Substance over style; Vidic shortlisted for Ballon d'Orr

On the heels a thoroughly, defensively dominant display at home to West Bromich Albion in the English Premier League, Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic was included in the 30-man shortlist for European Player of the Year.

It comes not only as a surprise but a victory for so many defenders mired in relative anonymity when their staunch dominance of their craft goes so often overlooked for more stylish, offensive players.

Rio Ferdinand, Vidic's established partner in defense, is more of the second ilk, passing smoothly and turning artfully, but his nose is much less likely to ever be bloodied.

It is in fact Vidic who provides the nucleus of the defense. Vidic is the archetype ball-winner, always contending aerially, getting his head in where it hurts and using strength over guile, while Ferdinand assumes a more distributive, interactive role only once the carnage has cleared. While Ferdinand assumes the typified role of a yelling, screaming, inspirational British captain, Nemanja leads through eastern European stoicism and lengthy unassuming periods of consistently world-class form.

In truth, all four of United's defenders had great campaigns in 2007, as each member of the back-line started over 40 games for United allowing just 15 goals, only second to Chelsea. United allowed 6 goals in 13 games en route to their 1-1 victory over Chelsea in the UEFA Champion's League final.

Rio Ferdinand was not short-listed for the award despite having good form in the second of two consecutive years for United after the failure to attend a drug test and other factors contributed to a loss in form in years following his huge-money deal from Leeds United in 2004.

Both Vidic and Ferdinand were named in the 2007-2008 PFA Team of the Year.

French Football magazine has again done well in the discernment of player form, without the often accompanied superficial regard for the visible flare and inflated statistics of attacking players. It is a fair omen when recognition is given to the blue-collar base in a game's dynamic instead of proffering more gratuitous awe for the more stylized bourgeois attackers.

Having said that, Cristiano Ronaldo is the rightful favorite for this years Ballon d'Or.

2008 Ballon d'Or Shortlist

Media goes berserk, boasts bollacks

Following an unusually exciting and optimistic international break for English football fans, Friday presented a dull opportunity for the British media to create a sensational transition into the weekend's Premiership action.

As if fans from around the world needed more anticipation after two weeks without domestic action, three particularly fanciful stories emerged Friday based solely on old quotations and a further heaping of unabashed conjecture.

David Beckham was tipped for an off-season loan move to Arsenal to facilitate his ambitions to play for England in the remaining World Cup 2010 qualifiers next spring. Beckham is currently obligatorily applying his trade in the MLS until the season's end in November, leaving an off-season without real training. Capello has made it unequivocally clear to media, fans, and players alike that form applies and if players aren't playing for club they won't be playing for country.

The idea itself may not be far-fetched, but applying the theory based solely on Beckham's recent and understandably positive reaction to England's performances is more conjecture than substantiated prediction, especially with consideration for Beckham's historical inability to say anything meaningful (or intelligible) to reporters.

Again, based seemingly only on England's past few brilliant performances, Emile Heskey has been linked with a romantic move back o Liverpool in the January transfer window. In replying to a question about his performances for England possibly attracting attention from bigger clubs, the big target-man replied Thursday, ""Yeah, I hope [to attract interest], ... but I'm still a Wigan player and I want to do my best for them. Everyone wants to be playing on these big stages, and for their club to be in the Champions League." It's hardly irrefutable evidence linking him back to the club where he spent his glory years, during which he displayed form similar to recent emulations with England and Wigan.

To top it off, as drooling football yobs like myself and you alike surfed the Internet in a futile attempt to alleviate our anticipation, we found that Carlos Tevez will be targeted by Real Madrid in the summer. Apparently the "rule of threes" still exists in comedy, and this story completed the farcical hat-trick by centralized British soccer media. This story was fueled solely from a quote from the average Madrid player Higuain, saying, "I hope Carlos comes. He's a great player and, if he comes, he will be welcomed." Tevez is then quoted stating with a complete lack of equivocalnesses his desire to remain the Premiership at Manchester United.

Neither story represents much to sink your teeth into, but at least we are all reminded of the preposterously speculative nature of prevailing soccer journalism during a time where the action itself was doing more than enough to sustain our interest. There is never a shortage of supply for cynicism in this field, or during this age.

Rooney on song

Rooney on song

What's this? Rooney may actually be world-class? I'll put a question mark instead of a period because of the lack of form he displayed all last year, but it's not hyperbole to state that he is finally displaying the form that burst him on the scene with Everton in 2004. By the way, I cite years without any research, only intuition, so give me a +/-1 spread. He displayed the same sort of grace during his first season with United but has sputtered out off since--enough, in fact, to bring journalists British or otherwise to question the value of a player most emotionally are inclined to support.

I'm not going to shrink from my own criticism of Rooney earlier in the year, as I cautioned how important this year would be for the young bloke. His current form doesn't justify long periods without confidence but it does portend well; I'll hold off on the unequivocal, sensational declarations until he shows consistency, which is an exciting idea for any United fan, and a worth reward for our patience and belief.

