Liverpol boss Rafa Benetiz last night told the media that if superstar Spaniard Fernando Torres was not injured as much as he has been this season, then Liverpool would not have slipped so far behind Premiership leaders Manchester United:

The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres. Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different.

He has been our main striker and scored a lot of goals for us last season. And this season could have been totally different with him.

With the former Valencia manager pointing out this very obvious fact, is he admitted that he has made mistakes this season, mainly in the shape of not getting the best out of Robbie Keane and his teams inability to convert chances? [Read the rest of this entry »]

We all know the stories about Sven-Goran Eriksson and his supposed womanising. Apparently, the Swede has charm in abundance when it comes to the fairer sex, no cheesy chat-up lines as far as old Svennis is concerned. However, it appeared that he’d surpassed himself in Mexico City on Wednesday, rocking up to meet a club manager with a lady on each arm.

The Guardian reports that while the man chatting to Pumas manager Ricardo Ferreti looked every inch to be the former England and Man City manager, it was instead an impostor, who makes his living from impersonating Eriksson.

“He explained to me that he was looking at players for his first squad selection for Mexico, and I believed him,” said Ricardo Ferreti, the team’s Brazilian manager who had been putting his players through shooting practice.

With his lilting Swedish accent and reputation as a romancer apparently intact judging by the women on his arms, he convinced onlooking reporters too. “All of a sudden he appears with two girls and it looked very strange indeed,” said José Angel Parra, who writes for El Universal. “We’d heard that over there [in Britain] he’d been involved in some scandals so we didn’t know what to think. They sat down behind the goal but then they were called over to the bench.”

The man in question was actually 56-year-old Derek Williams, who appeared to be concerned that Sven’s departure from City would mean he’d be looking for alternative employment. However, it appears that he managed to hoodwink this Mexican club into thinking he was the real deal, although the national federation don’t seem to be all that impressed!

In the first of my new Living Legends series, I take a look at the softly-spoken, mistimed tackling Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.
[Read the rest of this entry »]

Ex-Real Madrid coach Vincente del Bosque is set to take charge of European Championship holders Spain until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With this move to a tried-and-tested, older manager could this point to the end for young ex-players?

The president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) Angel Maria Villar proposed the nomination of del Bosque to the executive committee which was accepted.
RFEF Spokesperson

As the double Champions League winner settles into his chair at the Real Federación Española de Fútbol offices, having succeeded new Fenerbahce coach Luis Aragones, a trend can be spotted in international football.

In the summer of 2006, a handful of top European countries turned to bright, young ex-players with little, or no, managerial experience to guide them to international glory. Germany and Jurgen Klinsmann, Holland and Marco van Basten, Italy and Roberto Donadoni.

Lets forward ourselves two years: Holland’s naive defence was breached by Russia, under the experienced Guus Hiddink. Donadoni’s mismanagement of the World Cup winners exposed young ex-players as perhaps not the greatest choice for major tournaments. They may have experience of playing international football but management is more than that. Jose Mourinho is a great example. Never a good player, yet a great manager.

Have football associations now realised that international football needs an experienced and talented manager? Have they seen Guus Hiddink and the experience he has pay dividends with the four countries he has managed? Preparing a team for competitive games when only seeing them every two months (at best) shows a manager for what he truly is. England opted for a proven manager in Fabio Capello. Italy reinstated the World Cup winning Marcelo Lippi. Spain have turned to a proven, trophy-winning manager in Vincente del Bosque.

Granted, Klinsmann went of his own accord after rejuvenating the German side, and van Basten got the Dutch playing football reminiscent of the 1970’s, but the trend is there for all to see.

Franz Beckenbauer, a man I have always admired, is a beam of light that is a constant counter-claim to this current trend. He expertly managed to guide West Germany to the 1986 World Cup final. Four years later, he went one step better and won the World Cup in Italy, at just 45 years of age.

So it may seem at the moment that the larger European teams who have not given a young ex-player the reigns are not willing to take the gamble. But the Dutch and Germans who did, may continue beyond their current coaches and bring around the next Franz Beckenbauer. As always with international football, there won’t be a quick answer, it’ll take some time to see.

Chelsea have been up to their old tricks again, as they splashed millions of pounds on a superstar name. Sometimes its just because they can, sometimes its because the board (or Mr R. Moneybags Abramovic) want to see the player, occasionally its because they need the player. This latest signing could just be the latter. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Yes I know, the question is a boring one. It sure as hell isn’t as good as some of the fantastic questions we pose to you on a daily basis here at Caughtoffside.com (*ducks as chair is thrown in my direction*),
but it has to be asked. [Read the rest of this entry »]