FC Twente Signs Iraqi Captain Nashat Akram

When Iraq shocked the Asian football world by beating Saudi Arabia in the 2007 Asian Cup final, I had expected many of the Iraqi football players to gravitate into the European leagues. Players like Younis Mahmoud, Hawar Mullah Mohamed and Emad Mohamed would not look out of place in the Bundesliga or EPL. Nashat Akram was also one of those earmarked for the big time.

However that expectation did not materialise, most of the Asian Cup winners still ply their trade in the Middle East and Egypt. Well all that is about to change with the biggest star in Iraqi football moving to the Eredivise. This was reported in ESPN Soccernet website:
Dutch Eredivise club FC Twente Enschede have signed Iraq national team captain Nashat Akram on a three-year contract.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who already has 75 caps to his name, joins as a free agent from Al-Gharafa of Qatar and will officially become a Twente player after the Confederations Cup in June.
Akram, who had a trial with Manchester City last season, told the Twente website: ''This is a dream come true, to play in Europe. FC Twente is a good club with a big coach. I want to develop further at FC Twente and grow together with the club.''
Coach Steve McClaren added: ''We've been following Nashat for a year. He's a young and very talented player, who has bags of experience given his age.''
Akram can look forward to testing himself at the highest level next term after McClaren, in his first season with the club, guided Twente to a place in the qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

Over the past two years, Nashat has had trials in England with Sunderland and Manchester City. City's then-manager Sven Goran Eriksson was very impressed with him describing him as an elegant midfielder but could not sign him due to work permit rejection. No such problems over in Holland and FC Twente has secured an intelligent, modern-day midfielder who combines creativity and tireless workhorse in one package. He also weighs in with his fair share of goals. One of those rare breed who can be a bit of everything from tackling to goal scoring.

Nashat Akram was instrumental in Iraqi's first Asian Cup triumph in 2007. He was magnificient throughout the competition. His superb playmaking abilities meant that he had a hand in almost all of Iraq's goals in that competition. He was named Most Valuable Player in that final. Individual honours also followed him. He was named "Best foreign player 2005-2006" while playing in Saudi Arabia Premier League. He was the Iraqi player of the year in 2006 and 2008. He has won the Iraqi, Saudi and Qatari leagues. He is also an Emir of Qatar Cup winner this year with Al Gharrafa.

And so FC Twente has an Asian star who is both a winner and a very experienced footballer able to handle pressure games. Without a doubt, Nashat Akram is a big-game player. I do think that Holland is a great place for Asian players. It has been a favoured destination for a number of Asian footballers over the years. Singapore's Fandi Ahmad, Korea's Park Ji-Sung and Lee Young-Pyo and Japan's Shinji Ono have enjoyed significant successes and fan appreciation in the laid-back environment of Holland. Rest assured, FC Twente fans will not be disappointed.

Enjoy this video documentary on Iraq and Nashat Akram courtesy of Football Asia.



With the skills that Nashat possesses, he will be a success in Holland, providing him with a possible springboard to the English Premier League. Hopefully, with him leading the way, more Iraqi footballers will find opportunities in Europe. Younis Mahmoud and Emad Mohamed, two skilful and powerful strikers, must surely feel that their time will come.

Nashat could be the catalyst for Iraqi football much like Ali Daei was for Iran. The Bundesliga successes of Ali Daei paved the way for players like Mehdi Mahdavikia, Karim Bagheri and Ali Karimi. There is no doubt that Nashat has the personality and ability to repeat an "Ali Daei" phenomenon.

With so much talent in Asia just waiting to be noticed, it might not be too long for Malaysians to be plying their trade in Europe.

Good luck Nashat, make Asia proud...

How Liverpool Let The Title Slip

We have read during the course of this season about how Liverpool had let the title slip. We saw the frustration spill over when Jamie Carragher was involved in a push-and-shove with Alvaro Arbeloa in the weekend's match against West Brom. All that commitment turned out to be futile. If only Liverpool had been this good and focussed throughout the season rather than during the last third of the season, things may have been different.

But what do we know...Rafa probably prepared his team in the best possible way, shuffled his pack to suit the opposition's formation and won himself a new contract by politicking in a way a Spaniard would. There are a few schools of thought as to the real reason for Liverpool's failure to pip Manchester United to the title.

