Ninja

Istoric vorbind, Ninja nu erau nici buni si nici rai...aceste concepte apar odata cu situarea noastra intr-una din tabere sau in cealalta. Filozofia Ninpo conduce pe o cale de mijloc, fara atasamente, dincolo de aparenta dualitatii. Ninja apareau deseori ca opusi samurailor pentru ca ei puneau in practica fapte desconsiderate de rigidul cod Bushido : spionaj, diversiune, etc . Esential insa pentru ei era ca sa nu fie descoperiti, astfel ca rar se ajungea ca ei sa fie implicati in confruntari fizice. Demascam asadar si mitul conform caruia Ninja erau mereu experti in arte martiale, idee intretinuta de filmele comerciale. Artele martiale erau un domeniu conex in Ninjutsu, dar cind Ninja trebuiau sa lupte, trebuiau sa supravietuiasca si ...sa cistige...filozofie extrem de utila si in ziua de azi.
Ideograma NIN se traduce prin secret, rezistenta fizica si mentala, anduranta, perseverenta, ascundere in acelasi timp. Maestrii scolii spuneau chiar ca NIN se mai poate traduce si prin "a stapini mintea si trupul cuiva dar si perceptia sa asupra ideii de bine si rau" - cu referire la manipularea subtila a adversarilor.
Ninja aveau un cod al onoarei foarte profund. El se deosebea de Bushido - codul samurailor (un set tacit de norme, mai ales formale) prin pragmatism, si mai ales prin idealul de detasare, de a actiona neimplicat, dincolo de dualitatea lumii de fiecare zi.
Nu trebuie sa existe surprize pentru Ninja, el trebuie sa fie pregatit pentru orice ...

Today! Ity & Fancy in May Pen for Eat Jamaican!

Should coaches be held accountable for horrific fouls?

Should coaches be held responsible for horrific fouls? Paul Gardner feels so, and after Colorado's Brian Mullan's 10-game suspension for his vicious tackle on Seattle's Steve Zakuani, is the main topic of his column in Soccer America.

So now we know. Brian Mullan, for his horrific foul on Steve Zakuani, gets a 10-game suspension. A sentence that will, no doubt, set off an earnest debate. Has the MLS Disciplinary Committee been too harsh on Mullan? Or not harsh enough?

There is always going to be a feeling in these cases that it would be fair, and justice would be nicely done, if the aggressor were suspended until the opponent he crippled is ready to make his comeback.

When I say “in these cases” I’m not referring to cases of incidental, or accidental, injury -- but only to those where there is evidence of either intent or blatant recklessness. In Mullan’s case, I cannot see how there can be any doubt. Forget “intent”, which is almost impossible to define. Intent to go in hard on Zakuani? Definitely. Intent to break his leg? No, not that.

Where Mullan is abundantly guilty is on the charge of recklessness. MLS decided that his foul was “reckless, egregious, and showed utter disregard for the safety of his opponent.” This is baffling, because although it sounds like a heavy judgment, it uses words that, in the FIFA rules, apply to non-red-card fouls.

Rule 12 defines “Reckless” in this way: “Reckless means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.” The problem being that, for such behavior, the rules stipulate only a yellow card, not a red. The severity of the MLS decision therefore, presumably, hinges on the word “egregious” -- a word that needs a definition in this context.

We know the non-legal meaning of the word, and presumably that is what we’re dealing with here -- something flagrant, particularly bad. But evidently not bad enough to warrant a really lengthy suspension. Satisfying as it would seem to make the aggressor’s punishment fit his victim’s suffering, there are obvious difficulties in applying such a sentence. Anyway, how do you compensate for the pain, for the hospital stay, the mental anguish, the recovery therapy?

But ruling out some form of punishment linked directly to the suffering of the victim still leaves plenty of room for heavy punishment. What’s wrong with a season-long suspension? Or 20 games?

One wonders how the figure of 10 games was arrived at. Probably it is a compromise -- in which case it is a poor decision. As a compromise between those who would like a lengthy suspension, and those who might be satisfied with the minimum 1-game suspension, 10 games does not sound right. It is too close to the minimum. Twenty games is more like it -- a harsh penalty for a particularly atrocious piece of thuggery. The addition of a fine is no doubt considered necessary, but it has to be meaningful -- the nugatory $5,000 assessed against Mullan is hardly likely to send a stern message.

But the punishment should not stop there. It is considerably irksome to see that Mullan’s foul is considered to be his responsibility, and his alone. If his assault on Zakuani were an isolated incident, totally at odds with the way that Mullan normally plays, then, OK, a case can be made for his sole responsibility.

