All posts by h79snht.top

The Premier League have confirmed that clubs will be punished with a points deduction if they are to breach new financial regulations which are to be put in place.

No team will be allowed to have a loss of over £105million over a three year period and must limit their wage bills from next season.

“If people break the £105millon limit we will look for the top-end ultimate sanction range – a points deduction,” Premier League boss Richard Scudamore told BBC Sport.

The plans come in to improve financial sustainability for clubs and will be modelled on the Financial Fair Play regulations set by UEFA for sides in European competitions.

The Premier League are set to be more lenient however, as the FFP only allows a loss of £38million, substantially smaller than the £105million set out by the English top flight.

Agreeing to cost controls is a major move for Premier League clubs who made an accumulative loss of £361million in 2010-2011.

“As with all things in our rulebook, you will be subject to a disciplinary commission,” the Premier League chief executive added.

“Normally we stay silent on sanctions as the commission has a free range but clearly if there is a material breach of that rule we will be asking the commission to consider top-end sanctions.”

By putting in these guidelines it will hopefully allow clubs to perform on a more sound financial position, eradicating scenarios such as Leeds and Portsmouth where clubs operated out of their means ultimately ending bankrupt.

The decision will certainly spark interest from Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, the only clubs in the Premier League to report a loss of more than the £105million over the last three years.

The vote to put the financial regulations in place couldn’t have been any closer, with 13 out of the 20 clubs voting in favour, triggering the two thirds majority vote.

Fulham, West Brom, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Swansea and Southampton voted against the regulations. Chelsea who were reported to vote against it eventually voted in favour.

While there is a limit in place, Scudamore believes it won’t stop major investment to improve club squads.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“A new owner can still invest a decent amount of money to improve their club but they are not going to be throwing hundreds and hundreds of millions [of pounds] in a very short period of time.

“I think at £105m you can still build a very decent club with substantial owner funding but you have to do it over time, not in a season.”

By bringing in these new regulations we might see a league operated on a leveller playing field making for a much more open Premier League while bringing in the threat of a points deduction will make teams severely think about breaking the new regulations.

[cat_link cat=”premiership” type=”grid”]

There’s eight fixtures left in the Premier League and, while the title is more than decided in Manchester United’s favour, the race for fourth place promises a thrilling end to the season, with Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal fighting it out for the two places the Mancunian teams will leave among the top-four. Benitez, Wenger and Villas-Boas’ sides remain confident to achieve the goal, but one of them will fail in their aspirations.

Missing out on Champions League football next season will be a failure for any of the three teams given their current circumstances, but for which one of them would fifth place mean the biggest loss?

We have seen almost everything in football and, of course, there is still a chance that Roberto Mancini’s squad could see their Champions League dreams vanish, but that would be such a shock that no one would argue they are the team that have more to lose. Taking City out of the equation, then, which one of the remaining trio could face the biggest disaster?

[cat_link cat=”premiership” type=”list”]

The current table sees Arsenal in fifth place, but taking a look at the remaining fixtures, Wenger’s boys should be the ones obtaining most points out of the games left to be played. The Emirates still has to host the leaders, United, and Europa League-pursuers, Everton, but home wins are a must at this stage. Besides, Alex Ferguson’s side could already visit the Gunners as league champions – a scenario that could tip the balance in The Gunners’ favour.

Victories against mid-table teams – West Brom and Fulham – are also an obligation, and the clashes against bottom-three teams – Wigan and QPR – at the end of the season could be the real threat should those squads still hold any hopes of survival in the Premier League.

Chelsea and Tottenham have a more complicated calendar ahead, starting by a crunch game between each other at Stamford Bridge that could have a decisive influence on the final outcome. Apart from that, the Blues will have to visit the always complicated grounds of Anfield and Old Trafford, while Spurs will have to make the most of the visits from Everton and City to White Hart Lane.

