No sacred cows for Klinsmann - Donovan left off World Cup roster

A bit of a shocker from the US Men's National Football team - Landon Donovan will not go to his 4th World Cup. There had been some rumblings that the face of US Soccer might not be a guarantee to head to Brazil. Donovan had been struggling with some injuries and if anyone watched the ESPN expose on the national side there was some interesting statements from the player himself saying his body just wasn't able to keep up. But it is still a gutsy call from Klinsmann.

You mean to tell me that the US could not use a player of Donovan's World Cup experience to potentially come off the bench late in a game to chase a goal? Landycakes is clearly not the player he once was, and granted this blogger never thought he was that great a player then either, but he does bring some qualities to the side. US soccer fans all remember the goal he scored 4 years ago against Algeria to send the US through to the knock out stages.



Landycakes can probably not be count on for the full 90 minutes anymore. But leaving experienced strikers such as Eddie Johnson and Donovan off the roster, Klinsmann is banking that some of his less experienced players can make up for the loss in veteran leadership. With one of the most difficult groups of the World Cup - Ghana, Portugal and Germany - it seems a mistake to leave someone of the experience of Landycakes at home. Granted Klinsmann still has players such as Howard, Dempsey and Bradley he can turn to, but would have been good to have someone of the stature of Donovan as well - and a player that can come in late on to chase a goal! I just cannot imagine that there was not a role for this veteran on the roster. Coming from someone like me, who has been very critical of Donovan, says something!

FA Cup win...phew, about time for Arsenal. But was it bad for long term?

Phew, finally...Arsenal finally ended their 9 year drought this past weekend by winning a thrilling FA Cup final. After being down 0-2 to Hull City within the first 15 minutes, Arsenal found a way to claw back to force extra time where Welshman Ramsey slammed home the winner after a cheeky back heel from Giroud. The Tigers almost equalized late on in extra time when Mertesacker slipped and then Fabianski decided to do his best impression of Rene Higuita, allowing Aluko to strike the ball across the entire empty goal, only to see it refuse to cross the line.

Glory glory for Arsenal! Or is it.

With this long awaited silverware, Wenger was quickly given a three year extension, and supposedly a nice war chest to spend in the transfer season. Okay...great. There is no question that Arene revolutionized how Arsenal handled their business. His impact was felt across the EPL. But as the last 9 years have shown, not sure he still has it. Winning the FA

Scratching that 9 year itch

Cup was nice. However for a club of Arsenal's ambitions it still falls short, and really only means much if it is coupled with league title or a European cup. Neither of which Arsenal have come close to sniffing in a long time. If you believe what Arsenal and Wenger have been spouting the past few seasons, there has never been a shortage of transfer funds. Wenger's transfer record as of recently has not been stellar. He has brought in a number of decent players - Giroud, Podolski, Carzola, Mertersacker, Arteta...he did get Ozil who is world class (but that is more because Real Madrid got Bale and saw Ozil as excess). Otherwise, Wenger has not been able to get world class players to come on his own - Hazard and Daxler come to mind. He has also seen the likes of Cesc and RVP walk out the door...

This transfer season will be key for Wenger. Can he bring some real steel to this club and make Arsenal a legitimate contender for the EPL and Europe? The Gunners need a world class striker, right back, central midfielder (someone that brings some steel to that midfield). Just not convinced that Wenger will change his ways. FA Cup title or no FA Cup title.

More chirping from the Citizen about France snub...good riddance?

One of the biggest snubs for the French national team is, of course, Nasri. The freshly minted EPL champion will be watching the World Cup from a television this summer - the second time this fate has struck. There has never been a question of his footballing talent. From a purely footballing skill perspective, the Marseille native has been looked upon as the potential "next one" for France. Yet it is what is between his ears that has always let him down. Whether it was the supposed disruption he created on the squad in 2008 as part of the "brat pack" or his actions on the pitch after scoring a goal against England in the 2012 Euros, there always seems to be some controversy that follows the mercurial player.

It has also been apparent that he had a difficult time accepting the fact he wasn't the focal point of the French attack. A role that has gone to Ribery and Valbuena. Yet it isn't as if DD has not given Nasri his opportunities to take over the midfield and earn the right to be the

next "#10" for Les Bleus. During a friendly against Australia he gave us a glimpse into what he could be, if he had his head screwed on straight. Alas those showings were few and far between for Les Bleus.

