Remember me, boss?

Published on in New
Chris Smalling Roma

This March’s international break will provide a final chance for players to prove they’re worth a place in their nation’s European Championship squads. At this late stage it should be a tweaking exercise, however there are some high profile names who’ve been absent from their teams for a long time and might provide their managers with a headache as the clock ticks down to UEFA’s summer jamboree. 

Thomas Muller- Germany (Last cap, November 2018)

A key figure in Germany’s triumphant World Cup squad of 2014, Muller earned 100 caps and hit five goals in back to back World Cup campaigns. However, Muller was culled from the squad in the aftermath of Germany’s abysmal showing in Russia and subsequent Nations League failure.

A quiet 2018-19 season seemed to justify Joachim Low’s decision to move on from Muller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, however, the attacking midfielder has rebounded with an outstanding campaign for Bayern. Thus far Muller’s provided 12 assists, just one behind Jadon Sancho and has netted 5 times in the Bundesliga.

Of course assists statistics always look better if you’re playing with Robert Lewandowski (just the 22 league goals so far!), but Muller has shaken off the perception he’s a busted flush and aged just 30 appears to still offer plenty for his country.

Chance of a recall 8/10

Chris Smalling- England (Last Cap, June 2017)

The perception of Gareth Southgate as a soft touch was dispelled in the autumn of 2017 when he ditched Manchester United defender Smalling, pointing out the defender lacked the ball playing skills for England’s 3-5-2 system.

Southgate hasn’t approached Smalling since and an in and out season in Manchester appeared to signal the end of Smalling’s England career. However he’s turned his club career around with an outstanding season on loan at AS Roma.

Meanwhile, Southgate has revised England into a 4-3-3 system, reducing the need for ball playing centre-backs. England struggled in central defence through European qualifying leading to plenty of speculation of Smalling’s return.

However, Joe Gomez’s return to prominence with Liverpool appears to have handed Harry Maguire his central defensive partner for the summer, but with John Stones out of form and Fikayo Tomori out of favour could Southgate offer Smalling an olive branch? 

Chance of a recall 5/10

Karim Benzema- France (Last Cap, October 2015)

Now in his eleventh season with Real Madrid, Benzema continues to score goals at the Bernabeu with 18 in 31 games this season, that’s six more than Antione Griezmann has managed with Barcelona and 17 more than Olivier Giroud for Chelsea.

However, Didier Deschamps has turned a blind eye to Benzema’s talents since he was arrested for his alleged part in the blackmailing of teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Although Benzema was never convicted and was allowed to resume contact with Valbuena back in 2017, there is little appetite to reopen that can of worms at FFF headquarters.

The fact they have a certain Kylian Mbappe in their ranks suggests France won’t be short of firepower come the summer regardless.

Chance of a recall 0/10

Xherdan Shaqiri- Switzerland (Last Cap, June 2019)

Switzerland have never officially dropped Shaqiri, however, he hasn’t featured since the Nations League Finals last summer. With 82 caps to his name it would appear Shaqiri is a shoe-in for the summer, or is he? 

Shaqiri’s last goal for his country came in September 2018 and his injury struggles with Liverpool saw him wait until December to score his first and only goal of this season. Liverpool’s strength up front makes it tricky for Shaqiri to force his way back into Jurgen Klopp’s plans and Vladimir Petkovic is having to look elsewhere for goals.

Benfica’s Haris Serferovic has finally started looking like an international and Switzerland found a new national hero in 23-year-old Cedric Itten who hit the crucial goals that ensured Switzerland’s passage to the finals.

However, Shaqiri offers an x factor that no other player offers Switzerland, and thus the dilemma for Petkovic is does he want such a feisty character around the squad if he’s not in the first eleven?

Chance of a recall 8/10

Vincent Kompany- Belgium (Last Cap, June 2019)

The Manchester City legend earned the first of his 89 caps back in February 2004, however, he hasn’t featured for Belgium this season. Kompany left Manchester to become Anderlecht player-manager last summer, but the 33-year-old’s injury issues have continued in his homeland.

Kompany has made just 11 league appearances for Anderlecht with the emphasis in his role being on manager rather than player. 

Kompany would’ve featured for Belgium in the autumn were he fit, however Belgium’s current back three of Toby Alderweireld, Thomas Vermaelen and Jan Vertonghen have a combined aged of 96 and Roberto Martinez is now blooding younger talents in the likes of Timothy Castagne and Jason Denayer. The dilemma for Martinez even if Kompany is fit, is can he risk bringing him back purely for his leadership qualities when his defence is already creaking? 

Chance of a recall 5/10

Zlatan Ibrahimovic- Sweden (Last Cap June, 2016)

Sweden aren’t a nation flush with footballing superstars so inevitably Zlatan’s name will get floated around for a return come tournament time. Zlatan retired from international football after Sweden’s insipid Euro 2016 campaign, he’s since enjoyed a prolific season at Manchester United, overcome a career threatening injury and sunned himself at the MLS retirement home in LA.

However, he’s now back at AC Milan and even at 38, is still proving sharp enough to compete in Serie A. 

Sweden whilst short on big names remain one of Europe’s most competitive sides, and without Zlatan they put Italy and Holland out of World Cup qualifying and eventually made it to the quarter-finals. Since then they’ve won Nations League promotion and qualified for the Euros with Marcus Berg and Robin Quaison forming a productive strike duo.

