Pressure building on tighter financial control from football authorities

The Guardian today carries a piece emphasising the Government's plans to exert greater pressure on the footballing authorities regarding financial regulation of clubs.

This issue has become an increasingly hot topic in recent years, with questions of debt overshadowing clubs great and small. If Portsmouth are allowed to slip into administration, surely the debate will only intensify. Before long the authorities will be forced into action, and they will surely realise that they have left it too late. There has been talk but no action on this issue for years, with the football beauracracy suffering from muscular atrophy due to years of passive bystanding.

Click on the this link to read what The Guardian have to say on the matter. Join the debate by leaving a comment below. What can the footballing authorities do to tackle the issue of debt before it becomes too late?

Would a Champions League playoff do more harm than good for Premier League clubs?

The Premier League has drawn up proposals for an end of season playoff to determine the fourth English Champions League spot, which could potentially come into force as early as next season.

UEFA has given their backing to the proposal, which initially received strong support from all but the "big four" Champions League stalwart clubs of the Premier League. Of course a change of format such as this could blow the race for the Champions League wide open and it makes sense that clubs such as Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton would be keen to see the proposals pushed through.

However, there are also risks attached, and some have argued that the idea has not been properly thought through. For too long now, fourth place in the Premier League has been talked about almost more than winning the title, with a series of clubs pushing hard to finish in this illustrious spot. A playoff for this position would only increase the clamour surrounding the last Champions League and hype would go into overdrive. If you're going to make such a big thing about finishing fourth, why not extend the playoff to third place as well and run a mini-league, with the top two qualifying for the Champions League? Third is after all, just as arbitrary a position as fourth to reward with such high prestige and acclaim.

The obvious question of fixture conmgestion also comes into play here. Unless the Premier League is to be cut by at least two (and perhaps four) teams, I see no way that these proposals could possibly work. The English fixture list is already the most packed in European football, and time and again we've seen our best players burnt out by the time a summer tournament comes round. Surely this format would only increase the problem?

Finally, problems have been cited regarding the possible financial pressure it might put on the game at a time when just the opposite is required. With the carrot of Champions League football dangling ever closer for an increasign number of clubs, would the playoff format force more clubs to spend beyond their means in the hope of crashing the Champions League party? Could it lead to more Portsmouth situations with clubs sensing that one hard financial push could propel them into the big time forever?

The Premier League is trying to inject a greater element of competition into the Premier League, and a commend them for this approach. However, any restructuring of the league may have to be more comprehensive and perhaps more radical to address the fundamental problems facing the English game right now. I hope they think long and hard before pushing these proposals any further.

To read a Guardian article on the potential pitfalls of the proposals, click here.

Aston Villa, Spurs, Man City: who will break the top 4? Part 3

All week we have been looking at the teams most likely to break the Premier League's top-four this season. On Thursday, Aston Villa's chances were introduced while yesterday it was the turn of Tottenham's exciting yet unpredictable challenge to be analysed. Today it's the turn of Mark Hughes's Manchester City to come under the scrutiny of our columnist.

Manchester City

Prior to the start of the season, Manchester City were considered by many to be a shoe-in to break the top-four (as they had been the previous year), and perhaps challenge for the Premier League title. A frenzy of transfer activity in the close season saw players heralded as marquee signings at the start of the summer ousted from their lofty position within the squad by upgraded signings before they'd even kicked a ball for the club. The season ahead was an exciting prospect for City fans who were drooling in anticipation at seeing the attacking talents available to Hughes.

City started the campaign with a bang and the 4-2 win over Arsenal in September appeared to validate the views of so many who had tipped them for greatness. Adebayor looked unplayable, and with the likes of Carlos Tevez and Robinho yet to come into the side there was seemingly only one way that City were travelling: up the table. However, eight days later Manchester United inflicted a perhaps undeserved defeat on City, and in the space of just over a week, doubt was cast over the whole project. Seven successive draws in the Premier League during October and November did nothing to shed light on this enigmatic team and further confused those who had backed City for greatness.

As with Aston Villa and Spurs, there is no doubting the wealth of resources available to City manager Mark Hughes. He has an intimidating array of attacking talent in his squad and players like Martin Petrov and Roque Santa Cruz would surely be guaranteed starters at almost any other Premier League side. The trio of Carlos Tevez, Adebayor and Robinho is a fearsome prospect when in full flow and ticks every box in the attacking handbook - pace, power, flair, technique, creativity and movement.

However, despite this seemingly unplayable attacking lineup, City have often flattered to deceive this season, and it has been the less glamorous players who have perhaps proved the most important. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Craig Bellamy and Nigel De Jong may not sound as exciting as the aforementioned attacking trio, but they are arguably at the heart of any success City are likely to achieve this season. De Jong may yet prove to be the most important signing Hughes has made in his time at the club (along with the exceptional Shay Given), and has already overshadowed the much lauded Gareth Barry in central midfield for the club.

