A legend retires - Sir Alex Ferguson calls it quits for Manchester United.

After a decade of rumors, SAF finally decides that he has had enough and announced that he will be retiring after this season. The 71 year old, at times cranky old man, legendary manager will not longer be patrolling the side lines at Old Trafford, harassing every official in the EPL and finding ways to always get an extra 5 minutes of injury time when his side needed a goal. His legacy speaks for itself:

• 26 years in charge of the club - he has been at Manchester United longer than most of his current squad has been alive! (average age of ManU is 27.2 years old, that includes grandpas like Giggs and Scholes)
• 38 trophies. No qualifier needed on that statistic.
• 2 European Champions league titles.
• 13 League titles.

All amazing numbers. But two things stand out for me and SAF:

• What he did before Manchester United. Before he became a legend at Old Trafford, he had

  

  The beginning of the legacy

  worked miracles in his native Scotland with Aberdeen. Winning the league title, something that is nothing short of amazing considering how strong a grip Celtic and Rangers have on that title. More impressive was finding European glory by defeating Real Madrid for the 1983 Cup winners Cup title. Winning with the resources that Manchester United bring could be devalued, but bringing in titles with a side like Aberdeen would almost be like a AA baseball team in the United States winning the World Series.
• His longevity. 26 years. That is beyond impressive. And I highly doubt we will ever see another manager reach that longevity...If a manager can survive and do well for a decade that is already impressive. But over a quarter century??? He is also leaving (by all indications) on his own accord. I am sure he could have added a few more years to this run had he decided to. Impressive.

So we will say good bye to a legendary manager. One, the likes, will never be seen again. Good luck Sir Alex. I never really liked you, I had to respect you but I am glad you are leaving.

Wenger to PSG? Good move for all parties?

The rumors have been kicked around for a year now, that PSG will be looking for someone to replace Ancelotti. Let's face it, the Italian manager never seemed 100% committed to the Parisian side and with the potential lure of Real Madrid there clearly seems to be an escape path for Carlo. The new "leader" for the potential opening in Paris - Arsene Wenger.

Wenger has always had close ties to PSG and the management at the club, so a move back across the channel is not so far fetched. In addition, Wenger has to be feeling his back end getting a little warm in North London as the title-less run for the Gunners is getting a little absurd - no silverware since 2005. Throw in the possibility of the "Special One" coming back to Chelsea and Wenger might be looking to take on a new challenge...away from London. So will Arsene be tempted back to France? In a word...Yes. Here is why the move would make sense for all parties:

• PSG would get one of the best brand names in management. Clearly Ancelotti was not 100% into managing the Ligue 1 leaders. From day one there were always rumors circulating about his long term commitment to the club. For PSG being able to land one of the most successful French managers would be a coup. PSG would get one of the better known managers in the game. Granted, one who's star might have lost a little luster - he is behind the likes of SAF, Mourinho or Guardiola when it comes to the superstar managers. However, Wenger's style could be perfect for PSG. His eye for developing talent would be allowed to flourish as he would have free reign in Ligue 1 and more importantly access in his own backyard to the entire Paris region. PSG's resources would ensure that they would have access to the likes of Ibra and Beckham to keep the veteran level on the roster. PSG's owners would have the brand name manager, who could find them the next super stars and would instantly be the biggest name in Ligue 1.
• For Wenger the change of scenery would do him good. Other than Ferguson, Wenger has been the longest tenured manager in the EPL. Unlike Ferguson, Wenger has decided that winning silverware is no longer important...okay that was a little mean. But since 2005, when Arsenal defeated Manchester United for the FA Cup, Arsenal have won nothing and Manchester United have won - the league 5 times, 3 Carling Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup (oh and 4 Charity Shields). Managers like Ferguson are a rarity when it comes to tenure. Even the likes of Guardiola with Barcelona, Mourinho with Real Madrid run their courses with a club and have to move on. Wenger needs to change his surroundings to recapture some of his

  

  Seems so long ago!