So now the player is threatening to quit the national side. Saying, in part, that what player likes being a substitute? Note to Mr Nasri, when you play for your country, especially one of the likes of France, there are going to be numerous players of world class levels. Therefore starting is never a given...this blogger freely admits making a case that Zidane shouldn't start for France after a poor group showing at the 2006 World Cup (oops). There are no sacred cows. In a way, I think if Nasri takes himself out of the mix for France it might be a blessing in disguise. Addition by subtraction. I had floated this notion a few months back when it looked like Nasri might have picked up an injury that would have kept him out. It is time to stop chasing the Nasri of our hopes and admit that the Nasri of our reality is more of a detriment than an asset for Les Bleus. There are other creative players in the wings, who may not possess the raw skill and talent of Samir but who are better equipped to help a team win.

Now, Nasri please stop spouting off...well maybe that should be directed at your girlfriend. Oh and a side note, before anyone points out that Pat Vieira commented that it was a huge mistake that DD left Nasri off the list...think about where Vieira works now and where Samir plays his club football.

DD's list for Brazil - no real surprises...and calls the Nasri situation as it is

Today Deschamps announced his list of 30 for Brazil. Unlike prior tournaments, he announced the list of the 23 that will go to Brazil, so we avoid the situation that Domenech put his squad through of having players "cut" during the training camp. From a players' perspective this should make the time spent at Clairefontaine more peaceful. The two lists:

The 23 that are on the Brazil list:

Lloris, Mandanda, Landreau - Debuchy, Digne, Evra, Koscielny, Mangala, Sagna, Sakho, Varane - Cabaye, Grenier, Pogba, Matuidi, Mavuba, Sissoko, Valbuena - Ribéry, Benzema, Giroud, Griezmann, Rémy

The 7 that are reservists:

Cabella, Gonalons, Lacazette, Perrin, Ruffier, Schneiderlin, Trémoulinas

The surprises for me:

• The exclusion of Nasri. I guess this really should not be a surprise since even the player has been expressing his feelings that he himself did not expect to get the call from DD. Yet I still find it somewhat surprising that he was not even in the expanded group of 30. Then again when you hear what DD had to say about the player, it all makes sense. DD finally came out and verbalized what many had assumed with

  

  A sight never to be seen again?

  regards to Nasri - he does not play well with others. Deschamps was clear that when Nasri is not a starter and comes off the bench he pouts, he pouts and his teammates do not appreciate that. So it looks like the maturity issues with Nasri remain. Does this put an end to his career for Les Bleus? Clearly if DD remains in charge of France through the Euros in 2016, yes. The issue with Nasri has never been his talent, but his attitude. Unless that has a radical make over, it appears evident that we will not see him wearing the French #11 shirt anymore.
• Some intrigue at left back. I thought that DD might go young and call up the Monaco left back Kurzawa and get him into camp. The inclusion of Tremoulinas is interesting.  Why? Because the former Bordeaux left back was always in the conversation as an option at the position, yet the past few seasons he has faded into the background. With the likes of Digne and Kurzawa as well as Clichy still hanging around, it appeared that Benoit's chances to showcase for France had all but disappeared. That appears to be premature. Speaking of Clichy. How far the former Arsenal left back has fallen in the pecking order. The recently crowned EPL champion to not even make the list of 30 is telling. He may need a move away from Manchester City, where he is no longer a regular starter, in order to jump start his international career again.
• Welcome Mr Schneiderlin. After all kinds of chatter concerning the Southampton midfielder it is nice to see him get a call up. The English press was all over the fact that he should be selected for the English national team...and to be honest since the

  

  Back in Bleu...at least as a reservist

  rules around national team eligibility is so confusing I am not even sure if that was an option. Regardless it was good to see the player get a call from DD. Will Morgan have a chance to break into the squad? Yes. But he has some strong competition, with the likes of Matuidi, Cabaye and Pogba firmly entrenched as starters. The question is does Schneiderlin have a legitimate chance to move ahead of the likes of Mavuba in the peaking order? Time will tell. One advantage that France has, unlike the aforementioned England, is depth at holding midfielder - with Gonalons, Mavuba, Schneiderlin etc.

