Return of Ronaldinho?

After being discarded by FC Barcelona in 2008, it appeared it was the beginning of the end for Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. The two-time World Player of the Year was to join AC Milan where many may have expected the flamboyant attacker’s career to peter out. However, as we approach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa there may be one last chance for Ronaldinho to remind the world just why he was once of the of the world’s best.

This season has seen an improvement in the form AC Milan’s number 80, and goals have come with it, including one each against Real Madrid and Manchester United in the Champions League.

The season that followed the 2002 World Cup was to be Ronaldinho’s last at Paris Saint-Germain, where he made his name, capturing the attention of Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta. After completing a £32.5 million move to the Catalan club, things only got better.

Ronaldinho was quickly becoming one of the best players in the world and the amount of trophies he was winning was only helping his case. Following World Cup success in 2002, he went on to win the Champions League in 2006, in the process picking up the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

Only two seasons later the story was very different for the former PSG player, as was the case for Barcelona on the pitch. The 2007/2008 season saw the Spanish giants finish without a trophy. This was quite simply unacceptable. Manager Frank Rijkaard did not survive, and neither did an injury-plagued Ronaldinho.

The former European Player of the Year was not only at a loss for form and fitness, but question marks were beginning to be raised over his weight and his desire to play football. Was he to suffer the same fate as his predecessor Ronaldo?

Ronaldinho was moved on from Barca at the end of the season, which subsequently saw him face a new challenge in Serie A for AC Milan at the San Siro.

His first season was unspectacular and did nothing to suggest that he was going to recapture the form he had shown a few years previously; he scored scoring only 10 goals from 35 appearances.

However, this season has seen a rejuvenated Ronaldinho under the new management of Leonardo. A slow start to the season suggested that the red and black half of Milan were going to suffer another season of frustration. Come February 2010 this is not the case.

Milan have advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League, beating Real Madrid away 2-3 in the group stages, and currently lie second in Serie A, albeit four points behind league leaders and bitter rivals Inter.

Ronaldinho has himeself bagged 12 goals, three of which have come in the Champions League. His performance in the first-leg defeat at home to Manchester United was reminiscent of the player once witnessed at Barcelona. This match demonstrated that he still has the desire to compete at the highest level and is still desperate to be in the Brazil squad for the World Cup finals. On current form, is he not surely worthy of a place in the squad?

Critics may point to that the fact that Ronaldinho has been left out of the squad for Brazil’s friendly against Ireland at Wembley on March 3rd, as evidence that he does not feature in Dunga’s plans for the World Cup. But the other side of the argument is that the Samba Kings' chief does not need to pick Ronaldinho because he knows exactly what he is getting. Dunga is fully aware of the player’s capabilities and his ability to perform on the biggest stage.

He may not be the player of old, but who better to come off the bench to change a game, and inject creativity and a spark into a side than Ronaldinho? One thing for certain is that Milan’s attacking midfielder will need to continue his current form, and what better stage to prove his point than the second leg of a Champions League tie at Old Trafford?

Fiorentina see red, the officials didn't.

The form book suggested only one winner in this Champions League tie, Bayern Munich. Fiorentina didn’t read the script, unfortunately the referees did.

Fiorentina’s fine away performance was marred by a succession of poor decisions made by contentious Norwegian referee Tom Henning Overbo. A name and face Chelsea fans do not wish to remember, now football fans from Florence can be added to that list.

Arguably Marco van Bommel should have been sent off in the first half for two rash challenges. A booking he received should have been a straight red on 28 minutes. The Dutchman then chose to take a dive on 39 minutes in no-mans land, but no card arrived. This was then followed by a controversial decision to send off Gobbi, for an alleged elbow to Man of the Match Arjen Robben.

To top this, the linesmen failed to acknowledge Miroslav Klose being a yard offside before poking in the winner in the 89th minute. Robben cut in from the right, saw his shot parried, for Olic to head to the unmarked and offside Klose.

Fiorentina came to play counter-attacking football in a bid to prevent Bayern Munich from turning 12 straight wins into 13. The first 35 minutes suggested this was more than possible.

Indeed Bayern were very slow to start and the team from Florence looked the more likely to score with the lone figure of Gilardino posing their biggest threat. Frank Ribery anonymous in the first half and a shaky centre back partnership of van Buyten and Demichelis gave the Italian club hope, but half chances came and went.

Despite the home side’s inability to control midfield, Robben’s direct-runs and attempts to link up with Mario Gomez finally paid dividends as the home side won a penalty in first-half stoppage-time. Frank Ribery was fouled in the box by former Everton defender Per Kroldrup, as Gomez tucked away the loose ball. But the celebrations were cut short as referee Tom Henning Overbo had already pointed to the spot.