Manager Janne Andersson took over the Sweden job after that dismal Euro 2016 showing and has never asked Zlatan if he’d like to return. Whilst Ibrahimovic provides goals he isn’t necessarily a fit for Andersson’s energetic team and it’s debatable how the squad would feel about bringing back a player whose been away for four years. 

Chance of a recall 2/10

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Time to Learn, not Panic at Leeds

Published on in Opinion
Marcelo Bielsa Leeds

The Championship has looked a done deal for much of this season, with Leeds and West Brom going on long winning runs through the autumn to put 11 points between themselves and the chasing pack going into Christmas.

However, one win from six for both sides has seen the lead trimmed to seven points for West Brom and six for Leeds. For Leeds this has given rise to a sense of déjà vu and now the club’s chances of success rests on how much they learned from the mistakes of last season.

Close But No Cigar

When Kemar Roofe popped up with two injury time goals to beat Blackburn 3-2 on Boxing Day 2018 it seemed Leeds were set to end their 15 year stay in the EFL.

Leeds were top of the table, but more importantly they held a six-point cushion on third placed West Brom and 10 on Sheffield United. However, Leeds then finished their Christmas run with successive defeats before making a critical desitny-defining mistake.

Most of the attention on Elland Road last January focused on the spy-gate drama as English football reached for its default setting of sanctimony.

However, as the debate over whether or not a Leeds employee standing on a public path watching Derby County train constituted fair play, Leeds were making a mess of the January transfer window.

Leeds did sign goalkeeper Kiko Casilla from Real Madrid but lost two players in playmaker Samuel Saiz and midfielder Lewis Baker. Leeds had little say in losing either player, with Saiz desperate to return his unsettled family to his Spanish homeland and Baker recalled from loan by Chelsea due to his lack of playing time at Elland Road.

Neither player had been central to the promotion push but they did account for 33 appearances between them and took away rotational options as the schedule bit deep into Marcelo Bielsa’s playing resources.

Leeds identified Swansea winger Daniel James as the man to boost the squad. However, in a deadline day farce to match Peter Odemwingie sat in the QPR carpark, Swansea pulled the plug as the deadline expired and James who’d already had his photo taken in a Leeds shirt was forced to return to Wales.

It left Bielsa short and Leeds went on to lose 8 of their last 20 games to finish third. It was the combination of injury and lack of squad depth that did for Leeds. It was best summed up by Leeds bench in their playoff elimination consisting of four academy players and a striker who’d played 11 minutes all season, whilst Roofe, Adam Forshaw, Barry Douglas, Tyler Roberts and Ezgjan Alioski all watched from the stands nursing injuries.

Ghost Sightings at Elland Road

It’s easy to see the parallels between last season and this at Leeds. Eddie Nketiah proved a hit amongst Leeds fans scoring five goals but his lack of starts saw his loan cut short by Arsenal, whilst Jack Clarke’s second spell at Leeds proved unsuccessful and he was recalled by Tottenham in moves similar to Saiz and Baker.

Leeds have identified a principle target in Southampton striker Che Adams, but halfway through the transfer window a deal is not close and a repeat of the Daniel James fiasco is feared amongst the fans.

Leeds haven’t suffered the volume of injuries they did last season, but they haven’t been immune with key midfielder Forshaw out since September whilst Jamie Shackleton, Pablo Hernandez and Roberts have all suffered long spells on the sidelines.

Another ghost of last season is back to haunt Leeds on Saturday with an away game at QPR. Eleven months ago, Leeds went down to a surprise 1-0 defeat at QPR to leave them in third place in the Championship, with the post-match reports headed by a picture of Bielsa down on his haunches in a Loftus Road corridor. Leeds will still be in the top two come Saturday evening but the gap could be down to just three points should they lose.

The pessimism at Leeds peaked last weekend with a 2-0 home loss to Sheffield Wednesday. It was only their fifth defeat of the season, however it followed the widespread acclaim they picked up five days earlier in the 1-0 FA Cup loss at Arsenal, three points at home trumps the praise of the Match of the Day panel!

Learning the Lessons

Leeds currently sit on 52 points with 19 games to play, to make it over the line a further 38 points would guarantee promotion but 33 should be enough. Leeds urgently need to sign a striker, with Patrick Bamford the only centre-forward in the squad.

Leeds cannot wait much longer on Adams, if a deal cannot be struck before their home clash with Millwall on the 28th an alternative must be signed.

Leeds are thought to be close to deals for two youngsters; goalkeeper Elia Caprile as cover for Casilla and winger Ian Poveda to replace Clarke, however central midfield has been a problem area and unless Forshaw can be relied on to return soon a new signing should be sought.

The club are worried about sailing too close to the EFLs Financial Fair Play rules and seem reluctant to double down in order to push their promotion bid over the line, although they are actively looking for a forward.

Older Leeds fans will also recall how Howard Wilkinson signed Lee Chapman in January 1990 to push his Leeds side over the line. Chapman bagged 12 goals in the season’s final 21 games including the last day winner at Bournemouth that secured the title, Bielsa’s side need a similar tonic.

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Atalanta: A True Underdog Story

Published on in Features

This year’s Champions League saw the depressing endgame of UEFA’s endless cowering to the whims of the game’s biggest clubs. For the first time all the clubs reaching last 16 of the Champions League came from Europe’s big five leagues (4 each from the Premier League and La Liga, 3 each from Series A and the Bundesliga and 2 from Lique 1).

