Anyway, I was sitting through the halftime show in game four of the NBA finals- my beloved Lakers up by a few points on our age-old nemeses, the Celtics (I grew up in LA).  Immediately following the first half review, there was a World Cup mini-preview.  It was on ESPN so John Harkes was the pundit who was given about 25 or 30 seconds to build anticipation with a notoriously apathetic US audience.  I’ll take or leave the guy as a color man.  I know some people say he talks too much, but, in my book, at least he’s not Max Bretos, and he has the background.  Then he got his 25 seconds.  The man actually came on and used the phrase, “bitter rivals” to describe the relationship between the footballing nations of the US and England.  He also dubbed Landon Donovan “the Steve Nash” of American soccer, which is so far off-base to anyone who knows both sports, it’s ridiculous.  His short segment was obviously, to any soccer fan, a scripted farce created by some ESPN exec who handed him a script and said, “Read this or else.”

Harkesy had to know that the balderdash he was putting out there for the listening public was exactly that:  balderdash.  Moonshine.  Rubbish.  Poppycock.  And yet, he said it, losing credibility with people who know the game, and making sure yet another American soccer pundit was made to look ignorant of even the gross details of the game- when we know that is not the case, at least not with Harkes.

It’s just frustrating.  I know he likes his job, but it would be nice for us Yanks to be able to rest our hats (or boots) on an American announcer that stays true to his/her ideals and the integrity of the sport, versus selling it and down the river for some hyperbolic hype with no legs.

p.s. Comparisons between Donovan and Nash welcomed.

In my previous posts, I discussed Arsenal and Spurs and so now we will turn our attention to the Anfield outfit that has been on a downward spiral this season. Below are my top five transfer/ownership/managerial suggestions for Liverpool heading into the summer transfer window. Please add yours in the comments section!

5. Find Another Forward: Assuming Fernando Torres is healthy and sticks with the Reds next season, Liverpool still need at least one other capable forward if they are to challenge for fourth in 2010/2011. Currently, David Ngog and Ryan Babel, while decent (one even scored yesterday), just don’t cut it in terms of goals. So who can help the Reds out? Enter David Villa. Yes, yes, I know he’s been linked with about 4,000 clubs over the last few years but it looks more and more likely that he will ply his trade in the Premier League next season. Plus, we already know he and Torres play well with each other for Spain so, for me, this is a no-brainer, regardless of who the manager is next season (more on that in a minute).

4. Sign Gary Cahill: This rumor has really heated up in the last few days, especially since Cahill could figure for England this summer with half of the England back four either hurt, cheating on their wives, or quitting the team. Liverpool seriously need the services of a quality back four and Cahill would easily welcome a chance to Never Walk Alone…

3. Find New Owners: Hicks and Gillett have completely screwed up almost everything they have done since buying Liverpool. Seriously, I am American and I’m smart enough to know that these two guys have no clue what they are doing in English football. Somebody who loves the game and loves Liverpool needs to passionately take charge of this wonderful club. I’m trying to find anyone who disagrees with this so please let me know if you do and I’ll laugh at you when all the Liverpool supporters trash you in the comments section.

2. Find Yet Another Forward: Let’s think about it; you had Peter Crouch, Craig Bellamy, and even Robbie Keane and you let them all slip away. Any one of those gentlemen would be on the field before Ngog right now and, instead, two out of the three are on teams that are higher in the table than Liverpool and the other has scored 13 goals in 15 games (in the SPL, to be fair). For this suggestion, I will simply say that ANY experienced striker will do: Emile Heskey perhaps? Possibly Luca Toni (I know, dreamland). Or, dare I say it, Michael Owen (sorry, I had to). The point is, it doesn’t really matter who this player is; what matters is that they provide depth and leadership even if they only play a few minutes each week.

1. Fire Rafa Benitez: His time has passed. It’s as simple as that. The beginning of the end, in my opinion, was the loss of Xabi Alonso. It wasn’t so much the loss of him but what Rafa did with the money he got from the sale. Maxi Rodriguez and Alberto Aquilani just aren’t filling the void. But that’s water under the bridge at this point and Liverpool need a fresh start with a fresh manager who has fresh ideas. It looks like the Champions League is out of reach this season and the Reds will certainly benefit from a new manager who can get them back where their fans think they belong. Mourinho? Hodgson? You tell me!

I figured since I gave my last transfer advice to Arsenal that I would be fair and give a little advice to their eternal North London rivals. Clearly Spurs are once again battling for a Champions League spot so the question for Harry Redknapp is who to buy/sell in order to secure (or retain, if they reach it this year) the elusive fourth place finish Spurs fans so desperately want. So, with that in mind, here are my top five suggestions and advice for Harry Redknapp during the summer transfer window.

Author’s note: Yes, some of these are completely unrealistic at this point but one can hope!

5. Sell Robbie Keane: Yes, I said it and I’m sorry. I love Robbie Keane; I really do. Robbie Keane was one of my favorite players to watch before he switched to Liverpool. But he has just never settled back in at White Hart Lane and he really isn’t fitting in too well on loan at Celtic either. So what gives? Beats me. But what I do know is that Harry needs to find a way for him to get back to his prior form or he needs to sell him fast before his situation gets worse. I hate even suggesting this because Keane is such a wonderful part of Spurs but as long as he stays in his current form, he is better off somewhere else.

4. Seal the deal with Gudjohnsen: He is on loan from Monaco and he clearly needs to stay on a permanent basis. He provides a deadly attacking option along with Pavlyuchenko and Defoe and he’s just the kind of player who is hungry enough to help Spurs to fourth place come May. He’s a great buy and would fit right in at White Hart Lane.

