Shot From Distance 4.29.2010: Silvio Berlusconi knows nothing about football.

In the words of famous Onion columnist Jim Anchower: "I know it's been awhile since I last rapped at ya."

I have tried in my time to either inform, vent, or both about the happenings in football across the pond. My favorite team is Milan. Win, lose, draw, I'll die with the colors of the Rossoneri in my heart. I've done my best to keep this particular blog from being too Milan-slanted. Yet I find myself having to address a potential disaster.

There has been much discussion of late regarding first-year manager Leonardo's future with the club at Milanello. Some discussion was going on that he would take over for Dunga as Brazil National team coach after the World Cup. Nonetheless, as the Rossoneri are assure of yet another trophy-less season, the rumors are circulating.

Let me take you back 10 years. Just a day or so removed from Euro 2000, Silvio Berlusconi (Italian PM and Milan Owner) criticizes Italy manager Dino Zoff for his tactics in the final against France, that Italy came within seconds of winning. Zoff reacted by handing in his resignation. Basically a "piss off" gesture to someone of power running his mouth.

To the present, where I jump onto an article from http://www.football365.com/, a British-slanted football website that has time to present us with this article, via Corriere Dello Sport:

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6123052,00.html

In that bit of journalism, the man who is wearing two hats, and a bunch of facelifts, drops this gem on the Italian paper:

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi is reported to have told the Corriere dello Sport newspaper: "Yes he will leave, we are working on a new coach.
"The new coach? There are talks in place with others. Leonardo has been too tough headed and the team has played badly this season."

Thank you Mr. Berlusconi. You have proven that, in the span of 10 years, you know absolutely NOTHING about football. But since you are the Italian Prime Minister, you feel you have a license to just run your mouth, that has likely been repaired multiple times.

The Italy team from 2000 had almost no business getting to the Euro 2000 final, and further had no business coming within seconds of beating World Champion France. France won 2-1 in extra time if you recall. If Fabio Cannavaro was approximately 6 inches taller, Sylvain Wiltord doesn't get that last-gasp equalizer. Zoff constructed a brilliant tactical approach, and is the only manager to have gotten the maximum out of Stefano Fiore (you tell me what Fiore had done as a footballer since then......... don't worry I'll wait..........). He also was successful in ignoring the calls for Del Piero to be a regular starter in favor of a rising star by the name of Francesco Totti. Totti was brilliant in the Euro 2000 tournament. Just have a look at those two point blank misses from Del Piero in the final that would have sealed it, and it proves my point. He might have had to resort to anti-football (better referred to as catenaccio) in the semifinal against host Holland (a heavy favorite after dumping Yugoslavia 6-1), but what would you have done on 10 men when Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off in the 35th minute. Blame Holland for missing not one, but two penalties in regulation that match. Berlusconi's biggest beef about the final was that Zoff failed to recognize that Zinedine Zidane needed to be man-marked. Uhhh, so Demetrio Albertini was just spending that final chasing butterflies, right mister Prime Minister? Zidane was not much of a factor that night.

Flash forward to now. It should surprise no one that Leonardo, despite keeping this team glued together all season long, was just going to be a glorified patsy. The problem with upper management at AC Milan is that they take absolutely no accountability for their actions. You hand the keys to a Ferrari over to an inexperienced manager, and then you essentially remove the engine (Maldini) and transmission (Kaka) from it. You replace the engine with one that's fit for a Pinto (Maldini for Ambrosini), and while the new transmission is okay (Ronaldinho), it's not symbolic of the face of the team for the last five-plus years. The parts are old and worn out (Ambrosini, Gattuso, Inzaghi, Favalli, Oddo, Kaladze, Beckham, Jankulovski, Dida, Zambrotta, Seedorf, and Pirlo) but you still expect Leo to drive it at its optimum.

To complicate matters, arguably the two best players on the team, Alessandro Nesta and Pato, have been injured and out since March. So what do you expect when players like Guiseppe Favalli and Massimo Oddo have to play in the center of defense out of necessity? At that point, you can't do anything else except try and hang on to your Champions League place for next season.