It’s all a far cry from 1987 when the champions of Spain and Italy were drawn against each other in a round one knockout fixture or 1992 when the same happened to the English and German champions. However, in amongst the corporate tinkering there is one underdog story left in the Champions League, Atalanta,

Atalanta have the 14th highest wage bill in Serie A and are based in the small town of Bergamo which currently has a population of 120,000, situated 60km north of Milan.

Atalanta finished third in Series A last season and will play Valencia in the Champions League in March. Atalanta were promoted to Serie A in 2011 after decades of yo-yoing between Italy’s top two divisions, their finest hour coming in 1963 when they lifted the Coppa Italia.

As is common to their history they spent the five seasons after their latest promotion scrambling in the bottom half of Serie A.

Gasperini’s Minor Miracle

The summer of 2016 saw the arrival of former Genoa manager Gian Piero Gasperini and Atalanta rocketed up Serie A. Argentinian forward Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez bagged 16 goals as Atalanta finished fourth and Gazzetta Sport named Gasperini coach of the year.

Despite qualifying for the Europa League, the following summer saw Atalanta raided by both the local behemoths with Alessandro Bastoni and Roberto Gagliandini snapped up by Inter and Andrea Conti heading to AC Milan.

However, Gasperini spent wisely adding Dutch midfielder Marten de Roon and Slovenian forward Josip Ilicic as Atalanta consolidated their place amongst the European qualifiers and made it to the semi-final of the Coppa Italia.

But even after those lofty achievements, few predicted the season that followed. Atalanta signed Sampdoria forward Duvan Zapata on a two-year loan, a player whose best return in five Serie A seasons had been 11 goals. Zapata smashed 23 league goals whilst Gomez and Ilicic shared a combined 18 assists as Atalanta found themselves chasing Champions League football.

Whilst Juventus and Napoli quickly assumed a dominant league position, Atalanta punched above their weight as they slugged it out with both the Milan clubs and Roma as four clubs chased two tickets to Europe’s’ top competition.

Many thought Atalanta’s ambition had suffered a fatal blow with back to back defeats in February, including a 3-1 home loss to Milan. However, Atalanta responded with a 13 game unbeaten run, the pivotal moment coming when Chelsea loanee Mario Pašalić grabbed a late goal to secure a surprise away win over Napoli.

Pašalić grabbed another late goal the following week to close out a 2-0 win over Udinese, then a come from behind win in the Stadio Olimpico stunned Lazio 3-1. On the final day of the season, Atalanta made sure of third place with Zapata, Gomez and Pašalić all scoring in a 3-1 win over Sassuolo.

Champions League Escapology 

Atalanta’s entry into the Champions League didn’t see them get the luck of the draw as they were handed a tricky group with the Citeh billionaires and oligarch owner Shakhtar Donetsk. Atalanta’s debut in the Champions League proved no fairytale as they were battered 4-0 by Dynamo Zagreb.

Atalanta gained the permission of the Milan clubs to use the San Siro for Champions League games but their home debut ended in defeat when Shakhtar grabbed a 95th minute winner. Then came a 5-1 drubbing at the Etihad and Atalanta were rock bottom of their group and Zapata was ruled out of the group phase through injury.

With everything going wrong, Atalanta began their great escape with a spirited 1-1 draw against City with Pašalić cancelling out Raheem Sterling’s early strike. Colombian striker Luis Muriel gave them a first half lead over Zagreb as Atalanta pulled out a 2-0 win, giving Gasperini’s team a fighting chance heading to Kharkiv to face Shakhtar.

Atalanta started the final game bottom of the group but after a tense first half Timothy Castagne bundled in the opening goal and with Zagreb losing to City, Atalanta were edging into the knockout phase. Pašalić continued his habit of scoring late and left back Robin Gosens added an injury time third to send Atalanta through.

Smart Recruitment & Tactical Innovation

The question posed by Atalanta’s remarkable rise is how did they do it on a (relative) shoestring?

Take Pašalić, the Croatian midfielder has proved invaluable to ‘La Dea’ but at 24 he’s hardly one of Chelsea’s fledgling talents akin to Mason Mount or Callum Hudson-Odoi, but after 2 frutifull loan seasons Atalanta are set to sign him permanently for a mere €15million next summer.

Gomez has proved an absolute snip at just £4million, Ilicic was signed for just €5.5million from Fiorentina and de Roon arrived fresh from relegation with Middlesbrough and has since advanced to become a regular for the Netherlands.

Gasperini has previous form for reshaping his player’s careers. At Genoa he employed a 3-4-3         formation, redefining the roles of Thiago Motta and Diego Milito, a forerunner to the pair’s Champions League success with Inter.

The 61-year-old coach has continued with that system, in attack it does bare a resemblance to that of Antonio Conte, with Gomez in the Eden Hazard role of playing out wide in the attacking three but drifting infield. Atalanta employ an intense pressing game but unusually this is combined with a man to man marking system rather than zonal defending. It’s a high risk strategy that can leave gaps at the back but its aim of forcing teams to try and play down the middle is proving effective.

Atalanta’s achievements haven’t reached as high as Leicester City’s in 2016 or Montpellier’s in 2012, however three and a half seasons in Gasperini’s team has shown greater longevity than those of Claudio Ranieri or Rene Girard.

