More Time (To Explain)

Investigations in Italy into match-fixing have engulfed forty one people, involving nineteen matches including some involving AC Milan and / or Lazio. Whilst this type of scandal is not unusual in Italian football - Milan were themselves relegated twenty or so years ago for "financial shenanigans" - it is seemingly becoming more common across Europe. In the last twelve months we have witnessed betting scandals in Belguim (taking in some matches in France), referees taking bribes in Germany, more financial wrongdoing in Marseilles, even the FA Premier Leagues' chairman is facing questions about his chairmanship at Sheffield Wednesday. Let us not forget that the Stevens Inquiry has yet to report on their investigations into English Football. And it is only just over a decade since George Graham was caught with his hands in a brown paper bag, still the only high profile case in this country to be successfully prosecuted.

In an era when money is the dominant force in football, it is perhaps unsurprising that these issues are coming to the fore. Whilst the media attention is drawn towards the major clubs, it is worth pondering on the fact that the Belgian problems have focussed not on their leading sides, RSC Anderlecht or Club Brugges, but those at the foot of the top flight and in lower leagues. Already suspensions have been handed down to several players and coaches. The problem has arisen through bribes coming from Asian Betting Syndicates, the same as those who bribed Robert Hoyzer, a German Referee now banned for life from involvement in football. English clubs have been in financial difficulties since the collapse of ITV Digital but there is no evidence so far that any impropriety has taken place. Perhaps those involved receive sufficient salaries or have more integrity than their continental counterparts. It cannot be through lack of opportunity as it seems that you can lay a bet in a shop or on the internet on two flies climbing a wall.

To this blogger though, I find it incredulous that senior officials at clubs can become involved in such schemes. Whilst the "win at all costs" culture has become more prevalent at the highest level since the grotesque revenues available through the Champions League upped the economix ante, surely there has to be a sporting ethic in play. In Juve's case, suspicions of bending the law to breaking point have been raised through the prosecution of club medical officials for utilising drugs to enhance performance, having a pharmacy at the club that is stocked better than many small hospitals. Looking at their performance in this season Champions League Quarter Final, it is hard to believe that they have been doping their players to improve their physical attributes rather that they had given them tranquilisers so docile were they in chasing a two goal deficit.

Perhaps it is now time for FIFA and UEFA to take an active role in the investigations into the clubs. Should those officials be found guilty of the charge then the club must be punished by relegation, not to the next division down but to the bottom of the professional football structure. This then sends a message to everyone in the game about the potential outcomes for individuals and their employers / colleagues. Unfortunately it is always the innocent parties who get hurt but both the club and supporters will have benefitted from the impropriety so they must suffer the consequences. Should Arsenal suffer such a punishment, I would be up in arms about the injustice of it all but this subsides and the real anger becomes focussed on the individuals involved. It is necessary that the game is clear of such financial infidelities and one high profile case may well be the catalyst. If not transgressors cannot say that there is one rule for the rich and another for the poor.

The FA Cup Final takes place not at Wembley as was expected this time last season but once again in Cardiff. With Arsenal's Emirates Stadium looking to be completed on time and on budget, it draws more ire towards those involved in the Wembley project. Taking stock of the media coverage, it is obvious that those involved could not organise an allnight drinking binge in a brewery. Yet thus far, no action is taken other than Party A suing Party B. English football deserved better than this debacle but it is also symptomatic of the bungling that besets anything that The FA touch, recent examples aside from Wembley range from hiring a new England Coach to the National Football Centre at Burton. Let us hope that Liverpool and West Ham serve better fare than last years combatants although given Arsenal won, it matters not one jot to this man. In a season that has so far served up one-sided finals, both the Carling and UEFA Cup would have been halted by a Boxing Referee, please let this be a contest to remember. Liverpool are favourites and ought to win, probably 2 - 0 but West Ham have enough going forward to trouble the Liverpool defence.

