A New Red Star on the Football Horizon

After almost two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a group of very rich oligarchs are working on bringing back one of the most dominant forces from the days of the Iron Curtain. These powerful decision makers are proposing a new super league that would consist of clubs from the former Soviet Union. Through funding provided by Russian gas giants Gazprom, who own Zenit St. Petersburg, the new league would initially give clubs from Ukraine and Russia a €22 million incentive to join. However, the idea is still just a blueprint in the works as the politically dominant businessmen of the East work to try and curtail UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. While the league sounds exciting for football fans living outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the current way these clubs are run might lead to some consequences in the future for the region. The proposed super league would draw a big crowd with heavy interest from the European community, but what would happen if someday the oligarch owners pulled out? Arsenal Kiev are already one example this year of a club that challenged in the Ukrainian top flight only to go bankrupt after their owner backed out. As a result, the club had to forfeit the Ukrainian Premier League. What if other oligarchs decide to venture away from football ownership someday? Anzhi Makhachkala recently dropped to the bottom of the Russian Premier League after its owner radically sold off all foreign players due to the not so immediate success of the club. It’s this type of risky behavior that could hurt a proposed super league someday. In retrospect, if the oligarchs are really interested in the well-being of football in their homeland then maybe they should instead focus their attention on investing in youth development within the CIS leagues. Then again this is the land of the former Soviet Union, where the memory of the Iron Curtain isn’t as distant as we would like to believe. The Soviet Supreme League was quite a dominant force in Europe before its break up in 1993. The most successful of the clubs was Dynamo Kiev leading the pack by winning two European Cup Winners’ Cups through their renowned coach Valeriy Lobanovsky, who also happened to manage the Soviet national team. Other major achievers included the Moscow based teams Dynamo and Spartak. By the 1988/89 season the Soviet Supreme League was so dominant that is was ranked the second best league in Europe by UEFA, but this dominance quickly faded as a crippling Soviet state started to allow players to leave and play in the West. One of the agendas of the proposed super league focuses on the difference between the East and West with money at the center. The Eastern structure doesn’t rely on TV contracts and ticket sales like the Western model. The Ukrainian and Russian teams rely solely on income from the immensely rich owners, who sway foreign players with lavish salaries to come play in the frigid Eastern climate. While the model brings in talents like Samuel Eto’o, Keisuke Honda and the strong Brazilian contingent at Shakhtar Donetsk, it isn’t as solid as it appears in the long haul. A proposed super league would rely exclusively on overpriced foreign talent. This type of emphasis could eventually undermine the Russian and Ukrainian youth systems, since the focus would be on giving the majority of playing time to the highly priced foreign talents. Even more concerning in the broad scheme is UEFA President Michel Platini’s stance on all of this. Platini has yet to give any official statements regarding the proposed super league, which only furthers the notion that everything has its price. Gazprom sponsors the UEFA Champions League, so maybe Mr. Platini is just making sure that the money keeps flowing in without any unnecessary criticisms. Now, I’m not saying that this super league wouldn’t be an exciting league to watch through its revitalized increase in competition. What I’m concerned with is the way this proposed new league is getting planned out without really assessing the consequences on the future of football in the CIS. If clubs in other states are eventually able to participate then a Georgian league without a powerhouse club like Dynamo Tbilisi or an Armenian league without Ararat Yerevan, both former Soviet Supreme League winners, would start to deteriorate. The major oligarchs need to figure in these factors, so they can maximize the super league’s potential because, whether it takes years to happen, the oligarchs always get their way in the land where the red star still illuminates the football pitch.