Arsenal are the team with the least amount of points at the moment, but a relatively favourable calendar should neutralise that gap and give the Gunners certain advantage to finish among the top-four, and the fact that the squad is out of every other competition should somehow be reflected in the final amount of points they gain during the final stretch. Tottenham and Chelsea are still alive in the Europa League, and the Blues have to add in The FA Cup semi-final – at least – to their busy schedule.

Looking at the consequences of failing to reach the Champions League, the ability to secure signings in order to be competitive in the next season could considerably affect the three clubs. Chelsea are aiming to sign big names this summer, with Radamel Falcao as the main target, but the Colombian might not see Stamford Bridge as an attractive destiny if the current champions fail to qualify for Europe. Also, managerial target Jose Mourinho would surely not feel quite like The Special One if he had to play in the Europa League next season.

Spurs’ main concern on that front will be keeping Gareth Bale in the squad. With the flying winger being tracked by Real Madrid and other European giants, Champions League football will be needed to retain the Welshman at White Hart Lane. Even if the club received an irresistible offer for the 21-year-old, a top-four finish will be crucial to luring stars like Gonzalo Higuain to N17.

Arsenal, for its part, seem determined to strengthen the squad by taking the cheque book out and proceeding to make a big investment while keeping a number of key players. However, the doors to big signings could close should the Champions League anthem not sound through The Emirates’ speakers next season.

Beyond signing prospects and the financial wealth that top European football brings, every fan will surely find reasons to think their team need to qualify for the Champions League more than any other. For Arsenal fans, failing to do so after fifteen consecutive seasons would be a major disaster, and the section of fans against Wenger would increase considerably. Chelsea supporters would probably wonder once again why Di Matteo was sacked with the team in third place to end up the season fifth, while the Spurs crowd would be gutted to see the fall of a team that have delivered the best football in years, at the time they ask themselves what else is needed to finish above Arsenal for once since 1995?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

From a neutral perspective we could arguably say Chelsea are the team with more to lose. They are the reigning champions in Europe, their transfer aspirations could badly be reduced by the top-four failure, and the fact that it happened after sacking a manager idolised by the fans in the middle of the season could turn the fans’ anger towards the highest echelons of the club.

Arsenal and Tottenham fans will surely disagree, as drama is always more potent when it hits you closely, but for now, let’s leave the debate open, enjoy the end of the season and leave the tears – of joy and sorrow – for May 19th.

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Last week’s Champions League match between Manchester United and Real Madrid was destined to provide a bounty of high profile headlines. The match didn’t disappoint.

Hours before the players took the pitch, the first of many heated debates started. Some fans were fuming over Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to keep Wayne Rooney out of the starting XI, while others trusted their legendary manager.

However, fans quickly forgot this seemingly trivial managerial decision in the 56th minute. The turning point of the star-studded match did not come from either squad, but rather referee Cuneyt Cakir. His decision to show Nani a questionable red card transformed the momentum at Old Trafford. United, who held a 1-0 lead at the time, would concede twice in the next 13 minutes.

When the final whistle blew, the score was 2-1. Manchester United was eliminated from Champions League play, and the debate began. Was Cuneyt Cakir right to send off Nani?

After a week of polling, FootballFanCast.com readers have spoken. The fans have decided the red card was unwarranted. The debate was close with 54% disagreeing, with Cakir’s call and 46% supporting the referee’s decision to send Nani off.

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Manchester fan Karl Kjærvik suggested Real Madrid’s Alvaro Arbeloa was the guilty player in the collision. He commented, “Nani watched the ball – Arbeloa came in partly from behind. He saw the situation coming up and could have avoided it.”

Tim Finnie, a Manchester City fan, argued it was irresponsible for the referee to play such a large role in a highly anticipated match. He sympathised with City’s fierce rivals, commenting “The referee has to think about the game that is being played. It was United against Real Madrid. how often does that happen? Do I want to destroy the spectacle that is this game? Having looked at the incident many times, I do not think Nani should have been red carded.”

