Foreign Quota in the English Premier League

It is quite amazing the way Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have come up with things they believe will make the beautiful game of football better. In its reality, the things they have come up would most likely be detrimental if implemented and agreed upon by the rest of the footballing world. First is blatter's idea on a foreign quota that allows atleast 5 home grown players on any starting line-up. As an adept follower of the English premier league, I would like to look at the effect of this on the league. The best players in the world(in terms of creativity and how much fun they are to watch) are from south america, AFRICA, southern europe. Of these three areas, only southern europe housing the likes of spain and portugal have likely capabilites as the English premier league. When fans turn to watch the beautiful game, they want to see football being played in a beautiful manner. Watching most english player based team in the premier league, you will die of boredom as they just quick the ball up high and hope to fondle the ball into the net-the likes of bolton, westham, chelsea and tottenham, derby and so on. Introducing foreign players to the league has made the league the most watched and investment drawing league in the world. For example, "Allow me to draw a comparison between two teams; Arsenal and Tottenham. Not more than eleven years ago these were two clubs of the same size (Tottenham perhaps bigger) with pretty much the same level of success and size of fanbases. One club decides it cannot and will not afford self-indulgent, overrated, playboyish and exuberantly over-priced English players who are so over-priced because they have one or two caps for a second tier footballing nation. Instead they chose to unearth some of the biggest talents in world football at a very low cost but high reward for the viewing public. This club, predominantly through its transfer policy, is now a hugely successful and financially stable entity with a brand new stadium- paid for with the board and the manager's shrewdness- and has billionaires falling over eachother to buy into it, which the club doesn't need. The other club however is languishing, being dragged down slowly by mediocre English players on staggering salaries and more often than not coming off the back of huge transfers (Bent, Jenas, Dawson, Lennon, Robinson, Defoe.)".
Secondly, is the issue of cup winners getting to the champions league, when slavia prague plays rosenborg, how many people turn up to watch this game compared to AC Milan playing Barcelona?My case is closed on this one.

The Emergence of Fluid Arsenal(Part 3)-Passing the litmus test

There has been much talk about how Arsenal has performed this season. Many though question how they will perform when they face stronger opposition like the "Big 4", believing they will crumble in the event of a loss. With this in mind, we head to the biggest week of the year where Arsenal face Liverpool and Manchester United and also face Sheffield united in the Carling cup in between these two games.
The Liverpool game came on Sunday midday and all the fiery power expected in the game was put to extinction when Liverpool showed up with a defensive formation with Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. That Xabi and jAVIER have never played together in the same game because of their defensive likabilities, showed their intention to defend.
Even though all of us at the Emirates Stadium would have hoped this would be a feast of football with goals and thrilling play from the off, reality got into the way of fantasy in an opening half that failed to live up to expectations.As it turned out, the key man for Liverpool in the first half was Steven Gerrard as he did his best to chop down Arsenal's attacking intent at its heart, with Cesc Fabregas struggling to find the space he thrives in. Liverpool players went flying into tackles as there were about 9 sliding tackles in the 1st half of the game, this made chances few and far in between as arsenal were caged and Liverpool had little attacking ambition. At the end of the day, the game ended in a draw as arsenal grew in power in the second half as they were beginning to find more space as Liverpool grew tired. The goal to pull arsenal back was a well defined move, lovely placed on a platter by hleb for fabregas who had made a full field run to collect the well executed chip, that tore the Liverpool defence apart and poked past an hapless Reina. At the end, the result could have been said as fair but arsenal fans felt they could have gone home with the 3 full points. They left Anfield unscathed.
Next is a trip to Bramall Lane. Wenger is going to once again put his faith in a youthful side bearing the likes Denilson, Diarra, Fabianksi and giving debuts to lansbury,merida, gavin hoyte and Gibson. With the manager's confidence and their determination to impress and youthful desire, they tore Sheffield united apart scoring goals just when they are needed-As Sheffield was matching them in play. The first goal was a well taken scorcher to the top corner by Eduardo after good play by Eduardo. Seeing that goal reminded me that In Eduardo, we have a new breed of a striker who is a typical goal poacher, something we have not had in while. Ingenuity and a eye for a killer pass brought about the second. This goal just exemplified what Arsene was trying to teach at the club as ability to produce entertaining football was been thought at all age levels. The third was just a quick reminder that a new cesc was likely in the waiting, something the professor likes to do-creating a new player from an older generation. The game was a whole was satisfactory to the eye and gave lots of hope for the future.
Though, the real litmus test was not performed until early Saturday morning, the tension leading up to the game was quite impressive.

