Why Christmas brings no cheer to players and clubs in the Premier League

Even Jesus Christ can’t seem to get Premier League players and managers a break

The snow’s falling down, kids are enjoying their holidays, offices take an extended break and homes swell with festive cheer and celebration as Europe looks forward to Christmas and the impending New Year. Footballers too get a break, to put their feet up a bit and get some rest and relaxation while also getting time to spend with family and friends. After all, when the rest of the world’s celebrating, why shouldn’t they?

However, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria and the rest of the players in England’s top flight – are not sharing the same sentiments as they find themselves embroiled in the yearly rigmarole that is the ‘bonus’ fixture pile-up that the Premier League is associated with usually at this point in the season.

Unlike during their time in Spain in the last few years, the above quartet is not going to be enjoying a winter break this time around. A cluster of games are the presents that the league throws up to its teams, and their players and managers, who must curse their luck when they look at what their pals in the other leagues are up to.

It’s been a long-running debate on whether the Football Association (FA) should cease with this annual fixture congestion in keeping with what Spain, Germany, Italy and the rest of Europe’s top leagues do in order to aid English teams in the long run.

So far though, it hasn’t cut any slack with the powers to be as profit, viewership and cash, continue to ensure that players will be in their team strips four times in a span of 10 days between December 26 and January 5.

The rest of Europe

In contrast, the winter break is on after this weekend’s round of matches in the other leagues. The La Liga will resume on January 3rd, the Serie A on January 5th and the Ligue 1 on January 7th. That’s 14 days off for those teams at the minimum. The Bundesliga is even better, and reopens only on January 30th, resulting in a month of rest and recuperation for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Of course, Germany has only 18 teams and as a result has 40 matches lesser in its calendar, due to which they can afford a whole month off. But the other three big leagues have the same number of teams as the Premier League and get 14 days off. Ironically, despite that, the La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League all conclude on the weekend of May 23/24; Serie A closes a week later.

So, the situation in England is great for television, great for some sections of fans who do enjoy the added football during the holidays, but how about the players and what effect does it have in the longer run, say for teams in the UEFA Champions League?

English teams in the Champions League knockout rounds

One trend that has been observed on an almost annual basis is that teams from the other leagues seem to almost fare better in the Champions League than those from England. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund seem to be able to find another gear as the competition moves into March and April.

Last year Manchester City, the eventual champions, were eliminated in the first knockout round by Barcelona, Arsenal likewise by Bayern Munich. Chelsea got to the semi-finals before being beaten by Atletico Madrid.

Last year’s Chelsea are in fact a classic case; they were going well in the Premier League and looking likely for a title run until their resources got stretched with a deep run in Europe. Manchester City benefited from having a deeper squad as well as bowing out early, allowing them to fully concentrate on the league.

This explains how they became champions last year despite being top of the table for a mere 14 days. And Liverpool had no distractions from the get go, a challenge they could not cope with this year, not being able to get past the group stage even.

The top three teams in England over the past five seasons (based on how they finished that season)

Looking at how the top English teams (in reference to order of finish that season) have gone in Europe in the last five years, it doesn’t make for good reading.

Of the eventual champions, Manchester United went the furthest in 2010-11 finishing runners-up to Barcelona. No runner-up has gone beyond the quarter-finals and likewise for the third-best team. The top Spanish and German teams are however, constantly making the quarters and the semis in Europe’s premier club competition.

Last year, it was an all-Spanish affair in the final and the year before that, an all-German one. Each of the top three Spanish teams last year made the quarter-finals while two German teams did. Chelsea were England’s only representative.

You might say that those stats merely state the obvious, which is that the Premier League isn’t ‘the best in the world’ as those ‘pundits’ would have you believe and that the players in Spain and Germany are so much better than the ones in England. While that isn’t entirely a faulty line of debate, all players, including the very best ones, need their rest and time to recuperate and when viewed in that context a 14-day period of no competitive action is gold dust.

Chelsea may be amongst the best in Europe this term, but the lack of time off could hurt them when they take on Europe’s big boys.

World Cup exertions

Like those layers of cake that you get around Christmas when you step into feasts, certain footballers this year had to deal with the exertions of playing at the quadrennial showpiece before returning to their clubs.

It wasn’t for no reason that players such as Eden Hazard, Robin van Persie and Pablo Zabaleta took some time to get going this season. Also, players associated with the Brazil team, the World Cup hosts, seem to suffering from a serious dip in form after their underwhelming campaign that ended in a humiliating exit at the hands of eventual winners Germany.

