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So the race is run and we football enthusiasts are left to pick the bones out of a season that had&nbsp;many twists and turns but concluded with a very familiar outcome. Yes, once again, for the the third time in a row Manchester United have won the Premier League title, and deservedly so. Liverpool pushed them all the way but their poor run after Christmas left them with too much to do.
One thing that we can say for certain is that after a&nbsp;number of&nbsp;seasons of cordiality between Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson,&nbsp;any rapport has been&nbsp;firmly cast aside.&nbsp;Both managers have been quick to fire broadsides during the season in a new dynamic, that has been at times childish but also entertaining.
Since&nbsp;Benitez’s&nbsp;infamous list of ‘facts’ in January, this managerial rivalry&nbsp;has been the one that has captured the attention and filled the headlines.&nbsp;Benitez was accused of ‘cracking up’ after that&nbsp;particular rant, but taking&nbsp;the comments with an aside of salt, there were grains of truth in what the&nbsp;Liverpool manager had to say.
This Saturday,&nbsp;Benitez&nbsp;was once again drawn on his Mancunian rivals and his summary of the gulf between Liverpool and Manchester United seemed to fly in the face of logic. In comments that appeared in&nbsp;The Guardian, before&nbsp;United’s match against Arsenal, Benitez gave a begrudging assessment of Alex Ferguson’s team and opined that the main difference between the two sides was the financial advantage that&nbsp;Ferguson enjoys at the Old Trafford club.
It is certainly true that Manchester United possess a financial edge and pulling power that few other clubs can muster in the Premier League. Their squad has been assembled over a number of years, at some cost, that is not in dispute. But financial muscle is not the reason Manchester United have remained ahead of their rivals for a third season in succession. The strength and depth&nbsp;of Manchester United’s squad has been the main difference between them and Liverpool, but this strength is not gleaned purely through their bank balance.
When you consider the elements of Alex Ferguson’s squad that have stepped into the breach, and made particularly telling contributions, they are not players that have been procured through large transfer fees and wages. Players like&nbsp;John O’Shea, Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans have been&nbsp;integral to United’s title charge and&nbsp;have cost the club not a jot in transfer fees.&nbsp;Manchester United’s academy may not be as prolific as it was in&nbsp;the period during the&nbsp;mid 1990s but these are the kind of players that are invaluable to a squad over a season.
Benitez has been at the club long enough to adapt and develop his own method of producing players but Liverpool have not produced a player of note for their first team in years. If Benitez were more inclined to inspect the figures he would also find that the numbers do not stack up in favour of his argument. United do spend big but the Spanish manager has not exactly been frugal in the transfer market during his time at Anfield.&nbsp;
The turnover of players during his tenure has been staggering and he has consistently failed to identify full backs and wide players&nbsp;of true&nbsp;quality. Benitez has had sufficient time and resources to assemble a squad at Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title. Liverpool fans may suggest that Rick Parry’s influence over transfer matters has hindered Benitez’s cause but the manager must take&nbsp;some responsibility.&nbsp;
When it comes down to it finance has not been the ultimate difference between the sides and it is churlish of Benitez to suggest otherwise. Liverpool derserve great credit for the manner in which they chased Manchester United this season but Benitez has shown a distinct lack of grace in defeat.