1. Lack of Depth

United's substitutes can come on 60 minutes into the game and make instant impact, changing the match. Tevez, Anderson and even Kiko Macheda have all contributed so much to this season's title tilt. Liverpool, on the other hand rely on Nabir El Zhar, Ryan Babel and David Ngog. Not the same impact, huh? If Steven Gerrard and Nando Torres could have stayed injury-free the whole season, who knows the difference that would have made...

2. Form at Home

Liverpool's draws against the lesser sides at home, have been well-documented. It is true that the inability to beat the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Stoke City at home costed Liverpool valuable points. The title challenge could have taken a different turn if all those draws were wins - Manchester United would have been the pursuer rather than the pursued.

The second reason is more plausible. Comparing against Manchester United, the Red Devils have been awesomely prolific against the Wigans and the Boltons of the Premier League. They registered a whopping 84% in wins statistic against these teams which is the highest among the Big 4. Of the 31 matches currently concluded, United have won 26 of those, drawn only four and suffered only one defeat at Fulham.

On the other hand, Liverpool could only win 20 matches, drew nine and lost two against teams outside of the Big 4. This puts them at 65% wins statistic. An inferior wins record compared to the newly crowned champions is essentially what cost Liverpool the title. The fact that Manchester United always come up victors against teams outside the Big 4 brought the title back to the Theatre of Dreams.

So what if Liverpool did the double over Manchester United? Under Benitez, they still have that cup-side feel about them. And to win the league, one has to beat the teams which are below them. The loss to Boro (when they were bottom of the league) and Spurs (also when they were bottom of the league) came at a time when Boro and Spurs were languishing at the foot of the table. Another six valuable points dropped - in the end, they all add up.

Nevertheless, this season is Liverpool's best season yet since the Premier League began. There has been progress made this season....the last 10 games where Liverpool enchanted us with fantasy-style football really made this season come alive for all of us. But the key to the league title is consistency which means to win matches against lesser oppositions while at the same time, perform and outlast the title challengers. Liverpool have done the latter this season, now they have to add the former into their repertiore.

Until that happens, Liverpool's proud record (now shared!) 18 League titles could be surpassed next season by this excellent Manchester United side.

Football Funnies

Here are some football funnies to brighten up an otherwise moody time, having to stomach the thought of a third consecutive Premier League title for Man U.

These are taken from Comics Football.

The most popular football comic site on the internet is Studs Up. If you like them, you can subscribe to them, I know I have.

Reason I post this is because I thought Man U's win over Wigan was quite close to comic book fantasy stuff. Congratulations Man U....good luck against Barcelona.

Parking the Bus - Wigan's and Steve Bruce's Game Plan?

Parking the bus? How is that relevant to football?

The first time I heard and read about this word was from former Soccernet columnist, Phil Ball. He is, in my opinion, a brilliant columnist who wrote primarily on Spanish football and yes, you have guessed it. "Parking the bus" is a Spanish concept of a team who go to an away match in search of a draw, meaning that they also take with them the team bus out onto the pitch and park it in the goal area.

Javier Clemente - The father of the "Parking the Bus" game plan

Javier Clemente, a former Spain national coach, also known as an ultra-defensive coach, was responsible for the birth of that metaphor, says Phil Ball. While at Murcia, for an away crunch match against Real Madrid, Javi Clemente left out two of his strikers and took a collective bunch of defenders and midfielders (the "bus"). Hence the term, park the bus.

More recently, Chelsea "parked the bus" in an away Champions League semifinal match against Barcelona which riled up the Barca players, coaches and fans alike. So a Spanish concept put into practice on a Spanish team....how beautifully ironic.

Coming back to the point, there is a small matter of a long overdue Greater Manchester derby match tonight. Small matter but high in significance as the destination of the trophy hinges on the result of this match. So if Wigan "parks the bus" to deny Manchester United victory, then Steve Bruce will have ensured that we will be in store for a most interesting remaining two matches of this season's Premier League challenge.

I hope that they do so, but....it's still a tall order. Wigan have neither beaten nor forced a draw against the Red Devils since the Latics got promoted. Wigan cannot score goals at the moment. Worse still, they are leaking goals and the Mancs are just well capable of capitalizing on any defensive error. With United possessing a 100% win record against Wigan, I am not sure if this could be the "mistake" that Rafa spoke of.

Wishful Thinking? Yeah....think so

Stranger things have happened this season so we shall just wait and experience what this match has in store for us.

