While Arsenal capped off the season again with its second consecutive FA Cup trophy, the main question on many fans’ minds is whether Arsene Wenger finally has the club set on mounting a serious title challenge for the upcoming season. With the club’s financial clout, measured and thoughtful transfer policy, and a balance of players both young and mature, it looks like after 11 years, the club is ready to challenge for the title.

The one advantage that Arsenal have on its rivals is that the club’s core is composed of homegrown players. Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Walcott, Welbeck, Chambers, Coquelin, and Szczesny are all considered homegrown. After seeing the likes of Fabregas, van Persie, and Nasri depart, Wenger was able to rebuild his core with British players, complying with both Premier League and UEFA regulations. As a result, Arsenal are in a position where they are not forced to have to pay inflated prices to acquire homegrown talent, unlike other clubs such as Manchester City.

Arsenal are also well set up to spend on player recruitment. While the team toiled behind Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United in terms of spending power due to the building of Emirates Stadium, the club was able to remain competitive in those lean years. Though arguments could be made that finishing in fourth place consistently should not be considered a massive achievement, Liverpool are a prime example that missing out on Champions League football can have long term negative effects. The fact that Arsenal were able to remain competitive meant that once they did have the financial power to acquire better players, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez were more than willing to come to the club as it was a perennial Champions League team. Arsene Wenger, criticized for not spending enough, is now able to do so without worrying about the Financial Fair Play rules given his reluctance to buy in the lean years following the construction of the Emirates. Instead of having to rely on free transfers or budget players such as Sol Campbell or Sebastien Squillaci who simply were not good enough, Wenger can look at better players to add to his current core.

Arsenal are also no longer a club comprised of “kids.” While there are exciting prospects such as Serge Gnabry and Gedion Zelalem in the pipeline, the core of the team is entering its prime. Ozil, Walcott, and Sanchez are 26, 26, and 25 respectively, while Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Gibbs, Welbeck, and Coquelin are all under 25. Add in key veterans such as Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla, Per Mertesacker, and Laurent Koscielny, who are squarely in their primes, Wenger has finally struck a balance having a mature, but not ageing squad. Wenger, who is notorious for not offering long-term extensions to outfield players over the age of 30, has realized that merely having great young players is not enough over a long season.   Strong leadership and maturity is needed as well as proven veteran talent. With moves for the likes of Petr Cech being rumored, Arsenal are only going to benefit with players of his ilk being signed.

With the transfer window set to resume in two weeks as well as Arsenal’s first pre-season game being less than a month away, the excitement is slowly rising. With the excitement comes the question whether Arsenal can mount a sustained challenge for the title this season. For the first time since the ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003-04, Wenger has a team with the talent and balance to realistically build upon and compete for the title. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

Arsenal have won one trophy in the last nine years and while patience is wearing thin for the club’s performances on the pitch, one aspect that the club has succeeded tremendously has been off the pitch.  The club recently signed a lucrative kit deal with Puma, which was preceded by a new sponsorship deal with Emirates for shirt and stadium rights.  In addition, much of the club’s debt from building Emirates Stadium has been reduced as the club has successfully reinvested its revenues into paying off the stadium.  Along with the new lucrative television deals that the Premier League has signed, Arsenal have benefitted greatly from a financial standpoint.  Of course, having one of the newest stadiums with upgraded facilities and a new pitch has also contributed greatly to Arsenal’s recent financial resurgence.

The short film, “Building the Emirates Stadium,” summarizes the conceptualizing of the stadium and briefly outlines the progress throughout the construction.  What distinguishes the film is not so much the construction of the stadium, but how the relationship between Arsenal, the builder, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, and the designer, HoK Sport Architecture, positively impacted the whole project.  Had the 3 entities not worked well together, the film makes it clear that the project would not have gone as smoothly.

