aban quaynor's Recent Posts

Why Manchester City's gain could be of benefit to all

aban quaynor — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:27:37 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor feels that Manchester City's gain could be the benefit for all.

The news that Manchester City's proposed new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, want to make the Eastlands side in to a major world force has been met with jealous cynicism by some fans of other clubs. However when you consider the mass clear out that would need to happen in order to achieve this then the arrival of City's new owners could be beneficial for all.

Looking at the Man City squad, although there are some very good footballers in there, there aren't any players that you would call world class, excluding one recent signing. In order to achieve their long-term aims, City would not only have to sign quite a few big names, but they would also have to let quite a few lesser names go.

If money really is no object as City's owners-in-waiting have claimed, then quite a few of those heading for the exit door will be available at a cut-price, which will no doubt put most of the other Premier League clubs on red alert.

There is no way that City will start giving players away, which can be seen by the profit they made on the recent sale of Vedran Corluka to Tottenham, but compared to their prospective transfer value one year ago, when the club were in a weaker financial state, players will no doubt be available for much less.

So who is likely to leave then? Well no one can be assured of staying, but you would say that talented youngsters such as Micah Richards, Joe Hart and Michael Johnson should be safe, although less likely to be first-team starters. City have also recently declared their intention of putting their faith in youth, which would mean that the futures of the aforementioned players should be secure.

However solid Premiership pros such as Michael Ball, Stephen Ireland, Darius Vassell etc could be looking for employment elsewhere. Even their player of the year Richard Dunne maybe moved on in order to bring in someone with a bigger reputation, though the City fans may have something to say about that.

Who is likely to benefit then? Roy Keane has made Sunderland a fans Dream Team without the expensive players you blow your budget on, and no doubt he will be sniffing around. To be fair, excluding the current ‘big four', any of the other Premiership clubs will be looking to raid the City squad for new additions.

It will also please general fans of the Premier League to see a club with a realistic chance of breaking the strangle hold of the big four. There has been criticism recently that the Premiership is becoming predictable and all too easy for the like of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, but City throwing money about and signing top players will certainly force big four to raise their game.

If all goes to plan for City then it will also be good to see a British manager other than Sir Alex Ferguson, and David Moyes for a brief period, managing a team in the Champions League.

So whatever the future holds for Man City, their desire to become a major world force may benefit some in the Premier League, but there will be four clubs that see nothing but a major problem.

Sunderland game show why it is difficult to respect refs

aban quaynor — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:23:20 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor wonders if we can actually respect referees given some of the performances they put in.

With the amount of poor refereeing decisions seen so far this season it seems the new ‘respect' campaign is leading to poor officiating.

It's nothing new to criticise a refereeing performance but the new laws, which were designed to take the pressure off officials, have merely led to referees becoming less accountable for their decisions.

Take the Sunderland v Man City game last week for example. Chris Foy failed to even award free kicks for tackles that would have merited a booking even in the more brutal Sunday League football.

No one wants to see a repeat of the surrounding of refs, but players from both teams surely would have been within their rights to questions Foy's decisions. Yet if they had done this, I'm sure Foy would soon have reached for his notebook, when the real bookable offence went unpunished.

Even Roy Keane, who was renowned for his berating of officials as a player, chose not to criticise Foy's performance.

However if nobody involved in the game questions the referees then how are they going to know they've put in a poor performance?

It's okay the media or the average man in the street criticises an officials decisions, but it holds more gravitas if a Roy Keane or a Richard Dunne questions their performance.

To be fair to Foy it's not just referees who are making mistakes. Linesmen have the power to offer their advice or even overrule refs in certain cases and they're either not helping or making their own individual mistakes.

Take the West Ham v Blackburn game last week. The linesman actually had a major affect on the game and the overall result.

Matt Derbyshire's seemingly legitimate equaliser was ruled out for offside when he appeared to be level with the last defender. Not only would this goal have changed the score line but the whole outlook of the game, because Blackburn would have been on the ascendency having come from 2-0 behind.

So what can be done about the poor officiating? If the officials were forced to come out after every game and explain decisions then not only would it appease angry players, managers and fans, but it would also force the individual in question to look at their performance and realise where they can improve.

This is not a witch hunt. It's just the fact that the referee has so much power to affect a game and the end result and they can't afford to be sloppy or inconsistent. The money in the game now demands that referees don't make poor decisions because every point and every league place can affect a team's short-term and long-term future.