Fernandinho is a prime example of a player whose form has dipped this year over last season, while Oscar and Willian looked to be carrying a hangover for some time as well.
What would really irk the players is that even during such years, there is no exception made by the FA.

Is there any respite?

The fact that the Premier League is an extremely profitable money-spinning offering now probably means that the end to this hectic schedule is nowhere in sight in the near future. When Premier Leagues can charge upto £600 for children to become mascots, you know that its money over anything else.

Also, the fact that as a product it is being lapped up by audiences outside of England who are in fact the main drivers of television revenue probably means that the Christmas festivities for the players will continue to remain on the pitch.

Louis van Gaal is the latest manager to criticize the Christmas scheduling

As Louis van Gaal said recently critiquing this, "I am not happy - but I cannot change it - because I don't think it is good for the players that they play within two days of a (previous) match - two matches in two days.”

"In December it shall be like that. We also have family. I have a wife and kids, and grandchildren, and I cannot see them this Christmas. But I want to work in the Premier League, so I have to adapt, and I shall adapt. But I don't think it is good. It is not good for the players, nor for the family."

Perhaps it’s about time ‘the best league in the world’ lent a caring ear to its primary stakeholders in order to further the interests of its clubs in the long run and not just its coffers.

How the Coca-Cola Cup is helping to identify young football talent in India

The U-15 Coca Cola Cup is an ideal platform to identify young talent in India

The sporting landscape in India has undergone a tremendous change in the last 15 years. Once a predominantly cricket-crazy country, India today has more than one sport that it tunes into. Not only is it a case of a wider range of sports being available for viewing, but also a case of more diversity in sports adopted by youngsters as professions.

But how far along has the country come in creating a health-conscious sports culture? How many youngsters today look to maintain a healthy lifestyle? While that can’t be answered with any measure of certainty at the moment, the number of youngsters who are taking up sports from an early age is certainly rising. And a healthy lifestyle is more often than not just an extension of involvement in sports.

Football is one of the sports that have come up in a big way in terms of both viewership and interest. The Indian Super League in its first incarnation has garnered pretty impressive fan following and attendance numbers. The tournament broadly addresses the top of the food chain and in due course serves to be the ultimate playing field for top quality football in India.

Meanwhile, the hunt to identify the next rung of talent in the sport has been subtly going on for a few years now, with focus on the grassroots and youth levels. Any kind of developmental work has to begin at the bottom of the pyramid, as FIFA’s Secretary-General Jerome Valcke emphasized during his visit to India in October this year.

"What is important is that whenever you do something at the top level, you don't forget about the grassroots programs and to develop football at the level of the kids. The ISL is helping; the Indian league (I-League) is there as well. We must make sure that we're all together with one goal - to develop football in India and help India play in the World Cup sooner!" he was quoted as saying.

Of course, it is common knowledge now that India has won the rights to stage the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, and work is well underway towards that project.

A key partner of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in this mission has been Coca-Cola. India’s leading beverage company has been an active agent of change through its outreach and sustainability programmes.

The Coca-Cola Cup traces its roots back to 2008, when Coca-Cola India first organized their youth level championship across the country. In 2009, Coca-Cola decided to partner with the AIFF to sponsor the erstwhile Sub Junior National Football Championship and turn it into a large-scale national grassroots football tournament. This initiative was directed towards fostering a more vibrant sporting culture in the country, in turn promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

The tournament looks at identifying youngsters with potential and providing them with a solid platform to develop their inherent talent into a full-fledged and meaningful profession. Recognizing the huge potential present in football in India, the mission looks at training young football talent in accordance with international football standards.

The tournament helps to showcase young football talent while also in turn acting as a channel to create a talent pool for the upcoming Under-17 World Cup.

The tournament begins at the district level where inter-school matches are held across more than 70 cities; the best players then make it through to play at the state or zonal level. From the zonal level, 10 teams progress to the national finals, from where the ultimate champions are determined.

Meghalaya are the defending champions, having beaten the boys from Odisha in last year’s final. In that edition, the tournament drew participation from over 41,000 young footballers from 2,610 schools across 86 cities.

Coca-Cola is aiding in the AIFF’s larger mission which is to have more participation at the grassroots level (6-12 years), which in turn will result in more and more children taking up the game. All of that will result in a strong youth football structure taking shape in the country.