3. Sign Joe Cole: In my last post I suggested that Arsene Wenger sign him and I think Harry should go for him as well. He’s a hard worker and would probably fit in better at Spurs than he would at Arsenal. Cole has often been linked with Spurs due to the fact that he and Redknapp were together at West Ham and he would be an excellent addition to a dangerous midfield (well, at least when Aaron Lennon is healthy).

2. Go for Joe Hart: Why not? Yes, it would be next to impossible to lure him away from Manchester City and/or Birmingham but he’s young, talented and hungry. Gomes has greatly improved this season but having a potential England Number One competing against you will elevate the talent in goal…no matter who ends up being the starter. I like Joe Hart and I think he would fit in well with Harry and Company. Another plus to this potential deal is that Joe Hart is exactly the kind of young, talented keeper that can make an excellent career at one club. Really, every club except Liverpool, Villa, Everton, and Stoke (IMO, the teams with the best keepers) would love to have Hart on their side.

1. Figure out Pavlyuchenko: He has been up and down this season and Harry needs to figure out how to keep the fire lit under Roman if they want to finish fourth. Obviously when he plays well (and often), Spurs are better off but Harry needs to get sustained consistency out of Pav if he wants the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis. He and Arshavin were the players du jour after Euro 2008 and Pav should has something to prove in North London since Arshavin has arguably had the better run since then. If Pav isn’t going to work out, then I think Spurs should sell him for a bundle of cash and use it to buy a better fit up top at White Hart Lane.

Well, those are my thoughts. What are yours? Spurs fans, who do you want to see next season? Thanks!

Alright, I know the season isn’t over yet but it is never too early to think about next season. And, regardless of how Arsenal finish this season, all eyes will again be on Arsene Wenger over the summer transfer period. Indeed, it seems that every transfer window over the past few years, Wenger has been criticized for not buying the right players (or players at all) and, with multiple injuries to his best players this season, one has to wonder if results would be different this season if he had better quality coming off the bench.

So, while I am far from an expert on transfers, here are my Top Five suggestions for Arsene Wenger for the 2010-2011 season; I’d love to hear yours!

5. Marouane Chamakh: Some insist this deal is already done and I agree. He will be coming in on a free transfer this summer, which is very attractive to the notoriously frugal Wenger. He will provide the necessary attacking depth when half of Arsenal’s strikers get hurt again next season.

4. Franck Ribery: Yes, he needs to come to North London despite the attacking force of Van Persie, Bendtner, Arshavin, Eduardo, and company. Wenger seriously needs the experience of Ribery on the pitch and around the training ground. Even with Chamakh, the Gunners still need to bolster their attacking options if they want to win the title. This experienced international player can provide leadership for Wenger’s kiddos in the dressing room and be deadly on the pitch, if Bayern are willing to part ways with him…

3. Joe Cole: Despite being injury prone this season, he is an extremely hard worker who is getting very little love from the folks in West London. A move to The Emirates could jolt his career and provide an interesting option in the middle of the pitch. You can’t tell me that a midfield that includes Cole, Fabregas, Arshavin, and Walcott isn’t a mouth-watering prospect…

2. Carlos Cuellar: While somewhat less well-known than some other Premier League defenders, the Villa man has proven to be extremely consistent at Villa Park. He would bring a new dynamic to Arsenal’s back four that could provide the stability they need to sustain a title challenge. Sol Campbell has filled in nicely this season but how long can that really last?

1. Shay Given: Yes, I said it. Shay Given. While many have bemoaned Arsenal’s inability to finish in front of goal this season, Manuel Almunia has been almost laughable in his own goal this season (the first half of last week’s Barcelona match notwithstanding). At the very least Almunia needs some real competition for his spot in the Arsenal net. I personally think he would lose out to Given and that would mean more clean sheets for the Gunners in 2010-2011.

What are your thoughts? And don’t worry Arsenal haters; I’ll be back with my suggestions for your favorite club soon!

Alright, it’s been a couple of days since Fox Soccer Plus/FS+/FSP launched on only a few cable/satellite providers. Here are my observations and opinions after actually viewing some of the programming on the channel and reading/hearing an overload of viewer opinion. As always, I’d love to hear yours!

FSP vs. Setanta: I have been a Setanta subscriber for three years. I loved it because it allowed me the access to any team, any game, on any week (EPL, that is). It also allowed me to watch Serie A, The Championship, FA Cup, Carling Cup, SPL, Rugby, Russian Premier League, and all sorts of other things that I would not normally tune in to. Largly, FSP has picked up the rights to much of Setanta’s most popular and mainstream programming, but not all of it, as many viewers have objected to. In my opinion, FSP is offering a decent range of programming that is still a positive step in terms of international sports coverage in America. Seriously, we really can’t complain too much about good, consistent coverage of multiple leagues which continues on FSP. Perfect? Maybe not. But it’s not too bad either.

Commercials: Some of us are a bit too worked up about the commercials showing up on FSP. Setanta was largely commercial-free due to its international and subscription nature. For example, with the Setanta Ireland feed used on the weekends during matches, they would show endless Setanta promos during the commercial break since it makes no sense to show Irish commercials on American TV. In addition, that horrible Setanta theme song coupled with a ball or a pair of boots came across about 457 times per hour. Now, compare that with actual American commercials on FSP. It seems there is a lot of pushback to this since people are paying $15 per month for FSP and I’m just not sure what the big deal is. Either you were getting some crappy filler graphics with Setanta or you now get a commercial with FSP—which is worse? Regardless of your answer, the subscription you are paying is for the content, not what happens in between. If the content is not worth it to you, then don’t subscribe. But don’t bash FSP for a few commercials.

HD: The single biggest issue, for me anyway, with FSP is whether or not it will eventually show up in HD. If it does, I really can’t see how anyone could complain about the channel. Each satellite/cable provider has its own response to the HD question and all I can say is I better get it before next season.

