Barcelona, Spain Damaged By David Villa’s Leg Break

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 15, 2011

It’s a pity that Barcelona have likely lost forward David Villa for the rest of the season.  The Spaniard will require an operation after breaking his left tibia in a FIFA Club World Cup match against Qatari club Al-Saad.

Villa may have not been playing as vital of a role with Barca as he had last season but the Catalan giants are losing a very important player.  I still consider him to be the one of the most reliable goalscorers in the world and a player who would have been crucial in Barca’s Champions League title defense.

Pep Guardiola will now have to find someone else capable of coming off the bench when Barcelona needs a goal.  As dominant as Barcelona’s squad was going into this season, only Lionel Messi and David Villa were capable of playing central striker.  Both Alexis Sanchez and Pedro are more comfortable on the wings.

Barcelona will have to sign a backup striker once the January transfer window opens.  I’m sure that plenty of youth players might be candidates to be called up from their ‘B squad’ but Barca could still use a proven striker.  Without Villa, an injury to Messi would not only be devastating but leave Guardiola very shorthanded.

Without Villa, I still feel Barcelona can win La Liga ahead of Real Madrid.  Their superiority over average Spanish sides will not take a tremendous hit but they will be tested greatly in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The impact of this injury is also being felt by the Spanish national team as they look ahead to Euro 2012.  It casts a serious doubt of Villa participating in the tournament and Spain’s ability to defend the trophy they won in 2008.  National team boss Vincente del Bosque will be searching for a man capable of filling Villa’s scoring boots.

Athletic Bilbao’s towering Fernando Llorente will now be Spain’s most important striker even though he is the complete opposite of the agile Villa.  In friendlies leading up to Euro 2012, Llorente must strike up an understanding with the either in-form Roberto Soldado of Valencia, Alvaro Negredo of Sevilla or even perhaps the struggling Fernando Torres of Chelsea.

Share your opinions below on how Barcelona and Spain will fare without Villa. Follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

Shame On Patrice Evra, ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC– December 15, 2011

This morning, I read Henry Winter’s piece in The Telegraph and felt very relieved.  First off, I’m glad that Patrice Evra wasn’t racial abused by Luis Suarez.  No footballer or person in society deserves to be the target of hate-speech of any kind.

Secondly, I’m pleased that Suarez, a player everyone at Liverpool describes as ‘cheerful’ and ‘friendly’ doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.  It appears to be a formality that his name will be cleared by the FA.

My deep respect for Suarez was not misplaced and my suspicions about the Evra-Suarez case were correct.  Patrice Evra is indeed a clown who has made the same groundless and exaggerated racism claims two times before and it’s time that the English media starts grilling him instead of the embattled Suarez.

Evra is just like ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’  He first directed unfounded claims toward another Liverpool player, Steve Finnan in 2006.  This prompted a firm response from a Liverpool spokesman backing Finnan’s innocence.

“The first either the club or the player knew about this matter was through the media.  There has been absolutely no contact from the Greater Manchester police. We have subsequently had a video of the match analysed by a lip-reader, who has told us there is nothing to support this outrageous slur.  The player vehemently denies these allegations.  He has not used any such language,” the spokesman stated.

Finnan was fully cleared by the FA but unfortunately, his name like Suarez’s was unfairly dragged through the mud.  The second instance happened in 2008 when Evra accused a Chelsea groundsman of racially abusing him after a fracas broke out following Manchester United’s 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge.

The FA charged Evra with improper conduct for his role in the melee and described Evra’s claim as “exaggerated and unreliable.”  Now it’s a third time that Evra’s leveled false claims of racism against an innocent party.

In the court of public opinion, Evra will be viewed as a hot-headed fool and his own reputation will be the one that is damaged instead of Suarez.  My fear for Evra is that if there ever comes a time when he is actually racially abused, that his claims may fall upon deaf ears.