Paul Scholes is out for 3 months. He may still score 10 goals. Last year Ferguson said getting Scholes back in January was just like getting a new player in the transfer window -- this year should be no different. Scholes can run games if you substitute him in after United have nicked the lead, however, without the opponent's midfield stretched in attack, he is not nearly as dominant.

Anderson shouldn't have problems filling his little booties, and Darren Fletcher could have a seriously claim alongside him. Hargreaves will probably never be injury-free; tendinitis doesn't go away, and he's had it forever.

Hopefully Ferguson will experiment with Rooney behind the two strikers (Tevez, Berbatov) if only to justify this blog's existence.

Despite Ryan Giggs playing error-free for a full 70 minutes on Tuesday in Denmark, I wouldn't expect him to be starting too many times in there, except against weaker opponents. I don't believe in him despite a really good run out against the Danes.

Patrice Evra is having an awesome season so far, and he was stellar last year. It's too bad defenders never receive the credit they may deserve. In fairness, Evra can still be dominated by a Kevin Davies type player, if a team decides to pick on his aerial deficiency. Granted, Kevin Davies did no such thing last week when United trumped Bolton 2-0.

Tommy Smythe of ESPN, also known as Andy Gray's bitch, said "That's why they bought him - to score goals" in reference to Dmitar Berbatov. Well, I acknowledge that I am critical of anything he says, because he is so ridiculous, and I know I'm being uber pedantic, but he's not entirely correct. Berbatov is not there to score 25 goals in a season. His impact is on the quality of football United play. He occupies the space that creates the whole damn dynamic. And he is a brilliant passer, and has insane, light touches in a Zidane mold. Berbatov himself is too unselfish to ever get more than around 22 (+/- 1) in a year. I expect him to get 15-20 and I expect most of them to be fucking cracking finishes. He's majestic when he's on song, languid yet serene, someone to assume the prestigious mantle of "Nate's favorite player" when Scholesy hangs 'em up.

Speaking of which, I was thinking about buying a new United jersey (most of mine are Vodafone; Ronaldo, Scholes, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, etc) and they're like 120 bucks. So.

United play Blackburn on Saturday. Fergie is going to own Paul Ince's face. Are you kidding me? Ince barely has any credentials, having only managed league two side MK Dons to promotion last campaign; Ince is far too immature to successfully manage a top flight club; no wonder they're shit. Selling Bentley didn't help, but Paul Ince hasn't lost the plot, he never had it. The guy is a clown. I look forward to Keane's Sunderland getting some points from them later in the season. Ince doesn't have the bottle.


United are going to beat the living bejesus out of them.

Enjoy!

Blogger's form dips with United

No excuses are necessary for either the dirth of my posts recently or United's few performances this season. The causes for each are known, and I'll expound on the latter but stay schtum on the former. I've been thinking about a lot of things relating not only to United but the start of the domestic leagues in Italy and Spain so let's see what I can produce.

At the beginning of the season I made a claim that Scholes could score in the double-digits this year; let's just compromise to say that it was an opinion expressed more out of emotion than reason. That's not to say it won't happen, but little Scholesy's performances in the last few matches have been translucent. He has virtually no impact defensively and simply does not get forward enough to influence matches in the way United need him to. It was Anderson in a very useful position during United's goal against Liverpool, indeed his flick setup Berbatov's run, and Anderson immediately made his own run into the box, drawing both defenders and leaving Tevez open for the goal.

Bobby McMahon on Fox Sports Report made a few good points about Scholes last night. Firstly that he may occasionally be able to dominate lesser opponents, but against combative, top class midfielders, Scholes has not been able to measure up. I'm not going to write him off yet and say that he can't measure up, just simply that he hasn't. Second, McMahon offered the possibility of putting Rooney in that position, which is the first time I've ever heard a pundit suggest the notion that I have been trumpeting (?) for almost two years.

At this point in the season, you could dismiss Scholes' form as being "not yet match fit" or "working out the kinks" after the summer, but for a veteran player with his legs, it is more realistic to hope the beginning of the year is when his legs are freshest, not visa-versa. Granted, he does not have the benefit (?) of playing internationally anymore, which may have lengthened his club career and could help to justify his lack of form thus far.

To be fair, he did have a good first match in the community shield, after which I had the fanboy effrontery to suggest his 10 goal tally. I'm not taking it back, either! Not yet. However, after a few more months of these types of displays, which marred the last season as well, it will not be enough for pundits and commentators to marvel at how Scholes is "always in the right place" or "Look at that pass", here and there, when his overall effect on the game is lacking, and it's something most of us would prefer not to admit.

Carrick broke his foot, which is just as well, because his availability only obfuscates Ferguson's decision making when it comes to the central midfield. Carrick is a distraction; now Sir Alex can choose rightfully between Scholes, Anderson, and hopefully Hargreaves, and maybe even Rooney.

I still think Scholes and Anderson is the best combination, but if Scholesy can't turn his form over then Hargreaves should anchor the Brazilian, when his tendinitis permits.