  mojo. Going to PSG would allow him to continue to search for and uncover youth. He would be king of Ligue 1 and challenge for the league title every season without breaking much of a sweat. More importantly, should always qualify for Champions League football. Wenger would be able to tinker with the right combination of youth and experience on his roster. Have enough depth for Ligue 1 and more importantly, an easier path for his roster to then focus his attentions on winning the title he most wants - the Champions League. The one piece of hardware that missing from his trophy case is the trophy with the big ears. Ferguson, Guardiola, Mourinho, Ancelotti even Benitez all have a Champions League trophy on their resume...Wenger needs one.
• Arsenal need a change in direction. 2005...the last time the Gunners put anything into their trophy case. Pat Vieira was still their captain! In that time span, the Gunners have watched the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Portsmouth, Birmingham City and even Swansea win some form of domestic silverware. That is unacceptable for a club of the stature of Arsenal. Has Wenger lost the plot? To some degree it appears that way. As he has allowed the likes of Nasri, Cesc and Van Persie walk out the door during that same time frame. Questions remain about whether or not this was because of Wenger being cheap or the board tying his hands behind his back. But you cannot fire ownership and you cannot fire an entire time. So that leaves the manager. The Gunners might also need to look to bring in a director of football, one who carries enough weight with the board to spend money and make bold decisions for the direction of the club. David Dein acted in this light during his tenure, his partnership with Wenger is a primary reason why the Gunners were so successful during that run. It is up to the club to try and recapture that magic. Potentially look for an up and coming manager coupled with a heavy weight director of football to guide the club. What Arsenal need now is some aggressive recruitment and player acquisition in order to keep up with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. Wenger is not willing or not allowed to do so. With new blood running the Gunners we will soon find out which it was for Wenger.

The move to PSG would be good for Wenger and all parties involved. Granted all this noise might also be a negotiation tactic from the wily Arsene, looking for the Arsenal board to give him a larger war chest for summer transfers...which he would use to purchase a bunch of unknown youth players that would pan out in 4 years and then promptly go to Barcelona or Manchester United.

Boston will emerge stonger.

As some of you may know I live in Boston. Fortunately I was not at the marathon this past Monday. I have been to many marathons in the past and have walked down Boylston St more times than I can count. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims. But knowing my adopted city as well as I do, we will emerge from this stronger and more unified.

I took this picture years ago, for those that are not familiar with Boston geography, the rainbow is over the area where the two bombs went off.

We will get through this.

Hug your loved ones.

Les Bleus fall to Espana...but not all is lost

A loss is a loss, whether done with fighting with honor or by just giving up. France did the latter when they lost to Spain in the Euros 2-0, they did so with the former on Tuesday. Unfortunately in both cases, France lost. At least in this situation not all is over for Les Bleus.

The Good:

• France fought hard and created some chances that they could have done better with.  I realize that this and $4 gets you a venti coffee at Starbucks. But I am focused on the good aspect, France showed some fight. France didn't just sit back and let the Spanish attack. They took chances when it made sense and had some legitimate opportunities.
• Valbuena has become the new "patron" for the French offense. The OM midfielder proved once again that he is the lynchpin of the attack. Right from the get go he demonstrated his willingness to take offensive chances: attempting an audacious bicycle kick from 20 meters out. Le Petit Velo was all over the pitch, not really holding his right side, but created havoc whenever he could. It was his cheeky long ball that sprung Ribery for a 1v1 against Valdes that the Barcelona keeper did well to keep out of his goal. Les Bleus have been struggling to find who could assume the role of the

  

  Outplayed his counterpart - Alonso

  #10...it would appear that Valbuena might be that player.
• The youngsters - Varane and Pogba. I realize the Juventus midfielder picked up 2 yellow cards within minutes of one another for a subsequent red. That not withstanding, it appeared that both were not overwhelmed by the moment. Varane played a solid game and almost had the equalizer late. While Pogba was an absolute beast. He was strong in his tackles, even allowed himself to take the ball past three Spanish players in the first half. Dare I say he looked like Pat Vieira on that play? Yes the second booking was harsh and maybe he should have been more aware of the situation. But he (hopefully) will learn from this experience as will Varane. The future for these two youngsters is bright, France might have some solid options right down the spine. Hey when M'Vila comes back (assuming he is still on form!) France could have a powerful midfield duo of Pogba and M'Vila.