Overall the list has any major surprises. There is no Chimbonda in this list, aka a player that no one expected being included in the list. Deschamps has been very consistent with his rosters and the players he will be taking to Brazil is no different.

Allez les Bleus.

48 hours before the first list - where will the surprises come from for Deschamps and France?

In about 48 hours DD, will announce his first list for the World Cup. A list of 30 names that will need to be cut down to the 23 that will head to Brazil. Doing a rough estimate there

Hmmmm who will I take with me to Brazil?

seems to be about 15 names that will go to Brazil barring any injury. Here are how I see the 15:

1. Lloris GK
2. Mandanda GK
3. Koscielny Def
4. Sakho Def
5. Varane Def
6. Evra Def
7. Debuchy Def
8. Sagna Def
9. Matuidi MF
10. Cabaye MF
11. Pogba MF
12. Ribery MF
13. Valbuena MF
14. Benzema FW
15. Giroud FW

So that leaves us with 15 more slots that should be on the list Tuesday. The next group are players that I think have an excellent chance to go to Brazil, but are not locks like my first 15:

1. Landreau GK
2. Mangala Def
3. Digne Def
4. Mavuba MF
5. Grenier MF
6. Remy FW

That gives us 21 names for the list...2 more to go to Brazil and 9 total more for the Tuesday list. Here are 9 names I think will be added to the above.

1. Ruffier - The St Etienne keeper has been capped before. He seems to be the leading candidate to take the #3 role for Les Bleus. The question becomes, with Landreau announcing his retirement, does this change the way DD approaches the #3 role in goal? Should he go with a keeper that can learn from the experience or give a veteran an homage for a solid pro career? Regardless, expect the St Etienne keeper to be in camp.
2. Rami - The central defender used to be a mainstay with Les Bleus, but since DD has taken over the ranks his star has fallen. Does the move to AC Milan indicate some stability is in the future for the former Lille star? Deschamps will most likely want to look at some other central defenders. He will have some flexibility with the likes of Sakho who has played out wide for Liverpool at times. So many DD doesn't feel he needs to carry as many defenders, but I feel he will want to take a look in camp at all his options. (I could also see DD calling up Zouma from St Etienne as cover in the center of defense)
3. Kurawa - There were rumblings that the Monaco left back was going to be called up for the last France friendly. Instead Digne was called up and got a half in during the 2-0 France victory. But I have a feeling DD will want to see both young French left backs. Might be an open competition for the role backing up Evra.
4. Schneiderlin - Get ready for this surprise. The Southampton midfielder has been a

   

   Surprise visit to Clairefontaine?

   rising name in the EPL. The player should be in camp. If DD goes 4-3-3, which I believe he will, there will be need for cover in that middle 3. In particular, players who can act as the sentinel in front of the defensive back 4 - something Morgan has done with aplomb at Southampton. 
5. Nasri - The former OM midfielder has a lot of controversy around him. The rumors of his being a cancer in the dressing room continue to dominate any conversation of the Manchester City midfielder. Even though Sami seems to assume he will be watching the World Cup on TV, I think he will still get a look. His offensive talents are difficult to leave at home.
6. Payet - The current OM winger/midfielder has fallen out of grace with DD. Not that I am surprised. I just don't see what he brings, other than he can play on the right wing. But DD seems to like him and I have a feeling will at least get a call to camp, maybe even a plane ticket to Brazil.
7. Gonalons - The Lyon captain has had a few cups of coffees with the national side. Deschamps seems to like solid holding midfielders who can control the pace of the game. Something the OL midfielder does. Look for him to have a call up and outside shot at heading to Brazil. Would be in direct competition with Schneiderlin and Mavuba to take the role as holding midfielder behind Cabaye. 
8. Lacazette - With 15 goals this season in France, he is quietly working his way back into the conversation. Is he a winger or top of formation striker? He seems to be able to fill both roles, something that DD might want to take a serious look at. 
9. Gomis - Ok another OL player I realize. But the other OL striker has always been a fringe national team player. And when he has had his chance to play he has shown some glimpses - remember his brace in his first game for France? I am not sure that DD will want more than 3 strikers on his final roster (I am considering Remy as a striker, along with Benzema and Giroud) so the opportunity for another pure striker to go to Brazil are thin. But maybe DD cannot pass up a goal scoring player...