Along with the AIFF’s other in-house grassroots programs, such tournaments seek to augment developmental efforts in the country as far as football is concerned, so that when the U-17 World Cup comes around in three years’ time, India can put forward a top quality squad as the host nation.

ISL: Kerala Blasters vs Atletico de Kolkata - Tactical Analysis

Atletico de Kolkata are the first champions of the ISL

The first champion has been anointed in the Indian Super League after over two months of football action and it was Atletico de Kolkata who walked away with the grand prize after beating Kerala Blasters in yesterday’s final in Mumbai. The game itself stayed true to expectation as a grind-fest as has been customary in games involving Kolkata this season. In the end, Kolkata’s late rally sealed the deal for them. Here we attempt to look at how the game went from a tactical point of view.

Line-Ups

Kerala adopted the same shape as they’d done for the second leg of their semi-final against Chennaiyin FC going 4-1-3-2 with Mehtab Hossain in the deep-lying midfield role. Iain Hume and Michael Chopra started up front in keeping with the trend with the most notable change in the side being captain and player/coach David James returning between the posts in place of Sandip Nandy. Kerala had gone with a 4-4-2 in the first leg of the semi-final which they won 3-0, but owing to the stage of the competition decidedly went the cautious route.

Line-ups

Atletico too showed few surprises going in with the tried and test 4-2-3-1 with Ofentse Nato and Borja Fernandez sitting in front of the front four. The duo had been excellent in the lead up to the final having played a key role in their run to the final by protecting the back four and making it tough for opponents to break them down. No Fikru Teferra for the final meant a place for Mohammad Rafi as the lone striker up front. Captain andmarquee player Luis Garcia had to contend with a place on the bench.

Tactics

Kerala generally over the course of the tournament have been a team that don’t necessarily go full throttle on attack. Perhaps the lone exception to that came in their home leg of the semi-finals. Chennai almost pulled off a miraculous comeback, but guess James went in with the same formation knowing that he was going up a defensive-minded team against Kolkata and that his team would probably be doing more of the attacking. 

The two forwards were testament to that as James perhaps hoped to get a goal, maybe two through the industry of Hume and Stephen Pearson and use the presence of Mehtab to defend effectively.

Kolkata coach Antonio Habas has been one of the most tactical coaches in the ISL and he opted to go with a 3-5-2 in the second leg of his team’s semi-final against FC Goa. The move did not work that well as they came under pressure from Goa which forced him to tweak the line-up and the outfit that he arrived at is what he retained for the final. 

He chose to utilitze winger Jakub Podany as a traditional left-back in the back-four with Kingshuk Debnath on the right. A big part of Atletico’s plan, not for the first time, was safety first and make sure that they defend their goal. Borja (who led the league in tackles made) and Nato have been brilliant in ensuring that and that was likely why Garcia too was held back to bring on against tired legs.

Final Play

Kerala started the better after a high-tempo opening from both sides. Kolkata were more than happy to sit back and soak up the pressure and though Kolkata ended up having more possession (51% to 49%), it was Kerala who did much of the attacking. They had more shots and also earned more corners through possession.

Pearson and Hume were the key channels through which Kerala attacked and Apoua Edel Bete was busy once again in goal for Habas’ team. Chopra playing with Hume also enabled Kerala to test that Kolkata defence a bit more and it was those two who had the best chances of the match.

Mohammed Rafique (far left) scored the game winner at the death for Kolkata

Hume’s shot was tipped wide in the 37th minute and Chopra in the second half had a great chance, but he once again found Edel Bete in the way. Kerala dominated for much of the second half too and were the more aggressive.

Borja was given the responsibility of controlling the tempo for Kolkata, as he led the odd foray out every now and then, but for the most part they were willing to buckle in and defend. And they looked comfortable barring the odd chance created by Kerala. Kolkata were content to slow down the pace and rely on set pieces to try and mount some sustained attack. 

Verdict

Overall, the game was a tight, cagey affair as could have been expected from two teams who grinded their way through the campaign and were not exactly teams high on flair. Kerala did most of the running with the ball and created a few good openings, but did not have the beating of the keeper.

Kolkata did what they do best in soaking up the pressure and were comfortable to hold their line and maintain good defensive shape, looking to hit on the counter. And the sucker punch came, cruelly late for Kerala, but that’s football and the tactical plan of Habas to contain and nick it in the end paid off once again. 

