The Key to Man City's Success

One of the main reasons Manchester City have hit the ground running this season is Mark Hughes' transfer strategy over the summer. Instead of attempting to sign above-average players from around Europe and the world, he has instead opted to sign proven, successful Premiership players. With Kaka rejecting the club in January and Samuel Eto'o doing likewise over the summer, Hughes has realised that he is not going to be able to acquire a collection of world-beaters just yet. He first has to prove that Manchester City can compete for trophies.

In order to improve on their mediocre performances of last season, Hughes correctly decided that he should purchase players who understand the English game - players who have been successful and will not take time to adapt to the pace and power of the Premiership.

As such, in came Adebayor. As we've seen during his time at Arsenal, he's capable of being pure genius, but when his mood takes a swing, so do his performances. Since signing for City, he has been hungry to prove his doubters wrong, and has consequently gone on to score in every game he's played thus far. How long this will last is uncertain. We've already witnessed his nasty side in the match against his old club Arsenal. While it is a risky buy, if Hughes can keep Adebayor motivated, he will go on to score a hatful of goals. Tevez and Santa Cruz have also proven themselves in this league, and their acquisition has led to a strikeforce that will be feared by every defence in the league. Not just that, with Adebayor, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Robinho and Bellamy, Man City have the options available to suit a variety of tactics.

The centre of defence was a position City desperately needed to attend to. After a cheeky bid for John Terry failed - which would have been a major coup symbolically as well - Hughes went on to sign Toure and Lescott. Both these players have been a success in the league for a few years now.

Gareth Barry was also brought in in midfield from under the noses of Liverpool. A leader, an English international and a top-class player - in all ways a fantastic buy.

Whether intentional or not, Man City have actually weakened their rivals in the process. Two first team players from Arsenal, one from Manchester United, one from Everton and one from Aston Villa. These are all teams who have qualified for Europe and teams which City will have to overcome if they wish to qualify for Europe this season. In my opinion, this is a brilliant strategy - in the process of strengthening their squad, they have also weakened the squads of their rivals.

Realistically, it will be very difficult for Man City to become champions this season. While their squad has been strengthened tremendously, it is going to take time to displace the other top teams who have just as much quality in their squads. They should make it to the Europa League, and with a little luck, maybe even the Champions League. Let's see how they progress over the course of the season.

Who will win the 2010 World Cup?

With the latest rounds of World Cup qualifiers taking place last week, the battle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is coming to an end. Even at this early stage, it is interesting to speculate who will win the top prize in football next summer. Personally, I think one of three countries will emerge victorious:

1) Brazil

History suggests that Brazil have an excellent shot at triumphing. Every single World Cup in Europe has been won by a European nation, with the exception being Brazil in Sweden ’58. Every World Cup held outside Europe has been won by a South American nation. Argentina is the only other South American nation that would have a realistic chance, but at the moment it appears extremely unlikely, given that they may not even qualify.

Brazil have the form and quality to back them up as well. They have won their last 11 fixtures and have not been defeated for more than a year. Dunga’s men top the South American qualification table, having only lost one of their 16 matches. Their Confederations Cup victory this year is sure to boost confidence ahead of the World Cup next year. Despite possessing quality players like Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano , however, Brazil’s squad just is not as good as it was in 2002 and 2006. Ronaldinho’s lack of form, for instance, has led to him being dropped from the team. During the last World Cup, he was widely regarded as the best player in the world. Nevertheless, Brazil possess a team that most would envy, and as such, have to be regarded as serious contenders for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.

2) Spain

Following Spain’s victory in the European Championships in 2008, there appears to be no way of stopping the Spanish national team. After winning the tournament in style, Spain have swept all before them in the World Cup qualifiers. Barcelona’s treble victory last season has also led many to believe that Spanish football is on the rise.

Following tournament after tournament of underachievement, there now seems to be no reason for believing why the Spanish cannot go on to win the big prize as well. With stars such as Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Silva and Torres amongst others, the Spanish possess an envy of talent. These players have developed a very good understanding among themselves. With their attractive, attacking brand of football, Spain is the popular choice.

3) England

Under Fabio Capello, England have finally become a force to be seriously reckoned with. I say seriously reckoned with because they have always been thereabouts at major tournaments, but they have not reached the semi-finals or finals for a long time now. While it is too early to say that England will reach this far next year, it seems very likely.

Capello’s leadership has made England an efficient outfit. They have overcome every challenge put before them in the World Cup qualifiers with great professionalism. In their recent victory over Croatia, they even managed to rack in the goals, which brought great satisfaction to the English fans following their defeat to the same country in the qualifiers for the European Championships, a result that led to their elimination. Capello has led England with an iron fist, and it is obvious that the discipline he has brought to the squad has had a tremendous effect. He has already stated that he will not let the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of the players have a detrimental effect next year. The manner of England’s victories over the past year has meant that they have to be taken seriously. It is highly likely that they will be contenders for the championship in South Africa next year.

I have to stress that these are my views at this point in time. Based on the progress of these and other teams, my opinion of the contenders for the World Cup could very well change. At this point, however, I see one of these three nations emerging victorious.