He’s embarrassed his own club and manager Sir Alex Ferguson by pursuing such a frivolous allegation against Suarez.  Ferguson backed Evra publicly and went as far as calling Gus Poyet’s staunch support of his fellow Uruguayan as “a bit silly” and “inappropriate.”

Poyet passionately defended Suarez when he spoke to Talksport.  “I know Luis very well and I will go to court if someone wants to prove he’s not racist.  I can assure you and everyone Luis is not a racist. We use different words and it is a different kind of situation,” Poyet stated.

He continued, “We live in Uruguay with plenty of people who have different colour skin. We all live together and play football together.  What hurts me the most is that you accuse someone. Luis Suarez has been accused of being a racist.”

Well, Poyet and Suarez will now come out of this smelling like a rose.  I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about Poyet during his time with Chelsea, Tottenham, Swindon, Leeds or Brighton & Hove Albion where he currently manages.

Credit to Poyet for backing his countryman and telling it like it is.  I now hope that Suarez will be given a clean slate by the media and fans around England.

Share your opinions on Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

Luis Suarez Is A Victim Of ‘English Pride’

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 14, 2011

The English FA underwent great effort and expense to travel to Nyon, Switzerland to get Wayne Rooney’s Euro 2012 ban reduced to two matches.  Meanwhile, they should have been attending to some important matters at home with the same enthusiasm.

Racism claims against Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Chelsea’s John Terry were put on the backburner until today when the FA has finally started looking into Suarez’s alleged slur toward Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

Whatever the outcome is, I’m hoping that Suarez will be given an equal opportunity to prove himself as Rooney was when he went in front of UEFA with the FA strongly backing him.  The FA also did their very best to protect John Terry from questions about racial allegations made against him by Anton Ferdinand.  At a press conference before England’s November 15^th match against Sweden, the FA prevented Terry from fielding any questions from the media about the Ferdinand incident.

I’m all for Patrice Evra and Anton Ferdinand being able to have these kinds of matters looked into.  Any alleged claim of racism between players should be examined thoroughly.  There’s also something else the FA should look into with equal vigor that is of a serious concern to the reputation of the English Premier League.

Since joining Liverpool, some believe Suarez has been the target of racism from English supporters.  There have been incidents at Everton and Fulham where Suarez was being pelted with coins, bottles and possibly racist abuse from opposing supporters.

I can’t tell you whether Suarez was racially abused at Goodison Park or Craven Cottage but eye-witnesses there probably would be able to tell you the truth.  I’m hoping that the supporters who told me this happened weren’t exaggerating.

I don’t think it would hurt for policemen present to take an account of whether racist chants or objects were directed a player and have their statement be submitted to the FA after every match.  The guilty clubs could then be sanctioned by the FA through heavy fines or possibly even UEFA style closed-door matches if racism persists at a particular stadium.  That would be the best way of stamping racism out of English grounds.

Suarez has had a wide target on his back since he joined Liverpool with certain media giants fueling the fire.  There are some very obvious papers involved in demonizing Suarez as he arrived in England.  They immediately ran headlines about a past incident in the Dutch Eredivise where he bit PSV’s Otman Bakkal as a member of Ajax and branded Suarez as a ‘cannibal.’

The Uruguayan forward wasn’t given a clean slate in England even though Suarez and Bakkal made up directly after the match.  These sort of headlines were fed to fans across England and blown up on television programs running the morning back pages.

Listen, if Suarez is proven to have made a racist remark toward Evra it will change my opinion of a man who has so far been a good citizen outside of his middle finger salute to Fulham fans.  In that case, I might not even blame Suarez if Fulham supporters were hurling coins and racist abuse in his direction all match.

My point is that racism should be handled equally in the game whether it’s coming from fans or in matters between players.  The FA should be the leaders in stamping racism out of English football and take whatever courses of action possible.

There shouldn’t be any kind of favoring of English players who are valuable to the English national team and foreign players should be provided counseling when the arrive so that everyone is on the same page.  The FA and Professional Footballers’ Association should work together to provide packets available in any language to foreign players briefing them on conduct and courses of action if they’ve been abused in any matter.