Match Selection: I’ll tell you what will piss me off is if Fox puts all the major matches on FSP. Something tells me they’re smarter than that but nothing would surprise me. Even though this wouldn’t affect me since I subscribe to FSP, I still think it’s wrong. For people who just want to see some decent matches without paying $15 per month, it’s just not right.

Give It Some Time: One of the things that baffles me is how people can write off FSP less than 48 hours after it began broadcasting. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion but can we please let FSP iron things out? Setanta didn’t just start being great immediately upon its inception and FSP will develop over time as well; you can be sure of it because people, including me, will stop subscribing if it doesn’t!

Just my thoughts! What are yours?

The vast majority of questions and concerns over the past month in the American soccer viewing world have nearly all been centered on the availability of Fox Soccer Channel in High Definition. With today’s reported release of Fox Soccer Channel in HD on Dish Network, soccer fans in America are either fuming or cheering, depending on who your cable/satellite provider is.

So, while most of us are hating all you Dish subscribers right about now, what’s a soccer fan in America to do? Here’s my advice. I’d love to hear yours!

Chill out (but not too much!). Just because Dish has FSC in HD today doesn’t mean DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, etc. won’t have it sometime soon. It also doesn’t mean that they will have it soon, if at all. Personally, I have DirecTV and since they sponsor just about everything on FSC, and since they seem to hate Dish, I’m expecting it to be showing up in my living room in HD sometime before the next EPL season starts.

Contact someone at your service provider. However, don’t expect them to give you too much information. Customer Service Representatives (CSR’s) cannot and will not give you information on HD channels that may or may not get released “in the future.” They’re going to give you some standard response about how they “have no plans to offer FSC in HD at this time but we are constantly updating our HD lineup to make viewers like you happy.” And don’t forget the “check our website at www.yourproviderhere.com/hd for updated information.” Or the best one: “I have forwarded your comments along to our Programming Department for review.” These types of responses are borderline hilarious, and to be expected, but that doesn’t mean you can’t call or email 47 times each day and annoy the crap out of these people. All I’m saying is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Use logic. Okay follow me here, Fox Soccer Match Day is “presented” by DirecTV. DirecTV shows UEFA Champions League AND Europa League in HD on dedicated HD channels every match day. DirecTV hates Dish Network, obviously. As of today, everybody on Dish is watching FSC in HD (still “presented” by DirecTV). Do you really think DirecTV won’t be offering this channel in HD at some point in the future? I think we’ll be fine.

Use logic again. I know, I know; all you cable people are saying “but I will never get FSC in HD because I have cable and my provider sucks.” Yes, you may be somewhat correct based on your past experiences but there is hope! Time Warner (just an example) offers multiple channels in HD that DirecTV doesn’t (or that DirecTV doesn’t offer at all, like Versus). Call your cable provider and complain or just switch (if you can!).

Don’t rush to judgment. If you are calling up Dish Network right now just so you can get FSC in HD, hang up the phone. Set a reasonable goal for getting FSC in HD on your provider. My personal goal is August 1, 2010. That’s just before the start of the 2010-2011 Premier League campaign. Yes, it will suck if I don’t have it between now and then but the season is coming to an end and ESPN/ABC will be carrying every World Cup match in HD (and possibly 3D) this summer. I’ll make it until then. But after that, all bets are off.

Now, if we could just get some info on Fox Soccer Plus!

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson put an early bug in Mohamed Al Fayed’s ear for coinage toward the’10-’11 season.  After reading about it and watching his current patchwork team, decimated by injuries, put together two wins and a draw while keeping three clean sheets in a row- in addition to morphing/improving steadily over the course of the last two and a half seasons- I’m thinking, “Does any manager in the Prem have more of a right to some cold cash money than Hodgson?”

Show. Him. The money.

Before Hodgson, the Whites were as porous in defense as a stop sign made from a cheese grater with birdshot through it.  And their midfield was literally nonexistent since, apparently, Lawrie Sanchez’ philosophy was to render them invisible by playing longball like a schoolyard kickball fanatic.  In contrast, Hodgson’s Fulham have been a slowly maturing labor of love that started from the back and have aged into a team that can play stalwart, attractive football in the first two-thirds of the field on a more and more consistent basis the longer his tenure continues.  It’s been slow, and it’s been ugly at times, but increasingly it’s been rock solid, and has gained a well-connected midfield that plays like a midfield should.  Heck, I give him praise for just using the midfield after the Sanchez era.  With all the good and bad put into a messy whole, The Cottagers are visibly, and undoubtedly evolving toward a guided vision.  Leaving aside his past globetrotting successes- and the fact that he’s a players’ coach, generally loved by teams and their fans upon exit (I said generally, Blackburn fans)- you could take Fulham’s snowballing run over the past two and a half seasons, put it in a vacuum, and there’d still be no wondering why he garners respect from the respected.

Now for his hard-earned money.  Now for his push to round out and polish his vision to a high shine with a final third worthy of what he’s banked.  If Zamora’s form continues he’s at least got a brick wall to build around that most teams need as a back-to-the-goal necessity (see Arsenal).  You could argue that he’s got Andy Johnson coming back next season, and I’d have to say, “meh.”  But if Hodgson elects to keep him, I’d also have to give in and say he’s also earned the time to will the same mojo into AJ that he did in Baird, Dempsey, Zamora, and Hughes who have all blossomed under his tutelage and faith in them.  If he gets the money he’s asking for, and spends it on the front line as well as he did on the back two thirds, there could well be a thing of beauty to behold.  At the very least, he’ll have created another addition to the pack of teams jackhammering away at the widening cracks in third and fourth place.  And what a great addition to Premier League football a rising Fulham would be.  Ahhh, to not only see, for years to come, an increasingly consistent, solvent, strong Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa, Man City (anomaly, I know), and Fulham knocking, but to bask in the glory of financial insolvency as it helps to level the playing field from the top down at the same time.  The Premiership’s looking up.

