Spineless Arsene Wenger is Turning Arsenal into a Version of Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal's tilt at the title has ended yet again, although the Gunners did hang in for longer than most predicted. However, the same old questions now need to be answered, the most prominent being: Why does Arsene Wenger not see what everyone else does?

EPL: Tottenham Hotspur 3-3 Arsenal: Spurs Win North London Derby After Draw...

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal served up yet another game of the season contender as they drew 3-3 in the North London Derby at White Hart Lane tonight. With both teams desperate for all three points a draw was the last thing either Arsene Wenger or Harry Redknapp had wanted.

However, the Spurs manager will be the happier as his team fought back from 3-1 down to draw level before dominating the rest of the game with Wojciech Szczesny coming to Arsenal's rescue as he repelled Tottenham attack after attack.

Stan Kroenke and Arsenal: The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same

It would seem that the old adage of "the more things change, the more they stay the same" will be most apt following Stan Kroenke's move to take control of the boardroom at Arsenal FC.

The American businessman is now in receipt of 62 percent of the club and is facing an uphill battle to take full control of it after both Alisher Usmanov (26 percent) and the Arsenal Supporters Trust (claims to own 3 percent and represent up to 15 percent) both refused to sell him their holdings within the club.

As such, the boardroom is now locked in a stalemate; on the pitch the club are more interested in finishing in the top four than winning trophies and given Stan Kroenke's past, this philosophy looks like it will be continued into the future...

Stan Kroenke Moves to Take Over Arsenal. Bright Future for the Gunners?

American businessman Stan Kroenke has increased his shareholding in Arsenal to more than 62 percent and has now agreed to make an offer for the rest of the club and to Alisher Usmanov who owns just over 26 percent of the club.

A full takeover of the club was triggered after Kroenke Sports Enterprises acquired the stakes of Danny Fiszman (16.1%) and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith (15.9%) forcing him over the 30 percent threshold which forced a complete buyout of the club...

Tottenham Fight to Save Their Season After Real Madrid Hammering

Tottenham Hotspur's season stands on a knife edge following their 4-0 hammering away to Real Madrid in the Champions League midweek. Qualifying to the Semi-Finals of the Champions League is an impossible task but finishing in the top four is still within their grasp...

Where Next For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal?

Within the space of just 14 days, Arsene Wenger has seen his Arsenal side's chances of a historical quadruple devastated by the boys from Birmingham, Barcelona, and Brazil.

The Gunners' season is now in real danger of being fruitless yet again, and if it does, questions will be asked about the great Frenchman like never before.

Birmingham 2-1 Arsenal: Blues for Nervous Gunners as Pressure Takes Toll

Birmingham City beat Arsenal FC 2-1 in the Carling Cup Final to claim their first major trophy since 1963. Obafemi Martins scored the winning goal in the very last minute after a mix up of biblical proportions between Wojciech Szczesny and Lauren Koscielny left the on-loan Rubin Kazan striker with an open goal from just three yards out.

Birmingham had taken a deserved early lead through the towering Nikola Zigic after Szczesny misjudged the flight on a ball, allowing him to steer it home with his head. Robin van Persie, Arsenal's captain for the day, equalised with a stunning volley but the day ultimately belonged to Alex McLeish's Blues, who coped well with the pressure and were the better side on the day.

How True Grit Explains The English Premier League

Something occurred to me while I was watching 'True Grit' the other day. It is a brilliantly acted and directed film that rarely puts a foot out of place while telling it's tale of retribution and relentless characters. However, one thing also stood out, the story is also a metaphor for the English Premier League...

Premier League Sack Race: Odds For Every Manager

Who will be the next manager to get the sack in the English Premier League? Are Avram Grant’s days numbered? Does Wenger have to win a trophy? Can Roy Hodgson turn Liverpool around?
You wait around all season for the first EPL manager to be sacked and then two happen within the space of a week.

Barcelona Move For Cesc Fabregas and David Villa Leaving The Door Open For Arsenal To Move For Ibrahimovic or Toure

Barcelona are on the verge of a sensational double signing after the Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas told Arsene Wenger that he wanted to return to his spiritual home. The Catalan side have now opened talks with the adviser's of Fabregas and David Villa over proposed moves to the Nou Camp, while Barca also made it known that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has an escape clause in his contract if an English Premier League team places a bid for him.

The highly ambitious move to sign two of Spain's best players came mere hours after Barca claimed their 20th La Liga title with a record 99 points. It is believed the transfers were sparked byLa Blaugrana's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan side.

Ibrahimovic was widely criticised for his lack of effort in the Champions League games against Arsenal and Inter Milan where statisticians were able to point out that at the Emirates he ran for only 450m when the average is over 10,000m and that against Inter Milan Victor Valdes, the Barca 'keeper, actually ran further than the striker.

From then on, the giant Swede found himself on the bench and was little more than a spectator as La Blaugrana closed in on the title.

Ibrahimovic was supposed to be "Plan B" if their fluid passing game did not work. However, his shocking performances against Inter Milan left Pep Guardiola, Barcelona's manager, highly unhappy, especially as he had paid Samuel Eto'o plus £47 million for his strikers services.

This defeat to Inter has caused Guardiola to move quickly in an effort at re-building his team with winning the Champions League in mind.

When their backs were against the wall against the 10-men of Inter Milan Barcelona struggled to create anything of real note. Having been robbed of the sublime Andres Iniesta through injury all Inter Milan had to do was shut Xavi out of the game, with the Spanish international in shackles the supply route to Lionel Messi was effectively shut off.

Cesc Fabregas' signing would repair this immediately. The Arsenal midfielder weighed in with a highly impressive 19 goals and 19 assists before his season was ended with injury, somewhat ironically against Barcelona which could turn out to have been his last game in the red and white of the Gunners .

The ties between Fabregas and the Catalan side are well known and it is generally accepted that it is only a matter of time before he returns to the team where he began his career. Such is Fabregas' stock in Catalunia that the youth side he played for is still referred to as the dream team or class of '87.

Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi who have progressed to the first team are also noteworthy graduates from the conveyor belt at La Masia.

David Villa's move to the Camp Nou makes a lot of sense when you realise that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is unwanted by Guardiola. He is probably the best striker in the world at the moment and is one of the first names on the team sheet for Spain.

He was on the verge of a move away from Valencia last year but chose to stay and help the Mestalla based team to finish a highly impressive third in La Liga this season, and in effect has secured the financial future of the club.