I gave the AC Milan preview on World Soccer Daily back in August (look for the podcast on itunes, somewhere in the middle of August 2009, maybe the 12th or 13th). I had NO expectations for the team to win anything this season. My prediction was for them to finish 3rd (which they currently hold but are even in danger of losing that) and reach the knockouts of the Champions League. That was about as much as you could expect with this roster. The only thing you could expect Leonardo to do this year was keep this thing glued together, and maintain a place in next season's Champions League.

Give this guy a chance to manage a team with younger talent. Look at what he has done with Ignazio Abate for example. Taking a player who has been a winger and training him to be a full back. Abate might have made a couple mistakes out of lack of experience, but overall you have to give him a passing grade for the job he has done. Thiago Silva has matured into a world-class center half. Luca Antonini has been at least serviceable (and proved to be a far better option than Jankulovski). Klaas Jan Huntelaar might have been a fish out of water for most of this season, but give the guy a chance, he has proven he can score goals.

Mr. Berlusconi needs to take a closer look at the team he has invested in over the years. There is no doubt he has been the financial principal of Milan's most successful period in history, but his and Adriano Galliani's penchant for living in the past is the result of the perceived failures for the Milan of today. Leonardo has been pure class in a trying season for anyone who is managing for the first time, he is the least of this clubs problems.

Some of the old parts to the Ferrari, though, need to be replaced. That's where it has to start, and to a point where someone who cares about this team and knows his football can step in and fix what has been a beautiful machine.

Shot from Distance 4.8.2010: Fergie's lost the plot, again.

If this isn't the best piece I have ever written, it's because "typical Germans" have placed an influence on how I write my blogs.

Because Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher, Edwin van der Sar, or Wayne Rooney would never, ever try to influence the referee into a decision. No not them, they behave like little angels..................... you can see I obviously have a lot of time for Sir Alex's remarks after United went out on away goals to Bayern Munich yesterday in the UEFA Champions League. I need to start by berating the people who have put comments to articles or message boards that insist Fergie's comments about "typical Germans" were racist. Racist would have been if the Grumpy Scot would have dropped an n-bomb on us in referring to Didier Drogba and his offside goal on Saturday. If you want to call it taking a jab at a culture, then you are on the right track.
Yes, I think the comment was over the top, and I might give some leeway to the fact that the match ended, his team was bounced at home, and he was furious about it. Yet, never, never, never, never attack a culture or a creed or a religion in any post game rant. He is only making himself fair game to the rest of us. It's bad enough he has a whine and a pop at the officials after seemingly every match he lost. When he wins, Ferguson credits his players and the opposition for the effort. When he loses, an official's fault. At least that's the priority and after that is a small quip about the other team being deserving, or in the case of yesterday, a wonder goal that sent them out.
Finally, it's not "typical German" behavior, it's gamesmanship no matter who is playing. Whether you like it or not, all teams do it. I remember a couple years back when Liverpool and Inter played, Marco Materazzi was on a yellow, he fouls Fernando Torres. Torres looks up at the official with 2 fingers in the air to signal "2nd yellow." Of course Materazzi's tackle was a little harsher than Rafael's challenge, but nonetheless the influence came from Torres (might not have mattered but he did it anyway). Players and managers will work the officials. It happens in football, and it pretty much happens in every other sport (college hoop season just finished, and Coach K for Duke is a master at this).

So Rafael was sent off and everyone wants to say that was the turning point. To me that's a typical loser excuse, seen and heard it enough. I have a few things for the United players and their oenophiliac of a manager (wine lover for those of you who are inadequately educated) to consider for the next time:

1. Pay Attention. The loss of concentration from the United players when they did have 11 players out there contributed to their downfall far more than Rafael being sent off. Simply look at the two goals from Ivica Olic over the tie. Evra getting dispossessed way too cheaply toward the end of the first leg and the lack of defenders and poor marking on the goal at Old Trafford just before halftime in the 2nd leg. If you're good enough to lift the cup with the big ears, you need to avoid both of those situations and close things out.
2. Wayne Rooney can't be the be-all end-all of how you perform. If you're relying on one player to get it done for you, or to even inspire you, it's pretty surprising you got this far in the first place. If you're playing for a team like Manchester United, that should mean you are a professional playing at the highest level. Yes, Wayne Rooney is very influential, and up until his injury was maybe neck and neck with Messi in World Player of the Year status. However, it becomes what the team can do. United had 90 minutes without Rooney against Chelsea, and had a sample of what they needed to do to adjust without his presence. So when they had to bring him off, the team should have stepped up, no matter how many men they had out there. Nani took cue, but the rest of the team looked far too complacent. Which leads me to......
3. No matter the numbers, you have to have a striker out there. If anything, to have a reference for the other 8 players and goalkeeper to play to. I think Ferguson is a managerial genius, all those trohies say so. But that should have been a double-substitution on 55 minutes, with Berbatov on for Rooney and John O'Shea ending Darren Gibson's night (or Michael Carrick's). With no true striker, that is an unreasonable amount of pressure for United's rearguard to absorb. Sir should claim some responsibility for that and soon, to deflect the attention of his cultural jab.

I have only been aware of one occasion where Ferguson conceded defeat, that was last season's Champions League final loss to Barcelona. And the way that match went, he had no choice but to credit the Blaugrana. This is just something we're going to have to live with when you are talking about Sir Alex Ferguson. A brilliant manager, one of the best of all time, but a man who endangers having his history tarnished because he continues to point fingers publicly than to accept responsibility.

Shots From Distance 4.5.2010: The resurrection of Chelsea, should Roon play, and other stuff.

After using the Champions League to play my way back into the Bayern Munich lineup, I endanger my team's lead against Schalke by getting a yellow for bumping the assistant referee, and follow that up with another yellow for clumsily challenging a Schalke player. No wonder my manager is hoping that Arjen Robben will be fit for Wednesday's match.



Most sent email in the last 24 hours:



From: England Fan
To: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
Subject: Wayne Rooney's place against Bayern on Wednesday



Dear Sir,



In considering this, please see Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas.



Sincerely,

England Fan



Still to be determined if this email actually exists:



From: Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea Manager
To: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
Cc: Arsene Wenger, Arsenal
Subject: Wayne Rooney's place against Bayern on Wednesday



Dear Sir,



You have to go for it, give it your all. Get the boy out there and get the result you need to catapult you to Champions League glory! Frenchy in North London was brave enough last week. What, no balls there Fergie?



Carlo

PS I'll kick in a vintage if you play him.





Not necessarily like the humor of watching Sam Malone play Robin Colcord in chess, but entertaining nonetheless........I spent so much time in the table analysis of the English Premier League talking about how Ferguson would rally the troops to a draw on Saturday in the big clash against Chelsea. If anyone knows how to overcome losing a key player, it's the knighted one. In the process, I turned a blind eye to the astute tactician that Carlo Ancelotti can be. An embarrassing revelation, seeing how the Italian led my beloved Rossoneri to Champions League glory on two occasions as a manager.



First, looking at Fergie's team for this match. In the win over Liverpool, he used Park Ji Sung in a more central attacking role, almost as a striker partnering Rooney. I would have thought this was a cinch to see him in the same role, considering that Berbatov is not as mobile as Roon, and provides more of a high target presence. Park's runs off him would have been effective in pulling apart the central defense of Alex and John Terry for Chelsea. Just look at the Korean's winner against Liverpool. Rooney occupied a defender, and Park was free to head home Darren Fletcher's cross. Instead, Park was utilized wide, and from what I watched had little effect on the match. Sir attempts to rectify this by bringing on Giggs to play in that advanced central role (and not moving Park), and brings on Nani for Park.



With a 1-0 lead, what Carlo Ancelotti did was a masterstroke. Nani was likely instructed to play higher on the left, and the Italian brought on Solomon Kalou to occupy the right flank. Kalou had space on the right in one of his first attacks, a sign of the danger. And he started the attack again that led to the winner from Drogba (though offside). Fergie had to go for it, and Carlo made a ballsy decision that led to a moment that could define the title race.