The Relegation Battle Heats Up for Newcastle and Middlesbrough

The relegation battle heats up with Newcastle and Middlesbrough doing battle on Monday night. The fact that Hull City lost their match against Stoke City means that neither team should settle for a draw. West Brom's win against Wigan added more pressure on both teams and now the bottom three teams are level on 31 points apiece. So this derby is a must-win game for either side and the least we can hope is for both sides to treat the match with the intensity and the effort that it warrants.

I tend to agree with Steve McMahon (now an ESPNStar soccer analyst) that he has been extremely disappointed that teams at the bottom are not showing fight and commitment to beat the drop. If we had a choice, Sunderland, Hull, Newcastle and Boro should be relegated right now! WBA should stay up simply because their playing philosophy merit another shot at the Premiership even if their defence require a complete overhaul.

Whenever I have watched Newcastle, they have been nothing but disappointing. Their form at home has been abysmal, ranking 19th in the league. They have won only 4 games at home, so much for fortress St. James Park....overall Newcastle have been winless in 10 games, dating back to February. So what does Alan Shearer do to bring some joy back to Newcastle fans?

He could start by playing his fearsome threesome. The time has come to play Owen, Viduka and Martins in a three pronged attack 4-3-3 formation. On paper, this is mouthwatering, all three are match winners in their own right and hopefully together, they can create and take chances which should come their way.

The fearsome threesome - can they save Newcastle?

Shearer need to pack the midfield with fighters and grafters. The "Dogs of War" mentality must set in - it's the fight for survival! Players who will give you 110% commitment and fight for the cause.

Nicky Butt has been one of the few committed Newcastle player. A very good midfield defensive cover for the back four. Still, he is no box-to-box player. Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez are the sort of selfless players that Newcastle need to provide the support and extra bodies at both ends of the pitch. Shearer cannot do much worse than playing Nolan and Jonas either side of Butt.

Defensively, they have been a shambles....Coloccini is not coping with the pace and power of the Premier League. Pair Steven Taylor (who can score goals as well) with the impressive Sebastien Bassong at centre defence. I do think that Damien Duff at leftback is a great idea, though. Shearer and his coaching staff need to work hard to ensure that Newcastle backline understands what defending means i.e. marking and interceptions.

On the other hand, Middlesbrough biggest problem is scoring goals. They have scored the least goals in the Premier League this season. Yet, they sold one of their biggest threats in Mido.

Also, they are woeful away from home, gaining only 8 points on the road, ranking 19th in the league. Boro's strongest area is in midfield where Tuncay, Downing and O'Neill have consistently given their all for the cause. Between them, they have contributed 28% of the total Boro goals (25) to date. More significantly, this midfield trio are responsible for 47% of the total assists (15).

Boro's midfield trio - Are they able to carry Boro over the line?

Clearly, Boro's best creative work is through the tirumvirate of Tuncay-Downing-O'Neill. Gareth Southgate must tell his players to get the ball quickly to this trio. Only when this trio control the flow of matches, will Boro have a chance of winning matches and subsequently staying in the Premiership.

The one thing that Southgate need not worry too much is defence. It is a solid flat back four with imposing physical presence and tight defending. Brad Jones have slowly matured into a very skilled goalkeeper.

If both teams play to their strengths as mentioned, they can win their next remaining matches ensuring survival for both teams. Hull City has to play Bolton away and Man Utd at home in their last two games, so no points gained is quite possible. Sunderland have Portsmouth away and Chelsea at home as their last two fixtures, again zero points could be on the cards.

This makes Newcastle's and Boro's last two matches really important six-pointers. The make or break matches, so to speak.

Another interesting fact....since 2002, there hasn't been an instance when the same three relegated clubs came straight back up to the Premier League the following season. The closest to that happening had been in the 2006-2007 season, where Sunderland and Birmingham came straight back up after relegation in 2005-2006. That just goes to show how tough it is to firstly, recover from the shock of relegation and secondly, to gain promotion back into the big time.

Notwithstanding the stats and the complicated match permutations, I have no doubt that West Brom, Boro and Newcastle can make it back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

In case you are wondering....yeah, I do believe all three will be relegated come May 24th....

Soccer Team of the Decade

As we are in year 2009 and approaching the end of a decade, it would be appropriate to compile a list of football team of the decade. There have been some significant English football teams who helped define a particular decade by virtue of their amazing vice-like grip of the game during that time.