The manner in which the goal was conceded and the timing of it may have suggested that Fiorentina would struggle to find a way back in, but after half-time that is exactly what they did.

A goal arrived from Kroldrup in the 49th minute to give the away side a vital goal that their play deserved. A Fiorentina corner ran deep, hit Jovetic’s leg and found its way to the Danish defender who tuner to finish at the near post.

The much coveted Stevan Jovetic began to show glimpses of why he is one of Europe’s biggest prospects. A one-two with striker Gilardino almost led to a second goal seconds after an equaliser.

However, this marked the end of Fiorentina’s attacking intentions for the remainder of the game. The team in violet now had their focus on taking a draw away from the Allianz Arena.

Jovetic, a two goal hero against Liverpool in the group stages of this season’s competition is still a raw talent. His defending and tracking back are areas for improvement, as is his tackling. Predominately an attacking player, on more than one occasion the young starlet was guilty of giving away needless free-kicks. But this is certainly forgivable for a player making only his second start.

Bayern played some pretty football but failed to penetrate a determined Fiorentina defence frequently. A lack of movement appeared to be a problem due to the set-up of the away side; it was not until play reached the final third that Bayern really came to life.

Hitzfeld turned to Miroslav Klose and Olic in a bid to bring new life to a fading attack. The move paid off as Bayern began to apply more pressure and won successive corners. Although it was not until the sending off of Gobbi that the game really turned in the home-side’s favour.

Gaps now became more frequent in midfield as van Bommel and the ineffectual Schweinsteiger found more space. However, only Robben and Ribery were able to truly exploit a tiring Italian defence.

It appeared Bayern had wasted the chance to take a lead into the second leg when Klose failed to convert from 10 yards out after a pull back from Philip Lahm.

Not to fear the Norwegian officials contrived to find a winner by allowing Klose to score what can only be described as an unfair goal, which denied the Fiorentina players a draw that their determined and disciplined performance had deserved.

The German side will now enter the second leg as favourites with the opportunity to score away goals. Fiorentina can take heart from this match, and barring a repeat performance by the officials, should have the belief that they can turn this tie around.

Cutting the Cost

This year’s January sales were a non-event, clubs focusing more on saving money rather than spending it. Perhaps the news coming from Portsmouth nearly every week of new financial troubles has begun to have an effect on more than just one club.

For some clubs a successful transfer window can be holding onto your best players to help fight against the drop, West Ham fit the bill. A takeover from lifelong Hammer’s fans David Sullivan and David Gold has enabled manager Gianfranco Zola to keep his star players and reinforce his front line in a bid to retain Premier League status.

Sullivan, an outspoken character has criticised the way finances have been managed by his Icelandic predecessors. In recent interviews given, he has re-opened the debate about the need for a salary cap in football – it continues here.

Leeds United are a club everybody likes to identify when using an example of a top four Premier League side that has suffered financial meltdown due to overspending and financial mismanagement, whom now find themselves in League 1 and recovering 9 years after a Champions League Semi-Final appearance.

However, it appears not enough people have learnt from the past mistakes of Peter Risdale, maybe the men in charge should be more aware of Portsmouth’s plight.

F.A Cup success in 2008 has come at a price. Administration looms, relegation almost certain, and a winding up order in place. Why?

Outside the elite ‘top four’ and beyond the Premier League every club seeks success. Quite simply the majority of clubs cannot attract players of the best calibre without huge financial strain on the wage bill.

The players brought to Fratton Park under Sacha Gaydamek’s reign certainly were not attracted to a modern football stadium and great training facilities, but with an option to earn a packet! Of course not every player can have this labelled at them.

Former and current England players: Sol Campbell, David James, Glen Johnson, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, none of whom were cheap. £7 million spent on David Nugent!

The Premier League is a competition, but only between four teams it appears. Manchester City are attempting to buck the trend, how? Spending millions of pounds. People say this is the nature of the game today. But why should teams like Portsmouth, Wigan, Bolton, Fulham and newly promoted clubs not have the same opportunity to bring in better players without jeopardising their future.

How would a wage cap help?

Firstly, it would give the chance for all clubs to have a star player, someone the fans can look to, and someone who can inspire the next generation of footballers at a local club.

The game of football is forever changing. Elder fans still pine for the golden years of football, when the players were one of them, loyalty existed and the lifestyle of players were not on another level to the average fan. A salary cap coupled with a reduction in wages may make some fans feel that footballers aren’t super human, and the relationship between the fan and football players is of mutual respect not complete idolisation or jealousy.

