Rafael Benitez’s Redemption Song

Ball Harambee by Bagga Wilks



Raphael Benitez has no chance of being appointed anything but Chelsea’s interim manager. Nonetheless, if the Chelsea team continues to click, then Rafael will be able to end the season in a bit of glory. He would have silenced the hooligans who have been harassing him shamelessly since the billionaire owner appointed him to replace Di Matteo.

Under Benitez’s tutelage Chelsea played initially unimpressively. No one questioned the abundance of talent but there was no chemistry or leadership and Chelsea lost games that under different circumstances, they should have won.

With eight matches to play and other cup games, Chelsea is in fine form and even the most critical Chelsea fans are now gratified by the team’s recent success. One of the issues that plagued Chelsea at the beginning of the season was who should play where and what should be the starting eleven. Chelsea was and is a strange blend of the old and the new and for the first half of the season, the chemistry remained elusive.

Benitez seemed to have gotten it together and has settled on a starting eleven. The experiment of playing David Luiz in mid-field has been abandoned and he and Cahill have become the two starting central defenders. John Terry, the former England skipper, has been relegated to the bench.



There has been much indecision regarding Frank Lampard. The aging Lampard has returned to being a main stay in mid-field and as is typical throughout his illustrious career, Lampard keeps popping up in the right places.

This weekend against West Ham, he scored his 200th goal in the EPL. The team now starts without a defensive mid-fielder and Ramirez is the box to box mid-fielder. Mikel is brought in during the closing minutes of the game to seal the victory.

Chelsea’s offensive players have begun to play like a symphony. Ba has replaced Torres as the sole striker and behind him is a trio that may be the most creative in English football. Hazard, Mata and Oscar constitute an ever present danger to full backs and central defenders. Against West Ham this weekend, Hazard and Mata were spectacular. They break down defenses with ease and grace. And all three kick with uncanny accuracy.



Unfortunately, Rafael will not be around next season to enjoy the three ring circus but based on the job he has done at Chelsea, he will have no difficulty obtaining work at a top tier club and wherever he turns up in his post-Chelsea career, the new fans will appreciate his knowledge of the game.

Chelsea vs Manchester United

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

In the quarter-final of the F.A. Cup at Old Trafford, Manchester United and Chelsea gave soccer fans a special rendition of what Pele calls, the beautiful game. Prior to the Manchester United/Chelsea game, the other F.A. quarter-final game, we witnessed an example of how ugly the game can be played when Milwall and Blackburn played to a nasty nil all draw.

The Manchester United vs Chelsea game started with great tempo. For the first forty-five minutes, Manchester United played like the league leaders on their way to another EPL championship.

Garrick, Cleverly, Rooney and Kagawa controlled mid-field and before Chelsea could blink, Chicharito was on the scoreboard and Rooney from a free kick had Cech retrieving the ball from the back of the net.

For the first half, Chelsea was outplayed and outnumbered in mid-field. Nani, Rooney and Hernandez seemed unstoppable as they kept Chelsea on the back foot.

But the game is not for the swift but for those who can endure it to the end. In the second half, Manchester United lost their dominance. Their mid-field faded. The much maligned Chelsea manager, Rafael Benitez made a deft change in the second half. He brought in Hazard for the ineffective Victor Moses. The aging Lampard was replaced by Mikel and that allowed Ramires to push forward.

The Chelsea mid-field took control of the game and the substitute Hazard wreaked havoc on the Manchester backline. It was Hazard who opened the Chelsea score with a curling beauty that beat DeGea. Later the rampaging Brazilian, Ramires, teamed up with playmaker Juan Mata and Chelsea was level. In the waning minutes of the game Juan Mata should have scored but De Gea made a game saving stop with his outstretched legs.

The ninety minutes of soccer was simply scintillating. Ferdinand and Evans, Manchester’s two central defenders, were outstanding. David Luiz was heroic and indefatigable as Chelsea’s central defender Hazard coming on in the second half changed the game. He showed incredible guile and at the age of twenty-two has a great future in the world of soccer.

Milwall and Blackburn will go at it again as will Manchester United and Chelsea in the span of ten days.