Of Michael Carrick and his importance to Manchester United

Michael Carrick’s return has been a huge boost for Manchester United

Manchester United were 10th with 13 points after 10 games in the first week of November, having just lost 1-0 away at champions Manchester City.

The doubts were beginning to creep in about the big-name manager who was appointed in the summer as well as the big-money signings that had joined the squad. Much the same as last year, but with a different manager – that seemed to be the feeling amongst sections of fans.

Today, the Red Devils have climbed back into UEFA Champions League reckoning, sitting in third place having put together a run of six consecutive victories. While they have not been extremely dominant, there has been an efficiency about United that has seen them take the chances offered and make the most of some good fortune along the way.

The manager and the players themselves have been keen to point that out during the run.
But while David de Gea’s saves, Robin van Persie’s return to form and the good showings of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia as wingbacks dominate discussions, the return of another key element of this United side has been overlooked.

“Michael is one of those unassuming, quiet guys, who just goes about his job and never gives the ball away. But his range of passing can win you games. He has great potential and is a real Manchester United player.” – Sir Alex Ferguson

United’s win streak has coincided with Michael Carrick’s return to the starting line-up. The English midfielder made his way into the starting 11 against Crystal Palace at home on November 8 after recovering from injury, and his influence has been subtly stirring if not loudly obvious.

You may not see him running himself into the ground, hit stinging shots on goal or put in crunching tackles that send the pulse racing. But his intelligence and efficient operation in United’s midfield and defence have laid the foundation for the team’s improved showing of late.

You might say that they still look very susceptible to conceding goals every time they take the field. That’s true, they are still very much a work in progress, but Carrick’s return has brought about a measure of control to United’s play and possession, something that Louis van Gaal absolutely needs to get his project off the ground.

In midfield

In both positions that he’s played so far – holding midfielder and central defender – Carrick has excelled and played a key role in delivering results for his side.

His reading of the game is right up there with the best and the way he nips in to intercept the ball has been a feature in United’s play during this winning run. Van Gaal brought in Daley Blind from Ajax to play in that role and while the Dutchman didn’t perform badly, Carrick has one-upped him so far.

Carrick’s stats since his return from injury

Blind would constantly patrol the area in front of the back four looking to protect his defenders, and he did an admirable job. The team, however, would often lose shape every time he vacated his spot to go help his teammates out. Carrick on the other hand is protecting his defenders while keeping the team’s shape intact with his economic movement and expert anticipation.

Moreover, his vastly larger passing range allows him to play with commensurate ease with the ball at his feet even under pressure.

We got glimpses of that this past weekend in United’s win over Liverpool. There were numerous occasions when Carrick was put under pressure by the Liverpool players either while retrieving an under-hit pass or playing it out of defence, yet he managed to make the right decisions and was ice-cool throughout the game.

In defence

The passing, anticipation and interceptions have been vital ingredients to his exemplary performance in the heart of defence as well. Crucially though, Carrick ensures Van Gaal’s side can now play their way out from the back, something that the Dutchman has been keen on since he arrived.

We saw that at the World Cup too with Netherlands; amongst Van Gaal’s back three of Ron Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan De Vrij, Vlaar was the enforcer, while De Vrij and Martins Indi in particular would look for the out-ball. He has Chris Smalling in Vlaar’s role now, a no-nonsense defender, and Carrick does the Martins Indi work.

The sense of calm that Carrick has brought in is something that was missing earlier when United used to almost play in a state of chaos, the stunning 3-5 reversal away at Leicester being a prime example.

The side was overloaded with a whole host of gifted attacking players in Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera who were a little too forward-looking all the time, and their matches often resembled basketball games – up one end then down the other.

Daley Blind was left with too many holes to plug by himself, and that’s the primary reason why United were opened up so easily.

Against Southampton last Monday, Van Gaal decided to take out young Paddy McNair 42 minutes into the match as he was being given a torrid time, and chose to push Carrick into his role instead of bringing in another centre-back. That allowed United to play out from the back with Carrick pinging balls to the midfield and forwards.

With Carrick playing at the back, the defence no longer blindly hacks balls away at the first sign of trouble; there’s a sense of assuredness about them now.

Fluidity in play

To underestimate Carrick’s influence and dismiss his contributions as passé would be the equivalent of dissing Xavi and claiming that he played just an infinitesimal part in the great Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola.