Planting the Football Seeds

Each time a major competition rolls around the football community gets a new list that shows which countries have climbed to the top of football greatness, but does it really seem that way? The FIFA world rankings have been criticized over and over again by the football community, so it's no surprise the recent top seeds are currently on the firing line. The current top teams for the 2014 World Cup group stage will be: Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Uruguay, Switzerland and hosts Brazil. Now, before judging the teams and saying how messed up the ranking system really is, one has to realize this is all just based on a formula! Points = match value x importance x ranking of opponent x strength of confederation x timeliness. This is a very general look at the way teams get points. However, the point I'm making is that it's all based on numbers and not team analysis. We all think it's absurd that certain countries are ranked higher than others, but instead of stating the obvious, the football community needs to stop criticizing the formula and start thinking of a solution. How can we rationalize how good a team truly is? One way is to look at the history, style and performance, which are difficult to measure by just numbers alone. Some criticisms regarding the current formula state that goal difference, home advantage and the stakes of a match are also not taken into account. Rightly so, all these factors should definitely be considered since they directly influence that value of a team. Now, I'm no mathematician nor are the heads of FIFA, so how do you get that message across to them? If FIFA changes the formula then as a kind of political ploy they would be admitting the ranking system is flawed and we all know they will not submit to something like that. However, there is a concept that I think could put all these criticisms and flawed calculations a little bit to rest. What if instead of just implementing a formula, FIFA could set up a kind of committee that would also take into account different factors that can't be rationalized through numbers alone. They could look at the current values and reach a consensus on the other factors as a means to come up with a reasonable ranking. Of course, this could be biased and based on misinterpretations, but to be honest the critics have also been quite biased themselves in their own ranking, so it's something that will have to be taken into account and worked on. All the critics seem to repeat the past history of the top countries and all they look at sometimes are the squads on paper, but they don't ever mention recent results. One has to realize that, with club football, the chances of getting international play are very minimal at times. Basically, the data that FIFA works with is based on a very small sample, so it can be skewed. Sometimes teams have more games with weaker opponents, which could have an influence on the ranking. Still, all these football fans criticize the system without giving any solutions. Let's be real and realize that the ranking system won't change through our constant nagging, so why not have FIFA keep their hierarchy while trying to fix the problem through a type of committee analysis. In the end though, I feel that if your team is good enough to win it all then it shouldn't matter what pot they're in for the group stage draw. Yes, everyone wants to draw Switzerland as their top team in the group, but no matter what teams are in the first two pots, aren't they typically the same teams anyway? The argument people make is that their side could be drawn against the top team like Spain or Germany, but why not get that draw. Show the world that your side have what it takes by facing a tournament favorite. Stop hiding behind a ranking system that we all know is flawed and start measuring your team's success by how they perform when the time comes for the world stage to shine again.

The Three Blind Lions

What if England's trophy case was overfilled with numerous World Cup and Euro titles? What if they lived up to their expectations not just through their league, but through their national side? What if? The reality is England has always been stuck in the 'what ifs' of football. The three lions only have one world cup ('66) on home soil, while their best run at the Euro competition was a semifinal loss also as tournament hosts ('96). Even though England always underachieved throughout the years, they still are one of the most overrated teams before each major tournament. The reason behind the hype and expectation lie heavily on their domestic league. The English Premier League has the highest amount of investment, world viewership and overwhelming talent in football. However, sometimes you get the good with the bad. While the league is gaining even more momentum, the national side is quickly falling to its knees. It's getting so bad that no English player would currently make it in a world starting eleven nor on the bench for that matter. Still, for a country with one of the biggest football leagues in the world why is it that the national side just can't live up to the same status? After examining countless criticisms and theories regarding this issue, I've found that it's more of an inability to change the traditional English way of thinking about football. Granted the current trend in their domestic league relies heavily on foreign investors, foreign coaches and foreign players, which helps create the league's global status, it's also about an inability to step out of the English comfort zone. FA Chairman Greg Dyke said current figures show the 92/93 league season was made up of 69% English players, while last season season consisted of only 32%. Last season English players under the age of 21 only covered 2.28% of the total minutes played in the league. It's easy to criticize the increasing trend of foreigners in the league since these figures show that English players just aren't getting enough playing time. However, the English need to change their way of thinking. If English players can't break into their own league they should try and go abroad. There they can hone their skills in leagues that will be willing to accept young English talent. Leagues like the Eredivisie in Holland are filled with teams vying for new talent as their figures show a different trend, where the best talents tend to leave at a young age. Even English coaches should push their knowledge on the European scene as Steve McClaren did at FC Twente taking the team to their first ever Dutch title in 2010. Since the EPL is the upper echelon of all the leagues it would make sense for a young English player to take small steps in a foreign league only to one day return to the EPL with a fresh style and worldview. At the same time, the English are known for their northern style of high pace, physical and attacking football. Though this style is attractive and appealing, England need to start taking some influence from successful sides in Europe. Countries like Spain and Germany are currently major contenders because of their playing styles, but also their source of talent. When one thinks of these two countries it's really F.C. Barcelona and Bayern Munich that come to the forefront. The two countries implement similar tactics in accordance to their club counterparts, which means there's already a steady foundation in their national sides. Now, looking at the English side there's really no foundation from a Manchester United or Arsenal or Liverpool side. Basically, what England needs is a club side in the domestic league that would have the majority of the top players alongside each other week in and week out. The reality is many of these England players just don't weld well together because the national side consists of too many different top clubs with different philosophies. Another aspect lies at the grassroots level. The English tend to focus on bigger players rather than the small technically gifted. There appears to be a tendency on size and strength over technique in youth development. Once again the English should change their traditional ways by scouting different types of young players, so they could create a new depth in their next generation of footballers. Currently, the English are trying to combat these issues with new strategies recently implementing the EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan), which will try to improve youth development through more funding. In order for England to really contend and possibly win a World Cup by 2022 it won't take an evolution, but a revolution in the English FA. For that revolution to take place the FA will first need to take off their blindfolds, so they could see that their out of date English mentality just isn't working.