…and Roy Hodgson’s Fulham are too.

So it’s time to show him the money Al Fayed.

Show.  Him.  The money.

Hubris.  That’s all it can be labeled.

How many of us saw the “Sparsenal” team Arsene Wenger fielded Sunday versus Stoke, and said to ourselves, “Aw come ON.”  I mean, most of us tune in to Arsenal games to watch the beautiful game be beautiful, and looking at the line-up Wenger started, it was instantly obvious that the Gunners were in for a tough match.  The Professor had- for some reason unbeknownst to… well… everyone- decided to level the playing field in one fell swoop, and gamble his organization’s FA Cup hopes on a combination of green youth, and two center halves on the downside of their careers.  You wouldn’t be far from the truth if you described the scene as Fabregas and Denilson surrounded by strangers.  Yes, Wenger has peppered his XI’s before with kids he stubbornly holds faith in after they wobble continuously; and it can be said that for this he is rewarded by young, talented teams that grow together into disciples of his vision.  But after a minute into the game, when Fabianski failed to grab a Delap throw and was beaten by a Fuller header you couldn’t help but ask why.  Why, in this season where Arsenal are poised to take as many trophies as are available, did Wenger field such a ridiculous squad?  There are times when his gambles are appropriate to build the confidence of young players.  But in a match where the consequences leave a ghost in the trophy case?!  Fans and critics have to be asking, “Why this match?”- a single elimination showdown at a Britannia Stadium known for gritty performances from its denizens?  And why to such an outlandish extreme?  No Gallas, no Vermaelen, no Almunia, no Clichy, Rosicky, Sagna, Diaby, Arshavin, or Eduardo.

Cesc can only do so much.

And so, after a Denilson equalizer off a free kick, it remained an ugly 1-1 match until the final quarter of the game when Arshavin, Eduardo, and Ramsey were subbed in like the cavalry.

And little good it did, as the defense continued to fall apart and Wenger was rewarded with a 3-1 loss and the FA Cup exit sign.

…and all we’re left wondering is WHY? Wenger’s players have to be furious with him.  Gooners have to furious with him.  What positives can possibly be taken from a pounding like this in a season so ripe for trophies?  Well, maybe some humble pie was just the dish Arsene needed to stay focused through the stretch.  I would guess he won’t be pulling another stunt like that for the remainder of the season.  You can’t let silverware slide through your fingertips as wantonly as he did Sunday and keep your job in the EPL for long.  I don’t care who you are.

Donovan.  Another solid performance.  While all the nay-sayers are stewing, waiting for him to stumble, donning the ill-got rep they bestowed on him after a couple short stints in Germany, I want to see him score goals.  I don’t care if Everton go down in a smoking mass of decaying blue matter (occasionally… of course I want the big four disrupted).  I just want to see Landon score.  If they lose by five, can I at least get a Donovan goal?

I’m a west coast Yank. This guy represents the best of what our country is as a footballing nation at present (alongside Dempsey and our slew of goalies).  No, I’m not in the market for blue shirts now, and the only reason I’ve ever rooted for Everton is so they’ll put an end to the big four monopoly that discredits the EPL’s financial system (No salary caps means a big four that is seldom interrupted.  But I digress.  That’s for another post that’s surely been beaten past death already).  But Landon’s short stints in Germany?  They didn’t start like this “let’s-plop-you-on-the-pitch-and-see-how-you-do” run at Goodison Park has.  Of course the big difference has been that, to the German teams, he was just another pick up, relatively.  In England, from the get-go, Donovan has been necessary.  Most of us know how that feels.  What it does to our psyche and confidence.  It allows us to settle quickly into who we are.  And in the world’s strongest football league, on a team scratching their way back to reclaim some of the form that has people dreaming of a big five or six, he is necessary. The Toffees need Landon right now and Landon needs the Toffees.  And he has risen to the occasion.  So far.

Ok.  Now to rip on him a little.  Just a little. If there’s one thing he does well, it’s running at people top speed.  With a good first touch he’s gone, and it’s green lushness and a goalie waiting to get beat with a cool finish in most cases. But what we probably noticed, if we were sitting on the edge of our seats hoping he never gave license to the haters- or if we were watching with a critical eye (or just hating on him from the gate)- is that he failed in every 1v1 opportunity without his requisite head start.  Where were the step overs?  The shimmies and shakes?  How can a 6’4” defensive midfielder (6’8” with afro) do a pirouette past the fastest Welshman in the game, but a nimble-footed, rocket-fueled winger can’t create space for himself unless he’s got ten feet to work with and is already at top speed?  Landon did great making the simple pass, the easy play, staying connected and putting the ball on Fellainium’s cranium from the corner all day long. And to be fair, there weren’t that many of said 1v1’s, but when he was faced with one, he served it up to Man City’s defenders on a silver boot.  This touch was too heavy here, or he was obviously “in two minds” there.   Hmm.

We all have our gifts; our talents.  And we all have our areas we could work on.  We can choose to work on them or not.  But if we’re being paid to be the best we can be, should we not expect improvement in areas with deficiencies?  Should we not expect Donovan to have some doozies in his “juke” repertoire by this point in his career?  Can we expect some in the future when their lack is made so abundantly clear in the EPL?  I hope so.  I mean, I know that player differences are what make individuals and teams unique, but is it too much for us to ask Landon to stay late at work until he’s got some moves to get around someone without a head start?

Is it?

Ah whatever.  I just want to see him score.

