Tony Adams

Tony Adams

Fourteen years as captain, 669 appearances and 10 major trophies, including League titles in three different decades. It's no surprise that 'Mr. Arsenal' himself is regarded as one of the Gunners' greatest ever players.

Adams was the ultimate one-club man - an increasing rarity in modern football - and a rock at the heart of Arsenal's defence. He thrived as the leader of the famous Back Four, developing an instinctive understanding with his centre-back partner Steve Bould and full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn. On an individual level, it's hard to think of a more committed, more gutsy and more inspirational footballer in Arsenal's history.

George Graham called him "my colossus"; Arsène Wenger described him as a "professor of defence". They were both right. Technically, Adams was a supreme defender - the timing of his tackles, his reading of the game and his aerial ability made him an awesome opponent. Add to that his insatiable appetite for a battle, his mental and physical resilience, his desire and, of course, his leadership, and it's easy to see why Adams was a hero to the Highbury faithful.

It was clear that Adams was a bit special from the moment he signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1980. Three years later he made his debut against Sunderland, four weeks after his 17th birthday. It was hardly an auspicious start - Adams was partly to blame for a 2-1 home defeat - but he soon found his feet at the top level.

Eight months after winning his first medal at the 1987 Littlewoods Cup Final, Adams became Arsenal's youngest ever skipper at the age of 21. It was a position he would hold until his retirement but, in those early days of captaincy, Adams had to endure plenty of stick. The Daily Mirror famously depicted Adams with donkey ears the morning after he scored at both ends in Arsenal's 1-1 draw at Manchester United. Opposition fans soon latched on.

Adams' response was simple - he just pointed at his growing stack of medals. Eight weeks after his Old Trafford .....................

read the rest of this article at http://www.talkingfootball.co.uk

reBlog from Badge: Talking Football

I found this fascinating quote today:

All is not well between David Beckham and American soccer right now. After his longer than planned holiday in Milan, Goldenballs is due to return to MLS and resume playing for LA Galaxy in two weeks time - July 16th vs NYRB away. But he’s already been warned by US Soccer President Sunil Gulati to expect a less than friendly welcome back:Badge, Talking Football, Jul 2009

You should read the whole article.

All is not well between David Beckham and American soccer right now. After his longer than planned holiday in Milan, Goldenballs is due to return to MLS and resume playing for LA Galaxy in two weeks time - July 16th vs NYRB away. But he’s already been warned by US Soccer President Sunil Gulati to expect a less than friendly welcome back:

“I’m sure there will be some negative reaction from some fans,” Gulati told Bloomberg. “That’s inevitable, but in the end he’s a good player, a soccer icon and I think he’ll help his team and the league. But are there going to be some people that are upset? Sure.”

A few boos from opposition fans? I’m think Becks can handle that. He’s definitely done so before. But if Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl is to be believed, then Becks needs to win over his own team mates too.

In an excerpt from his upcoming book “The Beckham Experiment” (release July 14th) Grant Wahl paints Beckham as a man who failed to connect with his less illustrious team mates, commandeered the captain’s armband and wielded too much influence behind the scenes (it’s explicitly suggested that Beckham’s management hand-picked Ruud Gullit as Frank Yallop’s replacement).

But Wahl’s reporting does appear to be more than just rumour and conjecture. It seems to be based in proper journalism, with direct quotes from named players. Most notably this quote from Landon Donovan, apparently speaking to Wahl in August 2008:-
[quote]

“All that we care about at a minimum is that he [David Beckham] committed himself to us,” Donovan said. “As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways – on the field, off the field.

“Does the fact that he earns that much money come into it? Yeah. If someone’s paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you’re suspended or not.

“Show up and train hard. Show up and play hard. Maybe he’s not a leader, maybe he’s not a captain. Fair enough. But at a minimum you should bust your ass every day. That hasn’t happened. And I don’t think that’s too much for us to expect. Especially when he’s brought all this on us.

“I can’t even say he’s a good team-mate any more. He’s not shown that. I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good team-mate, he didn’t give everything through all this, he didn’t still care.

