Put in a not so impressive group 9 of the UEFA qualifying zone, the Netherlands maintained their international pedigree with flawless performances against Macedonia, Scotland, Iceland and Norway. Bert Van Marwijk’s current crop of players have not really been tested against the likes of Scotland, Norway and company as they would have hoped given the gulf in class in the footballing statures of these countries.

Nevertheless, having qualified for the finals with a year in hand with a perfect seven wins out of seven do speak volumes of the professionalism of this Dutch side which looks a good mixture of youth and experience that coach Van Maarwijk has put up in his already successful tenure since being appointed in 2008 after the shock exit from EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland at the hands of Guus Hiddink’s Andrei Arshavin-inspired Russia despite coming through the Group of Death in style.

Now the head coach and his Oranje boys can look forward to a year of tough preparation leading up to next summer or Southern winter in the rainbow nation. What the team needs to avoid this time is the blatant infighting that, over the years, had ruined the country’s bid to win big tournaments. Holland have always produced outstanding individuals and the country can boast of some names that were or are peerless in their respective generations. Yet while setting foot on big tournaments such as the World Cups and the European Championships, these same uniquely talented individuals failed to play as a team and the Dutch fans were left heartbroken at the most important times when the world thought the Oranje would ultimately do justice to their immense pool of talented individuals.

Bert Van Marwijk has done a creditable job so far for the team and his most important contribution, apart from steering the side to World Cup qualification with a year to go, is to bring back Bayern Munich’s versatile and ruthless midfield general Mark Van Bommel who coincidentally happens to be Marwijk’s son-in-law. The thirty two year old no-nonsense defensive midfielder with an uncanny knack for crucial goals has been influential in controlling the Dutch midfield from the back that in the past proved to be the weaklink on big matches. But Van Bommel with his experience has given direction to a side that consists of young talented players such as Wesley Sneijder(injured), Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, Ibrahim Affelay(injured), Klaas Jaan Huntelaar and Ryan Babel to name a few.

With the headache of qualification out of the way, the next twelve months will all be about blending this team and keeping the heart of the team at one place. The preparation starts in earnest when the Oranje face-off against continental powerhouse England on August 12 at the imposing Amsterdam Arena. With the rest of the qualification fixtures set to be used as experiments to test out the Netherlands’ reserve bench, Bert Van Marwijk would closely follow his team’s progress against fellow qualifiers such as Australia and Japan in friendly matches set for the year end. One problem that could keep the Dutch team and the coach engaged over the next few months is the goalkeeping position and the defence, although it is too early to talk about the issue.

Yet personally I feel Maarten Stekelenburg is not the ideal replacement for the legendary Edwin Van Der Saar, with all due respect to the Ajax custodian. Calls have been made to the veteran Manchester United keeper to come out of retirement to take over the reins of the last line of defence but so far the lanky Van Der Saar has refused. Yet one never knows what would happen in the coming eleven months. A great season with the champions of England with Edwin Van Der Saar leading from the ‘back’ could act as a catalyst to the keeper’s thoughts of having a go at the World Cup for the very last time. Dutch fans keep your fingers crossed!

Current Dutch Squad as on June 9, 2009

Goalie: Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Henk Timmer (Feyenoord)

Defence: Edson Braafheid (FC Twente), Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Atletico Madrid), Dirk Marcellis (PSV), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Gregory Van Der Wiel (Ajax)

Midfield: Mark Van Bommel (Bayern Munich), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Rafael Van Der Vaart (Real Madrid), Stijn Schaars, David Mendes da Silva, Demy de Zeeuw (all AZ)

Attack: Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Eljero Elia (Twente), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Real Madrid), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid).

Players injured: Wesley Sneijder, Ibrahim Affelay

Ask anyone in this football mad world about Arsenal football club and you will readily find people of all nationalities and castes speaking of a team that has a world renowned style of playing football. Not as popular as the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, AC Milan or Real Madrid in terms of history and popularity, yet the club from Holloway, North London, has taken the world by surprise with a brand of football that only the Gunners can play. Gaining popularity around the world only over the past decade under Arsene Wenger, this club has a rich history that dates back to 1886 when a group of Scotsmen decided to save some of their financial resources to start a new social activity in the form of buying a football in a region dominated by cricket and rugby but did they know at that time what seeds they were sowing that in years to come would turn into a football cathedral on the forefront of English and European football glory?

The formation of Royal Arsenal

What we call a club by the name of Arsenal today owes its very name to a group of Scots who decided to form a social recreational activity in the hard days of industrial upheaval back in 1886. David Danskin, a Scot working in the munitions factory in Woolwich set up a small football team with the help of three friends, Elijah Watkins, John Humble and Richard Pearce. Mr.Danskin and company had no football, kit, no club name nor any place to play but these matters were solved with the arrival of a couple of Nottingham Forest players at Woolwich, Fred Beardsley and Morris Bates. This sprung David Danskin to action and he made 15 men available to play a game of football and the kit problem was solved courtesy of Beardsley and Bates as the two Nottingham Forest players used their contacts at the club to acquire red shirts. Danskin and company named their newly formed team as Dial Square after one of the factory’s workshops. The first ever match was arranged against Eastern Wanderers and Dial Square team members crossed the Thames to play at the Isle of Dogs. Dial Square won 6-0 and the victorious players sat at the Royal Oak pub next to Woolwich Arsenal station on Christmas Day, 1886 and though of a new name for the football team. As they discussed, the founding fathers of Arsenal football club thought of a name by combining the names of the pub where they were gathered and their place of work, Woolwich Arsenal. A formal name was adopted and that was ‘Royal Arsenal’ and this name remained until 1891 when Woolwich Arsenal was formally formed.

Woolwich Arsenal’s first game

1891 saw the club turn professional and the name was changed to Woolwich Arsenal. Other London clubssuch as Millwall, Tottenham and Queen’s Park Rangers were asked to form a Southern League but these clubs rejected the proposal as Woolwich Arsenal turned professional and following the rejection the club was elected into the Football Second League in 1893. Arsenal became London’s only professional club and the first club south of Birmingham to be elected to the league. One interesting fact provided by Arsenal Football Club themselves and by trusted historians is that Woolwich Arsenal’s Manor Ground had the original Kop(Liverpool fans might not agree). The ground’s large steeply banked terrace became known as the Spion Kop, a name given by the returning soldiers of the Boer War. The club finished a creditable ninth out of fifteen teams in their first season, massing 28 points from 28 games. The highlight of the season came in October 14, 1893, when Woolwich Arsenal scored a massive 12-0 FA Cup win against Ashford United, the club’s biggest ever win in the famous domestic competition. From 1893 to 1904 Woolwich Arsenal played in the Second Division of the Football League. They were promoted to the first division in 1904.

