Ancelotti must fend off Angel interest

By David Lee Wheatley

Rumours abound of Real Madrid's imminent intentions to sell influential wing-man Angel Di Maria, with Paris Saint-Germain currently favourites to secure his signature alongside Manchester United who're also said to be sniffing around. However, after the former Benfica star shrugged off similarly intense speculation last summer to embark upon a fabulously successful season, could the sanctioning of such a transfer represent the first major mistake by head coach Carlo Ancelotti since his arrival at the Bernabeu?

It was reported widely that an €80m offer from the ambitious Parisian club had been accepted by the Spanish giants just two days ago, but proceedings have stalled since amid strong interest from United boss Louis van Gaal. Furthermore, Ancelotti has been giving mixed messages to the media over the course of a few weeks now, thus leaving Di Maria's future completely up in the air.

Reading between the lines, it would appear that Real's recent splurge on outstanding World Cup performers James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos for a combined total of €105m has forced the club's hierarchy into looking at feasible ways of recouping a large proportion of that eye-watering outlay. Hence why they seem so utterly determined to offload Sami Khedira to either Arsenal or Chelsea in alliance with their apparent willingness to find a solution for the release of Di Maria. However, Italian tactician Ancelotti is reluctant to part with a player who delivered a hugely significant amount of goal assists for his side throughout the last campaign and could soon find himself at loggerheads with those who appointed him over this thorny issue.

Even if Real Madrid do possess an embarrassment of riches to call upon in terms of attacking talent, in comparison with Di Maria none can boast as impressive a record when it comes to assists in La Liga during 2013/14. The sought-after star created 17 goals for his team-mates, while Gareth Bale managed 12 and Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo helped his colleagues to 10 strikes in league action overall. Not only that, but the Argentine is incredibly versatile in the sense that he can comfortably play anywhere across midfield, plus he is incredibly hard working. He sacrifices himself for the good of the team, as opposed to chasing personal glory and that is a rare commodity to locate in the modern day footballer.

The 26-year-old had one foot out of door twelve months back, only to quickly prove himself to the new manager and cement a regular place in the starting line-up amongst a team of Galacticos. That consistent form ensured his place in the Argentina squad for the World Cup where he helped his country reach the final in Brazil, as they ultimately fell just short of lifting the trophy due to a narrow defeat against Germany in Rio. It also alerted several big guns of European football to exactly what kind of contribution the unselfish, tireless Argentine could possibly give to their teams should any deal be possible.

Yes, Ancelotti can select from a plethora of extremely high calibre options with or without Di Maria's presence in his squad, but can he guarantee that any of those potential alternatives will be able to provide the same standard of commitment in conjunction with their abundant natural ability as he? Di Maria boasts a level of craft, guile and constant threat when in possession that many of his peers simply don't offer.

Should Los Blancos decide to part ways with the winger, then it'll be up to the remaining members of the side to shoulder the burden of creating chances for forwards Benzema and Ronaldo in particular. It'll be no easy task to supplant the Rosario-born magician in the line-up and match his superb showing of last season.

He is a wonderful player entering the prime of his career and Ancelotti could be left to rue any action which allows Di Maria an opportunity of moving on to pastures new before the end of August. He may not be the one who eventually pulls the trigger, but he will indeed be the man held solely responsible for any adverse effect such a sale has on the effectiveness of the team in their relentless pursuit of domestic and continental glory next term.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Time for MLS to shine?

By David Lee Wheatley

The advent of a new MLS franchise based in New York, backed by the combined billions of Manchester City and the Yankees baseball team, would appear to herald a new dawn for soccer in the United States.

New York City FC have set about their early transfer business with great tenacity by sealing the signatures of world stars David Villa and Frank Lampard already, with another six months remaining before pre-season training begins for the 2015 campaign in America. Furthermore, the promise of more to follow shortly has soccer fans across the five boroughs salivating at the prospect of witnessing such big names in action on their own turf.

Additionally, former USA international and current NYCFC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna has secured deals for three home-grown players in the form of goalkeeper Josh Saunders (an American-born Puerto Rican international), midfielder Andrew Jacobson and defender Jeb Brovsky, thus giving the club a pretty handy five-a-side team!

Frantic work behind the scenes will ensure a strong squad is assembled in time for the March 2015 kick-off of the new campaign, when the Bronx-based side make their bow as the 20th franchise competing in the ever-expanding MLS.

An astonishing 109,000 tickets sold out in less than 24 hours for a prestige friendly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is due to take place later today between European powerhouses Real Madrid and Manchester United as further evidence of the burgeoning popularity of soccer in a country that seemingly delighted in witnessing the US national side’s exploits during the World Cup this summer.

Fan parks were filled to the brim with supporters willing their team on to success throughout Brazil 2014 and those people - whether new to the sport or established fans - represent a huge target audience pool for the administrators of football in the States to exploit. Add to that the obvious strategy of many top teams from around the globe to claim their own piece of the pie from an emerging market and you have an apparently winning formula for the longevity of the US league.

An ideal opportunity afforded over the last few years to those interested in the game has been the chance to get up-close and personal with the biggest names with friendly matches held across the nation, which will only serve to fuel their passion for football.