Benitez's United Comments Wide Of The Mark - World Soccer Talk

Benitez's United Comments Wide Of The Mark

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After Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Wigan last night Alex Ferguson’s men require just one more point from their last two games to retain their Premier League title. On Saturday they take on Arsenal at Old Trafford and will be eager to put one over their rivals and wrap the&nbsp;league up in front of their own fans. Since Ferguson took over at Old Trafford the games between these two rivals have been fiercely contested and often have had huge consequences for the destiny of that season’s title. Unfortunately for Wenger’s men in recent seasons they have slipped below the standards previously set but they will be keen to avoid gifting United the title come the weekend. Before this encounter EPL Talk decided to look back at five of the most important encounters between the sides at Old Trafford that defined an era in the Premier League.
5. Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal, March 1998
This is certainly one of the Premiership titles that Ferguson will consider got away and launched Wenger towards Arsenal immortality.&nbsp;United&nbsp;enjoyed a twelve point gap at one point but&nbsp;came up against an Arsenal team that ran into an inspired&nbsp;run of form&nbsp;after Christmas follwoing a 3-1 beating by Blackburn at Highbury. This game at Old Trafford was undoubtedly the tipping point as Marc Overmars’ stunning finish&nbsp;from a Nicolas Anelka flick gave Arsenal a 1-0 victory and all the momentum. This was the day the Ferguson/Wenger rivalry started after Arsenal wrapped up the double at United’s expense.
4. Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal, September 2003.
Another fiery installment of this rivalry that will live long in the memory. This early season clash had&nbsp;far reaching implications for the rest of the season. Patrick&nbsp;Vieira received his marching orders in a tense match before Ruud Van Nistelrooy missed a last minute penalty that sparked wild scenes with Martin Keown, Lauren and others berating the Dutch striker. The vitriol aparently continued in the tunnel after the match and led to a&nbsp;number of lengthy bans. Importantly,&nbsp;Manchester United missed an opportunity&nbsp;to halt Arsenal’s&nbsp;Invincible season&nbsp;early on and the siege mentality must have helped Arsenal to Wenger’s&nbsp;third Premiership at the club.&nbsp;
3. Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal, October 2004.
Arsene Wenger’s team arrived at Old Trafford as ‘the Invincibles’ after winning the previous league without losing a match, a run that had been extended to 49 games by October. Arsenal were keen to reach the symbolic 50 not out but much to the delight of the Old Trafford faithful they came unstuck, losing 2-0. Ruud Van Nistelrooy opened the scoring&nbsp;with a penalty that Arsenal fans to this day maintain came from a Wayne Rooney dive. Rooney wrapped the game up in the second half and smashed Arsenal’s great run. Arsenal have never really hit the&nbsp;same&nbsp;heights since and ‘the Invincibles’ have been resigned to Arsenal lore.
2. Manchester United 6-1 Arsenal, February 2001.
A match&nbsp;Arsenal fans would love to forget but this is without doubt the most emphatic victory delivered by either side in the&nbsp;recent era. United cruelly exposed an Arsenal defence that contained the inept Igor Stepanovs and the patchy Oleg Luzhny. Dwight Yorke’s opener was cancelled out by a superb Henry&nbsp;goal but then United just steamrolled their opposition.&nbsp;Dwight Yorke grabbed a first half&nbsp;hat-trick and&nbsp;Keane, Solsjkaer and Sheringham heaped&nbsp;further misery on their rivals, on their way to another Premiership title.&nbsp;
1. Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal, May 2002.
A game that Arsenal fans still love to remind their Manchester rivals of every time the two sides meet. Arsenal had just claimed the FA Cup and travelled to Old Trafford knowing victory would seal the title. Fergie’s men were determined not to let that happen but Arsenal were the better side and sealed the title and the double with Sylvain Wiltord’s second half goal. As Ferguson’s men trudged off the pitch Arsenal’s players celebrated with their travelling support, a seminal Premiership moment.