Todays Tunes are more 60's soul. First up are Carl Holmes and the Commanders with Crossin' Over. Having had a young Jimi Hendrix gig with the group might have brought them more retrospective fame but it is a shame that they are best known for being the house band in the toga party scenes in Animal House. This track is their last recorded release under this guise , being apparently rare to get hold and is a slice of upbeat Philly R&B. Next up is Jessie Gee Don't You Mess With My Money which is todays' contrived link, and one that this song deserves better of - starting off as a slow blues rap, this then becomes dirtier and more lowdown. Enjoy.

She Shot A Hole In My Soul

Arsene Wenger has confirmed his squad for next week's Champions League Final against Barcelona, barring injury, will not include Theo Walcott and that Dennis Bergkamp has yet to play his final match for the club. The surprise inclusion of Walcott in England's final 23 for the World Cup means that he will be away in Portugal on a jolly, sorry Training Camp, for the finalists. Bergkamp meanwhile will be travelling to Paris for the final for a touch of benchwarming and maybe one last hurrah in the clubs colours, which incidentally will be the yellow away kit. Given the comments in the press made by the Arsenal manager, I would expect his starting line-up to be:

Lehmann; Eboue, Toure, Campbell, Cole; Ljungberg, Gilberto, Fabregas, Hleb; Reyes; Henry

with the subs bench being:

Almunia, Clichy, Flamini, Senderos, van Persie, Bergkamp and Pires.

The only change I can see may be Pires in place of Reyes but I think that given the Spaniard has started ahead of Pires for most of the season, it is unlikely. Meanwhile, Pires' oft-rumoured move to Villarreal seems to be moving closer each day as he is the subject of much speculation in the media. I am not surprised by this as he will probably be moving further down the pecking order next season should he decide to stay. Should Walcott make an impression at this summers World Cup, he increases his chances of playing in the Premiership next season which would then leave Pires fighting Reyes, Ljungberg and van Persie for the wide left midfield berth. Hleb, I think, has convinced Wenger of his worth with some diligent defensive work in Europe and also is starting to show the close ball control that Wenger admired in the first place.

On the subject of the World Cup, Wayne Rooney is supposedly on course to play in the England v Sweden game, the final match of the Group phase in Germany. This is better than expected news and eases some of the pressure on what England do once they get into the knockout phase, assuming of course that the captainless ship plots a safe course past Trinidad & Tobago and Paraguay. If results go to form, the result of the England v Sweden match decides who gets to follow the route to the final via Poland, Portugal and Brazil or Germany, Argentina and Italy. Neither is particularly easy but the expectation is growing as the tournament comes ever closer. Unfortunately for the England Camp, they have fed this belief that England can win. Not a country that needs any boost in its' thirst for glory, the English fans have been told that Germany 2006 represented the time when Englands' so called Golden Generation would be at their peak, although I am unconvinced that at the time they were labelling themselves as such that the players had a potential forward line of Crouch and Walcott in mind. Eriksson meanwhile, has been feeding the fishes by claiming that England, with a little luck, can reach the Final in Berlin. He, no doubt, has the hope that England go out on a high so that he gets offered the pick of coaching jobs as opposed to the return to Benfica which is being mooted following Ronald Koeman's departure to Eindhoven.

Further controvesy strikes at the heart of a major European club with the news that the whole of Juventus Board has resigned as a result of allegations of collusion with match officials and financial improprieties involving transfers. Following on from the suspicions that Florentino Perez may have jumped ship at Madrid more because of financial problems than failed Galacticos, it seems that the curse of Arsenal is striking at the heart of our vanquished European foes. Barcelona beware.

