Flat Back 4

What on earth is Smart Soccer and honestly why should I care? - afootballreport:

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:21:02 +0100

By Eric Beard

When only one adjective can be used to describe something, the word “smart” naturally catches us off-guard and makes us a little bit skeptical. Maybe that’s because when it comes to proving itself on an intellectual level, the human race often lets us down. Let’s be honest, for every rocket scientist, there are 99 Sepp Blatters. Even those odds are hugely optimistic. Maybe I’m not in the position to set odds on human capabilities, but regardless, rocket scientists exist, and we’re on Mars. That’s the important thing. There is intelligent life around us, even if we don’t encounter it on a daily basis. Now, it’s equally important to realize that findings on Mars might not directly influence your life for a while. (That’s not to presume the AFR audience isn’t filled with rocket scientists, but I’m comfortable with the assumption.)

While we - as humans - gaze upon the Curiosity rover on Mars with curiosity, in recent weeks there has also been a new development sparking curiosity for us - as football fans. You’ve seen it advertised during every single match over the past month, filling your eyes with numbers and your ears with dubstep. It’s called Smart Soccer, and it could alter the way we see the beautiful game. …. Okay, allow me to take a few small steps backwards from that giant leap of a statement.

As a natural cynic when it comes to things that declare smartness, let’s start with two questions that are probably on your mind.

Will I actually be able to use this, whatever it is?

Why would I (or anyone) want complex numbers being thrown at me (or them) when watching football?

Actually, the answers to your questions are remarkably blunt. No, you will not be able to use Smart Soccer technology to its fullest. And the complex numbers and statistics aren’t primarily for you (the fan). Not what you were looking to hear? Well, let me elaborate.

The thought process is actually quite clear: to enhance the sport, tools must be given to those who create the spectacle. Smart Soccer is indirectly for fans, but only in the sense that the goal of the technology is to enhance the understanding of players’ strengths and weaknesses for both a manager and a professional footballer’s benefits.

Are you with me? Oh, you’ve another question? Ah, good one. No, this will not fade into irrelevancy. Beyond Major League Soccer’s commitment to the technology for its 2013 season, some of the world’s best players and coaches (think of the best teams adidas is partnered with) can’t wait to use the newfound technology. Now that we’ve established that Smart Soccer isn’t a superfluous ploy, but rather a potential competitive advantage, let’s delve a little deeper…

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Premier League Team Breakdown : Arsenal

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 12:56:33 +0100

After completing the signing of French international Olivier Giroud, Mr Wenger may be preempting life without RVP next season. With a host of top European clubs vying for the Flying Dutchmen’s signature Arsenal could be without their talisman goal scorer. If Arsenal can persuade Van Persie to commit his future to the Gunners, Arsene has found his game changer in Giroud. Giroud is known in france for his physical presence and punishing heading ability something they have lacked since the departure of Togolese front man Emmanuel Adebayor.

Despite the purchase of Per Mertesacker last season, the Gunners still need reinforcement at the back, even with the reemergence of Koscielny towards the tail end of the campaign. Arsene will need to purchase a strong right full back, not to replace the dreadlocked Sagna necessarily, but to give him competition and cover throughout the season. Another centre half wouldn’t go amiss if they can look to offload Sebastien Squillaci.

Arsenal’s strongest area is by far central midfield, when fully fit the gunners surely have the highest competition ratio in the league. With Wengers midfield three composition, any random concoction of players would still compete against top clubs. With holding players Song, Diaby and Wilshire all able to play in the Box-to-Box and CAM categories with Rosicky, Arteta, Ramsey and Alex O-C Arsenal have the potential to be a real force. However they do lack the ‘Wise Owl’ gliding around the central plains, just giving and receiving (The Pirlo Effect).

Chamakh looks as though his bags are packed and will be leaving on the preverbal ‘Jetplane’ with the arrival of Giroud, who despite his impressive start fell into obscurity at the north London club.

Squad Summary

Barclays Premier League Team Breakdowns

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:44:47 +0100

The transfer window has opened, the rumor mills are turning and each club is yearning to sign the major piece of the puzzle. Some have already sign sealed and delivered whilst others are playing catch up…

Over the next few months, I will be briefly analysing what each club should be trying solve before the window closes on August 31^st. Whilst also keeping a close eye on developments around the world.

Back to Business

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:12:00 +0100

Now that the Euro 2012 is over, its back to business as usual. Players In, Players Out, Change of Managers all will be discussed in the build up to the new Barclays Premier League Season. To this add topics evolving in the world of football.