Bellamy and Wright-Phillips also bring an element of reliability that is sadly missing from some of the big names in the squad, and this is what Hughes will need in abundance if he is to have a realistic chance of achieving Champions League qualification. It is encouraging that players such as Stephen Ireland are still being given chances in this City side when they could so easily have been overlooked by "bigger names". Surely Hughes's hope lies in keeping these players integral to his operation, as it appears that he can't fall back on his so-called superstars to deliver when it matters. The anonymity of the likes of Robinho and Adebayor at Spurs this week suggests the harsh winter months could be difficult for City unless some of their more battle-hardened players step up to the plate and take responsibility.

City have a great run of fixtures in the Premier League over the next few months that may make or break their season. With the talent they have at their disposal, they could conceivably go into the back-to-back games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham in February and March unbeaten in nine league games, but it will need a significant effort, and for everyone in the squad to pull their weight to achieve this.

Like Spurs, City are at times capable of producing exhilarating football that is a joy to watch. They are capable of turning over the very best teams in the very biggest matches, but it is their ability to knuckle down and graft that will define their season. Doubts still remain over their mental strength and vulnerability in defence, with Toure and Lescott an apparent mismatch in the heart of defence, and this may see them fall short of what is required to enter the Premier League's elite at this time of asking. If Hughes can address the clear shortcomings of his squad in the January transfer window, then they may stand a chance. If not then we'll have to wait until next season before exclaiming City to be top-four contenders once again.

What do you think? Who will finish in the Champions League places this season? Have your say by leaving a comment below!

Aston Villa, Spurs, Man City: who will break the top 4? Part 2

All this week The Good of The Game is bringing you their own insight into the teams pushing for a top-four Premier League finish. Yesterday, Aston Villa's chances were unpacked by our columnist, and found to be showing great promise but perhaps suffering from an overly-pragmatic approach which may prove to be simultaneously their greatest strength and the biggest weakness. Today is the turn of perennial under-achievers Spurs, who have grown from the ashes of Juande Ramos's ill-fated reign to being one of the most eye-catching sides in the country under the guidance of Harry Redknapp.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs invariably provide the Premier League with more entertainment for your money than any other side. For supporters, Spurs create great moments of euphoria and belief, followed by troughs of humiliating defeat, indignation and doubt. For the neutrals there are periods of exhilarating attacking football, and more than enough slapstick comedy to keep them as the most talked about side never to have qualified for the Champions League.

This season so far has been typical of the roller-coaster ride that Spurs almost always promise to deliver. From the unusual excellent start, to the helplessly elevated expectations of supporters, to the humbling against great rivals. From emphatic victories to frustrating defeats, Spurs have kept us guessing all season.

What's true about Spurs is that their first XI is undeniably bursting with talent and is at times a joy to watch. In Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon Spurs have two of the most exciting attacking midfield players that the Premier League has seen in years. They mix the creative elements of electrifying pace and scheming short-game that characterised Arsenal at their greatest, and are comfortable playing a skewed midfield with only one genuine wide man because they have players who are comfortable interchanging positions during the course of a game in the tradition of the great Dutch sides of the 1970s.

Spurs have the in-form striker of the season in Jermain Defoe and while Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane have been subjected to criticism this year, they bring something different to the table and show enough glimpses of brilliance to justify their places. Goals have not been in short supply this season, but defensively Spurs still look vulnerable at times. Of course, any team would miss the defensive duo of Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King, and while Michael Dawson and Sebastian Bassong have proved as able deputies as you're ever likely to find in the Premier League, still there is a nagging feeling that Spurs are one slip away from conceding a goal at any point in any given game.

This has been proved when points have been dropped at home to Stoke and Wolves, while a soft goal conceded away to Aston Villa in November made hard work of a game that Spurs really should have won. The feeling is that Spurs are perhaps one or two central midfielders away from being genuine contenders this season. Wilson Palacios has vindicated the decision of the Spurs board to splash out £14m on him almost a year ago, but he has at times been rendered helpless by the lack of defensive support he receives from those around him. Tom Huddlestone can produce sublime moments of skill and technique, but there are still doubts about his desire to win and he certainly doesn't impose his considerable physical presence enough in key games. Spurs look likely to address this problem in January with the signing of the Brazilian prodigy Sandro, but whether he is able to adapt to the English game quickly enough to make a positive impact on this season is open to question.