Okay, I am officially ready for soccer coverage in America to change. Here are my gripes, complaints, whinings, and otherwise negative comments about the current state of affairs…

HD: Dear HD Gods, Fox Soccer HD and Fox Soccer Plus HD cannot come soon enough. I am sick of watching grainy, stretched, SD images every weekend and I will be glad when the beautiful game is actually beautiful on my HDTV. Seriously, I am typing a blog entry even though Chelsea are currently making Sunderland look like a U-12 girls team. If it was in HD, no one would get to hear how pissed I am about not watching this in HD.

Setanta: Dear Setanta, I hate you. For $15 a month, I get crappy commentary, even grainier images, horrible filler commercials with that horrible theme song you play every time with a yellow ball or yellow boots bouncing around. The worst thing is that the song gets stuck in my head all afternoon. I’d rather watch a Proactiv commercial on constant repeat. I cannot wait until I can call DirecTV and tell them to ditch you for Fox Soccer Plus in HD. I threw a huge party this morning when I read Gaffer’s earlier post about your death on February 28th.

Sylvania: Dear Sylvania, you are stupid. You advertise “the beautiful game in stunning high definition” on a channel that no one gets in high definition…yet. I’m sick of your commercials telling me to get your HDTV’s and Blu-ray players at Walgreens or something. My Panasonic Plasma HDTV is doing just fine. Shut up until I get FSC HD. Oh, and I will CC you on my letter to the HD Gods.

ESPN2: Dear ESPN2, Please turn on the lights in your studio so it looks like you actually care about covering the 7:45 match on Saturdays. Also, kill that ticker, you morons. It used to not bother me but now it does. There are no circumstances under which, during and EPL match, I could possibly ever care about who Tennessee hires as their next coach or what the score of any NHL game is. Get it right before this summer.

Fox Soccer Channel: Dear Fox Soccer Channel, I sort of like you and I will love you once you are in HD and give me Fox Soccer Plus in HD for a small fee every month. But, until then, can you please quit invading my TV screen with ads for Who Are Ya Designs and World Soccer Shop? Your ads at the bottom of the screen are even worse than ESPN’s stupid ticker. You squeeze the image so much that I think I need to rotate my TV or switch to portrait or something. Also, please fire all the Americans who work for you on-air. They just don’t sound right. Speaking of…

American Soccer Commentators: Dear American Soccer Commentators, Please quit now. I am American and I’m really sorry, but you just do not do a good job of calling matches. I seriously cringe when I hear you. Nothing personal, it’s just that you suck. Hooray for Martin Tyler this summer!

Glad that’s done! Now I can get back to watching!

We all have off-days. If we play sports, we have off-days and occasional injuries. If we’re Arsenal we have off-days, occasional injuries, and the opportunity to win a lot of trophies if we use the transfer window well. If not? Well, it’s not as up in the air as last year felt at this time, but it’s still up in the air… with no one to head it in, lay it off, or tumble in after it with ugly determination.

Which almost brings me to my point: you can hate Arsenal for any number of personal reasons, but if you’re a fan of football, you watch them regardless because they epitomize “The Beautiful Game.” Most of the time. Almost all the time. But what about those off-days? And worse yet, what about when they’re compounded by injuries and a sorely missed Alex Song? Anyone witnessing the arctic display at The Emirates Saturday had to be asking some questions: How many times can you thread one of those gorgeous passes in the final third right to the grateful feet of an Everton defender? How easy was it for anyone wearing blue on the right side- let alone the debutante Donovan- to break down an Arsenal defense sabotaged by Traore’s horrific displays? Yes, of course they had their “Gunners Moments.” They always do. That’s why we watch them. But again; off day.

Which brings me to my point. If they don’t pick up a sizeable, physical presence to solidify the attack, this season is a guess for the Gunners at best. And most would guess Chelsea. However, if they can pick up a largish somebody who’s good with their back to the goal, laying off assists to the ridiculous amount of quality they will be surrounded by, well, the trophies are theirs for the taking. But they need somebody on the front line who has a realistic chance at winning headers. Somebody who is good in the air on those days when the beautiful game isn’t firing on all cylinders. Days when ho-hum crosses and long balls are the only way they can break down a defense. And with Clichy close to fit, we should expect those overlapping runs and crosses to be coming from both sides soon enough. They need a Crouch. They need an Emile Heskey or Kevin Davies to round-out an attack that has been forced to rely on deft movement to pass or walk the ball into the net.

You might say, “Well what do you think Bendtner is? He’s close to fit.” And I’d have to say, meh. Sure. He hasn’t proven much of anything besides inconsistency yet. He very well could be that guy in the future. But bear with me if you’re disagreeing still. Imagine if they did have Crouch. Now. Are they lacking anything else once Clichy and Song are back? Sure the world always misses Fabregas, and we love watching Theo ignite the afterburners, but they have so much quality everywhere on the pitch, that really, all they need is a big attacker.

And the trophies will rain down upon them for years.

Seems I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Here’s to off-days. Without them, necessity might never reveal itself.

Fox Soccer Channel will be broadcasting in HD very soon. There are a few positives and a few negatives, yes negatives, to this development. Here are a few positives and negatives as I see it:

Positive #1: Fox Soccer will be broadcasting in HD beginning in January. This is great news since everyone with an HD TV has been waiting a long time to watch the EPL in HD on something other than ESPN2.

Negative #1: While FSC will be broadcasting in HD, only Santa Claus knows which cable/satellite providers will actually be picking it up. Heck, Time Warner Cable customers might not even be able to watch The Simpsons if their management doesn’t get it together sometime soon. It’s probably too much to hope that all FSC channels will suddenly switch to HD on January 1^st. In addition, an “HD” channel does not mean that all content will be broadcast in HD. I am assuming that the EPL matches will be in HD but what about Serie A, Champions League, Premier League Review, and Sky Sports News?

