We're bad at prognostication. It comes with the blogging territory; after all, if we were good at this stuff, we'd have cashed in our Blogspot aliases and joined Miss Cleo's merry traveling band of 1-800 crystal ball carriers and fairground fortune tellers.
And so, the Confederations Cup is finally here on Sunday. We've previewed all the teams and all the individuals involved, so it's time to make some bigger guesses about what'll actually happen. Then, when we liveblog the action from start to finish, you can tell us how misguided we were in every single comments section.
Who's Winning This Mickey Mouse Thing, Anyway?
Folks are well and truly divided. The fashionable ones among us (u75, Spectator, Autoglass, NY Kid, Likely Lad and yours truly) are siding with the Spaniards. After all, they provide most of the world's costliest players, so why not? All eyes on La Liga when it comes to fancy transfers and big, big money.
Precious Roy fancies the hosts South Africa to pull off some pre-WC magic/witchcraft, while Fan's Attic chooses the Brazilians to thrive. Nuttiest of all, Ian raised his head from a bunch of finance books to offer an Egypt tournament victory, although it's not too outrageous. They're a low-key, well-organized team with the benefit of being picked from mostly two clubs (El-Ahly and Ismaily), a formula that worked nicely for Turkey in the Euros and Greece in Euro '04.
On the sarcastic side, Bigus thinks the winners will be countries who said South Africa can't hold a tournament, whatever that means.
Pass Me a Brown Paper Bag, Lest I Hyperventilate
For shocks, opinions are divided into two camps: those expecting single-game upsets, and those fancying a dark horse or two escaping the group round.
On the 90 minute tip, u75 reckons the USMNT can shake off some dire recent form to topple the Azzurri, and Precious Roy is sticking with his South Africa love over the Spaniards. Not entirely unreasonable.
The real fun is reserved for those looking at the bigger picture. Ian and Spectator think Brazil will dilly-dally and fail to qualify for the semi-finals (Spectator foresees a similar fate for Italy), and I think Iraq will survive Group A. Looking to incite rage among our hardcore USMNT supporters, Autoglass thinks the US will fail to get any results, whereas the rosy-tinted brain of The Likely Lad reckons that same Yankee Doodle Collective will advance out of their group.
The NY Kid and Bigus Dickus take a tongue-in-cheek approach: the former predicts that Bob Bradley will murder Rossi, while Bigus thinks that every single player in the tournament will avoid two of South Africa's primary exports, robbery and murder.
Top Players!
Finally, things get more uniform, and divvied between the usual suspects.
Kaka, BRA - u75, Autoglass, Fan's Attic
Pato, BRA - Precious Roy
Xabi Alonso, SPA - Spectator
Xavi, SPA - Likely Lad
David Villa, SPA - The NY Kid, Ian
Robinho, BRA - Lingering Bursitis
"Gilberto Silva at the card table" - Bigus Dickus (can you tell he put the effort in?)
Top Scorers!
Rossi (the bastard), ITA - u75
Pato, BRA - Precious Roy
David Villa, SPA - Ian, Spectator
Fernando Torres, SPA - Autoglass, Fan's Attic, The NY Kid
Mohamed Zidan, EGY - Lingering Bursitis
Robinho, BRA - Likely Lad
Miscellaneous
The Likely Lad, while killing time until his heroin dealer turned up, added two more categories despite not being asked to.
Top Twitterer - Freddy Adu
Best/Worst Obnoxious Italian Pleading Face - Luca Toni
So there you have it! The fun begins this weekend, and we'll be covering it all (as if I didn't say that earlier): liveblogs, wrap-ups, gossip, etc. I mean, what else will we do until mid-August?
Give us your predictions in the comments!
Winners-
Biggest Shock-
Best Player-
Top Scorer-
Any exposition or other awards are welcome, too.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Your Big, Shiny, Friendly Confederations Cup Preview
Confederations Cup Profiles: Brazil
What tournament do you get for the country that's won just about everything? You get them a spot in the Confed Cup, and you watch them flounder, wrecked by complete and total lack of interest.
Brazil could win a tournament like this at a canter, but they likely won't, using it instead as a nice warm-up for the final run of World Cup qualifiers to blood in the youngsters and keep their established stars in match fitness.
In short, the Confederations Cup is to Brazil as the Carling Cup is to Manchester United.
To be honest, Dunga and his cohorts would be well served in taking this tournament somewhat seriously, having experienced some difficult form of late; 0-0 home draws to Bolivia and Colombia in WC Qualifying, a 1-1 draw in Ecuador, and a difficult 2-1 win at home to Paraguay are just some of their travails over the 2008/09 season. But they likely won't due to the upcoming slate of qualifiers; while they do still lead the CONMEBOL standings, a Liverpool-esque 6 draws in 14 games means they're not exactly firing on all cylinders.
So what does this have to do with the upcoming trip to South Africa?
Well, it's likely they'll phone it in considering the need to save their good form for the World Cup run-in. The selected squad is a hodgepodge of the established (Gilberto Silva, Lucio, Kaka, Robinho, Maicon) and the next gen (Nilmar, Pato, Felipe Melo), and although the average age of the squad trends old, there's still plenty of liveliness in their expected 4-3-3 formation.
It's a luxury for Brazil to have so much attacking power at their disposal, and they'll be crowding opponents' penalty areas all tournament long. However, such is their supreme confidence that they will struggle on, saving their top gear for the return trip to South Africa in 2010. Plus, Dunga isn't the world's most electrifying tactician (he's still showing the scars of being lumped in with that dour 4-4-2 his country used in Italia '90 to underwhelming effect), so that only adds to the odds that we'll not be so dazzled when they take the field.
I mean, when the chips are down, will Kaka really jeopardize that shiny new deal at the Bernabeu to toepoke in the winner under heavy pressure? Or Robinho, a guy who rivals Berbatov for an shockingly low effort-to-talent ratio? If anyone propels the yellow and green to victory, it'll be the guys who don't have established resumes to fall back on just yet.
Prediction: Semi-finalists with ease, though I wouldn't be surprised if they fall to Spain or Italy when it counts, two countries that seemingly need the wins for World Cup confidence more than the Selecao do.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Confederations Cup Profiles: Iraq
Dunno if anyone noticed, but I took some time off to welcome my first child, a wonderful lad named Xabi Fernando Stevie Bursitis, into the world. Amid the dirty diapers and crying fits, I slowly return to blogging.