Yesterday Aston Villa were described as perhaps overly pragmatic in their approach to the game, but there are lessons that Spurs could learn from their sometimes cautious approach. It is hard to think of a more markedly different approach than that seen by Villa and Spurs, which was clearly on show when the two sides met at Villa Park last month. The old saying goes that "fortune favours the brave", but the eagerness of Harry Redknapp to throw a spanner in the works against top sides this season, by changing the Spurs system, has so far proved fruitless.

Redknapp is not afraid to make big selection decisions and mix his team up in order to try and keep an element of surprise about Tottenham's play, but it is arguably when Spurs have a settled starting XI that they are at their most effective. When Redknapp arrived just over a year ago he found a side struggling for any kind of form and seemingly lacking both a sense of what was their best XI and any kind of tactical approach to the game. Redknapp quickly sorted this problem out and Spurs went on a terrific run to pull themselves out of the mire.

With Luka Modric returning from injury, perhaps Spurs will once again return to their tried and tested formula, though it would be a travesty to see the excellent Niko Kranjcar dropped given his current form. Many will point to the fact that Spurs have a squad with great strength in depth, and that they should use all of the tools at their disposal, but if you remove three or four of those tools, as Redknapp is expected to do in January, then the squad starts to look a little lacking in depth. This could be a blessing in disguise as it will force Redknapp to pick his best XI every week, but could Spurs regret moving those players on later in the season? Aston Villa have shown last season what happens if you lack genuine squad depth and have addressed the problem this term. Spurs would be well advised to heed that warning.

So we look forward to seeing which Spurs side will show up for their next game away to Blackburn, and remain secure in the knowledge that all is as it should be at N17 - completely unpredictable. Tottenham will continue to impress and frustrate in almost equal measure, but looking at the strength of the challenge posed their rivals, they may just have enough to propel them into the footballing elite this time round.

Check back tomorrow (19/12/09) for The Good of The Game's evaluation of Manchester City's chances of gaining a top-four place this season, in the last of the series.

Aston Villa, Spurs, Man City: who will break the top 4? Part 1

As a round of midweek Premier League games again provides compelling evidence both for and against the case for a new team breaking the so-called "big four", The Good of The Game jumps on the bandwagon by - over the next three days - offering their own insight into the debate that's being dubbed "the new can-Lampard-and-Gerrard-play-together?".

There seems to be an almost unspoken consensus amongst those who follow football - and indeed, those who write about it - that Liverpool will this year fail to finish in the Champions League qualifying places for the first time since they won Europe's top prize yet finished only 5th in the domestic championship in 2005. This of course leaves the door open for a team outside the cartel to break up the party and shake up the stagnant and predictable pond that is the English Premier League. To even the most casual of observers it is evident that the three teams best equipped to launch an assault on the summit of English football (or at least a plateau just below the summit that Sky has told everyone is the top), are Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

All three sides have shown glimpses of exactly why so many people are backing them, but they've also shown evidence of both mental and technical weaknesses that suggest if one of them does manage the "seemingly impossible", it will owe more to the missed opportunities of the other contenders than to their own superiority amongst the best of the rest.

Indeed, even those who are paid to offer their unrivalled insight and wisdom on the game to the wider public - the journalists and pundits - seem to swing wildly from backing one team one week, to another the next based purely on the previous week's results and performances. This is perhaps symptomatic of the fickle nature of those who follow the game, even those who are paid to do so.

So, The Good of The Game has decided to throw it's hat into the ring and offer the definitive guide to each sides chances of finishing 4th or higher this season. Let's start by looking at the team currently in possession of that elusive 4th place, Aston Villa:

Aston Villa

It seems fashionable these days to herald Martin O'Neill as some kind of footballing messiah, a man of almost alchemic powers to transform average teams to very good ones, with his understated and likeable demeanour winning him many supporters amongst football's cognoscenti. The truth of the matter is that he has turned Aston Villa into very real contenders, and a side capable of producing eye-catching results against the very best. Only this season they've managed to upset Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool and have placed themselves in a strong position going into the crucial Christmas period which will see them take on Arsenal and Liverpool, and give us further insight into their credentials for a top-four finish.

There is no doubt that Martin O'Neill has now assembled a squad which contains sufficient depth to sustain a challenge throughout the course of an entire season, putting them immediately in a more favourable position than last season where their squad deficiencies were exposed in the second half of the campaign. Signings such as Richard Dunne, James Collins, Habib Beye and Stephen Warnock in the defensive area drew raised eyebrows in the summer for their apparent lack of ambition, but they have once again proven O'Neill to be an astute judge of character and ability as all three have brought valuable quality to the Villa squad. Dunne and Collins in particular have turned in imperious performances in the very biggest matches to make Villa - along with the evergreen and good-as-ever Brad Friedel - a defensive force to be reckoned with.

