Extra Time

Surprises have been the theme of the season so far, a bit more so than in earlier years, enough for me to acknowledge and praise it.  While the Premiership seemed Chelsea’s to lose, it now seems anyone’s title after the Blues dropped back to back games, for the first time in four years, in losses to Sunderland and at Birmingham.  To be fair, the latter have something resembling a fortress at St. Andrews; but Sunderland’s demolition of the defending champions, in a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, was sublime.  Suddenly, the team from West London that seemed invincible at home and imperious everywhere else, had been cut down to size in the most emphatic of fashions.

With Manchester United building a quiet head of steam, despite never quite looking convincing, and Arsenal still in with a shout; this season in England’s top flight seems the most open in years.  Casting one’s gaze further, one sees Manchester City and Tottenham still at large, with Spurs defeat of rivals Arsenal, at the latter’s own patch, one of the signal shifts of power this season, in both league and in North London.  Not one club has been able to maintain the consistency required for a prolonged tilt at first place and the 2011 Premiership campaign may be the one that no one seemed to want to win.  The season is far from over so expect plenty of more twists and turns.  Come to think of it, even Liverpool appear to be on their way back to the top eight.

 

Speaking of the Merseyside club, the recent, last minute acquisition by John Henry and NESV served as the double tonic of easing financial woes and injecting some fresh optimism into the ranks.  After a season of inept, stop-start football by the Kopites, Fernando Torres returned to display why he can be Europe’s most destructive striker, with a double salvo that saw off Chelsea at Anfield.  With no one, but mental gamblers and the most hardcore of Liverpool fans, giving the Reds any chance against the runaway leaders of the Premiership, Liverpool produced an efficient and composed performance to see off the Blues and earn some respite for beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson.

Although woefully out of his depth and lacking the charisma or stubborn bloody-mindedness required to drag Liverpool out of its misery, the affable Englishman has stuck to his guns admirably and gone about his work with an honest, quiet dignity rarely seen in top flight football.  Liverpool, post Henry, are still far from the finished article, but with a returning Torres, a restored Dirk Kuyt and a reassured Maxi Rodriquez, seem capable of taking points from most games as they begin a quiet ascent back up the table.

At the other end of the spectrum, time is surely up for professional football’s biggest hoax, Avram Grant.  Parachuted, due to his ethnic ties, into the Chelsea hot seat in 2008, after Jose Mourinho’s sacking, he rode on the latter’s system to almost nick a Champions’ League win.  Despite his quiet demeanour and Chelsea’s continued form, one knew that he was merely a front office mascot for an efficient team put in place by his predecessor and operated by coaches Steve Clarke and Ray Wilkins, both of whom have now left the club.  Witness and remember his shell shocked appearance before extra time during the Carling Cup defeat by Tottenham in 2009 as Clarke drummed up the troops and held a tactics brainstorming session.

A failed season at Portsmouth in 2009-2010 followed, another appointment based on connections rather than ability.  Relegation was a certainty, especially with a points deduction almost certainly dooming the club, but Grant’s touch was equal parts invisible and superfluous.  Football’s luckiest manager then got another chance, this season, with West Ham.  Once again, has ensured that the club mirrors his position, at the foot of the table.  Despite a decent playing corps, the club have been mired in the recesses of the Premiership all season.  At time of writing Avram Grant has spent almost an entire year in the relegation zone, first with Portsmouth and now West Ham.

One manager who has been incapable of riding in Mourinho’s slipstream, has been Inter manager Rafa Benitez.  Taking over the defending treble winners, despite the presence of money and post triumph euphoria, was never going to be easy.  However Rafa has managed to slowly destroy Inter’s confidence, dominance and general ability, as the team, nine points off the summit of Serie A and in danger of missing out on top spot in their Champions’ League group stage, are a pale shadow of Mourinho’s all conquering side.  There is little joy in Inter’s football, even less attacking verve or poise and the stale morbidity that had so characterized Benite’z unedifying final season at Liverpool, has returned with renewed passion on the blue side of Milan.

Mourinho himself, is quite enjoying his stint at Real Madrid.  There is renewed confidence, a sense of common purpose and omnipresent team spirit at the Bernebeu.  Whisper it quietly, but Real are now outside bets for both La Liga and the Champions’ League.

How refreshing it was to see tiny Brest sit atop the Ligue 1 standings.  Another coup for parity in France’s top division, fans must still be rubbing their eyes in shock, having seen St. Etienne, Stade Rennes and Toulouse all occupy the top spot so far.  Puerile synonyms aside, the newly promoted club have been a handy outfit, welding the talents of local French players with a smattering of foreign imports as they slowly built momentum and headed up the table.  Coach Alex Dupont has performed miracles with the small club from the North Western corner of France and will surely be snapped up by one of the bigger clubs, if Stade Brestois continue their fine form.  Montpellier and then Lille may well become the latest clubs to assume the summit, as the top of the table rotation continues.  This set of musical chairs may well bemuse followers of most leagues, but is a welcome change to most neutrals, as they hope Ligue 1 can prove that parity is not just the preserve of the German Bundesliga.