Those observers who point out that it’s still foreign footballers in the twilight of their careers joining up with MLS outfits have a point to some extent. However, in the cases of David Villa and Frank Lampard, they both had myriad options elsewhere to continue featuring in what most would deem to be top competitions in Europe and instead settled upon a move to the Big Apple.

There is something special in the process of creation within the country and there is little doubt in my mind that we’ll see a US men’s national side reach the latter stages of a World Cup tournament in the not-too-distant future.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Testing times ahead for Juventus

By David Lee Wheatley

Antonio Conte left the position of head coach at Juventus earlier this month despite having led the Old Lady to three consecutive Serie A title victories in convincing fashion.

Conte, one of the most highly decorated figures in Italian football, stepped down stating that he believed it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to be successful in charge of Juventus with a view to the future. Many observers took that as a dig towards the Juventus board in relation to their perceived lack of ambition regarding attempts to return the club back to the top of European football, a perch they last sat upon in 1996 when winning the Champions’ League trophy on penalties against Ajax. Furthermore, the rumours surrounding star midfielder Arturo Vidal’s future in Turin had people in some quarters speculating that Juve’s apparent willingness to do a deal at the right price was actually behind Conte’s decision.

Immediately following the former Azzurri international’s announcement in the middle of July, he was installed as one of the favourites to take on the vacant national team role. Meanwhile, recent news eminating from France suggests that big-spending Paris Saint-Germain have set their sights on recruiting Conte in place of Laurent Blanc at the Parc des Princes.

Of pressing concern back at the defending Serie A champions is trying to seek out a way of holding off the various vultures circling hungrily with their eyes firmly fixed on the prized Scudetto that Juventus have kept an extremely tight stranglehold on throughout the past three campaigns. Not only that, but how can they convince major players to stay on amid the upheaval at the club while mounting any kind of serious challenge on the European front?

The man entrusted with finding solutions to those conundrums is ex-Cagliari and Milan man Massimiliano Allegri, fresh from his mid-season sacking at the San Siro due to the Rossoneri’s atrocious form last season. He has experience of winning the league title in his debut campaign with Milan of 2010-11, which of course represents the last time anybody except Juve took home the plaudits. But he is a controversial choice due to former allegiances and also thanks to the embarrassing showing that he oversaw last term. Allegri has to win over the fans, deliver more silverware to the trophy cabinet and assist Juventus in their quest to make an impression on continental competition.

Rivals such as Napoli, Roma and even Inter will be confident of usurping the Bianconeri at the Serie A summit without the inspirational 44-year-old Antonio Conte at the helm and Allegri has a massive task on his hands to remain in charge of the team long-term. He must ensure Juve stay at the pinnacle domestically, while giving them realistic hope of progressing well in the Champions’ League. Meanwhile, talks will continue with Vidal once he returns from holiday in order to appease the Chilean and keep him performing in the middle of the park alongside talisman Andrea Pirlo, who has committed himself to his beloved black-and-whites for another two years.

Other sought-after stars Paul Pogba, Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez and Mauricio Isla will all want reassurance of the club’s determination to progress and improve; they won’t want to stick around if there is even the slightest hint of a backward step in the offing. Isla is already being heavily linked with a transfer to the English Premier League, while 29-year-old Llorente felt compelled to deny rumours of a move earlier this month. If Vidal or any of those other big names previously mentioned choose to jump ship this summer, then new boss Allegri and his board will find it incredibly hard to hold the remainder of their squad together.

If there was ever a time for the likes of Napoli and Roma to claim top spot in Italy, it is now.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Transition time for European heavyweights

 

 

By David Lee Wheatley

 

 

Three of the biggest names in European football must go back to the drawing board following a massively disappointing showing at the World Cup from the trio of Spain, Italy and England, but what procedures can they install in an attempt to avoid a repeat of this summer’s failures at the next major international tournament taking place in 2016?

Spain’s stumbles in Brazil created the strongest reverberations around the world when the defending champions crashed spectacularly at the hands of Holland in their opening group game. That 5-1 loss effectively signalled the end of an era for a side that had dominated international football since 2008 and conjured serious doubts around the Mediterranean nation’s ability to regain their place at the top of the pile again in the foreseeable future.

Departing greats such as David Villa, Xavi and Iker Casillas all appeared to be way past their best, while long-term inspirational leader Carles Puyol didn’t even make the squad due to injury and will retire from all football this summer. The error-strewn displays of Real Madrid goalkeeping legend Casillas were particularly shocking and contributed heavily to the downfall of Vicente Del Bosque’s men.

Italy, meanwhile, started brightly with an impressive 2-1 victory over England in their first fixture, but faded badly afterwards when losing to both Costa Rica and Uruguay without recording a goal. Their third-place finish in Group D caused the emotional resignation of head coach Cesare Prandelli and indeed the mourning of a nation at the death of their World Cup dreams.

Again, older stars within the Azzurri ranks looked jaded and could not inspire their younger colleagues to glory. Gianluigi Buffon, so long a talisman for the Italians between the sticks, missed the win over England in the opening game due to injury, but returned in place of Salvatore Sirigu to preside over two defeats to teams they were initially expected to beat in order to progress.