Bayern VS Chelsea: The Facts

Sat, 19 May 2012 15:31:00 +0100

afootballreport:

[Posted by MG]

Hodgson's Imminent Announcement

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:43:56 +0100

This week, the hopes and dreams of a nation are pinned onto one list. With Mr Hodgson imminently releasing the names of those charged to fulfil those massive expectations. Football fans across the country are on tenterhooks waiting for his announcement, Wednesday. Tabloids and Blogs are rife with rumours of who will go, who’ll be left out and surprise inclusions.Speculation suggests that Hodgson will employ a selection process relying heavily upon statistical analysis, taking individuals whose performance stats reflect their surprise inclusion. The mixing bowl contains the likes of Steven Caulker, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin and Grant Holt.

In the build up to the Euro 2012 squad release, journalists; pundits; experts and men inpubs around Britain debate their personal squad selections, providing reasons why they left Wayne out or allowed Ferdinand on the plane. Everyone following the team willhave his or her own team in mind, but the question is who will Roy choose?

Here is the squad I would take to the Euros if I were the FA’s main man and why.

Joe Hart

Has had a tremendous season with Manchester City this year; he could easily stake a claim for single-handedly winning the league. During that brief period when City were struggling to take all 3 points, in those games Hart made certain they would leave with at least 1. If it hadn’t been for this outstanding keeper, City could have found themselves adrift of their local rivals.

Ben Foster

Despite announcing his retirement earlier in the year, I’m sure his former manager would have no problem convincing him to make himself available to the national team once again. Another keeper who has been in top form this season with Roy Hodgson’s Baggies, helping the team reach the safety of mid table and pulling off some outstanding saves along the way.

David Stockdale

A keeper who looks to be the long-term successor of the Fulham veteran Mark Schwarzer, for when he decides to hang up his gloves. The goals against column at Ipswich this season would not fill you with confidence in regards to his England call up, but I can assure you he was the Polycell in a leaky dam during his time with the tractor boys (as a fan I can say this).

Kyle Walker

With this his first full season in the premier league, the young right back has performed consistently for spurs. He has shown his responsibility as a defender and his effectiveness in attacking situations. Something that has been missing since the days of G Nev.

Gary Cahill

Until seeing him in the blue shirt of Chelsea, Cahill had never grabbed my attention. However, since his arrival at Stamford bridge Cahill’s performances led him to being the first defender in my squad, he’s fantastic in the air both in attack and defence. Cahill also possesses a fair amount of pace which allows him to cover his defensive partners and recover from any mistakes.

John Terry

Hodgson: Will he, Wont he? Begrudgingly, I have! His footballing ability is undeniable, great in the air; impeccable positioning; good with the ball and puts his body on the line. [http://bit.ly/J1jcHe] By no means am I saying he’s a role model, but for any young aspiring centre back, on the pitch there’s no better player to learn from.

Ashley Cole

This season Ashley Cole has been arguably the most consistent premier league player, and his performances of late have been up with the man of the match. Despite his increasing age, his attacking capability has not diminished, and is still the same player he was during the days of ‘The Invincibles’.

Leighton Baines

Had Mr Cole been unable to attend the European Finals, Baines would have been the only name in contention for the left back spot. An intelligent player with exceptional delivery from the left and dead at ball situations.

Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand has started showing signs of his increasing age this season. Since losing a yard of pace he once had, Ferdinand has had to adapt his enthusiastic defensive style. This adaptation has come at a cost; he is no longer the great wall at the heart of the defence. Rio relied on his speed to intercept passes into the strikers’ feet and to cover passes into the channels. Now he finds himself having to be more conservative, causing him to stand off the attacker. However, Rio has a vast amount of international experience and his intelligence defensively will still prove to be an asset at this competition.

Phil Jones

This was a toss up between Smalling and Jones, who look to be the long-term successors to Rio at Old Trafford, for this position in the European Squad. Jones came out on top as Sir Alex has played the natural centre back in various positions this season, specifically at right back. This makes Jones an ideal utility player for the championships in Poland/Ukraine. Jones would provide cover for Kyle Walker or any centre back if needed. Jones is an intelligent player who is very comfortable on the ball, and also showed his competency alongside Samba in his time at Blackburn.

Theo Walcott

Theo has been an important player for Arsenal this season, and his pace will frighten any defender he comes up against. Over the past two seasons Walcott has improved immensely on his final product, scoring 17 and providing 18, doubling his achievements in all previous premier league campaigns combined.

Scott Parker

We can only imagine what the outcome of previous tournaments might have been with Scotty P in the midfield, allowing Lampard and Gerrard to play with together, instead of waiting for his chance in the Chelsea side. Parker has been the key man in Spurs’ midfield this season. For me Scott is the ideal player to wear the armband in Europe this summer, his influential performances have inspired players around him and his public image is wholly intact. A true professional.