Serie A's Young Eleven

Serie A players are like rock musicians.  They may burst onto the scene explosively as young, exciting talent; but they produce some of their best performances after 30.  Italian football is very much an old man’s game, with the domestic scene stocked full of players excelling in the autumns of their careers.  Many Italian footballers themselves reserve their purple patches for their late 20s and early 30s; aided no doubt by the continued faith of managers and the slower pace of the game; one that requires intelligence and a clever reading of the game more than raw pace, strength and pure talent.

Fitting then, that we pause to review some of Serie A’s relative toddlers, all under 22.  Here are some of the youngest players in Serie A, who have established themselves in starting elevens and in some cases even stamped their mark on the division altogether.  Meet the youngsters setting Serie A alight.

Javier Pastore – Palermo – Midfielder

One of the season’s revelations and a real star in the making Pastore has taken over the creative leadership at Palermo, no strangers to fielding young talent.  Three substitute appearances for Argentina at the World Cup may have failed to showcase his talent but his second season at the club surely will, as he has stepped up to inherit the mantle of club talisman from elder statesman Fabrizio Miccoli.  Seven goals, one assist and 22 shots on goal during 12 starts, are an impressive return so far.

Adem Ljajic – Fiorentina – Midfielder

The young winger had a bit of a nightmare at Manchester United as he flitted in and out of a bloated side.  His class was never in doubt and this season at Fiorentina, he has shown just why.  Speedy and tricky, one would be forgiven for terming him a Balkan version of Cristiano Ronaldo.  In the absence of an injured Stevan Jovetic, Ljajic has made the most of six starts in nine appearances slotting in two goals and creating two more.

Armin Bacinovic – Palermo - Midfielder

Yet another young gun thrown in at the deep end by coach Delio Rossi at Palermo, the young Slovenian has flourished with an extended run in the first team, scoring twice and creating one in 12 appearances so far.  His role is more of a spoiler as he complements the more attacking instincts of the Palermo midfield.  With three yellow cards from 23 fouls committed, his grinding style has been effective as Palermo compete in both Europa League and Serie A campaigns.

Alexis Sanchez – Udinese – Midfielder

After a great World Cup in which both he and Chile acquitted themselves exceedingly well, Sanchez has continued his rapid rise to fame in the black and white stripes of Udinese.  His natural poise on the ball at the right of the Udine midfield has converted many admirers, as he has impressed during nine starts and 13 appearances.  Able to create as well as finish moves, he will no doubt add to his current tally of two goals and two assists.

 Philippe Coutinho – Inter – Midfielder

Inter’s granddad army is notoriously hard to break into, for young players, especially with the defensive discipline preached by both Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez.  How refreshing then to see young Brazilian Coutinho impress during 10 games for the Nerazzurri, in both Serie A and Champions’ League.  Still wiry, with some work to do at the gym, his composure and forward passing have been rare, bright lights in a dark campaign for Inter.

 Ezequiel Munoz – Palermo – Defender

The sole defender on this list, the prodigy is another young Argentine who is among the first names on the team sheet at Sicilian club, Palermo.  His reading of the game and calmness under pressure has eased Palermo’s backline during tough passages of play this season.  Starting all 13 games he has featured in, look to see him become a defensive colossus in Serie A over the coming decade.  Only three other players have played more for the club this season.

 Matias Schelotto – Cesena – Midfielder

Often identified by his given name of Ezequiel, the youngster has slotted in naturally at promoted Cesena.  12 appearances and nine starts have yielded a couple of assists during his stint as a regular starter.  Ever present during an impressive shock win over Milan early in the season, his composure has justified the award of the number 7 shirt.  Scheletto was also part of the Italian team that narrowly missed out on the Euro U21 finals next summer.

 Vladimir Koman – Sampdoria – Midfielder

Another young Hungarian making a name for himself in one of Europe’s bigger leagues, Koman Junior has racked up eight starts and 10 appearances for the club from Genoa.  Yet to score, his play so far is a welcome fillip to both Sampdoria and Hungary, for whom he has played a game during their European Qualifying run.  Sampdoria’s average age is one of the youngest in the division and in Koman they have a possible midfield presence for years to come.