The usually outstanding Andrea Pirlo was peerless in Manaus against the English, yet largely struggled to replicate that form thereafter. He may have signed another contract at Juventus, but the ‘Player of the Tournament’ at Euro 2012 didn’t cope well with the conditions over in South America and it seems unlikely that it’ll be possible to rely on the talented playmaker two years from now.

Another whose status at the highest level must be cast into doubt is rehabilitated ‘enfant terrible’ Antonio Cassano, who looked out of his depth when utilised by Prandelli at the World Cup. Italy were toothless going forward when in opposition to the rough-house tactics of Uruguay and the well organised counter-attacking style of surprise package Costa Rica, so will need to find a reliable goalscorer to take the burden off the mercurial Mario Balotelli. Furthermore, highly-rated holding midfielder Daniele De Rossi also failed to convince and must up his game considerably if he wishes to stake a claim for a spot at Euro 2016.

Roy Hodgson gave way to public pressure when choosing a youthful and vibrant squad seemingly full of promise, but which ultimately failed to deliver. A large proportion of England’s problems differ to both Spain and Italy in that they’ve already embarked upon the process of renewing an ageing team, which is a task that still looms large for the other two nations.

Wise old head coach Hodgson must hope several of his newest charges blossom into top-level operators, with at least one or two developing world-class pedigrees. The only footballers within the 23-man World Cup outfit selected by Hodgson who were performing at that exalted level previously were Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard; the first one careered backwards hugely since his international zenith at Euro 2004 and the other two now at an age when their best days are truly behind them. That so-called ‘golden generation’ whom travelled to the World Cup of 2002 didn’t come close to realising the lofty expectations placed upon them and have since broken up to leave behind a relatively naïve bunch of players who need to learn quickly.

The English require an identity; Italy always look to field a tight, organised defence and use their penchant for counter-attacking to take a lead which they can then defend, Spain their possession play, pressing and two-touch passing. Hodgson must forge ahead with his favoured strategy and select players who fit nicely into that framework.

England’s displays against Uruguay and especially Italy were generally well received by fans and the media alike, but individual mistakes proved costly in both ties and saw them bow out of proceedings meekly after a meagre two matches. It was a chastening experience for the squad, but one which will hopefully toughen them up for the significant challenges ahead.

Spain probably have the greatest chance of bouncing back swiftly on the face of it, given they have all the necessary processes in place which helped them to already achieve so much from that breakthrough triumph at Euro 2008 onwards. Their academies regularly produce footballers of the highest quality and undoubtedly will continue to do so.

It is the start of a turbulent transitional phase for the Spanish and the time is right for a change of leadership, so elder statesman Del Bosque must step aside to allow another man to take the team forward. However, the basic principles of his reign must be carried through in terms of style and tactics and then built upon for the overall set-up to flourish over the next few years. Pep Guardiola would be the ideal solution, but he remains committed to Bayern Munich and therefore La Roja’s search for a fresh custodian will go on for sometime yet.

Cesare Prandelli’s decision to leave his post and seek pastures new in Turkey with Galatasaray causes a void that will be difficult to fill with an adequate replacement. The man who left Istanbul to create the vacancy at Gala, Roberto Mancini, is the bookies’ favourite and certainly possesses the silverware in his locker to suggest he’s ready for the call having won both the English Premier League and Serie A titles during his time in club management. However, he is a divisive figure who doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his players, including a certain Signor Balotelli during their time together at Manchester City.

Alternative candidates Francesco Guidolin and Massimiliano Allegri don’t exactly inspire great excitement, as the former is mainly used to guiding unfashionable clubs to higher heights than expected - but still not winning anything of note - and the latter was unceremoniously sacked by Milan last winter with the San Siro giants struggling in lower mid-table.

A bold choice of manager by the Italian FA would be advisable, whilst the over-reliance on master craftsman Pirlo must cease in order for the team to improve sufficiently. The likes of Balotelli, Verratti, Immobile and Insigne have the opportunity to take on the mantle from more established stars and thus drag the Azzurri back to the pinnacle of world football once again. That crop of talent hold the tools to become successful and now they have to use them effectively; whether there are more like them waiting in the wings to beef up Italy’s options remains to be seen.

Back with England, the consensus appears to be to allow Hodgson a chance to continue the work he began in rejuvenating the side, while looking towards Euro 2016 in France as the potential tournament when that spadework will begin reaping rewards.

There is a fair degree of uncertainty surrounding the Three Lions’ future simply because nobody can accurately predict how well this group of emerging players will develop, both individually and collectively. However, Hodgson has put his faith in those youngsters to bring smiles to English faces and he must stick wholeheartedly by that philosophy; two vital ingredients that would assist markedly would be the unearthing of a commanding central defender and also a striker who doesn’t require five clear-cut chances to score a goal.

 

Should they seek out and locate players of that ilk, while further enhancing the skills of those already harnessed within the squad, then England could confidently believe that a happier period lies just ahead of them.

 



Twitter: @davewh1980