Partita la Pro League: stavolta senza Diego

E’la prima stagione del dopo-Maradona. Il massimo campionato degli Emirati Arabi Uniti, la Pro League, parte senza più l’effetto Diego. La scorsa stagione è stata quella dell’attenzione massima da parte dei media di tutto il mondo per l’arrivo del Pibe de Oro come tecnico dell’Al Wasl. Per una stagione, il campionato locale è stato al centro dell’attenzione proprio grazie a Maradona. Grazie o a causa, in quanto le vicende tecniche sono passate inosservate proprio per via della presenza dell’ex Re di Napoli. Eppure il campionato dell’EAU, nonostante non sia ricco come quello del Qatar, è uno dei tornei più interessanti dei Paesi Arabi, sia per il talento dei giocatori che per la presenza di ottimi allenatori. Ma, mentre i riflettori erano accesi sul Maradona fuori del campo, quel che è successo in campo è passato in secondo pinao, a partire proprio dai risultati dell’Al Wasl che non sono stati all’altezza delle apsettative, tanto che la dirigenza del team ha deciso, dopo appena un campionato, di porre fine all’esperimento. Ora, giunto alla sua quinta stagione, il prossimo campionato cerca la svolta: aumentare il proprio appeal a livello nazionale anche senza più il Pibe de Oro come promoter. Si parte quindi con la caccia al titolo che dovrebbe coinvolgere cinque- sei squadre. I campioni in carica dell’Al Ain hanno inziato la stagione con una pesante sconfitta casalinga, 3-6,  subita dall’Al Ahli. La squadra di Cosmin Olaroiu, nonostante gli arrivi dei nazionali Mohammed Ahmed e Yaqoub Al Hosani, e la permanenza di Michel Radoi e Asamoah Gyan, sembrano lontani dalla forma esibita la scorsa stagione, anche se il campionato è appena partito. Dopo l’esperienza, come detto in apertura, non certo entusiasmante con Diego Maradona al timone, l’Al Wasl riparte da Bruno Metsu, ex allenatore del Senegal ai Mondiali di Giappone/Corea 2002, dove portò gli africani ai quarti di finale. La squadra è stata notevolmente rinforzata in estate con gli arrivi di Mahmoud Abdel Razek Shikabala, del difensore australiano Lucas Neill e dell’attaccante uruguayano, ex Lazio, Emiliano Alfaro. Molto ci si aspetta, in particolare, dall’egiziano Shikabala – vero nome Mahmoud Abdel Razek Fadlallah -  acquistato dallo Zamalek del Cairo per più di  US$100,000. Un’esperienza in Europa, con il PAOK Salonicco in Grecia, seguito anche da Anderlecht ed Espanyol, Shikabala ha tutte le qualità per sfondare nella Pro League, sempre se riuscirà a tenere a freno il proprio carattere. Tutta da verificare la tenuta dell’Al Jazira dopo le partenze di Lucas Neill e Bare, compensate dagli arrivi dell’attacante brasiliano Fernandinho e del difensore Shin Hyung-min. La partenza in campionato, sconfitta 1-2 contro l’Al Nasr, non fa ben sperare anche se il club ha trattenuto Ricardo Oliveira, 15 goals nell’ultimo campionato. A proposito di Al Nasr, il team guidato da Walter Zenga ha acquistato Giuseppe Mascara e Bruno Correa , sostituendo il partente Mark Bresciano, che ha scelto i dollari del Qatar firmando per l’Al Gharafa, con l’iracheno Nashat Akram. La squadra ha una precisa identità e sotto la guida di Zenga può sperare di arrivare a quel titolo nazionale che manca dal 1986. Da seguire l’Al Ahli, guidato ancora in panchina dallo spagnolo Quique Sanchez Flores. Alla guida del club dopo quattro giornate della scorsa stagione, Flores è riuscito a trattenere Grafite e Luis Jimenez, vecchia conoscenza del calcio italiano. A questi, il club di Dubai ha aggiunto il camerunense  Achille Emana. In ribasso sembrano le quotazioni dell Al Wahda. Il team guidato da Branko Ivankovic ha perso i vari Haidar Ali, Mutaz Abdulla e Omar Ali e confida nelle capacità di Papa Waigo. L’esordio, socniffta 4-1 contro l’Al Wasl, non è stato promettente. Il campionato si presenta comunque avvicente ed interessante. Fra gli altri giocatori da seguire, il nazionale egiziano Mohamed Zidan, subito infortunatisi all’esordio nella sconfitta 2-0 patita dal suo club, il Bani Yas, ad opera dell’Al Shabab. Ex di Werder Bremen, Mainz, Amburgo e Borussia Dortmund, Zidan dovrà aiutare la squadra del tecnico Jozef Chovanec a raggiungere una buona posizione di classifica.

