This is my attempt at journalism, focusing slightly more on sport, but i hope to dabble in other areas as well. Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @oli_kerry
No doubt before last night’s Champions League game both Liverpool and Tottenham supporters would have been rueing their clubs attempt to sign the Brazilian, but, following last night’s performance, many may question what all the fuss was about.
The former Shakhter Donetsk midfield famously flirted with both clubs, even going through a medical with Tottenham, before being enticed to join Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
However, when he finally made his debut for Chelsea last night, it was an oddly subdued display, which contrasted sharply to the instant impacts of Christian Eriksen for Tottenham or Mesut Ozil for Arsenal.
It still seems odd that Chelsea felt the need to sign Willian, as many have questioned from the start how exactly he would fit into a Chelsea side already crammed with attacking creative players.
Juan Mata, the West London club’s player of the season for the past two years, is even struggling to find a role in the first team, with places held, for now, by the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar playing between midfield and attack.
Mata’s performed a substitute role, coming on as a replacement for Willian in the 67th minute, following a truly mediocre performance from the Brazilian. His previous showing at Stamford Bridge was captivating, as he scored twice for Shakhtar in a 3-2 defeat last November, a performance which ensured his place as one of Europe’s most exciting young players.
Willian all night struggled to get into the game.
He started on the right of a five-man midfield and won a corner with an early cross, but early on swapped place with Hazard to the left flank in an attempt to find some success.
Little came as he found he had hardly a touch on the ball as Oscar commanded the creative role, leading to his opening goal on the stroke of half-time.
Willian began the second half back on the right hand side, and got in another dangerous cross that had to be dealt with by Basle’s keeper Yann Sommer. Yet Oscar continued the better player as he hitting the bar with a long range shot and saw another deflected just wide.
Willian was subbed a few minutes later, walking off to loud cheers, which were most likely the Chelsea fans showing their support for Juan Mata, who returned to Chelsea’s line up following weeks of speculation over his future.
The changes did not work for Mourinho, whose side were eventually defeated 2-1 when Basle scored twice in a ten minute spell.
Last season, Willian’s performance impressed many Chelsea supporters at Stamford Bridge; it is unlikely that last night it had the same effect.
A look at how many of the late transfer window signings fared in their first appearances for their new clubs.
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal):
Ozil was famously signed on deadline day for £42.5 million and his debut was certainly the most impressive out of those that made their debuts for their new clubs this weekend.
Ozil played 80 minutes and played superbly, as many had anticipated. The creative midfielder ensured that Arsenal didn’t miss the injured Santi Cazorla when, with 11 minutes played, he expertly controlled a long ball from Kieren Gibbs, with his first touch, to then lay a ball through to Olivier Giroud with the second, securing him an assist to add to his already substantial collection. Ozil was substituted with 10 minutes left and was greeted by a standing ovation from the travelling Arsenal supporters. I think it’s clear that we will be seeing far more from him in the season ahead.
Rating: 9/10
Christian Eriksen (Tottenham):
Perhaps Eriksen would not have been considered as a star signing for Tottenham as his transfer fee of £12 million is somewhat smaller than Spurs other signings, but Eriksen showed that he has the potential to be a hugely significant signing. Playing as a creative midfielder he showed awareness and a calm head in front of goal to pass to Gylfi Sigurdsson for Tottenham’s first goal. With some quick feet he was able to also pass three Norwich players in their box to shoot, but the effort was well saved by Norwich keeper John Ruddy.
It is likely that with the return of Aaron Lennon and Erik Lamela to full fitness that Eriksen has really pushed for his name to be considered in the creative midfield role.
Rating: 8/10
Samuel Eto’o (Chelsea):
It was a surprise that Chelsea loaned out Romelu Lukaku to West Bromwich Albion on deadline day, but the man who filled his role is well known for having a knack for scoring a goal or two. Samuel Eto’o showed his class with his positioning, in the early stages against Everton he was able to pull away from the central pairing of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distan to glance a header just wide in the first half and continued to find himself in goal scoring opportunities, one he will want to forget is the opportunity he had with an open goal where he shot was unfortunately blocked by Gareth Barry.