Shift from Woolwich to Highbury

At the end of the 1912/1913 season, Woolwich Arsenal’s finances were unstable and the club got relegated and so Sir Henry Norris, the new head of the club, had only one thing in his mind- change the venue or ground to revive Woolwich Arsenal’s financial fortunes. After intensive surveys at various places, Highbury-north of river Thames-attracted Norris’ watchful eyes and he quickly figured out the financial gains of a club based at the area with the underground station a reason to attract crowds to the stadium but one thing made him circumspect about moving from Woolwich to Highbury. Tottenham, a club based in the Highbury sector, openly opposed Arsenal’s prospective move and local residents too sided in forcing the issue but Arsenal were allowed to settle at Highbury after the League Management Committee turned down an appeal by local residents and nearby clubs. This decision of the league sowed the seeds of an eternal football rivalry that today we call the ‘North London Derby’ between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. The bad blood infact started when Spurs along with other Southern clubs rejected the creation of the Southern League along with Arsenal just because the latter was the only professional club in London and south of Birmingham City. The club’s last match at Manor Ground finished 1-1 against Middlesborough on April 26, 1913. Afterwards Woolwich Arsenal was renamed as ‘The Arsenal’, although officially people addressed the club as Arsenal. As Arsenal moved away from South London to North London much to the dismay of Tottenham fans, the void left by the Gunners were filled up by Charlton Athletic, then an amateur club but turned professional taking advantage of the vacuum left by Arsenal. The first game at Highbury on September 6, 1913, finished 2-1 for the home side as they beat Leicester Fosse with Scottish international Andy Devine scoring Arsenal’s first goal. The next target for the club was a promotion to the First Division.

‘Underhand deals’ in Arsenal securing promotion at the expense of Tottenham
Arsenal’s rivalry with Tottenham is as much to do with geographical location as football history, one such fact being Arsenal’s promotion to the first division immediately after the conclusion of the First World War in 1918. Arsenal, having finished just fifth in the second division in the final season before the first great war, were expected to remain in that division when the league resumed in 1919 but unusual chain of events ensured the club get promoted at the expense of old enemy Tottenham.
It is widely believed among football historians that Sir Henry Norris, the then chairman of Arsenal, influenced the league chairman and owner of Liverpool John McKenna to gain the Gunners’ unexpected promotion. Till today no one can confirm whether Sir Norris used underhand deals behind closed doors to influence Mr.McKenna but the truth is unusual circumstances did take precedence in 1919. Tradition had it that as the league would be extended by two teams to 22, the two bottom clubs from the First division would be re-elected and would be joined by the top two sides of the second division from the last season, that is 1914/1915. If this was the case, there would have been no place for the fifth ranked second division side Arsenal in the new league. Yet, surprisingly the league decided to promote Arsenal ahead of their bitter rivals citing the club’s association with the Football League from 1893, 15 years more than Tottenham Hotspur’s. The Tottenham supporters may cry foul but whatever the truth might be, one thing for sure, Arsenal are the only club to remain at the top flight for the last 88 years and the only side not to have been promoted on playing merit.

Herbert Chapman and Arsenal

Former Huddersfield Town manager Herbert Chapman took over the reins at Highbury and the impact was immediate and stunning. Chapman came with a very high reputation to take Arsenal to the top of the league. He won two Division One titles and one FA cup in the early twenties and Sir Henry Norris made it his personal decision to bring Herbert Chapman to North London in the summer of 1925. In his first season at the club, the new boss created history as the Gunners came second in the division, the highest league position they had achieved in their history at that time. It was just the tip of the iceberg as Herbert Chapman, within a year, took the club to the FA Cup final only to lose to Cardiff City at Wembley on April 23, 1927 in front of more than 90,000 spectators. This day is still remembered as the first and last time the FA Cup left the English shores as it remained in the Welsh capital for a year. The Gunners did not have to wait for success for a long time though as Chapman’s boys tasted success as the North London ironically beat Huddersfield Town in 1930 to bring back the FA Cup to London kicking off a prolonged dominance of English football with the legendary Herbert Chapman at the helm and the team boasted of players like Alex James, Cliff Bastin and Ted Drake that took English and world football by storm till the start of second world war.
It is widely regarded that under the instructions of Chapman the club abolished the article at the start of the club’s name and ‘The Arsenal’ came to be known as only ‘Arsenal’. Many believe that this was deliberately done to keep Arsenal at the top of the Football League’s alphabetical list and they remained at the top of the 92 club list until 2006 when Conference side Accrington Stanley gained promotion to League Two. The club won its first ever league title in 1931 with a record breaking 66 points. The year 1932 brought only the FA Charity Shield at Highbury yet the Gunners came close to winning both the league and the FA Cup-lost out to Everton in the league by two points and edged by Newcastle 1-0 at the FA Cup final at Wembley-but with Herbert Chapman success never stays far behind and the club won their second league under him the following season wearing for the first time the famous red kit with white sleeves.
All these overwhelming successes achieved over the past decade paled into insignificance as disaster struck the club on January 6, 1934 when beloved manager Herbert Chapman died suddenly after being diagnosed with pneumonia aged 55. The whole club was in a state of shock at the unexpected demise of Mr.Chapman but the club’s success never took a backseat as George Allison carried forward the club keeping in mind the strong foundations laid by the late Herbert Chapman. The Gunners landed a second successive title the following May and the club became the envy of the football world. The England squad had seven of the first eleven players from Arsenal as the Three Lions beat world champions Italy 3-2 in 1934. Before the outbreak of second world war, Arsenal had won five league titles in eight seasons and two FA Cups, the second coming on April 25, 1936 courtesy of 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Wartime Arsenal

During the second world war, the club and its venue Highbury were at the forefronts of the hostilities yet the club tried to cheer up the local residents and the supporters in those days of gloom and hardship. During the war, the club kept the ball rolling by honouring their fixtures by drafting in guest players as some of the regular Arsenal players were on the war fronts. Yet football was played regularly and guest players such as Stanley Matthews and Bill Shankly graced the fields of Arsenal’s temporary home White Hart Lane. Sworn enemy Tottenham returned a world war one favour to Arsenal when the former allowed the Gunners to use the Lane as their temporary home as Highbury was closed to the public and used as an Air Raid Precautions Centre(ARP). At the time of the first great war Arsenal allowed Tottenham to use Highbury as a temporary base. During the ‘Blitz’ of the Battle for Britain, Highbury suffered extensive damage as the German Luftwaffer tormented the British capital.