Todays Tunes continue the soulful theme:

Kool Blues - I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You

Kenny Roberts - Run Like The Devil

Wish You Were Here

More rumblings about Sven Goran Eriksson's England squad. First up to okeh was Ian Wright who wondered rather egotistically if Shaun Wright-Phillips had been overlooked because of the criticism that he had dished out to the Swede, although he did make a fair point that SWP was omitted from the squad because he is not in Chelsea's first team whilst he included Theo Walcott is not in Arsenal's first team. Well, here's the rub, Ian. If he left out Walcott for SWP, there would have only been three strikers going to Germany. SWP has been left out because he received poor advice to sign for Chelsea. He had the English football world at his feet and should have stayed at Maine Road until after this World Cup. But no, head turned by the lure of filthy lucre, he was publicly advised to go to Stamford Bridge by none other than, er, yourself. This is the price that is paid when signing for a club like Chelsea where they have two players or more, who can play in any particular position. And in any case, SWP has hardly set the world alight when he has got into the First XI, has he? When thinking of who to put in the squad, I like most people, did not even give SWP a second thought. Come to think of it, he never got a first one either. It is rumoured that Liverpool are to offer £14m for him in the summer. Should that turn out to be true, he would well advised to take the contract and get himself back on track.

Meanwhile over in Farmers fields, the most succesful England manager since Don Revie was digging himself out of the vegetable patch to lambast Eriksson for allowing Arsene Wenger to pick the England team. Yep, the Swede was being done in by a Turnip. The internecine vegetable wars have kicked off, Graham Taylor stating that Wenger has persuaded Eriksson to pick Walcott and that the FA have allowed this, "having not given the job to Wenger, Wenger has now picked our team". What is apparent by this one phrase is Taylor's bitterness at being removed from the England job. Throughout the whole selection process, Taylor was a regular critic wasting no time in not so much kicking The FA whilst it was down, more stamping on its' head. Surely the old saying should be changed to "Hell hath no fury like an England manager scorned"?

Ruud van Nistelrooy appears to have argued his way out of Old Trafford this summer. Darth Fergie appears to have had enough of the Dutchman's frankness and open exchanges with team-mates and will now be moving to pastures new, looking for fresh grazing ground if the right stableboy can come up with around ten million sugarcubes. It is a case of how the mighty have fallen. So low that he was banned from appearing in Roy Keane's testimonial last night, instead joining a Dutch World Cup Training Camp. To this day, the striker is in the top three of the Leading Goalscorer charts for domestic football and not so long ago was considered to be worth more than £20m. Consider his plight, if one may call it that, alongside that of his bete noir, Thierry Henry. Both have one year left on their contract, both could leave but only one will be valued at something like his true worth, £25m, and even that is a bargain.

Sixteen hundred Liverpool fans are to miss out on the FA Cup Final following the theft of tickets from a Royal Mail Delivery Van in the city. The Millenium Stadium's policy of not allowing duplicates to be issued has ensured heartbreak for those fans, statistically there are bound to be youngsters in that number. It is not beond the wit of man to enable duplicates to be issued and allow them to be collected in person from the Stadium, upon proof of suitable photographic ID. As it is, their refusal to change their policy has caused considerable ill-feeling towards the game when a quick fix is available. Having enjoyed a number of cup finals, the fans who miss out have my sympathy. The Millenium Stadium authorities have stated that they will eject anyone from the stadium if they sit in those seats. Well, lets see if they do particularly if the individuals in question have bought tickets from a tout having had their tickets stolen initially.

Middlesbrough are on the verge of their first European honours tonight when they take on Sevilla in Eindhoven. After waltzing barefoot through their Group Stage, they have twice come back from a three goal deficit to reach the final. This time however, they face an in-form opponent who are consolidating themselves in the Top Six of the Primera Liga, replicating last seasons performance. This is their first European final and indeed it is more than forty years since their last major honour. For the Teesiders, this is likely to be one game too far this season and I would expect the Andaluz side to win by two goals, maybe 3 - 1 to give the travelling fans one goal to cheer about.

Pretty Persuasion

Late this afternoon Tottenham Hotspur FC lodged an official appeal against the Premier League recognising the result of their match at West Ham United on Sunday. The full text can be found on their website. In the first instance, I would say that there is no surprise that they have lodged an appeal, indeed it could be said that to not appeal would be regarded as a dereliction of the directors duties to the club, shareholders and supporters. It must be galling to lose out on the last Champions League spot, particularly to their closest rivals, under normal circumstances let alone those where illness has taken hold of half of your first team squad. The Premier League Board will discuss the matter, I presume as a matter of some urgency.