But that is not a sustainable argument. Mullan spent most of last season -- certainly in the games he played after joining the Rapids late in the season -- charging about the field with formidable energy. A sight to delight those coaches who believe that work rate and commitment are the qualities that really matter in this sport.

Maybe so. But another way of looking at Mullan’s frantic activity was with considerable apprehension. The way he was playing -- to take but one example, but a pretty frightening one, his awful foul on Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the playoffs against Columbus -- strongly suggested that trouble was brewing.

I would find it difficult to believe that anyone was actually surprised that Mullan had climaxed his hyperactive style by committing a dreadful foul.

Colorado coach Gary Smith can no doubt tell us why Mullan has been allowed to continue playing in such a reckless way. Then again, do we really need to ask that of a coach who has, in his midfield -- in addition to Mullan -- Jeff Larentowicz, Jamie Smith and Pablo Mastroeni?

It comes down to just that, a matter of style, or a lack of it. How ironic -- not to mention farcical -- it is to recall that when Smith took over at the Rapids in 2008 he told us that it was his aim to have the team playing like Arsenal. Instead, we’ve had a team where aggression takes the place of style, a team that its own players openly laud as being “blue collar” -- something diametrically opposite to what Arsenal represent.

I do believe that coaches should share responsibility for their own players’ conduct. They do, after all, get plenty of criticism when their tactics go wrong, and they get plenty of praise when they get things right. There is not much doubt, then, that the modern coach is viewed as having a great deal of influence on the way that his team plays and on the way that his players conduct themselves.

At this point, we run into the same obfuscation that surrounds a player who commits a dangerous foul: that of intent. The players will heatedly deny that they intended to hurt anyone -- and we should assume that they are telling the truth. But the accusation is not of malicious intent, it is of recklessness.

Similarly with the coaches, we should believe their denials that they ever send their players out to kick opponents. But, again, that is not the accusation. The charge here is that a physical style of play has been chosen, and that physical players have been recruited to put it onto practice. Beyond that, it is probably inevitable that physical players who have been enlisted to be physical will, at some point -- even without having to be actively encouraged -- become overly physical. From which the virtual certainty of injuries arises.

But the proponents of the physical game never feel any responsibility for the mayhem they may create. Another of Smith’s highly physical players is Tyrone Marshall. He has pronounced what happened to Zakuani as a freak accident. This ridiculous verdict comes from a player who, when he was with the Los Angeles Galaxy back in 2007, produced his own “freak accident” -- a tackle that broke the leg of Dallas forward Kenny Cooper.

When a coach, like Colorado’s Smith, decides to play a physical game, he needs to take into consideration the likelihood of physical play becoming dangerous play, and to take steps to ensure that his players don’t overstep the mark. In Mullan’s case it seems pretty clear that Smith did not do this.

His defense of Mullan is frankly pathetic, praising him as “very committed” and then rolling out the tired and irrelevant “he didn’t intend to hurt Zakuani” line. One might wonder -- has Smith looked at the replays? Or has he heard Mullan blandly stating that he’ll probably make this sort of tackle again?

When teams playing physically cause injuries, the coach, as the mentor, must share the responsibility. While I do not think Mullan’s 10-game suspension was harsh enough, I also believe that it is quite wrong for him to be the only one to be punished, because Gary Smith should have been alongside him in the dock.

The Real question: Why is Mourinho a bad loser?

John Leicester of the AP writes of the lack of dignity that he felt Mourinho displayed in the 2-0 defeat of his Real Madrid side by Barcelona.

Sounding like a stuck record by a lovesick crooner, but repellently sour not sweet, Jose Mourinho wailed why, oh, why? In the warped view of Real Madrid's coach, the dice are stacked in Barcelona's favor. "They have got great power. The rest of us have no chance," he said.

And some of Europe's most respected referees — Mourinho rattled off the names of several of them — are seemingly part of some kind of pro-Barca plot.

Well, Jose, here's the real question: Why are you such a bad loser?

There is simply no excuse for it, and UEFA should now make it painfully clear that his hinted-at conspiracy theories, his mutterings of "scandalous goings-on" and suggestion that the European football governing body is cuddly with Madrid's historic rival are unacceptable.

"To win this way must leave a bad taste," the self-decreed "Special One" said acidly of Barcelona's deserved 2-0 Champions League semifinal victory on Wednesday, showing that he's not so special, after all. Or, to be more precise, not a good sport.

Shame, really, because Mourinho is a fine football coach, with a record of trophies and victories that speaks eloquently of his talents for organizing and motivating players, no matter their nationality or the culture he's operating in. In crafting winning teams in four countries — Portugal, England, Italy and Spain — the multilingual Portuguese has proven himself to be the ultimate European. He seems a nice enough guy, too, who will always have friends in the press box by providing an endless diet of controversy and flashes of charm and wit.