Players on the outside looking in - Menez, Clichy, Ben Arfa, Stambouli, Cabella, Ben Yedder, Gignac, to name a few.

Should be an interesting list on Tuesday. What do you think of the list?  

PSG - chickens coming home to roost. Fair play hits club hard.

PSG now knows the penalty they will pay under the new UEFA "Fair Play" rules to target rampant spending (think PSG and Manchester City). Speaking of the citizens, they are believed to be fined a hefty amount as well - 50m pounds. But for this post, let us focus on what PSG is facing next season. After trying to convince UEFA that their sponsorship deal

PSG ... you have been naughty

with the Qatar Tourism Authority for £167m-a-year was deemed not valid and put PSG in violation of the fair play rule. The penalties PSG face:

• PSG will not be able to increase their payroll, which is already the highest in Europe at 240m euros.
• PSG will not be allowed to purchase any players during the transfer window until they sell off players. They can also only spend 60m Euros on one "star player" but cannot break it down into 2 players for 30m or 3 for 20m. Not sure what about buying rotation players at say 5m Euros...
• With regards to transfers, they are allowed only 21 players on their Champions League roster as opposed to the usual 25 player list. Also at least 8 must be formed by the club.
• Finally they will have to pay a nice little fine of 60m euros paid out over 3 years. 

With this ruling, expect things to be very interesting in Paris this summer. It could be argued that if PSG had a healthy Zlatan they might have gone further in the Champions League, something their wealthy owners are most interested in than saving a few Euros to get back in the good graces with UEFA. Their current squad should once again challenge for Ligue 1 as well as domestic cups next season, even if they do not add any new players. Other than the obvious impact on the coffers, here are some story lines to be watched:

• Look for many of the rumors of player exits to gain more steam and some coming to fruition. Even without this penalty, PSG had to do something with Cavani. Under Blanc's current system, the striker has had difficulty emulating the impact he had in Italy with Napoli. Rolling out a 4-3-3 left the Uruguayan striker out wide, somewhere he did not seem comfortable being. With rumors abound about him heading to the EPL, Manchester United being one of the most discussed destinations, I think there is fire where there is so much smoke. Look for Cavani to end up either in Manchester or in London with Chelsea.  This will also free up 10m Euros in salary.
• The log jam in the midfield. Blanc leans on the trident of Matuidi, Motta and Veratti in his 4-3-3. With the addition of Cabaye over the winter, and the rumors of targeting Pogba as well as the emergence of Rabiot and you have a bit of a log jam. It will be interesting to see if the Pogba transfer gets shelved and what happens with Rabiot, who is rumored to be heading to Chelsea. Will PSG look to off load Veratti? Sell him to the likes of Arsenal? What about the Pastore? Who is really a central midfielder and has been more of a bench player. I see Pastore being moved, probably back to Italy as he is excess already and moving his 4m Euro salary would be seen as an addition by subtraction. I think Rabiot will be kept. Not only is he a talent but he is home grown...something that is going to carry even greater importance next season. Also, look for Sissoko to be moved as well.
• Speaking of log jams, what about the wingers? Menez, Lucas and Lavezzi are all

  

  Closer to reality?

  options on the wings. As is, out of position Cavani. However there are some rumors that PSG will make a push to bring back Hazard to Ligue 1. The fact the Belgium winger has had some words with the Special One, might add some fuel to that fire. Could PSG move Menez and Lavezzi, to then use their one big signing to get Hazard? That would slot Hazard on the left and Lucas on the right...seems like a good formula. With Menez and Lavezzi out - PSG would save over 7m Euros. Granted if they added a player of the likes of Hazard they would be adding payroll.

PSG will have to do some house keeping this summer. They will have to get rid of some of the expensive dead weight they have - Pastore, Menez, Sissoko are first to come to mind. They will need to figure out what to do with Cavani. I think the situation, both on the field and on the balance sheet means he will be heading out of Paris.

By the beginning of next season PSG will still be a favorite to win the Ligue 1 title. The question will become, can they manage the balance sheet and the penalties to get their club to a position where they can challenge for a European title?

Bye bye Moyes, we barely knew ya.