I’m certain that most everyone wants the English game to be a fairer place are hoping that racism can be stamped out.

Share your opinions below on racism in English football and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

Can Manchester United Can Solve Injury Crisis?

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 14, 2011

With Darren Fletcher taking an indefinite leave of absence due to a recurring bowel condition, Manchester United’s injury list has become a growing problem for manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Their midfield has taken a significant hit as in addition to Fletcher, Anderson will likely be out until February and Tom Cleverley is set to return in the new year.

With central defending stalwart Nemanja Vidic ruled out for the rest of the season, Ferguson will lean heavily on Phil Jones to support United’s back four as a holding midfielder.  At 19, Jones has shown moments of greatness but is still a raw talent and needs to improve his overall positioning.

More than anything, the Red Devils need to recruit a true defensive midfielder as cover.  A younger Michael Carrick excelled in that role but nowadays, he’s a very ordinary player and Darron Gibson hasn’t ever ‘set the world on fire.’

At the moment, United may just get by if they can avoid further injury blows.  The January transfer window will provide Ferguson the chance to sort out his midfield and he’ll be boosted by Javier Hernandez, Cleverley, Rafael and Fabio returning soon after.

Injuries have shown that Man United’s back-up brigade isn’t a strong as some have suggested.  Chris Smalling isn’t a natural right back and there is a massive difference between the mistake-prone Jonny Evans and Vidic’s world-class ability.

Rio Ferdinand’s injury woes could resurface at any time, leaving Ferguson without each of his preferred first-choice paring of Vidic and Ferdinand.  Signing an additional central defender such as Bolton’s Gary Cahill would be a wise move.

As far as attacking options go, Manchester United are fine.  They have an overabundance of wingers that can also play centrally if needed such as Ashley Young.  Even with Hernandez, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen sidelined, Ferguson can still call upon the capable Danny Welbeck and talented Federico Macheda to play alongside Wayne Rooney.

It’s really just a matter if they can survive the current injury crisis that has greatly impacted their back four and central midfield.  With a very kind schedule until an early January clash with Newcastle United, I think they can continue their current pace up to that match without dropping too many points.

Timing will be important as soon after comes the Manchester City FA Cup date and United will close out January with difficult Premier League matches away to Arsenal and home to Stoke City.  If most of their injury victims are still missing, this is where the Red Devils may run into trouble.

Are United equipped well enough to keep pace with Premier League favorites Man City?  Share your opinions below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

PSG Fans Expecting A Carlos Tevez-David Beckham Double Coup?

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 13, 2011

Carlos Tevez and David Beckham each moving to Ligue 1 would be a very big story… both joining Paris Saint-Germain would bring a massive shakeup to the title race in France’s top division.  How likely is this scenario?  It’s actually quite possible.

To be honest, both players are running out of options.  Manchester City is refusing to loan out Tevez even if it includes a clause for a permanent summer deal.  Italian giants AC Milan have basically ruled themselves out of the running for Tevez after exploring a ‘loan with a view to a permanent deal’ option.

Tevez is believed to prefer a move to Italy over France.  I’d rank Inter Milan as favorites to land him over Juventus who aren’t as well-off financially.  Still, Tevez has always been the sort of character who will abandon all other factors for a higher pay rate so PSG could very well come away with Tevez.

PSG have been boosted by the Qatari Investment Authority buying a 70% stake in the club, so money won’t be hurdle when it comes to luring these two iconic players to the Parc des Princes.  French daily tabloid L’Equipe believes that Beckham’s deal to PSG is ‘95% complete.’

Beckham’s likely move to Paris makes a lot of sense for commercial reasons for both sides.  France is another country for Beckham to expand his brand and Beckham’s presence alone can make a dramatic change in any club’s finances.  An $18.7 million dollar contract over eighteen months is reportedly on the table.