Manchester United v Arsenal: Five To Remember - World Soccer Talk

Manchester United v Arsenal: Five To Remember

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The life of Theo Walcott must be a peculiar one, thrust into the limelight in 2006 as a 17 year-old when picked for the England World Cup squad, the glare has been on him ever since. When he scored a hat-trick against Croatia for the national team last September he was hailed as the next English great.
Fast forward nine months and the knives have come out for a player who at the tender age of 20 is still learning his trade. Following a terrible week for Arsenal, where they were comfortably dispatched at home by both Chelsea and Manchester United, Walcott is one player that has come in for robust criticism.
On Monday, the Times ran a graphic on their website highlighting the wane of Walcott’s star since that virtuoso performance against Croatia. Breaking down Walcott’s performance since into appearances versus goals scored, the evidence was quite damning. Imagine a 20 year old suffering a dip in form? Write him off, he is finished.
What the graphic did not tell you though is that in the past two seasons Walcott has suffered two serious shoulder injuries. It also did not highlight his performance in the Champions League quarter-final against Villareal where he gave Spanish international Joan Capdevila a torrid time and scored a spectacular goal.
Young English players do not seem to be given the time or the space to mature in the rareified atmosphere of the Premier League. Promising players are lauded when they first burst onto the scene but with this praise comes added scrutiny. In a league that has its fair share of foreign stars fans are desperate to find local heroes but at times&nbsp;this pressure can become suffocating.
This is not to say young English players should be beyond criticism, but in Arsenal’s past two games Walcott&nbsp;was the not the only Arsenal player to perform well below par.&nbsp;Gabriel Agbonlahor is another player who has been on the receiving end of unrealistic expectations this season when he was disgracefully booed by his own fans after a poor run of scoring form.
The career of Micah Richards also highlights this particularly English phenomenon.&nbsp;A staggering physical specimen when he broke into the Manchester City and England team as a teenager his form has since tapered off and the criticism has been sharp.
At such a young age there are very few players who are capable, mentally and physically, of instantly finding their feet at the top level and maintaining that form, that is why the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas are so special. Players are not robots and young talent needs to be nurtured, players need to be given the stage to make mistakes, learn the game and come back stronger.
The&nbsp;highest level of the English game is a particularly unforgiving place but&nbsp;expecting boys to perform like men is unfair and damages their confidence&nbsp;in the long run.

Young English Players Need Time To Mature - World Soccer Talk

Young English Players Need Time To Mature

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The fall out from Chelsea v. Barcelona on Wednesday night continues unabated today as PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has called for the use of technology in football to assist referees. Speaking to the BBC, he said: “We are putting referee’s in too vulnerable a situation with the conspiracy theories that abound that UEFA would not want an all English final, it was an accident waiting to happen…. Until we bring in technology we are almost giving ourselves ignition points where the game could flare up for players and supporters.”
Tom Ovrebo is the scapegoat of the moment but it boggles the mind how it could have come to Wednesday night for this debate to be once again pushed to the fore. Chelsea are not the only victims of dodgy penalty decisions, Barca were unlucky in the first leg at the Nou Camp and last year Arsenal were denied a clear penalty at the Emirates against Liverpool when Alexander Hleb was brought down, just a couple of examples.
The debate over technology should not just focus on mistakes made on Wednesday night, as Taylor points out the referee is put in such an exposed position by the powers that be in the game. Ovrebo is now under police protection in Norway amid death threats and a media storm. He is not the first, as Swede Anders Frisk retired from the game after abuse suffered following a Chelsea/Barcelona Champions League&nbsp;tie in 2005.
Technology should not be used to make the role of the referee redundant but assist him in making decisions. Look at other sports, rugby union, rugby league and tennis, where technology using cameras has been well and truly integrated into the game. Yes, football is different and played at a completely different pace to these sports but at this point football looks decidedly backward in its application of technology that is widely available.
FIFA and other such organizations are supposed to be the guardians of our game but at this point they seem to be fiddling while Rome burns, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter defending the cessation of the development of goal-line technology.&nbsp;Blatter proffered that these systems are too complicated, too expensive and not foolproof.&nbsp;It may not be foolproof but it would seem likely that it would stand a far better chance than a referee or linesman, standing 20 yards away, having to make an&nbsp;instantaneous decision on whether the ball has crossed the line.&nbsp;
Admittedly there are issues around how camera and other technology would impact on the flow of the game and which&nbsp;types of decisions could be influenced. For instance with something like Abidal’s sending off on Wednesday&nbsp;you&nbsp;still have disagreements between people when you slow it down frame by frame. Did&nbsp;he make contact? Was it intentional?&nbsp;
But goal-line technology should be a given, it should already be introduced, what will it take for people like Blatter&nbsp;to pull their head out of the sand and bring football in line with other modern sports?
FIFA believe the best way forward is to improve the standard of refereeing rather than introduce technological advances. Why are the two mutually exclusive? A high standard of&nbsp;refereeing is compatible with the use of cameras to assist their decisions.&nbsp;
Football’s governing bodies need to&nbsp;smarten up and explore more thoroughly an area that they seem content to largely ignore. If a more cogent and worthwhile debate emerges from&nbsp;Wednesday’s furore&nbsp;then something positive will come from those tawdry scenes we witnessed after the final whistle between Chelsea and Barcelona.