In the other F.A. match up, Manchester City ran rough-shod over Barnsley. Wigan shocked Everton, scoring three goals in the first half in the space of three minutes. Wigan and Manchester City wait in the wings.

The semi-final and final at Wembley will provide us with more renditions of the beautiful game.

Separating the Sheep from the Goats

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

Teams playing in the Championship European League were forced to do double duty this week. There is a lot of money generated in Championship League football but the grind of playing two games in a couple of days must take a toll on players in terms of injuries, fatigue and mental exhaustion. But in today’s world, professional sports is all about money.

Manchester United vs Liverpool

Liverpool remains in the relegation zone. They lost 2-1 to Manchester United. Before mid-field player, Shelvey was sent off for a dangerous tackle involving Johnny Evans, Liverpool was in control of the game. They were playing Rodger’s style of football but did not count on the referee issuing a red card in the 40th minute and a penalty, which broke a tie game in the second half. The officiating spoiled the exciting encounter and gave Sir Alex’s team three points they did not deserve.

Chelsea vs Stokes

Stokes, despite playing away from home, showed true grit against their rich counterparts. They battled with Chelsea until Ashley Cole broke the impasse late in the second half.

Di Matteo made some changes to his team. Oscar started and both Mata and Hazard were included. Although the two playmakers were side by side, Chelsea experienced difficulty breaking down the stolid Stoke defense. Hazard was not himself and had to be substituted. One wonders if the rigor of playing in two leagues will not affect the play of a gifted playmaker like Hazard. The season is still young and some of the players coming over from Europe have had problems with fatigue.

Arsenal vs Manchester City

Manchester City lost a heart-breaker earlier in the week to Real Madrid. In this game, Arsenal had also defeated Montpellier earlier that week.

The Manchester City vs Arsenal was a good game. David Silva, the Manchester City’s attacking architect has not been himself. Silva played for Spain in Euro 12 and looks far from the player he was last season. Despite all the firepower up front, Manchester City is dependent on Yaya Toure’s penetrating runs and Silva’s silky moves.

Arsenal will be a contender in the EPL. Gervinho is a deft dribbler yet an inept finisher. If he can improve his kicking, that will add to the potency of the Arsenal attack. Giroud is yet to display his goal scoring prowess but Podolski and Cazorla are up to the task of the EPL and gave Arsenal a dimension that they lacked in recent years. These are forwards who are willing to kick from outside the penalty box.

The two teams played to a draw. That was a just score and even though in the past there had been red cards galore, the game was played in the proper spirit and the officiating, unlike what occurred in the Liverpool vs Manchester United, was highly professional.

Arsenal’s Dazzling Start

Ball Harambee
By Bagga Wilks


How does a team lose five of its top players at the beginning of 2010-2011 and now at the commencement of 2012-2013 season? One can argue that Arsenal was fortuitous to finish in the top four and qualify for the European Champions League.

Last season Arsenal started the dreadfully and the team remained vulnerable against set pieces. Van Persie and Alex Song were the rescue workers and now Song has moved on to Barcelona and Van Persie has shifted his goal scoring prowess to Manchester United.

What is truly remarkable is that the made over Arsenal in the few games played thus far, looks like a better team than last year. The defense is more solid. Arsenal as per usual retains possession of the ball. Possession is an essential part of the game but great teams do not give up silly goals and are capable of putting the ball in the back of the net when they are in the attacking thud.

Arsenal was scoreless when they played their first game of the season. Without Van Persie would they be able to score goals, win matches and remain a formidable force in English football? That question has been answered. The movement off the ball this week against Southampton was impressive. The movement of Cazorla, Podolski and Gervinho was sensational. If that kind of chemistry in the attacking thud continues, Arsenal will be contenders for the League title.


With the departure of Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal lacked a first rate playmaker. Cazorla has filled that void. By relegating Ramsey to the bench, the mid-field of Diaby, Arteta and Cazorla packs the arsenal necessary to keep opposing teams on the back foot. Also surprising is the improved play of Kieran Gibbs on both sides of the ball.

Wenger’s trades in the off season and his forging of the new players into the Arsenal style of football is testimony to his genius as a manager.