The Bad:

• French finishing...again. France didn't score because they didn't create chances...it was because they could not FINISH. Jallet made a fabulous run, from a Valbuena feed, in the first half. The PSG back laid off a perfect pass to an on rushing Benzema, who had position on his defender. Rather than taking a touch, one timed it...into Row ZZ. Ribery, on another wonderful Valbuena pass, finds himself 1v1, his first touch alludes him and rather than finishing what he would do 9 out of 10 times, he sees Valdes save his attempt. Matuidi had a clean look from within the 18 and tried to guide it into the net. Evra gets on the end of a free kick but cannot put pace on it. Varane has the 1-1 ball drop to his feet but cannot get his shot off fast enough. Les Bleus needed

  

  A bit harsh...good example of Spanish diving as well

  to finish one of these chances...
• Pogba's red card. The second yellow card, in my mind, was harsh. I think that Xavi "sold" the severity of the foul. I guess that if you really scrutinize the play, Pogba did go in studs "high." But it felt like a harsh call by the official. Of course Pogba needs to also be aware that he was on a yellow card...be more savvier with your challenges.
• Jallet's defensive error. I would give the PSG right back a decent rating for the game. He defended well overall and was very active pushing up the pitch to support the attack. Something he had to do to ensure the right flank wasn't ignored - because no surprise, Valbuena roamed freely away from the right. However, on the goal it was Jallet's poor angle that allowed the play to break down. Rather than play the space he attempted to play the ball which was played just over the top, this mistake forced Varane to come over and shut down Monreal who was able to cross and find Pedro streaking in. Had Jallet taken a better route, he could have checked Monreal's run and who knows...

The Ugly:

• What is wrong with Benzema?? His goalless streak for France is getting slightly ridiculous. He worked hard during the match, had some nice actions but he clearly is pressing. The "one timer" he launched from a tasty pass from Jallet exemplified this...an in form Benzema might have taken a touch and opened up his angles. France need to get their striker in form and soon. Otherwise this will get super ugly.
• Deschamps' substitution...or lack thereof. The first substitution made sense and was aggressive - bringing on Menez for Cabaye, adding some width and offensive punch. But after that...what was DD doing? I realize his substitution strategy was thrown off with Pogba's red card. But you are down a goal!! Taking off Benzema for Sissoko? Your striker for a defensive minded midfielder? When you had the likes of Remy, Giroud and Gomis on your bench! Finally...Giroud finally comes on with...injury time left. What??? Difficult to comprehend when France was chasing the equalizer. 
• Spanish flopping, diving and embellishing....Okay I realize that I might be bitter and annoyed. But watching the likes of Xavi, Pedro et al flop all over the place is getting tired. Even Cesc gets into the game and starts with the antics. So annoying.

So France drop to second place in the group, 1 point behind La Roja. With 3 games to go, France are close to guaranteed to qualify for the home/away playoff...likely opponents could be - Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary or Albania. All sides that France should be able to handle, although I would not be happy to have to face Croatia in a home and away series. Of course if Spain drop any points, France could sneak back into first place. But this is unlikely, Les Bleus have two road matches and finish at home against Finland. While Spain will be at home for 2 of their last 3 matches. The likely hood that France win their last three games and Spain draws one of their last three is unlikely.

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Spain	5	3	2	0	8	2	11
France	5	3	1	1	8	4	10
Georgia	5	1	1	3	3	7	4
Belarus	4	1	0	3	3	8	3
Finland	3	0	2	1	2	3	2

 
Yet going into these qualifiers, most pundits expected France to finish second. The fact that Les Bleus have the possibility of finishing first in this group, this late, is a positive.

Les Bleus need to focus on their next game. Find victories. Hope that some how Spain slips.

Allez les Bleus.

Last minute surprise: 4-3-3 with the youngsters and Kos!

Back in the starting line up...youth is served

Just when it seemed we knew how Deschamps would roll out his squad on Tuesday we get what appears to be a last minute change with one surprise - Koscielny to start in central defense.

The supposed line up:

Le onze probable :
Lloris (cap) - Jallet, Koscielny, Varane, Evra - Cabaye, Pogba, Matuidi - Valbuena, Benzema, Ribéry.


Interesting to see Deschamps go with a 4-3-3 which in a way is another way of positioning the Christmas tree! Since I see the wide players: Valbuena and Ribery, dropping deeper to recover the ball while Benzema will (hopefully) sit on the last defender and force Spain to defend deeper. Therefore eliminating some of the space La Roja need to control possession. The other surprise is to see Kos in the starting line up and the PSG defender Sakho on the bench. Seems out of the blue, in particular because during his tenure, Deschamps seemed to lean on Sakho as one of his core players. The last change is Evra in for Clichy. I am not surprised, since the Manchester City back is more offensive while the Manchester United back is stronger defensively. Makes sense when you look at who they are facing.