In all fairness it may take Eto’o time to get used to the speed of the Premier League considering he has been in Russia for a few seasons. Once match fit we may see a wholly different individual in front of goal.
Rating: 5/10
Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City):
Jovetic has been coveted as one of Europe’s greatest young talents. By City signing him for what is thought to be around £22 million there is a significant amount of pressure on the player.
Although Jovetic wasn’t signed at the end of the transfer window, due to injury, it was his first appearance for City at the Britannia Stadium. In all honesty, I doubt he will look back on it with any fond memories.
He tried to get on the ball a great deal but he lacked that cutting edge and real ability on the ball to carve open the stubborn Stoke defence and was eventually replaced by Sergio Aguero, who had a greater impact. The Britannia is a hard place to make a debut and so perhaps Jovetic needs a few more games to settle until we see his true potential, this was not the most promising of beginnings.
Rating: 4/10
Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United):
Unlike many of the other players reviewed, Fellaini was introduced as a second-half substitute in a game which Manchester United were in complete control following the sending off of Kagisho Dikgacoi on the stroke of half time.
He did, however, fit straight in and the central midfielder didn’t put a foot wrong and even came close to scoring when he hit a half volley from outside the box, but was denied by a sprawling Julian Speroni .
The man Fellaini replaced, Anderson, performance was mediocre, at best, and United supporters will be hoping that the Belgian will start in the derby next week.
Premiership Rugby and their French counterparts, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR)on Tuesday night announced a shocking move to move away from both European club competitions that left the survival of next season contests in doubt.
In a combined move, the Anglo-French leagues announced that from the 2014-15 season their clubs will not be participating in the Heineken Cup or the Amlin Challenge Cup, but would instead take part in a new competition, having served a notice that they would leave the current ERC tournaments in June last year.
Importantly, the English and French club have left the door open for other teams to join the new competition and virtually closed the door on any return to the European Rugby Cup, which has triggered an angry reaction from the Italian and Celtic clubs who met in Dublin yesterday.
The principal demands of the English and French clubs have been to make significant changes to the Heineken Cup, including an equal three-way split in revenue between the three leagues and changes to the qualification process resulting in a reduction in the number of teams from 24 to 20; six from the Premiership, six from the Top 14 and Six from the RaboDirect Pro 12, who currently have 10 guaranteed entrants per season, plus the winners of the two European tournaments.
The Heineken Cup began in 1995, but now its position is seriously under threat
Why are the Premiership and French Top 14 so enthusiastic to make these changes? They believe that their counterparts from the other four nations have an unfair advantage in Europe. The teams of the Pro12 have no threat of relegation, allowing teams to rest players for league matches and, as a result, keep them fresh for European fixtures. In addition, the two Scottish sides, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the two Italian sides, Treviso and Zebre, are guaranteed a Heineken Cup place.
Another reason is thought to be the figures of money that clubs will earn from creating a new tournament. It is believed that the new investment from BT Sport, who are understood to be televising the new competition. The combining television deals for both English and French clubs alone could see the worth of the competition rise from £10 million to £30 million per season.
Are we then seeing a complete overhaul of European club rugby? In truth, it’s hard to tell. Negotiations are yet to be concluded. Despite the surprising move and the anger generated, there are signs of a late willingness to negotiate in order to preserve both of the European cups. The ERC still believe the tournament can be saved. On their website, they stated yesterday that “despite recent reports, all parties involved in the formulation of a new ERC Accord, including the LNR and Premiership Rugby, have reaffirmed their commitment to the process”.
It seems that for now that negotiations will continue, but the move by the Premiership and LNR will certainly lead to a change in European club rugby, whether it be an overhaul of the current Heineken Cup or the creation of an all new competition.
England’s performance highlighted many technical shortcomings, but, by securing a point, they now sit at the top of Group H with their attempts to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil firmly in their hands.
Manager Roy Hodgson will be delighted with the result, knowing now that with victory in their final two Wembley qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland in October will guarantee that England automatic qualification.
What may worry England supporters are the failings in midfield which was tremendously poor, lacking both pace and composure. Frustratingly England, comprised of both the experienced Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, alongside the talented Jack Wilshere, managed to continuously give the ball away to their opponents. The three were shadows compared to the players who represent their clubs in the Premier League.