Atalanta currently sit sixth in Serie A and will be the only team playing Champions League knockout football at the San Siro this spring. Gasperini who endured a nightmare three month spell at Inter, seems in no hurry to leave and the Champions League money should ensure they can retain their best players, footballers bigger clubs had previously wrote off as journeymen.

Atalanta still need a trophy to cement their achievements, but as it stands, they remain the biggest surprise package Serie A has produced since Verona’s Scudetto back in 1985.

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The Italian Serie A used to sit alongside La Liga and the Premier League as one of the finest leagues

“Oh no….not him!” 6 of the Strangest Managerial Appointments in Football

Published on in Features
Rafa Benitez Chelsea

As former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho settles in at Spurs and his predecessor at Tottenham is being strongly linked with Arsenal it appears to becoming common place for clubs to turn to a          former nemesis. But Jose and Daniel Levy are from being football’s first strange bedfellows, here we remember some of English football strangest management appointments that for differing    reasons prompted a fan outcry from their first day in the job.

Brian Clough & Leeds United (1974)

When Don Revie departed Leeds United as reigning League Champions, the Leeds board decided to repay his 13 years of service by replacing him with the man who hated him the most.

Revie had recommended Leeds midfielder Johnny Giles for the job but the board got cold feet and decided to go external. Having failed to secure first choice Bobby Robson they seemed set to go with Iain St John, but then Brian Clough surprisingly entered the race.

Clough had been the most vocal critic of Revie and Leeds for years and made it abundantly clear he loathed both. The local newspaper ran a poll amongst Leeds fans on Clough’s suitability and almost 90% were against the appointment and yet still Clough got the job.

The Damned United is largely a work of fantasy, but the scene where Clough tells his new charges to “take all your cups and your medals and your caps and chuck ’em in the biggest f@ckin’ dustbin you can find,” isn’t far from the truth.

According to Giles, Clough barely spoke to anyone after arriving at the club until he agreed to a meeting in the players’ lounge. There Clough committed coaching suicide with a tirade and as Giles put it “he never got off first base with the players.”

It wasn’t just man-management where Clough went wrong either.  He spent an eye watering £380,000 on new players in little over a week and he wasn’t exactly committed to the job either, he was frequently late for training despite spending almost his entire stay in Yorkshire at a hotel less than 10 miles from Elland Road.

Everyone knows what followed, the season started badly and Clough was fired after 44 days. Even the circumstances of his departure have been shrouded in rumour, it’s clear the board realised their mistake and wanted Clough out, but they wanted the players to take the blame for it and called the players to a meeting and the player power myth was born.

Don Warters, a journalist who knew Clough well during his early days at Nottingham Forest claimed Clough was privately nervous in his early days at the City Ground, painfully aware that after the debacles at Leeds and Brighton he couldn’t afford another bust.

Of course, Clough became a legend at Forest, but it’s hard to believe his chaotic reign at Elland Road wasn’t a major factor in him never getting the England job.

George Graham & Tottenham (1998)

“Boring! Boring! Tottenham” chanted Arsenal fans when they arrived for a North London derby with their former manager sat in their arch enemy’s dug-out.

Graham as a player was part of Arsenal’s double winning side of ’71, he then managed Arsenal to two League titles with a brand of football that could generously de described as prosaic.

Then came the bungs scandal and an unceremonious end to his reign at Highbury. After serving a ban, Graham returned at Leeds but didn’t settle in West Yorkshire but did retrieved his reputation by guiding Leeds into Europe.

He was however frustrated by Leeds’ lack of ambition and didn’t fancy moving house and a move to Spurs at least solved one of those problems.

Tottenham Chairman ‘Sir Alun’ pointed out in business if a rival makes better electronics than you, you get their guy in to make your product better. He went on to say if that didn’t work maybe Spurs might get Eileen (Drewery) in.

Graham did win the League Cup in 1999 and stayed for three otherwise forgettable years at White Hart Lane before being sacked by the club’s new owners, allegedly for moaning about transfer funds (there’s a pattern emerging here!) Shortly thereafter Eileen’s man Glenn walked through the White Hart Lane door, so maybe Sugar was right after all!

Harry Redknapp & Southampton (2004)

There are some lines you just don’t cross, you don’t cross the Rubicon with an army, you don’t leave Barcelona for Real Madrid and as residents of the English south coast will confirm, you don’t employ a Pompey manager at Southampton.

Redknapp had guided Pompey to promotion and now he was charged with saving the Saints from relegation, having left Portsmouth a few weeks earlier promising not to join their hated rivals.

Still Chairman Rupert Lowe was convinced Redknapp was the man to turn it around and ‘Arry was in. Pompey fans’ mood did improve when they hammered Southampton 4-0 with their new manager proving to be less than a Saints Miracle Worker.

Relegation was quickly confirmed, their cause not helped by midfielder David Prutton picking up a 10 match ban! Things didn’t improve in the off season as Lowe, presumably taking the advice offered by the Daily Mail decided to bring in Sir Clive Woodward as Director of Football.

Sir Clive had won the Rugby World Cup with England so naturally was equipped for football, we can only assume England Cricket Coach Duncan Fletcher was busy that week!

Redknapp tried to put a positive spin on things my describing Sir Clive as ‘A good bloke’ but nobody bought it and by December 2005 Redknapp had resigned, a few weeks later he resurfaced, guess where?