“But with Beckham, I’d say no, he wasn’t committed. Let’s say he does stay here three more years. I’m not going to spend the next three years of my life doing it this way … I don’t want to have soccer be this way. I’ve got to confront it somehow. If that’s the way he’s going to be, fine, then hold him accountable. Bench him. Just say, ‘We’re not going to play you, we don’t think you’re committed’.”
[/quote]

Who knew Landycakes had so much fire in his little belly? And he’s right of course. Doesn’t matter how famous Beckham is or how many extra seats he sells. If he’s not committed, he shouldn’t be playing.

And he’s dangerously close to having his spell in MLS be an unmitigated disaster. Word is that Beckham’s contract allows him to leave at the end of the 2009 MLS season and go play somewhere else if he so desires. But if he waves goodbye to MLS without accomplishing so much as a playoff appearance with LA Galaxy, ......................
read the rest of this story and more at www.talkingfootball.co.uk

Transfer News

Thought it would be an idea to give you a run down of some of the transfers that have been happening around the big euro clubs at the moment.

Real Madrid won't stop buying yet; after agreeing a €35m deal for Karim Benzema with Lyon, the Merengues are now expected to sign Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich. The Frenchman has told the press that if he leaves the Bavarians, it will only be to join Kaka, Ronaldo et al at the Bernabeu.

Also, Raul Albiol sailed through his medical at Los Blancos today. He will be unveiled soon as a €13m acquisition from Valencia. The Spain international could be joined in Manuel Pellegrini's back-line by Maicon, with the Inter defender's agent admitting that a 'transfer assault' from the Spanish capital was likely.

Less secure is a move for David Villa. The signs indicate that the Valencia front-man may join Barcelona over their eternal rivals but both player and club are remaining coy about the deal. Indeed, Barca could turn to Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan if their overtures for 'Ej Guaje' bear no fruit. However, Villa's los Che colleague, David Silva is again being pursued by Real Madrid.

Florentino Perez's Galactico recruitment drive means that there is likely to be little space for the Dutch contingent at the Bernabeu but Wesley Sneijder has vowed to stay and fight for his place. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's future is less clear; Milan maintain their interest in The Netherlands international. The Rossoneri haven't given up hope of landing Edin Dzeko either.

Meanwhile, Barcelona could be ready to lose Samuel Eto'o to Manchester City. The Blaugrana are said to be disappointed with the behaviour of the player's agent with regard to recent negotiations. Eidur Gudjohnsen, though, could remain at the club, along with Aliaksandr Hleb, despite interest from elsewhere.

Juventus could move in for the Fiorentina midfielder, Felipe Melo, despite the player signing a new contract but the Old Lady could be set to lose David Trezeguet to either Atletico Madrid or Lyon.

Inter are still seeking a clutch of reinforcements, with Bayern Munich's Lucio and Lille's Eden Hazard the latest names to be linked with Jose Mourinho's lot.

Across town and AC Milan are trying to ward off Chelsea interest in Alexandre Pato and on a low-key day of business in England, the Blues are set to announce the arrival of Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough.

Still in Carlo Ancelotti's sights is Stephane Sessegnon and today, the Paris St Germain midfielder hinted that he could be ready to depart the French capital.

Also leaving Ligue 1 is Kader Keita; the Ivorian is close to sealing a switch to Galatasaray.

Finally, Ze Roberto has confirmed his Bosman transfer to Hamburg, but insists that money was not the prime factor in his decision.

Right that's the up date to the transfers and possibility's for today, keep looking there may be more tomorrow.

David O'Leary

On playing ability alone David O’Leary would still have made this board. Chuck in the small matter of 722 appearances, a Club record, and it is easy to understand why this gentle, unassuming man is held in such high regard at Arsenal.

Of course, adoration for long-serving players is not uncommon, but the London-born defender had plenty more than just longevity in his locker. O’Leary was an imperious centre-half who, despite a slender physique, was deceptively powerful. He had pace too, the kind of speed that was rare in players with a similar six-foot frame.

The Republic of Ireland international (he qualified through parentage) originally signed apprentice forms in 1973 and in the early days of his Arsenal career — he made his debut just three months after his 17th birthday in 1975 — provided a touch of youthful exuberance in an aging, and struggling, side. Terry Mancini, a short-term acquisition from Queens Park Rangers, may have drawn most of the plaudits for plugging a leaky defence, but O’Leary’s role in steering the Gunners clear of relegation is not be underestimated.