As England continued to struggle with the pressure heaped upon them by a tenacious Ukraine midfield, Michael Carrick surprisingly remained sat on the bench. England’s one real accomplished holding midfielder looking on as the team anxiously held on.
Wilshere, unusually asked to play as England’s No 10, was especially disappointing. The Arsenal man was targeted all night by reckless tackles, predominantly from Oleg Gusev and occasionally Taras Stepanenko, which seemed to nullify Wilshere’s attacking threat and also reveal that perhaps he is still not fully match fit.
Cahill was a stalwart in England’s otherwise shaky defence.
However, England can draw positives from Kiev. Their draw was secured due to a solid defensive performance exemplified by Chelsea defender Gary Cahill. England in the early stages of both halves were under prolonged pressure and it was Cahill who blocked shots, headed balls clear and was disciplined enough to position himself well throughout the game, particularly when he intervened exceptionally to cut out a ball destined for Roman Zozulya after some creative build up play from Yevhen Konoplianka.
Hodgson will ignore the criticism that followed on social media led by individuals such as former England international Gary Lineker. He will see his England team on top of Group H. It was job done in Kiev and they will now focus on their future games against Montenegro and Poland in which their attacking edge should be, for all Rickie Lamberts efforts, far sharper than it was on Tuesday night. Wayne Rooney should be available following the severe cut on his forehead. Daniel Sturridge should be fit after his thigh problem and Danny Welbeck free from suspension. Hodgson will feel his side really need these additions to look more composed in possession and, certainly, to be more adventurous.
A small worry will be that England have drawn with both sides they now face during this campaign and that they cannot afford to drop any more points. Ukraine, considered their main rivals for qualification, have an easier run in with Poland at home and then San Marino, notorious ‘whipping boys’ of Group H, away. It is vital to England hopes that their performances will have to drastically improve in order to secure automatic qualification for the tournament next year.
Mesut Ozil signs for Arsenal on deadline day for £42.5m
With only half an hour of the transfer window left, Arsene Wenger gave Arsenal supporters something to finally boast about with the signing of German attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid at a cost of 50m (£42.5m). Wenger had expressed throughout the summer that Arsenal had increased financial firepower which would allow him to compete in the market and at 10.30pm on Monday, the manager and all Arsenal supporters could celebrate a quite remarkable coup.
Ozil became the second most expensive signing in British football history, behind Fernando Torres, who famously joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2011 for £50m. The deal also nearly trebled the club’s previous highest amount paid for a player, £15m for Andrey Arshavin in 2009; a clear statement of intent from the previously prudent manager.
Arsene Wenger was clearly pleased with his new signing when he said. “He is a great player, with proven quality at both club and international level. We have watched and admired him for some time as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player.”
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis also described Ozil as “a world-class player who is one of Europe’s brightest young talents.”
Ozil’s impact is expected to be great. His assist record reads 20 (09-10), 31 (10-11), 26 (11-12) and 35 last season. For anyone mathematically challenged that’s 112 assists in four seasons. In comparison to Arsenal’s current squad, Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla contributed the most assists for the team with 16 and 14 respectively. With Ozil contributing nearly 20 more assists in all competitions last season, the club will indeed be hoping Ozil continues this form into his Arsenal career where his impact should contribute substantially to Arsenal’s goal tally.
However, in many ways the acquisition of Ozil has acted to rescue Arsenal’s testing transfer window. Failures in attempts to sign Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema, Angel DiMaria or even the defensive midfielder Luis Gustavo, had led to growing tension at the Emirates, with Arsenal supporters left frustrated with the lack of additions to the squad. Going into transfer deadline day, Arsenal had previously made only two signings – striker Yaya Sanogo, 20, and midfielder Mathieu Flamini, 29, arriving on free transfers.
There may still remain frustration at the clubs failure to improve other areas of their squad, namely a defensive midfielder, a centre back and, arguably most importantly, a striker. Something that then may worry Arsenal supporters is the risk not adding a new attacking option in the form of a new centre forward. A bid to take Chelsea’s Demba Ba on loan broke down close to the deadline and would have provided a significant addition of a player who could have added competition and cover to the role employed by Oliver Giroud.