Policia

Messi magic leads Barca over Real Madrid

Paul Kennedy of Soccer America reports on the Barcelona 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal leg.

For the first 75 minutes, the Real Madrid-Barcelona UEFA Champions League game, the third of four Clasicos, was a mess. More time seemed to be spent arguing with German referee Wolfgang Stark than getting on with the game. But then Lionel Messi (with help from Dutch substitute Ibrahim Afellay) went to work. Two goals by the Argentine -- his 51st and 52nd of the season -- gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernebau Stadium.

The game featured three ejections -- though only one was to a player on the field. Real Madrid's Pepe went off for a nasty challenge on fellow Brazilian Dani Alves in the second half and Coach Jose Mourinho was removed from the bench shortly thereafter.

Barcelona backup keeper Jose Pinto was sent off in a halftime altercation.

Afellay helped break the deadlock when he broke down the right wing and fed a delicate cross that the charging Messi tapped in for the first goal in the 76th minute.

The second goal in the 87th minute was all Messi. The Argentine took the ball 30 yards out, dribbled past three defenders and put the most delicate of touches on the ball to slide it past goalie Iker Casillas inside the far post.

Mourinho, who was banished for telling the fourth official what he thought of Stark's call, continued his rants about pro-Barca refereeing, saying Wednesday's outcome had made next week's second leg in Barcelona a mere formality.

“We’ll go there with pride, without Pepe, who did nothing, without [suspended Sergio Ramos], who did nothing and the coach who can’t be on the bench,” he said. “If we score a goal, they’ll kill us again. It’s a result that is impossible. Today showed we have no possibility. And my question is, why? I’ll live my whole life with this question but I hope one day to get the answer. Why in a game that was equal did [Stark] do what he did? But he won’t answer. He’ll go home because he doesn’t have to answer to anyone.”

CONCACAF Champions League Final: Monterrey defeats Real Salt Lake

Monterrey beat Real Salt Lake, 1-0, to win the 2011 Concacaf Champions League, 3-2, on aggregate. Chilean star Humberto Suazo scored for the Rayados just before halftime, and they held off RSL in the second half. The MLS club dominated play couldn't get more than half-chances. With the victory, Monterrey advances to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan later this year. The loss ended RSL's 37-game unbeaten streak at home

Trials and tribulations that go with being a young pro

It is obviously challenging for a player to move from the youth ranks to the professional level, and where there are more examples of this happening now in Major League Soccer than ever before, there is certainly ups and downs with this process.

Steven Goff of the Washington Post writes of the challenges that young phenom Andy Najar is facing in his second season with DC United.

Andy Najar's second MLS season hasn't begun like his first. The Honduran-born midfielder came out of nowhere to win a starting job for D.C. United and eventually earn 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year honors.

He was in the news recently for his announcement that he'll represent Honduras, not the United States, where he only holds a green card. But talk of national team action now seems a little premature as Najar is on the bench at D.C. United. Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius and Branko Boskovic are all starting ahead of him.

“There is a lot of competition [for playing time in midfield] and my job is to just keep working hard to earn a spot,” said Najar, who started 22 of 30 matches in 2010. “Obviously, those are the coach’s decisions and all I can do is work hard.”

Roy Keane: The Greatest Captain & Midfield General in Manchester United History

Roy Keane: Manchester United's No. 16.

Was he the best midfielder and captain in Manchester United history?

If someone asked you to describe Keane using just a solitary word, it would be nigh-on impossible. The man is an enigma. The common consensus in world football, however, was that, in his pomp, he was the perfect box-to-box midfielder.

He could tackle, he could pass, he could head, he could shoot—he could do everything a true box-to-box midfielder would ever wish to perfect in their game. He was superb in his role of being the box-to-box midfielder, the main man in the middle of midfield.

World class?

Yes, without a second thought—but that's not all he offered. In fact, it pales in comparison to what Keane truly offered to Manchester United. After United had lost the best center forward to ever grace their club in Eric Cantona (who was also captain and leader in chief), Keane slotted right in to the side and instilled the very same “team spirit” that is entwined with the club in the present day.

In truth, Keane was the man and captain who introduced this way of thinking in his leadership, and in what is a true testament to him, that spirit is still visible in Manchester United during the 2011 season.

Pictued above: Manchester United receive a lifeline via the head of Roy Keane. (From "that" night in Turin.)
Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

The leader, the captain and the man you would look to for inspiration—that was Roy Keane.