They have an Uday, but no Qusay, and thanks to the presence of ageless, well-traveled coach Bora Milutinovic (remember him, US fans?), Iraq are ready to challenge for the scraps thrown their way in the Confederations Cup.
To some, the Serb Bora Milutinovic is known as the Miracle Worker, but I prefer to call him the Team Whisperer. He's managed 8 different countries during his 32-year coaching career, and he's always looking for the next difficult project to turn around within a 3 year contract. Renowned for being the only coach to take 5 different teams to a World Cup, not to mention being the first coach to take four different teams beyond the first round, with Bora Iraq are in good hands for their first big test on the world stage. After all, if he could launch China and Costa Rica into World Cup lore, why not this bunch?
First off, they're built for the long haul; just 7 of their 23-man squad is over the age of 25, meaning that the core of youth is there to be refined and honed over the coming years. Let's not think that they're going to win any World Cups or anything, but it's good preparation for making a run for the knockout rounds, or possibly pulling a Turkey or Greece and carving out some decent results.
Of course, I have no idea how good any of these guys are -- the entire squad is basically spilt between clubs in Iraq, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -- but the well-drilled team mentality is sometimes enough to shock a better team that may be individually more skilled, but rather sloppy as a team. It's easy to forget that Iraq pulled down a 4th place finish in the 2004 Olympics, as well as a 2007 Asian Cup trophy.
They are led from the frontline, with captain Younis Mahmoud (28 goals in 70 games) and Emad Mohammed (23 in 76) providing the pyrotechnics, and their starting XI has the luxury of longevity -- 10 players have 45 caps or more -- which can be a good thing when looking to pull an upset. As Senegal proved in the '02 World Cup against France, or Cameroon in 1990 against Argentina, it only takes one goal.
Iraq have a leg-up in Group A as only Spain are likely to romp, meaning they could shock the Kiwis or the South Africans and maybe sneak into the knockout round.
In fact, I'll call this my LB Upset Special; look for the Lions of Mesopotamia and their FIFA Ranking of 77 to push on and escape the group stage. Milutinovic is the king of working wonders with limited resources, and the Confederations Cup, a lazy summer tournament where stars try gamely to avoid shocking injuries, should provide the perfect platform for some shock results.
Read more on "Confederations Cup Profiles: Iraq"...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Confederations Cup Profiles: Egypt
Egypt are the 2-time defending champions of the African Cup of Nations, a tournament that they have won a record 6 times. The Pharaohs were also the first African nation to make an appearance in the World Cup (1934), and have twice played for the bronze medal at the Olympics (1928 and 1964). However, this is only their 2nd journey to the Confederations Cup, having gone out in the first round on a 0-2-1 record in 1999.
Currently sporting a FIFA ranking of 40, Egypt find themselves in the Group of Death (Group B) for the Confederations Cup. They open their tournament with a match against Brazil on June 15th at Bloemfontein, followed by a tilt with Italy on June 18th in Johannesburg and the USA on June 21st in Rustenberg.
While the assumption is that Brazil and Italy will advance to the semi-finals, The Pharaohs still represent Africa's best chance at winning the Confederations Cup for the first time. They had been in fine form recently, until their last 2 World Cup Qualifiers, a 1-1 draw at home against Zambia and a discouraging 3-1 loss away to Algeria.
Gaffer Hassan She-Hate-Me Shehata has a 23-man roster that features 5 guys named Mohamed, 8 guys named Ahmed, and 0 guys named Mido. This is not all that surprising considering previous quarrels between the 2 men (Mido was famously thrown out of the 2006 African Cup of Nations by Shehata after the former remonstrated his substitution), but many have argued that pairing the Latics (on loan from Boro) striker with Zaki presented the best chance of winning. Considering that Mido was also left off the roster for the match against Algeria (for "tactical" reasons), these individuals may have a point. Given that only 4 players on the current roster play for a club outside of Africa, it would certainly seem that having Mido on the pitch would be beneficial.
Regardless of the reasons for Mido's absence, the roster for the current competition is as follows:
GK: Essam El Hadary (Sion - Swiss Super League); Wahid; Mohamed Sobhi
DEF: Mahmoud Fathalla; Ahmed Said; Ahmed Khairy; Hani Said; Ahmed Farag; Ahmed Hassan; Ahmed Ahbdelghany
MID: Ahmed Al Muhamadi; Ahmed Fathi; Hosni Abd Rabbou; Ahmed Eid; Mohamed Shawky (Boro - EPL); Mohamed Homos; Abdelaziz Tawfik; Sayed Moawad; Amr Zaki (Wigan - EPL)
ST: Mohamed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund - Bundesliga); Wael Gomaa; Raouf; Mohamed Aboutrika
For a team that failed to qualify for World Cup 2006 in Germany, a few respectable results at the Confederations Cup may be just what they need to build momentum for a successful bid to World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Sitting in 4th in Group C after 2 matches for World Cup qualifying, The Pharaohs need to show the world why they should still be considered the most powerful nation of African football.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Confederations Cup Profiles: New Zealand
Let's not beat around the bush. New Zealand will show up in South Africa, get crushed at least two, and maybe three, times, then go home. Consider this--New Zealand has played its opponents in group play (Spain, Iraq and South Africa) six times in the past. They have never even drawn one of these matches and have scored nine goals while conceding 30. Oh, and they have not faced Spain. This does not bode well for the Kiwis come next week.
New Zealand start the tournament off with their most daunting opponent, Spain, on Sunday. After that pasting, there's a three day break before playing South Africa and then another three day break before Iraq get to scoring some goals. When the most capped player on the NZ team is someone named Ivan Vicelich, things aren't going to go well. Fans of the US domestic league can latch the onto four Kiwis playing in the MLS--Andrew Boyens (NYRB), Duncan Oughton (Crew), Simon (not Billy) Elliott (San Jose) and Jarrod Smith (Seattle). Their combined MLS stats: 354 games, 15 goals.