The lack of any signing in this area indeed shows that Arsenal have taken quite a risk by not having a proven striker in place should Giroud be injured. It seems likely that Arsenal may have to rely on the young striker Yaya Sonogo or the out of favour Nicklas Bendtner, who Arsene Wenger previously said, before the closing of the transfer window that “If he comes back well and gets fit, I will use him.”
The same is perhaps true in the centre of defence with Arsenal low on numbers due to the continued injury of Thomas Vermaelen, who is injured with a back problem.
Thomas Vermaelen remains injured for Arsenal
This leaves just Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny as the only fit centre backs in the squad. Though they were impressive against Tottenham in Arsenal’s North London derby win at the weekend, an injury to one or the other may present critical problems to Arsenal’s centre defence. Wenger may be confident in Bacary Sagna and Matheiu Flamini’s ability to provide cover for these positions but it seems that it may have been more advantageous to sign a proven centre back in order to further improve the squad. Again, in this case, it appears that Arsene Wenger has taken another risk.
Arsene Wenger, in a recent press conference, came out to quash criticism that he does not take some competitions as seriously as others by playing weaker teams than perhaps he might in the Premier League. Arsenal has not won a trophy for 8 years, according to the Daily Mail, that’s 2,830 days with no silverware. Since they won the FA cup in 2005, 25 players have departed and gone on to win 75 medals between them. It makes grim reading for any Arsenal supporter.
The glaring reality now facing Arsenal and its board is that they may now not qualify for the Champions League this season, something that is crucial to Arsenal if they wish to finally succeed. You see, without Champion league football, there is no doubt that attracting world class players becomes near impossible. Others teams have counteracted this by being able to offer huge sums of money in order to attract the big names. Arsenal, however, seem unwilling to do this.
Will Wilshere and Walcott want to stay at a mediocre Arsenal?
What will happen to their stars? Will such prospects as Wilshere and Walcott remain at the club if they do lose Champions League football? Even though they may have recently signed contracts, it could become increasingly difficult for such players to be playing for a club that is descending the table during their best years, whilst the trophy cabinets of rival players grow increasingly full.
Arsenal’s board only have to look at Liverpool as an indication of what can happen to a club once they lose their place amongst the elite of the ‘top four’. Once out the Champions league Liverpool lost the financial reward and also the draw that could have attracted the top players to Anfield. Liverpool were the Champions League winners only eight years ago, they have not stepped foot in the competition since 2009. Arsenal fans should perhaps be glad that they have not fallen so hard but still if Liverpool can fall, so can they.
Imagine if Arsenal finish fifth or even sixth, there will be no Champions League football. At that point a long wait for a trophy at the Emirates will be the least of supporter’s worries when they see rivals like Tottenham in the Champions League instead of their beloved club.
If Champions League football is lost then the Arsenal board would most likely have to alter their cherished wage structure in order to attract the type of players who could pull Arsenal out of the mire the way Robin van Persie could. But this seems unlikely. Whilst Chelsea and Manchester City rose around them Arsenal showed no willingness to toy with their wage structure and, even facing the loss of Champions League football, it seems as if there is little impetus within Arsenal to alter that stance.
Another problem facing the Arsenal board is the position of their manager. Wenger’s current contract expires in 2014. This leaves Arsenal facing a potentially critical decision over their most successful manager at some point next year. Wenger and the club would most likely agree that in recent seasons the team has been in an escalating downward spiral and that this needs to change if their relationship is to continue.
Arsene Wenger’s contract ends in 2014. Will he stay?
The short term solution would be to defeat Bayern Munich on Tuesday, with reports mentioning that Wenger could be planning as many as six changes from the team that lost to Blackburn on Saturday. Bayern, however, present a far greater challenge to the struggling North London club than they have faced this season. Bayern have not conceded a goal in over 10 hours of football, they are yet to concede in 2013 and, domestically, they have only let in 7 goals all season. The signs look slightly ominous for Arsenal.