Post war Arsenal

The league resumed in post war England and as expected after five years of fierce war that changed the outlook of Europe and the world completely, it was not the same Arsenal team that graced the fields of England under Herbert Chapman and later on George Allison. Allison resumed his managerial duties after the war but struggled to restore the magic of the 1930s. In the 1946/47 season, the club finished a disappointing 13th having scraped past relegation. George Allison decided to retire after that campaign. His assistant, Tom Whitaker, took up the reigns and had an immediate effect.In the 1947/48 season, Arsenal won the League by seven points from Manchester United. Two years later, a brace by Reg Lewis against Liverpool would see them win the FA Cup.
Arsenal won the league title again in 1953, one of the closest in history, pipping Preston Northend on goal difference(by 0.099 of a goal on goal average). This success was to be the last for a while as the Gunners failed to win a silverware for the next seventeen years. One of the highlights of the late 1950s was the visit of the Busby Babes to Highbury for a league game on February 1, 1958. The match turned out to be one of the finest in English football history and also one of the most significant because what followed after the match turned English football upside down. Matt Busby’s Manchester United were the talk of the Kingdom given their attacking brand of football that led the Red Devils to two consecutive league titles. Famous faces such as Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton, Eddie Coleman did not disappoint as United won 5-4 against a fighting home side. Highbury was enthralled by the Busby Babes but the match was to be the last in English soil for the Babes as the plane carrying the Manchester United side back from Munich after an European game perished in snow killing many of United players. A tragic remembrance for those who last saw the Busby Babes gracing the fields of Highbury for the very last time.

Appointment of Bertie Mee(The sixties and seventies)

Physiotherapist Bertie Mee was appointed new Arsenal manager, surprising many, replacing Billy Wright to change the club’s fortunes. England legend Billy Wright managed the club between 1962 and 1966 with little success and it was time to look elesewhere to land trophies at Highbury. The highlight of this period was the success of the Arsenal youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1966 and this new crop of future players gave hope to a lot of people involved with Arsenal football club at that time. Players such as Charlie George, Ray Kennedy and John Radford graduated to the first team from the victorious youth team and formed the nucleus of a new Arsenal that under the management of Bertie Mee appeared in successive league cup finals in 1968 and 1969. Although the Gunners lost both the finals, hope sprung back into North London and it was a matter of time before the club landed some sort of silverware to a starved Highbury. When it came, it was a memorable moment. Arsenal won their first trophy of any kind in seventeen years as Bertie Mee plotted the club’s first success in Europe. Trailing Belgian side Anderlecht 3-0 in the European Fairs Cup Final first leg, the Gunners were thrown a lifeline by Ray Kennedy’s late away goal in Belgium and the English side completed a memorable night at Highbury by winning 4-3 on aggregate to lift the Fairs Cup, their very first taste of continental glory. This victory turned around the club’s fortunes briefly as Bertie Mee tasted more success as a year later Arsenal won the fabled double in 1971 by claiming the league title at sworn enemy Tottenham’s White Hart Lane to pip Leeds United by winning 1-0 courtesy of a late Ray Kennedy header. Five days later, the Gunners beat Liverpool to claim the FA Cup at Wembley courtesy of Charlie George’s extra time goal to complete a double thus becoming only the fourth team in history at that time to win a double and only the second in the twentieth century. Following this success another barren spell appeared and Bertie Mee stepped aside for Terry Neill to take charge in 1976 after three seasons of sheer disappointment having finished 10th, 16th and 17th respectively. Terry Neill tried to bring back the glory days by signing some high profile and expensive names. He brought in Pat Jennings from Spurs and then followed that up with a record club transfer fee to bring Malcolm McDonald from Newcastle. The arrivals of talents like Irishman Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton made Arsenal a top half club again. Success briefly came but all in cups as Arsenal appeared in three successive cup finals in the years 1978, 1979, 1980. Of the three, the Gunners managed to win one in 1979. Dubbed the ‘Five-Minute Final’, Arsenal beat Manchester United after a thrilling finish to the game. Comfortably placed at 2-0, Arsenal let slip the two goal lead as United scored two late goals in the closing stages only for Arsenal’s Alan Sunderland to slide home the winner in injury time and break United hearts, all in the space of five minutes. The other two FA Cup finals ended in shock 1-0 defeats to Ipswich in 1978 and West Ham in 1980. Four days after losing the 1980 FA Cup final to the Hammers, Arsenal lost the European Cup Winners Cup final to Spain’s Valencia on penalties heralding another short barren spell.

The George Graham Era(The Eighties)

At the end of the 1985-86 season, Millwall manager George Graham-a former Arsenal player- was appointed as the club’s new manager and it was a beginning of a golden era at Highbury. He led the club to victory over Liverpool in the League Cup final during his first season in charge and at the end of his third season (1988-89) the club won its first league title since 1971 in dramatic fashion. Needing two goals to secure the league championship against Liverpool, an injury time goal by midfielder Michael Thomas gave Arsenal a 2-0 win to secure the league title. Another league title came in 1991, with Arsenal losing just one out of 38 league fixtures, although they had 2 points deducted in October 1990 after ten of their players were involved in a brawl with Manchester United players in a match at Old Trafford.
By the early 1990s, Arsenal had probably the finest squad in the English league. Goalkeeper David Seaman, defender and captain Tony Adams, winger Paul Merson and striker Alan Smith were capable of competing with some of the best players in England. The £2.5million addition of Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright in October 1991 further boosted the squad. Arsenal completed a unique FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993 (beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in both finals) although they finished 10th in the inaugural Premier League and scored fewer goals than any other team in the division.
1994 saw the club win its second European trophy, by beating Parma 1-0 in the Cup Winners Cup final with a goal from Alan Smith. But the following February, George Graham was sacked after nearly nine years in charge after he was discovered to have accepted an illegal £425,000 payment from Swedish agent Rune Hauge following the 1992 acquisition of Danish midfielder John Jensen. Assistant manager Stewart Houston took charge until the end of the season, and although Arsenal finished a disappointing 12th in the Premiership they did reach the Cup Winners Cup final again, only to lose 2-1 to Real Zaragoza.