The 28 year old has been in blistering form for Valencia over the last five seasons, scoring 108 goals in just 168 league games and is only moving into his prime now. At a believed £30 million he would be a far cheaper and better option than Barcelona's Plan B, the injury prone £50m rated Fernando Torres.

His signing will prompt Barca to offload Ibrahimovic. La Blaugrana have just announced that the Swede has an escape clause in his contract whereby he can be sold to a team in the English Premier League if they agree to pay a certain fee for the player, clubs in Italy or Germany would have to pay far more.

With that in mind, Ibrahimovic could become a pawn in the transfer of Fabregas if Barcelona can convince Arsene Wenger to take the striker.

It could be a good option for the Gunners who really struggled for goals when the injury prone Robin van Persie missed almost half the season with ankle problems.

The Dutch striker only averages 25 games a season at the Emirates and Wenger could look at the extra options Ibrahimovic could bring.

Marouane Chamakh will join the club on a free transfer from Bourdeaux, but he is more a right sided forward than the central figure the club require. Van Persie naturally drifts out to the left so a triumvirate with Ibrahimovic at it's centre could be highly attractive to Le Prof, especially if he is also given another £20million to £30 million for Fabregas. This would enable him to replace his captain immediately and with a player at almost the same standard.

However, the most likely situation to occur will be Barcelona offering Yaya Toure plus money for Fabregas' signature, but that could depend upon whether the Ivorian wants to leave or not.

The next couple of weeks will be crucial to Fabregas and Villa. Outgoing President Joan Laporta has told the fans he wishes to leave them a parting gift; Fabregas? The incoming candidates have all focused on either Villa or Torres as the centre piece of their campaigns and with Real Madrid expected to bring in a new manager, possibly Rafael Benitez , and spend another fortune La Blaugrana have made the first move.

The World Cup has yet to start and already the summer is shaping up to be one to remember.

Spineless Arsene Wenger Is Turning Arsenal into a Version of Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal's tilt at the title has ended yet again, although the Gunners did hang in for longer than most predicted. But the same old questions now need to be answered, the most prominent being: Why does Arsene Wenger not see what everyone else does?

As with any problem, there are a number of places to start—Is it Arsene's tactics, the players, the board, the lack of money?

Easiest place to begin is the current squad.

Arsenal has not improved enough on last season. Last year, they finished on 72pts; this year they have 71pts with three games to go. However, the Gunners title challenge was predicated on Chelsea and Manchester United's dropping of needless points, rather than their own radical improvement.

Only one player of substance joined the club last summer—Thomas Vermaelan for £10 million. Since coming in, the previously unknown Belgian international has gone on to have a fabulous debut season, but his arrival was only one baby step in the right direction.

That is because Wenger stuck with a few players who have always had questions surrounding them. The goalkeeping situation immediately springs to mind.

Since David Seaman left Arsenal in 2003, they have not had a top class 'keeper. Jens Lehmann might have been the man in goal in 2004, but he did make his fair share of mistakes in that amazing season and as the years went by, those mishaps became more and more common.

His replacement, Manuel Almunia, was another step backwards. The Spanish 'keeper simply is not good enough to win a league. He makes far too many mistakes, and it is amazing that his career at Arsenal has lasted for so long.

His current rival, Lukasz Fabianski, or "Flappyanski" as Gunners fans are beginning to call him, has enjoyed a torrid time as the net-minder on the few occasions he has managed to take to the pitch.
So if the goalkeeper problem is so obvious, then why hasn't Wenger brought in someone good?
It's not like there are no other good 'keepers out there.

Another problem is the centre of defence. Sure, Vermaelen has been good, and William Gallas has probably enjoyed his best season in an Arsenal jersey, but the flaky Frenchman is liable to self destruct at any moment.
As a good manager, Le Prof should be guarding against this by bringing in a player of stature.

Sol Campbell, but for his few man-of-the-match performances, is not the answer. Last season, Richard Dunne was allowed to leave Manchester City for a measly £5 million, and he is exactly the kind of player the Gunners need.

Then there's central midfield...

Many Arsenal fans feel there is nothing wrong with the current central midfield set-up. Alex Song is improving, Cesc Fabregas is brilliant, and whoever else slots in can play with the best of them.

Problem is, Song offers very little going forward, Fabregas offers very little going back, and the extra body offers very little when the chips are down.

Before I go any further, Cesc Fabregas is a fantastic player, a joy to watch, and one of my favourite players.
But...in building the current Arsenal team around him, Wenger has been forced to go with a five-man midfield.
Up until 2004, Le Prof usually played 4-4-2. The year after the Invincibles won the league, Cesc Fabregas became the main player in central midfield. Since then Arsenal have moved to 4-5-1 to cover his deficiencies.
It is also worth pointing out that Arsenal have not won a trophy since Cesc became the lynch-pin of the team.

For the bigger teams, Arsenal have become easier to play against. They are often out-fought in the critical area of central midfield, and that is one of the vital reasons why Arsenal are not challenging for titles.
They need to bring in a central midfielder who can do everything. An old fashioned player who can tackle, pass, shoot, and head the ball.

Song and Fabregas share these roles between them, and their partner—be it Samir Nasri, Denilson, or Rosicky—only provides support in one direction. It is such a critical area of the team, and Wenger has an eye for great midfielders.

Vieira and Petit were one of the best partnerships of the modern era, so it again begs the question, why hasn't Arsene tried to sign a similar player?

Up front, Arsenal only have one good striker. Robin van Persie is streets ahead of Niklas Bendtner, or Eduardo, or even Carlos Vela for that matter. They need to bring in a new forward badly. They won't win the league until they do.

One other problem that this current Arsenal team suffer from is that they are virgins.

They have never won anything, because they don't know how to win anything. They lack the nous, experience, and mentality needed to get over the finishing line. One competition that now deserves to be really looked at and treated with respect is the League Cup.

Back in the '70s Brian Clough took over a Nottingham Forest team that had never won a thing. During the time, there was a cup called the Anglo/Scottish Cup, the most disrespected trophy in football.

It was such an awful competition that nobody took it seriously, except Clough and Forest.

They went on to win it in 1977. That first win provided the foundation and desire to go on and win other trophies. Forest went on to win the League in 1978 and 1979, the League Cup in 78 and 79, the European Cup in 1979 and 1980, and the European Super Cup in 1979.