Prediction: Without overstating the obvious, the competition New Zealand will face in the Confederations Cup is a vast jump over the remaining competition in Oceania now that Australia has left that confederation. Try as they might, Vanuatu and Fiji are just not at the level of even Iraq and South Africa. The best case scenario for New Zealand will have them snatching a point from either South Africa or Iraq. A secondary target may be to score a goal at all. Since most of New Zealand's international talent is listed as forwards, they do have a shot. Otherwise, every team gets three games and New Zealand will show up for each of theirs. That may be as good as it gets.
Squad:
GK (3): Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)
DEF (7): Aaron Scott (Waitakere United), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), David Mulligan (Wellington Phoenix), Andrew Boyens (RBNY), Steven Old (Kilmarnock)
MID (7): Duncan Oughton (Columbus Crew), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes), Tim Brown captain (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Andrew Barron (Team Wellington), Jeremy Christie (Wellington Phoenix), Chris James (Tampere United)
FW (6): Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Killen (Celtic), Jeremy Brockie (North Queensland Fury), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion), Kris Bright (Panaserraikos), Jarrod Smith (Seattle Sounders)
Confederations Cup Profiles: Italy
Italy played some ugly football last year. It seems almost inconceivable now, but under Donadoni, the Azzurri were only a PK shootout away from eliminating eventual champions Spain in the quarters of last year's European Championship.
That same Italian team was somewhat fortunate to make it out of the group stages though. They were dead last in the group entering the last match. But they were gifted a reprieve in the form of a team coached by Raymond Domenech. That'll cure what ails ya. Even if only until the next match.
That was the match against Spain. Italy sucked the life out of it. Drew the ire of the entire world for it. And rightfully lost on the soccer equivalent of roulette to the eventual Euro winners.
Exit Donadoni. Reenter Lippi. And the Italians arrive in South Africa for the Confederations Cup as the reigning World Champions lest people forget, which, as we just noted, would be easy to do given their recent uneven although improving form.
The Italians open the tournament with the US. Easy three points, right?
Eh, probably. But for some inexplicable reason the Americans play Italy extremely well. There was the nasty tilt in the last World Cup where the US managed a 1-1 draw. It was the only point taken off the Italians the entire tournament and it was earned with the US playing a man down for the better part of a half.
An overmatched squad of American college kids also played hosts Italy to a narrow 1-0 loss in the 1990 World Cup (and they almost nicked a goal late for what would have been the shocker of the tournament); and I have a vague recollection there was a draw between the sides for a friendly at Giants Stadium some time in the Nineties.
Of course that means little for South Africa. The US is on anything but a roll having been pasted in Costa Rica and needing to come from behind to beat Honduras at home in World Cup qualifying. And an Italy side featuring some younger and less experienced players dismantled Northern Ireland in a friendly over the weekend.
Giuseppe Rossi created then ran through space at will and Davide Santon was stellar in the back. It was a clinic. If it was intentional by Lippi, it was pretty brilliant. While Azzurri veterans rested, they were served with a message: "Play well or there are a bunch of young and talented people under you who will." So Lippi has the luxury of some youth to go with a now-motivated squad that's loaded with experience from the last World Cup (Grosso, Pirlo, Toni, Buffon, Camoranesi, Zambrotta, and a healthy Gattuso).
Italy face Egypt before finishing up with Brazil. So, yeah, this group seems loaded, but Egypt dropped its last World Cup qualifier to Algeria and looked bad doing it. They sit at the bottom of Group C (behind even Rwanda) with a single point. Now Egypt doesn't look as threatening as they did just a year ago. Figure the the Italians are sitting on six points when they face Brazil. Figure Brazil probably is as well.
Also figure that Marcello Lippi mightn't care if they lose that match as he's no idiot when it comes to history: "We're going to try to treat it with respect, but the team that wins the Confederations Cup never wins the World Cup. So I'm not sure I want to win it."
Lippi is going to do plenty of tinkering with the line-ups. But given the recent over-reliance of the Azzurri's offense of lobbing it in to Toni and hoping his tallnesss pays off, and the relative ease with which Rossi shredded Northern Ireland it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see plenty of the kid. After that, it's anyone's guess what Lippi does to get results while getting a grasp on what his team does against World Cup competition (by which we mean "Brazil").
Prediction: Italy advances from the group along with Brazil. But it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see Lippi field the least experience team possible for the semi-final. He's only half joking when he says he doesn't want to win because he gets two more games no matter what if he makes it out of the group. Of course the other group is so weak that as long as Italy don't draw Spain, they are likely to be favorites against any of New Zealand, Iraq, or hosts South Africa to advance to the final anyway.
Squad: Gianluigi Buffon, Davide Santon, Fabio Grosso, Giorgio Chiellini, Fabio Cannavaro, Nicola Legrottaglie, Simone Pepe, Gennaro Gattuso, Luca Toni, Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Gilardino, Morgan Di Sanctis, Alessandro Gamberini, Marco Amelia, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Mauro Camoranesi, Guiseppe Rossi, Angelo Palombo, Gianluca Zambrotta, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Dossena, Fabio Quagliarella
Monday, June 8, 2009
A quick reminder
In a little less than a week, the Confederations Cup will be kicking off. Check back with us during the week for team by team previews as well as laughable prognostications on the tournament itself. A quick preview--we all think the US will get stuffed. Yay! Something to get a little excited for during the summer!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Your Federally Mandated Champions League Final Preview
We're having a hard time getting up for today's Champions League final. Why? Well, some of us have crippled livers that don't detox as efficiently as they used to. Some of us are sick (physically, that is) or bordering on it.
But almost to a man here, we're filled with a little dread. United seem to be the favorites, meaning they repeat as club champions of Europe and pull a quad (not a muscle).
Given our varying allegiances here—everyone but United—an overt fear of the inevitable has put a bit of a damper on today's festivities.
But fuck, this is the Champions League Final. And Barca are going to roll out Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, and Thierry Henry. It's not like Fulham is going out there to line up and roll over for this supposed United juggernaut.
Oh, and did I mention that Fulham beat United the last time they played? Well I just did. Maybe as telling: in a two month stretch across December and January, United dismantled relegation candidates Sunderland, Stoke, Boro, and SF Bolton all by the impressive scoreline of 1-0. Add another 1-0 win over mediocre Wigan in that span and you've got a team that can be positively average on any given game day.
And remember if Porto could have managed to either bury just one of the two near-sitters they missed at Old Trafford or simply to score at home, then United are out in the quarters. And we're talking about an Arsenal v. Barca rematch (indulge me, okay).
