Fabio Capello’s decision to quit his position as England Manager last week may have come quite out of the blue, but it hasn’t taken long for the public to forget about the man with the face that constantly resembled that of a confused bulldog after it had lost its owner. Harry Redknapp was immediately linked with the job due to Tottenham’s excellent performances in the Premier League so far but has so far remained tight-lipped about whether he would accept the position were it offered to him. It is by no means certain that he would, given how Spurs have a more or less guaranteed Champions League spot already and could yet be influential in the title run-in later in the year. Also, I do fear that Harry would become mighty bored at his inability to buy players were he to take the England reins – especially come the 31^st of January and Deadline Day. I can almost see it now, Redknapp sitting at home in front of the TV watching the drama unfold on Sky Sports News. It gets to 9pm. His palms start to sweat. His face begins to twitch uncontrollably (even more so than usual). His arm reaches for the phone. ‘Must…buy…someone…must…spend…money…somehow…’

Anyway, whoever the new England manager may turn out to be, he needs to breathe life into a nation that has become more and more apathetic towards its national football team within the last few years. A poor showing at South Africa 2010, not even qualifying for Euro 2008, England has become a bit of a laughing stock in many respects within the International footballing community because, while we continue to talk the talk, the walk has been conspicuous by its absence.

Now I don’t care what nationality the next manager of England is. I personally don’t believe that having a national coach from the same nation as his players plays that much of a role, simply because he doesn’t spend enough time with them anyway. At the end of the day it’s a job, and whoever has the best credentials should get the job. What I do want, though, is a youthful fresh start.

The England team of recent years has failed to excite the public on many occasions. Even though talented players such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney shone each week in the self-dubbed ‘best league in the world’, when they came together the result was just disappointment. A stroll through an unchallenging qualification group (bar the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign) followed by a swift exit at the tournament proper once they came up against any nation of pedigree or dynamism. If the Quarter Final were the new Final we’d be Champions for sure. But it’s not, and we’re not.

While I still partake in a bit of national patriotism each time an England game is broadcast, I can’t help but cast an enviable glance over at countries such as Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, enjoying such wonderful form and playing such superb football. Each country has its own style of football and its own justifications for enjoying the limelight now.

Spain were international football’s nearly men. Always so close, yet so far. A nation brimming with talent just couldn’t find that final pinch of salt needed to transform their footballing paella from above average into world-beater. And then it just all seemed to click. First Euro 2008, then the World Cup. You ever heard that joke about buses? Now Spanish teams dominate every age category with their brand of short, quick passing coupled with intelligent off-the-ball movement, and the country’s loving every minute of it.

The Netherlands have always enjoyed a status amongst the top footballing nations ever since the Total Football era. They have yet to experience their Spain moment, as they are still without a World Cup win to their name, but it will come.

And then there’s Germany. The very definition of consistency. German teams have competed for the very top honours of football seemingly since the dawn of time. While they didn’t reach the Final in South Africa, the way they destroyed England and then Argentina in the following round beggared belief. I found myself mentally applauding the German goals during their 4-1 victory over England simply because the football on display was so pleasing to watch, so easy on the eye. Many felt outraged at Lampard’s ‘goal that should have been’, I just felt oddly mesmerized.

Germany’s success has its foundations in youth. Joachim Löw has done a superb job during his time in charge by promoting the best youngsters together. Had anyone in this country, apart from avid Bundesliga fans, heard of Thomas Müller, Sami Khedira, Manuel Neuer, Jérôme Boateng and Mesut Özil before the 2010 World Cup? At the time, these players only had 27 caps between them. If we averaged it out it would be just over 5 caps each. All started the Second Round match against England. All, bar Müller, had been part of the victorious German side in the U21 European Championship only 1 year before. The only England starter promoted from the England team that reached the final of the same competition was James Milner. The average age of Germany’s World Cup squad was 24 years old, England’s – amongst the oldest in the competition – was a full 4 years older.

Joachim Löw does something that no England manager ever seems to do. He appreciates the value of his nation’s youth teams, and the importance of building foundations. Germany take youth competitions seriously, unlike England, where most Premier League teams block our best youngsters from competing in international youth tournaments for fear of losing them to injury or fatigue. Until the FA makes it mandatory for clubs to release any young player called up by any England manager at any level, we may never stand a chance.

It is not all doom and gloom, however. England never fails to produce young, talented players. Our only downfall is making them gel into a side that can compete amongst the best. That’s why I believe it imperative that the new England manager bring in wholesale changes when he takes charge. Let’s face it, we’re hardly going to set the European Championships alive this year are we? Better to give new players a chance to play together and learn from each other than give the same old squad yet another opportunity to disappoint us all.

If I were England manager I would clear out the current squad and start anew. Of the current starters I’d only keep Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart (for obvious reasons), Darren Bent, Scott Parker and possibly Rio Ferdinand. The rest of the squad would be made up of mostly young and/or inexperienced players, with a few more experienced players to help guide them along. I’ve also included a few players who, while they might not appear to be of ‘international quality’, are enjoying good form and so deserve at least a shot in my opinion.

I’m not saying this squad would dominate all before it. We’d probably suffer a few losses at the beginning, but I believe the end would justify the means as these players would grow and mature alongside their contemporaries. They would not be weighed down by past failures at tournaments and would possess that ‘no-fear’ attitude and that hunger so prevalent in young players.

Goalkeepers:

Joe Hart, John Ruddy, David Stockdale.

Full Back:

Micah Richards, Kyle Walker, Kieran Gibbs, Leighton Baines.