*The author of this blog that maybe 6 people read if I'm lucky has elected not to make any conversation about Simon Beck and his ineptitude. Nor will I make any chatter about the Grumpy Scot's continued reliance on players like Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Ryan Giggs. While all are United legends, all are well into the twilight of their careers.*

*I should also call out that on more than one occasion the camera panned to a section of Old Trafford where Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz and Ivory Coast manager Sven Goran Eriksson were seated, with some random guy sitting between them. It's easy to speculate that since the two nations face each other in the World Cup, you would think the man was placed to prevent any further slapboxing between the two gaffers. SFD cannot confirm nor deny that any slapboxing took place.*

And as for idiot bloggers who wrote about Chelsea's demise. Wink, wink, hint, hint........................ I guess I didn't see this coming, but I also made projections based on Wayne Rooney being fit. Additionally, I also based predictions and conclusions on the fact that Florent Malouda would continue to be ordinary. My bad.

But just because Chelsea has regained their place at the top of the table doesn't necessarily mean it will end up there when all the games are played. Their home schedule has as about the same set of challenges that you have when you put your finger through the inside of a twinkie. However, two interesting away fixtures await them; Tottenham and Liverpool. Two sides that are desparate to get all the points they can so they can join the Blues in the Champions League next season.



But when Mr. Burns brought off Darryl Strawberry to have Homer pinch hit for him in the Springfield v Shelbyville Softball final, it worked............ maybe I don't coach at the level that Rafa Benitez does but I do know a couple things about substitutions and decision making. In my time and involvement in this beautiful game, I have arrived at a universal truth: NEVER BRING OFF A PLAYER WHO CAN DECIDE A GAME. The only way Fernando Torres should have been brought off was for one of the following two reasons:

1. He was injured


2. Liverpool had the match in hand, a lead in the neighborhood of 3 or 4-nil.

Since neither was the case, and the Fat Spaniard said so as "I brought him off because he was tired" (paraphrasing, he of course was eating pastries when he said it). Maybe Rafa likes the relaxed environment of the Europa League after all.

But all the money we got for Darren Bent............. With Arsenal (H), Chelsea (H), and Manchester United (A) as their next three fixtures, along with Manchester City (A) before the season is up, that was a bad 3 points for Tottenham to drop.

Amusing moment of the weekend......................... Watching Burnley supporters leave Turfmoor 7 minutes into their team's match with Manchester City, when they fell behind 3-0 en route to a 6-1 thrashing that probably could have been worse if the pitch didn't get so waterlogged.

Because I am spending wayyyyyy too much time on England........... Credit to Louis van Gaal's men for finding the resolve to travel to Gelsenkirchen and beat Schalke 04 2-1. If you read the very opening statement of this installment of SFD, you'll know the player I am referring to is Turkish international Hamit Altintop. With Leverkusen's loss this weekend to Monchengladbach, it would be safe to say that the Bavarians are in the driver's seat.

My understanding is that Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlour, Luis Enrique, Albert Ferrer, Ian Wright, Hristo Stoichkov, David Seaman, and Andoni Zubizeretta are available for call-up. And rumor has it that Pep will trade the suit for the Blaugrana stripes too................. So add Alexander Song and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the collective mash unit of players for Barcelona and Arsenal. Throw in the suspensions of Pique and Puyol for Barca, and you may see them asking the old-timers to hash this one out. Seriously, the lineups should look like this:

Barcelona: Valdes- Alves- Milito- Marquez- Maxwell- Keita- Busquets- Xavi- Pedro- Henry- Messi

Arsenal: Almunia- Sagna- Campbell (doubtful- knee)- Vermaelen- Clichy- Denilson- Diaby- Eboue- Nasri- Walcott- Bendtner

Team with the most players standing at the end wins.

That's about all I had for this week. A little skewed to British footy but Serie A was rather uneventful this weekend with the top 3 all winning. Until next time......