Thoughts on AVB's 4-3-3

Jan Vertonghen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Clint Dempsey...Totthenam transfers make sense in Andre Villas-Boas' 4-3-3. The appointment of Villas-Boas was a risky step by Daniel Levy, after his first stint in EPL ended prematurely.  To make the new project working, Villas-Boas wanted all the pieces in place to run successfully his play. While at Chelsea team failed to adapt his philosophy, and ownership didn't give him the time to change it, Spurs revamped their squad in the way AVB wanted. From a tactical viewpoint, AVB is strictly anchored to his beloved high tempo 4-3-3 with a high defensive line pressuring on the other half of pitch and with two attacking full backs. According to his principles, AVB 4-2-3-1 is similar to 4-3-3 system he ran at Chelsea. In Hugo Lloris Spurs finally have an established backup and a top tier goalkeeper in place to sub Brad Friedel. Spurs’ personnel is more suited to play a high defensive line than the players who was at Chelsea. At Porto, in Fernando, Joao Moutinho and Fredy Guarin, Villas-Boas had switching midfielders who were able to rotate their position in the way to provide options in the build up. To rebuild those movements, Villas Boas tried to lure his former player Moutinho but it doesn't happen. And Rafael Van der Vaart - no a natural fit for the high-tempo 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 - walked out the door. Despite those issues and with Luka Modric's saga finally over, in Scott Parker and Sigurdsson Villas-Boas had a holding midfielder and an attacking one linked to his high-energy system. But the most interesting part of his scheme is the role of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. AVB's play relies on attack and with his decision to swith from  Harry Redknapp's 4-4-2 to to a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, the problems was on the flanks. Villas-Boas likes to have his wings pressing high and cutting inside towards the net. The success of Hulk and Daniel Sturridge confirms that AVB knows how to made those players producing. Villas-Boas wants those players stay wide open to spread the field then drift in the middle. Both Hulk and Sturridge provided him two wide forwards with an eye for goal. That means because Spurs spent $9.5 million to get Clint Dempsey away from Fulham. The 29-year-old despite Dempsey scored 23 goals last season. He's the highly needed attacking winger to line up opposite to Bale. In fact, Bale - despite his scoring skills - and Lennon are more outside wingers than offensive threats.