There are some highlights that indicate the strength of the relationship between Arsenal and its construction partners.  One example was when one of the banks that had committed funding to the stadium suddenly withdrew from the project, meaning that construction would have to be halted.  Given the importance of having the stadium being completed on time, the Arsenal board injected some of the club’s money into the project in order to avoid a lengthy interruption in the construction until another lender was found.  Sir Robert McAlpine and HoK made it clear that the club’s investment kept the Emirates Stadium project on track, and was able to carry on without incident thus ensuring that the stadium’s completion date was unaffected.

Another potential challenge that the stadium project faced was that there was a recycling plant on the site that served the county.  The club and council discussed the issue, and a deal was completed that saw Arsenal assist the community in relocating the recycling plant to a larger, and new facility.  The good faith shown by the club as well as an early start to negotiating with the local council ensured a smooth relocation process and again, avoided potential delays.  The club was able to secure a new site for the plant and helped the council in its construction to ensure a smooth completion.  Thus, the old plant could be demolished for the stadium construction to commence.

Emirates Stadium’s completion date was supposed to be August 1, 2006.  However, Arsenal’s fourth place finish the previous season meant that the club would have to play an early qualifying match.  As a result, the club asked to have the completion date moved forward.  By July, the stadium was completed and Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial was the first match where a capacity crowd was able to visit the stadium.  Again, while HoK and Sir Robert McAlpine had to scramble to ensure the completion date was met, both entities credited the collaboration with and working together with the club as one of the chief reasons the earlier date was able to be met.

The film really goes into a lot of detail regarding the other challenges that were faced and emphasizes that despite the challenges, the stadium was completed on time and on budget.  With clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea looking to get new stadiums, each club could look at the Emirates Stadium template as a guide to getting their stadiums built.  I would recommend that Arsenal fans and neutrals watch the film as it is informative and focuses on the importance of constant communication and teamwork amongst those involved in a daunting project where there are numerous stakeholders.

Mobile app users, watch the video here.

Sports Interactive has launched a new video to reveal the new features coming to Football Manager, which will be available for purchase on November 7 (or available two weeks earlier for customers who pre-order the game).

The 30 minute video (see below) is definitely worth watching as it contains an overwhelming amount of information.  The bottom line is that the new features are indeed promising and will hopefully make Football Manager fans/addicts excited for this year’s edition.  The three main features that look promising are the changes to being the manager, scouting, and the new graphical changes.

When you start the game for the first time, you will be directed to choose a managerial style.  If working on the training ground regularly is your cup of tea, then the “Tracksuit Manager” is the role for you.  On the other hand, if you’re more tactically focused manager, then the “Tactical Manager” is ideal.  You can also be a balance of both.  Choosing one approach does affect your attributes as well as your coaching badges and experience.  It’s a welcome change as the type of manager you are impacts your club.

In terms of scouting, I like what SI has done so far.  The players in your areas for which you have scouting knowledge will produce more thorough reports while players in areas you haven’t scouted yet will have attributes listed with ranges.  As you scout the player, the ranges will narrow.  In addition, scouting leagues will produce reports of the best performing players in those leagues.  Lastly, instead of only being able to scout a player for a number of matches, you can now scout him for a specific time period, ie. 3 months, to get a more complete report.  The report cards also look cleaner and easier to read.

The game will also be getting graphical changes.  Mo-Cap has been utilized to add new animations as players do move more realistically and matches will look less robotic.  In addition, the interface has been revamped to appear cleaner and easier to navigate.  I’ve never been focused on the graphical side of the game, but I like the look of the new interface.  In terms of the graphics in the match engine, the game looked cleaner and the animations looked solid.  I’d have to play it to determine if the mo-cap has impacted the match engine more drastically.

There are many other features that Miles Jacobson talks about, including changes to player interaction, media dealings, press conferences, training, and new player roles.  While I enjoyed Football Manager 2014, the changes seemed more subtle than the previous season.  With the changes announced in the video, especially to the manager role, I’m looking forward to the beta.  It sure looks like my winter will be spent on my laptop, risking the wrath of my family.