Overall I like the line up. Clearly Deschamps is going to look and win or at worst create a stalemate in the midfield. Then counter with the pace he has available on the wings. I think we will see Jallet look to assume a greater burden in animating the right flank - with Valbuena roaming the field. The left side will clearly be the responsibility of Ribery. So do not look for Evra to need to push as high up the pitch.

I am not sure how I see this game turning out...but I will be realist and say we get another 1-1 draw between the two sides.

Allez les bleus.

A disguised Chrismas tree for Deschamps tomorrow

No I am not trying to say that Christmas is coming to Paris tomorrow. But from the rumors coming out of the training session I have a feeling we might see a disguised Christmas tree formation for Les Bleus. The noise is that Deschamps will not lean on a 4-4-2 again, as he did against Georgia, which is really not a surprise since France will have to be concerned about defending and the midfield. Which means that DD could lean on a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. France went to a 4-3-3 in the first half in Spain, but switched to a 4-2-3-1 in the second half. That game was a tale of two halves, with the second half being the better of the two. Does this mean we should look at the second half as a leading indicator of what might happen tomorrow?

The noise coming out of Clairefontaine is to expect a 4-2-3-1 with the Benzema atop of the formation and a more defensive minded Sissoko on the right over a Menez. Interesting.

Will Sissoko sit that high on the pitch or drop deeper?

The reality to  me is if Sissoko ends up getting the start on the right side of the formation, I really see this becoming a ....wait for it....Christmas tree formation. That formation is a 4-3-2-1 (so looks like a Christmas tree). I foresee a more defensive minded Sissoko drop deeper and end up shouldering the back 2 midfielders (Cabaye/Matuidi). That would allow a Valbuena to drift out further right and more importantly will call upon Jallet to animate that right flank by pushing up the pitch. I think this is a real probability. Assume Spain will, as it often does, control the majority of possession, this will force a Sissoko to lend a greater hand in the French 1/3 of the pitch. This will also ask of Valbuena - Ribery -Benzema to carry the offense and really do so on the counter: with support on the flanks coming from Jallet and Evra making well timed runs.

I also look for Les Bleus to absorb Spanish possession, ride out the first 20 - 30 minutes and then start looking to push back from the flanks. Especially on the Spanish right where Ribery will target a shaky Arbeloa. We will see what the formation looks like tomorrow.

Allez les bleus!

Delicate situation facing Deschamps - sit or start Benzema?

The one big asterisk that emerged after the victory Friday against Georgia was what to do with Benzema? One more match for France, and another 90 minutes where France's #1 striker didn't do what he is supposed to do - score. What was even more frustrating was the fact the other three offensive players - Valbuena, Ribery and Giroud all scored. The last two could have both had braces as well. The question remains - was Benzema's presence what sprung his strike partners free? Not sure.

I am not as harsh as others...in particular his former coach, Domenech. By the way, Dumbenech needs to really keep his yapper shut...click here for that story. I did see some good things from Benzema on Friday. He found himself in good positions on 2 clear scoring chances but could not finish (granted the inability to finish is the bad). Not sure that other players would be able to get themselves in similar goal scoring positions. Of course one might argue that other players in better confidence would bury just one of these opportunities. Apparently the public also thinks this, as 55% think Deschamps should sit the Real Madrid striker on Tuesday. So what to do?

Scored when France went to a 4-3-3 vs Bosnia

Unfortunately for Karim, the timing might be bad. It appears that Deschamps is thinking about his team and how to best align against what is sure to be a very hungry Spanish side. From early indications, France might revert to a 4-3-3. Something that Deschamps predecessor, Laurent Blanc, utilized in matches where he wanted to control the midfield and look to counter punch. I am thinking of an away qualifier to Bosnia where the trio of M'Vila, Diarra and Diaby controlled the midfield...and a certain Benzema scored! Could we see a trio of Pogba, Matuidi and Cabaye on Tuesday? They could cause some problems for the likes of Iniesta, Cesc and Xavi. If we have Ribery and Valbuena on the wings again with a lone striker that could be enough to cause problems for Spain. Also, keeping Ribery and Valbuena wide with pace might force the Spanish backs closer to home and not allow them to push to high up the pitch.

The question remains - does Benzema get the nod as the lone striker? Or will Giroud get the nod. The Arsenal man has scored in France's last two qualifiers....it will be a difficult decision. But that is why Deschamps gets the big bucks!

Allez les Bleus.

