The Emergence of Andros Townsend Puts Pressure on Tottenham’s Record Signing Erik Lamela

The Spurs line-up versus FC Sheriff in the UEFA Europa League last Thursday consisted of the returning Aaron Lennon, Christian Eriksen and summer signing from AS Roma, Erik Lamela. Whilst it’s still early in Lamela’s Spurs career, the former Roma winger will be hoping to expedite his path into the first team for domestic fixtures. However, Andre Villas-Boas presides over an embarrassment of riches for midfield selection, and the emergence of the prodigious Englishman Andros Townsend could see Lamela continually restricted to outings in cup competitions this season, much to his detriment.

AVB has a selection dilemma most Barclays Premier League managers dream of. If he continues with the 4-2-3-1 formation deployed to good effect so far this season, three attacking midfield positions are up for grabs between seven players. Lamela scored an impressive 15 goals and assisted five times in 33 Serie A games for Roma last season but is admittedly struggling to adapt to the physical side of English football, and fears for his World Cup chances with the Argentinean national side. Foreign players often need a year plus a full pre-season before they can display their full spectrum of talent, but Lamela may have to buck that trend.

With Brazil 2014 on the horizon, Andros Towsend will be desperate to retain his astonishing early form which is keeping Lamela out of his favoured right-wing position. Spurs have perhaps been taken by surprise at the rapid development of Townsend who has forced his way atop the pecking order with his startling early season displays for club and country, leading to former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp comparing his style to that of Arjen Robben. Lamela’s former employers Roma are the only side with a 100 percent record in Europe’s top leagues this season, and the talented wide man may well be ruing the timing of his move to England. Indeed, Villas-Boas admitted shortly after signing Lamela that he doesn’t speak any English, and may take a while to settle in England:

He has to adapt to a completely different culture and mentality, which we are sure he will, but we're unsure of how much time it will take, but he will.

Tactically, Spurs sometimes struggle at home to break down teams who sit back, and the penetration of speedy wingers such as Lennon and Townsend is rebuffed. Away from home they both possess the ruthless counter attacking verve that would arguably be more effective than Lamela’s technical talents. Recently West Ham fended off the Spurs attack on their way to a shock 3 – 0 away win, and in these situations the creativity Lamela possesses could be the catalyst in breaking down teams who ‘park the bus.’

Lamela will be hoping AVB concurs with this logic, as Brazil 2014 is a World Cup every player dreams of participating in. The 21-year-old talent will be desperate to produce some eye-catching performances, but one thing is for certain-the fierce competition for places can only be a positive for the lofty ambitions Spurs harbour. 

by Richard Jaffa

Manchester United are being exposed for their unwillingness to address midfield deficiencies.

    With some tipping David Moyes’ Manchester Utd to drop out of the Premier League’s top four this season, it is arguable that the current champions are finally being punished for the long standing failure to address their midfield deficiencies. Evidence of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ability to draw the highest level of performance out of his players is another side to this argument, with Moyes struggling so far in his reign to find a balance and maximise the abilities of his current midfield options.

The long-talked lack of a truly top class central midfielder to partner Michael Carrick was ‘appeased’ by the signing of Maroane Fellaini in the summer, but many would insist that the jury is still out Fellaini being classed as a natural holding midfielder and he has indeed failed to impress so far this season. Cesc Fabregas and Thiago are a different type of midfielder and can dictate the tempo of games, and were clearly the clubs first choice transfer targets. The well documented bowel troubles Darren Fletcher has been so unfortunate to endure have essentially ruled him out of contention for the past two seasons, whilst it’s a mystery that Anderson is still a Man Utd player having squandered chance after chance in his six year spell at Old Trafford. It is a surprise he has not suffered the same fate as fellow Brazilian flop Kleberson and remains in the squad.

    The hype surrounding Tom Cleverley seems completely misplaced, as, like Anderson, one wonders what he actually offers. Big games often bypass Cleverley as he struggles for a foothold in central midfield and his development has alarmingly stagnated. He is 24 and can no longer be considered a promising midfielder, it is time to deliver.

Aside from the consistently top-class Carrick, central midfield options look fairly bleak for Moyes. Ryan Giggs still shows flashes of brilliance but at nearly fourty years of age cannot be relied upon to play ninety minutes in consecutive games.

On the flanks, there are problems in the form of the perpetually underwhelming ‘match winner’ on his far too infrequent day Nani, and the Englishman once laughably compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, Ashley Young – who has seemingly moved backwards in his development. Antonio Valencia too often fails to supply an end product and Wilfried Zaha for has not been deemed ready for a Premier League start just yet despite his obvious talent. The highly publicised performances of the prodigious talent Adnan Januzaj have injected some much needed unpredictability from wide, and although not his preferred position Danny Welbeck grafts from the left wing. Many fans cannot understand why Shinji Kagawa continues to be ignored, but whilst he has unquestionable talent, all too often the physical side of Premier League football suppresses his abilities. At Borussia Dortmund he was deployed in the role Wayne Rooney is relishing at the moment, and is less effective from wide left, which is reducing his game-time.