Keane always led from the front. He'd inspire his teammates to give 100 percent (while he himself was giving 110 percent) in every single game. A great example (perhaps the best one there is) of his inspirational leadership came in that famous Champions League semifinal in Turin from that season.

Down 1-3 on aggregate, possessing the knowledge that even if United produced a miracle to make the Champions League Final, he himself would be sitting out because of the suspension he had picked up earlier, even he could be forgiven for shutting up shop and letting it go. Putting in a 7/10 run-of-the-mill performance is what many a player would do, without copping the tiniest bit of criticism.

Not Keane. Not the Captain of Manchester United.

That just wasn’t him. He produced a performance that ranks alongside some of the greatest any Manchester United player has ever produced. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he rose high and headed the ball in to the back of the net, shifting the momentum towards his side, and in turn, changing the complexion of the match. Keane spurred on his teammates with last-ditch challenges, non-stop running, killer passes and his continued efforts to never say die.

The skipper led his team from the front and brought them back from the brink yet again. He rallied the troops, and before anyone could blink, Manchester United were on their way to Barcelona to play for the Treble.

How would United have finished up that season had it not been for that goal?

There would be no Treble (winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League all in the one season); I guarantee you that much. It is very conceivable to speculate United may have ended that season trophy-less. It's just testament to what Roy Keane offered United, especially in that season of seasons. A typical Roy Keane performance, if there was ever one.

He was loyal to his teammates, intimidating towards his opponents and a winner to the rest of the world.

Ask any teammate Keane has ever played alongside, and with the utmost confidence and certainty, it would be a guarantee that they would simply confirm the actuality of these words. Stepping on to that pitch and having Keane by your side; that in itself would be a massive confidence boost to any player, and as such, would immediately improve said player’s performance.

That is a priceless quality to have in and around your club.

Anyone that dared pose a physical or, indeed, mental threat to Keane or one of his 10 comrades on the pitch ended up regretting it. Just look at Patrick Vieira at the old Highbury (Arsenal’s former home ground) half a decade ago. Vieira attempted to intimidate right back Gary Neville, warning him not to come within three feet of Jose Antonio Reyes' legs or he'd be in trouble.

What was to follow?

Keane chased the French international and fellow renowned hard man up the tunnel, sending the Arsenal Captain to the back of it. Keane struck fear into the hearts of each man in that Arsenal side on the day.

Pictured above: Epitomising his determination, Roy Keane 'goes to ground' and tackles Zinedine Zidane.
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Vieira retreated with his tail between his legs, and Keane's now infamous “I'll see you out there” quote, coupled with his vicious stare, was enough to shake that Arsenal team as Keane’s Manchester United comfortably won the day.

That psychological tormentor characteristic that Keane possessed not only contributed enough to give his team a 2-4 win at Highbury, but it also contributed enough over the years to give United countless victories at Fortress Old Trafford.

As an ex-opponent once said, “With Keane in that side, teams (including ours) were already beaten when they stepped onto Old Trafford: it was just a matter of by how many."

Winning mentality and mental toughness were two major components of Keane’s psychological game. The winning mentality that United can boast today also comes back to when Keane and Sir Alex combined to instill that very quality only years ago.

Keane’s attitude in football was committed; it was beyond passionate and definitely second to none. He was the perfect captain. His attitude towards officials and opponents, while often controversial, was what gave his side the extra edge in tight matches.

This attitude led Manchester United to many wins and was a brilliant tactical calculation on Keane’s part. His toughness when confronting any football player in the world was also a tribute to his character.

Pictured above: Roy Keane brought Sir Alex Ferguson many a success while captain and midfield general for Manchester United.
Stu Forster/Getty Images

I don’t think anyone can name one player that would be up to stepping onto that pitch and taking “Keano” on, one-on-one in his prime. His mentality once he stepped onto the park was simply astounding. He shut all the outside off, he shut the crowd off (especially when playing away) and led from the front.

Keane’s attitude towards the game epitomises Manchester United—and for awhile, it was he who almost solely carried the Red Devils.

Stuck in, hard working and full of emotion, full of fight, Keane was always there for the man next to him, willing to go that extra yard if it meant the difference between winning and losing. That was Keane.

He might not have had Bryan Robson’s flair or Eric Cantona’s skill. He might not have passed as gracefully as Bobby Charlton or flowed as freely as Georgie Best, but anyone would be hard pressed to honestly say any of the aforementioned players gave more effort to every game than Keane. His hard work and work rate just typified Manchester United—holding an amazing appetite to win, as well as a profound hate of losing.

