TheGame - Times Online - WBLG

Platini hasn't a hope of imposing salary cap on clubs

 

Tony Cascarino

Michael Platini’s attempt to introduce a salary cap for clubs in European competitions will fall flat on its face. It’ll be hard enough to persuade clubs to accept it – and if by some miracle it’s agreed, it will be ineffective.

I know well enough from my playing days that clubs will always find a loophole, always spend more than they should, because common sense is always blinded by an irresistible desire to win, to get the best players possible at almost any cost. In an ultra-competitive marketplace at the elite level, with clubs chasing a handful of top-class players, they will do whatever it takes, pay whatever is necessary, to get an edge over their rivals. Just as Real Madrid are doing now.

Think back to the Seventies, for example, when clubs came up with all kinds of imaginative bonus schemes to supplement wages. Houses, cars, all sorts of incentives were offered. It won’t matter if Uefa bring in a rule limiting expenditure and salaries to a percentage of turnover - clubs’ accountants and lawyers will find a loophole somewhere and players will continue to enjoy vast and ever-rising salaries.

Uefa are playing a dangerous game here with their attempts to dictate what clubs can and can’t spend. They’re leaving themselves open to legal challenges – why, Manchester United might could argue, should Platini tell us how to run our business? The timing seems wrong, anyway – with television income still vast and interest in the game as massive as ever, the message that they must tighten their belts and curb their spending isn’t going to cut much ice with clubs enjoying rising revenues, no matter how sensible it may seem in theory.

Tony Cascarino's pointers to the 2009-10 season

All FA Cup replays should be scrapped. The idea has been in the wings for a while and it’s time to make it reality. Why should early rounds have replays but not the semi-finals or final? Lower-division sides may protest because of potential lost revenue, but they would get used to it and it would ease their own fixture congestion.

West Bromwich Albion and Reading will be challenging for promotion, so Newcastle United have a tough start to the season. There will be a lot of player turnover at St James’ Park this summer so it may be hard for Newcastle to hit the ground running. At least they will find out early where they stand in relation to the Championship’s best.

Tony's Fiver: Overrated Ribéry not even half as good as Ronaldo

Tony Cascarino

1. Overrated Ribéry not even half as good as Ronaldo
I don’t understand why top clubs are falling over themselves to sign Franck Ribéry at the inflated sum that Bayern Munich want. He has done well in a poor German league and he’s quick, but he’s less than half the player Cristiano Ronaldo is, so why pay even two thirds of Ronaldo’s price?

2. Walcott may rue giving up summer holiday
Theo Walcott is with England Under-21 and no wonder Arsène Wenger is disappointed. I thought 2008-09 would be a huge season for Walcott but it was another inconsistent campaign. He should have rested this summer and looked at the bigger picture: not going into the 2010 World Cup tired.

3. Gattuso link with Chelsea is utterly confusing
Even though Carlo Ancelotti and Gennaro Gattuso worked together at AC Milan, it was bizarre to see Gattuso linked with a move to Chelsea. They don’t need another tough-tackling midfield player, they need pace on the flanks. Joe Cole is back on the left but they must find a speedy right winger.

4. Record fee still looks like a bad deal for United
Antonio Valencia would be a good signing for Manchester United, but no one in the world could fill Ronaldo’s boots. As Ronaldo is so young, even a fee of £80 million seems like a bad deal. But it all comes back to that classic question: how do a club hold on to a player who wants to leave?

5. Expect Keane to be sucked in by wave of activity
Robbie Keane has been back at Spurs for only six months but I wouldn’t be surprised if he moved on if the right offer came in. He’s been quite indifferent in his second spell and Robbie’s career has been full of short-term moves. Whatever happens to him, I expect the craziest summer ever of transfers.

Michael Owen will need to take a pay cut to land move

Tony Cascarino

1: Crouch looks the better bet to partner Rooney

Let’s not get carried away. It could all end in tears again in South Africa unless Fabio Capello finds the right combination up front. Emile Heskey

is not a big tournament player and Wayne Rooney cannot win the World Cup on his own. Unless someone emerges, Capello should go with Rooney and Peter Crouch.

2: Ireland are looking the part under their Italian

There could be a record number of Italian coaches in South Africa. Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello will be there and there’s a good chance that Giovanni Trapattoni will be with them. Ireland’s next qualifier is in Cyprus, where they lost 5-2 three years ago. I’m not expecting a similar result in September.

3: Owen will have to prepare for a big pay cut

It’s been reported that Michael Owen will have to take a £70,000-a-week pay cut if he wants to play for Aston Villa or Everton and I’m not surprised. He was on about £120,000 a week at Newcastle United but he’ll be doing well if someone agrees to pay him £50,000 a week now. If I was a club chairman, I’d buy him on a pay-as-you-play deal.