Joe Kinnear & Newcastle (2008)

After a bitter parting of the ways with Geordie Messiah Kevin Keegan, Mike Ashley should have listened to the St James’ Park PA system on match days when hunting a replacement.

But instead of a local hero, the Toon Army got Londoner Joe Kinnear. The former Wimbledon boss started his reign with a bang with his first press conference turning into a potty mouthed tirade against the assembled journalists.

With the fans baying for blood, Kinnear started with a couple of draws and his short-term appointment was quickly upgraded to the end of the season.

In December Kinnear got himself sent off and a 5-1 thrashing from Liverpool had fans worrying about relegation. Then the January transfer window arrived and Kinnear was sure he could save the day by selling Charles N’Zogbia whose name he’d mispronounced Charles Insomnia.

Unsurprisingly the signings of Peter Lovenkrands, Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor didn’t turn the club’s fortunes nor did the sale of Shay Given.

By February Kinnear was feeling the pressure and found himself hospitalised with Alan Shearer charged with saving the club from relegation.

Shearer couldn’t refloat the sinking ship and Newcastle were down. However, Kinnear wasn’t done and returned to Newcastle four years later as Director of Football, where he attempted to sign a player already on Newcastle’s books, ho hmm.

Roy Hodgson & Liverpool (2010)

Clubs usually want to make a statement of intent when announcing a new manager, Liverpool’s owners in appointing Hodgson made their ambitions perfectly clearly- to stay solvent.

Liverpool were in trouble after the departure of Rafa Benitez and the clubs cost cutting owners weren’t about to loosen the purse strings to dig them out, so they decided to appoint Hodgson a manager best known for doing well with limited resources.

Liverpool fans weren’t pleased when the former Fulham, Blackburn, Switzerland manager arrived, expectations went down even further when Hodgson unveiled his new signings – Fabio Aurelio, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky and a barely mobile Joe Cole. It’s not that these were terrible players, they just clearly weren’t Liverpool players.

But the pessimism looked misplaced when Liverpool lead Arsenal on the opening day of the season and were only denied a win by a late own goal.

But things soon unravelled and Liverpool briefly found themselves 19th in the League, leading to the amusing photoshopped image of John Lennon Airport sporting the amended moniker ‘Above Us Only Sky’… ‘Below us only West Ham!’

Things reached a new low with a League Cup exit to the mighty Northampton Town and Hodgson responded by claiming he was “one of the most respected coaches in Europe.”

Off the pitch Liverpool’s ownership crisis ended in October when John W Henry bought the club and publicly backed the manager. It was never likely to last and the new regime swiftly made a populist move and sacked Hodgson in favour of Kenny Dalglish.

Roy licked his wounds at West Brom before answering the call from another moribund institution needing to let the air out of fan expectations.

Rafael Benitez & Chelsea (2012)

As Vito Corleone said “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” and we can assume Roman Abramovich agreed when he appointed ex Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for the remainder of the 2012-13 season.

Whilst at Anfield, Benitez had twice masterminded Chelsea’s Champions League downfall and entered into a bitter war of words with Jose Mourinho.

Yet in November 2012 with Roberto Di Matteo struggling the Chelsea owner pressed the ejector button on a club hero only to suddenly realise he’d already sacked every high calibre manager available, bar one.

So, Benitez arrived to outright boos from the Stamford Bridge faithful. With that endorsement ringing in his ears, things didn’t start well for Rafa with a defeat in the World Club Cup Final.

But from a difficult start he actually won over Chelsea fans delivering a third place finish in the Premier League and won the Europa League.

But mutual respect appeared to only go so far when he didn’t partake in the end of season lap of honour and with his contract up he made way for the second coming of Jose.

Whatever Happened to England’s Under 20 World Champions?

Published on in Features

What were you doing on 11th June 2017? In years to come that may well be seen as the day that finally saw England’s footballing fortunes turn. Almost a year on from their shambolic exit from Euro 2016 and a bemused Roy Hodgson telling the assembled press he wasn’t sure why he was there, England’s St Georges Park project bore fruit as Lewis Cook lifted the Under 20 World Cup.

England’s youth squads went on to win three more trophies that year, including the Under 17 World Cup. Since then the debate has raged over the best way forward for England’s precocious talent and England’s senior side has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes under Gareth Southgate. But what of those trailblazers who triumphed in Suwon to become England’s first World Champions since 1966?

 Goalkeeper- Freddie Woodman

The tournament Golden Glove, Woodman, has endured a struggle to first team football at club level. Surprisingly, Woodman didn’t go on loan after the World Cup, instead he stayed in the Newcastle reserves before a brief spell with Aberdeen in January 2018. Woodman again failed to gain a loan move last season and seemed set for a frustrating career in the Newcastle’s reserves.

Things however took a turn for the better this summer with a loan move to Swansea under former England youth coach Steve Cooper. Woodman has earned rave reviews in South Wales as Swansea have forged an unexpected promotion push, and it seems the Premier League door is finally ajar for the 22-year-old stopper.

Right-back- Jonjoe Kenny

Kenny returned to Everton and made is way into the first team squad, his opportunities increased by the horrific injury suffered by Seamus Coleman. Kenny stayed in the Everton squad as the Toffees repeatedly hit the random manager generator making 29 Premier League appearances over 2 seasons.