Centre-Backs:

Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Steven Caulker, Michael Dawson, Joleon Lescott.

Central Midfielders:

Jack Wilshere, Tom Cleverley, Scott Parker, Jack Rodwell, Henri Lansbury.

Wingers:

Ashley Young, Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Marc Albrighton, Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer.

Strikers:

Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Darren Bent, Danny Graham.

*Note: I’m aware that this squad is larger than the 23-man squad permitted at international competitions, it’s just to give you an idea of the players I’d choose.

D.O.B: 31/12/87

Club: CSKA Moscow (Russia)

Position: Striker

Former Clubs: Denguélé (Ivory Coast), Kashiwa Reysol (Japan), Tokushima Vortis (Japan), BSC Young Boys (Switzerland).

Seydou Doumbia isn’t a name that will be familiar to all Premier League fans, but it is one that has been recently linked to a host of English clubs including Liverpool and Spurs to name but a few. And it’s not hard to see why any club would admire the talents of the 24 year old Ivorian striker who seems to get better each season. Currently leading CSKA Moscow’s frontline alongside the equally deadly Brazilian Vagner Love, Doumbia has so far netted 25 times in just 30 games of this year’s mammoth Russian season which, in the process of transitioning from its current Spring-Autumn format to the more traditional Autumn-Spring European format, is set to last 18 months. This means that Doumbia still has 14 more games where he can improve upon his already impressive tally. He is a full 8 goals ahead of Alexander Kerzhakov in second place, and 15 ahead of strike partner Love. Overall, including the end of last season, Doumbia has netted 29 times in 41 league games of the Army Men. He is also third top scorer in this year’s Champions League, behind Mario Gomez and Lionel Messi by just 1 goal, with 5 goals in 430 minutes played.

Seydou Doumbia is the very definition of the word clinical. At his previous club, Young Boys, he scored 50 goals in 64 games. Young Boys fans became so enamoured with their star man while he was at Stade de Suisse that they even adapted the popular song “Kumbaya My Lord” into one of their chants, changing it to “Doumbia My Lord”. While you could argue about the quality of the Swiss League, his seemless step up to the more challenging Russian League (in terms of quality of football, change in lifestyle and change in weather conditions) shows off his mental strength. With players of the calibre of Keisuke Honda and Alan Dzagoev around him, he has really flourished. He has incredible pace and trickery in abundance, and isn’t afraid to take defenders on. Not only is Doumbia good with his feet, he knocks in a fair share of goals with his head too. He does really seem like the perfect all-round striker and it shouldn’t be too long before he is gracing one of the more traditional big leagues.

A great video of all of Doumbia’s goals can be found here.

Full name: Kojo Kwadwo Asamoah

D.O.B: 9/12/1988

Nation: Ghana

Club: Udinese (Italy)

Position: Attacking Midfielder/Central Midfielder/Defensive Midfielder

Former Clubs: Liberty (Ghana), Bellinzona (Switzerland), Torino (Italy)

While many are tipping the Ivory Coast to lift this year’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy, only a fool would dismiss Ghana’s chances after the fantastic progress that the Black Stars have made in the past few years.  As they made their way through their group and into the latter stages of South Africa 2010, Ghana flew the flag for the whole African continent. While plaudits often go to frontmen Asamoah Gyan and, more recently, André “Dédé” Ayew, the man that really makes Ghana tick is Kwadwo Asamoah.

Kwadwo’s role as the link between defense and attack is vital and his energy seemingly endless. Winner of Africa’s Most Promising Player Award in 2010, Asamoah’s maturity and calmness on the pitch are remarkable given the fact that he is only 23 years of age.  He possesses that rare combination of pace and strength, which form the pillars of his game, and his versatility makes him very valuable to have in your squad. ‘Kojo’ already has 37 International caps and 1 goal to his name and is clearly a future candidate for national team captain. Whenever you have the chance to hear Asamoah speak, however, humility and modesty are the two words that spring to mind. He clearly appreciates the opportunities that have been given to him, opportunities which many of his fellow countrymen could never even dream of, and he’s determined to work hard and succeed. Despite his growing ability and obvious potential, Asamoah isn’t the type of player to court the limelight and routinely denies rumours linking him with ‘bigger’ clubs. And with Udinese’s reputation growing every year due to impressive performances both in Serie A and Europe and their eye-catching brand of fast-paced football, he has no reason to look elsewhere at the moment.

A brief audio interview with Kwadwo Asamoah is available here on the BBC site, and Nike Youtube videos featuring the player can be found here and here.

Wijnaldum and Castaignos were sold to relieve some of the club's debts

The need to cut back debts this summer has seen Feyenoord sell arguably their two brightest young talents in Georginio Wijnaldum and Luc Castaignos, to PSV and Inter Milan respectively, and if things don’t improve then a number of others could follow them out the door. So far Feyenoord have started this season brightly, with two wins and two draws placing them 5th in the Eredivisie after 4 games, scoring 8 and only conceding 3. This is only the beginning of what is sure to a be a tough season though, especially given the fact that the average age of the first team squad is just 22.76 years of age . Feyenoord’s young squad is most definitely talented but their lack of experience hindered the club last season, something which many teams took advantage of. Their 10-0 drubbing at the hands of rivals PSV symbolised just how far the club had slumped since the glory days of the 1960s and 70s. Once regarded as the world’s richest club, Feyenoord had dramatically fallen from grace.