4: Smaller nations deserve time on big stage

I’m not too thrilled about the prospect of watching England play Andorra, but that doesn’t mean that we should shut the door on the smaller teams. Not too long ago, Turkey used to be little more than whipping boys, but now they’d give most sides a run for their money. Andorra will never be that good, but everyone has to start somewhere.

5: Liverpool too big to be sunk by financial storms

There have been a lot of negative stories about Liverpool recently, but they are still an incredible asset and even without new owners will go very close to winning the Premier League and the Champions League next season. Rafael Benítez and Fernando Torres would not have signed new contracts if the club were really in trouble.

Ireland shows credit crunch does not apply to football

 

Tony Cascarino

1: Arrival of Ancelotti may spark a domestic argument

Carlo Ancelotti for Chelsea? It looks quite cosy, a big-name manager for a big-name club, yet Chelsea is the trickiest of hot seats. It seems to me like a signing with the aim of winning the Champions League, which, of course, is the holy grail for Roman Abramovich. But winning the Premier League? I’m not convinced.

2: Canny Hiddink raised bar at the Bridge

Ancelotti also has to emulate Guus Hiddink, who did a marvellous job as interim manager at Stamford Bridge in such a short spell. Hiddink hit the ground running and very quickly recognised that little things make a big difference. Other managers have a bit of time. He didn’t, but it didn’t seem to matter. And he spoke good English, too.

3: Luxury Ireland suggests summer of spending

We could see a flurry of huge moves this summer, with all previous records blown out of the water. Transfer fees and players’ wages will go through the roof. Credit crunch? Not in football. When Stephen Ireland is given an increase to about £65,000 a week, after one good season with Manchester City, that says it all.

4: Saha strike ensured it was a Final worth watching

Had Everton not scored early on in the FA Cup Final, Chelsea would have romped it. It just shows how big the gap is between the “big four” clubs and everyone else. And it’s getting bigger by the season. Even with David Moyes doing his tactical best, Everton were comfortably outplayed. Louis Saha’s strike at least ensured it was kept respectable.

5: Kiely’s flee from Trap should have been no surprise

Dean Kiely walked out on the Ireland squad when told he would not play in the friendly against Nigeria at Craven Cottage on Friday night. Giovanni Trapattoni, the venerable Ireland manager, should realise that, in modern-day football, players are just as likely to react like this: “Thanks but no thanks. I’m off.” “Il Trap” will have to learn.

Alex Ferguson will have to buy big this summer

Tony Cascarino

There’s a risk of losing your edge when you haven’t played in a while, as we saw with Manchester United in the Champions League final on Wednesday. I wonder if Sir Alex Ferguson regrets picking a shadow side against Hull City last Sunday.

Ferguson’s reaction to defeat in the Stadio Olimpico was interesting – no rage, just a quiet acceptance and acknowledgement that the best team won. That realisation will underline to him that he’ll have to buy big this summer in order to improve his side, something I suspect he was planning to do it anyway. Ferguson is constantly, restlessly seeking to evolve and improve United and two major signings could do the trick

The lack of a top-class defensive midfield player was obvious in Rome. No one could get close to Andres Iniesta. If Ferguson decides that Owen Hargreaves is too much of an injury risk and he won’t be able to get at least 30 games out of him next season, he’ll look at a holding midfield player. It could be someone unexpected, such as Scott Parker of West Ham United – not a huge star but good at what he does, moving the ball along and shielding the back four.

Star quality will be too much for Everton, the poor man's Chelsea

In a nutshell, why do I expect Guus Hiddink to be celebrating a win in tomorrow’s FA Cup Final? Because Everton are a poor man’s Chelsea. They’ve got a lot in common. Both sides are dogged, hard-working, organised, horrible to play against, not especially quick and set up to grind out wins on the back of tight defences.  But David Moyes’s team don’t have as much individual quality. For example, Louis Saha’s a less effective version of Nicolas Anelka, Tim Cahill is an inferior equivalent of Frank Lampard.

Chelsea have stars, Everton have players Moyes has recruited from the Coca-Cola Championship who have fitted in superbly to his system but probably wouldn’t be as good at other Barclays Premier League clubs. With Everton, the sum is more than the parts and Moyes deserves a lot of credit for that.

Cascarino: Henry could expose O'Shea as United's weak link

 

1: Park must ensure there is no easy life for Messi

Park Ji Sung should play on the left to help Patrice Evra to combat the threat of Lionel Messi. Park has the energy and discipline to do a good job defensively and you wouldn’t want Messi one-on-one with Evra. The Barcelona forward is due a big performance, so Manchester United must deny him the ball.