A Case of Football Identity

Imagine if one day a rich businessman bought the club you supported your entire life and all of a sudden decided to change the team's entire history and tradition. Your blue jersey and team crest adorning the bluebird suddenly change to red while a red Welsh dragon complimented the crest. Well this imaginary nightmare is the reality facing English Premier League side Cardiff City right now. After over one hundred years of history and tradition, Malaysian business owner Vincent Tan decided to rebrand the club by implementing changes to the team color and crest. Someone who doesn't support Cardiff City could easily say, well as long as the club have the financial backing and now play top flight football why does it matter? However, such commercialization and rebranding takes away the thing that matters most to true supporters; not results, but identity. What if this happens to a team like Liverpool. One day they no longer wear red, instead they become blue and their beloved liver bird is no more. Would it matter then because this is more than just about having money and being a successful club. In the last decade there have been more cases of protests from fans regarding rebranding. Some of these were so drastic that supporters decided to form entirely new clubs true to their team's identity. Take for example, F.C. United of Manchester. In 2005 the Glazier family decided to takeover Manchester United by buying the main shares of the club. This move pissed off the Red Army enough to break away from the American owners and form an entirely new club that embodied the true spirit of United. Another equally known breakaway was done by supporters of Wimbledon F.C. In 2002 the chairman of the club decided to relocate due to financial issues. The fans decided that no one could just break their team's traditions with the city of Wimbledon, so they formed their own team known as AFC Wimbledon. This success story started off in the ninth league and currently plays in the fourth winning countless promotions throughout the years. All this goes to show that no matter what the reason is behind a change in club identity, the true supporters are always willing to take extreme measures to preserve their team's traditions. New ownership and rebranding are one thing, but what about an entire business taking over the heart and soul of a club. Well, with their expansion away from the extreme sports market, Red Bull decided to venture into the world of football and do just that. In 2005 Red Bull bought out SV Austria Salzburg and in doing so completely disrespected all supporters of the club by saying "this is a new club with no history." Well, they definitely overlooked quite a bit of history; 77 years before the takeover along with 3 Austrian Bundesliga titles and a runners-up position in the 1994 UEFA cup. All the same elements applied like the changing of the team crest to the Red Bull logo and renaming the team Red Bull Salzburg, but the open disregard towards the club's tradition was something the fans never forgot. Their hatred led to the formation of a new club SV Austria Salzburg, which also ran through countless promotions currently playing in the Austrian third league. If these two sides were to ever meet through the Austrian Cup or eventual promotion to the top flight rest assured SV Austria Salzburg would be the team with the real wings. Apart from the extreme measures taken by fans to secure identity there's also the contemporary issue of fan association. Take for example fans of Ajax and Tottenham, who are the biggest clubs associated with being called Jews. Their association isn't based on any deep connection with Judaism. Instead it's an association the two teams embraced because their rivals used the term as a means to insult. Both teams just happen to be placed in an area of the city where there's a higher number of Jews, though there are only a few other connections these team truly have with Jews. Still, for Tottenham fans the identity is so ingrained that they call themselves the Yid Army. The identity itself has caused controversy in England due to the term Yid being regarded as Anti-Semitic. Spurs fans have been threatened with stadium closures and arrests, but the fans made themselves clear. They are going to sing what they want and call themselves what they want. Their identity even though it's controversial is exactly what the fans feel represents them. They embrace it fully and once it's there no threat will make them rebrand themselves. There are countless other examples in football that show diverse identities in fans and their respective clubs. For example, La Liga side Athletic Bilbao has a Basque policy that assures only ethnic Basques play for the club and it's been that way since the team's inception. Another aspect to the identity spectrum are 'works teams' where a city's major business is the reason behind a clubs' formation. These teams are associated throughout history with the company that established them like PSV/Phillips, Wolfsburg/Volkswagen and Leverkusen/Bayer to name a few. There are numerous identities throughout each league that demonstrate just how deep the tradition goes. The point I'm making here is that rich business owners, through their commercialization, aren't in a position to take over years of football tradition and history without upheaval from true supporters. All these examples show that the fans' identities with clubs are real and meaningful. Rich owners can try to change things by buying teams out, but the fans will always be beating their drum because they are the never ending heartbeat of the club.