Coach Mario Been stepped down during the summer after coming to believe that he no longer had the players’ confidence and trust, and in came former player Ronald Koeman as his replacement. Koeman arrives at De Kuip with a managerial reputation that has suffered its ups and downs. Success at Ajax and PSV has been tempered by failure at Benfica, Valencia and AZ. Even if Koeman manages to get the team performing this season he will still find himself, just like previous incumbent Been, frustrated at the lack of funds to reinforce his youthful squad. After recently acquiring young striker John Guidetti on loan from Manchester City, Koeman might see the loan market as his best chance to add more quality to the team.

A young Feyenoord fan shows where his allegiances lie

It is not all doom and gloom, however. As already mentioned, Feyenoord have one of the most loyal fanbases in the country, if not the world. The number 12 shirt was retired many seasons ago and given to the supporters to show them how much they mean to the club. Referred to as Het Legioen (Dutch for ‘The Legion’), they turned out in their numbers after the 10-0 defeat last season to cheer their club on.

Feyenoord also boast some very exciting young prospects in their ranks. Jerson Cabral, a pacy left-footed winger who can play on either side of the pitch, is full of trickery and has great technique. Then there’s 19 year-old centre-back/right-back Stefan de Vrij who’s already deemed good enough to play in the first team alongside commanding centre-back and fan-favourite Ron Vlaar. Leroy Fer was seen by many as one of Feyenoord’s best prospects but was sold for a fee believed to be just over €5m to FC Twente on deadline day.

While another bad showing in the league this term won’t lead to any type of fan desertion, it will call into question Feyenoord’s claim to rank alongside Ajax and PSV. With both AZ and FC Twente having won the Eredivisie within the last 3 years, and the last of Feyenoord’s 9 title wins coming in 1999, there is more competition then ever for top spot and no matter how proud a history the club has, Feyenoord are in danger of turning into a sleeping giant. Ronald Koeman has a tough job on his hands this year if he is to appease the high expectations of the supporters without the financial backing of previous managers, but the red and white side of Rotterdam will be hoping and praying that this once great club can return to it’s rightful place amongst Holland’s top club sides.

Africa, a continent as diverse and colourful as they come, has provided football with some of its truly greatest players. From George Weah to Abedi Pelé, Didier Drogba to Samuel Eto’o and Michael Essien to Eusebio and Roger Milla, African players continue to overcome the obstacles put in front of them to play at the highest echelons of the game, both in Europe and the World. However, with a lack of resources and facilities at many clubs, and players with dreams of playing for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United et al, it has become increasing difficult for clubs in Africa to hold onto their best talent. Clubs from nations such as France, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have vast scouting networks covering the continent, all hoping to uncover the next gem for low prices. With this trend increasing, it is rare to find top quality players still playing their club football at an African club. However, Africa does still boast some top-class playmakers yet to make the journey to Europe. Here are my 3 of the best…

Oussama Darragi

Age: 24
Club: Espérance Sportive de Tunis
Nationality: Tunisian
Position: AMC
International Caps: 14 (3 goals)
Nickname(s): Darraginho, Picasso

Oussama Darragi may not be a name familiar to many football fans in Europe yet, but the Tunisian playmaker has all the attributes to succeed on a bigger stage. Although not as young as some players when they leave Africa, at only 24 Darragi still has plenty of time to make an impact, and his decision to stay in Tunisia until now is sure to have helped his overall game mature whilst playing competitive football in both the Tunisian Premier League and the African Champions League. ES Tunis won their sole continental crown in 1994, although they’ve reached the final on 3 separate occasions since then before falling at the last hurdle. Their most recent loss came only last year as they went down 6-1 over two legs to TP Mazembe of DR Congo. Espérance’s reluctance to sell Darragi has been so strong because they believe him to be vital in their quest for Africa’s top prize, yet the player, unlike in previous years, seems to have finally set his sights on bigger and better things.

SC Braga of Portugal look to be the team most interested in recruiting Darraginho, as fans of the Blood and Golds refer to him. It’s rumoured, however, that Benfica had a bid turned down last year so they may yet enter into the fray. Darragi’s name has also been mentioned alongside Real Betis, with many predicting a swap deal that would have Achille Emana move in the opposite direction.

Darragi’s ability is clear to see. Quick on the ball, capable of picking out the pass for his teammates and an adept finisher, he would fit nicely into many teams’ first eleven, though a move to a league such as Portugal’s could benefit him in his adaptation from African football to Europe’s own particular brand. Any move is likely to come at the very end of the transfer window, however, as ES Tunis try to keep their star man for as much of the current Champions League campaign as they can. They currently sit second in Group B after two games with 4 points after they defeated Africa’s most decorated team, Al-Ahly, 1-0 yesterday. Darragi netted for Tunis in their other match, a 1-1 away draw with MC Alger. Seeing as the competition doesn’t end until November though, if Espérance’s chairman gets his way Darragi might have to wait until the winter transfer window to make his big move – hopefully with an African Champions League Medal among his personal belongings.

Trésor Mputu

Age: 25
Club: TP Mazembe
Nationality: Congolese
Position: AMC/AMR/ST
International Caps: 22 (7 goals)

Trésor Mputu has been one of Africa’s brightest prospects for a while now and, in theory, should have been making a move to Europe not too long ago. The problem, however, was that Mputu went and got himself a year-long ban for assaulting a referee during a match. Angry at an offside decision, Mputu goes to kick at the ref before pulling away. His behaviour earned him a (quite acceptable) red card, but this only worsened matters amongst an already irate TP Mazembe. One of Mputu’s teammates actually karate kicked the referee to the ground in the ensuing melee.