In short, a trophy that meant nothing provided the springboard for the most successful period in Nottingham Forest's history. Arsene Wenger and Arsenal could learn a few lessons from this alone.

Perhaps the biggest problem between Arsenal and winning the league is Arsene Wenger himself.

To win any league, the Champions must by flexible and pragmatic. Tactics must be changed on a whim to suit the occasion. In this aspect, Arsenal are unyielding.

In every season, there comes a time when the game plan has to be changed, and a new approach to the puzzle must be looked at. Arsenal do not change, no matter the opposition. Be they playing against Wigan or Stoke or Barcelona, the Gunners use the same game plan every time. In football, one size does not fit all.

Part of the reason for this is Arsene Wenger's faith in Cesc Fabregas, the 4-5-1, and the style of play they use. He has a beautiful philosophy on the game, and will not change it for anyone. It means that Arsenal will play their flowing game that appeases so many, because they and he have a certain expectation to live up to.
Fabregas deserves to have the team built around him, but Wenger must find the right players.

In 1958 the great Bill Nicholson took over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur. It was an announcement that surprised football.

He was known as a deep thinker on the game and had his own football philosophy, but he was not what you call a household name as far as management was concerned. A very similar figure to Arsene Wenger.
Nicholson had his own philosophies and beliefs and had great time for new scientific approaches to training and tactics. He revolutionised English football with this new approach he instilled in Tottenham.

Within a couple of years, Spurs went on to win the double—the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup—and challenged for the league every season. They only finished outside the top four three times over the next decade.

Tottenham Hotspur and good football became synonymous with each other, just as Arsenal and good football have done so since Arsene Wenger took over.
The problem that Spurs have is that history has dictated that Spurs play a certain way, which has resulted in them winning very little and not even challenging for years. Countless managers at Spurs have refused to become pragmatic.

While the same level of expectation is now bearing down on Wenger, and he won't go against his new beliefs, they have not won anything for the last five years. Le Prof too now believes that the game must be won a certain way.

In football, time moves quickly, far too quickly for some.

In 2004, not one person watching football would have said that the Gunners would win nothing for the rest of the decade. In 1990, nobody in their right minds would have said that it would be that last time that Liverpool would win the league.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are at a crossroads.

Le Prof has dithered with this experiment for far too long, and the club have accepted finishing in the top four as the height of their ambitions. Bringing money into the club through the Champions League has become the No. 1 goal for the every year, not winning trophies.

Wenger has to recognise that he has failed with this team, accept it, and move on to get their title challenge back on track. It only needs minor tweaking, and not a huge amount of spending.
Four players and Arsenal could win the league.

He needs to buy his team a strong spine; the one they currently have is too weak to win the title with.
A club with the modern history of Arsenal should not be waiting for their rivals to decline, they should be forcing them to decline, strangling the life out of them when the opportunity arises—just as Manchester United have done to Liverpool.

Arsenal should be doing that to United and Chelsea—and winning the English Premier League on their own terms.

Football is a simple game.

Le Prof is a genius of a manager. Surely he can figure this out?

First Arsenal, and Now Chelsea, Super Spurs Go Marching on Towards Fourth in EPL

While volcanic ash from Iceland reduced flights all across Europe, high-flying Tottenham Hotspur picked up their second significant win in a week by easily beating current Premier League leaders Chelsea 2-1 at White Hart Lane.

With Manchester United having beaten Manchester City 1-0 in the lunchtime kickoff, Spurs duly returned the favour and beat the Red Devils' title rivals as they moved back into fourth, two points ahead of City.

Spurs swept the Premier League leaders aside with a performance of sheer brilliance and it was only an 92nd minute Frank Lampard effort that put any kind of gloss on the game for Chelsea.

Goals from Jermain Defoe, his 30th of the season, and the in-form Gareth Bale had given Spurs a two-goal lead before John Terry was sent off for a selfish, arrogant challenge in the corner as Bale threatened to break clear. The English international mouthed the words "that's the second time I touched the ball" to the referee. In truth, Terry could have received three or four yellow cards today, such was his wayward defending.

Defoe and Pavlyuchenko were superb up-front and their partnership bordered on telepathic, as one chose the perfect moment to drop deep while the other occupied the Blues' defence.

With the two forwards dropping off into the inside-right and inside-left channels Chelsea were exposed, as Tottenham always seemed to have a spare man through the middle and their play, both on and off the ball, was simply outstanding.

It left Terry and Alex stranded time and time again as they struggled to follow their opponents. Both players were more than aware of their lack of pace against Spurs' most potent threats.

To say Tottenham dominated the game is an understatement, and the manner of their last two victories will have many pundits reaching for their thesauruses to describe the breath-taking nature of their play.

The energy levels shown from Tottenham were incredible. To a man they ran their hearts out and put Chelsea off their game thanks to a high-tempo, high-level, closing-down game. None more than the phenomenal Gareth Bale, who put in twice the average work rate of a normal player.

It left the Blues rudderless, as they simply did not know what to do with the ball when they eventually did have time on it. Chelsea's lack of creativity from central midfield stifled their play as much as Spurs' good defending.

In a tight game, having leaders and players who can create something from nothing is crucial, and today Chelsea were lacking in both departments. Frank Lampard is a phenomenon at coming on to the ball and there is no one better than him in the English game at arriving late in the box and scoring from nothing. But he is not the man to turn to when the chips are down, his range of passing is average at best while he is by far the best midfielder Chelsea have available to them.

To win any game you have to first win the battle, and central midfield is always the most important part of the field to win. Today, Tom Huddlestone and Luka Modric did everything right, just as they did against Arsenal.
They out-battled, out-fought, and most importantly, out-thought Chelsea's entire midfield time and time again, releasing Gareth Bale, David Bentley, Defoe, and Pavlyuchenko to great effect.

Meanwhile the disinterested Didier Drogba barely received a pass from any of his midfielders.

In defence, Michael Dawson was once again immense, and he shepparded Drogba throughout the match, leaving the Ivorian striker little more than a spectator.

When Chelsea did briefly get into the final third they crashed upon a glass wall of which their was no way through.

While at the opposite end of the pitch, Spurs ran amok.

They really should have wrapped the game up and won by three, four, or even five goals before Frank Lampard's late consolation.

Chelsea were rattled by Spurs, and as their game plan went out the window they resorted to giving away needless free kicks, as Deco picked up a yellow card for himself in a particularly petulant challenge on Huddlestone.