As for the LA Galaxy who are set to lose Beckham, who will be the next star to arrive in Hollywood?  The Galaxy are a progressive club who waited little time in bringing Irish captain and goal-getter Robbie Keane to Los Angeles.  A collection of English papers mentioned Frank Lampard as a natural replacement for Beckham in LA but that’s a very unrealistic, poorly-constructed rumor.

I expect Lampard to fight on for his place at Chelsea rather than taking the easy route out in jetting from Heathrow-to-LAX.  That could be a more likely destination for Didier Drogba who is in the middle of a contract dispute at Chelsea.

With teammate Nicolas Anelka agreeing a deal with Shanghai Shenhua, rumors are gathering pace that the Chinese Super League club may also target Drogba.  Anelka’s deal will reportedly pay him a staggering £175,000 per week once he completes his move in January.

Instead, the MLS may be an attractive option for Drogba and a two-way tug of war between the Galaxy and New York Red Bulls could emerge.  The Red Bulls seem to lack the pulling power of Los Angeles and have been an under-achieving MLS club since their founding in 1995.

The Galaxy are coming off a triumphant MLS Cup-winning season and adding Drogba to play alongside Keane is a mouth-watering possibility.  Drogba will finish what could be his final season with Chelsea in late May depending on the Blues’ Champions League progress.

As things stand, Drogba will most likely allow his contract to run out and will be free to discuss terms in the summer.  Chelsea would never sell Drogba to rivals Tottenham but once his contract expires, they could offer him the chance to stay in London.

I see Drogba moving to a new country in the summer of 2012 but will it be America, a return to France, China or Russian super-spenders Anzhi Makhachkala?  My gut says Drogba’s next club will be the LA Galaxy.

Where do you see Tevez, Beckham and Drogba ending up?  Share your opinions below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

Manchester City’s Title Hopes Being Tested

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 12, 2011

Weeks back, people gave me bizarre looks of disbelief when I told them that Manchester City could lose their sizable advantage when December came around.  I’ll reiterate my stance… City could fall dramatically in the Premier League table over the next two months.  The December-January period throws a gauntlet of difficult match-ups at the Citizens in the EPL, Carling Cup and FA Cup.

Just take a peek at their upcoming schedule:

Once December turns to January, Man City will have little time to breathe with one difficult opponent after another.  In the month of January, they’ll face Liverpool three times, derby rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup and Tottenham.

Tonight, Chelsea was the true first test in the winter calendar for Man City and they failed their audition at Stamford Bridge.

The Citizens’ defense was exposed tonight as their weak point as City’s back four looked unconvincing and rattled.  Not only did they give away a crucial penalty that Frank Lampard converted to claim victory for the Blues but City were also lucky to escape a handball inside the box by Joleon Lescott.

Even if you forget the penalty claims not award by Mark Clattenberg, there were also plenty of gaps in City’s defense.  Daniel Sturridge and Raul Meireles seemed to run into Petr Cech’s area unopposed while Juan Mata was a threat all evening.

The Citizens looked unsettled and made a number of wild challenges.  Gael Clichy was the only man sent-off but he wasn’t the only defender who looked likely to receive a red card.  Captain Vincent Kompany seemed fortunate to make the full 90 minutes without being sent to the away dressing room.

Attackers?  Yes, City have them in spades.  A top class keeper?  Joe Hart is undoubtedly of the Premier League’s best but standing front of him is a shaky back-line that could be City’s undoing.

It’s worrying to the point that David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli could be working magic on one end of the pitch while their defense collapses and nullifies the positive work done by their attackers.  Scoring isn’t always guaranteed, so against Man City’s back four will either have to sharpen up or make a bid for a stable anchorman in January.

Will City remain Premier League leaders once January turns to February?  Share your opinions below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

Jose Mourinho’s Act Starting To Wear Thin

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 11, 2011

No manager divides opinion quite like Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho.  There are two distinct camps that have contrasting viewpoints when it comes to ‘The Special One.’