Steven Gerard

Stevie is another certainty on the list if he is deemed fit. Throughout his England career, he has probably been the countries most consistent player, often setting the example for the other players representing their country.

Ashley Young

Young has been a resounding success since moving from Villa to United in the summer. Often I’d forgotten that he had only been at the Manchester club for a few months. Ashley hit the ground running and slotted into Sir Alex’s plans immediately. Young will add an attribute not seen by England fans for some time, a natural wide player who is most effective from the left. He has the ability to use both feet and provides consistent

Frank Lampard

Frank found himself shackled to the bench under Andre Villas-Boas, trying to convince the manager he could still contribute to AVB’s youth revolution. After the instalment of Roberto Di Matteo, Frank was immediately reinstated to his rightful position. Coincidently Chelsea’s form drastically changed in most part down to Super Frank’s involvement.

James Milner

Milner knows deep down that he will be considered a utility player when selected for Euro 2012. I cant see him being left out of Mr Hodgson’s squad as he can be used in either wide position, a central midfield role and Milner has made appearances at right back over the years, looking very competent. This would allow Roy to take one less defender adding extra attacking prowess in Rooney’s two-match absence.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin

Some would say Oxlade is a bit of a gamble, as he is untested at international level, with people liking this to the Walcott selection for Germany 2006. Oxlade has proven himself in premier league & champions league games played this year. In some games, Alex put in man of the match performances with his direct style of attacking football. He has the ability to come off the bench and change games something that squads of old struggle to do.

Gareth Barry

The emergence of scot parker will have seen Barry slip down the pecking order in the England camp. The holding midfielder is key in getting Gerard and Lampard pulling the strings in the middle of the park. Taking Gareth would allow for Roy to plug any holes should the game be a tight affair.

Daniel Sturridge

Although often deployed in a wide right position, Sturridge can play alongside another forward. He is a tricky, intelligent player who possesses an awesome left foot.

Jermain Defoe

Defoe hasn’t been used as much as he would have liked at spurs this season, being kept out by Adebayor. Jermain has proven himself on every stage of football, a natural goal scorer who can hit the target with venomous strikes from anywhere around eighteen yards.

Peter Crouch

There are only two players in England who possess the ‘Big Target Man’ attributes. Crouchy and Carroll, if Roy is after a dominant aerial threat he will opt for the powerful Carroll. However if he wants aerial ability and technical ability combined Crouch will be his man. Peter also has experience in his favour, having represented his country at various international competitions and is proven, it wouldn’t surprise me if Crouchy gets the nod.

Danny Welbeck

Having kept the ‘little pea’ Javier Hernandez out of the United side, the quality of Danny Welbeck is undeniable. Playing alongside Wayne all season, they have already developed an understanding that will only benefit England when Wayne’s suspension finishes leading into the latter stages.

Wayne Rooney

As you may have gathered, I think Roy will opt to take Wayne to the European Championships this summer. Despite him having to miss the first two games, England should have enough about them to have qualified for the final stages by the time our talisman is back. Rooney will be such an important player for England in the latter stages, due to his ability to make something out of nothing.

Well there you have it, that’s the squad I predict Roy will take to Ukraine. I definitely don’t envy Mr Hodgson’s task, having to decide who not to take will be the hardest part of the decision process, considering the talent throughout England.

Who would you take??

Have you got what it takes? The Ability to ‘Dig...

Sun, 13 May 2012 03:03:13 +0100

Have you got what it takes?

The Ability to ‘Dig Deep’, Find an Extra 10%
Mental Strength
Speed
Passion
A Whole Lot of Heart
The Right Stuff

If you’ve got the right stuff, apply for the Carlsberg Fan Academy online

"You can have the top stars to bring the attention, you can have the best stadium, you can have the..."

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:33:00 +0100

“You can have the top stars to bring the attention, you can have the best stadium, you can have the best facilities, you can have the most beautiful project in terms of marketing and all this kind of thing. But if you don’t win… All the work these people are doing is forgotten.”

- - Jose Mourinho (2004)

Manchester City will need to remind themselves of this before Kick Off Tomorrow.

Moneyball Theory will not work when applied to 'The Beautiful Game'

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:18:00 +0100

Moneyball Theory will not work when applied to 'The Beautiful Game':

Damien Comolli: Here’s Why The Moneyball Philosophy Was Never Going To Work At Liverpool

written by Joe Hall

| Sabotage Times |

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/

Owen Hargreaves, Worth the Gamble?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:18:00 +0100

The unfortunate Owen Hargreaves has spent, what should be his career prime, sidelined through repetitive injuries. Since the former Bayern and England star signed for Manchester United in 2007 he has been plagued with injury. Appearing only on five league occasions since 2008 including one for rivals Manchester City this season.