However with Coleman blocking his path, Kenny sought a new challenge this summer and signed a season long loan deal with Schalke 04. Playing in Germany under the tutelage of David Wagner has been to Kenny’s liking, and he earned himself the Bundelisga ‘Rookie of the Month’ award for August. The defender has been an ever-present for Schalke and added his first league goal against Hertha Berlin. Now the question is does he stay with Schalke or return to Merseyside?

Left-back- Kyle Walker-Peters

Tottenham’s other Kyle Walker made a quick start to his post World Cup career by making his league debut on the opening weekend of the 2017-18 season and winning man of the match for his performance against Newcastle. However it would prove the first of just 3 Premier League appearances that season. He remained on the fringes last term but did provide a hat trick of assists in a 5-0 walloping of Bournemouth.

Despite having only 10 Premier League games under his belt, this looks like a key phase of Walker-Peters’ Tottenham career with Kieran Trippier being sold and both Serge Aurier and Danny Rose in poor form, opportunity looks about to knock.

Centreback- Fikayo Tomori

An impressive performer in Korea, the young defender returned to England for Chelsea to send him immediately on loan in the Championship with Hull, having spent the previous year on the fringes at Brighton. The following season saw a sharp upturn in Tomori’s fortunes with a loan to Derby under the management of Frank Lampard and Jody Morris. Tomori impressed at the heart of Derby’s defence as they made the playoffs but fell short of promotion. Tomori returned to Stamford Bridge with Lampard and Morris and has since established himself as a regular for Chelsea, earning his first senior England call last month.

Centreback- Jake Clarke-Salter

Another Chelsea graduate, Clarke-Salter conceded the controversial penalty that Woodman saved as the World Cup final hung in the balance. On returning to England, Clarke-Salter stayed in Chelsea’s reserves making just one EFL Cup appearance. Then in January he was sent out to help save Sunderland’s sinking Championship ship.

He made his debut in a 4-0 defeat at Cardiff, then got sent off against Middlesbrough and saw red again when he returned from suspension against Preston. With a relegation under his belt Clarke-Salter spent last season with Chelsea’s feeder club Vitesse Arnhem.

With the arrival of Lampard, Morris and a transfer ban at Chelsea, this always looked a sink or swim summer for Chelsea’s senior academy graduates, Clarke-Salter was loaned to Championship mid-table dwellers Birmingham. It now looks a case of when not if Clarke-Salter leaves Cheslea’s loan farm for a permanent deal in the EFL.

Midfield- Lewis Cook

The first English footballer to lift a World Cup since Bobby Moore, Captain Cook headed back to Bournemouth, having already made a big money transfer in 2016 from Leeds. Cook began to establish himself at the base of Bournemouth’s midfield, making 29 appearances in 2017-18 and made his England debut against Italy at Wembley that March. Cook was placed on standby by Southgate ahead of the 2018 World Cup, but no metatarsals broke and Cook had to settle for a summer leading England’s Under 20’s to victory at the Toulon Tournament.

Last season started well and a second cap seemed within Cook’s grasp until an ACL tear finished his season before Christmas. Having fought back from serious injury, Cook is trying to re-establish himself in Bournemouth’s first team. A lengthy career as a deep lying playmaker remains there for the taking for both club and country.

Midfield- Kieran Dowell

Dowell made a fast start in the World Cup, notching 2 assists against Argentina and a goal against hosts South Korea. The midfield playmaker was one of four Everton players to start the final, but hasn’t played a Premier League game for them since. He spent 2017-18 on loan with Nottingham Forest, then in January 2019 was loaned to Sheffield United where he played his part in the Blades promotion season. However he wasn’t invited back to Bramall Lane, instead Dowell has returned to the Championship with Derby where he’s struggled for a regular start.

Whilst Dowell has an impressive record at junior level with England his club career looks like following the Josh McEachran/ Herni Lansbury path of playing upper mid-table Championship football.

Midfeld- Joshua Onomah

Onamah looked to be on the brink of breaking through at Tottenham prior to the World Cup after making 31 all competition appearances over the two previous seasons. He spent the next season on a productive loan spell with Aston Villa, then a less impressive one with Sheffield Wednesday.

Onomah signed a permanent deal with Fulham as a sweetener in the Ryan Sessegnon transfer to Spurs. Onamah has faded badly and now needs to re-energise his career in West London.

Attack- Ademola Lookman

Having already made a £7.5million move from Charlton, Lookman went to the World Cup on the fringe of the Everton senior squad. However the summer saw Everton’s scattergun recruitment interrupt his progress and by January Sam Allardyce had sent him on loan to RB Leipzig. Like Jadon Sancho, Lookman proved a Bundesliga hit and in 11 games notched 7 starts, 5 goals and 4 assists.

Unsurprisingly Leipzig wanted to make the deal permanent, but Lookman stayed at Goodison Park. However the arrival of Richarlison saw him left on the bench. Although he did make 21 Premier League appearances last season (mostly as sub) he missed out on selection for the Euro Under 21s this summer and Leipzig revived their interest in him. This time a permanent switch and 5 year deal were agreed, but thus far Lookman has been waiting on the bench for his second chance with the German title chasers.

Attack- Dominic Solanke

The player of the tournament has been an enigma since returning home. Having already signed for Liverpool from Chelsea, Solanke arrived at Anfield the same summer Jurgen Klopp put together his new striking trinity of Salah-Firminio-Mane.

Unsurprisingly Solanke found himself on the bench but did make his senior England debut that November. All told Solanke made 21 Premier League appearances and finally bagged his first senior goal on the final day of the domestic season.