Liverpool: Taking things into perspective

Only four games into the season and Liverpool have already been ruled out of the title race by some. Titles are not won in the opening games of the season. Titles can be lost - but not after just four games. It is true that the reds have made a less than desirable start but there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic.

For the first time in years, Liverpool were genuine title contenders up till the closing weeks of the season. And this was despite injuries to arguably two of their most important players for much of the campaign, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. Losing only two games the entire season, a major criticism was Liverpool's failure to turn draws into wins, particularly against weaker teams at Anfield. Torres and Gerrard are game winners. They are the kind of players who are capable of producing a moment of magic to win games.

The main criticism Liverpool have been facing over the past few weeks is that the loss of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid has cost Liverpool a creative force in midfield. He was a key player last season and his loss has been dearly missed. This criticism is valid. In the opening matches, Liverpool have lacked inspiration. It was only after Yossi Benayoun came on as a substitute against Tottenham in the opening match, for instance, that Liverpool looked dangerous in the final third. With Alonso no longer around to spray passes from midfield, we have also seen Gerrard drop deep to retrieve the ball. This has prevented Gerrard from playing in his best position and has left Torres isolated up front. Granted, Lucas has improved as a player from a year ago. But he is not a replacement for Alonso. He and Mascherano together in midfield do not provide an attacking threat whatsoever. This has been Liverpool's main weakness this season. There has been no creative force in midfield.

Of course, Alberto Aquilani has been brought in as a replacement for Alonso. Before even kicking a ball, he has been criticised for being too injury prone. This certainly is a concern, but judgement should be withheld till he actually plays a few games for the club and gels with his teammates. For all Alonso's strengths, he had a few weaknesses, which is why Rafa Benitez tried to replace him with Gareth Barry last summer in the first place. While he dictated Liverpool's play, he tended to be static and did not contribute enough in terms of goals. Perhaps, Benitez felt his team could be strengthened with a player who was more mobile, got forward more, and made more attempts on goal. This explains why he purchased Aquilani and why he had initially chased Barry. It is a mystery, however, that Benitez did not make a greater effort to sign Barry this summer, given that he was available for a cut-down price.

While the impact of Aquilani is as yet unknown, the overall quality of Liverpool's starting line-up seems to have improved. There have been two changes to the first XI - Alonso has been replaced by Aquilani and Arbeloa has been replaced by Glen Johnson. While we haven't witnessed Aquilani's impact, Johnson has made an immediate contribution. Eyebrows were raised over the huge sum Liverpool paid Portsmouth, but with just four games gone, that hefty pricetag appears to be worth it. It is not just the two goals that he has scored - which, by the way, is extremely impressive - but the overall contribution he provides to Liverpool's attack. He has constantly been in the final thrid of the pitch, providing overlaps and has not been afraid to cross or shoot. This is one thing Liverpool have lacked for some time. While Arbeloa and Finnan before him were reliable options and always produced 7/10 performances, they did not provide an attacking threat. All the top teams have attacking fullbacks - Manchester United have Patrice Evra, Chelsea have Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa and Arsenal have Gael Clichy and Bakary Sagna. For Barcelona as well, Dani Alves proved to be a threat constantly on the right flank last season for Barcelona as they swept all before them. Liverpool now have an attacking fullback of their own, and this is already helping them tremendously.

While waiting for Aquilani to return to fitness, one thing seems to be certain - Benayoun needs to start every match. Liverpool clearly lack a spark at the moment. Gerrard is unable to provide all the creativity on his own. Benayoun has proven to be very useful with his technique, skill and unpredictability. One possible option is for Gerrard to play in a deeper position (Alonso's former position, now Aquilani's) while Aquilani recovers, while Benayoun plays in Gerrard's position just behind the striker. This is not Gerrard's ideal position, and his performances may be slighly below what he is capable of. However, Liverpool's performace as a whole could improve. This is something worth considering.

Losing as many games as they lost the whole of last season in the opening four games sure is disappointing. However, drawing too many games was Liverpool's problem last season. Losing one game and winning one game is better than drawing two games. This thought is comforting. As long as Liverpool are able to turn those draws into wins, losing a couple more games this year is unlikely to have too detrimental an effect. If Aquilani proves to be an inspired acquisition, if Gerrard and Torres remain fit this time around, and if Johnson continues to provide as big a threat down the right, Liverpool should be challenging for the title in May.

Signings Liverpool should have made before the transfer window slammed shut

Liverpool's squad was crying out for two players as the transfer window slammed shut: a central defender and a creative midfielder.

1) Liverpool were successful in acquiring a defender before the transfer window closed. With Sami Hyypia leaving the club in the summer, Liverpool were left with three experienced defenders - Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger. While another defender would have been ideal, this was not a big concern until Agger and Skrtel picked up injuries, and Carragher picked up a slight knock at the beginning of the season. Ayala seemed a little nervous when called upon against Stoke. That, however, is natural for a youngster stepping up to the first team. He would have calmed down after a couple of games. Having said that, it was safer to buy an experienced centrehalf and Rafa addressed that. However, there could have been a better option. Liverpool perhaps should have signed Sol Campbell on a free transfer for half a season or one full season. Instead of spending two million on a player untested in England, Benitez could have signed someone who used to be one of the league's top defenders. He would not be required often, and would certainly provide a good option whenever required. If given the chance to play for one of Europe's best clubs, he may well have postponed his decision to join Sven's Notts County for half or one year. This seemed to be the better option in monetary terms and in terms of experience.