With Berbatov questionable and Vidic out, United will be hard pressed against Chelsea. However, Ronaldo might simply just win the game for us. After last year, he gets plenty of credit for being brilliant; European Footballer of the Year, Premier League Player of the Year, and possibly World Player of the Year, in addition to the groveling of so many sports writers have all contributed to his enormous stature, and rightly. It takes great, imaginative leaps to inflate his ego any more than it deserves already, which Ronaldo manages to pull off, anyway.

I still think, though, the individual effect he had on so many games last year is under appreciated. He simply won games by himself, and did it often, sometimes in consecutive games, for three to four months of the last campaign. If I had to specify I'd say between November and March Ronaldo was virtually unstoppable. He had his plaudits, sure, in each match report, but not enough that he deserved. It doesn't mean I cherish him as a player, his whimsies every summer dreaming of greener grass in Madrid aren't deserving of any frenzied fandom when he shares a dressing room with stalwart paragons like Scholes or Neville, but you'll never hear me diminish just how fucking good Ronaldo is when he's flying on form. Ronaldo has improved every year at United (something quite outstanding by itself, I don't say flippantly), before all our eyes, and if there is room to improve this year, it would come in the bigger matches where he's known to be found wanting, so let's hope he marks this weekends occasion in London with the striking speed and dynamic swagger that sets him above all else, including Messi.

For the record, Van der Sar evokes little confidence. He can barely punt the ball straight while his footwork is suppose to be his trademark. He lacks the agility that he had in his younger years, and I wonder if he will grow into a liability. I am sure Sir Alex believes that Ben Foster's return to form from injury couldn't come long enough, as England and United's long-term number one is within his potential.

If I had more money, I'd have bet a good sum on Chelsea owning Manchester City last weekend. The book would have been tilted in City's edge, probably by a lot of public money that bought into the concept of the Eastlanders suddenly being a title contender because they bought one overpriced winger. It takes a lot more than a little genius to create a consistently good team, here's two examples: a midfield and a defense. Anyways, having all the money in Dubai at your disposal won't prove a bad thing, but anyone in the know knew the hype was just that. McMahon said that it takes 4-5 years to make a club a top contender, which is strange because it took Chelsea one year to win the EPL after their dramatic makeover. I'll give City at least the same time before passing too much judgment. They do have a huge target on their chests, now; any team will be up for it, knowing they can beat City, and treat the victory like it was a "Top Four" result, in their minds.

I should follow with brief notes on Italy later today or in the next few days.

Transfer deadline

The wait is over.

United have finally signed Dmitar Berbatov from Tottenham after a tug-of-war for over a month between the two clubs.

United neighbors City also shocked world football by being bought outright by an Arabian consortium on the final day of the transfer deadline, bidding audaciously for four world-class players and sealing the signature of Brazliian Robinho from Real Madrid.

City gave Chelsea a taste of their own medicine, outbidding on the player highly sought by the London club and smashing the British transfer record for 33 million pounds.

The transfers of Wright-Phillips and Robinho are somewhat ostentacious from City, as they now enjoy a ridiculous surfeit of attacking options, with Elano, Petrov, Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips all rightfully vying for starts, none of them being true strikers.

The city of Manchester should be a highlight reel for wingers this season with Ronaldo scheduled to return early from injury later this month.

United did brilliantly to prevent a stale rehash of last year's memorable yet fortunate season by filling a huge void next to Carlos Tevez formerly named Wayne Rooney. Rooney should find himself third and last on the depth chart, with Campbell moving to Tottenham to get top-flight and European experience. I was afraid United would sign Berbatov without loaning Campbell, making him fourth on the depth chart which is a disservice to his potential. This is a great deal for both clubs, Campbell can partner well with Bent or Pavlyuchenko, while Berbatov and Tevez with Ronaldo ablaze and Rooney supporting will be full of class.

I still think Rooney should be slowly getting some time in an attacking midfield position, instead f attempting to strike traditionally, perhaps something similar to the role Scholes did supporting Van Nistelrooy before Rooney arrived. Rooney tries to make up for his lack of flair and confidence by chasing defenders fruitlessly and yelling obscenities at the ref with incredulous looks on his face. 'Wazza' might become more than a nickname if Rooney lets his potential go the way of the dodo like did Gasgiogne. If Rooney doesn't grow this year, and Campbell enjoys a storied year as he did with Hull, scoring more than 15 goals in seven months during their promotion campaign, I could see Rooney being transferred abroad, or to a lesser English side.

Rooney has marketing appeal, being somewhat of a poster boy, video-game famous and on Nike posters, but I don't think many people are truly passionate about the player who showed so much flair when he arrived with Everton and whirled downward since. He's a player you'd like to get behind but generally lets you down. Despite a goal tally which can fluctuate upwards, his form has never matched his potential.

Gotta still root for him though, if he only had more confidence when he was attacking players with the ball, and used more of the body fakes and shoulder-drops that he was growing a legend for in eluding defenders.