But in his second season the return of Divock Origi, revival of Daniel Sturridge and arrival of Xherdan Shaqiri saw Solanke pushed down the pecking order and he failed to make another appearance for Liverpool.

January saw Solanke move to Bournemouth for £19million. After a slow start Solanke has forced his way into the Bournemouth first team this season, however his finishing has again proved a major issue, so far missing 3 big chances and failing to score a single goal. Clearly a talented player, Solanke hasn’t managed to put it all together yet but if and when he does the door to the national team remains open.

Attack- Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The goalscoring hero in the final, Calvert-Lewin has made by far the most senior appearances from this young squad. Having started at Sheffield United, Calvert-Lewin moved to Everton in 2016 and despite early injury setbacks scored his first Premier League goal in March 2017. After the World Cup Calvert-Lewin continued his Everton progress and scored 16 goals over the next two seasons.

Having seen off Big Sam’s big signing Cenk Tosun, Calvert-Lewin is currently holding off Moise Kean for the Everton number nine role. So far he’s scored 5 goals this season and remains in serious contention to win his first cap this month.

And the bench: Callum Connolly, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Adam Armstrong, Erzi Konsa, Dean Henderson, Dael Fry, Harrison Chapman, Sheyi Ojo, Ovie Ejaria, Luke Southwood

Believe The Hype: Leeds Look The Real Deal

Published on in Opinion
Leeds United

After seven games of The Championship the pre-season favourites are living up to their tag. Being favourites has often proved a poisoned chalice in this division, as Stoke found to their cost last season, but the hat seems a perfect fit for Leeds United.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are sitting pretty at the top of the division and in sharp contrast to last season doing so with a minimum of fuss. Leeds were barely out of the news last season, from Bielsa’s transformation of a mid table team, to miracle Christmas comebacks, to spygate, the Daniel James saga, title stutter and finally playoff defeat.

Leeds’ dramatic season was captured for the documentary ‘Take Us Home: Leeds United,’ whose director could barely believe his luck in getting such a dramatic season to film.

For all the controversy and Bielsa brilliance, Leeds fell short due to the combination of a never ending injury list, over dependance on Pablo Hernandez and a thin squad. Leeds’ Head of Medicine Rob Price was the most overworked man in West Yorkshire, whilst Leeds went through the second half of the season with a bench made up largely of academy players.

Going Again

The ‘Take Me Home’ documentary ended with Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear stating “The goal for next season is automatic, we’re not dicking around with the playoffs anymore.” Kinnear’s word’s followed the announcement that Bielsa was staying for a second season and the phrase “we go again” was born.

Whispers that it would be a difficult second season were silenced on the opening Sunday as Leeds blitzed much fancied Bristol City 3-1 at Ashton Gate.  The statistics from Leeds’ first seven games are ominous for the rest of the division. Five wins, 12 goals scored and just 3 goals conceded.

Bielsa’s side have been just as exhilarating going forward as they were last season, however opponents are better prepared to face them and many are sitting deep, most obviously Brentford who came within 9 minutes of taking an unlikely point at Elland Road.

However, whereas last season the Leeds bench looked thin, this season Bielsa has been able to turn to former Wolves winger Helder Costa and Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah to finish sides off.

Nketiah came off the bench to beat both Brentford and last week Barnsley, his pace and ability to find space in the box at times reminiscent of a young Jermain Defoe. Meanwhile Costa offers guile and pace, relieving some of the creative burden from Hernandez.

But the change that exemplifies the shift in mentality this season the most is in central defence. Last season Leeds had fiery cult hero Pontus Jansson, the snarling Swede was best remembered last season for swearing live on Sky Sports and being furious for allowing Aston Villa’s walk in goal.

This season they’ve loaned in Brighton’s Ben White, the young defender has been coolness personified, sweeping up in defence and setting up attacks with his nice ball playing skills from the back.
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Rivals Still to be Revealed?

Whilst Leeds are remain title front runners, it’s not yet clear who will rival them for automatic promotion. West Brom were highly fancied and have yet to lose but have drawn too many, Slaven Bilic’s side look potent in attack but like last season are leaking goals in defence.

Fulham have arguably the strongest squad in the division having retained Alexsandar Mitrovic and signed Anthony Knockaert, but are struggling to find their feet in the division as are Cardiff.

So far the biggest challenge to Leeds has come from surprise packages Swansea and Charlton. Swansea provided the one blot on Leeds’ copybook by winning in a smash and grab at Elland Road, but then lost their unbeaten record at home to Nottingham Forest.

Steve Cooper has done an excellent job with limited resources, getting a tune out of Borja Baston and bringing U-20 World Cup Golden Glove Freddie Woodman into first team football from Newcastle.

Lee Bowyer’s Charlton are another side operating on a shoestring, but Bowyer has galvanised a side many thought would struggle to stay in the Championship with Montserrat forward Lyle Taylor amongst the goals. It remains unlikely Charlton and Swansea have the resources to mount an automatic promotion bid, but plenty said that about Norwich last season and look how that turned out!

Derby Day

This weekend will go some way to shaping the Championship season with Swansea visiting third placed Bristol City,  Fulham facing a tricky visit to Hillsborough to face new Wednesday boss Gary Monk and Leeds hosting the team formally known as Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

Inevitably the spygate affair will be revisited in the press and it was Derby’s memorable comeback in the playoffs that ultimately dashed Leeds’ promotion hopes last season. However, under Philip Cocu and shorn of loan stars Harry Wilson, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, Derby have struggled having failed to win since their opening game of the season.