Bruce Rioch and Arsenal launches a coup

Bruce Rioch, who had just guided Bolton Wanderers to a League Cup final appearance and promotion to the top division after a 15-year exile, was appointed as the club’s new manager for the 1995-96 season. He (briefly) broke the English transfer record by paying Internazionale of Milan a bargaining price of £7.5million for Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp, a sort of coup that the world stood up and watched and the new signing formed an impressive partnership with Ian Wright. Arsenal reached the League Cup semi final and finished fifth in the Premiership at the end of 1995-96, securing a place in the following season’s UEFA Cup and giving hope for an eventual title challenge. But in August 1996, just before the start of the new season, Bruce Rioch was sacked by the club’s board of directors after a dispute over transfer funds. Assistant manager Stewart Houston was put in temporary charge, remaining at the helm for a month, before resigning to take over at Queen’s Park Rangers. Youth team coach Pat Rice held the fort for several games, before making way for the 44-year-old Frenchman Arsène Wenger, who had guided AS Monaco to the French league title in 1988. The arrival of Arsene Wenger heralded a new beginning at Highbury that we are still experiencing to this day and the Frenchman brought with him a brand of football that took English football by storm and this led the Gunners to a historic league and FA Cup double in the 1997-1998 season with Dennis Bergkamp the primary beneficiary of such attacking football. Success brought with it an influx of foreign talents to Highbury that made Arsenal football club the envy of English Premier League. The likes of Thierry Henry, Marc Overmars, Robert Pires, Patrick Viera continued the great work at Arsenal football club that was started by a group of Scots in 1886 in an English pub on one Christmas Day. Let’s hope the current crop of players keep up the tradition and make Arsenal football club more that just a club.

With the World Cup just a year away, let’s have a look at England’s campaign at Germany 2006. England under Sven Goran Eriksson was a football team that had the potential to eclipse the 1966 World Cup performance but eventually crumbled under intense media speculation and lack of big match temperament.

The tournament on European soil was the ultimate test for Swede Sven Goran Eriksson who was credited for bringing back English pride since being appointed in 2001 succeeding Kevin Keegan. With the tournament in Germany being the last managerial assignment for Mr.Eriksson, the Swede was set to leave the post at the end of the world cup ending a five year association with a country that made him the first ever foreign manager to set foot on Soho Square, all eyes were on the England team that more or less looked a confident bunch going into the tournament after comfortably qualifying from a more or less tricky European qualifying group 6 that had a unique British flavour to it.

Road to Deutschland 2006

When the draw for the qualification happened in December 2003 at Zurich, England were handed a straight forward group being the top seeded side along with the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Portugal. The qualifying group consisted of Poland, Austria, Wales, Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan along with England. Group six looked straight forward on the outset yet on the hindsight David Beckham and company knew that with a strong British lineup in the group in the form of Wales and Northern Ireland, things might not be too easy particularly on the road.

Trips to Vienna and Chorzow:

England’s qualification for world cup 2006 began in Vienna on September 4, 2004 sans inspirational forward Wayne Rooney as the Manchester United star was still recovering from a foot injury sustained against Portugal in EURO 2004. The fixtures were not so friendly for Sven’s boys as the team had to play Austria and Poland in four days away from home. England started the match in the Austrian capital with two forwards up front in the form of Alan Smith and Michael Owen. The goalkeeping spot was still not confirmed, yet the Swedish manager kept faith on the eccentric David James and John Terry and Ledley King were deputizing for the injured central defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell. Austria’s physical presence was a concern for the English as Hans Krankl’s side was always a dangerous team to face at their own backyard. Yet the visitors had a very good start to the match when skipper David Beckham, from a free kick inside the penalty area, cleverly found an unmarked Frank Lampard and the Chelsea man hammered the ball into net beating goalkeeper Alex Manninger in the 24th minute to give England the lead at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
The scoreline read 2-0 just after the hour mark when Steven Gerrard unleashed a fiery long range shot towards the Austrian top corner to silence a partisan Vienna crowd. But things turned for the worst when the home side stormed back into the match with two quick goals through Kollman and Ivanschitz, the equalizer being remembered for a severe goalkeeping error by David James. The match ended 2-2 with two valuable points dropped for the away side and the unheralded Austrian side earning a massive boost to the campaign by coming back from two goals down.
Next up was a trip to Poland. With two points dropped unnecessarily against Austria, Sven Goran Ericsson resorted to changes for the match in Chorzow’s Stadion Slaski, the major casualty in the Three Lions side being goalkeeper David James for his horrendous error in Vienna that allowed the Austrians to scrape an unlikely draw against the much fancied English.
Paul Robinson replaced James in the England goal and Jermaine Defoe partnered Michael Owen upfront replacing Alan Smith. The Tottenham man repaid his manager’s faith by giving England the lead after 36 minutes but just after the break Marciej Zurawski equalized for the Poles. But England did not face any disappointment this time on their travels as the match was decided just before the hour mark when the home side gifted Michael Owen and company with an own goal following a dangerous Ashley Cole cross down the left hand side just after 58 minutes. 2-1 to England and the long trip back to the island felt so good. After all England do tend to struggle on their trips to the erstwhile Eastern Bloc.

First home game of the campaign
A month later, England opened their home campaign of the 2006 World Cup qualification by hosting British opponents Wales at Manchester United’s home ground Old Trafford, which was still acting as the country’s temporary home given the ongoing reconstruction of the Wembley Stadium. Although the Welsh dished out a commendable physical display led by the mercurial Ryan Giggs, the quality on show from Sven’s boys was too much for Mark Hughes men and the home side comfortably won 2-0 on a sunny late autumn afternoon at the Theatre of Dreams, courtesy of goals from Frank Lampard and captain David Beckham. The match marked the return of the central defensive duo of Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell and that meant John Terry and Ledley King had to sit out the game. It was a match of comebacks for the home side as star striker Wayne Rooney started for the first time since his foot injury against Portugal at EURO 2004. Late on in the match, David Beckham was involved in duel with Welshman Ben Thatcher as the England captain suffered a rib injury following a clash with Thatcher and then while retaliating received a yellow card that meant the then Real Madrid star would not travel to Baku to face Azerbaijan. Yet in a nutshell it was good beginning to a crucial home campaign on the road to Germany.