Sure Barca had some slips, but they also have a front line that put in 19, 23, and 29 league goals between Henry, Messi, and Eto'o. That's three more goals than United managed as a squad. So why the hell does everyone think United are such heavy favorites?
Ninety minutes. Maybe 120. Then possibly a lottery of sorts. But it will be decided on the pitch.
After the jump Lingering Bursitis tells you why United will prevail. Then I debunk their chances with unassailable logic.
Why Manchester United Will Win
Where There is Rooney, There is Fire: As talismanic as Lionel Messi is for Barca, there is a similar figure in red for Fergie's men, and his name is Wayne Rooney. With his workrate, confidence, energy and tenacity, Barca will invariably struggle to contain the multi-faceted United attack.
Rooney is the high-octane trigger for Ronaldo and co, and if he finds himself with room to operate across the final third (I'd expect Barca to try and man-mark him), he will be difficult to stop. And if they stop him, it'll leave someone else open.
Barca's Backline: No Marquez, no Alves, and a barely-there elder stateman in Carlos Puyol. Throw in a couple more physically-adept, not-so-tactically-sound stand-ins, and you can almost see the goals piling up before a single ball has been kicked.
As cautious as Sir Alex might well choose to be in this, a major European final, it's not inconceivable to see him releasing the hounds upon that patchwork defense.
They're Manchester Fucking United: Of all the teams in all the leagues across the globe, you'd be hard-pushed to find a single one as blessed as United. Whether it's generous refereeing decisions or downright piss-poor game-calling, United are rarely on the receiving end of rough justice. Why should the CL Final be any different?
For proof, look at last year's final; their luck on the pitch was shared evenly with Chelsea, but in this most team of team games, they were lucky to have the greed of John Terry on their side. After all, with other penalty specialists in the side, it was EBJT who begged for the final shot, and slipped and scuffed his teary-eyed way into soccer history.
Why Barcelona Will Win
Massimo Busacca: That's the ref. He officiated the 2007 UEFA Cup final where he sent off Moises Hurtado on a second yellow, the first of which came in the 18th minute on something between an Al Haig (i.e. "I'm in charge here") and a Nuke Laloosh ("Announce my presence with authority").
He's going to do it again and card the first defender to make a slightly less than borderline challenge. And my money is on Vidic to be the perp of such a foul. Vidic does it weekly in England, so it's a safe bet. But Busacca isn't an EPL official (he plies his trade in the Swiss Super League), so he's less likely to let it slide because of the jersey color. An early yellow changes the dynamic of how the United backline plays. Moreover, Busacca's not afraid to flash red no matter how big the match (having done it in World Cup quarter as well).
The Forecast is for Rain: Remember that slip by Kieran Gibbs in the semi return leg that led to Arsenal's collapse and a bit of a walkover for United. Yeah, well the fates are sick fucks with the cruelest sense of humor. Expect a United player to similarly slip—please God, let it be PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs—and gift a deciding goal to the Catalans.
Cristiano Ronaldo is an Enormous Douchebag: If there is a God, he is aware of this fact. Eventually he has to intervene and stop this giant twat from winning more trophies. That day is today.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
CL Quarterfinals Preview: Liverpool v. Chelsea
Yossi and the Crying Baby, by Bigus Dickus. Mixed Media, 2009.For the fifth year running, Liverpool and Chelshea clash in the Champions League. Their meetings are becoming so commonplace that the fixture computer should just keep it going every year so as not to confuse anyone.
LFC had the run of the Blues for a while, but last year, the tide turned thanks to a first-leg gaffe at Anfield by that ginger nut John Arne Riise. This season, the first leg is at Anfield again, which prompts the question: who's winning this f*cking thing anyway?
With both teams in scintillating form, it's a tough one to call. Liverpool are blazing at the moment, playing with an attacking force and confidence that I haven't seen from 'em since the late 90s when the Fowler/Owen/McManaman show cast a spell over the Kop. Goals from all positions, sparked by the telepathy of Gerrard and Torres, and a thankful end to the miserable, cagey 1-0 squeakers that have defined the Rafa Benitez era.
Meanwhile, the Blues are finding their legs again too after seeing home form slump over Christmas. The prolonged absense of Joe Cole continues to be a problem, but there's enough dynamism in the midfield to give Drogba and Anelka all the chances they need.
I'm not looking forward to it, personally, but I am just too dazzled by my Reds to imagine any result other than a home win. Whatever the lads are siphoning into their Lucozade, it's clearly working. Maybe we'll get some of that Yiddish power from a still-not-100% Yossi Benayoun, but with him or not, I still fancy a 2-1 at home to keep things ticking along nicely.
The EPL is another story entirely. I pray for attacking football from both sides, and none of this shaky, tactical rubbish that normally plagues these fixtures.
We're about due for some more Terry tears.
Early Team News:
Mascherano misses the 1st leg through suspension, but everyone else besides Benayoun seems to be fighting fit.
Chelsea are without Bosingwa with hamstring-knack.
Read more on "CL Quarterfinals Preview: Liverpool v. Chelsea"...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid - Interview time!
There is so much riding on this match, and not just the hopes and dreams of our Scouser brethren.
Some folks are using this to show off whether they are healthy or not, while others will be using it to interview for a new job.
Meanwhile, Rafa is acting like he needs to dump his Starter Wife for next year's model. Poor Ramos. I hope the spiked vitamin water he's been feeding everyone at Bernabéu will sustain tonight's contract hubris.
One thing is certain: outside of all the coach talk, there will be a nice match tonight.
Real started off the season as a club in crisis mode, but Ramos' steady hand has turned them around, and now they've been beating down semi-tough La Liga talent to make it look more impressive than they may actually be. They are playing a lot crisper in their attack, and they are serious in their play. Expect from them some excellent passing in the midfield and some serious attacks. They'll be playing like they have nothing to lose.
Liverpool's been, well Liverpool-ian. Playing dominating football at times in the EPL, and mailing in the rest. Rafa's contract has kept the club in a media circus tent for the past month or so, and it's becoming a distraction. Stop being a weenie, and either sign it or not. The Over/Under on the announcers discussing Rafa's contract is currently sitting at 87.