It’s a shame to see gifted footballers with uncontrollable tempers, but Mputu does have a habit of lashing out. During a match against Angola Mputu kicked an opponent between the legs from behind – again earning himself a red on that occasion.

Aside from his poor temperament (which may have cost him a European move) Mputu is most definitely a talented individual. 111 goals in 182 appearances for TP Mazembe speaks for itself, and it wasn’t for nothing that his teammates and coach were regretting his absence as they played the Club World Cup Final against Inter Milan. Mputu had been an instrumental part of their dominance of African football, with Mazembe winning their third Champions League in 2009 after a 41 year wait, and then successfully defending their title last year.

So used to seeing Mputu netting more than once during a game, fans even went as far as referring to him as MPut-two.

Mohammed Aboutrika

Age: 32
Club: Al-Ahly
Nationality: Egyptian
Position: AMC
International Caps: 75 (25 goals)

Mohamed Aboutrika is no stranger to success, both domestically and internationally. With Al-Ahly he has won the domestic crown for the last six seasons, and has also lead the club to 3 Champions League wins in the last 6 years. Aboutrika finds himself an important part of the national side too, a player who seems to pop up and score vital goals at vital times. Unselfish on the ball, talented at dead-ball situations and with not-too-shabby pace for a player in his thirties, Aboutrika is at the heart of many of the Pharoahs’ best moves. Although one of Africa’s best playmakers, Aboutrika is unlikely to leave Egypt for the glamour of European football, especially when you consider his age. And why should he? A firm fan favourite at Al-Ahly, it would be a strange decision to up sticks now for a last big paycheck and Aboutrika, a devout Muslim and proud Egyptian, doesn’t seem like the type. His great wish is to represent Egypt at the World Cup and it would be a shame if a player of his talent never had the chance to do so.

After a 4 year absence the 43rd edition of the Copa América kicks off in Argentina tomorrow in what must be one of the most open versions of the tournament in recent years. Hosts Argentina will be under massive pressure from the home support to succeed, as will holders Brazil, who have yet to fully find their rhythm under Mano Menezes. Uruguay, after such an impressive performance at the World Cup in South Africa, will be looking to have their names carved into this year’s trophy, whilst one shouldn’t underestimate nations such as Paraguay, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia to mount an upset in the latter stages of the competition.

The Groups:

Group A

Argentina

Colombia

Costa Rica

Bolivia

Group A looks relatively straightforward for the Copa América hosts and they should top it without much trouble. Colombia would also be expected to go through comfortably, leaving Costa Rica and Bolivia to fight it out for third place. I don’t see Costa Rica troubling many, especially as they’ve brought a squad featuring mostly home-based players, so I’d go for Bolivia to go through to the next stage alongside Argentina and Colombia.

Players to Watch:

Lionel Messi: The world’s best player has the ability to change any game and, if he performs to his best, can beat many opponents on his own. His only criticism to date has been that he hasn’t shone for Argentina as often as he does for Barcelona, although it can be argued that Messi on a bad day is still better than the majority of footballers on the planet.

Sergio Agüero: El Kun can be devastating on his day, and is a personal favourite of mine. With Argentina’s embarrassment of riches upfront though (Tevez, Higuaín, Milito and Lavezzi are all vying for a starting place as well), it remains to be seen how much playing time he’ll get, and in which position.

Ángel Di María: The Real Madrid winger is fast, skillful and creative and looks likely to be one of Argentina’s main attacking outlets.

Radamel Falcao: The Porto striker has been in blistering form this season, with his goals leading his team to the Europa League title. Will be Colombia’s main threat both in the air and on the ground.

Fredy Guarín: Another Colombian who plies his trade at Porto, Guarín has a vicious and accurate long range shot and often gets his name on the scoresheet.

Group B

Brazil

Paraguay

Ecuador

Venezuela

Brazil will be favourites to top the group but in truth it might be harder than many believe. Firstly, Brazil are going through a transitional phase at the moment. While they are still very capable of producing beautiful football, the team no longer has that aura that they had in the days of Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho and co. They have plenty of gifted players though, Neymar being the most exciting teenager playing the beautiful game at the moment and Ganso back from injury, but to me the side looks like it’s lacking something. If Pato isn’t on form they could struggle for goals, with Fred being the only other striker in the squad. Ecuador and Paraguay look likely to tussle for second place. I see Ecuador just edging it, with Venezuela propping up the bottom of the group.

Players to Watch:

Neymar: Brazil’s wonderkid seems to earn a new superlative as each week goes by. Recently scored in the Final to help his side win the Copa Libertadores, and is constantly linked with a move to a big team, whether it be Chelsea or Real Madrid. So far, he’s shown that he can walk the walk. This Copa América is his first test against the best the continent has to offer and it’ll be intriguing to watch.

Paulo Henrique Ganso: Neymar’s team-mate at Santos looks set to move to AC Milan in the near future, but if he is fully fit and on-form he can make Brazil tick.

Thiago Silva: Milan defender who will be in charge of defending Brazil’s goal alongside veteran Lúcio. Very strong and steady, giving the more attacking players confidence to get forward.

Lucas Moura: A bit of a wild-card, the 18 year old certainly has talent, it’s just a question of whether he’ll get on the field. Maybe too early for him to make a huge impact, but he could be a useful weapon for Brazil against tiring defences as his dribbling can be superb.