Visit to Azerbaijan sans David Beckham

It was a wet and windy night at the Azeri capital Baku and England had to dig deep to scrape through a 1-0 win to top group 6 ahead of Poland with 10 points as WC qualification came to a close for the year. Jermaine Jenas got his first start in place of the suspended David Beckham and Michael Owen scored the only goal of the match after 22 minutes by heading the ball into the Azeri net following an incisive Ashley Cole cross. Under the freezing rain of Baku, the English defense stood still as Carlos Alberto Torres’ brave men really put the away side on the back foot on many occasions as the match wore on. A victory nonetheless but Mr.Ericsson’s tactics were slowly coming under the scanner for the team’s lack of creativity upfront.

Home games against NI and Azerbaijan

A double header at home kick started England’s WC 2006 qualification campaign for the year 2005. Six full points were a must as the teams involved were lowly Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan.
Lawrie Sanchez’s David Healy-inspired Northern Ireland paid a visit to Old Trafford on March 26 with the English public and the media expecting a goal fest for the highly criticized home side. But things looked opposite at half time as the match stood at 0-0 with England having much of the ball and creating chances yet denied by some poor finishing and an inspired Irish goalkeeper in the form of Birmingham City’s Maik Taylor. The home side came out all guns blazing though as Chelsea’s Joe Cole calmed the home nerves with a crisp finish following a mistake from Tony Capaldi after 47 minutes. The Northern Irish resistance ended their as England three more times in a largely one sided second half with the goals coming from Michael Owen, an own goal by Chris Baird and Frank Lampard. For the first time in the curren campaign England showcased their attacking prowess and Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole were singled out for a lot of praise.
Three days later England hosted Azerbaijan at Newcastle’s St.James’ Park and as expected it was a comfortable victory for the Three Lions with Steven Gerrard and David Beckham securing the match for the home side although honestly England should have won by a bigger margin.

Travels to British Home Nations

So far so good for England going into the last leg of the qualification campaign and it had turned to be rather more comfortable for Sven Goran Ericsson’s side as he intended to experiment with his side keeping an eye on the ultimate test in Germany should England qualify, well in all probability they would barring any miraculous slip ups, for the world cup in Germany. As the defense looked steady, with Paul Robinson being a rock under the sticks, it was time for the coaching staff to have a look at the midfield setup and the final formation of the strike force. In the match away to Wales, England coach Sven Goran Ericsson applied a new 4-5-1 formation with Wayne Rooney as the sole man upfront. Michael Owen missed the match due to suspension but for long periods of the match the visitors were on the ascendancy yet they were doing very little going forward. Wales were ready to play the waiting game and were denied by a good Paul Robinson save denying John Hartson. The winner came in the 54th minute as a Joe Cole shot was deflected into his own net by Danny Gabbidon and the visitors left Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium with full points.

A tricky away trip to Northern Ireland followed and England were hit by an unlikely storm that they never expected to face at Belfast. Michael Owen returned but the away side persisted with five in the midfield which meant Wayne Rooney moved into a very unusual position on the left hand side that he clearly disliked. Although David Beckham hit post in the first half and Michael Owen and Frank Lampard creating good chances, England lacked the penetration to dominate a spirited Northern Irish side and in the 72nd minute star striker David Healy struck the winner for the home side that stunned the whole of England, if not Europe, and handed Sven Goran Ericsson’s first ever qualification defeat in his five years as the England manager. Even with such a record, the defeat to tiny Northern Ireland was a bitter pill to swallow for the English faithful and some of them even called for an immediate sacking for the Swedish manager.

Home ties against Austria and Poland

With the unlikely defeat at the hands of Lawrie Sanchez’s Northern Ireland things got a little bit tense for England although two home games completing the Three Lions’ qualification campaign meant it was business as usual for David Beckham and company as wins over Austria and Poland would mean England not only qualify from Group 6 but top the standings going into December, 2005’s draw in Leipzig, Germany.
Austria paid a visit to Old Trafford on 8th October, 2005 and faced an England side that ringed the changes as the team fell back to the tested 4-4-2 formation with Peter Crouch replacing a suspended Wayne Rooney and partnered Michael Owen. Jamie Carragher unusually played as a left back replacing the injured Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell came in place of Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defense. It was a hard fought game as the home side won by a solitary scored by Frank Lampard from the spot. In the end England had to hold on for a narrow win after captain David Beckham was sent off with two yellow cards. With the game against Poland still to come, results from across Europe confirmed that both Poland and England would automatically qualify for Germany come 2006.

Three days later the tie between Poland and England at Manchester proved to be the battle for the top spot and England delivered one of their best performances of the campaign with a highly deserved 2-1 win with Michael Owen and Frank Lampard on target for the home team and the visitors equalized through Frankowski.
England were heading for the draw as the leaders of UEFA Qualification Group 6 leaders. The table at the end of the campaign looked like this:

Played Wins Draws Losses For Against Points
England 10 8 1 1 17 5 25
Poland 10 8 0 2 27 9 24
Austria 10 4 3 3 15 12 12
N.Ireland 10 2 3 5 10 18 9
Wales 10 2 2 6 10 15 8
Azerbaijan 10 0 3 7 1 21 3

The Draw In Leipzig, Germany

As one of the top eight seeds in the draw, England got a more than satisfactory Group B comprising of South American representatives Paraguay, new comers Trinidad and Tobago and European underdogs Sweden.

Preparation for the summer in Germany

In the first friendly or warm up game since qualifying for the world cup, England faced a strong Argentinian side in Geneva on November 12, 2005. This was an ideal opportunity for the England management staff to have a look at the prospective final World Cup squad that would head to Germany in 2006 and what a game to have as a starting point. Whenever these two sides meet, things get very tense but as this was only a friendly players from both sides approached the match with free hearts and attacking instincts. England were the better side but found themselves 2-1 down with four minutes to go. But cometh the hour, cometh the man! Michael Owen scored two quick goals to haunt Argentina once again and England returned home with a deserved and moral boosting 3-2 win over their fierce South American rivals.