Akinola Aleke represented the minority decision and fully supported the referee’s decision, commenting “It’s a straight red, Nani’s spikes were up.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

What’s your view?

FootballFanCast.com is constantly hosting debates such as this. Join in the conversation and have your opinion heard. With our new opinions feature simply click agree or disagree. Then support your vote with a comment.

If Everton are to achieve their goal of European qualification they can’t afford to fall at the final hurdle. The Toffees saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Sunderland last weekend and David Moyes will hope it, along with a number of flat performances from several of his key players, is only a minor blip. For all intents and purposes it has been a campaign of solid consistency from the Merseyside club and it will be a shame to see their quest for a top-six finish blow up in smoke at this late stage. The 2-0 win against Manchester City and 2-2 draw at Tottenham proved they can mix it with the Premier League’s best but its now a matter of believing they belong in the divisions upper echelons.

Fulham, on the other hand, have tailed off ever since their top-flight status was certified at the beginning of the month. Since beating QPR 3-2 on the first day of April they haven’t tasted victory in the four games since, picking up just a point in that sequence, and find their season tailing off into nothing. Sadly for manager Martin Jol the Cottagers don’t usually fare too well in the blue half of Merseyside and haven’t managed a win in their last 24 league visits.

Team News

Everton will assess Darron Gibson (thigh) and Victor Anichebe (hamstring) before kick-off after both failed to see out the loss at Sunderland. Phil Jagielka is also a doubt but right-back Tony Hibbert is back in contention and could take a place on the bench.

Fulham should have Damien Duff back from a thigh injury, but are without Steven Sidwell for the remainder of the season as he begins a four-match suspension. Emmanuel Frimpong is back after being unable to play against parent club Arsenal last week, while Sascha Riether (ankle) is a doubt.

What the managers said…

“I think Fulham have improved in recent weeks. They’ve had a few very good away results – winning at Spurs and I think they were a bit unfortunate to lose at Newcastle.

”They have one or two dangerous players and we’ll need to be mindful of that.” David Moyes admits he is wary of the threat Fulham will pose to Everton (evertonfc.com)

“People ask me ‘is it easy to inspire your players or to motivate each other?’” But if you saw us play against Chelsea and Arsenal you saw that we were very dedicated and very energetic to try to get results. [But] we didn’t, for other reasons.” Martin Jol dismisses suggestions his Fulham players already have one eye on the summer break (fulhamfc.com)

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Pre-match Statistic: Everton are unbeaten in the last 19 home league games against Fulham.

Prediction: Everton 2-0 Fulham

Make your bets ahead of the showdown at Goodison Park by clicking on the banner below

[ad_pod id=’hititbet’ align=’center’]

It can be tough having a good looking sister. If you’ve ever experienced the pain of your mates constantly ribbing you for the fact that your sibling happens to be to their liking, you know what a nightmare it can be.

So when this Manchester United player introduced his sister to his team mates, we’re sure he regretted it almost instantly.

The Old Trafford dressing room would have been full of jibes and remarks about this star’s family member, and who could blame them?

Whether she was part of the Premier League title celebrations it remains to be seen, but we’re sure this particular Red Devil would have been keeping her well away from the likes of Welsh wizard Ryan Giggs during the subsequent after-party.

But do you know which Manchester United player she grew up with?

Just email whose sister you think this is to [email protected] and you can win talkSPORT’s 100 Greatest British Sporting Legends (featuring George Best)

In this wonderful celebration of all that is best about British sport, talkSPORT has taken on the challenge of listing the 100 greatest

sporting legends since the war. Featuring contributions from many of talkSPORT’s own presenters, including Alan Brazil, Darren Gough

Of course, being talkSPORT, nothing is straightforward and the opinions are hotly debated. Some surprising names make into the list, while others are relegated to the bottom or even fail to appear at all.