Mobile app users, watch the video here.

beIN SPORT recently celebrated their one-year anniversary, but there’s still no sign of the network on television in Canada, where they have the exclusive rights to Serie A, La Liga and Ligue Un.

In an interview with Yahoo, deputy managing director for beIN Sport Antonio Briceño had this to say:

“We are very keen to launch in Canada. My top priority personally right now is to launch in Canada. We do have the application prepared and ready to go. The regulatory environment in Canada is very particular, and we need to have a sponsor to get coverage there. That’s what we are working on. Yes, it’s true that if you go to the (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) website, you’re not going to find an application pending approval at this very moment. Before we can even apply, we first need to find a sponsor. That has proven to be more challenging than we originally expected. We are working very hard every day, and want to launch in Canada as soon as possible.”

In July, I wrote an article about beIN SPORT not being available in Canada and the impact it has had on Canadians not being able to access some prominent European leagues such as Serie A and La Liga.  Since it was published, I’ve had responses from beIN Sport personalities Jeremy St. Louis and Ian Paul Joy, who were both empathetic to the situation.  While I was encouraged by their responses, the fact remains that the network still is unavailable to Canadians.

I contacted several of the major satellite and cable providers in Canada, including Bell, Shaw, Telus, and Rogers Cable. Each provider indicated that it was aware that the rights to the Spanish, Italian, and French Leagues were acquired by another entity, but other than the customer making a channel request, there was nothing they could do.  The other issue is that the CRTC, the entity that regulates Canadian television and radio channels, has been notoriously difficult when dealing with new TV networks. For instance, the CRTC frowns upon networks having exclusive rights to particular programs and instead attempts to mandate sharing of those rights with Canadian broadcasters. As beIN SPORT has exclusive rights to several of the top soccer leagues, this is a sticking point in trying to get beIN SPORT on Canadian airwaves.

With that in mind, I offer the following two suggestions of how beIN SPORT can make its content available to soccer fans in Canada:

beIN SPORT sub-licenses its rights to another Canadian TV network. I mentioned in my previous article that another network had stated on its website that it was interested in working with beIN SPORT to air its La Liga games. Unfortunately, that interest didn’t result in any games being aired last season.  Partnering with an existing channel would definitely increase the speed in beIN SPORT getting its games into Canada. However, from a business standpoint, the issue for beIN SPORT would be that it would not generate any more recognition for its own brand.  In addition, beIN would likely not have a lot of leverage in potential negotiations with other networks given its situation with the CRTC.  If a solution could be reached which was mutually beneficial, viewers in Canada would get beIN SPORT acquired leagues on their televisions fairly soon.

beIN SPORT offers an online service via subscription. Given the difficulty of CRTC’s regulations, beIN SPORT could offer a subscription-based service for its viewers.  Currently, only individuals with active subscriptions to beIN SPORT with their cable providers in the US have access to viewing the network online (and, even then, only a select number of participating TV providers are offering the online component). Having an online presence would help mitigate some of the damage caused by not having its own network and would allow fans to get easy, clean and stable access to games online.  While it wouldn’t solve the long-term solution of having beIN SPORT on television, having an online stream would generate revenue as well as give the fans an alternative way to watch their favorite teams in the interim.

Based on the responses I received from beIN SPORT talent, I genuinely believe that beIN SPORT wants to get its content into Canada.  While I still take issue with the lack of foresight beIN SPORT had in understanding the CRTC regulations, the bottom line is that as a soccer fan, I’d like to have the network available to Canadians in some form.  While the Barclays Premier League remains the most popular league to watch, being able to have regular access to the other leagues will only help the sport’s growing popularity in Canada. Hopefully, beIN SPORT will be able to find a timely solution. If that happens, everyone from the viewer to beIN SPORT wins and at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want?