Keeping in mind of facing a South American opposition in group stage of the world cup in the form of Paraguay, England hosted Uruguay at Anfield, Liverpool on March 1, 2006. This was to be the team’s final game before the squad for the trip to Germany was to be announced. The game finished 2-1 in favour of the home side after being a goal down after just 26 minutes when Omar Pouso volleyed home. But things improved after half time for the home side as Peter Crouch headed home the equalizer fifteen minutes from time. Chelsea’s Joe Cole grabbed the winner in injury time when he volleyed home a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross from the right wing. Things were looking really up for the Three Lions ahead of the final squad announcement.

England then entertained Belarus at Reading’s Madejski stadium on 25th May, 2006 with the hosts fielding the ‘B’ team(reserve team) apart from Ashley Cole and Michael Owen who had full fitness on their minds. The second team did play well with Aaron Lennon being the stand out performer but it was a spirited 10-man Belorussian side that took all the honours with a 2-1 victory.

The friendly international against Hungary held at Old Trafford on 30th May was the second last game before England’s opening World Cup clash against Paraguay at Frankfurt. Sven Goran Ericsson gave a strong hint about his starting line up against the Paraguayans although things could change at the last moment. It stayed goalless in the first period and although England looked sharp but there was a clear indication that the team was tensed going up front and the finishing certainly reflected that. Yet England opened up in the second half and captain David Beckham played one of his best matches for the Three Lions in a while and with his two incisive free kicks England went 2-0 up through Steven Gerrard and John Terry. But Hungary reflected England’s frailties at the back time and again and although the Eastern Europeans reduced the scoreline to 2-1 courtesy of Dardai, Peter Crouch ensured a comfortable win with a fine shot five minutes from time. At 17 years and 75 days, Theo Walcott received his first full international cap and became his country’s youngest ever international player by coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute.

England hosted Jamaica on June the 3rd, exactly a week before the team’s opening game against Paraguay. The match was hosted by Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium keeping in mind the team’s Caribbean opponent in the form of Trinidad and Tobago in Group B. No surprises in the starting line up and the team produced a strong performance before flying off to Munich with the score reading 6-0 with Peter Crouch announcing his intentions with a classy hat-trick.

Opening tie against a plucky Paraguay

On a hot and sunny afternoon at the brand new Waldstadion in Frankfurt, England launched their World Cup 2006 campaign with a hard fought and a somewhat lacklustre 1-0 win over an equally muted Paraguay. It was a party atmosphere across the German financial capital right through the day and the inside of the stadium was no exception as the whole place was covered with St.George’s flags and scarves. Sven Goran Ericsson applied the predicted 4-4-2 formation and put out his best side with the 6feet 7inches Peter Crouch keeping out Wayne Rooney by partnering Michael Owen upfront. England came off the blocks instantly when a David Beckham free kick was floated in from the left hand side and an under pressure Carlos Gamarra put the ball in his own net to give England the lead just after three minutes. The match meandered along in a snail’s pace on a hot day with England getting cautious after the break and Paraguay taking the opportunity to provide some anxious moments for the singing English crowd. England’s lack of killer instinct was a major concern and the South Americans gave the Three Lions a hard time late in the game but Paraguay was not a top side and the Europeans got away with a dry performance that started so promisingly but faded as the match went on.

England: Robinson, Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, Joe Cole (Hargreaves 82), Owen (Downing 56), Crouch. Subs Not Used: Bridge, Campbell, Carragher, Carrick, Carson, James, Jenas, Lennon, Rooney, Walcott.
Booked: Gerrard, Crouch.
Goals: Gamarra 3 og.
Paraguay: Villar (Bobadilla 8), Caniza, Gamarra, Caceres, Toledo (Nunez 82), Bonet (Cuevas 68), Acuna, Paredes, Riveros, Valdez, Santa Cruz. Subs Not Used: Barreto, Cabanas, Da Silva, Dos Santos, Gavilan, Gomez, Lopez, Manzur, Montiel.
Booked: Valdez
England avoiding major embarrassment

After a drab display against the Paraguayans, England faced tournament debutants Trinidad and Tobago at Nuremberg. Leo Beenhaker’s brave side already proved in their opening WC match that they were no pushovers by holding Sweden to a goalless draw, a massive achievement for such a small island nation. The Three Lions started brightly and played with ease against a side that had no stars but as the match went on and England failed to score, T & T’s confidence increased and Sven Goran Ericsson’s side looked increasingly short on ideas and confidence as chances came and went. Peter Crouch was guilty of some poor misses and this played a part in the team losing confidence in scoring goals. It was the same old England under Sven Goran Ericsson that showed promise early on but wilted as the match progressed. As the scoreline stayed goalless, Trinidad and Tobago became adventurous and some timely defensive interventions by John Terry prevented a major embarrassment for a high-profile team like England. 10 minutes into the second period, Wayne Rooney was introduced for the first time in the World Cup as he replaced an off-colour Michael Owen. But it was the introduction of Aaron Lennon and Stewart Downing that galvanized England and Peter Crouch left behind his wasteful performance by rising high enough to head home a David Beckham cross to break the deadlock in the 83rd minute. With Trinidadian hearts broken, Steven Gerrard put the English anxiety to bed by scoring a screamer in the 90th minute past West Ham’s Shaka Hislop.
In general, it was a lucky performance by England as it could have been so bad had Trinidad and Tobago taken the lead. But ultimately quality prevailed although the caribbeans made themselves proud by taking England to the brink of a shock result.
With the two wins in the bag, England qualified for the next round and the penultimate group clash against Sweden would be a formality although the battle was for the top spot.