Who comes out on top: Steve Backley or Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor? Who is the greatest football legend? and Stan Collymore, the talkSPORT team has drawn up its definitive listing of Britain’s top sports stars.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Each of the 100 stars is fully profiled, with surprising and fascinating information revealed about all of them, and their individual ranking in the list is fully justified.

In short, this book will not only provide some happy memories of great achievements, but cause much controversy – just like talkSPORT itself.

[cat_link cat=”manchester-united” type=”grid”]

He was deemed too expensive, not by the club themselves but the Arsenal supporters. £31million for a 25-year-old with title-winning experience, Champions League experience, a full international with one of the leading nations in world football, and a player who’s about as natural a goal scorer as you’ll find.

Somewhere in the scorn for what Napoli ended up paying for Gonzalo Higuain, there were clear signs of disappointment, Arsenal supporters resigning themselves to defeat once again as yet another top target slipped through the net. Most tried to make themselves feel better through the insistence that the Argentinian wasn’t worth anywhere near the £31million the Naples club paid Real Madrid, but who are they kidding?

This is a summer where a 19-year-old centre-back with about 30 league games under his belt moved from Roma to PSG for €32 million. This is a summer where Real Madrid may break the world record transfer fee for Gareth Bale. Edinson Cavani, another proven striker with international pedigree, has already gone for £56million. How on earth is Higuain not worth £31million?

[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”list”]

But then this is typically Arsenal. Pass up on all the obvious, easy choices – of which, Mario Gomez and Stevan Jovetic were included – and instead zero in on the most controversial figure with the most convoluted contract situation in Luis Suarez. Arsenal may not want to budge on their £40million offering, but Liverpool reportedly won’t settle for anything less than £50million. Following Higuain’s welcome by 200 Napoli fans at Rome Fiumicino airport, Arsenal can pat themselves on the back for their great business sense.

Can Arsenal use Real Madrid’s last minute hike of the price on Higuain as an excuse? Absolutely not. Higuain was a striker in demand and the Spanish club tried to get as much as they could out of him. Isn’t that exactly what Arsenal did a year ago when they sold Robin van Persie to league rivals Manchester United for £24million when they could have ushered him out of the country to Juventus for much less?

Arsenal and Higuain were the perfect marriage: a striker who desperately needed to be the centrepiece of a good attacking unit, coupled with a club who were desperate for someone of his quality. What’s £7-8million extra if you’re getting everything you need, and for a considerable number of years? But Arsenal apparently don’t think like that. Did the club pull the plug on principle, or was there a strange epiphany that ran through everyone’s mind that Suarez, for much more money, would be the better target?

And then there’s the complexities of this Suarez deal that weren’t present with Higuain. Liverpool don’t want to sell to Arsenal, at all. They’d rather hang on and hope that Real Madrid revive their interest and then flog the Uruguayan to Spain than strengthen a domestic rival. Higuain, if what was reported can be believed, had already agreed to a contract with Arsenal; he wanted to leave and Real Madrid were more than willing to sell. Don’t blame them for getting market value for one of their assets. And if Higuain isn’t a good deal at £31million, then that would assume he isn’t comfortably better than Alvaro Negredo.

If there was reluctance on Arsenal’s part to sign Higuain for the fee Real Madrid demanded, then why not take the plunge much earlier when other options were available? Mario Gomez is a leading, treble winning, world-class striker who went to Fiorentina for €15million – an anomaly in this transfer market. Fernando Llorente, a towering Spanish international who, prior to last season, was a regular scorer of double figures at Athletic Bilbao, went to Juventus on a free transfer. Even Jovetic, who I maintain would have been a very good addition to Arsenal, signed for Manchester City for £22million – the fee Arsenal thought they had agreed with Madrid for Higuain.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Have Arsenal made a mistake in passing on Gonzalo Higuain?

Join the debate below

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Tottenham fans will be all too aware of their worrying failure to properly develop many of the young prospects that have risen through their Academy. The likes of Bostock, Barnard and Parrett are all sad reminders of the club’s inability to cultivate talent.