Perhaps he’s made some mistakes before, and he is the first to admit that, but which footballer hasn’t? That shouldn't deteriorate from his standing on the pecking order of the All-Time Manchester United greats. And you know what? It doesn't.

In what is perhaps the biggest compliment he would accept, I close with a quote Sir Alex Ferguson said of Keane, paying homage to the greatest Irish midfielder that ever laced up a pair of boots:

"Roy Keane is one of the first names on the team sheet for my Manchester United all time XI, and that is not blowing smoke up Roy’s backside—that’s just what he brought to the table."

War of words: Mourinho vs. Guardiola

If the job of a coach is to deflect pre-game attention from his players, Barcelona's Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho succeeded wildly. On the eve of the first leg of their UEFA Champions League clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Guardiola snapped at Mourinho in a rare display of anger, gifting the Portuguese coach the "off-field Champions League prize."

In response to Mourinho's charges that Guardiola went too far in its comments about the potential refereeing and Mourinho's own comments about refereeing, Guardiola went into an assault on the Portuguese coach laced with the Spanish expletive "puto."

“He’s the [expletive] boss, the [expletive] master and I can’t compete with him at any instant,” Guardiola said at the Bernabeu. “Off the field, he’s already beaten me. I gift him this off-field Champions League prize. I hope he takes it home and enjoys it. I’d just remind him that that we worked together for four years.”

(Guardiola was a player and Mourinho was an assistant coach together at Barcelona.)

Mourinho wound Guardiola up with references to Guardiola’s reported comments about Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca being a perfect choice for the Portuguese Mourinho -- “We now enter a new phase of criticizing the origin of a referee. I’ve never seen this before," said the Real Madrid coach -- and complaints that calls always seem to go Barcelona’s way, referring to the 2009 semifinals against Mourinho's Chelsea.

Mourinho's use of Guardiola's nickname of "Pep" instead of the formal "Josep" infuriated the Barca boss.

“I respond to him because it’s the first time he says Pep," said Guardiola. "We normally talk in general terms and it’s the first time he says Pep, so I say Jose. I have to respond. Today is the first time [I respond]. If he says Pep, I will continue and I will say ‘Hey Jose.”’

Tutu Adrian

S a vazut inca de prima oara cand l am vazut pe Tutu Adrian ca are talent, ca pune suflet in ceea ce face, in muzica lui si in versurile pe care le scrie. Nu a fost stingherit de public pentru a se elibera de greutatile prin care a trecut, s a simtit si in voce si in interpretare ca nu este pe scena doar de dragul de a fi, ci pentru ca iubeste sa fie acolo ( poate , asa cum a spus si el, pentru ca se simte mai aproape de parinti).
E greu sa ti pierzi ambii parinti, si e greu sa ti tii viata si incercarile in frau, dovedind ca este un baiat la locul lui, puternic si cu simtul masurii.
A aratat ca oamenii nu trebuie judecati dupa aparente si nu trebuie criticati inainte de a prezenta ceea ce au de facut.
Cred ca si juriul a vazut acest lucru, de aceea, desi la inceput Mihai(care desi vrea sa para macho arata ca Sandy Belle cand se dadea in leagan) ca de obicei ar fi avut ceva de comentat, l a trimis mai departe. El s a refugiat oarecum in muzica pe care o canta si in dans si asta l a facut sa fie si mai ambitios cu ceea ce vrea sa faca in viata.
Il apreciez pentru ca a dovedit, ca si multi altii de la Romanii au talent, ca se poate ca si in Romania poti sa ai succes fara sa furi ,fara sa pacalesti viata.

Sa va iau mortii in p...

Navigam linistit pe net ,saream de pe un blog pe altul si am observat ca daca vrei sa ai succes cu blogul trebuie sa injuri.Sa va injur pe voi cititorii ,voi pe mine,eu zic de neamurile voastre ,voi de moasa pe gheata sau orice altfel de injuratura.
Trebuie sa fiu in pas cu moda asa ca o sa organizez un concurs de injuraturi cat mai originale.
Castigatorul va primi meditatii de la tiganii dintr un cartier de la mine din oras la injuraturi in tiganeste pentru a si imbogati repertoriul.
Locul doi va primi meditatii despre traversatul strazii cu mobilul in mana stanga si cu maneaua la maxim imbracat cu un tricou roz pe care sa scrie :De puta madre si gelat dar nespalat iar locul trei meditatii la dans din buric si mancat seminte in centrul orasului imbracat in trening si pantofi.
Spor la injuraturi ca sa ajung si eu in topuri ,sa fiu bloger de succes.
Un exemplu de vocabular elevat mai jos:

Arsene Wenger's Title Aspirations Gone and Next Could Be His Legacy

Arsenal's capitulation in the final third of the season became all but complete, thanks to a 2-1 defeat to Bolton yesterday. This familiar end of season vibe really has come to no real surprise, as some argued it was simply a matter of time before Arsenal dropped out of the title race. Just to add insult to injury it seems they've even sacrificed runners-up spot to London rivals Chelsea. As I write this, this has basically become the norm for Arsenal fans over the past seven seasons.