Technology In Football: Common Sense Must Prevail - World Soccer Talk

Technology In Football: Common Sense Must Prevail

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Following&nbsp;last night’s drama between Chelsea and Barcelona in the Champions League I felt it was an appropriate occasion to dwell on memorable European encounters involving English teams in the past.&nbsp;The Champions League/European Cup has at different times proved a hugely rewarding hunting ground for English teams. In triumph or defeat this competition has provided some amazing matches for English football fans. These&nbsp;memories are based on my limited time on this planet so feel free to&nbsp;contribute with the additional wisdom of age and experience.&nbsp;
10. Manchester United v Real Madrid 2003
Following a 3-1 defeat at the Bernabeu United were up against it in the home leg, although Alex Feguson’s side prevailed 4-3 this match was memorable for one of the great European performances by the Brazilian striker Ronaldo. Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick&nbsp;with a world class display of finishing, so good in fact the Old Trafford faithful clapped him from the pitch when he was substituted.
9. Newcastle v Barcelona 1997
This game secured Faustino Asprilla’s place in the hearts of the Geordie faithful as his hat-trick disposed of the Catalan aristocrats at St. James’ Park. Newcastle were dynamic and hugely entertaining during this period but no-one predicted this result. A huge occasion for the North-East club and a fantastic result that&nbsp;must seem so long ago given Newcastle’s current difficulties.
8. Inter Milan v Arsenal 2003
Arsenal travelled to the San Siro in desperate need of a result after a tentative performance in the group to that point. Following a 3-1 defeat at Highbury to the same opposition Arsenal fans would not have been confident but their side dispatched the Italian giants 5-1 as Thierry Henry ran amok, scoring twice and setting up another.
7. Leeds United v Deportivo La Coruna 2001
Leeds defied the odds to make it to the quarter finals of the competition and they faced the reigning Spanish champions who boasted the talent of Roy Makaay and Djalminha in their ranks. On the night Leeds blew the opposition away, winning 3-0 courtesy of goals from Alan Smith, Ian Harte and Rio Ferdinand, doing enough to progress to the semi-finals.&nbsp;Leeds may never see the likes again as they wallow in League 2 following their financial difficulties.
6. Arsenal&nbsp;v Chelsea 2004
Chelsea had not beaten Arsenal in 17 matches coming into this&nbsp;quarter-final tie and Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ were heavy favourites to progress following a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Nobody told Chelsea though as they came from a goal down to grab a dramatic winner as Wayne Bridge beat Arsenal’s back-line and slid the ball past Jens Lehmann. Real European drama.
5. Liverpool v Olympiakos 2004
Liverpool needed to win by two clear goals to progress to the next round and that task was made even more difficult when Rivaldo put the Greeks ahead. Substitutes Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor gave the Reds a chance and then Steven Gerrard smashed a brilliant strike home with minutes left. That goal may have spawned another annoying Andy Gray catchphrase but&nbsp;it&nbsp;was another great European&nbsp;moment.
&nbsp;4. Chelsea v Barcelona 2005
Following a 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp Chelsea stormed into a 3-0 lead at Stamford Bridge to grab a hold of the tie. Barcelona stormed back into the game though with a spectacular double from the then incomparable Ronaldinho, and held the advantage on away goals. With time running out&nbsp;John Terry headed in a corner&nbsp;to send the Blues into raptures. The drama and the animosity between Jose Mourinho and Frank Rijkaard made this an occasion to remember.&nbsp;
3. Juventus v Manchester United 1999
The game that came to embody Roy Keane as a player. The Red Devils came back from two goals down on the night to win 3-2 and book their place in the final. Keane was the catalyst with two brilliant goals that pulled his side back into the tie but his booking meant he missed the final in Barcelona.
2. Liverpool v AC Milan 2005
A ludicrous game of football really, AC Milan were imperious in the first half charging into a deserved 3-0 lead thanks to a Crespo double and a rare Paolo Maldini strike. Italian sides do not give up three goal leads so we all resigned ourselves to a dull second half. Then Liverpool unleashed a second half storm, inspired by Steven Gerrard in midfield, to level and claim the trophy on penalties, only after Andriy Shevchenko had inexplicably missed in extra time. Surreal.
1. Manchester United v Bayern Munich 1999
An obvious choice really,&nbsp;possibly the greatest comeback&nbsp;I’ve ever seen in a football match (although Liverpool fans will probably disagree).&nbsp;Shorn of Roy Keane and&nbsp;Paul Scholes in the midfield follwing suspensions United were outplayed by their German adversaries but hung in after Mario Basler’s&nbsp;first half opener. Then up popped Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to steal the match and the trophy in an incredible finale. Lothar Mattaus probably still has nightmares about this game.