2: Ronaldo can hit Barcelona where it hurts most

With Park or Wayne Rooney on the left, there’s a chance for Cristiano Ronaldo to play centre forward. It’s the only sensible option and he would really hurt Barcelona’s weakened back four. Ronaldo has got all the skills to be effective there: remember that classic striker’s header in last year’s final?

3: O’Shea is right to fear that  Henry will take wing

Barcelona should exploit United down the Barclays Premier League champions’ right. John O’Shea is decent but against top-class opponents he could be exposed. If  he plays, Thierry Henry’s greater speed could cause O’Shea problems. Lionel Messi could also switch flanks to have a go at O’Shea, if he’s not getting any joy on the other side.

4: Ferguson unworried about the effect of Pep talk

Sir Alex Ferguson is far older than Pep Guardiola but you don’t need experience to manage Barcelona. The way they play doesn’t really change whoever’s in charge; it’s about brilliance more than tactics. Ferguson has had his share of luck in the competition down the years. Could this be the time when United play wonderfully yet lose?

5: An early goal and a wild night could be in store

It’s surely going to be an open game. Barcelona know no other way. United are solid but don’t need to be as defensive as Chelsea in the semi-final because they have far more flair. I can only see goals — a 3-2 or 3-1 scoreline maybe — and a wild night if there’s an early strike. Even if it’s 1-0, it should be great. United are slight favourites for me.

Managers with a reputation enjoy better protection

Tony Cascarino

1 Fighting spirit alive and well through the season

So much for the theory that teams with “nothing to play for” wouldn’t try — all four relegation candidates lost yesterday! It’s a tribute to the commitment levels in this country that there’s always something to play for. Either that or the four clubs in question are simply terrible teams, which is very possible . . .

2 Was it payback time for Shearer 11 years on?

There was loads of talk about whether Sir Alex Ferguson would want Newcastle United to go down because Alan Shearer didn’t sign for Manchester United. But anyone else remember how furious Martin O’Neill was with Shearer in 1998 when the striker appeared to kick Neil Lennon in the face during a game against Leicester City?

3 Millwall can take pride into fight next season

There were 45,000 or so Millwall fans at Wembley yesterday — the club average about 8,000. Where did they come from? I watched my former team and feel for Gary Alexander, the Millwall striker, who scored twice but then missed a sitter. But League One will not be bad with those big clubs next season.

4 Turf Moor memories mean that my heart is claret

Sheffield United are a better team than Burnley, but the latter may sneak today’s play-off final because United have injury problems. I’ve got a soft spot for Burnley as I made my debut at Turf Moor and it would be great to see a club with such tradition in the top flight. They’re a bigger club than their neighbours, Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan.

5 Managers’ pressure is all about the name game

Ricky Sbragia leaving Sunderland after only half a season shows how hard it is for unknown managers to succeed at the top level. Until you’ve made yourself a reputation, any spell of poor results will put you under huge pressure because there’s the risk that everyone will lose faith in you very quickly.

Pulis's achievements are tough to top

Tony Cascarino

1: Ferguson not going anywhere — and why should he?

Sir Alex Ferguson’s idea of staying in charge for five years might be the first long-term plan in football to come to fruition. He won’t retire until things are going wrong, and why should he? Forget his age, it doesn’t matter as long as he still has the hunger and ability to succeed with Manchester United.

2: United manager ensures the ego is grounded

A great example of Ferguson’s brilliant man-management is Cristiano Ronaldo’s form this season. After being denied a move to Real Madrid last summer, Ronaldo could have sulked all year. Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor have disappointed after staying put, but Ferguson has coaxed another fine campaign from Ronaldo.

3: Two goals are good, but three goals are better

Middlesbrough’s biggest problem is that their players think they’re not capable of scoring twice in a game. Believing you can score two is essential when you’re not good enough to keep many clean sheets. And the benchmark for a title-chasing side is knowing you are capable of getting three in a game.

4: Manager madness spells tears on Tyneside

Ten managerial changes at clubs in the Barclays Premier League this season, and three at a single club — Newcastle United. That sums up where they are in the league table and why. Add in all the goings-on behind the scenes and there’s been so much turbulence at St James’ Park that it’s no wonder Newcastle are facing the drop.

5: Pulis and Stoke — a marriage of grit and guile

A terrific testament to Tony Pulis is that Ferguson said that Manchester United’s win away to Stoke City was a turning point. Pulis, the Stoke manager, earned his stripes by reaching the top flight the hard way, from the bottom up. He created a hell of a team at Gillingham — in fact, he’s built tough sides everywhere he’s been.