Prime evidence that the hulking youngster was bossing the game over his international peers, Luka Modric's intelligence was there for all to see and the little Croatian's passing was sublime as he picked the ball up in tight situations and spread it wide time and time again.

With players like Huddlestone and Modric willing to take responsibility in tight situations Spurs look like a completely different team. Opponents are never given a rest, because they have to remain vigilant at all times. If they don't then these two can cut a team open with one swift move.

Such was Spurs' dominence even the Chelsea fans acknowledged them somewhat unknowingly when they started singing "Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. We're going to Wembley, que sera, sera." This was after just 20 minutes...

One of Tottenham's biggest criticisms over the years is the lack of a mental aptitude for the game. Today it was Chelsea's players who shirked the responsibility and honesty needed to win the game, while Spurs denied everyone the chance to write the expected headlines by producing their best performance in years.

It has moved them two points clear of Manchester City with both sides having four games left. City travel to the Emirates next week while Spurs make their way into the lion's den that is Old Trafford.

Having dumped Arsenal out of the title race on Wednesday, Spurs allowed their North London rivals a glimmer of hope by beating Chelsea today. Next week they take on Manchester United, and a win either way will have a huge say in the destiny of the title.

Beating Arsenal and Chelsea will mean very little if Spurs do not travel to Manchester and keep their performance levels high.

Victory is not imperative against United, although the three points would be more than welcome. No, Tottenham and Harry Redknapp's main task will be to keep the momentum going, to play well at Old Trafford, and to keep the resounding manner of their recent performances going strong.

There are only four games to go for Spurs this season: away to Manchester United next weekend, home to Bolton a week later, then another trip to Manchester when they take on City in what will be one of the league's most important matches of the season, and finally Burnley at home.

Taking three points from United will be incredibly tough, but so was taking six points from Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, if Spurs can keep the momentum going there is no reason why they cannot take a maximum of points from their remaining fixtures.

Manchester City remain in pole position to finish fourth, but Spurs have only lost once in their last 10 league games, and qualifying for the Champions League is very much in their own hands.

Redknapp's Gamble Comes Off As Spurs End Arsenal's Season with 2-1Win Over North London Rivals

Arsenal's title challenge was ended at White Hart Lane tonight as a superb Tottenham Hotspur side beat the Gunners 2-1. A wonder goal from Danny Rose and a slide rule finish by Gareth Bale were enough for Spurs with Niklas Bendtner scoring an 85th minute goal that was a real case of two little too late for Arsene Wenger's side.

With the two teams both coming off the back of devastating defeats within the last week the opening 15 minutes were always going to be key.

Arsenal were thoroughly brushed aside and embarrassed by Barcelona in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League while Spurs suffered an equally demoralising defeat at the hands of Portsmouth in the FA Cup Semi Finals.

Having a longer break, Arsenal were the fresher side, but it was Spurs who set the early tempo. As in every North London Derby, the play was fractious, every tackle was merciless, and the game moved at 100 miles an hour.

The Gunners almost took the lead in the first minute through the returning Sol Campbell, whose every touch was booed, after he latched onto Samir Nasri's corner with his knee but Heurelho Gomes was equal to the effort.

The pace was being set by the home side who closed down every Arsenal player whenever they even came near to the ball. Harry Redknapp taking a leaf from Pep Guardiola's coaching manual of closing down as high up the pitch as possible.

Tottenham began to get on top and forced a succession of corners, all taken with supreme venom by Gareth Bale, his vicious whipped crosses caused all kinds of problems in the heart of the Arsenal defence.
One of his inswingers forced Manuel Almunia off his line and the Spanish 'keeper did brilliantly to meet the ball with a fist to clear.

However, Broadway Danny Rose, making his first appearance of the season met the clearance with a volley of incredible beauty and the ball tore into the Arsenal net past the despairing Almunia to give Spurs a much deserved lead. It was a wonder-goal that comes but once a season, similar to David Bentley's famous effort against the same opposition last year.

This match is always one of the Premier Leagues jewels of the season and it has been many a year since both side had so much on the line. Arsenal's feint title hopes were dependant upon a win, while Tottenham's outside chance of making it into fourth place was in threat of becoming another let down in a season that had threatened to be so successful only two days before.

However, it was Spurs who looked the fresher side and they pushed Arsenal away from any area of danger through brilliant high tempo defending and closing down.

One of Arsenal's biggest criticism's this season is their penchant to overplay the ball, and they were guilty of the same crime on more than one occasion tonight.

Ledley King, making his return to the Spurs lineup for the first time since the middle of February was immense as he marshaled his back four superbly in the first half. How his lack of fitness was going to tell in the second half when Robin van Persie would make his expected entrance would be anyones guess.

But while he was at his best the Gunners were powder-puff up front and lacked any sort of cutting edge.
Arsenal on the other hand lost their best defender, Thomas Vermaelen through injury and all of a sudden the Gunners two central defenders were Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell, neither the greatest of defenders at this late stage of their career or endowed with any kind of pace.

Rose made way for ex-Arsenal youth David Bentley as the second half got under way. The game following the same pattern as the first as Spurs closed down the Gunners at every chance.

Barely a minute into the second period and the excellent Gareth Bale added Tottenham's second goal of the game with a cool finish into the bottom right hand corner of the goal after Jermain Defoe had put him through.
Arsenal's title chances were gone unless Arsene Wenger made immediate changes and Theo Walcott made his way onto the pitch in place of the anonymous Bacary Sagna.

His first action of the game was to cross tamely as David Bentley cleared.

The game moved towards the hour mark, with Spurs still enjoying their deserved two goal lead. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Defoe provided the out-balls for Tottenham time and time again and Walcott's introduction was negligible at best, much like the rest of the Arsenal team.

Amazingly, the Gunners had yet to force Gomes into a save, such was Spurs superb defence.

Jermain Defoe made way for Eidur Gudjohnsen as Spurs went 4-5-1 leaving Pavlyuchenko to force the tempo as the lone striker. At the same time Robin van Persie made his much anticipated entrance, the Dutchman having 20 minutes to save the Gunners' season.

He was struggling to get the ball though as the quite brilliant Luka Modric was dictating the ebb and flow of the game despite Samir Nasri enjoying far more possession. Time and time again the Gunners build up was too slow and the little Frenchman was the main culprit, always needing to make an extra pass where swift penetration was needed.