Kagawa left Galatasaray exposed in the midle

A boring match, but tactically interesting, defined by an early goal set the first match between Galatasaray and Manchester Utd.  Alex Ferguson named veteran Paul Scholes as his playmaker, pairing him alongside Michael Carrick, and started with Shinji Kagawa as attacking midfielder behind Robin van Persie. Fatih Terim opted to stay with his classic 4-4-2 formation featuring Felipe Melo in the middle paired with Inan Selcuk while Hamit Altintop and Nordin Amrabat stayed on the flanks. Match started with Galatasaray pressing high up, in the way to ruin Manchester Utd's build up. The English side played in a kind of 4-2-2-1-1, with Kagawa and van Persie playing as attacking midfielders/forwards, switching their position up front. It was a classic matchup between a five men midfield against a four men midfield. During the first half, Turkish side wasn't particularly good to prevent Kagawa from getting space between the lines, neither to prevent Scholes from play a lot of balls. Manchester's central midfielder was the playmaker, suited to change the front of attacks with long and accurate balls. Galatasaray never pressed him adequately, leaving the 38-years old midfielder free to play unmarked in the build up. Terim's side wasn't able to pick Kagawa with its midfielders neither with the defenders: one of the Turkish forward would have sit deep chasing Scholes while a central midfielder would have closed the zone between the midfield and the centre-backs, covering Japanese attacking forward. The key to Manchester Utd’s first half performance was the freedom that both Scholes and Kagawa had. And the goal came after a perfect 1-2 punch made by Kagawa and van Persie. Things wasn't better with John Elmander inside: the Swedish forward chased Scholes more then Umut Bulut and Burak Yilmaz did but not enough to prevent him from play clean passes. On the flanks, Valencia had the edge on the right but he's not accurate enough to exploit those 1 vs 1 situations against Hakan Balta, with left wing Umrabat that didn't help him. While Galatasaray's full-backs was going up and down the line, Manchester's full-backs rarely went over the middle line, so Alex Ferguson's side looked as a 6-4 team offensively, with a bank of four, two central midfielder and four offensive men up. Defensively, all the flankers and Kagawa helped the defense so Machester Utd built two bank of four very strict and compact. Second half started in a bad shape with so many fouls and referee's whistles that we have no play in the opening 15 minutes. Elmander's work on Scholes raised up in the second 45minutes but, above all, Galatasaray nullified the disadvantage on the middle by keeping the ball although it didin't translate into scoring chances. In fact, with Manchester Utd sitting deep, Turkish had no clear scoring opportunities while the English was much dangerous when they had the ball or during quick fast-breaks. Terim's changes don't affect the game as neither Emre Colak and Aydin Yilmaz found spaces to open the two banks of four Manchester Utd build in their own half of the pitch. The only real chance for Galatasaray came from a counter-attack when Manchester Utd were unbalanced going forward. Had the referee allowed an early penalty kick to Galatasaray, the game could have gone another way. But Galatasaray can build from this game if they can resolve the basic problem of how to play against a three-men midfield and how to create scoring chances against a close defense.

Scotland - Macedonia preview

The World Cup qualifying week 1 is in the box and Scotland manager Craig Levein is already facing a storm of criticism following his goalless draw with Serbia at Hampden Park. Levein’s detractors pointed their fingers against his 4-1-4-1 formation, it was thinking to has been too much defensive in a to-win game. But Levein's 4-1-4-1 is not necessarily a defensive formation. All depends on the midfielders' skills. All is about supporting the forward. Lining up Steven Naismith, Charlie Adam, James Morrison and Robert Snodgrass, means the possibility to have upcoming midfielders able to provide nice balls and to attack the box. The only real issues Levein deserves to face is the Steven Fletcher issue after forward refused the call for a friendly match and denied his availability. Levein opted to start with Kenny Miller as team's lone forward up top. You could point that Sunderland striker would have been un upgrade and that he had earned the right to play after his latest performances. Although Miller played recently down the expectations, he's still a fans' favourite. So, after Scoltand struggled to score, people started to talk about how much a 4-4-2 with both Fletcher and Miller high up could work better. This point deserves credit but still this isn't the right way to made the question. Everyone knows that managers have an edge if they can line up several players that are among the football's players elite. Miller and Fletcher are two good players but not elite ones. Neither among the elite are Jordan Rhodes, Jamie Mackie or even James Forrest. So when you can't reach the highs with your players you have to put more emphasis on fitness shape and tactics. Is playing with two guys up top the best solution for Scotland? The defence played well against Serbia, exploting the work of the five-men midfield. The Scots began dangerous when Snodgrass was involved. But Serbs looked dangerous on the fast-breaks so how much would Levein's benfit be playing higher and more offensive? Levein can hint at some changes against Macedonia, although he would have to think whether they could be tactically or in line up. The Scottish could play without a key player such as the injuried Adam so Levein could shuffle the midfield. Macedonia left Zagreb without a point despite a good display against Croatia. Under new Chedomir Janevski's regime, Macedonia's players showed some discipline, and tactical intelligence. So Macedonia at Hampden is going to be a much tougher test than Serbia for Levein.