Who to watch for:
For Real, it will be the striker of note - Raul, the Fresh Prince of Madrid. Keeping him marked and off the ball will be the key to Liverpool's defensive success. Skrtel will have his hands full with him.
For Liverpool, hope that Stevie G can feed Kuyt all day, as he will be the one who needs to have the big game. Torres will get his chances, but Dirk has the passion that makes the Scousers wet themselves (more than usual).
Probable Teams:
Real: 1-Iker Casillas; 4-Sergio Ramos, 3-Pepe, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 16-Gabriel Heinze; 11-Arjen Robben, 8-Fernando Gago, 6-Lassana Diarra, 10-Wesley Sneijder; 7-Raul, 20-Gonzalo Higuain
Liverpool: 25-Pepe Reina; 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 23-Jamie Carragher, 37-Martin Skrtel, 2-Andrea Dossena; 20-Javier Mascherano, 14-Xabi Alonso, 11-Albert Riera; 8-Steven Gerrard, 18-Dirk Kuyt; 9-Fernando Torres
Prediction:
Madrid 1 - 1 Liverpool
Champions League Preview: Villareal v. Panathanaikos
One of the ugly duckling matchups in the Champions League, not many people are paying attention outside of Spain or Greece because of those bigger, fancier, more glamorous encounters between old foes, the kinds of games that wet the trousers of any tabloid journalist.
And yet, this might turn out to be one of the more entertaining pairings, simply because neither team has anything to lose.
You see, while the high-profile managers at Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Manchester United, etc are worried about their title races, these two teams are unfettered of that concern. The Greek League was wrapped up weeks ago, and La Liga isn't about to be threatened by a force existing outside of Barca or the capital.
And such, when you're unburdened by other concerns, or the crushing pressure to deliver in the marquee game, these two can simply kick the shit out of one another for 180 minutes and see what happens.
Case in point: Atletico and Porto. There's precious little else to worry about away from the Champions League, and so, they give us a reasonable 2-2 draw and an overwhelming sense that they're not playing for the trite, tense 1-0 aggregate win. Not having a league trophy to dream about certainly helps. (When was the last time Portugal was competitive, anyway?)
Villareal are in decent form, holding down 4th place in La Liga, as far off the pace as anyone around them. They loaned off Jozy Altidore, and make do with the strike pairing of Nihat, the flair-less Turk, and Italian/US Giuseppe Rossi. They've been sleepwalking as of late, narrowly beating relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon and Numancia while drawing to two other minnows, Osasuna and Racing, and getting walloped by Deportivo. Hardly the stuff of legend, really. Their midfield is solid, if aging, with the spritely Santi Cazorla perking up the 30-somethings around him.
In the Greek league, Pana have won 7 of their last 10, but honestly, how good a barometer is that? Should we rank them highly in our Power Rankings? We all know the Greek league is Pana, Olympiakos, and then nothingness. There's the added frisson of interest thanks to the ex-Chelsea assistant Hank Ten Cate being at the helm, as well as the resurgence of Spanish defender Jose Sarriegi who has been essential to the Greeks' qualification for the knockout stages.
Recent form aside, these fixtures yield the kind of shocks and nightmares that keep massive clubs awake at night. To draw a team like Pana or Villa means you're fighting an enemy that's not afraid to die, and yet you still need to do the killing.
When they face each other? Shit, we might get one of those freakish 4-3 results that Bayern and Lyon provided in the final round of the group stage.
Prediction:
With precious little knowledge of either team, I'm picking the Greeks to get it done, as they're the darkest of the dark horses left in the competition.
2-1 Pana at home, 1-1 in Spain.
Champions League Preview: Chelsea v. Juventus
Chelsea supporters will show Claudio “The Tinkerman” Ranieri the utmost in respect today when Juventus visit Stamford Bridge for the first leg of an intriguing Champions League Round of 16 tilt.
I remember well my mixed feelings when he was sacked.
Most forget that Ranieri spent four years leading the Blues. Before Roman Abramovich bought the club, Claudio had taken Chelsea, always 6th it seemed, always losing the big matches to Arsenal and United, into Champions League contention.
It’s been said that the Russian chose Chelsea because of the Champions League spot that Ranieri secured the year before on the final weekend.
More on The Tinkerman and today’s match after the break.
For those who don't know, Ranieri bought Frank Lampard from West Ham.
Think about it for a second. He didn’t use Russian billions, yet secured perhaps the best English midfielder of his generation for a relative bargain of 11M quid.
Similarly, he brought in William Gallas. With Abramovich’s riches, he smartly signed Joe Cole, Claude Makelele, Peter Cech, Arjen Robben and Wayne Bridge. The man also made John Terry captain and as a result, perhaps, of England.
To put it another way, the Chelsea Revolution began under Claudio Ranieri.
Think of his work in the context of Manchester City’s bumblings. Bigus can blow me - Chelsea did it right and Claudio was the key. The Tinkerman made it to the Semis of this competition in 2004 before being sacked by Abramovich, and the sacking was proper.
Big clubs had fallen away, the trophy was there to be taken, and Ranieri bungled and lost to Monaco (yes, Monaco!) in that Semi. He proved that he couldn’t take Chelsea to the next level in a bizarre tactical display that is redolent of the work of a certain current Spanish gaffer up on Merseyside.
Mourinho and trophies galore soon followed. We won the Premiership twice! Chelsea won the Premiership twice, but I’ll never forget those heady days when the Gentleman Italian showed the world how to spend wisely and manage a dressing room made crazy by money and absurd talent.
Remember that in that magic year of 2004, Ranieri finished just second to that perfect Arsenal side. No shame in that. (By the by... I fucking hate Arsenal.)
Today, Ranieri brings Juventus (the man has landed well) into Stamford Bridge for a fixture with drama only reduced in the shadow of yesterday’s Mourinho-Ferguson tilt.
Chelsea enter today’s match having found some nice form under new manager Guus Hiddink. After conceding to Watford, they exploded for three goals to run away with it. This past weekend’s 1-nil scoreline at Villa Park understates the dominance that they displayed.
Meanwhile, Juventus sit second in Serie A, 9 points off of Mourinho’s Inter and 2 clear of Meelan, but they haven’t shown their best of late. The side that beat Real Madrid twice in the Champions League Group Stage has drawn twice and lost twice in eight Serie A matches in the New Year. They haven’t been held scoreless, but they’ve yet to score three.