I took my time to write this blog post as I wanted to get the full response from Arsenal fans, and let the dust fall from yesterdays defeat. I didn't want to hear hasty emotional responses with no real substance such as "Sack Wenger, hire Pep Guardiola and buy Lionel Messi!” The serious and somewhat emotional response I got was all too familiar; Wenger must change his philosophy or Arsenal must change their manager.

Now let's be clear, I think it’s fair to say that to some extent every football fan in the World can appreciate what Arsene Wenger has done for modern game, let alone the English premiership.

I understand that Arsenal excellent "self-sustaining business model" is an example of the correct way football clubs should be run.

I also appreciate the football players Arsene Wenger has developed into some of the best to ever play the game; names such as Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Fabregas, Campbell, Ljungberg and many more have all flourished under Wenger’s tutor ledge and won major honours, whether it be club or country level.

Now Wenger’s fully deserves these accolades and plaudits, but there is an undeniable black mark on Arsene Wenger’s track record, and that is that for six years (soon to be seven) he has failed to win any form of silverware with the North London side.

Now speaking frankly, if you were at any other big club, no matter what league it is or what the level may be, three years without a trophy let alone seven is a catastrophe. Especially considering the profit Arsenal have made over the past few years from selling on some of their well known players, not to mention the money they have made from the fans in ticket sales and merchandise.

Arsenal as perennial runners-up since their last trophy win
2004/05 – 2nd Premier League, FA Cup Winners
2005/06 – 4th Premier League, Champions League Runners-up, League Cup Semi-finals
2006/07 – 4th Premier League
2007/08 – 3rd Premier League
2008/09 – 4th Premier League, FA Cup Semi-finals, Champions League Semi-finals
2009/10 – 3rd Premier League
2010/11 – League Cup Runners-up



It would seem that if Mr. Wenger was a manager of a mid-table club, in which it's only ambitions were to be finishing in a relatively comfortable league position every year while working on a tight budget he would be one of the greatest managers in history, but he is the manager of Arsenal Football Club, one of the most successful and well supported clubs in European domestic football.

In no way am I saying Wenger should blow a load of money, and begin to work within dept, but I'm saying there are no more excuses and there is no excuses for him not to dip into the transfer market and sign either experienced class individuals (baring in mind experienced players does not have to be 30 plus, as a player like Gary Cahill is 25 years old and has vast Premiership experience), or either buy a difference maker. A proven match winner. Why? Because the period in which Wenger had to nurture and develop this current batch of players into world beaters, has been and gone (these past seven years).

I also feel it is now time to remove some of the dead wood from the squad, and add depth to an excellent starting XI. The main response from a select group of fans is the despite the good defensive record this season, the current back five just don't cut the mustard.

For me, the main culprit is Gael Clichy, and has been for some time. A new left back is needed, in part with a new central defender with Premiership experience and who can play at the highest level. Step forward a Gary Cahill or a Brede Hangeland. Either of these two would add some much needed steel to that shaky back four, and go some way to improving their poor set piece defensive record (Arsenal have conceded 20 goals from set plays this season, with only Blackpool, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Brom conceding more).

At right back, Bacary Sagna is a very good and consistent footballer, but has no adequate cover. Emmanuel Eboue is now pretty much a right midfielder and his indecisiveness (and attacking mentality) makes him a liability at right back.

An all too familiar problem with Arsenal is their Goalkeeper. Since Jens Lehmann, Arsenal hasn’t had a reliable and class goalkeeper. A key attribute of being a goalkeeper, is having resilience and having character. Woljiech Szczesny has both of these attributes, but his lack of experience has faltered him twice this season. In the Carling Cup final where he was to blame for not taking control of simple defensive clearance, and in the 3-3 draw with rivals Spurs, giving away a rash penalty after Arsenal seemed likely to withstand the pressure and hold out for a win.

Now Szczesny should be the backup goalkeeper and learn the tricks of the trade from a world class experienced goalkeeper, for this, Mr Wenger must look no further that Manchester City's benchwarmer Shay Given.

Fabianski is unreliable, Almunia is most likely to leave in the summer, and if Lehmann’s experience is so vital, hand him a coaching role. The Arsenal board must put a bit of pressure on Arsene Wenger, but subsequently back him financially in pursuit of these players.