England: Robinson, Carragher (Lennon 58), Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, Joe Cole (Downing 74), Owen (Rooney 58), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Campbell, James, Bridge, Hargreaves, Jenas, Carrick, Carson, Walcott, Neville.
Booked: Lampard.
Goals: Crouch 83, Gerrard 90.
Trinidad and Tobago: Hislop, Edwards, Sancho, Lawrence, Gray, Birchall, Whitley, Yorke, Theobald (Wise 85), Stern John, Jones (Glen 70).
Subs Not Used: Cox, Latapy, Samuel, Charles, Scotland, Ince, Wolfe, Andrews, Jack.
Booked: Theobald, Whitley, Jones, Hislop, Gray.
Att: 41,000.
Ref: Toru Kamikawa (Japan).
Fifa man of the match: David Beckham

Match against Sweden

England went into their penultimate group game knowing that a win or a draw against Sweden would mean the Three Lions topping Group 6 and avoiding a second round knock out encounter with Juergen Klinsmann’s resurgent Germany. Sven Goran Ericsson’s men also knew that England have failed to beat the Scandinavians since May, 1968. This was a repeat of England’s opening group game against Sweden in the 2002 World Cup which finished 1-1 in Saitama, Japan.
The match again proved to be a game of two halves with England dominating play in the first period but as often in the past let the Swedes off the hook in the second half.
England had a horror start to the match at Cologne’s Rhine-Energie Stadium when with less than a minute on the clock influential striker Michael Owen, while delivering a pass, twisted his right knee and had to crawl in agony to the touchline to receive treatment. From that very moment it was all over for poor Michael Owen as he was stretchered off the ground being replaced by Peter Crouch and the England team were left stunned with such a disastrous twist of fate. The match took time to get going but when it did England came out of the blocks the quicker with Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney running the show. England took the lead after 34 minutes with Chelsea’s Joe Cole scoring one of the best individual goals of the tournament- a ferocious dipping volley just from outside the box that gave keeper Andreas Isaksson no chance.
Yet as often against England, the opposition came back into match and former Aston Villa striker Marcus Allback scored the equalizer six minutes after the break, 2000th goal in World Cup history, to bring parity to an eventful and colourful match. England were lucky not to have gone behind in the match as the defence looked terribly shaky. Just when England looked to have been outplayed by Sweden in the second half, Steven Gerrard scored five minutes from time to give his side the hope of beating Sweden for the first time since 1968. But Sweden had a player named Henrik Larsson who as always came up with the goods right at the death to again deny England a competitive win against his side since 22 May, 1968.
With this draw though, England earned a knock out tie against unfacied Equador rather than hosts Germany.

Sweden: Isaksson, Lucic, Mellberg, Edman, Alexandersson, Linderoth (Andersson 90), Kallstrom, Ljungberg, Jonson (Wilhelmsson 54), Larsson, Allback (Elmander 74).
Subs Not Used: Alvbage, Hansson, Ibrahimovic, Nilsson, Rosenberg, Shaaban, Stenman, Anders Svensson, Karl Svensson.
Booked: Alexandersson, Ljungberg.
Goals: Allback 51, Larsson 90.
England: Robinson, Carragher, Ferdinand (Campbell 56), Terry, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Rooney (Gerrard 69), Owen (Crouch 4).
Subs Not Used: Bridge, Carrick, Carson, Downing, James, Jenas, Lennon, Neville, Walcott.
Booked: Hargreaves.
Goals: Joe Cole 34, Gerrard 85.
Att: 45,000.
Ref: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).

First Round Knock out tie against Equador

On a stifling hot afternoon in Stuttgart England produced a workman like performance to beat a brave and energetic Equadorian side that secured a quarter final clash against Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Portugal. It was the side from South America that had the chances to humiliate England but to preserve their energy Sven Goran Ericsson employed a strange 4-1-4-1 formation keeping Wayne Rooney upfront alone. It was a trademark second half David Beckham free kick from 30 yards that took England to the quarter finals, the third time under Sven Goran Ericsson in a major tournament after quarter final appearances in WC 2002 and EURO 2004.

A tearful quarter final tie against Portugal

England went out of a third successive quarter final game in the third major competition under Sven Goran Ericsson but not before a lion hearted performance at Gelsenkirchen’s Auf Schalke Stadion. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Portugal again proved to be Sven Goran Ericsson’s nemesis after masterminding the fall of England thrice, all in quarter finals, first with Brazil in 2002, then twice for Portugal in Euro 2004(on penalties) and here again in Germany beating the Three Lions 3-1 on penalties.
Apart from captain David Beckham getting injured just after half time, England played much of the second half and extra time on penalties with 10 men as star striker Wayne Rooney was sent off for kicking Ricardo Carvalho and his Manchester United teammate Christiano Ronaldo was the man who insisted referee Horacio Elizondo to send his club mate off.
Even with a man short England played with great hearts but were undone by Sven Goran Ericsson’s lack of instinctive ideas although luck played a big role as the team was devastated by injuries and the Three Lions suffered from inconsistencies and lack of killer instincts. The lack of success in the international stage again haunted the English as the team got knocked out on penalties with Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher missing penalties to bring an early end to the outgoing Sven Goran Ericsson’s reign as the first foreign manager to be based at Soho Square who never played at Wembley in his five year tenor as the England boss.

England: Robinson, Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Hargreaves, Beckham (Lennon 51), Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole (Crouch 65), Rooney, Lennon (Carragher 118).
Subs Not Used: Campbell, James, Bridge, Jenas, Carrick, Downing, Carson, Walcott.
Sent Off: Rooney (62).
Booked: Terry, Hargreaves.
Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel, Meira, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Figo (Postiga 86), Maniche, Petit, Tiago (Viana 74), Ronaldo, Pauleta (Simao 63).
Subs Not Used: Paulo Ferreira, Caneira, Ricardo Costa, Quim, Boa Morte, Nuno Gomes, Paulo Santos.
Booked: Petit, Ricardo Carvalho.
Att: 52,000.
Ref: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).

–Marco Van Basten

“He’s(Dennis Bergkamp)the messiah. We told him to get us into Europe when he joined and that’s exactly what he did.”

–Ian Wright

“Intelligence and class. Class is ofcourse, most of the time linked to what you can do with the ball, but the intelligence makes you use the technique in an efficient way. It’s like somebody who has a big vocabulary but he doesn’t say intelligent words, and somebody who has a big vocabulary but he can talk intelligently, and that’s what Dennis is all about. What he does, there’s always a head and always a brain. And his technique allows him to do what he sees, and what he decides to do.”

–Arsene Wenger

“Dennis is the best player I have ever played with as a partner. It is a dream for a striker to have him in the team with you.”

–Thierry Henry

“When Dennis Bergkamp scores, it’s not a common goal, it’s always what we call ‘a Dennis Bergkamp goal’.”