Top 10 Dramatic European Encounters - World Soccer Talk

Top 10 Dramatic European Encounters

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The Premier League season is reaching its conclusion and it is time for tributes and awards to be given to those individuals and teams that have excelled throughout the season. Ryan Giggs has already scooped the PFA Player of the Year award and EPL Talk has made its case for why Roy Hodgson should be given the manager of the year honour.
One place that will probably not be overloaded with praise and&nbsp;decoration come the season’s end will be the Britannia Stadium, home of Stoke City. With four games remaining&nbsp;Stoke lie in 12th position and appear certainties to&nbsp;avoid the drop. But it is the manner they have achieved that end that has at times drawn&nbsp;derision from within the football community.
At the start of the season the Potters were nailed on favourites to return to the Championship from whence they came, they had not spent enough in the summer, they did not have enough quality in their squad it was assumed. But against the odds Tony Pulis and his men have ground their way through the season and seemingly achieved what many thought was beyond them.
Stoke’s relative success has been based on superb home form roared on by&nbsp;what is one of the most fervent crowds&nbsp;in the Premier League. Stoke’s total of nine wins at home is one of the best in the league and has provided the bulk of their points total. Much has been made of the influence of&nbsp;Rory Delap’s&nbsp;super human&nbsp;long throws and Stoke’s physical approach to&nbsp;the game, often the analysis has not been&nbsp;exactly glowing.&nbsp;
Since when did football fans and analysts become so snobby about&nbsp;how the&nbsp;game is played? Is there not something thrilling about watching teams try to diffuse the maelstrom that is unleashed upon them by Stoke’s fired up players and passionate fans? Arsenal&nbsp;were wholly incapable of dealing with their threat from set pieces and Spurs were another team to wilt in the face of the challenge presented at the Brittania Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We seem far less willing these days to applaud the more earthy elements of the game, teams that&nbsp;thrive in physical encounters and can make the most of their limited resources.&nbsp;Stoke have shown grit and commitment throughout the season and their comeback against Aston Villa at Villa Park displayed their tremendous character. Stoke have also had to cope with the loss of&nbsp;Liam Lawrence, one of their most creative players,&nbsp;to injury for much of the season.
Delap’s throw ins have been a great weapon for the Potters but they have shown more quality at times than they have been given credit for,&nbsp;you simply cannot survive in the Premiership without a quota of&nbsp;good players.&nbsp;Ricardo Fuller scored one of the goals of the season with his flick, spin and drive against Aston Villa at the beginning of the season and Glenn Whelan has established himself on the international stage with the Republic of Ireland.
Manager Pulis has astutely put together a squad on a restricted budget that combines experience with players like Ryan Shawcross who are eager to make their mark on the top flight. The signing of James Beattie has also added goals to a squad that has looked short of cutting edge at times. Stoke may not be fashionable, much of that&nbsp;may be&nbsp;down to Tony Pulis’ tracksuit, but their&nbsp;performance this season&nbsp;deserves to be recognized.
So doff your cap to&nbsp;Stoke City&nbsp;and salute a survival job well done.