David was a cultured and composed player, full of grace both in his use of the ball and the manner he loped across the field; he became affectionately known as ‘Spider’. O’Leary oozed calmness too; only in the most critical of situations would he opt to lump the ball forward, instead choosing to build from the back.

Read the rest of this article at http://www.talkingfootball.co.uk

Cliff Bastin

Cliff Bastin

Fading memories, or simply the youth of voters, means that polls to determine football's 'greatest' can easily be skewed towards the modern game. However, some players transcend those boundaries - and Cliff Bastin is among them.
His heyday was the 1930s but, nearly 80 years on, Bastin is still remembered with affection and still commands respect from fans of all ages.
Of course, Bastin's name registered with fans who started watching Arsenal as recently as 1997 because it was in September of that year when Ian Wright eclipsed the great man's goalscoring record for the Club. Thierry Henry, of course, has since pushed Bastin down to third place in that illustrious chart.
Nonetheless, Bastin's haul of 178 goals in 395 games is a remarkable tally, particularly for a player who operated as an 'outside left' in Herbert Chapman's all-conquering side.
Alex James to Bastin to the back of the net was so often the route to glory for that legendary team thanks to Chapman's innovative tactics. While other sides relied on wingers to provide goals for their centre forward, Arsenal's wingers cut in from the flanks to latch onto a regular supply of through-balls from Scottish international James. No one profited more than Bastin.
His scoring record certainly vindicated Chapman's decision to sign Bastin when he was just a teenager. The Arsenal manager spotted him playing for Exeter City and, although the 17-year-old had played just 17 times for the Devon club, Chapman was so impressed he signed him at the end of the 1928/29 season.
'Boy' Bastin played the rest of his career at Highbury. He made 21 appearances in his first season - ending that campaign with an FA Cup winner's medal - and was soon a regular fixture in the side.

The rest of this article is available at http://www.talkingfootball.co.uk

Herbert Chapman

In the 1925 close season, Chapman had already set about improving his squad for a third successive title (something which had never been achieved before). At the same time, Arsenal were looking for a replacement for the sacked Leslie Knighton, with Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris placing an advertisement in the Athletic News.
“Arsenal Football Club is open to receive applications for the position of TEAM MANAGER. He must be experienced and possess the highest qualifications for the post, both as to ability and personal character. Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exorbitant transfer fees need not apply.”

Despite the fact Arsenal had been fighting relegation the previous two seasons, and the chairman's restriction on spending, Chapman moved to Arsenal soon after, attracted both by the London club's larger crowds and a salary of £2,000, double what he earned at Huddersfield Town. At Arsenal, Chapman immediately made an impact by signing 34-year-old Charlie Buchan, an England international and Sunderland's all-time record goalscorer, whom he made Arsenal captain.

Chapman and Buchan's arrival at the club coincided with a change in the laws of the game in June 1925, that modified the offside law. The change had reduced the number of opposition players that an attacker needed between himself and the goal-line from three to two (including the goalkeeper). Buchan's idea, implemented by Chapman, was to move the centre half from a roaming position in midfield to a "stopper" position in defence. With the inside forwards brought back to help the midfield, this changed the usual formation from 2–3–5 to 3–4–3, or a "WM", so called after the shape it formed spelled out the letters. This meant the offside trap was now the responsibility of the single centre half, while the full backs were pushed wider to cover the wings.

Arsenal were by no means the only team to have come up with the idea of dropping the centre half into defence – Newcastle United beat Arsenal 7–0 that season employing such a system with Charlie Spencer at centre-half; Queen's Park and Tottenham Hotspur had also adopted similar systems. However, Chapman was able to refine and improve on the idea better than his rivals, melding the tactical change with his own ideas on counter-attacking football, pacy wingers and a strong defence. Chapman himself summed it up by saying: "the most opportune time for scoring is immediately after repelling an attack, because opponents are then strung out in the wrong half of the field."

Arsenal went on to finish second in 1925–26, five points behind Chapman's old side Huddersfield Town, as they became the first club in England to manage three titles in a row. However this proved to be an early dawn and Arsenal spent most of the rest of the twenties in mid-table, as Chapman took his time finding the right players to fit his new system, outlining a five year plan for success. He retained relatively few players of his predecessor Knighton's era – Bob John, Alf Baker and Jimmy Brain being the exceptions – and instead looked to bringing in talent elsewhere.