This isn’t helped by the fact fans are now paying an awful lot of money to watch their team play. Big money is spent to pay wages of these players, some of whom don’t match their degree of pay with the same level of effort.

Of course it would be unfair to aim this criticism at all players. But it appears now that the home-grown hero is becoming something of an extinct commodity. In the lower leagues there are better examples of stalwarts and great club servants, but in the Premier League, it seems you can count them with all 10 fingers.

David Sullivan, in this week’s papers has stated that he has now “warmed” to the idea of a wage cap and that it could in-fact help save many clubs.

It is hard to imagine many businesses in other industries being allowed to run with as much debt and borrowing as football clubs are. Fifa President Sepp Blatter has warned of his intensions to introduce a rule whereby clubs cannot operate under debt. A salary cap could be the first small step to help ensure clubs can adhere to this rule whilst remaining competitive.

Of course there are arguments against the idea of a salary cap. The most successful clubs will argue that they should not be punished for their success and ability to spend more money than their rivals as a result. Perhaps gone are the days when Manchester United fans will make such a case, with the club in debt of reportedly around £600m.

Spare a thought for the fans of Stockport County, Crystal Palace, Chester City and Darlington; they too are suffering from financial woes of their own.

A wage cap may not be a popular solution within the game, but I believe it is a necessary one. No-one wants to experience what Portsmouth are currently going through, but as David Sullivan has warned, they may not be the only club in English football if changes aren’t made soon.

Howe does Eddie do it?

Being a manager in the Football League is never an easy task, but few young managers will experience the difficulty that Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has faced off the pitch and the short-term success experienced on it.

Howe, a product of the Bournemouth youth system, spent the majority of his playing days at the club, and when forced to retire through injury in 2007, the defender was already a player-coach under former manager Kevin Bond.

Having lost his job, alongside Bond, Howe was brought back to the club as assistand manager by newly-appointed Jimmy Quinn, as Assistant Manager.

In the 2007/2008 season, the Cherries were plunged into administration, and as a result of a ten-point deduction were relegated to the Football League’s bottom tier. Since then it has been problem after problem, but now under Howe’s stewardship there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.

The 2008/2009 season started with a 17-point deduction from the Football League, with the club's league status under severe threat, as well as its very existence. A frustrating summer followed, as several takeover bids to save the club collapsed.

The experienced Kevin Bond was unable to turn round Bournemouth's fortunes on the pitch and was relieved of his job in September 2008. Quinn was appointed caretaker-manager and brought fans’ favourite Howe back to the club. Quinn, like Bond failed to move the Cherries away from the relegation zone, and suffered the same fate as his predecessor.

The boardroom looked now for inspiration. Howe was given the job of caretaker-manager and despite losing his first two games, was appointed as full-time manager on 19 January 2009. This was to be the club’s third manager of the season, not usually a recipe for success.

Bournemouth had an 86-year tradition as a Football League club to maintain, and Howe’s divine intervention made sure that this was still intact at the end of the season.

By March, the youngest manager in the League had seen his side lose only two of their previous eleven matches and find themselves two points above the relegation places with 10 games remaining. Bournemouth survived, finishing nine points above relegated Chester City and Luton Town, who would go on to have serious financial woes themselves.

This, however, is not the full story.

12 months later, while the club is still in financial difficulty and a transfer embargo has prevented Howe from reinforcing the squad, the Cherries find themselves in second place.

Centre to this revival is striker Ben Pitman who, while often considered a figure of frustration in past seasons, is now showing his full potential. This season he has already netted 17 goals, compared to his total of 14 last season. The young striker collected also the Player of the Month Award for September. Despite his age 37-year old Steve Fletcher is still around chipping in goals. Howe’s side can also boast having the most clean sheets in League 2 (11), joint with big spenders Notts County.

Such a contrast in fortunes goes to show that money does not always buy success and that having the right men in charge can provide success on the pitch.

Bournemouth can boast a more impressive range of statistics which make for good reading. Howe and his staff have only used 26 players in the league this season, the third smallest total in League 2, compared to Darlington, the league’s bottom club, who have used 50 players.

More evidence of this came with Saturday’s 2-1 win away to Crewe, with Howe taking just 15 fit players to Gresty Road.

Howe’s success is not going unnoticed. In November last year Darren Ferguson was strangely dismissed as manager of Peterborough despite two successive promotions. Barry Fry came for Howe, only to be knocked back.

Despite the young manager’s obvious commitments to his home-town club the question remains Howe long (excuse the pun) Bournemouth can hold onto their man at the top.