His choice of passes were questionable throughout the entire night, and if the ball did not seem to pass through the eye of a needle he was not happy with a simple out. The Gunners had just far too many similar type players in midfield and badly missed the influential Cesc Fabregas.

With ten minutes to go Heurelho Gomes was forced to make his first real save of the game when he reacted brilliantly to van Persie's superb scissors kick after he had controlled the ball with his chest. From the resulting corner Tomas Rosicky fired at goal but a severe deflection took the ball wide.
Arsenal finally beginning to look like title challengers.

Gomes was forced into action moments later as he saved brilliantly yet again from van Persie.
Spurs' goal was living a charmed life as Arsenal finally kicked into life and with only five minutes to go Niklas Bendtner forced the ball home from Theo Walcott's cross after van Persie put the winger into space.

A quick break from Pavlyuchenko could have wrapped the game up as his through ball found Modric in the centre of the Arsenal 18 yard box but a brilliant intervention by Sol Campbell forced the little Croatian to fire wide.

Campbell and King were both superb as they stifled the oppositions attacks and it is a crime of time that the two players never got the chance to partner each other in the same team.

As the game moved into time added on Arsenal were striving for a goal that would leave their title tilt still breathing while Spurs reached for the crash cart and tried to force an extra ounce of energy into their sapped legs.

The Gunners were to have no reprieve though as Spurs saw the game out with a superb defensive display that was built on the foundation of Ledley King and Michael Dawson.

The match was a real case of one manager who gambled on a key players fitness, King, and one manager who took the game for granted and refused to gamble on his key player, van Persie.

Spurs were by far and away the better side until the Dutchman was introduced to the party and his influence was there for all to see.

When push came to shove Harry Redknapp recognised that this match was a make or break game and gambled on it, there was no point in worrying about Chelsea on Saturday if his team did not take full points from Arsenal.

While Arsene Wenger thought the result was a foregone conclusion. Leaving his beat available player on the bench in preparation for the trip to Wigan on Saturday which has been made meaningless by this defeat.
Arsenal's season is over.

Spurs, Manchester City, and Liverpool will now battle it out for the right to finish fourth, and this win against all the odds has set up a great end to the season for the white and blue half of North London.

Barcelona, Bunyodkor, Uzbekistan, and UNICEF

Amidst little fanfare in 2008, Barcelona announced a cooperative link up with an obscure team in Uzbekistan, Kuruvchi FC. It is a deal that has definitely benefited both clubs, but the commercial partnership has raised questions. Not least because the Uzbeki government has one of the worst records in the world for human rights violations, and that Barcelona are sponsored by UNICEF.

Initially the link up was on footballing grounds, with Kuruvchi players being allowed to train with and be trained by Barcelona players at Miniestadi during their winter break. The two clubs would then play a lucrative friendly before March 2010. Also, players such as Samuel Eto'o, Carles Puyol, and Andres Iniesta would travel to Tashkent, the capital, to cement the deal in the eyes of the media.



But who are Kuruvchi?

It might be news to many, but the club are now one of the world's richest teams, and are a powerhouse in Asian football, despite only being created in July 2005.

Initially when the club were created they were called Neftgazmontaj-Quruvchi, which was then shortened to Kuruvchi, which means "creator" in the Uzbek language. By 2008, The Swallows had won promotion twice and were playing in the highest league possible in Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Oliy League. In their first season in the Uzbek Premier League they won the double.

Shortly after the club changed their name to Bunyodkor and then announced a renewable yearly partnership deal with Barcelona. That season the club who had not existed a mere three years before made it to the semifinals of the Asian Champions League where they were eventually beaten by Australian outfit Adelaide United.

Bunyodkor then began to build a massive 15,000-seat stadium, where Barcelona President Joan Laporta planted the first brick in a huge PR exercise. Less than 18 months later and the club are on the verge of building a $150 million stadium, despite their 'old' stadium being only one year old.

With money being no obstacle, Bunyodkor began to attract some of the world's best players to enhance their growing reputation. Barcelona players Carles Puyol, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas all received €1 million each to perform at a PR training school and to wear the Bunyodkor jersey for further publicity.

Not happy with just being linked with the games top stars through PR purposes, the club made an audacious bid to sign Samuel Eto'o and offered the Cameroonian star €25 million to play for club for just three months. He turned the deal down and chose to link up with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

The club then moved to sign Rivaldo from AEK Athens . The 36-year-old will take home a reported $14 million for two years worth of his services. Zico then joined his fellow countryman for four months before he too was replaced with yet another wandering Brazilian, one Luiz Felipe Scolari . The World Cup winner had just been sacked by Chelsea and was looking for a new club.



Money Matters

How did a team rise from complete non-existence five years ago to become one of the richest clubs on the planet?

For this we have to go back to the name change of the club. When Kuruvchi were initially created they were representative of the local area. Seeing a glorious chance for international PR they changed their name, mid-season and without prior acknowledgement to anyone, to Bunyodkor, citing the main reason for this change as the club were no longer regional but national representatives.

The vice-president explained the economic expediency of the move this way:

“The number of sponsors and partners of the club has grown: it was four (official founders are Neftegezmontaj, UzGazOil , Gissarneftgaz and Kokdumalakgaz ), whereas now it has grown to 12. All these companies are involved in the creative sector of the country’s economy.”

That is why the club’s name was changed from “builder” to “creator”.

The badge of the club was changed during this stage too, to one almost identical to that of Barcelona's.

According to sources in Russia and Uzbekistan, the main money-men behind the club are Zeromax , and their alleged owner Gulnara Karimova . (wiki)

Gulnara Karimova is the daughter of Uzbekistan's President for life, Islam Karimov. Under his rule for the past 20 years, Uzbekistan has become one of the world's worst black-spots for human rights violations.



Human Rights

As recently as March 26 2010, Human Rights Watch found Uzbekistan's current record as being abysmal by international standards. During their study of the country, it was found that people were detained with impunity, that journalists and NGO's were regularly arrested simply because of their profession, and the use of torture and ill treatment was rampant.

The committee also raised the issue of child labour which is seen as being widespread throughout the country.

UNICEF , are the worlds leading child protection agency, and Barcelona's sponsor are heavily engaged in trying to bring about change in Uzbekistan.