Antonio Valencia: Manchester United’s winger will be a key player for his country and is one of their more experienced internationals. He will be Ecuador’s main creative outlet.

Felipe Caicedo: The striker that Man City no longer wanted, Caicedo had a fantastic season in Spain with Levante. His goals helped the team avoid certain relegation. Strong and quick, Ecuador will look to him for goals along with Christian Benítez.

Group C

Uruguay

Chile

Peru

Mexico

A tough group which could be won by any of the 3 South American teams. Mexico, after their recent Gold Cup win, are only sending a young squad and so would do well to qualify, but first spot is definitely up for grabs. My money’s on Uruguay to continue their World Cup high and for Chile to secure second place above Peru.

Players to Watch:

Edinson Cavani: The Napoli striker was in red-hot form last season, scoring 26 times. His confidence is sky-high and this could be his tournament.

Diego Forlán: After such an impressive World Cup, this year hasn’t been the best for Forlán. He fell out of favour at his club, had disagreements with both the manager and other players, and looks set to depart Madrid this summer. However, it would be silly to doubt his commitment to La Celeste.

Luís Suárez: Suárez makes up the third member of Uruguay’s dangerous attacking three. The Liverpool forward is a handful for defenders and has adapted very well to the Premier League since moving from Ajax.

Diego Lugano: Uruguay’s skipper is never one to shy away from a challenge and it’ll be his job to marshall the back-line. He has plenty of experience but can lose his head at times with his rash tackling. Expect him to be in the book in the first group match.

Giovani Dos Santos: The most established member of Mexico’s squad, even though he’s only 22 years of age. Scored a beauty in the recent Gold Cup final.

Juan Manuel Vargas: Peruvian midfielder who plays his club football for Fiorentina, Vargas will be Peru’s link between defence and attack. Has a ferocious long range shot.

Matías Fernández: One of Chile’s many creative midfield players, Fernández will look to dribble past opponents and fashion out chances for  strikers Suazo and Sánchez.

Alexis Sánchez: Set to move to Barcelona this summer for approximately 40 million euros, Sánchez is lightning quick and had his best season to date at Udinese last season.

Personally, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I can see Uruguay upsetting the odds and beating Argentina in the Final. They’re currently still basking in the glory of reaching the World Cup Semi-Final, both Cavani and Suárez ended the season in great form, and their talisman Forlán should recapture the brilliance that saw him delight so many in South Africa. Argentina have a superb attack but to me their defence looks weak, and too much pressure could be put on Messi by the ever-demanding home fans. However, if Messi brings his Barcelona form to the tournament it’ll be hard for anyone to stop Argentina. Brazil will get to the latter stages but, even with Neymar’s brilliance, I just don’t see this being their year.

Whatever happens, the Copa América is sure to be full of excitement and drama.

*Note: Credit for the player images goes to Sortitoutsi.net and their brilliant Megapack for Football Manager.

River Plate are relegated

Spain’s El País newspaper called it “the worst moment in their history” and it is impossible to disagree. River Plate, Argentina’s most decorated and successful club, producer of talents such as Hernán Crespo, Javier Saviola, Marcelo Gallardo, Gonzalo Higuaín, Pablo Aimar, Ariel Ortega and Javier Mascherano, have been relegated from the Primera División. The unthinkable has happened to the once mighty club in a league system designed to help the big teams avoid the drop.

A Complex League Structure

Unlike Europe’s premier competitions, the league system in Argentina comprises of 2 Championships of 19 games each year, the Apertura (Opening Championship) and the Clausura (Closing Championship), and relegation is a bit of a complex affair. Instead of simply relegating the bottom few teams, as we are used to in Europe, the Argentinian league determines who is to go down over a period of 3 years – or 6 Championships. Teams have their points totals for each of the last three years added up and divided and are giving an overall ranking in the Relegation Table. The bottom team is automatically relegated to the Segunda División, while the teams placed 17th to 19th go through certain playoffs against eachother and the teams finishing 3rd and 4th in la Segunda. The system is designed to stop big teams from being relegated for one poor season because football in South America can at times be chaotic, with many players sold to Europe throughout each campaign, managers hired and fired at will and continental competitions taking a toll.

For River Plate to find themselves in the situation that they were in required 3 consecutive years of under-performance and, due to internal troubles at the club, an ever-increasing debt hanging over their heads (ironic for a club nicknamed The Millionaires) and an under-performing squad, that is exactly what happened. The winners of 33 domestic titles will play next season in the Segunda División after losing the Relegation Playoff 3-1 to Belgrano.

The first leg saw River lose 2-0 away from home, but a draw on aggregate would have been enough to see them saved from the ignominy of relegation. In a packed Estadio Monumental Mariano Pavone put them ahead after only 6 minutes and things looked as if they might be going to plan. However, a second-half equaliser by Guillermo Farre and a penalty miss from Pavone conspired to send River down. Fans, who are difficult to control at even the best of times, began rioting and hurling objects onto the field in frustration and anger, hardly believing what they had just witnessed.

River’s relegation leaves many questions to ponder about the state of football today, and should act as a warning to other teams with large debts and under-performing players. Before this result, River were one of the 3 teams who had never been relegated from the Primera División along with Boca Juniors and Independiente. To put it into context, it’s similar to if Liverpool or Man Utd were to be relegated. Their fanbase is both huge (numbering at 18 million) and fanatically loyal, and with Boca Juniors they conest one of the world’s biggest derbies – the Superclásico. Boca have also seen themselves slump down the table in recent years and it’s not unthinkable to imagine them at the wrong end of the Relegation Table next year if they endure another bad campaign.