Stoke City Deserve Some R.E.S.P.E.C.T - World Soccer Talk

Stoke City Deserve Some R.E.S.P.E.C.T

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Football fans are not the most patient of breeds and short memories&nbsp; are part and parcel of the game. As Arsenal hit top form and sit comfortably within the coveted Champions League places, few Gunners will recall that spell between January and February when their attack floundered haplessly.
Shorn&nbsp;of their captain Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal stumbled to three consecutive goalless draws in the league at the Emirates and left Arsene Wenger’s side desperate for&nbsp;extra attacking impetus. Since the beginning of March Arsenal have scored 22 goals in just seven games in the Premier League and&nbsp;are repaying&nbsp;their manager’s&nbsp;abundant faith in their ability.
Attacking abandon has returned to North London and is encapsulated in the form of Russian wizard Andrei Arshavin.&nbsp;Arsene&nbsp;Wenger’s&nbsp;theory of a six-month bedding in period for foreign players&nbsp;arriving in the Premier League has been thoroughly tested by&nbsp;a&nbsp;player who has provided six goals and six assists since his big money transfer from Zenit St. Petersburg in January.
Wenger’s distaste for the January transfer window is well known but this season he cast those prejudices aside and spent big. That&nbsp;confidence is now being rewarded in spades by a player who looks to the manor born in the hectic pace of the Premier League.
From his stunning&nbsp;strike against Blackburn to his four goal spree at Anfield, the diminutive Russian has added an extra dimension to Arsenal’s attacking play. Arshavin’s blend of vision, pace and technique has spurred the Gunners on and dovetailed superbly with the return to the team of captain and totem, Fabregas.
Against Middelsbrough on Sunday the Spaniard and Arshavin once again hinted at a creative partnership that could be the envy of the league next season. With Fabregas deployed in a more attacking role the pair linked up fabulously throughout the match, Arshavin displaying a sublime&nbsp;range of passing. There may have been a couple of comical efforts on goal thrown in but once again Arshavin was bright and industrious. Arsenal followers must wince at his omission from the starting line-up for the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Arshavin’s signing has been hugely important on the pitch as his arrival has re-ignited Arsenal’s season and seemingly put to bed the challenge of Aston Villa for the last Champions League spot. Equally&nbsp;significant though has been the symbolic effect his transfer has had at the North London club. After losing established players like Flamini and Hleb last summer many in the media have been labeling Arsenal a ‘selling club’ that fails to hold on to their big players.
This perception may be off the mark but there certainly seemed to&nbsp;be an unease emanating from the dressing room over Arsenal’s transfer policy. At different times this season both Fabregas and Robin Van Persie have commented publicly on Arsenal’s need to show a little more ambition in the transfer market. By signing Arshavin Arsenal have certainly done that and shown that when the player is right Wenger is not afraid to loosen the purse strings. Arshavin has adapted to Arsenal’s distinct style almost immediately and is clearly revered by his teammates.
Arsenal fans may have to sit through another summer of&nbsp;transfer speculation over Cesc Fabregas but&nbsp;this signing should go a long way to convincing those at the club that Arsenal&nbsp;mean business. It is amazing the difference a couple of months and an infusion of&nbsp;Russian class can make.

Andrei Arshavin: Arsenal's Added Cutting Edge - World Soccer Talk

Andrei Arshavin: Arsenal's Added Cutting Edge

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latest articles by Patrick Devaney

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