2) Liverpool should have purchased a creative midfielder as well. Unfortunately, they failed to do this. With Alonso gone and Aquilani still injured, it was clear that Liverpool lacked creativity in midfield. One option was Rafael van der Vaart. He was deemed surplus at Real Madrid, and was linked to other clubs for under 10 million pounds. For someone as good as him, even 10 million is a bargain. It was reported that Liverpool lacked the transfer funds, but that seems strange given that Liverpool's net spending was negligible this summer. He could have been a valuable addition to the squad. However, if that was too much to spend, Liverpool could have moved for Niko Kranjcar. Tottenham purchased him for about 2.5-3 million pounds just before the window slammed close. For a player like him, this is a bargain. Liverpool could have done with another creative option behind their forward.

How can the Spanish League become popular in Asia?

The English Premier League has in recent years been hailed as the best league in the world, largely due to the successes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. In the past year, however, Spanish football has received greater media coverage than before.

First, the Spanish national team played a very attractive brand of football and were successful in winning the European Championships last summer, after countless tournaments of underachievement. Then, Barcelona mesmorised fans around the world by destroying numerous teams with their breathtaking football philosophy. While Xavi and Iniesta orchestrated the play from midfield, the attacking trio of Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry racked up over a hundred goals between them. Barcelona proved that it is possible to combine style and success and ultimately ended the season winning the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. Now, Real Madrid have dominated the summer transfer headlines with their purchases of Crsitiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol, and their interest in a number of other superstars such as Franck Ribery.

The question that now arises is: How can the Spanish league become as popular, or at least almost as popular, as the English Premier League in Asia?

First and foremost, it can take advantage of the current economic situation. The top English clubs have long been able to use their strong financial backing to purchase the top talent from around the continent. However, the pound has weakened compared to the Euro, and this makes it more expensive for English clubs to buy players from continental clubs these days. Spanish clubs therefore now find themselves being able to compete with their English counterparts.

Furthermore, the top rate of taxation in England is going to rise to 50%, while in Spain, it has fallen to 24% for foreigners. This is certainly a very good way to tempt the world’s best players to choose Spain ahead of England. We have seen this in recent times. Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Xabi Alonso and David Villa have all decided to stay in Spain or move to Spain when they had offers from England as well. Even Andrey Arshavin, who just signed for Arsenal in the January transfer window, has voiced his concerns about the tax rates in England. This must be a worrying trend for English clubs. It is up to the clubs in Spain now to pursue the best players, as circumstances are definitely in their favour.

While the exchange rate and the taxation rate have happened to be to the advantage of the Spanish teams, these teams can play a more active role. The most important factor in gaining popularity is through marketing. The English Premier League and the clubs in England have done this with astounding success. Spain can do this in a few ways.

First, the kickoff time of matches can be brought forward to suit audiences in Asia as well. League matches are usually held on weekends so it is possible for matches to begin in the afternoon, like they do in England. This should not be impractical for spectators in Spain, and it will definitely result in a greater following around Asia. Presently, due to the large time difference, the matches are played in the middle of the night, and because the Spanish league lacks a large following of staunch supporters in the region, viewership is limited. By altering the kickoff time to suit both fans in Europe and Asia, many more people will begin following the Spanish league. This option is certainly feasible, as it is being practiced in Britain.

Second, the quality of commentating and pre and post match programmes need to be improved. The level of commentating undoubtedly adds to the match experience. Commentators such as Martin Tyler and Andy Gray have for years increased the enjoyment of fans around Asia. Spanish matches, in contrast, lack such quality, and this dampens the atmosphere when watching a match. ESPN Star Sports has also made sure it has provided fans with comprehensive pre and post match analysis featuring high profile and good pundits for Premiership matches, in addition to various programmes throughout the week. The Spanish league needs this too, in order to win and maintain the following of an increased fan base in the region.

Third, the Spanish clubs themselves need to market themselves in Asia. One way is to increase the number of pre-season tours to the region. Real Madrid has in the past come to countries such as Japan and China. But this is not a common occurrence. Liverpool and Manchester United are both coming to Asia this summer. The Premier League also organises a pre-season tournament in Asia every two years. These are examples that the clubs in Spain can adopt as well. For a fan, there is nothing like seeing his idols up close. Many fans in Asia lack the financial capability of travelling to Europe to watch their stars in action. If the teams want to reach out to this group of fans, the least they can do is to have an Asian tour every now and then.

Despite this, the fact that the English Premier League has such a strong following in Asia makes it difficult for the Spanish League to break that grip. While it may not be easy to break England’s dominance, it is possible for the Spanish league and the Spanish teams to be more popular than they currently are. They should capitalise on their recent successes and build on this momentum.