During their studies on Uzbekistan it was found that unemployment is rife, almost 40 percent, and that the rate of children being left in orphanages to care for them is on the rise. Of these children roughly 10 percent are used for child labour like intensive cotton harvesting, while cases of child trafficking and child prostitution has also been reported.

It was also found during these studies by UNICEF and Human Rights Watch that the government were very lax when it came to applying international law for child labour.

Which brings us back to Bunyodkor and their alleged links with a government with a terrible human rights record.

There are many opponents to the regime in Uzbekistan. In 2009, Freedom House deemed Uzbekistan as being "the worst of the worst" in terms of civil rights abuses. While long time anti-Karimov campaigner Craig Murray has launched many scathing attacks on Uzbekistan's human rights abuses.

Murray was the British Ambassador to Uzbekistan between 2002 and 2004, before he was removed from his post after exposing civil rights abuses by the US funded Karimov government. His book Murder in Samarkand documented his two years in Tashkent and how the abuses and double standards employed by the British and American governments changed his beliefs and outlook on life. It will be released as a film in 2011.

In 2007, Murray wrote an article linking Alisher Usmanov with the Karimov government in Uzbekistan, and that he was the money behind both them and Gulnara. Since then "the hard man of Russia" has taken over a 25 percent stake in Arsenal FC.

When asked about Budyonkor's and Gulnara Karimova's rise, Murray had this to say.

"It's part of a campaign by the president to win popularity for his daughter. I hear that she will eventually replace him as president. The regime is trying to win popularity by the old-fashioned bread-and-circuses method."

To many political commentators she is seen as the only possible heir to her father, as she will be the only one able to protect both her and her father's assets and cronies.

Through pumping money into Bunyodkor, she has begun to change the face of the family and is seen as using the clubs supporters to gain credence for the governing political party that she is destined to take over.

The link up with Barcelona has certainly put Bunyodkor on the map.

It is somewhat ironic that Gulnara Karimova is now Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Spain, and this has fueled the speculation that she is considering buying RCD Mallorca.

Recently she held an auction with the donations set for various charities. During the sale she declared that she was representing UNICEF, something the organisation fiercely deny.

“UNICEF does not have any projects with Ms Karimova. We do not have any relations with Chopard,” the spokesperson said.

This did not put Karimova off, as she continued to declare UNICEF as her main sponsor.

In another event she enticed Sting to play in Uzbekistan for £1 million. When the British press found out about the event the singer was embarrassed into making an excuse. He used UNICEF as his shield. Something the organisation vehemently denied.

Gulnara also used Elton John for publicity during a visit to Los Angeles. The gay activist and AIDS campaigner was probably unaware that he was standing beside a representative of a government that would have jailed him for his sexuality and beliefs.

In 2006, Barcelona chose the moral high ground by letting UNICEF become the sponsor of their famous jersey. It was the first time in over 107 years that the club had allowed an emblem on their jersey.

At the time many cynical commentators alluded to Barcelona trying to tap into a new market by allowing the well known children's rights organisation sit proudly on their jersey.

"For the first time in our more than 107 years of history, our main soccer team will wear an emblem on the front of its shirt," said Joan Laporta the Barcelona president at a UNICEF executive committee meeting . "It will not be the brand name of a corporation.

"It will not be a commercial to promote some kind of business. It will be the logo of 'Unicef'. Through UNICEF, we, the people of FC Barcelona, the people of 'Barça', are very proud to donate our shirt to the children of the world who are our present, but especially are our future."

Barcelona have become involved with a team backed by an allegedly corrupt government, and one that has been accused of gross injustices, for a reported £5 million a year. While wearing the UNICEF logo, it would seem that Los Cules have many questions to answer.

Arsenal Mugged Again...at the Scene of a Previous Crime

Just like Bruce Wayne going back to Crime Alley to see where Batman was born in fire, Arsenal returned to St. Andrews—the very ground where the foundations for this current side were built when Eduardo broke his leg.

Just like Batman, there turned out to be a real Joker in the pack—Manuel Almunia.

Two years ago, Arsenal's title tilt faded badly after Eduardo broke his leg in a tackle with Martin Taylor. The club did not know how to deal with such a setback.

William Gallas, the captain at the time, made an absolute spectacle of himself by sitting in the centre circle in protest after the match.

Their manager, Arsene Wenger, castigated Martin Taylor in the press for the forceful nature of his tackle, but the French manager retracted his comments sometime later after he realised there was no real malice in the tackle.

Their young squad struggled to come to terms with everything falling apart around them.

Cesc Fabregas was eventually made captain as Gallas was stripped of the honor, and so the first few bricks were placed in the foundation of this current side.

Roll on two years, and Arsenal are very much contenders for the title.

While they may have a young squad, their players are incredibly experienced.

They have overcome many obstacles during this season, and their manager deserves a lot of credit for dragging the team into the ring for the title fight.

Many pundits had written Arsenal off at the start of the season. Almost everyone said they didn't have a chance when they lost Robin van Persie in November, and when Manchester United and Chelsea took them apart.

However, each and every time, their manager and captain have picked up their teammates, dusted them off, and gotten them ready for the next battle.

At the beginning of March, the club lost Aaron Ramsey to a horrific leg break in the game against Stoke City at the Britannia. As before, all the right elements were in place for their title challenge to capitulate once again.

Not this time.

Having suffered through crimes like this before, Arsenal knew how to deal with the situation, and turned the tragedy to their advantage—running out 3-1 winners.

No captains crying in the centre circle this time. No, this time around, Cesc Fabregas stood tall when his team needed him most and fired home a penalty when the whole world was watching.

Miss—and his mind was elsewhere. Score—and send a message that this team are real, and will not give up without a fight.

Fabregas scored.

Their birthing at St. Andrews was beginning to show.

Arsenal returned to the scene of the crime on Saturday...the scene of their birth.

It was a game where they did everything right. They played well, and on another day would have walked away with a win.

Media everywhere were in the middle of writing another list of plaudits for this newer, stronger, better Arsenal team when Kevin Phillips scored an equalizer in the 93rd minute—forcing a complete re-write.

Manuel Almunia's Joker act in goal costing his team an invaluable three points that very few teams take from Alex McLeish's team in Birmingham.

The 1-1 draw at St. Andrews puts a dent in their title hopes, but it has not extinguished that flicker of hope.

It will take more than that to beat this Arsenal team.

On Tuesday, the Gunners travel to Camp Nou to take on the most beautiful footballing side in the world—Barcelona.