Two clubs in mediocre form at best, but Chelsea have had a bit of a bump just recently, and I remember The Tinkerman’s tactics in that fateful Spring.
Prediction:
I feel a big effort coming from my Blues. Many of these players still taste the bitterness of last Spring’s defeat in Moscow on penalties. I’ll boldly call it Chelsea 2, Juventus 0. Juventus take the Turin leg 2-1, but Chelsea still advance. Make it so, Guus...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Le Championnat 2008/2009 Preview
Olympique Lyonnais. Olympique Lyonnais. Also, Olympique Lyonnais. In fact, Olympique Lyonnais 4x more. The powerhouse club from southeastern France has won the last 7 Ligue 1 (AKA Ligue 1 Orange, but it will always be Le Championnat to me) titles. Will this year be more of the same? Join me after the jump for a preview.
[Ed. note: Yes, I know the league started this weekend. Bite me]
[Secondary Ed. note: If anyone makes an Olympic swimming joke, I will cut you]
So, our more astute (read: Francophone; hello? any of you out there?) readers will know that Ligue 1 already kicked off this past weekend, with all but one of the games on Saturday (guess who got the prime Sunday alone time?). But that doesn't mean that this preview still isn't timely. I mean, it's only one game, right?
After that one game, we have discovered that: (1) Claude Makelele as captain will not magically cause PSG to beat all comers (0-1 to Monaco, despite no Freddu Adu); (2) l'OM have much ground to make up if they want to challenge Lyon for the title (4-4 against Stade Rennais, with Marseille GK Steve Mandanda scoring an OG - see what happens when French people name their sons Steve instead of Jean?); and (3) Lyon are capable of bossing shitty teams all over the pitch (3-0 against Toulouse, with a brace from my boy Karim Benzema, and a yellow for the useless Toulalan).
As mentioned, Lyon are holders of the last 7 Ligue 1 titles, beginning with the 2001/2002 season. However, they still trail Saint-Etienne, l'OM, and Nantes (!) in terms of overall titles. A win this year would put them in a 3-way tie at 8 titles, trailing only Saint-Etienne, who have 10. However, no one else has even come close to 7 consecutive titles, with Saint-Etienne and Marseille both having won 4 in a row (Marseille would have had 5, but the 1992/1993 season never happened). So, everyone has been looking up at Olympique Lyonnais for quite some time now, and they are getting tired of it.
Although all 20 clubs made transfer moves this summer, only the following individuals should be seen as having a chance to make a difference:
Havre AC: (1) Cedric Faure (from Reims).
Le Mans: (1) Anthony Le Tallec (from Liverpool).
Lyon: (1) Hugo Lloris (from Nice) - forced to step into the starting spot since the departure of Coupet to Atletico Madrid; (2) Jean Makoun (from Lille) - the midfielder scored the first goal of the season; and (3) Milan Baros (returning from loan to Pompey).
Marseille: (1) Hatem ben Arfa (from Lyon) - already scored a goal in the opening 4-4 shambolic tilt with Stade Rennais
Paris Saint-Germain: (1) Sammy Traore (returning from loan to Auxerre) - how did we miss him? ; (2) Ludovic Giuly (from AS Roma); and (3) Claude Makelele (from Chelsea).
Rennes: (1) Carlos Bocanegra (from Fulhamerica).
The two teams who made the most noise during the transfer season are Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille, and not surpisingly they are the two teams tipped to fight for the title (with Bordeaux a 3rd possibility). In addition to the arrivals mentioned above, those two teams lost the following:
Lyon: (1) Loic Remy (to Nice); (2) Hatem ben Arfa (to Marseille; aren't you paying attention?); (3) Gregory Coupet (to Atletico Madrid; keep up, there will be a quiz); (4) Sebastian Squillaci (to Sevilla); and (5) Patrick Muller (to nowhere yet).
Marseille: (1) Samir Nasri (to Arsenal); and (2) Jacques Faty (to Sochaux).
So what does all of this mean? The arrival of Makoun means that Lyon now starts a team with a backline of: (1) Boumsong (dear me!); (2) Fabio Grosso (who gets my grudging respect); and (3) Francois Clerc (oops!) / Anthony Reveillere; a midfield of: (1) Makoun; (2) Juninho; (3) Toulalan; and (4) 2 scrubs named Miralem Pjanic (they claim he is the "Ligue 1 Aaron Ramsey")and Mathieu Bodmer; and the strike-force tandem of: (1) Karim Benzema and (2) Sidney Govou. That's a lot of concentrated firepower in front of a shaky defense and some questionable goalkeeping (Lloris is young and very untested).
Laurent Blanc (who was a one-time candidate to replace Nosferatu Raymond Domenech) did well with Bordeaux last year, and they kept up the pace by beating Lyon in the Trophee des Champions (the Ligue 1 equivalent of the FA Community Shield) last week. But, shiny trophies and 2-1 wins over Caen in their opener aside, Bordeaux may struggle to make the same sort of push they did last year, as that was seen as something of an aberration (the last time Bordeaux won Ligue 1 was the 1998/1999 season).
Marseille responded well last year to their new coach, and have replaced Samir Nasri with Hatem ben Arfa to play behind Djibril Cisse (who may yet leave l'OM) and Bakari Kone. However, their defense is untested, and Mandanda has looked so shaky that even Domenech decided not to play him in Euro 2008. They will need much better results than the afore-mentioned 4-4 tie to Stade Rennais, in which: (1) Mandanda had a ball bounce off his back and roll into the net; (2) l'OM thought they had won when Eliot Grandin scored in injury time in the second half; and (3) they promptly tied when they allowed Bruno Cheyrou to score one minute later.
As for the rest of Le Championnat, look out for: (1) Saint-Etienne seeking to regain their old-school form with the play of new-school striker Bafetimbi Gomis; (2) Monaco looking to give Freddy Adu some run (although if they sell off all the players that are currently on the block, they may be fighting relegation); (3) Rennes (Stade Rennais), building off their 4-4 tie with l'OM (have I mentioned that score yet?) and letting Bocanegra and Cheyrou build from the defense through to Sylvain Wiltord and Olivier Thomert; and (4) Paris Saint-Germain, who were banned from defending their League Cup title for supporter shenanigans, playing off new imports Makelele and Giuly in order to make some noise.