Mourinho’s admirers believe that all his mind games, bullying and bravado is a front designed to take the focus off his players.  Most of the notable stars who worked under Mourinho continually praise his methods, even long after he’s finished managing them.  Those in his corner often speak of their desire to team up with him again in the future.  It seems whenever Mourinho departs his current club for a new challenge, he leaves behind a wake of passionate supporters and loyal players begging for him to stay.

Meanwhile, his detractors see him as a brash character that plagues the integrity of football management.  An important element of a manager’s duty is to represent the club in which he’s employed in a positive light.  Mourinho’s controversial actions tend not only to reflect negatively upon the team he’s managing but also the soul of soccer itself.

I’ve never seen a manager gouge the eye and clip the ear of an opposition coach but that’s exactly what Mourinho proceeded to do after losing the Supercopa de España to Barcelona this past August.  Mourinho ended up getting away with the disgraceful act due to the incident not being logged by in the referee’s match report.  He later rubbed salt in the wounds of the man he attacked, Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova by referring to him as ‘Pito,’ Spanish slang for a piece of the male anatomy.

The opinion that Mourinho is currently dividing is that of the Real Madrid board and the club’s supporters.  Whether or not you like ‘Los Blancos,’ their distinguished history and traditions are undeniable.  They are an equally proud and boastful club, something that fits Mourinho to a tee but he’s risking his standing with those in power at the Santiago Bernabéu with his unsportsmanlike behavior and for depicting Real Madrid as poor losers on the pitch.

It isn’t just the Villanova incident that stands out.  Whenever Real Madrid fall behind El Classico rivals Barcelona to the point they cannot salvage a draw, they tend to employ a harsh style of football.  Just before the Supercopa melee, left back Marcelo attempted to break the leg of newly-acquired Barcelona signing Cesc Fabregas.  As the two teams swarmed one another, Mourinho slyly walked over and stepped on Fabregas’ head.

The pattern of Mourinho and his men resorting to thug tactics continued this Saturday.  Once Real Madrid went down 3-1 to the Catalan giants, Mourinho unleashed his attack dogs Pepe and Sergio Ramos to gain some measure of redemption by roughing up Barca’s stars.

This isn’t the ‘Real Madrid Way’ but rather something that Mourinho stitched into the club and it’s beginning to tarnish the reputation of ‘Los Meringues.’  While it is debatable whether Mourinho has gotten the most out of one of the richest squads assembled in the world, it’s hard to defend the actions he’s chosen in attempting to undermine and overtake Barcelona’s superiority.

If he doesn’t deliver to Real Madrid this season’s La Liga title or make a deep run in the Champions League, the patience of club president Florentino Perez and the directors might evaporate to the point that Mourinho is ousted.  It’s one thing to under-perform but to fall short of objectives while dragging a proud club’s name through the mud is a different story entirely.

Is Mourinho walking a thin line?  Share your opinions below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.

What Separates Luis Suarez From Fernando Torres

By Sean Hartnett @HartyLFC – December 10, 2011

I’ve heard Fernando Torres called countless derogatory words by Liverpool supporters and football fans in general since his unpopular move to Chelsea.  At first, like most of my fellow brethren – I was deeply enraged when Torres bolted for Stamford Bridge and didn’t hold back my antipathy.

A mob mentality gained pace among Reds worldwide as Torres become public enemy number one.  When joined together we’d refer to Torres using the most disdainful language.  Today, his move to Chelsea seems a distant memory and the knife he dug into our hearts has given way to a degree of forgivingness (at least within the hearts of more benevolent Reds.)

Through sheer ineptitude at Chelsea, our pure hatred of Torres began to melt away.  We started to sympathize with a former ‘Kop Hero’ who clearly had lost his way by leaping feet-first into new surroundings that suited him like an itchy sweater to bare skin.