The premise of the appeal is to obtain fairness for Tottenham Hotspur, giving the players due reward for their hard work and the chance to win their place at Europe's Top Table, the supporters to see the elite of Europe for at least twelve weeks. However, in obtaining fairness for themselves, the instantly gain an advantage over their fellow clubs. To replay the match allows them a second chance to gain their spoils but will also put West Ham United at a disadvantage. Firstly, they have an FA Cup Final this coming weekend so that rules out any match this week otherwise their players risk injury or being less rested than Liverpool. Logically therefore the match has to be replayed after the FA Cup Final. This is impracticable and maybe impossible on two counts. Firstly, whilst Sepp Blatter removed his foot from his mouth to support Tottenham's case, he stated that the match must take place on or before May 15th. This is why the second reason comes into existence. Either West Ham play the match on the 15th, meaning two games in three days or if it is played before the Cup Final, West Ham will be perfectly entitled to demand that the Cup Final be replayed due to extenuating circumstances should say, Nigel Reo-Coker, pick up an injury. So the match would need to be played probably on the 20th to give West Ham sufficient time to recover from the FA Cup Final physically. But what of their mental attitude? Should they be on the wrong end of a hiding, the players would not be at their peak when they play Tottenham again. Prior to Sunday's match, Alan Pardew stated that there were four places in the Cup Final up for grabs. Some of the players would know they were pretty sure of their place but what of the others. How many thought he was referring to themselves and significantly raised their performance? This is unquantifiable.

There is a precedent for extending the season - FIFA have given the RFEF push Spain's final Primera Liga games back to 20th May. So why not play the game then? Well, an extension of the point above is that you cannot recreate the pressure or tension of the final day of the League season. You cannot recreate the nerves felt by players acutely aware of their rivals progress and striving to raise their own game, increasing the tempo, making more mistakes as they try to rectify their own problems. Of course, you could always order Arsenal v Wigan to be replayed but that will never happen as (a) it is inherently unfair on Arsenal and (b) were it to be ordered, there is every chance that Arsenal would launch a legal challenge to the process which could also encompass the Premiership's initial order to replay West Ham v Tottenham.

And what of replaying the match. I do not know what Revenues West Ham gained on Sunday but should the appeal be favourable to Tottenham, the East London club would presumably have to refund all ticket and programme sales to Supporters or offer free seats to those who attended the original game, failure to do so would render them open to legal action from the supporters seeking reimbursement for Sunday's game that will never have taken place. Therefore, The Hammers will have additional costs with less revenue to cover them so this would necessitate the Premier League having to cover these or perhaps even Tottenham will do the honourable thing and pay the stewards, police, power bills?

As far as prize money is concerned, West Ham cannot lose out as they finished four points clear of their nearest rivals. Tottenham can only gain whilst Arsenal would have a strong case for arguing that they should receive the same as fourth place as this is where they have finished the season. And what of other financial losses that Arsenal will suffer, such as loss of Champions League revenues? Will Tottenham, The FA or The Premier League make good these? And what if Thierry Henry were to decide that no Champions League football means he will leave? How would this be rectified? In the latter scenario, it is impossible to do so.

Above all reasons, the appeal must fail as there can only be one beneficiary, Tottenham Hotspur. The outcome is too much of a minefield for the Premiership to consider giving them a positive response whilst the Tottenham Board would do well to accept the original decision in the same phlegmatic manner that their manager did.

Some final thoughts on the letter itself. Daniel Levy claims that he has the support of the majority of the Chairmen of The Premier League clubs. Of course he does - they neither lose nor gain so why not boost his ego by agreeing with him. But pose the question to them when they have something to lose and see how many supporters he has then. Slightly less than one in all probability. And they are well aware of the dangerous precendent that could be set and the potentially negative impact it could have on them in the future. So Mr Levy is perhaps being optimistic in his claim.