There is also the debate of using video technology to help officials in major decisions. While this would be a good thing to a certain extent, it should be limited to only the most controversial decisions. If it was used for every debatable call then it would take all the power away referees and then they really would have no respect.

It's only early in the season and I may have somewhat jumped the gun, but some already shocking officiating means that at the moment the officials are certainly not earning my respect that's for sure.

Will Spurs star be able to handle pressure as 'market value' spirals to new levels

aban quaynor — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:45:39 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor looks at the over inflated transfer fees for English players and wonders if Spurs' new signing will handle the pressure.

In another summer of relatively big spending in the Premier League, David Bentley's £15 million plus move to Tottenham does not look out of place. However does this price tag have anything to do with the nation the midfielder represents?

Fair enough Bentley was one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premiership last year, with both his goals and assists, and he became an England squad regular. However when you look at one of the North London clubs other big signings, Luka Modric, who starred in the Euros, and was one of Europe's most sought after stars, it does make you wonder how much Tottenham would have had to pay for his services, if the play-maker was English? Though no one can ever quote an actual figure there is no doubt that the fee would have been a lot higher.

Blackburn will feel they that they've got a very good price for Bentley, even with the reported sizable sell-on-clause, however chairman John Williams constantly cited market values as the reason for the clubs seemingly huge asking price. The reported asking price of £17 million; similar to that of Bentley's England colleague Gareth Barry, it seems that Williams cites Aston Villa's price tag for Barry as the 'market value'. Surely each player should be valued on their own merit and as his club and one-time England captain Barry is surely more valuable than Bentley. Therefore has Tottenham's record signing been over-valued?

There is always pressure that comes, with a big price tag, but adds to this the extra pressure of being over-priced and Bentley will be expected to deliver an absurd amount in the coming season. The 23-year old will only have to look at his new team mate Darren Bent, who struggled to justify his big transfer fee last season. Even though Bent has had a fruitful pre-season so far, it will still take a lot from the England front man to show the world that Tottenham did not over-pay for his services.

If Bentley does struggle next season, then it could have bigger consequences than disappointment for the White Hart Lane faithful. Apart from stifling Bentley's development, it could also have dire affects for an England team struggling to shake off the embarrassment and disappointment of not qualifying for the recent European Championships. With Bentley looking to move to improve his England chances, a bad season could wreck his chances of ousting David Beckham, and that could have a derogatory affect for the Three Lions, with Beckham failing to rediscover his best international form since moving to LA Galaxy and Bentley being one of the nation's major prospects. Therefore this is going to be a big season for Bentley and we will no doubt find out whether he sinks or swims under pressure.

However the wannabe England number 7 does seem to have that cockiness about him to be able to shrug off a big transfer fee, proved by his willingness to cross the North London divide, and surely playing with seemingly better players can only be a good thing for Bentley's development. Even if the winger does not perform to his full potential next season, surely the experience of playing for a big club in the capital, and all that comes with it would leave him in good stead for the future.

With so many doubts and questions that come with signing any player, one certainty is that after paying such a hefty fee to obtain the services of the former Arsenal trainee, Juande Ramos will have to play Bentley on a regular basis in order to justify his purchase, which can only be good for the player's long-term future.

So after a long and protracted transfer saga; Blackburn may have got their sale, but it definitely was not for a sale price.

Aston Villa fans are the biggest casualties in this instance

aban quaynor — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:43:47 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor has sympathy for Aston Villa fans, but wonders if they would ever welcome him back should prospective moves fall through.

With the news that Gareth Barry could now end up staying at Aston Villa; one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer could be coming to a surprising conclusion. However is this, the solution that anyone really wanted?

Martin O'Neill seems to have forgiven his captain, after welcoming him back to match action in their pre-season friendly at Walsall, and hinting that he may welcome him back for the second leg of the Intertoto Cup against Danish side Odense. However it is fair to say that the England midfielder didn't get the warmest of receptions from the Villa fans at the Bescott.

Were Villa fans right to boo their former Captain? Is Martin O'Neill right to want Villa fans to forgive a player who publicly disrespected their club?

There is defiantly going to be a split in opinion on this matter, not just from Aston Villa fans, but also from football fans in general. Some will argue that the Villa fans pay Barry's wages and are entitled to their right to boo the 27 year-old. Yet others will argue that you should never turn against a player when they are representing your club.