The relegation battle looks to consist of the "Le" teams: (1) Le Havre; (2) Le Mans; (3) Le Grenoble (aww, crap - that one doesn't work), possibly joined by Lille and Caen.
Friday, August 8, 2008
SPL season preview
The SPL kicks off this weekend, one week before England launch their top league. Inside, we'll take a quick look at the ins and outs of all the SPL squads, and make rudimentary, and probably laughable, guesses of where the teams will finish.
Also, I will wax rhapsodically about Aberdeen and their chances this season. It's what I do, deal with it.
As the BBC so helpfully points out, no team other than Rangers or Celtic have won the league title in 23 years. That's not likely to change this time around. The so-called New Firm teams, Aberdeen and Dundee United, would seem to have the best shot at pulling any surprise, but don't count on it. You can get odds of 200 to 1 for Aberdeen and 250 to 1 for Dundee United. Those are both wasted bets. 500 to 1 for either, I would take. Unfortunately for those who follow Kevin Malone's advice for life, there are no 10,000 to 1 shots out there.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen are a team of two minds this offseason. The Dons unloaded a full XI of talent (if one were to play a 6-2-3), but also brought in five new players to fill in the emptying spots. Since Jimmy Calderwood has been in charge, Aberdeen have been frustratingly consistent. Consistent that there will be an inexplicable slump somewhere in between October and March that will force the fans to reassess their expectations for the team's finish.
Last season, Aberdeen had that slump from the time they qualified for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Cup until they needed to scrape together a couple of results in a row to make the Top 6 split. The season was capped nicely for Dons fans by getting a win against Rangers to knock the hated Huns out of any chance of winning the league title. Expect a similar campaign this year with a thinner, but more finely tuned, squad.
Prediction: 4th
Celtic
Celtic didn't fuss much with the squad that won their third consecutive SPL title last season. The big addition is Giorgios Samaras from Manchester City. Their losses of personnel are minimal as well, though Bigus will have a keen interest in one of their loan-aways, John Kennedy, who will ply his trade in Norwich next season.
Wee Gordon Strachan has a magic touch with the Hoops. In three seasons at the helm, he has delivered three SPL titles. Celtic tend to start slowly in the league, then win everything at the end of the season. I think this season will mimic the '06-'07 campaign when Celtic won the league by 13 points. The biggest obstacle may be team chemistry, as there are a lot of players rumored to want out.
Prediction: 1st
Dundee United
United may rue the loss of Mark Kerr to Aberdeen, but many pundits who know better than I seem to think that the Tangerines offseason signings will more than make up for their admittedly large losses. Look for Craig Levein to keep up his club's impressive home defensive form, while trying to improve on their woeful overall away form. They should do so, and, given some luck, could pluck away second spot from Rangers.
Prediction: 3rd
Falkirk
Falkirk were the busy bees on the offseason signing front, apparently offering contracts to anyone who seemed likely to sign. The net result is a team that could finally break into the top 6 of the SPL. This is a team on the rise, and is problably the only "smaller" team in the top flight that seems to be in good financial standing. They will approach the 33 game mark firmly on the bubble to make the Top 6, and I think this is the year they do so.
Prediction: 6th
Hamilton Academical
All the chatter I have seen seems to place Hamilton at the foot of the table. In a way, they seem to look a little like Gretna from last season. They are a team good enough to make the SPL, but not good enough to stay there. Unlike Gretna, this is a young team that got to the SPL. If the youngsters are still developing, they could pull off some late season surprises. Unfortunately, it may not be enough to get out of a presumed early season hole. Signings have been minimal and cosmetic, at best.
Prediction: 12th
Heart of Midlothian
Hearts have been a club full of promise since Lithuanian Vladimir Romanov took over in 2005. While Hearts supporters may have hoped this super-rich Eastern European businessman would do wonders for their club, it hasn't panned out. Quite frankly, owning Hearts seems to be a business deal only, and as long as the investment is safe, there is no need to do anything further.
In the offseason, Hearts offloaded a fair amount of players while bringing in only one player of note. Let's face it, Romanov does not care about the feelings of the Hearts' faithful, and the club's results will continue to mirror this. As a coupled aside, Hearts could also be on the receiving end of some extra ire from Rangers this year, as Romanov also owns the club, FBK Kaunas, that knocked the Blues out of Europe.
Prediction: 9th
Hibernian
Hibernian went out of Europe even quicker than Rangers, losing 4-0 over two legs to Swedish club Elfsborg in the Intertoto Cup. The Intertoto Cup is a bit hard on Scottish clubs, as they are placed in a region with Scandinavian clubs who are in mid-season while the Scots are out of season. So, don't read too much into Hibs looking awful last month.
Hibernian kept their core squad intact in the offseason, and should be a lock for a Top 6 showing. They do give the impression, at times, of a team falling apart at the seams. Mix in the fact that Mixu Paatelainen is not the most technically nuanced manager out there, and I foresee a little struggle for the top half finish, perhaps even being pipped by Falkirk for fifth.
Prediction: 5th
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness' manager Craig Brewster pulled a few miracles out of the hat last season, and will need a few more this season to stay out of relegation troubles. This is consistently a thin squad to which Brewster will wish he could insert a slightly younger version of himself into, because goals will be hard to come by. They will likely escape the drop, but it won't be by much.
Prediction: 11th
Kilmarnock
As anyone who read my SPL updates last season will know, I'm not too big on Kilmarnock in any fashion. An 11th place finish last season only helped fuel this distaste for the club further. Things should be a good bit more rosy this time around for Killie, as they strengthened their team in the offseason. This will be a team that puts together solid runs coupled with some surprising wins through the year, a la ICT last season. It won't be enough to get into the Top 6, though.
Prediction: 7th
Motherwell
It has to happen, doesn't it? Not to keep dredging up the sad days, but at some point this team has to be affected negatively by the passing of Phil O'Donnell last December. A spirited finish to last season sees Motherwell going to Europe this year, but I think that the team will suffer domestically for their European adventure.
The team remains largely unchanged from last season, and that should be a positive. They will, however, have to maintain their focus at all times. If something starts to go wrong, it could all fall apart very quickly for a team where nearly everyone still has a heavy heart. I see them just missing the Top 6 cutoff, and sliding down over the last five matches into their final placement.