Positive #2: We will finally have something on the Tennis Channel. My fellow DirecTV subscribers have been wondering why on earth we have the Tennis Channel in HD but we have to watch grainy scenes of Premier League football all weekend. Seriously DirecTV, if you have the Tennis Channel in HD then you definitely need Fox Soccer Channel in HD. DirecTV subscribers also know about the dream Champions League and Europa League HD coverage on the special HD channels in the 400’s (at no extra cost). I find myself watching obscure matches like Cluj v Fenerbache just because it’s in HD. DirecTV, I’m trying to find a reason why you wouldn’t pick up FSC HD in January but…

Negative #2: Sadly, having the Tennis Channel in HD doesn’t mean anything. DirecTV, Time Warner, Comcast, and others decide which channels to offer in HD (or at all) based on what is best for them financially. They do have the consumer in mind but, in the end, they are a business and they are trying to make money. Simple as that. If they don’t see FSC HD making money for them, then we are not going to see it on our HD TV’s. Case in point: Versus HD was on DirecTV and I loved watching their content, especially the Tour de France. Alas, it was not meant to be because DirecTV decided that Comcast (owner of Versus) was charging them too much to broadcast Versus HD. So, no more Versus for me and it looks like I won’t see it anytime in the near future. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Fox Soccer Channel in HD. Sounds like Time Warner Cable customers need to pay attention.

Positive #3: We can’t wait to see high-profile matches in HD. Sorry ESPN2, but the fixture list just hasn’t been kind to you so far this season. You have had a few big matches but I am growing tired of Tommy Smyth acting pumped up about a Burnley goal. He has to be tired of it as well. Having FSC in HD would seriously up the ante in terms of what we watch. We could actually record one match in HD and watch another live in HD. What a concept! Regardless, I currently record/watch the ESPN2 match simply because it’s in HD.

Negative #3: My DVR is getting full. This is a problem already, regardless of your HD channel line-up. Between ESPN2, FSC, Setanta, and GolTV, I simply cannot watch/record everything I want since everything comes on at the same time on three or more channels. This season, FSC has remedied this a bit by offering matches at 5:00 PM and/or 8:00 PM. This is great on the surface, but I want to know how my fantasy team is doing at noon so I usually don’t watch those matches since I already know who won them. However, if these later matches were broadcast in HD, I would certainly record them and watch them simply because they are in HD. This is not so much a negative as it is a natural consequence of a more diverse HD offering.

Hopefully, FSC will actually be shown in living rooms across America in January. Personally, I am sick of that Sylvania HD TV commercial being shown on my HD flat screen… in SD. Just think, if we are “watching the beautiful game in HD,” now it will just annoy us, not piss us off, every time we see it. Also, all those Proactiv commercials will we better as well… well, maybe not. Either way, we need to call, email, write, and annoy our cable and satellite providers. They have likely already decided what to initially do with FSC HD but perhaps a wave of consumer feedback will give them something to think about. It’s something to hope for at least! What are your thoughts?

Okay okay, I guess I have to write something about this Thierry Henry hand ball or something. Here is the obligatory (and slightly sarcastic) background info already reported: The World Cup playoffs are seeded, seemingly hurting the minnows like Republic of Ireland. Then, Ireland are given an away game in Paris for the second leg, presumably giving them yet another disadvantage. Next, after leveling the score, LeBron Henry throws the ball to William Gallas, who promptly scores the winning goal. Upon said goal, Shay Given has a cow directly on the referee’s head while all of Paris celebrates. After the game, Thierry Henry and Richard Dunne spoon in the middle of the field and cry away their sorrows.

Now that all that mess is over, I will say this: I still cannot support in-match video re-play…at this point. To me, video re-play is a never-ending snowball that would ruin the sport. I admit it is very tempting and yes, it would only take “30 seconds” for a re-play official to call Henry’s goal back. But, seriously people, professional footballers are a whiney bunch and it wouldn’t take too long before every whistle blow was questioned. Yes, re-play would have definitely helped in this situation but it comes with some serious strings attached. I guess my question to you is this: When will it stop? The only way re-play is acceptable, I suppose, would be to somehow limit its use during a match. But then wouldn’t we be arguing over how much and when it could be used? And at some point wouldn’t we be saying we should use it more (or less) and for different situations? These are questions I would need answered before I could support in-match re-play.

Having said all that, and pissing half of you off, I’m sure, in the process, I will say that I am in favor of actual re-play…as in re-playing the entire match. I am in favor of FIFA looking at the re-play and saying “we screwed that one up and we’re going to do it over.” If France is so good (which they are not) then they can beat Ireland again and what’s the problem with that? FIFA will say that it would be hard to organize a match on such short notice and that it would be a logistical nightmare. Perhaps they should get used to that since nobody seems to be impressed with the “logistics” in South Africa at the moment.

So, in summation, I hold these truths to be self-evident: that Thierry Henry handled the ball and changed the outcome of the match; that Ireland were robbed; that the referees should have seen it; that re-play would have definitely helped in this situation; that re-play brings with it some serious baggage.

All I’m saying is this: Before we all go screaming that we want in-match video re-play, let’s just stop and debate/think about/consider the baggage that would surely come with the introduction of this technology. Feel free to state your case in the comments below!

Okay, please do not kill me on this post. I am neither a fortune teller, palm reader, love guru, snake charmer, nor am I a genius. I have no idea who will win the Premier League this season but I am pretty sure it will not be Manchester United or Liverpool. They will both finish fine but something tells me they are suspect. Before the season started, I thought Chelsea would run the table, and they still might, but here are a few reasons why everybody should be watching Arsenal:

1. The Starting Eleven. Arsene Wenger has started a different starting eleven nearly every match this season. This is a necessity for Champions League teams with multiple international players but some are noticeably lacking (hello Liverpool). If Arsenal are hurting this season, I’m not seeing it. For a team that has been plagued by injuries in the past (and, to a certain degree, in the present) they are looking like a team that has more than a few gems on the bench.