In recent times the man to be perpetually on the cusp of the Premier League first team, only to be continually sent out on loan is Jon Obika. At 23 surely his hopes of ever really making it at Spurs are beginning to wane.

So what of last-night’s hat trick hero Harry Kane, the next in the long line of Spurs rejects or potentially a star of the future?

Kane at 20 is at an age where he will either make it or end up in the depths of lower league football. The coming couple of seasons could well define the footballing career of the forward whose future still appears very much in the balance.

A cause for optimism is the fact AVB and indeed those in charge of the national side appear to see a lot in the youngster. Hardly a first team regular but consistently in match day squads and often enjoying  brief cameo appearances from time to time. Given Spurs’ ambition to compete on all fronts this season one could expect Kane to feature more heavily than ever in the coming months.

Capped heavily at all of the national youth levels, it isn’t just AVB that sees promise in Kane.  Most prolific during his spell in the U-19’s where he netted 6 times in 14 appearances, he has continued to develop into a regular feature for Gareth Southgate’s new look U-21s. Loan spells have also already bred relative success including an impressive 8-goal haul during his time at Millwall.

Kane continues to do well at every level that he is tested at; surely the next step is a shot at the big time with Spurs?

[ad_pod id=’tui’ align=’center’]

The jury is still out for Kane at Spurs, a series of cameo appearances aren’t really enough to determine whether he has got what is required at this level. Sitting well down the pecking order behind the likes of Soldado, Defoe and Adebayor, it is incredibly difficult to see when his break is ever likely to come.

It isn’t a huge issue at the moment, at the age of 20 being restricted to a bit part role is hardly the end of the world but going forward it is likely to become increasingly frustrating for the young Englishmen. This really is my fear and it is something we have seen all too often with Spurs, a promising youngster always on the verge of making it only to be turfed out in their early 20’s.

From what I have seen of Kane in brief stints he looks a useful footballer. Far more than a target man, he has real ability when drifting in off either wing much like Jermain Defoe does so successfully. In fact many of his appearances have actually necessitated a complete change in tempo for the team as a whole and his influence in the game at Cardiff particularly shouldn’t be understated.

The problem though is that will his role ever really increase? Yes Andros Townsend has seemingly broken through, but the striking situation is much more competitive and regardless of his promise he appears no more than 4th choice.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If a second rate Premier League or Championship side came in with a bid of a couple of million I would imagine Spurs would bite their hands off for it. As optimistic as many are over Kane I just cannot see him ever making it at a top Premier League side, and for that reason his future may well lie further down the divisions.

A move that may well suit both parties, with Spurs receiving a fee for a player they developed and the player finally getting the game time that he both wants and merits.

I really hope that I am wrong on this one, as Kane is undoubtedly one of the best talents to emerge from the Academy at Spurs in recent times, However, all the signs point towards Kane just being destined to a future in common with many of his Spurs predecessors.

Follow every kick of England v Montenegro on our LIVE Blog below! Book your World Cup 2014 Travel Package Now »

Arsenal’s rise and stay at the top of the Premier League table has been in spite of a squad ravaged by injury, leaving key players out for lengthy spells and allowing for fuel to be added to the fire of expected failure.

Among those has been Theo Walcott, who not only looked to finally mature into a player that the club and supporters were waiting for last season, but also finished as the team’s top scorer across all competitions. That was achieved even with the spikiness of early last season, where the protracted contract saga saw Walcott on the fringes of the starting XI.

This new Arsenal – and we’ll call it that because it does feel new or at least different from seasons past – has been built on multiple layers. The first being the sturdiness and togetherness of the backline, with the excellent defensive displays of last season proving to be more than a flash in the pan. With the addition of Mathieu Flamini and the return to form of Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal have a more than solid defensive base with which to build their clearly identifiable attack upon.