Del Piero signed

Getting Alessandro del Piero is the highest, biggest and hot move made by an A-League franchise. What his signature could mean for the team? Sydney has a large, Italian community , fans base. A lot of them will pay to see Del Piero on the pitch or via TV. The attention will rise now that they landed one of the 125 greatest players of all-time – according to FIFA. But Sydney’s signature of Del Piero could have also a big impact on football in the Australia, such as David Beckham’s arrival had on USA. Add a player such Del Piero should add more pressure on you to achieve a succesful season:  “I dont worry it will be a pleasure for me and our staff to work with him, in Australia there is always pressure on Sydney FC to be successful,”  Sydney’s manager Ian Cook told us. This impact isn’t about money, but about an increase of football appeal in the country. “He will be massive in this country. Everywhere we go people will come just to watch him,“ Cook isad. Sure, money is involved with Del Piero ready to sign the most expensive contract for an A-League players at $2 million for a six months stint. But who cares? Signing a player like that could represent the needed step for A-League to grow up and answer to the criticism. “It means everything, he will have a huge impact on the game in Australia. Already the news of his signing has been regarded as the biggest coup in Australian sports history”, Cook added. About the money issue,  the Sky Blues are rich enough to land Del Piero at his condition, after they proposed a three-year $6.2 million contract to Harry Kewell few months ago. The overall quality of the A-League could rise, convincing the other owners to spend  more to attract other big players. Del Piero’s move to Sydney is a done deal and Australians beat out contenders like as Celtic and Totthenam, that showed interest on signing him. The idea to play in the Champions League once again wasn’t so strong on Del Piero’s mind, such as it was for Raul when he left Real Madrid to sign with Shalke 04. Sydney can offer him the best in term of life quality.  How employ him into the starting line up? “I will speak to him and go through our structure and where we both believe will be the best position for him to be able to perform at his best for our club, we have been working hard in pre season on our tactical shape,we have 11 new signings in our squad so we are trying to blend them in to our system. Up to now the players have been excellent,” Cook said. All Asutralia has to be happy for the Italian superstar’s decision.

Shakhtar and Dinamo: clash between two styles

This match essentially started around a clash between two different playing styles. Shakhtar started with his classic 4-4-3/4-2-3-1 featuring Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the midfilder to support the offensive trio of  William, Luiz Adriano, and Ilsinho. The technical quality in the first 20 minutes was high: Mircea Lucescu's side controlled the match with their high ball retention a la Barcelona and spread the field thanks to full backs Darijo Srna and Razvan Rat that had decent positions playing wide as wing backs while the forwards were occupying the middle section of the field. But Shakthar pressing when the ball was lost too deserves some credit. While Shaktar pressed heavily, Dinamo Kyev stayed more passive without the ball, with no pressing action. It was a 4-4-1-1 with Niko Kranjcar as attacking midfielder. But they was more worried to close the spaces than to hunt the ball. So, sometimes, we have seen Dinamo Kiev defending with a line of 6 defenders, with the four-men back line very tight and the wingers collapsing behind to cover Srna and Rat. They got into a bank of three defending centrally with the midfield closed to centre-backs that tried to keep the line high. Lucescu's side controlled the game but had some nice through balls too. It was defending with the ball, commanding the game. After Shakhtar scored first, Dinamo went to rise up the defense, trying to press more high. By the way Shakhtar get the ball control and when the ball was lost they were able to press immediately in the zone where it was lost and were quick to come back closing the opposite's counter-attacking chances. Despite this control, Shakhtar had fewer scoring chances than aspected so this was a game that remained open. It was showed at the end of the first half, when Dinamo equalized thaks to a personal play made by Andrey Yarmolenko. The second half started much more open as Dinamo tried to play in attack and not just to defend. That's happened because Shakhtar scored early the 2-1 following a corner kick mistake of Dinamo's defenders- and it was the second time whithin the game. At the end, Lucescu's men was the better side and deserved to win. Once time they impressed with their bunch of Brazilian players up front. But they had few scoring opportunities in relation to the ball possession. Dinamo paid a high price for two defensive mistakes on set pieces. They were too passive on the first half and created nothing in the second too, when had a better control of the ball.