Up front, it’s simple; either get rid of the faltering 4-2-3-1 formation and switch to 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 to get the best out of Arsenal's strikers. Not only does this formation expose Arsenals fullbacks, but the high line imposed by Koscielny and Djourou makes them susceptible to the ball over the top, and also on the turn against quick strikers.

Also when players like Clichy, Sagna, Walcott or Nasri get the ball into wider areas, they deliver crosses in the box, aiming at one striker who is surrounded by five defenders. So it’s pretty much crossing to nobody. Two strikers up front (Bendtner or Chamahk with Van Persie) would mean they would obviously be the main target for these wasted crosses.

“Arsenal have completed 156 out of 813 crosses, giving them a 19% success rate, the 2nd worst after Man City”
Robin Van Persie is a world class striker and we have seen this since his return from injury, and it is vital for Arsenal to do everything within their power to make sure he gets adequate protection in order to stay fit for a whole season. Scoring in the 2-1 defeat yesterday meant he became the first striker to score away goals in seven consecutive games. Van Persie has also hit 18 goals in his last 19 appearances in all competitions. Vital.


On to Nicklas Bendtner, who has the qualities to be a very good striker, but he is very arrogant. He needs to prove himself on the football pitch, but currently isn't getting this opportunity under Wenger. A Bendtner/RVP combination I believe, could work since the two players styles complement each other quite well.

As for Marouane Chamahk; I really can’t see him being cut out for the Premiership. To play consistently for 3 months straight and then disappear off the radar completely (since December, and say he is suffer from “tiredness”) just shows he lacks both the physical and mental attributes need to succeed in England.


On a final note regarding the strikers, Arsenal might as well Carlos Vela. The young Mexican is synonymous with a lack of goals, and is very poor compared to his fellow countryman Javier Hernandez who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.

That’s my take on the Arsenal squad, and the current crop available, who are simple not cutting it.

Now I haven't been sitting here thinking of Fantasy Football or spent the whole afternoon playing Football Manager, I have looked at the most viable options available, and the likelihood of the transfer. I mean Arsenal fans would love to have a Samuel Eto’o or Lionel Messi, but that would be very farfetched and financially unattainable for Arsenal (or so they have you believe). Many Arsenal fans I have spoken to, concur that the likes of Cahill and Given are the players needed in order to strengthen their quest for a trophy. It’s come to the point where Wenger has no more excuses and subsequently no more alternatives.

My final point is an issue I have with Arsene Wenger’s attitude. He is a terribly sore loser and that has rubbed off onto Arsenal fans. Instead of admitting fault and accepting responsibility, he comes out with ridiculous excuses hence making his responses to journalist’s questions more evasive than Floyd Mayweather's defence.



His conduct on the touchline is very disconcerting. He argues with opposition managers, and then refuses to shake their hands when things don't go his way. It is quite poor behaviour, from someone who is so well respected and should be an example to younger managers on how to conduct themselves appropriately. The period of this behaviour (Which can only be described as that of a sore loser) need to be eradicated. Managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes do not conduct themselves in this manner and neither should the Arsenal manager.

This stubbornness, and refusal to admit some sort of fault, is demoralising Arsenal fans and really an insult to everything the club stands for. If Wenger continues in this manner, it’s no myth that all his hard work, achievements and innovations are going to be forgotten which threatens to leave his legacy in tatters.



Arsenal and football fans I would love to hear your views on Wengers decisions, tactics and behaviour. What do you think Arsenal should do? What should Arsene Wenger do?

Leave a comment below, or tweet me @RealTalkFB

Real Talk Football

Portland and Vancouver both drawing capacity crowds

Paul Kennedy of Soccer America reports on the past week's attendance in Major League Soccer.

Thanks in part to expansion teams Portland and Vancouver both drawing capacity crowds, MLS average attendance is up more than 1,300 fans a game over the final 2010 average, though several teams that date back to the launch of MLS in 1996 are struggling at the gate.

* Columbus is averaging only 10,850 fans a game at Crew Stadium. Its 15-year low was 12,275 fans a game in 1998, its last season at Ohio Stadium.

* New England is averaging only 9,853 fans a game. Average attendance at Gillette Stadium has fallen in each of the last four years to a low of 10,041 in 2010.