In the long term, Wenger is supposedly being backed in the summer with considerable funds which, the board believe, could bring in about three of four players that might help to fill the void left by van Persie. However, if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League and the board continuing to be unwilling to alter their wage structure, no matter how much money Arsene Wenger is handed in the summer, the best players will simply have no interest in a move to the Emirates Stadium. If actions had been taken sooner, by investing in new, quality players and maintaining that the contracts of important players were negotiated far earlier then conceivably Arsenal would not be in the position they now find themselves.
The sad reality is that we could all be witnessing the downfall of yet another great premier league club.
Sometimes rugby becomes a game less about the skill of a pass or interchanges that lead to clean breaks through a defensive line. Rugby sometimes becomes a sport where making the hard yards through the wind, rain and mud becomes a necessity. These were the conditions that both teams faced at the Aviva stadium on Sunday.
Like the match on Saturday between France and Wales, the match at the Aviva should not be considered truly exciting, certainly not something for the neutrals than what we saw the previous weekend. However, instead of a contest that was played out by two teams struggling for form, the weather in Dublin had a great effect on this clash. It was also the lowest scoring game in Six Nations history and the first game between Ireland and England to not see a try in 29 years. Though, this will matter little to the victors.
England had achieved something they had not been able to for a decade, defeat Ireland in Dublin. Their young squad, in passing arguably their toughest test to date, demonstrated that perhaps in the future they have the ability to challenge for further accolades at the highest level.
As the hymn of Swing Low reverberated around a largely empty Aviva stadium following the final whistle, the England players could be seen to form a huddle, signifying how together and close-knit the team has become. The character of the team was very clear to see when England suffered a dismal spell as they were reduced to 14 men in the second half following the sin-binning of James Haskell in the 57th minute. Ronan O’Gara was then able to pull Ireland level to take the score to 6-6. However, England showed pure character, they never panicked or showed signs of doubting each other, instead England were able to score the important 6 points that led them to victory. This part of the match was crucial.
What had been expected before this game was that Ireland would aim to take control, forcing their opposition back with territorial kicking and targeting England at the breakdown in order to force a couple of penalties. However, England had other ideas. Their young team performed like true professionals and squeezed Ireland, forcing the penalties that would eventually lead to victory.
Ireland controlled 58% of the possession and 57% of the territory. They made three line breaks which the visitors failed to achieve. Ireland won four line-outs on the oppositions throw and missed only 3 tackles to England’s 11. Those numbers would usually speak of superiority but this was difficult to see in the wet conditions. England played the conditions and Ireland, especially in the first half, openly showed their frustration and suffered numerous handling errors.
Furthermore, England may have appeared to have ill-discipline in the game conceding 14 penalties to Ireland’s 11, however, only 3 were within kicking distance of their posts. The men in green gave away 6 within range, 4 of which Owen Farrell coolly kicked. The example here shows that England are exhibiting greater maturity, importantly demonstrating far better discipline in their half, something that England sides in the past have struggled with.
What epitomised England’s attitude was the performance of Chris Robshaw. Their captain is unlike most flankers. He is not a natural No 7 who scavenges for the ball, but his influence is colossal. He takes opposition on in every way possible and his tackling against Ireland was aggressive and effective, shown by the fact he made 4 more tackles than anyone else on the pitch.
Chris Robshaw leads by example diving at Eoin Reddan
But, what is unique about Robshaw is his ability to bring out the best out of his team. Against Ireland he stood as a receiver, playing as a link up man bringing more attackers into the game and helped to keep the Irish defence on their toes. Robshaw, for the most part, has become an England captain similar to the likes of Dallaglio and Johnson in the way that he leads by example.
England did not have things all their own way, though, far from it. But, that is perhaps the most impressive thing about their display. England’s heads did not drop following Ireland’s increasing pressure following the half-time break. England managed to withstand the pressure. They had a replacement bench stocked with a plethora of talent. It was soon used as Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes led a charge when they came on in the 48th minute.
It is important to mention that Ireland had suffered greatly due to injuries in the first half. First, losing energetic winger Simon Zebo, who broke his foot and, more influentially, losing Jonny Sexton who tore his hamstring, sadly preventing the ‘battle’ with Farrell for the Lions number 10 jersey that had been so hyped by media and pundits alike.