Pato – Milan – Forward

Something of a veteran having been blooded three seasons ago, one often forgets that he only turned 21 this year.  Seen as the long term successor at the front of the park, to Kaka, Pato has move up a gear this season as he notched six goals in as many games before being sidelined with an injury.  Despite competition from new arrivals Robinho and Zlatan, Pato still commands the respect and adoration of the Milanista faithful as his production continues apace.

Kwadwo Asamoah – Udinese – Midfielder 

The lone African in our compilation, Asamoah is the latest exciting young prospect from Ghana, incidentally sharing the same name as his famous colleague Asamoah Gyan.  Strong and physically developed, his style is reminiscent of Michael Essien.  13 games and 12 starts have made him into a key component of a Udinese midfield where he has dovetailed with Gokhan Inler to some effect.  A guaranteed starter when fit, only Inler has featured more than him this season.

Frederico Casarini – Bologna – Midfielder

Bologna’s super sub is one of their youngest players.  Five starts and six more appearances of the bench has made Casarini one of coach Alberto Malesani’s go to guys.  Mostly brought on to shore up an overrun midfield, his tackling on the deck and strength have allowed him to make the most of limited time on the pitch.  Something of a limited defensive midfielder in the mould of Massimo Ambrosini, Milan’s current captain; Casarini’s sophomore season is well underway. 

Star Spotlight

Hulk, Porto

The impressively named forward is setting alight football pitches all over Europe.  Responsible for 16 goals this season, having scored 13 himself, the Brazilian striker is fast becoming the complete package.  Ridiculously strong, with a killer eye for goal, his runs into the box have given opposing coaches nightmares.  With a given name of Givanildo Vieira de Souza proving to be a bit of a handful, he was christened Hulk during his time in Japan, as fans likened him to the green comic book character due to his strength and stocky build.  With Brazil always well stocked, he looks unlikely to add to his two friendly caps, but expect more goals and highlights from Europe’s most explosive striker.

Kenny Miller, Rangers

Even though the Scottish League is not the strongest in the world, one can only beat what is in front of you.  With that in mind, one can only appreciate, nay marvel, at the consistency of Rangers latest scoring sensation, Kenny Miller.  With 18 goals and an assist in 13 starts, Miller has further boosted his reputation with a goal and helper in three games for the national side.  Cool under pressure and able to pounce on even a half-chance, Miller has already hit two away hat tricks in the league.  Expect a bucket load of goals at the end of the season and perhaps even a return transfer south of Hadrian’s wall.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, Utrecht

Being World Soccer legend and national icon Johann Cruyff’s son in law, may have stunted many other players, but not Ricky van Wolfswinkel.  Utrecht’s prolific player up front, with a name suited more to a Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale than a football pitch, has arrived on the scene in spectacular fashion, with goals aplenty for the Dutch outfit with top six aspirations.  Having the hit the net 10 times in 13 games is a great start for the player’s third season in the top flight, having never gotten to double digits before.  Add to that the seven goals in six games in the Europa League, including a hat trick against Celtic, and Utrecht may well have a fight on their hands to hold on to the 21 year old at season’s end.

Alexander Kerzhakov, Zenit St. Petersburg

Zenit have already wrapped up the Russian league campaign but have their sights set firmly on European domination, the first stop being the 2011 Europa League.  A repeat of their 2008 win would require experienced Russian marksman Kerzhakov to continue his prolific ways.  The former Sevilla striker has hit 13 leagues goals to go with his two goals in as many games for the national side during the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.  Moreover, his only continental appearance, in the aforementioned Europa League group stage, yielded an impressive 79 minute hat-trick at Belgian giants Anderlecht.  Composed and cultured when leading the Zenit attack, Alexander may yet reign supreme.

European Dispatches

Russia – Zenit at the Zenith

As predicted and largely expected, Zenit St. Petersburg wrapped up their latest Russian League Championship and in some style too, thrashing Rostov 5-0.  Despite a nervous run in, with two defeats in three games before the Rostov rout, Zenit eventually eased home with a couple of games to spare, once nearest challengers CSKA Moscow could only muster a draw.

Ever since the start of the season in March, Italian manager Luciano Spaletti’s side has been in irrepressible form, smooth, efficient, and exuding a touch of class.  In most games, one wondered not if Zenit would score, but when.  After Rubin Kazan and Spartak Nalchik made the early running, one wondered if Zenit would be able to catch up.  But the latter overhauled the pair’s early lead in some fashion, going unbeaten for the majority of the campaign, before those two late blips against Moscow pair, CSKA and Spartak.