MLS ATTENDANCE:

Club (2011 Rank)	Week 6 Home Games	2011 Home Average	2010 Home Average (Final)
Chicago (11)	12,473	14,278	15,814
Chivas USA (12)	--	14,845	14,576
Colorado (14)	14,185	13,727	13,329
Columbus (15)	--	10,850	14,642
D.C. United (4)	18,052	20,935	14,532
FC Dallas (13)	--	14,476	10,815
Houston (10)	--	15,536	17,310
Kansas City (-)	--	--	10,287
Los Angeles (2)	23,719	25,239	21,437
New England (17)	11,414	9,853	12,987
New York (9)	--	16,318	18,441
Philadelphia (7)	--	17,589	19,254
Portland (8)	--	18,627	--
Real Salt Lake (5)	--	18,010	17,095
San Jose (16)	10,525	10,064	9,659
Seattle (1)	--	36,290	36,173
Toronto FC (6)	20,145	19,593	20,453
Vancouver (3)	21,000	20,843	--
Leaguewide	16,518	17,370	16,037

Nasterea la romani

Manchester United have drive and resilience of true winners

Greg Stobart of Goal.com writes of why Manchester United is built to win the 2010-11 English Premier League title.

What separates the Red Devils from the two teams directly below them – Arsenal and Chelsea – is their winning mentality, their insatiable desire to win.

That was proved yet again as Javier Hernandez popped up with a priceless 84th minute winner that leaves United six points clear of the pack with just four games left to play.

It came just when hopes were being raised in north and west London that Everton could cling on for a draw they didn't deserve in the slightest for a performance that lacked any attacking ambition.

In similar circumstances, you can be quite sure that Arsenal would not have found a way to win the game; they have proved in the last week that they lack the necessary drive and resilience.

The same could be said for Chelsea given their woeful form for long periods of the season, but United have always found the drive and the skill to turn draws into victories, the hallmark of championship-winning teams.

USSF sets up plan for building future

From the Evansville Courier Press, April 24, 2011

The United States Soccer Federation has a firm handle on the future of soccer in our country, and it is by focusing on player development in the 5-year old to 12-year old age groups.

USSF officials, led by Youth Technical Director and former national team captain Claudio Reyna, unveiled a new curriculum for coaches of players ages 5-12 this week at the Nike International Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. It deals with the focus, motivation and direction of the youth coaches at some of the top clubs in the world.

Mike Woitalla of Soccer America wrote about the "age-appropriate roadmap."

"The coaches were guiding the training," Reyna said. "They were not controlling. They weren't on top of the kids. They were not stopping the play for every mistake. None of them yelled. The only time they barked was when kids were screwing around. That's when they said, 'Hey, cut it out!' And boom, the intensity went back up."

It's important, Reyna says, to avoid the temptation to focus on mistakes.

"When you first start coaching young players, you see so many things, because, yes, they make mistakes, and if you see a lot of mistakes you want to correct a lot of mistakes. But these coaches were really letting the kids learn the game."

Reyna was struck by the humility of the youth coaches at the pro clubs.

"Very humble. Devoted to their jobs. I got to speak to so many coaches and it was almost when I asked them things they were embarrassed to talk about it. They'd say things like, 'We're a part of something else. The kids are students. We're their teachers. We have to do this job, then we pass them on to the next coach and he does his job, and I get the next group in.'

"It was very, very powerful to see these guys who were working behind the scenes. They don't get any credit, no one knows who they are, and for me they were fantastic coaches."

During games, Reyna observed that "at the best places the youth coaches are sitting down. And if they get up to give instructions, they sit right back down.

"When the game is going on, all the coaches should just sit down. I think if you ask any player at the youth level, if the coach is on the sidelines standing, it brings tension. You can sense it."

Coaches at the foreign pro clubs Reyna observed are judged by how many players end up reaching the highest level. And that's what Reyna says should be the measure for American youth coaches.

"For me, it's irrelevant if coaches win state cups, regional cups, national cups," he says. "We get a lot of resumes — I don't mean people shouldn't put that in their resumes — but how many trophies they have in their cabinet isn't important to me. It's about the kids, it's not about you. We care about how many players you develop rather than how many trophies you win.

"What is the plan you have? What is your style of play? What's your philosophy? What do you teach them? What do you do with your staff? If you don't address that, then what are you doing? Going from week-to-week trying to win games?"

Key components of this curriculum included:

Style & Principles of Play, concept and coaching guidelines, age group organization, and planning and training;

Concepts & Coaching Guidelines, philosophies, content, an organization;

Age Group organization- age, appropriate training and practice plans;

Planning and training, structure of sessions.

I was glad to see that there is a focus on taking risks, knowing that soccer is an error-prone sport. It is important that players (and parents) understand that mistakes are part of the game and learning process.

The entire curriculum can be downloaded on the US Soccer website at www.ussoccer.com.