Prediction: 8th
Rangers
Well, the shine is off this club, isn't it? Losing at the first hurdle of the Champions League with the very same tactics that took them to last season's UEFA Cup final sees Rangers without any further European dates to worry about. There are already grumblings out there about the status of Walter Smith's job as well as fans unsure of Smith's big offseason signing, Kenny Miller.
The problem with missing out on Europe is that Rangers are said to be losing $25 million from not making the group stages. That could turn the club into a major seller in January, especially if Celtic waltz away from them early. Second is likely for this club, if they keep their personnel. However, if they engage in a fire sale, Dundee United could overtake them.
Prediction: 2nd
St. Mirren
Finally, it's the end. The Saints are a tough one to figure out. They have been very active in both buying and selling in the offseason, looking to improve on the 10th place finish from last time. Don's count on it. It looks like they have been selling young and buying old. Maybe it is for a one or two season push up the ladder, but such wholesale changes will take time to gel, if they do so at all. The Buddies will frustratingly mimic last season's finish in the end
Prediction: 10th
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Championship Preview - Charlton Athletic
The Valley...Looks like it could be another year of under-achievement!
Not that much to say about Charlton except that there is a big sale going on and they have been flogging some of their top players in what appears to be an attempt to balance the books. Charlton failed to reach the promised land last season, finishing 11th, and so it looks as if they've decided to settle for life in the Colaship and recoup some money.
Not what Bigus was expecting at all. I had not paid much attention to Charlton this off-season until now, but I expected a few in and a push for the playoffs this season. Lets have a closer look at the comings and goings...
Pardew will need to sign a couple of players fast and return to his contact book to bring a couple of loans in. Lita won't be returning though, Reading have joined Charlton in the Colaship and his goals will be needed for their promotion push. Ambrose, Faye, Holland, Fortune and Varney are all good players but they will need to step up and stay fit for Charlton to have any hope of the playoffs. Varney especially. He has only managed 8 goals in 40 games after a 2 million pound move from Crewe. My prediction? 9th.
Out: Marcus Bent (on loan last year), Sam Sodje, Leroy Lita (loaned from Reading), Madjid Bougherra (to Rangers for 2.5 million), Chris Iwelumo (to Wolves), Patrick McCarthy (to Crystal Palace), Greg Halford (loaned from Sunderland, moved to Sheffield United), Ben Thatcher (Free agent to Ip... Ip... Them) and Chris Powell.
In: Oh dear... Mark Hudson (from Palace), Stuart Fleetwood (from Forest Green).
Not a happy chappy...Pard's.
Addicks boss Alan Pardew seems a little unhappy at all of the exits at the Valley..."The agenda that I was given this year was a bit of a shock to me, especially the financial situation we're in which wasn't made clear to me,"
There is no doubt that Charlton will miss Bougherra, Halford, Iwelumo (46 games last term), McCarthy and the out-going Zheng Zhi (7 goals from midfield last season). Pardew admitted today that Charlton were considering a bid made for the Chinese national team captain (look out for Zhi in the Olympics starting this week!).
Varney: Needs to find his Crewe shooting boots.
-Bigus.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Championship Preview - Birmingham
Bongo FC may have missed out on a place in the Premiership this year by a solitary point, but don't worry all you bluenoses: you are more than 'tooled up' for a promotion push this season. Quite frankly, your collection of forwards will scare the living daylights out of most of your opponents, and it's a real shame that they can't all play at once. Maybe a 4 2 4! That would certainly accommodate their midfield losses this summer.
Kapo and Muamba will surely be missed, as will Forssell [Ed. Note: he must be enjoying Hannover 96, having scored 10 on his pre-season debut] but Birmingham pretty much managed to hold onto a lot of their quality players and even added some serious Championship experience to their front line. In comes Lee Carsley from Everton, who will still have plenty to offer at this level despite being 34. He is joined by another oldie up top, Kevin Phillips. Phillips (35) shoved the ball passed Championship keepers a mere 24 times last term for West Brom, helping them seal a trip to the big dance and he will once again be a handful to defenses this season. They also nabbed former bin man Marcus Bent from Charlton for an undisclosed fee. Each one of those players could and SHOULD score 17-20 goals in this league with 40-odd starts. I doubt that manager Alex Mcleish will be able to keep them all happy and the Bongo board will see this overloaded position as an opportunity to make some money. I can see McFadden (brought in from Everton for 5 million) and Cameron Jerome moving on. Many consider McFadden as a Premiership player and Jerome will have no shortage of suitors at Championship level. At the back Birmingham boast experience at this level with Martin Taylor. He was a rock at the back when they gained promotion 2 years ago. He will be joined by Liam Ridgewell, Stuart Parnaby, Radhi Jaidi, David Murphy and former Middlesborough wing back Franck Queudrue. All though McLeish has told Queudrue he can leave, I don't see anyone rushing to pay his Premiership wages. The only area for improvement in this Brimingham team is in midfield. They will surely feel the loss of Kapo and Muamba. Should Carsley or Damien Johnson get injured then they may struggle in this area. So where will Birmingham City finish? They should finish in the top two with this team, but we all know about the famous Premiership hangover and I think that Birmingham may take a couple of months to settle back in this division. Will they be able to get the job done away to Burnley or Doncaster in a mid-week fixture? This is a crucial season for them. Fail and they will need to sell and rebuild, stars will want out and the division will start to look like home. I can see them heading back up via the playoffs. Top 6 for me.
Talking of those... Birmingham lost 3 of their midfielders since relegation. Oliver Kapo and Daniel De Ridder to Wigan and ex-boss Steve Bruce and ex-gooner prospect Fabrice Muamba to Bolton. Mikael Forsell and Mauro Zarate also decided that the Championship was not for them and they joined Rafael Schmitz at the bus stop.
Kevin Phillips: An oldie but a goodie!
So who do they have up front this year Bigus? Garry McSheffrey, Cameron Jerome, Kevin Phillips, Marcus Bent, Garry O'Connor and James McFadden (also plays left wing). That is one formidable front line.
Alex McLeish. Over rated in Bigus' eyes but will he be able to stop the hangover?
-Bigus
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