Chelsea Blues


It appears that Chelsea got off to a rollicking start but the club’s draw against Queens Park Rangers revealed that Chelsea is still a work in progress. Fernando Torres is no Drogba. Hazard will be an invaluable playmaker but the 4-3-3 formation allows teams to outplay Chelsea in mid-field. The aging Lampard neither has the zip nor the work rate to manage a mid-field of three. Mikel seems to be blossoming under Di Matteo but Ramires is more productive in the middle where his indefatigable presence makes Chelsea more competitive. And Di Matteo will sooner moreso than later, find a place for Oscar. Right now Chelsea would be better off playing Sturridge at the top, Hazard behind him and a mid-field of Ramires, Oscar, Lampard and Mikel. Cole and Ivanovic already play as attacking full backs. Di Matteo has to learn what is the personnel needed and the formation required for the Blues to be most potent.

O Mano


Mano Menezes, the Brazilian coach cannot continue with his experimentation until the date of the 2014 World Cup to be played in Brazil. He seemed to have abandoned the aging stalwarts, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho. In recent games Mano has trotted out the young lions like Oscar and Lucas and has re-summoned the workhorse, Ramires. The defensive mid-fielder is still up in the air and Luca Leiva would be the favorite if he can return to full recovery from his injuries. Sandro has gotten his opportunities but appears likely to be in the squad but coming off the bench.


Menezes must be gratified with the discovery of Dede, another central defender who can partner with David Luiz or Thiago Silva. Up front Hulk is more energetic and more dangerous than Damiao. Neymar needs to be more involved as a playmaker and most become more mobile.

Things have been slow in forging a starting eleven. Under Mano Menezes, Brazil has been playing friendly after friendly and thus far it has been a grab bag as to who starts. There is now some signs of solidifying a team. Nonetheless, Brazil did not look like Brazil against South Africa even though they won 1-0. Against China, the Selecao scored eight goals but China could not have been more abysmal and that trouncing of China is not a reflection as to where the Brazilian national team is in relationship to its preparation for World Cup 2014.

Mano is running out of time but it appears that he is settling down with a nucleus but there are still gaping holes to be filled if Mano is not to have an ungracious exit.

The EPL’s Big Bang

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

Soccer fans are known for their age-old loyalty to their respective teams. That loyalty remains unchanged. But sports has become more of a cut-throat business. Management has no loyalty to players and players have no loyalty to management or fans.

A professional footballer has a limited time to make big bucks. Once that age has passed, the earning power can resort to zero. Management is eager to replace players who are suspected to be over the hill.

Arsenal develops players and once the opportunity arises for ‘fatter’ contracts, youngsters who were groomed under the system, readily jump ship. In the last two seasons in the Premier League, Arsenal has had snatched under Wenger’s watch, premier players of the caliber of Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Van Persie and Song. Arsenal, bereft of Van Persie in the 2012 season, is yet to score a goal and Van Persie in his first start for Manchester United, tallied for his new club.

The EPL is off to a sensational start. Swansea looks like an improved team in 2012. West Ham United looks bound for relegation. Liverpool is still sorting out its pattern under the new manager. Tottenham’s woes of 2011 have continued into 2012. One wonders how long AVB will survive. Manchester United was shocked by Everton in the Opener and thrashed Fulham in their second encounter.

Manchester City is struggling to get back their chemistry as they managed to rally to beat newly promoted Southampton in the opener and barely emerged with a draw playing away against Liverpool.

Chelsea has started with a bang. They beat Wigan in their opener, did the same to Reading and last weekend, easily defeated the disappointing Newcastle.

The new Chelsea has discarded some of its old guard like Drogba and Anelka and has acquired playmakers Hazard and Oscar. Torres is the striker at the helm and has thus far combined well with the Belgian, Hazard.

What has been striking about this season is the search and acquisition of playmakers. Arsenal brought in Cazorla. Chelsea brought in Hazard to conduct the symphony. Manchester United acquired Kagawa as their wizard in mid-field.

Manchester City is hoping that David Silva will recapture his 2011 form which has eluded him thus far for the new season.

Some teams are out of the blocks faster than others. Most teams have played two games. There are 36 more to go and the avoidance of injuries to key players will determine who will finish in the last four to qualify for the coveted championship league. As the old adage states, the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure it to the end.