Just when you thought Real Madrid was having a relatively quiet summer on the transfer front, Gareth Bale’s name pops up in the Spanish papers and every outlet is trying to one up the other in providing “up to the minute” updates on the situation. Everything from the transfer fee, Bale’s demands, and potential players Spurs would get in return has dominated the headlines.  Assuming that a deal is imminent, is Gareth Bale a signing Real Madrid need?  Is he worth the reported fees being bandied about?

To answer the first question, one needs to look at the current Real Madrid squad.  The squad is loaded with attacking midfielders and wingers. Ozil, Isco, Modric, Kaka, di Maria, Jese, and Cristiano Ronaldo — they’re all players who occupy the attacking midfield and wings. Without Bale, Carlo Ancelotti already faces a selection headache trying to fit these players in his starting 11.  Bale is a talented player, but it’s hard to imagine what he would add that Ronaldo isn’t already providing. Like Ronaldo, Bale is a finisher and has never been seen as a playmaker. As a direct replacement for Ronaldo, I could see why a move would be considered.  Given that Ronaldo has already announced that he’s staying for at least another season, signing Bale would be redundant and could cause issues with the balance of the squad.

A potential Bale signing also hurts the development of Real’s young players. Alvaro Morata and Jese have been impressive in tournaments this summer and have bright futures ahead. Isco was just signed and there were already questions about where he would fit in with Ozil and Modric in the fold.  There’s also Angel di Maria, who struggled last season, but is still a fantastic player when on form.  If the club is focusing on developing youth from the Cantina and building a solid Spanish based core, signing Bale does nothing to encourage that. Instead, it harbors back to the Galacticos policy Perez had during his first term as club president. That policy had a disastrous impact on the club as Barcelona overtook Real Madrid during that time. Real Madrid have a world class attack, and adding Gareth Bale is an expensive luxury the club do not need.

Is Gareth Bale worth the reported fee of $150 million? Despite his talents and success, he is not worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo.  Bale’s career, while clearly on the upswing, has produced one great season. He certainly has the potential to one of the best players in the world, but he is not worth what he’s being reported to be sold for. The other factor to consider is Bale’s injury history. Bale’s injury record is far from ideal, last season notwithstanding. Injuries cannot be predicted, but Bale has had back, hamstring, and ankle issues throughout his career. He has missed significant portions of the last 4 seasons and at $150 million, that’s a lot for a player with an injury record like his.

Gareth Bale is a wonderful player whose best days are clearly ahead of him.  He’s relatively young, explosive, and has proven over the last year to be a great match winner.  However, his talents would be wasted at Real Madrid because Ronaldo, a similar type of player, is still there, better, and at his peak.  In addition, paying so much for a player who has only managed one great season is wasteful and foolish. Real Madrid does not need Gareth Bale at this time and especially not at the price tag being thrown around.

Despite the fact that Canadians still don’t have access to beIN SPORT, there’s still plenty of soccer for Canadian fans to watch.  After scouring the web and checking out the various sports networks, here’s the Canadian’s guide to where the major European Leagues can be seen on television for the upcoming season.

• Barclays Premier League: TSN and Rogers Sportsnet have a 50/50 split of the games this season as part of a new 3-year agreement that expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.
• FA Cup and Community Shield: Rogers Sportsnet World owns the rights through the end of the 2017-18 season.
• FIFA European World Cup Qualifiers: Rogers Sportsnet.
• French League Cup: Rogers Sportsnet World.
• 2014 FIFA World Cup: Rogers Sportsnet and CBC.
• German Bundesliga: GolTV Canada currently has the rights as it offers 2 games every Saturday and Sunday.  Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund matches are usually aired every other week.  GolTV owns the rights through the 2014-15 season.
• German DFB-Pokal: Rogers Sportsnet World.
• German Supercup: GolTV Canada,
• Italian Serie A: RAI TV – games are broadcast in Italian only.  No English commentary.
• Scottish Premier League: Rogers Sportsnet World.
• Spanish Copa del Rey Final: GolTV Canada.
• Spanish Supercup: GolTV Canada.
• UEFA Champions League: Rogers Sportsnet owns the rights through the 2014-15 season.
• UEFA Europa League: Rogers Sportsnet has the rights through the 2014-15 season.