THE EMERGENCE OF FLUID ARSENAL (PART 2)- YOUTHFUL DEMOLITION

I left part 1 of this series hoping Mr Arsene's young talents would be in contention for trophy's come May, but I think I am a bit more confident now, confident to say we can atleast end the season with two trophys. The question though now is what is the reason for my new found confidence?The confidence I have was confirmed on tuesday night when arsenal faced slavia prague in the third game of the group stage of the champions league. In Slavia Prague, Arsenal had an opposition heads the Czech league summit with a 5 points lead including a 2-0 defeat of sparta; a team that beat Ajax and Zilina to qualify for group stages. Prior to this game, Arsenal after a long time managed to over come a doggy bolton defence with a 2-0 win. The star of this victory, Theo Walcott, a 60th minute substition. His performance from his last 2 cameo appearance had suggested that he would start upfront soon as Arsene thinks he is now ready to play in that role.

Arsenal demolished Slavia 7-0 at the emirates with theo and cesc grabbing 3 goals each. In its reality, slavia is not the hardest of opposition but to see arsenal score 7 without really nothing into top gear, and a striker just making his first CL start with only 2 prem start to his name. This striker, Theo was once again the star of the day. All of arsenal's goals(except the 2nd-own goal) was scored in the arsenal way- slick passing, great movement and at a very technical pace. Theo's and Cesc's seconds were just a perfect definition of what soccer should be like. Arsenal's game is so swift that some fixtures from last season cannot get into the team. To think last season that Eboue, Gilberto or even Clown Jehn would be on the bench this season would have been unthinkable. Everyone is playing so well and the dangerous thing for arsenal's opponents is that they can only get better. I fear for what the likes of cesc, theo, bendter, merida would become in the nearest future. I will tell you more in part 3

I JUST DEY YARN

As I surf the boulevard of unrealized dreams and dashed hopes,
I reminisce to a time when my candle of faith defied the winds which time blew in its face and stood strong ablaze...
that was the rising of the sun, the beginning of my days...beautiful and uncorrupted by the polluting influences of the grime on life's highway
The years have flown by irretrievably and I watch appalled at what I have done with it. I wish I could hold back the years and correct the mistake of yesterday but alas!
That is more complex than simple.
I was told once about the numbering of ones days...I wonder which number I got to before I discovered I was in a crisis state...
I have fought many battles and my body is battered from the bashing that living has dealt it. I ache for a time when I can rest from my worries.
I hear that is when I am dead and gone from this present tide called earth...
This world, I tell you has never given me any free meal without demanding for my whole kitchen in return
Someone once told me about this ferocious king of a tribe called Judah. I hear he fights battles which one may find too fierce to face... I was told that in spite of size of one's adversary, this Lion has never lost a war. I need to enlist his help on this journey of life.
Sometimes one feels defeated especially, when someone close dies reminding you of the briefness of this realm... We count of getting old before passage but believe me that it is too fast becoming a mirage...
Apprehensive, I count the greys in my hair wondering what wisdom the years has bestowed on my tired mind aside from the migraines I get from juggling career and fatherhood...
I used to think like one can only get better with age, I believed it until I saw a roach in an old wine bottle and then I realised the years, though kind also draws various kinds of vermin to help you mature.
Did I tell you about the fire- the refining fire that through the years reformed my form...
the fire which burns one into a form which cannot be replicated as it is unique to each soul in transit?
This morning, as I sipped my coffee within my busy schedule, I paused;thinking of the limelight of light and colours it will light to guide me on, the promises it still hides in its unfolding womb, I think again of the mercy of the potter who has allowed the years to make me better even amidst personalizing arguments to clutch bitterness to my nipples.
Na wa oh, I tell you...but fellow students and friends, pause and ponder so that the years are yet dreams BUT if pondering hurts too much, I beg you, no mind me oh, seun dollar just dey yarn................

THE EMERGENCE OF FLUID ARSENAL (PART 1)- THE LOVE OF ATTRATIVE FOOTBALL(SOCCER)

I would fail my love for the game if I do not talk about my much publicised love for arsenal and creative football. For a long time now, it is been hard for me to explain how one would play beautiful soccer and match it with a winning consistency. This has been arsenal's downfall since the "invincibles" of 2004. Many have questioned the reliance and trust Mr Wenger has in young stars, but it is quite knowledgeable to accept that the new slick dimensions he is about to introduce into the team cannot be thought to veterans as they already have their own unique individual styles. So, I guess "Arsene Knows" in that regards. To see the kind of football these arsenal youngsters play after the much talked about departure of their talisman, Thierry Henry "Mr Cool", is quite fascinating. Many have believed his exit, would means arsenal's fall out of the "Big Four", particularly not buying any big name to replace him.They have been proved long, at least for now. They are yet to face the most formidable of teams but can get a lot of courage knowing they placed most of the big boys last season in the absence of Henry. If my thoughts are right, I wont be wrong come May to see arsenal still in touch with atleast 3 chances of lifting a trophy. This is my 1st of 5 post series on "THE EMERGENCE OF FLUID ARSENAL"

http://www.footytube.com/2007/09/22/arsenal-vs-derby/