Mischeviously, Levy alludes to Arsenal stating that if this occurred on the morning of the Champions League final, UEFA would deal in a fairer manner than The Premier League dealt with Tottenham. This is highly unlikely as UEFA have more financially to lose than the FAPL. Where UEFA may be more flexible is getting the police and other authorities to delay kick - off by more than two hours. All of this is pure conjecture as published legal advice indicates that the Appeal is doomed to fail, principally through Tottenham participating in the match at West Ham.

One final postscript. Should the Appeal succeed and Tottenham win to deny Arsenal Champions League competition next season, it would be the single biggest motivational tool in Arsene Wengers' armoury a week tomorrow in Paris. At least this season has stopped the decline in the local rivalry, indeed the injustice felt by Tottenham may just have upped the ante ever so slightly.

Todays Tunes come from Paul Weller, two tracks from his concert in Stuttgart in April of this year. Thanks to Chippo for posting the gig.

Long Hot Summer

Sunflower

Young, Gifted, Uncapped

Sven Goran Eriksson has named his England squad for the World Cup 2006. Whilst this is still provisional, the England coach has foregone the opportunity to name twenty seven opting instead to name those who will travel barring some misfortune striking. The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson
David James
Robert Green

Defenders
Gary Neville
Rio Ferdinand
John Terry
Ashley Cole
Sol Campbell
Jamie Carragher
Wayne Bridge

Midfield
David Beckham
Michael Carrick
Frank Lampard
Steve Gerrard
Owen Hargreaves
Jermaine Jenas
Stewart Downing
Joe Cole
Aaron Lennon

Forwards
Wayne Rooney
Michael Owen
Peter Crouch
Theo Walcott

Standby List
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Nigel Reo-Coker
Jermaine Defoe
Andy Johnson

The announcement was not entirely unexpected. Well, in the selection of Goalkeepers and Defenders. Pretty much they are the ones Eriksson has picked all along, barring injury, and the only name that would probably be there if he was fit is Ledley King. In midfield all of the usual suspects are there but also the surprises start. The recall of Owen Hargreaves caused my eyebrow to raise - in a manner not dissimilar to Roger Moore - purely because he is not really talked about much. I suspect that had Kieron Dyer been fit, Hargreaves would not be going to Germany, or rather travelling across the country from his Bavarian home. Stewart Downing is not too surprising either given the lack of natural width that Eriksson's teams habitually show, particularly on the left-hand side. The addition of Aaron Lennon was a pleasant surprise as I did not expect him to really get called up, despite some good performances for Spurs. The number of midfielders selected was slightly unusual, nine is probably more than I would have chosen particularly as none them look to me to be able to double as a withdrawn attacker. Nine has reduced the number of forwards Eriksson can take, which ordinarily one would expect to mean the dropping of Darren Bent but he did not even make the nearly list. Rooney's inclusion keeps Eriksson's word that he would travel with the squad even if he were to prove fit only for the final - a mighty big presumption to make, given England's performance without him at Euro 2004, the startling lack of guile and passion shown against Brazil during the last World Cup . The final selection of the squad however is a complete "jaw dropper". Indeed, I had to re-read the squad names to ensure that my eyes were not deceiving me, yes it really was Theo Walcott.

In doing this, Eriksson has shattered one of the central criticisms of his style. Previously chastised for appearing to be too clinical and devoid of emotion, he has in his own words destroyed that notion, admitting that Walcott's selection could not be defined logically and it was based on a feeling in his stomach that he had - was he at the same hotel as Spurs this weekend? For Italia 90, Paul Gascoigne's inclusion was the "Joker In The Pack" whereas Rooney fulfilled the same role for Portugal 2004. In both cases, they were established first team players for their clubs. The inclusion of Walcott is a real shock given he is a regular on Arsenal's bench but yet to spend a minute on the pitch in Arsenal's first team. This weekend, Wenger has been pushing Walcott forward which at the time I dismissed as him deflecting attention from the forthcoming Wigan match. It now transpires that Wenger had more than a good idea of his inclusion, letting slip that Walcott had been watched when either Eriksson himself or Tord Grip were checking on Ashley Cole's recovery at London Colney, and that Grip had specifically watched the Arsenal youngster at England U-19 level.