These losses for Ireland shouldn’t take away from England’s performance. England’s credentials before the game may have been in doubt, but, following this professional performance, one that leaves England as the only team that can now go on to win the Grand Slam, England can now be considered a team that are one of the most formidable not only in Europe but, perhaps, in the World. The tests will keep coming for England. France will surely draft in the changes following another defeat at the hands of Wales. Wales will, no doubt, relish the thought of a final game against their bitter rivals in Cardiff. So perhaps the talk of a Grand Slam should be subdued for now.
The build-up for this match at the Stadio Olympico set the scene for what was to be a truly enthralling match. With Italy’s whole history of rugby watching on – all Italian rugby players from the past were given numbered hats to commemorate them having played for their nation – the unmatched passion Italians add when singing their national anthem and it being France’s first game in the tournament. You felt a certain atmosphere that this game was not going to lead the French victory so many had predicted.
The teams on the opening weekend of the Six Nation showed a greater willingness to attack and pass the ball around than has normally been seen in past tournaments. The Six Nations, in just its first weekend, has seen 16 tries, it’s the most exciting for years. This could be put down to the lessons taught in the autumn internationals. However, this matter’s little. What is important is that it was needed in order to bring some much needed spark back into the Six Nations competition.
The large Italian crowd at the Stadio Olympico were absolutely ecstatic following their 23-18 victory over France. Though the players shared in this feeling their reaction on the pitch fully showed why they deserved victory .That is because this time they weren’t handed victory by a side playing poorly. The French in 2011 being a strong example of this, let down by the management of Marc Lievremont who, due to his constant changing of team selection and his defensive approach, prevented the French side from having any consistency.
Going into the game France led their head-to-head 31-2 and were in great form after a November clean sweep against Australia, Argentina and Samoa. However, against Italy, France lacked enthusiasm and guile at times. The French attack was sometimes too flat showing little threat from the deep to truly break through the Italian defensive line. The small examples of French threat came with the brilliant offloads by the French backs that was finished off by Benjamin Fall. What contributed more though was the Italians ability to expand their play from the usual set piece and kicking game. Greater focus has been placed on clearing out rucks in order to create quick ball which prevented the French defensive line from forming, this was exploited greatly by Orquera’s in his break for the first Italian try exploiting a mismatch against French prop Nicolas Mas.
The Italian captain Sergio Parisse and fly-half Luciano Orquera were stand out players for Italy in attack and defence and, for once, commentators watched some players not mentioning what their capability would be like if they played for a stronger side.
The game began with Italy taking an early lead as their talisman Sergio Parisse finished off a flowing counter-attack but France hit back as Parisse’s opposite number, Louis Picamoles, powered his way to the line, holding off two Italian defenders. Orquera’s boot saw the hosts stretch clear but Fall’s try put the visitors 13-15 up at half time.
Castrogiovanni celebrates scoring his influential try.
Italy’s key moment came following a successful French penalty kicked by French veteran Michalak, starting his first Six Nations game at fly-half for seven years, and at this point it looked as if momentum was clearly with them. But it was the Italian reply that was crucial. Instead of looking dejected or defeatist, the hosts managed to break into the French 22. From a ruck, near the French try line, Orquera pounced around the fringes and, very skilfully, managed to free his arms from the clutches of two Frenchmen and feed a deft pass to Castrogiovanni, who lunged over the line. Italy were then inspired to see the game out, with Burton adding 3 more points from a drop goal with 12 minutes to go.
The Italians, however, did not make light work of their lead. France finally roused themselves and looked as if they may steal victory with a late attack. In their last ditch attempts in defence, Italy saw prop Davide Giazzon sin binned and France targeted their scrum. Italy managed to hold out, forcing the visitors to attack using their backs. Italy repelled the movement to the right and as France came back across to the left, Fall was bundled into touch by a wave of white shirts. Italy had held out in a spectacular last few minute’s defensive display.
It remains to be seen whether this marks a truly permanent shift in how Italian rugby will be played and actually how fortuitous they will be in this tournament, it will be noteworthy to see how they cope against Scotland at Murrayfield. For the moment though we should celebrate the fact that this result justifies Italian rugby’s involvement in the Six Nations.
My Opinion 