Table Analysis: English Premier League

Well didn't things get really interesting thanks to some injuries that came from Champions League games? Another league where three teams are in contention, and they all have 6 matches remaining. Although many twists in the plot, with key injuries for each team providing some maches that aren't necessarily sure things:



CURRENT TABLE

1. Manchester United: 72 points


2. Chelsea: 71 points


3. Arsenal: 68 points

Manchester United
Remaining Fixtures: Chelsea (H), Blackburn (A), Manchester City (A), Tottenham (H), Sunderland (A), Stoke City (H)
OUTLOOK: I'll have a take in my next blog about how Sir Alex Ferguson's genius will really have to come through with the Wayne Rooney injury. The defending champions face some immediate challenges without their talisman, especially considering the crunch match against Chelsea this Saturday. Yet even before Rooney went down in Munich, United's path to a 4th straight title was already tough enough. If they rush him back for the Manchester derby, be ready for Toure, Lescott, Kompany, et al to be instructed to see how healed that ankle really is. Blackburn are a team on the rise and have been particularly good at home (unbeaten at Ewood in their last 7). Tottenham have been one of the better away sides all season (4th in league) and they'll be fighting for the last Champions League place. Sunderland's home form has been good but they have struggled lately, and getting Stoke at home is a sure three points.
WHAT'S REASONABLE TO EXPECT: A slip up, and in all likelihood with Rooney out. I can see them splitting points with Chelsea at Old Trafford, they'll squeak by Blackburn, and draw at City. After that, they should beat Spurs, Sunderland, and Stoke. 4 wins, 2 draws. 14 points for a finish of 86 points.

Chelsea
Remaining fixtures: Manchester United (A), Bolton (H), Tottenham (A), Stoke City (H), Liverpool (A), Wigan (H)
OUTLOOK: Chelsea didn't play at midweek and might have been the biggest winners of all with the injuries to Rooney and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas. Chelsea had been laboring for sometime now with their own injury issues that have seen players like Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, and Michael Essien all spending more time with the physios than on the pitch. Carlo Ancelotti has been around the block enough to know that Chelsea doesn't have the big an advantage. Looking at the remaining fixtures should be enough evidence as to why. The home fixtures are all comfortable, but it's as brutal an away fixture list as you would like for a team that is trying to win the Premier League. Liverpool's home record has been perfect in league play since a 2-1 loss to Arsenal back on December 13th of this year. Seeing how Chelsea has had away issues recently, that should be a concern. Tottenham are fighting to keep the final Champions League place as mentioned as well.
WHAT'S REASONABLE TO EXPECT: Already I've said Saturday's clash with United will be a draw, and they should get all 9 points from their remaining home fixtures. I have United finishing on 86 points, meaning Chelsea will have to take full points at White Hart Lane and Anfield. While I think they'll beat Spurs, United fans will be in the soul-selling act of thanking Scousers for beating Chelsea. And the irony of Liverpool being responsible for United passing them on top flight league titles. 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat. 13 points for a total of 84 points.

Arsenal
Remaining Fixtures: Wolves (H), Tottenham (A), Wigan (A), Manchester City (H), Blackburn (A), Fulham (H).
OUTLOOK: Another third place team that is stumbling to the finish line. Milan on injuries, Leverkusen on form. Arsenal are in Milan's boat thanks to the Fabregas injury, but also with Arshavin and Gallas getting knocks in the Barcelona match. They'll need to be perfect to catch United on points the way it is playing out, and then outlast them on goal difference. The fixture list gives them that opportunity. The away fixtures are all manageable, they've seemed to be in control of the North London derby no matter where it's played (save for a 4-4 draw from last season) and they get City at home. Fulham may possibly be in the Europa League final and may not have too much concern for their league standing.
WHAT'S REASONABLE TO EXPECT: That winning six straight is possible. Wolves, Wigan, Blackburn, and Fulham should all be winnable for them (if the Fulham match was at Craven Cottage then I'd think differently). They still have enough resources to win at Spurs, but with all the injuries they may have to settle for a draw there. Additionally, I think they'll draw the City game as well. 4 wins, 2 draws. 14 points for a finish of 82 points.

Thanks to Liverpool, Manchester United should finish off as champions again. The term "mental strength" gets tossed around all the time, and with all his experience, I think Sir Alex will come up with a way to rally his team without Rooney. They'll stem the tide, hold off Chelsea this weekend, and find ways to get the points needed to win the title.