European Soccer Part XIII

[Don King]

I suppose, with nothing but playoffs to sustain English fans until Euro 2004, it's time to get the off-season transfer talk started.

According to Soccernet, Arsenal have let Wiltord and Kanu go (thank God) and have re-signed Dennis Bergkamp. A year ago, I wasn't convinced that Bergkamp had it in him, but he proved me wrong. He'll probably be third-choice once Reyes gets settled in, but he's still quite useful, especially in a supporting role.

With the signings of Reyes and Robin van Persie (who will apparently be referred to at all times by everyone as RvP, which is guaranteed to anger me each and every time), Arsenal's probably pretty much done in the transfer market. I'd still like to see them sign some players that play in the middle of the field, though. Campbell and Toure are fine in central defense, and Viera is wonderful in midfield, of course, but beyond that.... their only cover in central defense in case of injury now is Pascal Cygan (the horror). In midfield, Edu looks decent occasionally but Gilberto is crap, and Ray Parlour is getting old. And that's it, really-- everybody else in the squad is a wing, a striker, or a left or right back.

Seems a little thin to me, is all.

[Nathan]

Speaking of Euro 2004, here is the English side.

Full squad:
David James
Paul Robinson
Ian Walker
Wayne Bridge
Jamie Carragher
Gary Neville
Phil Neville
Ashley Cole
Ledley King
John Terry
Sol Campbell
David Beckham
Nicky Butt
Joe Cole
Kieron Dyer
Steven Gerrard
Owen Hargreaves
Frank Lampard
Paul Scholes
Emile Heskey
Michael Owen
Wayne Rooney
Darius Vassell

Hmm, Nicky Butt is good enough to make the English team, but he can't sniff the pitch at United? Please. Ferguson sucks.

[BW0683]

Originally posted by Don King

One problem: after searching, I still can't figure out when the playoff finals are. Last year, if memory serves, the 3rd Division was on the Saturday before Memorial Day, the 2nd Division on the Sunday, and the 1st Division on Memorial Day itself.

The official Nationwide page has this exactly backwards this season. Anybody know what the real deal is? I really enjoyed watching Wolves v. Sheffield Utd last season (still have it on tape, as a matter of fact), and I'd like to watch the finals again.

The date for Callups for EURO 2004 is the Sunday (30th), and they figured that there would more likely be an issue with internationals coming from first division teams than from third division teams, so they switched the order for this season.

[FerrisLives]

It appears one of the first big transfers in England is going to be Emile Heskey to Birmingham. Heskey is much maligned as a national teamer and at Liverpool, but would be a good signing for Birmingham. Their fans don't have a lot of expectations beyond finishing mid table and possibly contending for a UEFA Cup spot, so Heskey could succeed once the vultures get off his back.

[Bob Gray]

Looks like SAF's plea to keep Wes Brown out of the squad was successful. I read somewhere that Nicky Butt is projected to start ahead of Frank Lampard, which surprised me a lot, as Lampard has had a really nice season for Chelsea. The other thing that sticks out to me is England really doesn't have a very imposing group of strikers. Owen is really the only guy I see on that list as being a big time international.

Heskey going to Birmingham makes sense. He was out of his depth at Liverpool.

[x-cheque]

Ever since Shearer left, it seems England can't put in a lethal duo at striker. The SAS combo (Shearer with Teddy Sheringham) was dynamic but, it seems, hard to replace. Wayne Rooney is a good pick, and I wouldn't mind seeing Owen paired with Alan Smith, barring Shearer returning to the England shirt.

[BW0683]

Originally posted by Bob Gray
Looks like SAF's plea to keep Wes Brown out of the squad was successful. I read somewhere that Nicky Butt is projected to start ahead of Frank Lampard, which surprised me a lot, as Lampard has had a really nice season for Chelsea. The other thing that sticks out to me is England really doesn't have a very imposing group of strikers. Owen is really the only guy I see on that list as being a big time international.

[possible homer alert] SGE not playing Lampard is almost as dumb as his love affair with Heskey. Lamps was the 2nd best player in the Prem this year, and he can't fit in that midfield?[/homerism]

Do non-chelsea fans see it the same way?

[Bob Gray]

I'm a non-Chelski fan, but I'd never start Butt over Lampard. I'd start Lampard ahead of Scholes also.

And I'd take Alan Smith in a heartbeat over Heskey, who in my mind is probably the most overrated striker in recent EPL history.

[3W]

Diego Forlan?
Ade Akenbiyi?

The fact that they were in the Premiership, ever, at all, I think makes them the most overrated in Premiership history.

[MavrckMngr]

Originally posted by Wildcat Willy Wannabe
No Europe for Villa after ManU take the 2-0 win. Very disappointing when you see how good a season they had.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I blame Milwall. :p It is very disappointing, though. Aston Villa is better than Manchester City was last season, with some proof in the fact that City's European campaign this year was an absolute disaster once they got past the qualifying round.

Oh, and I can't sign off without expressing my displeasure with SAF raping a place in his Euro 2004 roster from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Arguably one of the top three midfielders in England, and possibly second to Beckham, up for England in the recent friendlies, and he's off the roster for Portugal. Sweep could run circles around Nicky Butt. I shouldn't be surprised at the Auld Fart being loyal to the Rags he manages, but this is pathetic.