France have a very successful day - now all eyes are on Tuesday's game versus Spain

Les Bleus emerge from today's match up again Georgia with the full compliment of points and a pleasant surprise - a Spain draw at home against Finland. This places France alone atop the group heading into the match up with the defending World Cup champions. France will enter Tuesday's match up 2 points up on Spain. This will give Deschamps some options when it comes to what strategy he looks to leverage against the Spanish. More on that later, but first some thoughts on the game against Georgia:

The Good:

First cap - will they earn #2 on Tuesday?

• 3 points from the victory..okay I realize that is stating the obvious. But heading into the match I was nervous that a)Georgia would just park the bus in front of their goal b)could threaten on the counter c)France might be looking ahead to the Spain rematch. Les Bleus started very fast and I thought looked like they would open up the scoring early - Ribery had a wonderful offensive display end on the wood work. And probably should have had an opening goal had Giroud not made hash out of a 1v1 in the 29th minute where he ballooned an attempted chip. Of course the Arsenal man did break through right before the half on a lovely little free kick from Valbuena that Giroud buried for a 1-0 lead. The second half saw France build upon their score line to finish with a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory. End of day - 3 points.
• The rookies - Varane and Pogba - both received their first starts and caps. A lot of noise was made when the Real Madrid and Juventus players were selected by Deschamps. Even more noise built up this week as it appeared that one if not both could be starting. Both players did more than just take up a spot on the field. Granted Varane was never really placed under threat, although Georgia did show some offensive spunk. However Pogba really impressed me. He clearly has the technique and power to control the midfield and do much of the dirty work. He offers a nice contrast with Matuidi in the midfield. It would be interesting had M'Vila not been an idiot and were still part of the senior squad this season. Pogba even contributed to the offense showing off his big leg with a nice strike from distance in the first half. The future looks bright for these two players. It will be interesting to see if one or both start against Spain.
• The veteran wingers - Ribery and Valbuena - both looked energized, had bags of pace, tricks and offensively minded. The both created major headaches for Georgia. Add to this both scoring goals and the game was good for the former and current OM players. They will need that level of activity and success on Tuesday when they face Spain.
• Jallet was impressive on the right flank. He was always available to jump into the offense, provided some solid crosses and tracked back well when he had to. France tends to lean to the left on attack - where Ribery likes to set up shop. To have a player like Jallet who can push the game on the right side gives the team some much needed balance. As the game wore on his crosses were not as effective, but overall was a real presence in the French game.
• Finally how can one overlook the captain Lloris? The Tottenham keeper showed how important it can be to have a world class back stopper. He made 2 huge saves early on - off a free header and made a strong save on a vicious shot. If he does not make these two saves who knows what happens. He was not able to keep a clean sheet, but not due to his error.

The Bad:

Haven't seen this in a long time.

• The struggles of Benzema are becoming a real issue. He has not scored for France in what seems like years...oh wait I think it has been! Last time he score was June 5th 2012...okay maybe not years...but feels that way. Especially for a striker of his raw talent. The weight of this streak is clearly impacting the Real Madrid striker. He had some clean looks at goal, getting two 1v1 opportunities and both times being too timid with his efforts. He continued to work hard all game. If he continues to do that the goals will come...but it is becoming a bad part of these games for France.

The Ugly:

• Following on Benzema's troubles is an overall ugliness when it comes to French finishing. Yes Giroud had a goal, but he butchered an early effort when he found himself alone against the keeper and chipped into row Z. Benzema had some weak attempts when he found himself in excellent scoring positions. Too often Les Bleus tried to be too cute, rather than just putting the ball on goal. Yes France scored 3 goals, but it should have been 4 or even 5. Against a side like Spain if France does not take advantage of their opportunities they might come out with a positive result.

Overall a positive result. In addition none of the players on a yellow picked up another card - in particular Matuidi. The fact that Spain was held to a draw at home was the final positive that came out of today. Of course none of that will mean too much if France lose to Spain on Tuesday. The other positive - France are close to guaranteed to at least qualify for the play offs if they do not finish first in the group.

I will be curious to see how Deschamps approaches the game on Tuesday. Does he stick with his 4-4-2? Or might he go back to a 4-2-3-1 and look to add to his midfield to counter the Spanish midfield? This weekend will be interesting with regards to how Deschamps gets his troops together. Finally will the youngsters Varane and Pogba get another start? I think the Juventus midfielder has the best chance to finding himself in the starting line up of the two.

Allez les Blues.