Mesut Ozil is the catalyst. As one of the leading midfielders in world football, he’s raised the level of play at Arsenal while also giving others the confidence to express themselves to the standard which Arsene Wenger wants to see.

But the transformation from top-four team into a side who look the complete footballing outfit is a little shy of completion.

[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”list”]

Depth is one aspect that doesn’t really need to be touched on in too great a detail, but rather the variety of play and the final cutting edge to an attack that has made teams like Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund such formidable and attractive sides.

Does Theo Walcott deserve a place immediately upon his return? Well yes. He’s the key to making Arsenal’s play that little bit more unpredictable and that more dangerous on the counter. When possession teams move the ball about just in front of the opposition penalty area, as Arsenal are doing often this season, they need someone with the pace to break in behind the backline and help to turn that possession into goals.

Barcelona did it expertly under Pep Guardiola. Lionel Messi is of course quick, but the width and penetration offered by Pedro and vitally Dani Alves allowed Barcelona multiple avenues to goal. Possession football works well when you have the right personnel – as Barcelona and Arsenal do – but adding that extra dimension of pace is hugely important in stretching the play.

Walcott may yet to fully convince those up and down the country, but inside the Emirates his importance is fully appreciated.

Even prior to last season’s goal scoring exploits, Walcott proved vital in helping Robin van Persie to reach the scoring figures he did in his final seasons with the club. And then there’s evidence throughout Walcott’s career as to how much of a weapon his pace is, even against the best teams in Europe.

He changed the game against Barcelona at the Emirates with Arsenal down 2-0, eventually helping to secure a 2-2 draw. Against Milan and Liverpool a couple of seasons prior, he spearheaded Arsenal’s counterattack on the way to two goals, while in the league against Chelsea, Arsenal recorded a memorable 3-1 win at the Emirates with Walcott as one of the keys to the victory.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Mesut Ozil, importantly, saw a lot of joy with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema ahead of him at Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho’s successes in Spain were built on the not-so-popular counterattacking system with Ozil and Xabi Alonso as the architects. At present, Arsenal do not have that level of pace in the team to capitalise on Ozil’s ability to unlock a defence or spring a lightning-quick counter. Walcott’s inclusion will not only see Ozil benefit, and vice-versa, but Olivier Giroud too.

Arsene Wenger will find comfort in the return of Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott over the coming weeks. But while the German’s inclusion in the starting XI will force a lengthy debate, there’s no question as to how important Walcott is to the way Arsenal play.

Where does Theo Walcott fit in Arsenal’s plan?

Join the debate below

When Howard Webb took charge of both the 2010 UEFA Champion’s League final and the World Cup final within the space of two months, he had reached the absolute zenith of his profession. He commanded the respect of all players (in no small part because he could probably knock seven shades out of them), the envy of all referees and the general opinion from fans that there is ACTUALLY a good referee on the planet. Four years on and he has become a big-game bottler. He will fly to Brazil 2014 to officiate on the back of his reputation, not his record.

Howard Webb is your prime example of a referee who gives the advantage to the defensive side. He shirks from the big decisions. Go back to the FA Cup tie between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates. Howard Webb gives Liverpool a penalty. Correct decision. When Suarez found himself bowled over in the box just minutes later Howard Webb waved play-on. Pretty much as stonewall a penalty as you are likely to see. What would another converted penalty have made the score? 2-2.

Since the last World Cup, of the 11 penalties Howard Webb has awarded in the last half-hour only one has been a penalty with the potential to change a match. Compared this to his record prior to the World Cup where 83 of the 154 he awarded had that potential and percentage-wise you have a change of over 40. Those stats can’t be coincidental.

Since the same day, of the 22 red cards Webb has given just one has come in a penalty decision. Before the World Cup it was seven from 46, down from 15 per cent to less than five. With the Premier League average at 11 per cent, Webb falls comfortably short of this.