2. Vito Mannone. Yes, as soon as Manuel Almunia, gets to feeling better this fantastic shot-stopper will surely go back to the bench. But, a reliable, talented back-up keeper is seriously helping the entire team’s confidence. For those who don’t believe this is important, I have two words for you: Ben Foster.

3. Goal Differential. Arsenal have the highest goal differential so far this season (+16). Manchester United are a close second (+12) but they seem set to score less points since Christiano Ronhairgel left. Arsenal’s goals are coming from everywhere. This is surely a good sign of things to come.

4. Game In Hand. Okay, before all you Red Devils fans go killing me with all that “you hated on us in your post but we are top of the table” comments, please understand that if Arsenal pick up three points from their game in hand they are in a close second behind Man U. Obviously, anything can happen between now and that time, but looking at the table today, one can surely see that Arsenal are sitting pretty. I guess it’s good to be at the top but it might be better to be able to sit back and know you have a little wiggle room.

5. Arsene Wenger. He’s taken some heat over the past few years but don’t count this guy out. He is a genius in suit. I don’t hear boos (yet) around The Emirates nor do I see him losing to Burnley or Fiorentina (sorry, that was too easy).  At this point, he is loving life while Sir Alex and Rafa, especially Rafa, are taking a bit of a knock.

6. Time. With everyone in the top four losing matches already, time is on the Gunners’ side. It’s been a while since they have won anything and this seems like a year when a non-perfect team (yes, they are not perfect) can win the league without 243 points–and Arsenal are due. Every other top four side has an issue (Rafa, transfer ban, no Ronaldo) but Arsenal are cruising along just waiting their turn.

So, will this be the year that the trophy returns to NW6? Who knows? There is a long, long way to go in the season. With Chelsea and Liverpool both losing this weekend, the race is wide open. I guess Arsenal could fall apart and Spurs could kill everybody and run the table. Or maybe Man City will truly cash in with some serious consistency. Whichever way it ends up, I know I’ll be watching!

Meet me at the corner flag!

Okay, let’s be clear, Craig Bellamy is wild. He is rash, unpredictable, and probably would be a career criminal if he wasn’t a footballer. He’s got more tattoos than John Mayer’s right arm, more baggage than an Airbus landing at Heathrow, more teeth than Mr. Ed, and he’s played for more teams than Shaquille O’Neal. Oh, and let’s not forget that he’s an exceptional golfer as well…

I’m sure all you United fans hate this guy right now, and you should. He decked one of your supporters after he ran to the pitch on the way to that thrilling finish to the derby match this weekend. But, let’s be honest, if you were running onto the pitch, wouldn’t you head for Toure or Lescott? For God’s sake man, stay away from the Nutter with the Putter. I know, I know—the fan was celebrating a great win, but he really took a wrong turn after the “4 minutes” of stoppage time. Good old Craig found his way over to this guy and let him know what he thought. Hey, this fan should be thanking his lucky stars that Bellamy wasn’t on the 18^th green at St. Andrew’s or else he would have ended up with a pitching wedge in his face. (As you can tell I think the fact that Bellamy beat the crap out of John Arne Riise during a training session when they were both at Liverpool is awesome.)

Yeah, yeah, I know this sets a bad example for kids or something. And this certainly isn’t “fair play” or good sportsmanship. But who wants to watch that mess? Not me! Craig Bellamy is a walking, talking train wreck. I bet he won’t make it to December before he and Adebayor kill each other. The best part is City is defending him. Today, City assistant manager Mark Bowen said of the confrontation “Obviously I can’t quote exactly what he said but it was something like ‘Get off the pitch.’” Are you kidding me? I wish Man City had just issued a statement saying, “That ridiculous idiot that ran on the pitch got everything he deserved. Moreover, the fan in question should be glad Stephen Ireland had already gone in the dressing room or else he may have been killed. Welcome to Manchester.”

In a past life, I was known to watch a little NASCAR. It really isn’t all that bad. Dale Earnhardt, amongst many others, was a character. He would wreck, spin, hit, and run over any other redneck that got in his way. And when he was asked about it, he said he would do it again and didn’t care what you thought about it. I mean some of these guys wrecked each other at the finish line and then got out and strangled each other on top of the flaming wreckage. That’s just awesome.

The point is that characters like Bellamy, Earnhardt, and Dennis Rodman make sports fun to watch. We love talking about them. We love watching them. We love hating (or loving, if you’re a United fan) the FA when they investigate this mess and punish these guys. But most of all, we love it when they make the game we all love even better by inserting a little extra drama in a fantastic game of football.

Why won't you score?!

Okay, so we are pretty settled into the 2009-2010 season and I am, yet again, having major issues with my fantasy team. What’s going on? How can I have 14 points in one weekend? How can Michael Turner do so well for Hull and not for Sunderland? How, in the name of all that is holy, can my captain, Frank Lampard, not have scored a single goal this season?

These are the questions I am asking. I am no football “expert.” I am no professional fantasy footballer. But, I watch most of the games every weekend and follow Sky, BBC, Setanta, FSC, Soccernet, and much more all week long. I feel like I know more about the EPL than the average guy—whoever that is. Heck, I have played my whole life and even coached for nearly ten years. So then, why, I ask you, am I so horrible at picking my fantasy team?

Is it because I thought Lamps would have scored before now and give me some huge points total for some random week? Is it because I thought, just like many of the big clubs did, that Brede Hangeland would be a force like he was last year? No, wait! Maybe it’s because I thought, with the absence of Tevez, Rooney would score even more goals than he did last year.