After being released last season by Manchester United, Hargreaves made a series of videos promoting his fitness and commitment to finding another club at the highest level. These raised the intrest of West Bromich Albion manager Roy Hodgson, until the sparkling sky blues came knocking. Another sidelined season awaited Owen after picking up numerous niggling injuries, which prevented his regular appearance.

Now rumour has it, Owen will not be offered an extension to his One year ‘Pay-as-you-play’ deal at the Etihad this summer. Will he still have Premiership clubs offering him contracts?

Despite his severe lack of football and his injury woes, Hargreaves would be perfect addition to a team fighting to survive the drop. The experience he would bring to the squad would be invaluable, and if you can get him playing regularly his intelligence could be the difference between escaping the drop-zone. With a player of his calibre available for a signing on fee and a ‘pay-as-you-play’ salary, it can hardly be seen as a financial risk.

Where do you think Hargreaves should be next season?

Champions League Final | Bayern Munich v Chelsea

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The stage is set. The curtains drawn back and standing proud are the matinee performers, in the place of the headliners. After watching two of the most incredible Champions League semi-finals in recent history, we are surely in for a treat at the Allianz Arena on May 19^th. The Semi-final underdogs clash in an all Anglo-Bavarian final.

Many are saying that Chelsea again go to the final as underdogs. This primarily due to a culmination of factors carried forward from the semi-final second leg at the Camp Nou. With the likes of Terry and Ivanovic missing through suspension and doubts cast over Cahill and Luiz’s injury woes. Is the makeshift Chelsea back-line up for the task of keeping Gomez, Ribery and former blue Robben at bay? Could we, worst case scenario, be looking at defence constructed entirely of wing-backs?

Add Ramires and Miereles to the list of absentees and you have a team sheet resembling the Carling Cup instead of the most prestigious club competition in the world. These Chelsea fringe players will surely be looking to the experienced old guard veterans, to pull them through this battle. Cole, Lampard and Drogba will need to come wearing lycra and a cape to stand a chance of beating Bayern on their home turf.

Perhaps the team with the Spanish representatives will outclass the German’s notorious efficiency. Was the resurrection of Fernando witnessed on Spanish soil Tuesday night?

Torres’ Turning Point?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Over the years, the champions league has treated the world to some of the most memorable ties in history. Manchester United v Juventus ‘99, Chelsea v Liverpool ‘09, Deportivo v PSG ‘01 and now Chelsea v Barcelona ’12. This tight affair may not represent the high scoring spectacle all neutrals love to watch but it produced a match worthy in any colosseum.

Chelsea outnumbered and out gunned spent the majority of the night hemmed in against their defensive line, using every available player to halt the Barcelona onslaught. Forming a band of white shirts twenty yards deep across the pitch at the Camp Nou. Di Matteo’s master tactic, taken from the Barca book of football, presented an impenetrable vortex in front of the Chelsea goal. Even with footballs most intricate passers, Barca failed trying to play the Guardiola philosophy.

Following John Terry’s dismissal, Drogba was forced into playing left full back, trying to break up play where possible. This increased and sustained involvement took its toll on Didier and gaps started to appear as his energy faded. With ten minutes left on the clock, Chelsea produce a board showing 11 9. Within seconds of the restart those fishers witnessed between Cole and Drogba had turned to cavities between Cole and Torres. Add to the fact Fernando’s decision making had spectators bewildered, it seemed inevitable that a Barca’s goal would come from their right side. Then as the clock ticked, every second seeming an eternity, Torres gifts possession to the Catalan giants leaving Cole exposed with two onrushing Barca players. A ball played into the box is met by a hopeful clearance, which seemingly finds it way to Fernando’s feet with no one between him and the lone figure of Victor Valdes in the distance. With the enormity of pressure amounting on Torres’ shoulders he bears down on goal, everyone wonders what he will do. Fernando shows the decisiveness that once struck fear into defenders across Europe, rounding a stranded Valdes and calmly dispatching a finish that has been missing since he joined Chelsea in 2010.

In front of frustrated Barcelona fans, longing for their club to become the first to successfully retain the European title. Plus the millions of spectators around the world that await that bitter blow, which knocks Chelsea out of the competition. One player, on the biggest stage, produces the goal which cements Chelsea’s place in the pinnacle of club football, with all that pressure weighing down on his shoulders. That surely will have done wonders for his confidence.

Will we once again see the Fernando Torres that delighted us in the Premier League?