Whatever your opinion on the matter the whole debate could have been completely avoided if the PR people representing all parties had handled the situation properly. Although the media cannot remain blameless in all this, if Liverpool, Barry, Gerrard and Villa had all kept quiet on the transfer, there would not have been all this public debate, which has left all with a bitter taste in their mouth.

Then again the Cristiano Ronaldo saga has taught us that if any high profile player wants a transfer they must try and clinch it through the newspapers. The most frustrating thing about this whole saga is that Barry didn't need to do this. The very large majority of Villa fans would have given their blessing for Barry to leave if he had shown them some respect and been open and honest from the start, rather than blaming everyone but himself for his wanting to leave the club.

The sad thing is though that the biggest casualties in this instance are the Villa fans. The image of their once inspirational captain has been tarnished forever after his outspoken comments and disrespect for their club, so even if Barry stays or he goes they will never see him in the same light again, and even now they are still in a state of limbo. O'Neill's comments about Barry being in contention for an Intertoto place should be taken with a pinch of salt, because UEFA rules mean that even if he plays in the competition, he will still be eligible to play in the Champions League because he would have played in a different European competition.

So even if you don't agree with booing your own player, you should at least be able to acknowledge the frustration of Villa fans, when they don't know if one of their top players is literally coming or going.

Why Arsene Wenger's stance should be followed by others

aban quaynor — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:24:25 +0000

Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor feels that Arsene Wenger is going a long way in preserving the beautiful game and wished other managers would follow suit.

Now Arsenal have lost Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini, with rumours they will lose Emmanuel Adebayor, due to their refusal to pay top wages, many people are questioning if they can still amount a realistic title challenge?

Although some may see the Gunners refusal to pay over the odds in terms of wages to their contract rebels as commendable, it could be hampering their long-term success. Flamini, Hleb and Adebayor proved last season what top Premiership players they were, and most would agree that they all deserved an increase in pay.

Arsene Wenger has a reputation for turning relatively unknown players in to top stars, but can he do this forever. Plus how long will it before players see Arsenal as a stepping stone to the big, high wage paying club.

All the aforementioned players will be hard to replace, because top players don't come cheap and ironically enough they can command top wages. Although the country maybe entering a recession; football at the top level seems to be on a never-ending high financially.

Whether you see footballers as 'modern day slaves', like a certain FIFA president, or mercenaries, like Flamini was dubbed by certain sections of the media, those who play the game have all the power. Even though there is a 'kiss the badge when celebrating culture', there is in fact very little examples of loyalty left in the game and footballers will normally just go to the highest bidder in wages.

So what is the solution for the Gunners? In no way would it be fair to call Arsenal a selling club, but for how long can they keep selling their best players, with good reason of course, before that label sticks?

Then again is there any other solution than selling a player when he states he wants to leave? You can't blame the club for signing good young players, improving them and then wanting to keep hold of them. However in an 'every man for himself' football transfer culture are clubs, by 'forcing' players to stay, inflicting a restraint of trade? It may be hard to comprehend when the like of Hleb were earning more in a week than the average man earns in a year, and were then complaining because their club wouldn't double that, but it is the right of any man to earn as much as he possibly can from his profession.

To be fair Wenger is handling the situation in the best way possible, by being the bigger man. Although the Frenchman signs players when they are young and relatively unknown, gives them a decent wage and makes them in to top performers, the likes of Adebayor are much too quick to forget this. Yet Wenger never comes out and criticises his want away stars, in fact the Frenchman is more likely to jump to their defence.

In all honesty though Wenger may be financially constrained, because of the high repayments that have come with the Emirates Stadium, he is doing the right thing. If more managers were prepared to set themselves a rigid pay structure, where they only pay their top players a maximum wage, and go all out stick to it, even if it damages their playing staff in the short-term, then the out of control salary demands could be curbed.

Football's financial boom will not last forever, and those clubs who are living within their means salary wise will be in a better position to survive a dry up in income. The current state of the Football League, with many clubs still finding it hard to recover from the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002 should act as a warning to the Premier League.

UEFA are trying to bring in some wage capping legislation, which would mean that clubs can only spend a certain percentage of their income on wages, but this can be easily avoided if all clubs took Arsenal's league and actually stuck to a wage budget.

This is not some kind of pro-Arsenal rant, but you do have to admit that Wenger's tactic of refusing to pay ridiculous wages is something that all clubs can learn from, and it could in fact save the beautiful game. By no means will we ever return to the days were footballers earn the same as those watching in the crowd, but at least we could curb the wage war, which could ultimately end in some clubs going out of business.