It’s not the points that kill me in the fantasy table; it’s the value of the player. As of this moment Rooney has a good 44 points but he is valued at 11.2. Compare that with Defoe, who has a nice 35 points and is worth only 9.0. Surely that 2.2 difference would help out my back four so I don’t have to have people like Turner and Corluka who are worth next to nothing–and giving me nearly zero points! The problem is this: last year I spread the wealth around. I stayed largely away from the biggest players—I went the whole season without touching Ronaldo, Gerrard, Drogba, etc. I did pretty well but I was always getting beat by the guy who had Ronaldo as his captain or by the guy with Anelka, Torres, and Gerrard in his line-up.

So this year I changed my game plan. I bought Lamps, Rooney, and Fabregas as my “big” players and even had room for Bosingwa and Hangeland. After that, it was a tough search for value. This year Rooney has done well for me but the lack of performance from my smaller-name players has caused me to have an overall low points total.

Zamora, Diaby, and Cattermole just can’t make up for the 26 points someone like Torres would have gotten me if he was on my team and my captain this week. I won’t even mention Darren Fletcher after his two goals this week. I’m practically begging to find someone worth 3.4 who actually plays!

So, I am thinking of playing my wildcard and completely changing my team. But, I just know, as soon as I dump Lampard, he’ll score seven against Wigan next week. It never ends. Am I the only one who is this bad at picking his team? What to do?! What to do?!

Saturday’s Manchester City v. Arsenal match was exciting for many reasons: six goals, fast, fluid play, a fun atmosphere, two players playing against their former team, fans throwing all sorts of things at one certain player… All of this made for a great match. While I’ll only mention Adebayor’s celebration just this once, we can all agree it provoked emotion from both sides, which is ultimately why we watch football.

But I saw something—or someone—else during the game that may turn out to be more significant than some cheesy celebration in the fourth game of a very long season: Tomas Rosicky. A sub, yes; but he played fantastic. He had just come off a week of playing with the Czech Republic and his performance in Manchester had to pleasing for Gunners fans. He ran circles around every other player. He made Cesc Fabregas look like he was standing still—a tall order. He passed through, around, and behind defenders—and never got tired. He scored a goal for crying out loud—albeit a little too late. Upon coming into the game, he immediately upped the tempo of the entire match and, I thought, he kept Arsenal in it—and by “in it” I mean they kept getting chances in front of the goalmouth. I never assumed they would come back.

Even though I knew Arsenal was going to lose, I couldn’t help but noticing this gangly little guy in the middle of the pitch running around, his un-Christiano Ronaldo hair flapping around, his no-nonsense feet dazzling my TV screen, and his perfect passes crisp, smooth, fast, and effective. He was all I was watching.

Perhaps Rosicky was not perfect on Saturday—I’m sure he made a few mistakes. Perhaps Rosicky will never fully recover from injury—or even get re-injured. Perhaps he plays well off the bench. Perhaps this was his one goal this season. Perhaps Rosicky cannot play an entire 90 minutes with the pace he has shown thus far. Perhaps I am wrong—but I certainly hope I am not!

With the recent issues surrounding diving and simulation in the box and elsewhere, once again we are in a broiling debate over the use of re-play video technology to assist referees. This week, Eduardo clearly dove in the box against Celtic and it flat changed the game. Perhaps, had Celtic put the first ball in the net this week, they may have challenged for the aggregate win at The Emirates. However, the early penalty surely sealed the deal for the Gunners. Wayne Rooney’s dubious dance with Manuel Almunia this weekend at Old Trafford afforded the Red Devils a much needed goal in what was otherwise an Arsenal-dominated show—save that awful own goal. These are simply the latest incidents in a long line of potentially questionable tactics by today’s footballers—and questionable calls by today’s referees.

With these issues, the question of technology is always raised. Had the referees had access to video re-play, perhaps their calls, and ultimately the match’s outcome, would have been different. So the answer to today’s diving professional footballer and half-blind referee is video, right?

Wrong. Football, Futbol, Soccer, or whatever you want to call it, is not a game that needs video re-play. The beauty of football is the continuous play of the game. We don’t need timeouts to discuss strategy—we can take care of that on the field. We don’t have 400-lb linemen who need a break every four plays. Heck, we only need three subs! My point is simple: do not interrupt the flow of the Beautiful Game through a technology that is born out of un-classy dives from un-classy players that drive Bentleys and Aston Martins. I have no problem with a subsequent review of a play much like what happened to Eduardo this week. He absolutely deserves a ban—and a steep fine as well. However, the game does not need to be stopped for the inevitable 5-10 minutes of debating in the video booth over the referee’s call. I cannot bear the thought of 60-minute halves due to the constant stoppage of the game because someone has been wronged by an only-human referee. The game should continue and be played without interruption. This is what separates our sport from all others—especially here in America.

Think video will end the debate and make all calls unquestionable? Absolutely not. Look at Arsene Wenger’s defense of Eduardo this week. He conceded that it shouldn’t have been a penalty but that it also wasn’t a dive. Are you kidding me? I like Wenger but he is wrong. Eduardo dove to get the penalty because he knew it would change the game—and he was right, it did. Just admit it, punish the player, and sit him on the bench for a few matches. I love how managers cry to FIFA, UEFA, The FA, and every other group with letters in their name to “fix the problem.” The problem lies with players who get away with unsportsmanlike conduct and are defended by their bosses. Even with video re-play, someone’s feelings are going to get hurt and some mass of supporters will hate one of the four officials. Get over it! Or don’t—someone has to lose and someone has to win. It’s a game. Until that changes, video will only be good for confirming what we already knew: diving, and complaining about it and the referee’s call of it, is a part of the game.