beIN SPORT has the English-language rights to following leagues for the upcoming season. Note however that beIN SPORT is not yet available on Canadian television:

• English Championship
• English Capital One Cup
• Italian Serie A
• Italian Coppa Italia
• Spanish La Liga
• Spanish Copa del Rey (all rounds excluding the final)

It’s important to note that the Portuguese Leagues and Dutch Eredivisie are currently not available in Canada.  Issues with beIN SPORT aside, Canadians do have great access to European Soccer and I hope it continues to grow. To my fellow Canadian soccer fans, set your DVR’s, get your new kits, and get ready for another exciting European season.

As a Real Madrid supporter, the 2012-13 season was disappointing for various reasons.  The team relinquished its title to Barcelona, was knocked out for the third straight time in the Champions League semi-finals, and was torn apart by in-fighting within the dressing room.  These events were tough for any Madridista, but the worst part for me was that other than the Champions League, I was unable to watch any part of my team’s season on television.  The reason: beIN SPORT’s alienating of the Canadian soccer viewer.

beIN SPORT is approaching its second year broadcasting in North America, but the problem continues to be that Canadian viewers are left in the dark.  Throughout the last year, the response from beIN SPORT has been generic.  beIN SPORT has repeatedly responded by saying that it is in negotiations with the Canadian providers and that people should continue to pressure the networks into getting beIN SPORT added to Canadian television.  That has been the same canned response for the last year.

Enough is enough.  I am tired of being deprived of watching Real Madrid on TV.  beIN has been so vague and unresponsive that I really wonder if the network has any respect for Canadian fans.  The same generic response has worn thin and it is poor form from a network that is attempting to establish itself in a market where soccer is considered a niche sport.  I no longer want to rely on poor streams and highlight shows to get my weekly dosage of Real Madrid.

There have been rumblings that part of the delay is due to Canada’s strict broadcast laws regarding potential new networks.  While that is true, there were also reports that Al-Jazeera, the owners of beIN SPORT, could have sub-licensed its rights to an already established network to broadcast the games in Canada.  The former rights holder for La Liga, Gol TV Canada, had expressed interest in such an arrangement.  Sadly, that never came to fruition.

beIN SPORT owes Canadians an apology for its lack of communication and poor customer service.  If the network is serious about valuing Canadian viewers, it needs to communicate what it is that is delaying the network’s availability to Canadian viewers and giving us regular updates on its negotiations.  I continue to tweet the network’s Twitter feed as well as the personalities in the hope that someone will give me a better a response.

I understand that Al Jazeera bought the rights and that viewing rights for soccer change hands on a regular basis as existing networks disappear and new ones emerge.  The lack of forward planning by Al Jazeera in getting beIN SPORT into Canada is simply not acceptable.  If you purchase the rights, you should have had a plan to roll out the network in the country.  The lack of foresight has hurt Canadian fans as well as cost beIN SPORT additional revenue that could have been generated by Canadian subscribers.  Additionally, the lack of offering a beIN SPORT stream to offer a safe way of watching the games online has also been a massive oversight for the network.  I know if beIN SPORT offered the ability to subscribe to an online stream, I’d be one of the first ones there.  Even with these delays, the presence of an online stream would have at least offered us a way to watch Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, and Juventus to name a few.

I’ve already lost one season of not being able to follow Real Madrid and am not prepared to go another season without watching my beloved team.  I think beIN SPORT has the potential to be a successful niche network in Canada, but the owners really need to improve its image to the people it has alienated over the last year, Canadian soccer fans.  I hope that the network offers some sort of olive branch because I want to see Los Blancos recapture La Liga again.