It will be an epic battle, and will go a long way in declaring Arsenal's hopes for not only the Champions League but the English Premier League as well.

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Can Spurs Catch Arsenal And Finish 3rd In The Premier League?

Spurs strengthened their grip on fourth place in the English Premier League with their 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. But is it too late for the Lilywhites to launch a bid to catch Arsenal and finish third?

Looking at the gap between the two teams at the moment you would have to say that the chances of Spurs pulling off a third placed finish were unlikely. However, the two teams have yet to meet and given a swing of two results it is perceivable that the White Hart Lane outfit could achieve the impossible.

Currently the Gunners find themselves in a slightly similar position to their North London rivals in that they need the two teams above them to drop points if they are to win the title. With that being said, what is to stop Arsenal from dropping the same number of points?

Arsenal as has been well documented have, on paper, an easier run in than their two title rivals. But there are a few tricky fixtures as many of the teams they are yet to play are in the middle of the battle to avoid relegation.

They also take on two teams who are chasing the Champions League positions in Spurs and before they take on Manchester City in what promises to be a spicy game considering what happened at the Eastlands earlier in the season.

The Gunners coasted into the Quarter Finals of the Champions League after demolishing a poor Porto team at the Emirates. You can only ever beat what is put in front of you and Arsenal cruelly exposed the difference in class between them and their Portuguese opponents.

Given the right opponent, they could progress to the Semi Finals, but a lot depends on the luck of the draw and avoiding Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona.

As far as their league run is concerned, they have Hull, tonight, (a), West Ham (h), Birmingham (a), Wolves (h), Spurs (a), Wigan (a), Man City (h), Blackburn (a), and Fulham at home on the last day of the season.

One thing to factor in at this stage is that if Spurs beat Fulham in their FA Cup replay at White Hart Lane then the Spurs fixture will be moved to the final week of the season.

Looking at these games in a worst case scenario for the Gunners and they could take between 16 and 19 points, and that is being generous. Best case scenario and they will go unbeaten, claiming between 19 and 21 points.

Spurs need them to lose at least three games, before beating Arsenal too. Meaning that Tottenham will need the Gunners to lose four times from nine games. A distinct impossibility at this late stage.

Spurs also have a good run in, but they do have three huge fixtures in the space of three weeks right in the middle of their run in.

Stoke (a), Portsmouth (h), Sunderland (a), Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Bolton (h), and finally Burnley away.

From those games it is easy to see Spurs win every game bar the ones against the big three. Their record away to the big four is abysmal, having not won since 1993 against Liverpool, United, Chelsea, or Arsenal.

Their home record is better and given the right conditions, full points are attainable against the Gunners and the Blues, but it would be a tough ask.

Best case scenario has Spurs taking at least 19 points from 24.

Do the math and even with Spurs doing as well as you would hope and Arsenal doing as bad as could be expected, they will not catch the Gunners for third.

The race for fourth though, is very much in their own hands. Games in hand mean very little at this stage of the season and points on the table are all that count, so Aston Villa's and Manchester City's excess of matches to play should not be over estimated.

Looking at Tottenham the club has over achieved so far this season. While many expected them to be fourth placed contenders, few actually expect them to finish there and as the league table stands Spurs are four to six points ahead of their predicted points tally at this stage of the season.

Bookmakers had Spurs down to finish the season on between 55 and 59 points, currently they sit fourth on 52 with eight games to play, five of them highly winnable.

Before the win over Blackburn Harry Redknapp had set his team a target of 19 points to finish fourth. An achievable target.

Third place is out of bounds for this season, but fourth is very much in their own hands.

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English Premier League Finances 2010, Every Single Clubs Financial Report

Portsmouth are on the verge of becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration, and if many fans fears are to be believed Pompey may not be the first to go.

Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all under the heavy weight of massive debt. Such is the level of debt in the Premier League that it makes up 56% of all the debt in European football, some £3.5 billion.

The really shocking indictment of that ludicrous figure is that the traditional top four Chelsea, United, Liverpool, and Arsenal own almost £2 billion of that total figure. Meaning that just four clubs own 36% of all the debt in Europe.

It is something that Michel Platini and UEFA are trying to clamp down upon. There has been one of these English teams in every one of the Champions League Finals since 2004.

Obviously UEFA feel that the EPL teams enjoy far greater freedom to run into debt, and that the EPL as a management body are happy not to police the sector as it brings much more coverage to the league.

Here are the annual accounts for every single Premier League team.

Read them and weep...




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Aaron Ramsey Thanks Stoke City's Glen Whelan for Helping After Horrible Injury

Speaking for the first time since suffering a horrific leg break last week against Stoke, Aaron Ramsey insisted that he would come back better than ever. He then reserved special praise for Glen Whelan, the first player to react and help him as he lay on the ground in agony.

Ramsey, 19, said, "I remember what happened clearly and after the tackle went in I saw that my leg was broken and hanging at an angle. I have seen images of the aftermath again but I don't want to dwell too much on the challenge as I can't change what has happened."

The Welsh youngster broke his leg in a challenge with Ryan Shawcross. The Stoke players heavy first touch opened the ball up to interception and as Ramsey stretched to prod the ball away, his studs became caught in the ground.

Shawcross, who was called into Fabio Capello's England squad this week, then made an extremely heavy tackle when there was little need to do so.

Missing the ball completely, he caught Ramsey just above the ankle and shattered his leg.

When asked if he had anything to say to Shawcross, Ramsey fell understandably quiet.

He said, "It is difficult for me to take everything in at the moment."

Ramsey added, "I thought I had been progressing well this season so, of course, this is a real setback. I had an operation last weekend and while it will take time for my leg to heal, I am determined and focused on overcoming this injury and hope to be back fitter and stronger than before. I am young and have time on my side."

Ramsey is one of the hottest prospects British football today. Having pulled off a major coup by snapping up the kid from under the noses of Manchester United and Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger sees the youth as the future of the club.

Many feel that he is the obvious heir to Cesc Fabregas, especially as the Spaniard has signalled that he wishes to return to Barcelona some day.

An emotional Ramsey then went on to thank Stoke City's Irish midfielder, Glen Whelan.

Whelan was the first player to react after the horror challenge and comforted the stricken youth as he lay on the ground. Simple gestures from Whelan such as shielding Ramsey from seeing his damaged leg while gently talking to him in an effort to calm him down have not gone unnoticed by the Arsenal player. Whelan also called to other Arsenal players to help their teammate before letting the medical staff takeover.