    When assessing competing Premier League teams' midfielders, you have to wonder why Man Utd didn’t sign certain players and question their transfer policy. The marvellous Mesut Ozil has to be the signing of the summer and yet if rumours are to be believed, he waited for a call that never came from Old Trafford before signing for the Gunners. Spurs signed five midfielders, four of whom would arguably have enhanced Moyes’s options. Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen (for a mere £13 million) are all astute signings by AVB, for which Man Utd would’ve been a preferred destination if the interest was there. In recent years, Moussa Dembele produced a man of the match performance for Fulham under the watchful eye of Ferguson at Old Trafford in the season prior to Spurs signing him for only £15 million. A player of his ilk would have been ideal to replace the unreliable Anderson in the Man Utd squad list, who has constantly failed to impress. Top class attacking midfielders such as Eden Hazard, David Silva, Willian, Oscar, Mata, Cazorla and Ozil have also joined Premier League rivals in the last few seasons whilst Man Utd have been spectators. The slightly embarassing inability to sign Fabregas and Thiago will likely prove costly errors on behalf of the ruthlessly criticised Ed Woodward. Paul Scholes has not been adequately replaced in a team which is no longer dominating the midfield as was a trait in Ferguson’s sides of years gone by. Perhaps Ferguson's managerial talent papered over the cracks of an underwhelming midfield. This midfield contingent could logically be placed outside the four best in the country, and that is something that may need addressing in January if Man Utd are to push for the title and Champions League success. If not, they may struggle to avoid the unthinkable failure to qualify for Champions League next season.

Predicted top 6 teams’ midfield options:

Chelsea: Hazard, Oscar, De Bruyne, Willian, Ramires, Lampard, van Ginkel, Mikel, Essien, Mata

Arsenal:Wilshere, Diaby, Rosicky, Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Gnabry

Man City: Toure, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Navas, Rodwell, Milner, Garcia

Spurs: Lennon, Townsend, Lamela, Holtby, Capoue, Sandro, Dembele, Paulinho, Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Chadli.

Man Utd: Valencia, Zaha, Cleverley, Carrick, Fellaini, Nani, Anderson, Januzaj, Giggs, Fletcher, Kagawa, Young

Liverpool: Gerrard, Moses, Lucas, Alberto, Allen, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho.

written by Richard Jaffa

England Frailties in 2 - 0 Victory over Poland must Overshadow Unrealistic World Cup Aspirations

    If statistics are used, England’s win over Poland looks a comprehensive victory, but it could have been a disaster. At 0-0 Poland countered from an England corner and the usually clinical Robert Lewandowski fired wide after England were dissected with frightful ease. Had Poland taken the lead, a calamitous draw might have been achieved by the visitors. Fortunately Poland were wasteful, and Joe Hart did enough to deny Lewandowski in the second half and keep things in England’s favour. This is a relatively poor Poland side, evidenced by the fact ITV pundits covering the match had only heard of Arsenal’s Szczesny, and Borussia Dortmund’s Blaszczykowski and Lewandowski. These are the only high profile players Poland had at their disposal. 

However, had it been a top international force with a ruthless contingent of players, England would’ve been punished for their ill-discipline. In Bleumfontaine during the 4-1 humbling by Germany in the 2010 World Cup, England were ripped apart by a team who know how to counter-attack and feed on any scraps provided to devastating effect. Any talk of a victorious England return from Brazil is unrealistic, reaching the quarter final stage should be seen as a step in the right direction for a transitional national team. 

written by Richard Jaffa

The FA Commission, Brazil 2014 and the dilemma facing the Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.

    It looks likely that Frank Lampard and Three Lions captain Steven Gerrard will start together in midfield alongside Jack Wilshere for the third England international qualifier in a row. It is a debate that has raged for over a decade now, whether Lampard and Gerrard can coexist in an England lineup. Roy Hodgson has shown a predilection for the two midfielder veterans’ experience alongside the prodigious, but relatively inexperienced talent Jack Wilshere in recent qualifiers. The decorated pair look certain to be on the plane to Brazil subject to injuries and of course failure to qualify. However the FA’s recent announcement of a commission led by Chairman Greg Dyke, aimed at reigniting England into a competitive force at future tournaments, leads to questions over the 23 man squad Roy Hodgson should take to the World Cup.