Leeds kick off first this weekend, giving themselves an excellent opportunity to consolidate their position at the top of the table. They then travel to Charlton and host West Brom.

Leeds are notorious for making life complicated for themselves and their fans will be wary, however if they emerge unscathed from the next three games it’ll be very hard to see past them for automatic promotion.

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Solving England’s Midfield Puzzle for Euro 2020

Published on in International
Gareth Southgate England

As the international week gets under way, Gareth Southgate can be largely happy with the progress of his side since the World Cup.

However, the midfield remains problematic. Southgate has switched from 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, and England now have a lot of options for the midfield trio but little time to decide who fits in ahead of likely qualification for Euro 2020.

With a likely six places in the squad up for grabs, we look at the differing options Southgate has and the one-on-one competition for places in England squad’s for next summer’s European Championships.

Declan Rice or Eric Dier

Southgate’s 4-3-3 system relies on the holding midfielder protecting the back four and dropping into a back three when England have possession, enabling the fullbacks to push up.

Dier initially held this role and had been a Southgate regular. Dier has proved a useful utility player, but hasn’t played a minute so far this season at Spurs and was left out of the latest England squad.

Rice has only three caps but has overtaken Dier in the pecking order, following his controversial switch from the Republic of Ireland.

Rice offers excellent coverage skills and is a perfect system fit. However, he still has plenty to prove at international level and struggled badly against Frenkie De Jong.

Verdict- Rice

Harry Winks, Lewis Cook or Fabian Delph 

This has proved a tricky role to fill with Southgate gradually transitioning England to a possession-based side. Delph proved woefully inadequate at setting the midfield tempo in the Nations League semi final.

Winks has been recalled after injury and offers a defensive base and the ability to transition the team from defence to attack. The Tottenham man looks a key player for Southgate, but has proved injury prone.

Another option could be Lewis Cook, once the Bournemouth man returns from his ACL injury. Cook offers a similar passing range to Winks and has played this role successfully at youth level.

However, Cook is in a race against time to regain full fitness and force his way into Southgate’s squad ahead of next year’s European Championship.

Verdict- Winks, but Cook may yet make a run.

Jordan Henderson or James Ward-Prowse

Winks and Cook offer an option playing out of the back but England require more than one player who can keep the ball ticking over and Henderson looks a safe bet for the squad.

The Liverpool skipper had a solid World Cup and was sorely missed in the Nations League finals where he was reduced to a substitute’s role.

Henderson was only able to play seven of England’s twelve matches last season and Southgate needs a plan b, and that could lead to Ward-Prowse getting a recall.

The young midfielder has proved a revelation under Ralph Hasenhuttl and was a Southgate favourite with the Under 21s, however he remains on the fringes of the senior side.

Verdict- Henderson

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Dele Alli

Alli has been a regular for Southgate and has played most of his England career in an advanced midfield role. However, he dropped into a deeper role alongside Henderson at the World Cup and with playmaking number ten’s now coming through, his England future could be again pushing forward from deep.

A similar option is the fit again Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the Liverpool midfielder has just been recalled nineteen months on from his last international.

Despite his lengthy lay off, ‘Ox’ remains upmost in Southgate’s plans and offers similar skills to Alli. Oxlade-Chamberlain also offers the option of playing in the front three, but his full potential with Liverpool remains difficult to project given his long injury absence.

Verdict- A close call but Alli

James Maddison, Mason Mount or Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Southgate has bemoaned England’s lack of a creative number ten who can unlock defences, and he’s currently auditioning two new candidates. Mount has followed up successful loan spells with Vitesse and Derby by breaking into Chelsea’s first team under Frank Lampard.

The 20-year old is only four games into his Premier League career but is already amongst the goals and is now set for his England debut.

Maddison largely slipped under England’s radar at youth level but has proved a hit since moving to Leicester with seven goals and seven assists last season. A natural playmaker with drive and shrewd passing, Maddison has more experience than Mount but struggled to find a role with the Under 21s.

Then there’s the enigmatic Loftus-Cheek. The Chelsea man is currently recovering from a torn achilles but has shown skill and a fine passing range for the Blues.

The problem remains however, that he offers little off the ball and still has relatively few senior games to his name, making it difficult to ascertain where he best fits.

Verdict- Maddison

Ross Barkley or Phil Foden

Southgate has fond memories of Paul Gascoigne’s mercurial genius from his England playing days, and while neither Barkley nor Foden have done enough to suggest they can match Gazza’s brilliance, they are both cut from the same cloth on the pitch (but mercifully not off it).

Barkley is another natural street footballer who can drop a shoulder and glide past defenders and can score spectacular goals. However, he can also frustrate with poor passing decisions and he has a habit of giving the ball away in dangerous positions.

Foden remains a great player still on the cusp of stardom. Inevitably, Foden is benefiting from playing for the world’s best manager, but struggling to get minutes with Manchester City. His moment of brilliance was the only bright spot of England’s dismal run at this summer’s Euro Under 21s but his lack of first team games mean he’s still learning and for now he remains with the Under 21s.

Verdict- Barkley for now, but come next spring…

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Chris Smalling Roma

Remember me, boss?

This March’s international break will provide a final chance for players to prove they’re worth a place in their nation’s

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