While opinion is strongly divided among Liverpool’s support whether they’d welcome Torres back to Anfield, it doesn’t seem like a possible reality.  In sealing his ‘dream move’ to Chelsea, Torres unknowingly filled Andriy Shevchenko’s vacant slippers.  Yes, Shevchenko did end up returning to old haunts AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv but that’s not the point.  The point is Torres has become Roman Abramovich’s latest detrimental ‘pet project.’

Chelsea’s billionaire owner will be determined to do whatever it takes to allow Torres to shine.  Even if it means sacrificing the in-form Didier Drogba and yes, even Andre Villas-Boas to prove that he was justified in splurging £50m on yet another extravagant purchase bought against a manager’s wishes.  Jose Mourinho paid the price for not bending his philosophies and abandoning Shevchenko.  Same goes Carlo Ancelotti who fought hard against Torres’ arrival.  Villas-Boas might be the latest in a long line to suffer from the damage brought on an ‘Abramovich power signing.’

What separates Torres from Luis Suarez, the current striker filling Scouse hearts with delight is that Torres is human… a bit too human.  Liverpool supporters placed their trust in a false idol in Torres, who opted for the easy way out by joining Chelsea’s fruitless obsession of Champions League glory instead of fighting for Liverpool’s reintroduction into European football.

He rejected the pleas of returning iconic manager Kenny Dalglish and ambitious new owner John W. Henry who were both willing to nurture Torres’ talent by surrounding him with fresh complimentary players.

One of which was intended to be Suarez.  With Torres alongside him, Suarez could have eased himself into the spotlight of the Kop.  Instead, Suarez had to immediately hit the ground running and like Torres in 2007, he instantly endeared himself to his new teammates and supporters alike.  The difference is that Suarez is a staying power.

Even at his best, Torres sulked around the pitch when he wasn’t getting the proper service.  Suarez cuts a distinctly opposite figure as his natural enthusiasm fills teammates with the spirit to push on for the next goal.

Underneath all the talent, Torres turned out to be a very mortal man who struggled greatly with confidence and ultimately was swallowed up by the deceivingly greener grass of pastures new in West London.  Suarez isn’t a God nor is he blessed with the elongated, powerful physique of Torres.  He might not be as clinical a finisher as Robbie Fowler in his heyday but what does have is a determination and hunger that was never evidenced by Torres in a red shirt.

That isn’t inferring that Torres never tried while wearing the Liverbird upon his chest but instead alludes to the unusual amount of work ethic that Suarez displays every match.  While at Atletico Madrid, Torres was handed the captain’s armband as reward for his performances.  Suarez was recently described by former manager Martin Jol as a true captain at Ajax, earning the armband even though he was a young foreigner from South America.

There’s something inside of Suarez that burns inside him like Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher or Emlyn Hughes.  When Suarez steps out onto the pitch, he boils with desire and carries the Kopites on his back.  For all the marketing that went into Torres becoming revered as ‘one of us,’ Suarez doesn’t need anyone to toot his horn to prove he’s a true Red.

He simply proves it…week in and week out, both when he pulls on his training top or the famous red shirt when stepping out onto the field of battle.  That’s what I love about Suarez.  Sami Hyypia never needed to make a bold claim about his desire to represent Liverpool and neither does Suarez.  It’s obvious he belongs at Anfield.

The man known as ‘El Pistolero’ is a sincere workman.  Suarez is an old-fashioned forward who refuses to embrace the media spotlight and instead is vilified for being a genuine character with real emotions.  There isn’t any pretense in Suarez’s bones.

Torres revealed his true self as he fell from his pedestal, a footballer who needed his ego massaged as he escaped the Mersey home he believed he had outgrown.  If there is any pedestal being built for Suarez, he’ll ignore it by keeping his head down and continuing to work hard.  It is these qualities that connect so easily with Kopites and Liverpool supporters worldwide.

Is Luis Suarez in fact the opposite of Fernando Torres?  Can Torres establish himself at Chelsea or is he doomed to continue his downward trend?  Share your opinions below and follow ‘Sean On Soccer’ on Twitter – @SeanOnSoccer.