Losing Lamela?

River’s relegation will undoubtedly affect their squad, with players leaving in search of top-flight football and clubs from Europe picking off talent at lowered prices. The one player on many clubs’ wishlists is 19 year old Erik Lamela. Barcelona tried to sign Lamela as a 12 year old but his family opted for him to stay in Argentina to develop, and he has blossomed into an exciting young player. River have managed to hold on to him until now, but with their bargaining power at an all time low speculation will only continue to grow about Lamela leaving this summer.

Who knows, maybe a year out of the pressure cooker will give River time to breathe and sort themselves out. On the other hand, their massive debt and big possible player exodus could conspire to affect their performances next season too. We all know of big clubs in England that have been relegated and fallen into the footballing abyss. Personally, I hope that this once great club will get back to where they belong as soon as possible.

In recent weeks it has been hard to avoid articles on Barcelona and their wonderful youth academy at La Masia. With 8 out of the current Barcelona first 11 coming up through their own ranks, La Masia is being quite rightly admired and envied by many in football. However, there is one youth academy which rivals Barcelona in producing a truly staggering number of top-class players, and that is Sol Beni.

Sol Beni: Africa’s crown jewel

Sol Beni, for those that don’t know, is the youth academy of ASEC Mimosas, the Ivory Coast’s most successful and decorated team. They have won the domestic Premier League 23 times and the African Champions League once, and they hold the world-record for unbeaten league games, going 108 games without losing between 1989 and 1994. The most impressive thing about this club, however, is how often they churn out footballers both for Europe’s top leagues and the Ivorian National Team.

A bit of history

The Academy at Sol Beni was started in 1993 by ex-footballer Jean-Marc Guillou, who would prove to be a very important figure in the development of future Ivorian talent. A complex with football pitches, dorm rooms and a school was built. In less than 2 decades it has transformed itself into the most prestigious and successful academy in Africa.

If you doubt Sol Beni’s credentials, I suggest you take a look at some of the many players that it has produced. The most notable that spring to mind for any English fans are the Touré brothers at Man City, Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboué and Chelsea’s Saloman Kalou. Former Portsmouth striker Aruna Dindane hails from Sol Beni, as does former Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora. Other top players to roll off its production line in recent years include: Gervinho (Lille), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Didier Konan Ya (Hannover), Romaric (Trabzonspor), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Basel), Bakary Koné (Lekhwiya), Lacina Traoré (Kuban Krasnodar), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Sékou Cissé (Feyenoord) and Bonaventure Kalou (older brother of Saloman).

Now while not all on that list will be household names to a Premiership fan, it is truly remarkable to think that they were produced by the same club in such a relatively short space of time. Of the 19 players that the Ivory Coast named in their recent squad for the African Nations Qualifying match against Benin, 10 were produced by ASEC and Sol Beni.

How many future stars of the National Team could be present in this picture?

So the next time that you read or hear about the next Messi or Xavi that La Masia has produced, spare a thought for Sol Beni – Africa’s crown jewel.

I remember that not too long ago, for me, La Liga was something very exotic. Never having had Sky or any type of cable television as a kid, I didn’t have the privilege of being able to watch Spain’s finest. While my friends would talk about the Madrid of Zidane, Ronaldo, Raúl and Roberto Carlos I could only ever listen on, wishing that my Dad would just give in to me and my brother’s pleas and cough up the extra £30 a month so that we could watch a game once in a while. It wasn’t to be, and so the only chance I had to watch these brilliant players was in the big Champions League games on ITV.

This year, however, if I had really wanted to, I could have watched close to every Real Madrid and Barcelona match. The individual TV deals that the two clubs have, the ones that make sure that they receive ridiculously more money than all the other teams in the league, make sure that the games are staggered, i.e. if Madrid play at 7pm, Barça play at 9 and vice versa. I did watch quite a few games at the start of this year abroad as well, but my enthusiasm soon began to wane. The reason? It was all too…predictable. There was never any doubt about who would win. An upset was never really on the cards. I soon stopped going to bars to watch the games. I would dip in and out as the season went on, watch a Barça game here, a Real game there, but as the season went on – and the points gap between second place and third grew even larger – I was never fully tempted back in.

A lack of one-club loyalty:

The current football climate in Spain seems to be this: Everyone is free to support whoever they want, but they must also have a favourite between the big two. I don’t want to generalise for the whole country here. I’m sure there are pockets of Spain – Bilbao is one example that springs to mind – where supporters strongly identify with their (local) team and wouldn’t dream of following another, but the rest seem to be pretty content with the assumption that only Real and Barça have the money, resources and players to win the League and therefore you must support at least one of the two.

In the case of my city, Alicante, I suppose I can slightly understand why. Hércules, the city’s principal team, were absolutely terrible this season and rightly relegated. To be honest, they should never have been promoted in the first place due to their blatant use of bribery but due to some stupid loophole nobody could do anything about it.

At first I was delighted that my Erasmus destination had a team in La Liga. ‘Think of all the great football I’ll get to watch’ I told myself, and when Hércules, somehow, beat Barça 2-0 at the Camp Nou in the second game of the season it felt like this would be a very very interesting year to be in Alicante football-wise. It wasn’t. They were rubbish. The squad fell apart, Drenthe went AWOL after speeding through town in the middle of the night at 180km/h, the players weren’t paid and now I’m glad I never managed to get to a game. I suppose I can understand that people would rather watch Cristiano Ronaldo than Rufete or Messi over Olivier Thomert, but I just can’t imagine it happening in England.

