Stephen Harries provides insight on 4 teams that are talking the talk but not walking the walk.

By: Stephen Harries

The past ten years has seen the English Premier League grow into the most lucrative, most marketed, and strongest football league in the world. The league is doing what La Liga and Serie A did in the 80′s and 90′s, attracting the best players in the world. It is being watched in almost every country in the world; English teams are dominating in the Champions League, and have provided some thrilling action in the process.

But I have to wonder, has some complacency crept into the English Premier League?

I am starting to think so! I look at teams like Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and, after a successful season last year, Portsmouth. Personally, I feel these teams should be somewhat ashamed of their performances in the league and in the UEFA Cup.  Three of the four teams (except Tottenham who finished 11^th) finished in the top ten last year. Each team, qualified for Europe; Tottenham by winning the League Cup and Portsmouth by winning the FA Cup, and all spoke at the start of the season about “how they were a team that can challenge the top four and get into the Champions League.”

Where is the challenge?

The top four teams are a great example of setting their expectations and playing to these expectations, anything else is failure. If these teams are to break into the top four they need to be prepared

Starting with Aston Villa, a team that I have always respected, a team that has a great owner and a great manager, I love what O’Neill has done. I hoped that Villa were the team that would break into the top four. However, their conduct in the UEFA Cup was appalling! Last season they wanted to be in Europe, they get into Europe, and then field a weak team and crash out of Europe believing that 4^th in the league is far more important.

I can understand this, but again they find themselves adrift of the pack in 5^th, with Everton two behind and chasing hard in 6^th. I think that the quest for trophies and the prize money for coming fifth and winning the UEFA Cup could go a long way to building an even better squad that is able to maintain that top four challenge and get them to the Champions League.

We move on to Tottenham, who are a joke! They spend millions, struggle in the league, sack their manager and hire a mid table manager, the wheeler-dealer himself Harry Redknapp. They have a good run under him, which has steadied out, and shown Tottenham for what they really are, a mid table team.

These teams were shouting how they were going to dislodge Arsenal or Liverpool to be in the top four; that they would easily qualify for the Champions League; and they would be the team to challenge on all fronts.  Good job doing that!

Under Martin Jol Tottenham could have been a top four team, under Redknapp they will be a top ten team!

All of last season, Tottenham wanted to qualify for Europe, they did so winning the league cup and qualifying for the UEFA Cup. They played okay, moving into the second stage, where they decided that the league is far more important and go out.  But straight away Mr. Redknapp is saying how important it is to again qualify for Europe!

If it was such a priority to the success of the club, why did they throw it away?

Then we come to Manchester City, a club who has been up and down for 15 years. Three years ago they were purchased by a crook, sacked a manager who brought stability to the club, and then, last summer, were purchased by a mega rich oil family and hire one of the best up and coming managers around.  Yet they have struggled all season for consistency.

As soon as this deal to purchase the club went through and the purchase of Robinho, Man City believed they were a top club.  A club needs time to build for success, Man Ute have done this, Chelsea has done this, and Arsenal has done this. Man City is looking to splash huge amounts of money, basically buying the title. Blackburn Rovers did this in 1995, and today, remain the only club outside of Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal to have won the Premiership. Man City needs to look at Blackburn and realize that they have not challenged for major honors since. Man City need to build a team over the course of two to three years, and then success will come.

Lastly, Portsmouth have had season they can forget, struggling throughout.  Portsmouth came sixth last season, qualified for the UEFA Cup with an FA Cup win, but did not really try in Europe as they were focused on league survival. They were a team that expected to be in the top six, and expected to be challenging for all honors by fans and league followers; but instead have found themselves in the battle to avoid relegation. Yes they have financial problems, but so do West Ham and Fulham, and look where they are positioned in the league.

Their pre-season predictions, their performances in Europe and the league only show that these clubs still have a lot of work to do before they become successful.  They have shown some delusions of grandeur rather than the grit and determination to challenge and succeed in dislodging the big boys.

It is great to set expectations, but these clubs need to be realistic. Everton are a great example, they understand what they want to achieve.  They go about their business in almost a stealth manner, being the team that has challenged the top four for a couple of years now!

If these teams are to succeed, they need to start believing in what the say, and start performing on the field, not performing against the top clubs and being dismantled by the bottom clubs. A team is only as good as their results and what the league position indicates.

Congratulations to Chelsea and Everton on reaching the FA Cup final! I hope Everton win, the club and David Moyes deserve it!

The US U17 team kicked off their the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Tijuana yesterday by dismantling Cuba 5-0.  US forward and Georgia native, Jack McInerney, scored two goals and provided two assists in the victory.  Luis Gil added a goal and two assists, Stefan Jerome and Sebastian Lletget rounded off the scoring.

The US started off tenatively but were able to break the deadlock in the 31st minute.  Both teams were playing at a furious pace as both teams looke for the early lead.  The US had the best chance early on as McInerney hit the post in 4th minute.  The US began to take control of the game but it didn’t look like it would by McInerney’s day as he hit the post twice.  Fortunately, the ball rebounded off the post into the path of Stefan Jerome for a simple tap in finish.

Minutes later Jerome drew a foul down the left wing. Luis Gil stepped up to take the freekick and drilled a ball into the box that McInerney buried into the back of the net with a powerful header. Lletget rounded off the first half scoring after he collected a rebound near the PK spot.  He brought it down turned and curled a beautiful ball into the corner of the goal.  The US went into the half 3-0.

Shortly after the break, the US was back to scoring.  Luis Gil carried the ball into the 18 yard box and slipped a pass to McInerney for the 4th goal of the day.  Gil got one of his own in the 63rd minute.  He ran onto a diagonal ball from the midfield and dribbled into the box.  With the goalie out of position McInerney took an errant touch that fell back to the feet of Gil for an easy tap in.  The game ended 5-0.

STATS:

Scoring Summary: 1   2    F
USA                              3   2    5
CUB                              0   0   0

USA – Stefan Jerome (Jack McInerney)    31st minute
USA – Jack McInerney (Luis Gil)                 34
USA – Sebastian Lletget                              40
USA – Jack McInerney (Luis Gil)                  48
USA – Luis Gil (Jack McInerney)                 63

Lineup:

1-Earl Edwards

3-Tyler Polak   6-Jared Watts   2-Eriq Zavaleta   4-Perry Kitchen

8-Alex Shinksy   5-Marlon Duran   20-Sebastian Lletget   10-Luis Gil

7-Stefan Jerome    9-Jack McInerney

Subbed: Martinez for Shinksy in 64^th, Gyau for Lletget in 70^th, Craven for Jerome in 75^th

Subs not used: 11-Dustin Corea, 14-Zachary Herold, 17-Juan Agudelo, 18-Spencer Richey,
Subs not available: Emilio Orozco, Nicholas Palodichuk
Head Coach: Wilmer Cabrera

Notes:

Luis Gil is the youngest member of this U17 group.

McInerney has scored 6 goals in 5 games this year. Bringing his career total to 13 goals in 21 games.

Charles Renken, one of the U17 stars, is not on the roster due to a knee injury.  Lletget took his place in the midfield.

Carlos Martinez was kicked off the U17′s about a year ago but has been fully reinstated. He played 25 minutes and should working his way back into the starting lineup.

Cuba recently beat Mexico 2-0.

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