In this feature, I detail a ‘fantasy’ system I have devised. This one is from EA Sports’ FIFA 11 and FIFA 12, originally made in the latter.
Saha - just one forward who Everton cannot rely on - Image via Wikipedia
Outside of the narrative of big spending in Manchester and the red side of Liverpool, one of the more compelling cases in the transfer market this summer has been Everton. They are a side who should ‘on paper’ be in decline, however they have had an excellent start to the season, picking up points from 3 out of their 4 Premier League fixtures – they are 2 points better this season than they were having played the same number of fixtures last season.
Everton have constricted finances due to debt and lack of external investment, and have not been able to spend a decent sum on a single player as they have in previous seasons (Fellaini being an example) – David Moyes has been highly restricted in a financial sense. However, they find themselves having started well, despite the fact the general narrative over the previous seasons has been that they have started poorly and picked up form to lift themselves into the top half, usually into contention for Europe. Whether this trend is simply reversed this season is yet to be decided, but it’s interesting to study in the light of the fact that Everton have a distinct lack of forwards in their squad.
No column this week. I’m moving back to university and unless someone can find a recording of the game for me or some kind of repeat stream, not possible. Pity as well because I have been building up to a big loss like this – I assume we were lacklustre tactically speaking. I may write a summary based of the MotD highlights.
“I’ve saw it on the tape numerous times and – we’ll see.” – Paul Lambert, Norwich manager
Both teams surely felt they had to win, and could do, having had a slow start to the season. Norwich wanted to record their first win, having drawn twice already – Albion had been handed a difficult start to the fixture list and had conceded late in all their August fixtures leading to three losses in a row. Roy Hodgson denied this was evidence of a trend prior to the match.
General shapes - note emphasis on Tierney's arrow
A sombre start to proceedings could be expected, considering that firstly the stadium observed applause for Albion’s academy player Blake Melbourne, who has passed away after illness. Then, a commemorative silence followed for the September 11th 2001 attacks.
However, despite Hodgson’s lack of acknowledgment of trends, another continued: Albion scored early, breaking the sombre atmosphere. Steven Reid had within the first minute played an early cross into the box – this was a theme throughout the match, and it was a similar ball by Nicky Shorey which activated a clever piece of combination play between Albion’s forwards. Shane Long shepherded former Albion centre-back Leon Barnett away, whilst Peter Odemwingie exploited the space and lack of guile between Ritchie De Laet and Tierney. Thus, within 2 minutes Albion had an advantage to which they held onto throughout the match – a similar tale to previous fixtures, but this time a success.
‘To get so close and once again concede a late goal…one is tempted to feel that one has been harshly treated in the last couple of games’ – Roy Hodgson, 20/08/2011, after Chelsea 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Albion's first half shape
This is an easy game to analyse for all the wrong reasons, with the added spin of a derby day. Both teams filed their usual systems for this game, with two relatively static 4-4-1-1 shapes facing one another. In both, however, the attacker behind the advanced forward drifted around the pitch and was the locus for most attacks: Somen Tchoyi for Albion and Jonathan Walters for Stoke. The Potters played their expected long-ball approach which has become their trademark in the Premier League. Read the rest of this entry »
Staying up - as good as any cup final. Image via Wikipedia
West Brom have, over the years, been castigated as a ‘yo-yo club’ by many. However, this is a largely irrational argument which ignores the circumstances and evidence – and it is this argument which vindicates the club. It is, however, not alone and should extend its approach. Let’s look, importantly, at the evidence.
Earlier this week in anticipation with the up-coming contest, Albion’s Jonas Olsson acted as the players’ (and clubs’) voice in the press. The left-footed centre-back said that Stoke City, their rivals up in North Staffordshire, are inspirational for Albion and are a package they should attempt to emulate.
This is an essentially comparative way at looking at the two clubs’ recent fortunes, and it’s one I favour. It is far away from my personal distaste over lazy comparisons which rest on the shadiest of factors. Examples of such journalistic sloth include the endless parade over Villas-Boas’ appointment (did you know that he is young, handsome, Portuguese, managed Porto and won the Europa League/Uefa Cup and now is managing Chelsea?! Did I mention José Mourinho did the same things?); or perhaps whenever a player is hailed as the ‘new’ incarnation of a past legend. These comparisons are usually trite because they simply don’t hold up to evidence at all beyond conjecture.
So I’m going to compare Albion to Udinese Calcio, defeated by Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers this week. Both wear stripes, and occupy or aspire to mid-table security. Ok, beyond the vague comparisons, there is something to this, and it importantly allows us to analyse Albion’s strategy first and foremost. Udinese are one of the stranger clubs you will read about – they punch far above their weight, but they are proof that prudent planning in terms of the acquisition of players can keep a superficially ‘inferior’ club in the top echelons, and even achieve European qualification on a number of occasions. That Udinese have had 16 seasons of consecutive top-flight football as well could be a more comforting record to emulate rather than Stoke City’s three (come May, four, if Stoke do not follow the trend encapsulated by teams like Charlton Athletic of well-structured regional clubs eventually failing in the Premier League).
Read the rest of this entry »
A game of two halves as the genius of the first is eclipsed by a tactically toothless second.
Summary
Both teams showed spells of excellence in a tight contest. Chelsea had to make a tactical u-turn on 30 minutes, having gone a goal down and looking unlikely to solve the puzzle: Florent Malouda replaced Solomon Kalou. Before half-time the narrative of Chelsea constantly testing Albion in the box began, which persisted throughout the second half.
Read the rest of this entry »
Food for thought for the Hawthorns Daimyō-- Image via Wikipedia
A few thoughts on the opening fixture
The only reason why this is not a full match report is because I was not able to see the majority of the game – I saw the entire second half on television, and listened to from around 20 minutes onwards to the (poor) radio commentary. So I’ll only sketch out a few thoughts here.
Albion News is the official matchday programme magazine for West Bromwich Albion. I will be using a number of issues I have been given to attempt a historical analysis. See the dedicated page for more details:
http://kickaboutwiththegents.wordpress.com/according-to-the-programme/
The ‘Postcolonial’ behind the ‘Premier’ League
October 30, 2011 in Comment, Deconstructing football, Premier League | by R.J. Croton | Leave a comment
Deconstructing Football: 1
[Copyright-Free image courtesy of http://www.odt.org]
When managers, players and commentators call the English Premier League the ‘best in the world’, or even ‘greatest’ league, they do not make a simple statement. Such a contest seems only winnable by the Premier League when looking at viewing figures; this is not an argument I will get sucked into, except that I feel it speaks to something sinister behind the Premier League. The widespread belief in its supremacy over other domestic leagues should worry, as it arguably justifies an unjust situation which speaks to the very structure of modern, ‘global’ football.
Pele famously predicted that there would be an African winner of the FIFA World Cup by the end of the Twentieth Century. We know now that he was, simply, wrong; but what of the last winner of the 20th Century, France? Their ‘rainbow team’ drew on talent from all over French society, especially from former French colonies – Zinedine Zidane from Algeria, for example. Indeed, the ‘rainbow team’ was a highly positive thing in France: this example of a cohesive, wonderful team drawing players from a range of backgrounds helped to contradict and challenge racist politicians such as Jean-Marie Le Pen – the leader of the far-right Fronte Nationale (or FN). It challenged not only the assumption that French society must be judged on its colour, it also speaks to the fact that a ‘footballing culture’ is to do with place, to do with geography and location. It seems a can of worms to argue that the rainbow team were, in-fact, African and not French – that isn’t something I will be drawn into, except that it is this relationship between being French and (for example) Algerian which is of interest.