Once you pick a team in England, that’s your team for life. It’s very rare that people genuinely change, and if you do you’re likely to be called a ‘gloryhunter’. Sure, the majority of people go for Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, but if you pick the wrong team you’re destined for a lifetime of disappointment and heartache. Local ties seem much more important (even though it can be said that a large percentage of Man Utd’s fans seem to live in the London area).

Teams like Hércules need the support of the locals if they are ever going to stand a chance because, frankly, who else is going to support them?

The Duopoly – next season:

Next season in Spain will be very much ‘more of the same’, but I can actually see the gap between the top two and third place growing – especially if Sergio Agüero and Giuseppe Rossi leave Atlético and Villarreal respectively.

Sergio Agüero - Real's next galactico?

Agüero is one of my favourite players and he has been ever since he broke through as a teenager in Argentina. I remember watching El Kun play for Independiente all those years ago and I certainly remember this goal. He will definitely be leaving Atlético this summer as he has openly stated so publicly and most people, even diehard Atleti fans, can sympathise. He’s a top player and wants to win trophies, but will not do so at the Vicente Calderón. He has recently stated that while he likes the English League, he would prefer to stay in Spain. So that leaves us with 2 options. Real seem his most likely destination at this moment in time.

Giuseppe Rossi - Barcelona bound?

Then we have Rossi, a player who never really made the grade at Old Trafford, he has shone since arriving at El Madrigal. Rumours say he will move to Barcelona during this transfer window. Villarreal finished fourth this year, 34 points behind Barcelona. Atleti, in fifth, were 38 points adrift. And that was with their two star players. One can only imagine next season…

Arsenal football club. A name known around the world by millions of people, it is a name associated with beautiful football and rightly so. While Arsenal’s trophy cabinet may not be half as full as that of Manchester United or Liverpool, there is no doubt that the brand of football played at the Emirates is of a calibre that cannot be matched in many other football grounds. Most lovers of the game put Arsenal as the second most entertaining team to watch currently, behind the record-breaking and all-encompassing Barcelona side of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and co.

While this sense of pride may have kept Arsenal fans relatively content over the last few seasons of Arsène Wenger’s reign, the 2010-2011 season has seen a dramatic tidal wave of supporter anger and frustration. However, it is not the fact that we have ended another campaign trophy-less which has angered supporters so much, but the utter capitulation of a team that only a few months ago was part of 4 winnable competitions.

Now the Champions League exit can be forgiven. We came up against the strongest side in the world at the moment for the second year in a row and undoubtedly performed better than we did last year. The 2-1 comeback at the Emirates has to be one of the most nail-biting, enthralling, captivating games that I have witnessed as an Arsenal fan. Nobody gave us a chance at the outset, and in the first half Barcelona dominated just as they had done the year before. However, this Arsenal team showed that Barcelona are not invincible; that they do have weaknesses that can be exploited by other top sides. The 2nd leg showed a side of Arsenal that I have rarely seen; a team set up to defend a lead and working hard to do that  but committing little to attack. Now while I wouldn’t want us to play that way each week, nobody would have cared in the slightest if we had gone on to win the tie. We didn’t, for many reasons, but we came out of the match with our heads held high.

The same cannot be said for the other competitions however. The League Cup was seen as in-the-bag by everyone and we failed at the final hurdle due to a ridiculous defensive error. The FA Cup saw us predictably lose to United at Old Trafford after struggling to knock-out lower-league opponents in Huddersfield and Leeds. Even these defeats pale in comparison to our end of season league form though, where we self-destructed nearly every week against mediocre opposition. A mix of defensive recklessness and lack of mental strength have been deemed the culprits in a run of games that saw us draw 6 and lose 3 of our last 11 fixtures. Wins over Blackpool and Man Utd were the only high points in a miserable April and May for Arsenal fans. Wenger now has no more excuses to hide behind as it is clear that something went fundamentally wrong in that dressing room.

So, where next for Arsenal F.C.? Well for Arsenal fans, Wenger is thankfully making all the right noises about spending money this summer on recruits. It remains to be seen who these recruits will be, as he will most certainly not break the bank in the same way Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool often do. Defence is the key position this summer. A strong, tall, dominating Centre-Back is a must, but after £6.5m Squillaci bombed so horribly this season I can understand if Wenger takes as long as he possibly can before choosing the right player.

Not too long ago, many fans were adamant that a top-class Keeper was needed. Now, with the emergence of Wojciech Szczesny, I do feel more confident about our man between the posts. That being said, he is only 20 and has plenty of time to develop, so signing an older, reliable Keeper wouldn’t be a bad move because I couldn’t trust Fabianski or Almunia if Szczesny were to get injured.

We could also do with another 15 goal-a-season Striker, as we rely far too heavily on Robin Van Persie. Chamakh had a fantastic start to the season, but looked very jaded and almost lost after January – the pace of the game here had obviously caught up with him. I would like to see Carlos Vela being given more game time next season. He’s a fantastic talent, and scored important goals for West Brom when he went there on loan.

Let’s have a look at a few names that Arsenal have been linked to already:

Chris Samba (Blackburn):

I like Samba a lot. Tall, strong, powerful, commanding and with a few goals to his name, I think this would be a very good signing. It’s rumoured that we’ve placed an £8m bid to test the waters, but it remains to be seen whether Blackburn will want to do business.