I thought it will be interesting to share these while we all wait for the weekend Premier League matches to get underway later.

1960s Team of the Decade (1961-1970)

Tottenham Hotspurs is the 1960s team of the decade by virtue of the following, 1 League, 3 FA Cup, 1 Charity Shield and 1 European Cup Winner's Cup. They also achieved the first-ever 20th century League and Cup double in 1960-61.

1970s Team of the Decade (1971-1980)

Liverpool stands out as the most dominant team in English and European football during the 70s era. Their trophy haul during that time was 5 League, 1 FA Cup, 2 European Cup, 2 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 5 Charity Shield trophies. Further to that, they achieved a League and European Cup double, cementing themselves as the best team of the 1970s.

1980s Team of the Decade (1981-1990)

Again, Liverpool were the football club that all other clubs look up and measure themselves against in the '80s. From 1981 to 1990, Liverpool won 6 League, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 European Cup and 5 Charity Shield trophies.

The Reds also achieved the unique treble of League, European and League Cup success in 1984 as well as a League and European double triumph. On the domestic front, the 1984 Liverpool team captured the League and Cup double.

The unfortunate events of Heysel stopped this all-conquering Liverpool team from adding to their trophy cabinets. Though a time of great celebration, it was also a time of great despair and sadness.

1990s Team of the Decade (1991-2000)

With Liverpool waning in the wake of Heysel and Hillsborough, Manchester United took over the mantle as the most feared team of the 1990s. This was the defining period and the start of sustained success for Manchester United and their fans. Their successes include 6 League, 1 Champions League, 3 FA Cup, 1 Carling Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 InterContinental Cup and 4 Community Shield titles.

The Red Devils made history with the unique treble of League, European and FA Cup triumphs in 1999. The Red Devils steamrollered through their domestic rivals, gaining 2 League and Cup double in the process.

2000s Team of the Decade (2001-present)

Albeit argumentative, Manchester United takes the plaudits for this decade. Even though, we have some way to go until the end of the decade, in my opinion, the Red Devils have already proven themselves as the best team of the decade. You cannot argue with 4 League, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup, 1 FA Cup, 2 Carling Cup and 3 Community Shield titles.

At this stage, the club has amassed potentially its finest set of talented players with more players coming through every year from its Reserves and Youth Academy ranks. Considering that Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have substantially improved their fortunes in this decade, their achievements have not eclipsed the successes of Manchester United.

If United go on to win a third consecutive Premier League title and successfully retained the Champions League crown (which has never been done), surely there will be no disputing the greatness of this club.

Soccer Caricatures - An Alternative View of Football

Phew! After two exhilirating Champions League semifinal matches, I think we need a bit of fun to catch our breath, don't you? But before that, just want to share a bit of caricature history....my first exposure to caricature art was from reading MAD magazines, remember those?

History of Caricature
Some of the earliest caricatures are found in the works of Leonardo da Vinci, who actively sought people with deformities to use as models.
The point was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), one of the great early practitioners, was favored by the members of the papal court for his ability to depict the essence of a person in '"three or four strokes". In fact, the word "caricature" comes from the Italian caricare, "to load", thus the caricaturist's aim is to invest his image with as much meaning as possible.
Caricature, therefore, experienced its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where the such portraits could be passed about for mutual enjoyment.
The first book on caricature drawing to be published in England was Mary Darly's A Book of Caricaturas (c. 1762). The two greatest practitioners of the art of caricature in 18th-century Britain were Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827) and James Gillray (1757–1815). Rowlandson was more of an artist and his work took its inspiration mostly from the public at large. Gillray was more concerned with the vicious visual satirisation of political life. They were, however, great friends and caroused together in the pubs of London.
Nowadays, caricature artists are popular attractions at many places frequented by tourists, especially oceanfront boardwalks, where vacationers can have a humorous caricature sketched in a few minutes for a small fee. Caricature artists can be hired out for parties, where they will draw caricatures of the guests for their entertainment.








If you are hungry for more, there are lots more here and here. Go visit Silvermeow for some totally awesome soccer cartoon art!






And oh...by the way, I do like the idea of Man Utd vs. Barcelona Champions League final. A rematch of sorts after Barcelona got dumped out in the semifinals last year by the Red Devils. Retribution is in the air.....