Greg Dyke, FA Chairman

    The FA’s new vision draws question marks over the legitimacy of selecting experienced players who are not regular starters for England. By virtue of being Hodgson’s captain, Gerrard is guaranteed a ticket to Brazil, as is another favourite Frank Lampard. However, the more experienced fringe players such as Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry, Scott Parker, Jermain Defoe, Leon Osman, Rickie Lambert, James Milner and Michael Dawson, should potentially be overlooked in the World Cup 2014 squad if England really are building for the future. A long-term strategy would surely vacate their positions to younger talent in preparation for Euro 2016 and the ensuing tournaments. The ‘younger talent’ would be players who have been consistently playing well for their clubs and have shown true Premier League pedigree. An example would be Ross Barkley, whom Roberto Martinez recently compared to German legend Michael Ballack, Andros Townsend of Spurs or recent press sensation Ravel Morrison. 

Ross Barkley's Everton performances have propelled him into the England squad

    Widely respected FA Commission member Glen Hoddle recently spoke of using Brazil to blood youngsters such as Wilshere and Barkley, with a view to making an ‘onslaught’ at Euro 2016. With this in mind, its intriguing to see how things develop should England qualify for the World Cup. Hodgson will certainly keep faith in senior players like Lampard and Gerrard. But it will be interesting to see whether he builds a squad with its depth based on ambitions for Euro 2016, or whether he will keep faith in his tried and tested, rewarding qualification from his players with loyalty. 

The tenacity, energy and lack of inhibitions that most budding youngsters naturally possess could bring enthusiasm and a freshness to the 23 man squad. This is not to say top quality players should be dropped simply for their age - Gerrard and Carrick should currently start for England. The issue is that Gerrard, Carrick and Lampard are all over-30 and cannot start together. It is even highly contentious that any two of these three should make up the midfield trio due to their lack of mobility. It is a travesty that somebody as similar to Paul Scholes (also grossly under-appreciated by past England managers) as Michael Carrick is, at 32, only has 29 caps for England. But with Gerrard a guaranteed starter, along with great hope Wilshere, it is surely between Carrick, Lampard and a prodigy like Barkley for the third midfield spot. With ball retention being so vital at international level, Carrick could dictate play for England, with Lampard being sacrificed. 

Carrick (32), under-valued as an England international

    A leniency toward selecting untried but promising players over experienced but uninspiring squad players at the coming tournament surely must be the FA’s mantra if they truly want progress. This would allow the top class senior players’ experience to filter down to the youngsters, with coach Gary Neville and 100-cap men like Cole, Lampard and Gerrard possessing an incredible amount of wisdom.

The decisive factor could well be Roy Hodgson's job security – if he’s not given assurances that come-what-may in Brazil he’ll be manager in the next tournament, he will in all likelihood go with his trusted senior players, rather than the dual risk of blooding inexperience and facing the sack. If the FA is serious about lowering expectations for the coming international tournaments, stating the specific goal of winning the 2022 winter (?) World Cup in Qatar, the pressure could be off Hodgson. He could pick a more experimental squad, comfortable in the knowledge that he can work in a less pressured environment whilst building for the future. The Premier League is home to a few top quality youngsters breaking through this season, and if the FA are looking at the bigger picture it may be time cut loose those who have failed to truly impress in an England shirt. If these players won’t be in the starting XI in a tournament that England will be at long odds to win, it would be wiser to hand inexperienced players the selection spots.

Thankfully, even the most ardent England fan would be hard-pressed to back England to get to the final stages of the World Cup in Brazil, and therefore it makes a lot of sense to take a squad diluted with youth. The FA Commission's recent plans have actually handed Hodgson an outlet to deflect any future criticism from the public and the press, should things go belly-up in Brazil. Hodgson could take a more speculative squad, and point to Greg Dyke’s long term aspirations if England get knocked out in the early stages, putting it down as a necessary evil. The blow-back from this strategy would be that the press would expect some level of success at the Euros, and if this didn't materialise things would look rather ominous for Hodgson.

The England players will be dreaming of World Cup glory at the Maracana in Brazil

Below is a potential squad that Hodgson could take to Brazil, with a mix of top-class experience and genuine young talent.

Potential England 23 Man Squad for Brazil 2014 (Age as at July 2014):

Goalkeepers: Hart (27), Forster (26), Butland (21)

Defenders: G. Johnson (30), Jones (22), Jagielka (31), Cahill (28), Smalling (24), Cole (33),                                      Baines (29)

Midfielders: Carrick (32), Gerrard (34) Wilshere (22), Barkley (20), Oxlade-Chamberlain (20),                                   Lampard (36)

Wingers: Walcott (25), Townsend (21), Sterling (19), Welbeck (23)

Strikers: Rooney (28), Sturridge (24), Carroll (25)

Potential England XI's in Brazil:

Defensive XI:

                      Hart                     

Jones     Cahill       Jagielka     Cole

      Gerrard ©  Carrick  Wilshere

                   

Sturridge                               Welbeck

                      Rooney

Attacking XI:         

                       Hart                     

Johnson  Cahill       Jagielka     Baines

           Gerrard ©  Wilshere

                   

Walcott          Rooney         Welbeck

                      Sturridge

written by Richard Jaffa