Not once in a career of over 500 games has Howard Webb ever given a red card inside the first 15 minutes of a game. You’ll often hear commentators cite ‘common sense’ and refs ‘allowing the game to flow’. Where Webb may have ever felt he needed to give an early red card his famed ‘common sense’ has prevailed literally every single time.

In terms of his style, he isn’t one for losing control in games. He doesn’t get involved in melees, he speaks firmly and pointedly with captains and offenders, and still conducts himself in a uniquely composed manner. But his record has shown a weakness when it has come to stamping his foot down on a game.

For want of sounding unbiased, managers will regularly, and through gritted teeth I might add, assure themselves that the decision balance themselves out over the course of a season. And in the case of Arsenal vs Liverpool, with his refusal to award Liverpool a penalty preceded his decision to allow Steven Gerrard to get away with a tackle worthy of second yellow card, this notion I suppose is accurate. But the decisions remain incorrect. Howard Webb is no longer worthy of his seat at the high-court of world referees and he has shown he is no longer the big man for the big occasion.

Click below for great Mercedes offers!

Few knew who Joel Campbell was before he faced Manchester United in the Champions League last week, but by the end of the game his obvious talent was making us all start asking questions.

Cutting inside from his right-hand berth, the young forward put the ball through Michael Carrick’s legs before curling his shot into the net from 25 yards. Such a display of skill makes one question what impact the Costa Rican can have at the Emirates next season.

Campbell has had a somewhat nomadic existence since joining Arsenal in 2011. Unable to gain a work permit to play in England for his first two years, Arsenal were forced to outsource his development to other clubs. He initially joined FC Lorient on a season-long loan, before spending last season at Real Betis. However, despite being granted a work-permit to play in England last summer, Arsenal felt it would be better for Campbell to go on loan for a third season, to Olympiakos, in order to continue playing first-team football.

The level of Campbell’s performances for the Greek champions this season would make some doubt the wisdom of that decision. He’s scored seven goals in his 20 starts in the Super League, and in the 5-1 over OFI Crete he scored one goal and set up the other four. And at 21, he’s already racked up 30 international appearances, including 8 goals.

The young forward was influential in helping Costa Rica surprise many by finishing above Mexico in the CONCAF World Cup Qualifiers and he will likely get the privilege of playing against some of his Arsenal teammates when England play Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte.

Couple these facts with his wonder strike against Manchester United and it would be easy to come to the conclusion that Campbell could have a big impact at the Emirates next season. But are we in danger of over-stating the difference that the Costa Rican could make?

First of all, Campbell’s form in the Greek Super League must be put into context. Namely that it’s the Greek Super League. Olympiakos have been Greek champions for the past three seasons and are currently 19 points ahead of Atromitos Athens with seven games left to play. They’ve only lost once in their 24 matches and score on average of more than three goals a game. Essentially, they are by far the best team in a league that’s best players tend to be those that have failed to make it in Europe’s top divisions.

The counter argument to this would be to point to Campbell’s performances in this season’s Champions League. Olympiakos have surprised many by coming through a group that featured Paris Saint Germain and Benfica, and look likely to make it to the last eight.

However, Campbell spent most of the group stages on the bench and his goal against Manchester United was his first direct contribution in Europe. One must also consider how poor Man United were in this game, and that by sitting back they allowed the Greek Champions to play the kind of way that they enjoy in the Super League.

Perhaps the best argument for Campbell making an impact at Arsenal next season comes from the situation the Gunners currently find themselves in. The North London club’s forward line have been stuttering of late, and while a lot has been made of the contribution Giroud makes to normal play, his lack of goals this season must be cause for concern.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Bendtner on the way out and Yaya Sanogo yet to show anything more than potential, there could be room for the Costa Rican in the Gunners’ attack next season.

However, the most worrying thing in all the excitement surrounding Joel Campbell is not that he’ll fail, but that he’s being seriously touted as a potential solution to Arsenal’s problems. If Wenger really considers the Costa Rican to be the solution to the Gunner’s woes, then their problems may run deeper than first feared.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]