No surprise that David Moyes was sacked today from Manchester United. In the midst of one of the worst seasons the Red Devils have suffered in ages, it is no surprise that the replacement for SAF takes the responsibility by losing his job. Alas I think that Moyes was dead man walking from day 1. Here is why:

• SAF worked his magic in his final season, willing the Red Devils to a title. Manchester United has been a flawed side for a few seasons now, the cracks had started to show. Age, lack of youth coming up and poor track record in the transfer market were masked by a phenomenal season from Van Persie and Ferguson working his magic. This fool's gold did bring another title to Old Trafford, but it was like painting over rust...that rust was still there. Add to this mix the sketchy finances that surround the club (when I say sketchy I am not saying there is anything illegal just not great

  

  Sorry I left you with such a $%^& situation

  financial backing for a football club) and you have a situation that is truly fool's gold.
• Speaking of RVP, does he still play for Manchester United? Other than a goal against Arsenal in the beginning of the season, where he celebrated like a wanker (most players show some class when playing their old clubs and don't celebrate like 12 year old girls at a Beiber concert). Van Persie has reverted back to the injury plagued ways Arsenal fans were so accustomed in seeing. Throw in the fact he was rumored to be running "upstairs" to complain about his manager, and you have a cancer in the club house. RVP was a good boy for his first and only season under SAF, but quickly reminded everyone what a wanker he can be at times. 
• Not all the player blame falls on the Dutchman's shoulders...age also reared its ugly head this season. Evra, Ferdinand, Giggs, Vidic to name a few reminded us that this is 2014 not 2008. It is especially challenging when that age hits your back line at the same time. Add to this that Moyes, just like Ferguson, could not find some steel for his midfield, and you have a bad combination. Let's not forget that SAF had to get Scholes to come back out of retirement to bolster his midfield. 
• Speaking of lack of midfield steel...Moyes put a lot of his eggs in the Fellaini basket. The tall Belgium international was synonymous with Moyes' success at Everton. But that mojo did not carry over to Old Trafford. On the contrary the afro wearing midfielder was more of a negative than a positive for the Red Devils. He never seemed to fit into the system. Add to this the lack of midfield creativity...until Mata was purchased...and you have a shell of a midfield to work with.

So Moyes was heading into a situation fraught with landmines, and he found a way to step in all of them. Some were his faults others were not of his control. He should have know things were not going to be easy when the whole Rooney for sale fiasco went unresolved in the beginning of the season.  The Scotsman remains a good manager and I am sure will find himself employed by the summer (Tottenham maybe?). And now Manchester United will start the process of finding a new manager. With the rumored 200 sterling pound transfer kitty for this summer the hire will be vital for Manchester United's near term success.

I feel for Moyes, he was in a no-win situation. I do not feel badly for Manchester United! Should be interesting in Manchester England this summer.

Arghhh PSG...disaster no...but what a kick in the gut

So Chelsea did what we all knew they were capable of, but were hoping they wouldn't. After being down 3-1 they had to keep a clean sheet and score two goals. Mission accomplished. And they did so through the most improbable player - Ba. From the outset it was clear that Chelsea were laser focused on getting the necessary goals. PSG seemed to be happy to sit

back and defend. Not unexpected coming from a team sitting with a two goal lead, playing in a hostile environment of Stamford Bridge. It is easy to go back and change history. I do not think that Blanc made any errors in his line up, other than, I might have started Cabaye over Verratti from the beginning. Verratti was being mugged in the game in Paris and this only continued this time around. Maybe Blanc should have started Cabaye. For a few reasons:

• His experience with Newcastle and having played in the EPL could have settled down the midfield. I realize that Blanc wanted to stick with the formation that brought him here.
• Add some steel to the midfield. Chelsea seemed to have their way in the midfield. Especially with big bird - David Luiz. Luiz ran around like a chicken with his hair on fire.
• Brought a bit more of a deep shooting threat to the midfield. Chelsea was pressing hard but doing that created some spaces for shooting from distance. Something Cabaye brings to the table.

Alas, I am not sure if that move would have made much of a difference. End of the day Chelsea earned the victory because they controlled the game and how it was played. PSG did not do enough to get their offensive players, such as Cavani, involved.

A tough loss for PSG, no doubt. But back to back 1/4 finals are something to build on. However PSG need to learn from this and go further if they want to be considered a real European power.