"Glenn Whelan was especially kind and I really appreciated his immediate assistance on the pitch," said an grateful Ramsey.

He added, "I have also been overwhelmed by the terrific support I've received from so many people, including fans from many different clubs.

"In particular, I would like to thank the medical team here at Arsenal for their efforts as well as the staff at both hospitals, and the medical support from Stoke City.

"I also want to say thanks to Arsenal for helping my family this week.

"Last, but certainly not least, I have been blown away by the fantastic messages of support from the Arsenal fans. I am proud to be an Arsenal player and your support has been incredibly touching.

"I also want to wish my teammates all the best for the remainder of the season. I know we are capable of winning a trophy and I will be backing them all the way."

Arsenal are one of three teams with a real chance of winning the English Premier League this season, and with only nine games to go and a relatively easy run in, they have every chance.

Ramsey had made 18 appearances for the Gunners this season before it was cut so cruelly short. He has received much support in wishing him a speedy recovery.

One of the players who has wished him well is another Irish Stoke midfielder, Rory Delap. Over the past couple of seasons he has become something of a bane for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal as he possesses one of the fastest and longest throws in world football. Aided with such a weapon he has contributed four assists for Stoke against the Gunners alone.

In 2006, Delap suffered the exact same injury as Ramsey but made a full recovery and returned to action almost eight months later, faster and stronger than ever.

Arsenal fans will hope for a speedy recovery.

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Premier League Rejects Playoff Proposal

Premier League chairmen have rejected the idea of a introducing a play-off to decide who takes the fourth UEFA Champions League place. The motion was beaten after it failed to gather the 14 votes it needed to pass.

The controversial idea of introducing play-offs for the final Champions League spot was proposed last month. Under it's premise teams finishing between fourth to seventh place would then go into a playoff to decide the leagues last place in the Champions League.

At best the proposal received a mixed reception from Premier League managers with some very much for the idea while others were dead set against it.

The idea was examined by Premier League chairmen at their meeting on London on Thursday after Peter Scudamore brought forward a mandate for the proposal and they have voted against it, meaning the status quo will stay as is.

While managers from Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool were vehemant opposers to the proposition, they were the four clubs with the most to lose, they were also somewhat ironically the four clubs who would have gained most.

Given the finances that the four clubs enjoy over every other team it is highly unlikely that any of these clubs would have finished outside the top seven positions in the short to medium term future.






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Was Aaron Ramsey's Injury A Result Of Declining Coaching Standards?

Recriminations and questions have been flying since Aaron Ramsey picked up an horrific leg break following Ryan Shawcross' tackle. Perhaps the most pertinent being, was the tackle a result of a fall in coaching standards at both clubs?

As with any incident in a football match, there are a million little things that have to happen first.

The episode began with Ryan Shawcross in possession. Although there were a few Arsenal players in attendance, he wasn't under what you would consider as being heavy pressure.

Shawcross' touch here was unusually heavy, letting the ball drift from his sphere of influence to where an opposing player could easily attack the ball.

With the ball now in no-man's land, Aaron Ramsey's quicker reaction meant he was going to get to the ball first.

However, the Arsenal player was not going to be in a position to take possession, hence his stretched attempt to stab the ball away from the on rushing Shawcross.

In this section of the episode, Ramsey attacked the ball wrong.

Seeing that Shawcross was coming in, full forced to attack the ball, the Arsenal youngster had two options.

1) Tackle side on, thus protecting himself in the challenge.

2) Get both feet as close to the ball as possible thus allowing himself to prod the ball away and jump at the same time, avoiding the challenge.

His inexperience showed here as he stretched into the tackle and prodded the ball away. With his feet set so far apart, he had no other choice than to plant his foot in the ground for balance.

Meaning that when Shawcross came in for the ball that was not there anymore he made contact with Ramsey's leg.

The Arsenal player had not protected himself, nor set himself up to avoid the challenge, his foot could not move, and he ended up with an horrific break.

Going back to Shawcross' lunge.

This tackle is what is known as a statement tackle. It is one of the most important parts of the game, such a tackle can be as good as a goal in regards to lifting players and fans alike, as well as being a massive psychological blow to the opposing team.

Having lost possession with his poor touch, Shawcross was left with no other option that to tackle, and he chose to make a statement.

The thing about these kind of tackles is that you do not make them in 50/50 type challenge. The secret to these is that they are as close to guaranteed tackles as you can make, thus allowing yourself the extra power to clatter into your opponent, letting him know he's in a game.

In short, Shawcross chose the wrong tackle.

Then he tackled with the wrong leg.

By coming across Ramsey with his right leg, which was further away, Shawcross stretched and came down upon where the ball used to be.

Had he used his left, as he should have, his natural inclination would have been to either block tackle the ball, or slide in. Either decision and Ramsey would have probably come off without a broken leg.

Had both players tackled properly and neither player would have been injured.

Tackling is a skill, as equally important as heading or scoring or passing. When done right, it is a thing of rare beauty.

One of the reasons that makes football such a wonderful sport is that it caters for every type of player. Big, small, fast, slow, precocious youth or wily old journeyman.

Small players like Lionel Messi can outwit the big cumbersome defender through trickery and guile.

While the untalented player can out fight his more illustrious opponent if his work rate and determination is not matched.

Last weekend two cultures that should be allowed to exist side by side clashed and the result was Aaron Ramsey breaking his leg.

Some have been quick to point the finger at Stoke's style and Shawcross' impulsive challenge.

We now have the knowledge that an average of almost 20 injuries are incurred per game, ranging from niggles that almost go unnoticed to injuries that keep players on the sidelines for indefinite time periods.

67 percent of all injuries that are picked up are based in the lower extremities (from the knee down) and the most common injury being damaged ankle ligaments, which were four times more likely to happen during practice.

However, football should be allowed to exist in it's current state. These occurrences are rare, but are as likely to happen on the training ground as on the field of play.

Which brings us back to coaching standards.

Passing, shooting, heading, etc are all technical skills and are easily practised and taught. Tackling however, is one of the hardest parts of the game to educate upon, and is glossed over by many coaches.

Had either player been thought to tackle correctly in that situation, and nobody would have been hurt.

To read about FIFA's campaign to ban tackles such as these click here

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