Gary Cahill (Bolton):

Strong English Centre-Back, his name seems to come up every time the Transfer Window opens. I don’t know how likely this deal is though, because the ‘English Tax’ will drive his fee up very highly, maybe too highly for Wenger’s short arms.

Scott Parker (West Ham):

Mr. Give-Everything-Every-Game would be a superb addition in my opinion. He’s just the type of player we lack, he gives 100% to the cause and has had a tremendous season despite being part of a poor West Ham side. Motivational character.

Gervinho (Lille):

Not a household name in England, but the Ivorian with the funny hair has just won the French League Title with Lille. He plays as both a Winger and a Striker and has bundles of pace. Wenger seems to have been keen on him for a while, and from what I’ve seen of him he looks like a good player, with 16 goals last term highlighting his goalscoring ability.

Falcao (Porto):

Apparently Falcao’s agent has said that both us and Spurs have already made bids for the Colombian. Whether this is just a ploy to try and raise his price isn’t clear, but he would be a welcome addition to Arsenal. He’s had an astonishing season goal-wise. He has close to a goal-a-game rate at Porto and broke a goal-scoring record held by Jurgen Klinsmann when he netted 17 times in 14 games in this year’s Europa League.

As well as new arrivals, what many Arsenal fans desperately want to see this close-season is the departure of a few familiar faces who we feel don’t make the grade. Top of my list are Bendtner, Denilson, Arshavin, and Almunia. Bendtner for me is an obvious choice. While many could argue that he’s played out of position on the wing (which is very true), he is miles away from being good enough as a Centre-Forward. I believe the reason Wenger decides to play him on the wing is because that’s where he tends to actually go anyway, when all you want him to do is to stand in the box and be a target for crosses! I could see Bendtner being a very useful addition to a middle/lower Premier League side, just not for one chasing titles.

Denilson is also quite self-explanatory. A Brazilian who doesn’t really have any of the skills we associate with Brazilians. He’s not an especially good passer of the ball, isn’t particularly pacy, and can’t list tackling as one of his strong points.

Arshavin had a season to forget, and while most fans may be sad to see a player of his skill leave, he just does not possess any sense of team work and makes fans around the country collectively hold their breath every time he steps into our own penalty area. Despite all this, I would only want Arshavin to leave if we could get close to the same price we payed for him. I could see his former club Zenit being interested.

Finally, Almunia. I do genuinely feel sorry for Manuel, as he seems like a stand-up guy, but even he has to admit that we can’t keep this charade going on any longer. With a tendency to fumble and make unforced errors, it has at times been painful to watch him. However, it has to be said that his best performances at Arsenal have come both this year and last year against Barcelona, where he on many occasions single-handedly kept us in the game.

For me, though, the biggest change that is needed is a change of formation. I just don’t think the current 4-5-1 system gets the best out of the players we have at our disposal, because it forces players like Nasri, Arshavin and Rosicky to play as Wingers, and too often leaves Van Persie isolated upfront. It would be a different story if RVP was your typical target man, à la Kevin Davies at Bolton, who could bring down the ball and hold it up until his teammates arrived, but he’s more of an offensive Attacking Midfielder to be honest. His natural instinct is to drop just outside the penalty area looking for the ball (just like 99% of the team) and this is what contributes to the massive congestion of Arsenal players in the same area of the field, with no-one to cross to in the box.

I know it’s easy to sit here and bash systems and tactics that have, in many cases, worked brilliantly. I’m not saying that we should abandon this 4-5-1, I’m just saying that we need an alternative too, as we are easily figured out by the majority of teams in the Premier League. If I were manager, I think I would try and implement a system more akin to a 4-2-2-2 that they use in Brazil a lot, because I think it suits the players we have. If no new signings are made and nobody leaves, this would be my first 11 next season:

Szczesny

      Sagna                Vermaelen                     Koscielny/Djourou                 Clichy

Song                     Wilshere

     Nasri                   Fabregas (c)

            Van Persie               Chamakh/Vela/Walcott

I think this system would work for a few main reasons:

1) It would allow Van Persie to drop deeper while still leaving a striker in the box to aim crosses at.

2) It gives Nasri and Fabregas the freedom to create without having to worry so much about defending. Nasri is a natural central Attacking Midfield player, as demonstrated by his role at Marseille as the heart of their attacking play. Wenger, however, has tried to mould him into a Winger because he doesn’t play a traditional Attacking Midfielder. While I’m not saying it hasn’t worked  – Nasri is a superb footballer and will naturally have gained from training in a different position – he is not a Winger who beats people with his pace before releasing a cross. Let him play more centrally and run at defences with Cesc alongside him. I think Cesc sacrifices some of his attacking play by playing alongside Song and Wilshere.

3) Song can continue to act as a defensive shield alongside Wilshere, who I think work well together. Wilshere has developed a huge new range of abilities since being deployed deeper by Wenger and I honestly think it was an inspired decision.

3) This system still gives both Sagna and Clichy space to bomb forward if they so choose, but while one advances the other needs to retreat so as the flanks aren’t left open. Song and Wilshere should stay deeper if the fullbacks choose to go forward.

4) We don’t need wingers because playing with wingers is not our strong point. We don’t cross exceptionally well, and it only ever seems to be a last resort. Having attacking fullbacks and wingers seems redundant.

These are just a few of my thoughts on Arsenal. I’m looking forward to both the transfer window and next season with optimism, even if that cannot be said of all Arsenal fans. I do believe in Wenger and the team, we’re just missing a few ingredients that could take us to the next level. Hopefully, by next season, they will be in place.

Until next time,

Maz