Off to the Races EPL Style

Bookies will have a host of new clients this season in the English Premier League as the number of contenders has multiplied for the first time in years. After just ten rounds, there are only six points separating first and seventh place in the table. Of those seven teams each one has already lost, not to mention, Manchester United sit uncharacteristically in eight place. What does all this mean for English football fans? Well, for starters this new scenario gives fans a fresh breathe of hope and optimism. This season the title might finally go to a team like Spurs, who last won in the 60s, or an Arsenal side, who look to end an eight year title drought, or a Liverpool team that wants to return to its glory days and oust the Red Devils as the most decorated club in the league. However, the most alarming component to each of the top teams are the exposed weaknesses. Therefore, no matter how excited fans get, there will be many fans left with their hopes up come the 38th round of the season. Here's a breakdown of what each team is doing right, wrong and what needs to be done for them to lift the league trophy this season. Current leaders Arsenal have great depth in their midfield as Mesut Ozil and, back from injury, Santi Carzola look in-sync. The pair have all the means to lay the ball off to in-form strikers Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud. However, the Gunners' starting 11 is really all they have going for them. If they want to finally make Arsene Wenger look like he still belongs they will have to bring in players to widen the team roster. Injuries and the pressures of the Champions League might wear them down, but for once Arsenal fans can be happy their team spent money to strengthen the squad. The January transfer window will be crucial for them to go all the way. Currently sitting in second, Chelsea F.C., are a rejuvinated side under the 'Special One' himself Jose Mourinho. They are playing tight leaving opponents with little space while they pressure down sides into submission. However, their weakness came to the forefront this round as Newcastle knocked them off their mantle with a 2-0 loss. The Blues have so many big name strikers, but each one of them has only netted in one goal so far. There's an all too rusty Fernando Torres, out of his prime Samuel Eto'o, benched for no reason Juan Mata and a still adjusting Andre Schurlle. In order for Chelsea to be back on top, Mourinho needs to channel his charisma and get his strikers finding the net more frequently. Next up, the men from the Kop, Liverpool F.C., are finally looking more like a side that can challenge for dominance once again. Manager Brendan Rodgers should be ecstatic that his two strikers Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez are understanding each other perfectly with a combined 14 goals. However, I'm not sure they have a solid enough midfield to close down the other top tier clubs in the league. For example, Liverpool looked out of shape and unable to reorganize themselves during their 2-0 loss to Arsenal this week. Therefore, Rodgers needs to find the right tactical formation, so his mids, Stevie G and Lucas, can connect with the S&S duo up top. Now, lets travel back to the capital London to find a Tottenham Hotspurs side that is over 80 million Euros richer. The big payoff from the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid has brought in top talent like striker Roberto Soldado and playmaker Andros Townsend. Along with the two, their key this season is the defense as Jan Vertonghen and captain Michael Dawson lead the back line with an attacking prowess. However, if Spurs want to jump past all the other big spenders, and end over 50 years of waiting, they will need to get Soldado to score more than just penalty kicks. Speaking of big spenders, Manchester City look hungry once again as new coach Manuel Pellegrini looks to be the right man to whip up all the expensive talent into shape. The Chilean's expertise, having managed Real Madrid and Malaga, has instilled new life in Sergio Aguero and the other Spanish speaking superstars. Having benched England's number one Joe Hart, the manager proved he has the balls to do what's needed for all the talent to stay disciplined. Still, the biggest concern for the blue side of Manchester is whether or not their Champions League aspirations might get the better of them as they have a tendency to drop points mid season to mid table clubs. Finding the right balance between competitions and player rotation will be the key for the men in sky blue. Finally, sticking to an all too reoccurring history the two remaining sides, Southampton and Everton, will realistically only be fighting for Champions League football next season. They both show a good fight, but they just don't have the financial power right now to hold on until the end though they will and are forces to be reckoned with. With all these teams vying for the number one spot, I need to include one asterisk that is Manchester United. Even though, many doubt David Moyes has the sensei powers of Sir Alex to get the team consistently scrapping up three points, the great one is still there behind that scenes and rest assured he's still pulling some strings. It's all too early to say who is the favorite after only 10 rounds, but the odds will definitely keep putting out new favorites after each round. My guess is Arsenal will win it. Actually no Man United will pull ahead. Wait, Chelsea just might, but Man City are looking good. You know what Spurs can, but lets just see what happens.