In February 1926, he signed the pacy winger Joe Hulme, followed that summer by forward Jack Lambert and full-back Tom Parker, who would later succeed Buchan as captain.[61] Although Arsenal's league form was indifferent, in 1927 they reached the FA Cup Final, their first, but lost 1–0 to Cardiff City after an error by goalkeeper Dan Lewis.

The same year, Arsenal became embroiled in a scandal; footballers' pay at the time was limited by a maximum wage, but an FA enquiry found that Charlie Buchan had secretly received illegal payments from Arsenal as an incentive to sign for the club. Sir Henry Norris was indicted for his part and banned from football, but Chapman escaped punishment, and with the autocratic Norris replaced by the more benign Samuel Hill-Wood, Chapman's power and influence within the club increased, allowing him control over all aspects of the club's business. He persevered in building the club, strengthening his attacking lineup with the signings of David Jack in 1928, and Alex James and Cliff Bastin in 1929. As with his previous teams, Chapman also worked on improving his defence, with the signings of Herbie Roberts and Eddie Hapgood at centre half and left back respectively.

It was the signing of David Jack in particular, that highlighted Chapman's cunning when it came to transfer negotiations. Bolton had originally asked for a fee of £13,000, almost double the existing record at the time. Bob Wall, Chapman's personal assistant at the time, later recounted the negotiations he made with Bolton's directors as follows:
“ We arrived at the hotel half-an-hour early. Chapman immediately went into the lounge bar. He called the waiter, placed two pound notes in his hand and said: "George, this is Mr Wall, my assistant. He will drink whisky and dry ginger. I will drink gin and tonic. We shall be joined by guests. They will drink whatever they like. See that our guests are given double of everything, but Mr Wall's whisky and dry ginger will contain no whisky, and my gin and tonic will contain no gin."

Chapman's subterfuge succeeded, as he managed to bargain the inebriated Bolton directors down to £10,890.

Chapman had laid out a five-year plan for success in 1925, and it came to fruition exactly on schedule, as his Arsenal won their first major trophy in the 1930 FA Cup Final, beating his old side, Huddersfield Town, 2–0. Despite having only finished 14th in the League the same season, the win spurred Arsenal on and laid the foundations for a decade in which Arsenal would become the dominant team in England and eventually win five league titles.

Chapman had by now perfected the ruthless, counter-attacking football he had been honing. Up front, he employed a robust front line of Lambert supported by David Jack and Alex James as deep-lying inside forwards, filling the gap vacated by the movement of the centre half into defence; Alex James in particular, with his passing supplying the front men, became celebrated as the engine of the team during the coming decade. Chapman employed Bastin and Hulme as pacy wingers who could cut inside instead of hugging the touchline; they could either shoot for goal themselves or pick each other out if the centre forward was marked out of the game. With the exception of James, keeping and dwelling on the ball and individuality were discouraged in favour of a quick passing game, although Chapman still conceded: "all the men are expected to play to plan, but not so as to stifle individuality."

Chapman's tactics of fast-moving play meant the wing half line of John and Jones were now pushed in to cover central midfield, pivoting around the halfway line so that they could drop back to defend when necessary.[68] Chapman was also equally committed to a strong defence, saying maintaining a back line was "the rock bottom of football". Arsenal's defence were told to play deep and with the support of the wing halves, fall back into their own penalty area when the opposition had the ball; this allowed the opposition plenty of possession in Arsenal's half, until they reached the 18-yard line and faced a massed defence. Once Arsenal regained the ball – usually through the centre half Herbie Roberts – the ball would be quickly passed forward and the wing halves would push up to support the attackers, meaning Arsenal could quickly commit as many as seven men forward as a unit to rapidly attack and score.

Chapman's system demanded a high level of fitness from his players, something which he emphasised strongly upon. He also balanced the need for players suited to each task – something which his skill in spotting the right players and his extensive scouting network proved vital – with adapting his system to account for their abilities. Though highly effective, Chapman's fast, counter-attacking passing approach to football contrasted with how the game was traditionally played in England at the time, with its emphasis on dribbling, possession and dwelling on the ball, and thus brought

read the rest of this article and more @ http://www.talkingfootball.co.uk