Going forward Villa boast an embarrassment of English riches, with Stewart Downing added in the summer to an already impressive attacking arsenal containing World Cup hopefuls James Milner, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor. Add to that the muscular physicality of John Carew and the much maligned yet extremely effective Emile Heskey and you have an attack that offers dynamic options and an imposing threat on the break and at set-pieces. Milner has developed this season into an integral piece of the jigsaw, while Downing's recovery from injury and subsequent promising performances have only strengthened Villa's hand.

There's clearly no doubting the tools at Villa's disposal - they have a squad that many Premier League managers would kill for. However, there are still those who are critical of the side and what many consider to be an overly pragmatic approach. The great debate over form against function, the aesthetic versus the pragamtic, is one that has dominated tactical debates for over half a century, and it is one that will be again addressed in part two and three of this series as it plays such a crucial role in analysing the three teams in question.

For Villa and O'Neill, the foundation of their success so far this season has been defensive solidity. It was hailed as the reason behind their famous victories against Manchester United and Chelsea, and provides their attacking players with the platform to break at pace and counter attack against sides worn down by the dogged determination of Dunne and his defensive warriors. However, this pragmatic approach has also been their weakness at times.

In displays against Tottenham (when they played more like an away side at Villa Park) and Everton (where they failed to create enough against a side who had lost three and drawn two of their previous five games), Villa dropped points when those hoping for them to break the top-four would have expected more. Against Spurs in particular it was the manner of the performance that planted seeds of doubt in the minds of many. Villa sneaked an early goal despite barely showing the desire to pressurise the understrength Tottenham defence, and were then happy to sit back and absorb the pressure. Spurs eventually grabbed a point, but to all who observed the match, clearly deserved all three and Villa defended for their lives to keep hold of that solitary point.

If Aston Villa are to break into the Champions League places this season, shouldn't their supporters - and indeed their players and manager - expect to be doing more to take their chances? After all, it is unlikely to be the points gained against the very top sides that decides where teams like Villa will finish this season, but those against their immediate rivals and those below them. Last season Spurs had the best record against the "top-four" of any side in the league, but finished 8th due to poor results against weaker sides.

Surely Villa could be doing more week-in, week-out to mark themselves out as clear contenders for 4th place? They certainly have the tools at their disposal to do so, but it remains unclear whether Martin O'Neill will use those tools to their greatest potential. They may grab the attention of the country with eye-catching results, but in truth it may be the performances that give a more accurate glimpse of Villa's chances this season.

Click back to The Good of The Game tomorrow (18/12/09), when we'll be looking at Tottenham's chances of finishing in the top-four this season.

Dismissal of Gartside's proposals exposes short-sighted leadership

Click here to read about Phil Gartside's proposals for a revamp of the structure of the Premier League

It appears as though Bolton chairman Phil Gartside’s proposals for an overhaul of the structure of the Premier League have been dismissed by those who attended last week’s league meeting. This news comes as no surprise, and in truth Gartside’s proposals appeared half-baked and somewhat apologetic of the need to re-structure the so-called “greatest league in the world”.

That the plans have received such a frosty reception however, suggests cause for concern. Much of the power base of football – the men in high places – acknowledge that something needs to change in our game, yet even the most tentative of proposed plans are dismissed out of hand. I’m not suggesting that Gartside’s proposals should have been embraced and adopted by the league, but the nature of the reception is worrying.

This response does little to dispel the notion that football is clouded by an “everything’s ok” attitude, and that we can go on as we are indefinitely. I’m not sure why, as to me it seems that radical changes need to occur to drag football, and the Premier League into the 21^st century. The much debated issue of club ownership and spiralling football debts aside, I see a league that fundamentally needs a radical structural reorganisation.

For all the posturing of Sky TV, and their ruthless promotion of the Premier League as the most intense, dramatic and edge-of-the-seat theatre available to the armchair consumer, the reality is that the majority of Premier League fixtures really offer very little to get excited about. At least half of the teams in the league fight for nothing more than survival, while another five or six contend for the scraps left by the “top-four”. Added to that, the fixture list is jam-packed with woeful mismatches and unappealing fixtures. A glance at the next round of league games offers the delights of Chelsea v Wolves and Bolton v Blackburn – one an embarrassing mismatch and the other a fierce Lancashire derby for the title of “least bad” team in the league.

Of course the Premier League can offer up excitement and drama and intrigue (thank you, referees), but the reality is that the current formula could be vastly improved upon. The games leaders however – and many of the fans who are happy to see things continue as they are – appear to be doing the game a disservice. Perhaps it is the old English assumption that “we invented the game”, and therefore it must be perfect as it is, that is holding the tide of footballing change back, but something needs to be done to open their eyes. I only hope it’s not too late by the time they realise.