Carrick is a guy who has been showered with praise by two of the best midfielders of the last decade in Xavi and United’s very own Paul Scholes. He is one of those players who is highly spoken of amongst his teammates at Old Trafford, even if the fans consider him nothing but a mediocre spoke in this team.

He creates time for himself on the ball and makes retention of the football a top priority, even if it involves a square pass to the keeper. We all saw how leaky United’s ‘run and gun’ style early on proved.

Efficiency and intelligence are underrated in today’s football. A cerebral player like Carrick going about his work with a sense of languidness may be construed as showing little effort to some, but in truth his composed nature is a result of him having a high football IQ and being able to mentally see a play far ahead of his peers.

He is sure to hold his place down even when Blind returns, as Manchester United are going to need his high-level performances throughout the rest of the season to sustain their campaign for a top-four finish. Carrick is the glue to holding it together for the United side at the moment.

5 positives that will emerge from the unification of the ISL and I-League

It was considered a new dawn for Indian football when the Hero Indian Super League was formulated, with the tournament supposedly carrying the broader vision of improving the standard of football in the country and enabling local footballers to broaden their skill sets.

The tournament has so far attracted a lot of interest from football lovers across the country with good numbers in attendance in the stadiums as well, as hooked to the action on television and other mediums. Now with the ISL popular, what of the elephant in the room that is the I-League, the incumbent football league of the country? 

A merger of the two leagues is the best solution to the problem and here’s five good reasons why this would be best for business:

#1 A single unified league

A country should have only one established league thereby making it a single point of reference as far as football is concerned. There can be different tiers (first division, second division etc.), but there cannot be two competing leagues. The only thing it does is fragment the attention the sport gets between the traditional and new leagues.

We’ve already seen an example of this in India before – the Indian Premier League (IPL) jostled with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in the initial years, hockey also saw the fragmentation with two governing bodies and many different leagues over the years. Moreover, since the ISL has the blessing of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the governing body would do well to lay down the hammer and merge the two competitions to ensure a single, strong, unified league, which is best for the country.

#2 Scattering of talent

Another fallout of competing leagues is the scattering of talent that happens. The rather awkward predicament that it puts a lot of the players in is one that we don’t want to see where a few of them would be stuck in the i-League and others in the ISL. Also, if the ISL continues to attract the better foreign talent, then the I-League will die a slow death thanks to cannibalization.

So, the merger would address a major issue in ensuring that there is a single umbrella under which the Indian players play with no clashing obligations while also making sure that the knock-on effect from the best of foreign talent is infused into one league. It would also allow scouting for the national teams to happen at once. 

#3 Leveraging of resources and infrastructure

There are a few things that are very obvious when you look at the two leagues. The ISL has the money and the pulling power from the stars (the ones that draw eyeballs in India) and crucially it wins the television battleground, with Star Sports heavily involved. No matter how good a product or offering, it is useless if it is not carried to the masses and in this respect, the ISL is well served.

Combine this with the strengths and the constituency that the I-League has built up over the years and the two leagues can draw on each other’s strengths when they combine. Branching out and reaching each corner of the country is something the ISL will have to do, but that job will be much easier with the established credentials of the I-League in tow. 

#4 Building a fanbase

Now that football fans in the country have sampled higher level of football in the ISL, rather than throng in droves to the new I-League season, they would be most unwilling to even look in it’s direction. Its like how once you’ve tasted the fine wine, you don’t go back to the lower grades.

Two leagues would create a situation where the interest in football would be on and off during a year, resulting in crests and troughs. Combining the two will help fan bases to grow, allowing the newer ones to connect with the old loyalists and thus have larger distribution of fan pockets. The increased number of teams and multiple representatives from the same region will help boost the product and help establish a full-fledged football season and avoid a clash of dates.

#5 Knockout/ league to full blown league

Right now, the ISL is designed in a fashion where the top four teams qualify for the semi-finals and then there is a grand final, making it something of an exhibition showpiece. So the team that performs best in the league may not necessarily be the ultimate winner which is harsh in a way.

You might say that the IPL does the same, but the situation is not the same. T20 is but one form of cricket and it is the shortest form and hence it is alright that the tournament lasts for only two months. A football season on the other hand, should stretch throughout the year and be a test of endurance as well as skill where the top team at the end of the total gamut of home and away games is the ultimate winner.