As an England fan, I am concerned by the inclusion of Walcott. Not based on ability - he is as much an unknown quantity at the highest level to me or the next man, it is more the lack of experience and competitive match fitness this season. Since joining the club in January, he has made to date three reserve appearances, scoring twice. This is then added to the seventeen Southampton games he played in (five goals) and a couple of England caps at lower levels. In total, he has therefore played in no more than twenty five appearances, scoring around ten goals but none at the highest level of club football. However, he does have one advantage in that there will have been few scouts of opposing teams nor defenders who know much about him, never mind having heard of him. For Arsenal, this is great experience for the player and may propel him into the first XI quicker than anticipated. For the player this is beyond his wildest dreams. Indeed, according to his Agent the only thing Walcott was expecting today was to have passed his Driving Theory Test! Some day in his life no doubt and hopefully, the World Cup will be a success for him.

For English football, his inclusion is a damning indictment of the quality of forwards available for selection, or rather lack of it. Eriksson cannot be said to have not tried to find another scoring forward for the national team. In the Premiership, he has the choice of Jermaine Defoe - not a regular for his club, Darren Bent who can score freely for Charlton but looked out of his depth in his one appearance, Marcus Bent who would not figure immediately in my plans if I were in the Swedes stacked heels. After that, Marlon Harewood has done well for West Ham, as has Dean Ashton. After that, you start to struggle to name English forwards in the top flight. Teddy Sheringham has been mentioned as possibly going but that was wishful thinking on his supporters part, age being against the old man, James Beattie is the only other striker who springs to mind, less than a resounding success at Everton. Which then allows you to think of Championship players, perhaps Andy Johnson and maybe David Nugent of Preston.

At major tournaments, there are always players who do not make an appearance, defenders tend to be the ones who miss out more than most due to the consistency required by the ones fortunate enough to be selected. I would not expect Walcott to fall into this category given the current injury situation facing England's forwards. Rooney is unlikely to play any part in the Group phase, the second round being the best that he can realistically hope for as a starting point and the medical bulletins issued seem to make that optimistic. Therefore much rests on Michael Owen's woes and whether he is going to be fully recovered in time. Assuming that he is, the starting XI for the Groups will probably be:

Robinson; Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole; Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole; Owen, Crouch

At the first sign of this not working or injury to one of the forwards, Eriksson has two options, either staying with 4-4-2 or bringing on Downing / Lennon to free up Cole to the supporting striker role (perhaps Jenas to fulfill that role directly) or playing Walcott as a direct replacement for Crouch or Owen. Which is where the real risk is being taken. What are his options if Walcott is overcome by nerves or much worse, not up to the task? Limited is a real fear. If Owen fails to make the first game, there is a real chance that before he makes his first Arsenal start, Walcott will be required to make his first England appearance. Eriksson will have weighed this up this morning before finally choosing the youngster and Walcott must be showing extremely good promise to be considered able to fulfill this potential selection headache.

Everyone will be hoping that he passes the England test when it comes calling. But I wonder what the reaction of the media will be in the morning? Incredulity will be the first, second and no doubt third, swiftly followed by chastisement for taking so huge a risk, followed by a thinly veiled threat of much vitriol and bile should it all go wrong, although given that this is his final six weeks as England Coach I would imagine that Eriksson cares not one jot. Perhaps this is even his idea of having a laugh, a touch of revenge on the English nation for the treatment he has received at the hands of our print media. Whichever way you look at it, this is a brave selection by the Swede. Only time will tell if it is folly.

Today's Tunes come from The Kinks BBC Sessions which sprang to mind reading Ray Davies eulogy to the now departed Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London N5.

Waterloo Sunset

Tired Of Waiting For You