Arsenal U17’s
Let’s start with the kids. First the Academy. Now Arsenal use a very liberal interpretation of graduating from their academy. But it’s just PR. Cesc Fabregas was a product of La Mesia, not Arsenal. The academy has actually produced less talent for the senior side than is sold to the public. Most of their graduates are transfers from other academies, such as Bendtner or Djourou. But that doesn’t mean the system doesn’t produce. Since Wenger took over, Ashley Cole, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Emmanuel Frimpong and Wojciech Szczęsny are the main graduates to help the first team. That’s not bad for a team of Arsenal’s size (massive sides tend to produce less players for their first team). It dwarfs London neighbors Tottenham and Chelsea. And many graduates have went on to contribute to other clubs, such as David Bentley and Fabrice Muamba. Overall, not on the level of Barcelona or even Manchester City pre-Mansour, but nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that needs padding.
But there is the issue of the U17’s that were bought and then used as academy graduates. Looking at Wenger’s record with U17 purchases, he has a fairly poor record. But, to his credit, he has also shown restraint. Understanding that they aren’t physically developed, Wenger has only signed 14 players in his time at such a young age, relying more heavily on the academy as mentioned above. Obviously we focus on Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott; however, the other 11 have been a mixed bag. Obviously Galli can’t be judged due to his untimely death. But Canoville, Traore, Merida, Quincy, Vela and Barazite never lived up to their potential. Djourou and Jermaine Pennant are decent players, but not great and Ebecillo and Freeman are still being evaluated. So three out of 14 isn’t as good as one would be led to believe.
Arsenal U19’s
If we look at the U19’s, those signed between the 17th and 19th birthdays, we would expect him to shine. They are closer to adult development and so many greats get started at this age. And we have been constantly reminded of Wenger’s genius at spotting young talent. The truth is that Wenger has had an even worse record here, as he has had just three good signings in this age bracket, but he brought through many more players than the U17’s. Nicolas Anelka, Gael Clichy and Song are the best of this bunch, which actually doesn’t sound very impressive. It also includes Matthew Upson, Guy Demel, Boa Morte, Diaby, Senderos and Bendtner, who are all average footballers. None made the team better nor Wenger much money. The rest, other than Miyachi and Galindo, who are still in evaluation, are a list of people few have ever heard of, except Francis Jeffers, who is best known for his failure. There are 11 players on that list who are nobodies. So here, three out of 22 is rather dire.
Arsenal U21-23’s
But that’s where it ends. Because once a player hits the 20-23 range, Wenger is amazing at getting value and talent in the market. While he has had some failures, like Bischoff or Daniilevicius, they are rare. He has had maybe six bad signings in his 15 years (not including the current campaign). Along with the two mentioned, there is Tavlardis, Wright, Diawara and Mendez. He signed Lassana Diarra, who is terrific, but left soon after joining because of another person in this age range: Matthieu Flamini. Eduardo and Reyes are very good players, but didn’t fulfill their potential in North London due to circumstances (the horrific injury to the Croatian and the home sickness of the Spaniard). Christopher Wreh was a serviceable player and Fabianski may still come good as a keeper. These are the neutral buys and they are fairly impressive. So let’s look at the list of good (and calling it good is slightly offensive as it is top-heavy with world class players) signings in this age range.
Vermaelen, Nasri, Adebayor, Flamini, van Persie, Toure, Edu, Henry, Kanu*, Lauren, Ljungberg, Viera and Overmars. Wow! Notice how many of the invincibles are in that list. It includes five of the starting XI and two important squad players. Here, Wenger can rest on his laurels if he wishes. His record is that impeccable. And for the count that is 16 out of 24.
Arsenal U26’s
But the 24-26 range produced a plethora of good players too. This age range brought in Petit, Grimandi, Koscielny, Sol Campbell, Gilberto Silva, Eboue, Rosicky, Hleb, Sagna, Pires and Wiltord. The only failure in this range is Stepanovs. Chamakh could join him and Manuel Almunia probably will. Silvinho and van Brockhorst were short lived, so are hard to judge. The rest are all outstanding players. Ten out of 15 is superb.
Arsenal, Over 26’s
After this, Wenger loses his touch or more likely, his interest. After 27, he has mostly poor returns. Malz and Sjaaban were forgettable. Cygan was average. Suker was a mistake. Squillaci shouldn’t start. And Arshavin has been a one game wonder. There have been a few backup goalkeepers and some cover defenders. But after age 26, Wenger has not bought often and of them only two have been great players: Gallas and Lehmann, He has also bought two useful squad players: Garde and Luzhny, but both were in the 90’s. One wouldn’t mistake him for Harry Redknapp down the street, who can find value in age, but little in the important 20-23 area.
So what does that tell us about this year’s crop of last minute signings? They might be mistakes. Arteta, Benayoun and Santos are in the age range where Wenger is untested to be kind – or not very good to blunt: 27 to 30. Park Chu-Young and Per Mertesacker are 26, the outer edge of his expertise. He usually does well in that area, but having watched Mertesacker a lot, this might well be a massive mistake. He is very slow in the turn. He reads the game well as it comes at him, but poorly when it goes away from him; thus, he tends to get turned in transition too easily. Teams hitting on the counter would do well to focus on him. Gervinho is almost guaranteed to be great. Carl Jenkinson looks like a magnificent find but like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell, only time will tell. The issue here is that he bought too many players outside of his comfort zone. Three young kids and 3 players over 26 is unheard of for Wenger.He only bought one player in that guaranteed 20-23 range. And one of his 26 year-olds turns 27 very soon, which means there’s as much chance of him being a flop as a success.
In the long run, watching Frimpong, who I think is a revelation, and Conor Henderson, and considering the existence of Song, Wilshere and Ramsey in the squad, plus a potentially healthy Rosicky, it might have been a better choice to stick with the academy than buy two injury prone players in Benayoun or Arteta. Although both Arsenal and Juan Mata may regret that failed deal. At his age and skill level, he’s guaranteed greatness. Links to Cedric Mongongu, Jan Vertonghen or Sedar Tasci would have been better to focus on than Santos and Mertesacker.
An unlucky own-goal and an admittedly horrible bad game led to pressure by supporters and possibly the board that could do more to harm than good this season. In what seems to be panic, Wenger went shopping in a store he doesn’t like. It might make this the worst window in Wenger’s almost unblemished record (08-09 and 97-98 being said blemishes). In the long run, it is not usually good to force a visionary to change tack and it seems somebody at Arsenal has.

Wenger: Panic Buys and Historical Truths in the Transfer Market - World Soccer Talk

Wenger: Panic Buys and Historical Truths in the Transfer Market

The #1 Source for Soccer TV Schedules, Streaming Links, Cord Cutting Reviews, Soccer News and Interviews With Broadcasters.

Elliot Kolega

latest articles by Elliot Kolega

Leagues: EPL