[Don King]

Originally posted by BW0683
Do non-chelsea fans see it the same way?

Yeah, I do. Lampard was, as you mention, one of the best players in England this year. Seems to me that he should be able to find a pretty regular place for country.

MavrckMngr-- I wasn't aware that Alex Ferguson got to pick the England team. :D

[FerrisLives]

Crystal Palace won 5-4 in a shootout over Sunderland after the aggregate was 4-4. The Eagles are one of the teams headed to the playoff final. They haven't been in the Premiership in 7 years, but will get a chance against either West Ham or Ipswich. They were relegated each of their last 3 times in the Premiership in 98, 95 and 93. So maybe they and Leicester City can exchange spots in alternating years in the Premiership for the next decade.

[3W]

Interesting story. Maybe the FA likes Arsenal after all...

Undefeated Gunners to receive special trophy to commemorate undefeated season (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=301026&cc=5901)

[Bob Gray]

For awhile they were talking about giving Arsenal the FA Cup for good if they had won it again this year, as it'd be the first time in well over a century that a team had won the FA Cup 3 times in a row.

I don't think for a moment this means the FA likes Arsenal. They just want to use Arsenal's success for some good PR.

[Terrierbyassociation]

What does Sutton have to do to just get a break?? Heskey is horrible, give Sutton a chance!

[Jon]

Originally posted by Terrierbyassociation
What does Sutton have to do to just get a break?? Heskey is horrible, give Sutton a chance!

He deserves a slot for that last goal against Rangers alone. :cool:

[x-cheque]

He (heskey) is not horrible. He gets a bad reputation and has been the victim of some terrible racial abuse, certainly seeping into his game at some times.

At Liverpool, with the 10.5 million transfer fee, expectations were high and he often failed in the clutch (the "clutch" being in front of the net :) ). Now with the move to Birmingham, less pressure will be on him.

"Heskey scored sixty goals for Liverpool in two-hundred and seventy seven appearances in all competitions," (from ThisIsAnfield.co.uk) so it's not like he was a total bust. He did underachieve at Anfield, for whatever reasons there may be. If Sven Goren Eriksson keeps picking him for the England squad, surely Heskey has SOME appreciable talent.

[Terrierbyassociation]

Sven keeps on picking Heskey because he has little to no respect for Scottish football. Plus he has no one else with any experience to play along side Owen up front. I still think they should play a modified 4-5-1 and have two or three midfielders rove offensively to complement Owen.

I don't know what football you've been watching, but I've watched almost every single Liverpool game on the tv for the last two years, and Heskey is a bust. He never ever can score when there is pressure, and what the hell do you think Euro 2004 is?? It's no walk in the garden around tea time! It's big pressure! I'd rather see Sutton given a chance to show us what he can do wearing the national shirt, than watch Heskey choke again.

As a man who has followed Liverpool for years, Heskey needs to go. He hasn't had a good season(warranting his transfer fee) in 3 years right?

Plus, nothing was uglier than watching him flail at balls he should have put into the back of the net during the World Cup. He should never ever be a first teamer again. Not for England anyways. Maybe he will flourish at Birmingham, where there won't be pressure. But the true definition of a good player is how he plays when the score really matters, when he's given the cross and if he doesn't score the team goes crashing out of competition. Heskey is not the man who you want there, recieving the beautiful cross from Beckham/Gerrard/Scholes/Lampard/Dyer.
He's more than likely to mess it up unless he has no pressure on him whatsoever.

Goodbye Heskey. And good riddance. If only Sven could realize how worthless you are.


Edit: 60 goals?? Most of the goals Heskey scores were never game winners. They were usually the third goal in a 3-0 win, or a brace when Liverpool wins 4-0. He never scores meaningful goals.

[Bob Gray]

60 goals in 277 appearances is a really poor scoring rate for what is supposed to be a top notch striker. That's approximately one goal every 4.5 games, which extrapolated over a 38 game EPL season means Heskey scores roughly 8-9 goals a season. Given the quality he has around him at Liverpool, Gerrard, Owen, etc., Heskey really has not performed well for quite some time. Of course he is now Birmingham's. I think Heskey is a decent second tier striker, but he just isn't nearly good enough, at least in recent years, to play for a major club and certainly not for England. He's kind of the Diego Forlan of Liverpool, if you ask me, which is fine with me, being an Arsenal fan. On the national team, I'd take Alan Smith in a heartbeat over Heskey, and Smith didn't even make the squad!

[x-cheque]

Heskey hasn't been a top notch striker for either club or country, I agree wholeheartedly.

But, if you've been watching Liverpool for a while, surely you'll remember the treble season? Heskey scored 23 goals in all competitions that year. No one was calling for his head then (aside from racist fans). 14 in 2001-2002 and then 9 in 2002-2003. So, it's clear that yes, he has depreciated, or "busted" since coming to Anfield. Mental issues maybe? He does tend to freeze in front of net sometimes. I think the change of scenery will do marvelously. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Heskey supporter, but I feel the guy does need some credit.

But to say that he has scored "no big goals" is an out and out farce, this year alone he has had a notch in three one goal wins (no stats telling me if they were the gamewinners or no), and only scoring 7 all year in the EPL means that nearly half of his goals have been big :D.

World class he is not, dropped off he has, talent he possesses. Better will he get at Birmingham? Yoda-esque grammar aside, I think he will.