Truth be told, Spaletti was too good a tactician for the rest of the league and having the best squad simply made his job even easier.  He collects the double in his first season, having come on board in December 2009, with the defeat of FC Sibir Novosibirsk in May’s Russian Cup final.  With consistent continental contention still a few years away, domestic supremacy was the basic remit for the experienced Italian manager.  New recruits Bruno Alves (from Porto), Danko Lazovic (PSV), Alexander Kerzhakov and Sergey Semak (both Rubin Kazan) blended into an excellent system that attacked at will, retained possession and looked solid in defence.  After week seven, when Zenit rose to second place, there was an eventuality of the league crown’s ultimate destination and the Blue-White-Light Blues duly delivered.

The season read out like a trumpet roll for the St. Petersburg club as they set several new records, including 24 matches without defeat in all competitions and nine consecutive league wins.  With Zenit now free to concentrate on the Europa League, in which they are well placed, don’t count out the possibility of yet more silverware arriving at the Hermitage next spring.

Spare a thought for CSKA Moscow, plucky challengers for the better part of the season; who are also doing very well in Europe, sitting atop their Europa League group with a perfect record.  Along with Rubin Kazan, the club from the capital fought a successful battle for second place and the second automatic Champions’ League spot.  Despite not having a tearaway striker, they relied on timely goals from Vagner Love and Thomas Necid to stay in contention while being the only team to give Zenit a real fight.  Rubin Kazan, led by Belarus striker Sergey Kornilenko (14 goals), finish third, while Spartak Moscow rounds out the top four.

 

CSKA’s Brazilian striker Welliton led the league with 19 goals while Lokomotiv’s Oleksandr Aliev is the highest scoring Russian, with 14 strikes.

Portugal – Potent Porto

At the other end of mainland Europe, on its Western extremity, FC Porto have more or less ensured the return of the domestic league crown from its unexpected and, to Porto fans, one year loan to capital side Benfica.  Having stormed into an early lead, Porto have built on their lead in imperious fashion.  Still unbeaten, they have only dropped points in a solitary draw at Guimares.  Second placed Benfica were ruthlessly dispatched 5-0, in a recent summit clash, while only Braga have managed to give the club from Oporto a fight, scoring twice before going down 3-2.   Their lead is practically insurmountable and three Porto players feature in the scoring chart’s top five.

Among the other big clubs, Sporting are adrift in fourth place while last year’s runners-up Braga are floundering in lower half obscurity.  Among the surprises is Guimares, sitting pretty in third and will no doubt feature in the fight for the remaining European places.  But the league title is Porto’s already, as they look to cement their strong start in the Europa League as well (10 points from four games in Group L).

Porto striker Hulk still leads all players with 11 goals in 11 games.

Scotland – Still the Same

The more things change, the more they remain the same.  For the umpteenth time, the domestic league is a straight race between the two Glasgow giants – Celtic and Rangers.  Despite the odd defeat and occasional controversy over affiliations, poppy wearing and the national team’s latest debacle, the Scotch focus remains firmly on the Old Firm.

Rangers lead the table, having drawn and lost a game each.  Celtic, by virtue of two defeats, sit a point behind.  Both clubs have 11 wins from 13 and as expected, have steamrolled the rest of the division.   Amongst the perennial also-rans, Heart of Midlothian and Motherwell are doing well, the former in third, having beaten Celtic; while the latter sit in fourth.  But the sad reality is that the only thing stopping Rangers from winning the title is Celtic and vice versa.  In the first derby of the season, the blue half of Glasgow had cause to celebrate, as they ran out 3-1 away victors, but expect the pendulum to swing back in successive weeks.  A special mention must be made of Hibernian, who beat Rangers 3-0 at the latter’s own ground.  Still, such results are too few and far in between.

Rangers’ Kenny Miller leads all scorers with 15 goals while Motherwell’s Nick Blackman has notched 9.

Holland – Perennial PSV

PSV Eindhoven underlined their title credentials with an emphatic 10-0 win over Feyenoord, the latter former champions themselves, having won as recently as 1999.  The former treble winners look to seal yet another league title in the 21^st century, having lost out to Twente (2010) and Alkmaar (2009), the past couple of seasons.  The league table seems to suggest they will regain the crown, as they sit on top of the standings, with 33 points and an astonishing 43 goals from 14 games.  Twente are two points behind, but trail heavily on goal difference, as the Eindhoven team have been tallied an impressive +31.  Usual suspects Ajax trail in 3^rd place, with Alkmaar in 5^th.  Surprises Groningen are tied with the Amsterdam club on points and are hovering in fourth, just outside the Champions’ League places.

The Eredivisie is always a lucrative league for strikers and this season is no different.  However, with Ajax on its way back to the top, tussling with the likes of Twente, Alkmaar and Groningen, the outcome and makeup of the league’s apex will no doubt make for interesting reading.

 

Ajax’s Mounir El Hamdaoui and Nijmegen’s Bjorn Vleminckx lead all scorers with 11 goals apiece.