–Thierry Henry

Quotes like the ones above number in hundreds and thousands when it comes to paying tribute to a glittering 20-year career(including 10 years at Arsenal)of former Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp. Retired in 2006, head proudly held high in front of 75000 Arsenal fans at the new Emirates stadium for a testimonial, Dennis Bergkamp’s legendary exploits in the lush green fields of Highbury are still engraved in the memories of many fans, Arsenal fans and neutrals.
Bought for a bargaining price of 7.5 million pounds from Italian giants Internazionale of Milan in the summer of 1995 by the then Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch, Bergkamp’s arrival to a mid-table mediocre North London side raised a few eyebrows. Yet his best days lied ahead in the English capital with the coincidental arrival of Arsene Wenger to the club and the blonde Dutch was instrumental in bringing Arsenal to the pinnacle of domestic football as well as inspire many other foreign talents to ply their trade in the English Premier League.

Born in Amsterdam on May 10, 1969, Bergkamp owes his first name to the fact that his parents were Manchester United supporters and they named their son after the United and Scotland legend Denis Law although Dutch regulations forced the Bergkamps to spell the name as ‘Dennis’ instead of ‘Denis’. A young Dennis Bergkamp was a fan of Glenn Hoddle though and he was famously quoted as saying, “Maybe I was....maybe I am a little different from other players. They will tell you that Pele, Maradona, Cruyff are their idols and I will say Glenn Hoddle.”

Bergkamp joined the famed Ajax Amsterdam youth academy at the age of twelve but for years he had to struggle in the youth team as the Ajax coaches thought he was too lightweight to be a football player yet the young Dennis kept on working hard. In his biography, Dennis Bergkamp was quoted as saying about his very early life at the Ajax academy, “The normal things for professional players now, I already did when I was 12 years old. I didn’t have time to go out. If we had a game on Saturday, I would stay in on Friday night. I didn’t smoke, I didn’t drink. I stayed in on Saturday nights and Sunday to do my homework so I could train two or three times a week.”
Well, this sort of exposure to the hard reality of life as a professional footballer at such a young age sowed the seeds of greatness in Dennis Bergkamp’s destiny. His hard work paid off when Dutch stalwart and legend Johan Cruyff returned to Ajax Amsterdam as the manager and his sharp scouting was never going to miss the talents on show by a teenager by the name of Dennis Bergkamp. Cruyff wasted no time and he brought him into his first team and Bergkamp was handed his Ajax debut at the age of 17 on December 1986 against Roda JC. From that moment little Dennis never looked back and instead became ‘Dennis the menace’ for Ajax Amsterdam’s Eredivisie and European opponents. During the season of his debut, Bergkamp went on to make 14 appearances and he also featured in the 1987 European Cup Winners Cup final, as a substitute, against Lokomotive Leipzig that Ajax ultimately won.
At Ajax, Dennis Bergkamp’s role was to operate behind two forwards and he relished his natural role by creating innumerable chances for his teammates and also scoring himself given his attacking mindset in addition to his visionary instincts up front. Since his debut in the 1986 season, Bergkamp became a regular at his hometown club winning the Dutch League in 1990, the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the KNVB Cup in 1993. From 1991 to 1993, Dennis Bergkamp was the top scorer in Holland and in one of the seasons he set a record for scoring in ten consecutive matches. He was selected the Player of the Year for two seasons running in 1992 and 1993. Overall, from 1987-1993, Dennis Bergkamp scored a staggering 122 goals in 239 games for his beloved Ajax Amsterdam and creating much more for his teammates.

Not surprisingly, his terrific form at Ajax and his eye-catching performances with the Netherlands in Euro 92 captured the attentions of many a club in Europe’s bigger leagues. AC Milan, Barcelona were some of his suitors but when Inter Milam came knocking on his door, Bergkamp made a blatant mistake by accepting the Nerazzuri’s offer. Johan Cruyff, his manager at Ajax, never wanted him to sign for Inter as the legend thought that the Italian team’s stifling defensive football culture would greatly nullify Bergkamp’s attacking instincts and destroy his fluency and flair. Yet the new Dutch national team hero wanted a new challenge and left his home for Milan in the summer of 1993 as the Italians signed him for 12 million pounds making him the second most expensive player in the world at that time. Soon he realized his mistake and life in Italy seemed so meaningless for him during the two years of his stay in the northern city of Milan. Although Bergkamp did win a second UEFA Cup with the Italians in 1994, he was finding it extremely difficult to settle into the SerieA partly because of the club’s defensive mentality and partly because of his frosty relationship with the Italian press and some of his Inter teammates. Dennis Bergkamp scored just 11 goals in 50 appearances during his two-year stay in Italy.

The Dutch forward was given a lifeline by England’s Arsenal football club when the then manager Bruce Rioch signed him for 7.5 million pounds from Inter in 1995. It was a high profile signing by a mediocre English side at a bargaining price that made Europe sit up and look. Many thought that Dennis was just trying to escape from Italy at all costs and Arsenal’s modest offer was just a way out for him. Even in one of his press conferences, the Dutchman himself hinted at his relief of just being out of Italy. He said at that time, “The decision I made was to leave Italy and the first team that knocked on the door was Arsenal. They were a solid team and that’s what you want, a base where you can fit in before you try to add something. Straight away I thought ‘This could work’ and I didn’t know anything about ‘Boring Boring Arsenal’ at that time.”
Dennis Bergkamp knew that it would be pressure right from the start and he needed to adapt to the physicality of the English game as soon as possible. He made his debut against Middlesborough on August 19, 1995. He took the pitch with the words of the Inter President still ringing in his ears when he left Milan for London. Massimo Moratti was quoted as saying that, “They(Arsenal)will be lucky if he scores 10 goals this season.” An utterly false judgement by a man who bought Bergkamp promising change of team playing style but restricting the Dutchman’s flair by maintaining the same Italian defensive mentality. Yet, with each passing game at Arsenal pressure grew on Bergkamp to score although the pressure was increased by some unfair media attention on the player’s playing style. Infact Dennis Bergkamp was not a target man at Arsenal and his main role was to link with his forward and create chances for his teammates, similar to the football he used to play at Ajax under Cruyff. For the first seven matches, stats showed that Bergkamp was involved in 75% of Arsenal goals but the Netherlands international silenced his critics with two stunning goals in his eighth game as an Arsenal player against Southampton at Highbury to kickstart a wonderful career at the North London side.
Looking back to the first goals he scored for Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp told BBC, “You could call it a bad start if you compare it to everything that came after. It took time to get used to the change from Italy, but I enjoyed it and once that first goal went in it took the pressure off.”
Nicknamed the Iceman, Dennis Bergkamp hit the best form of his life after the arrival of Frenchman Arsene Wenger to the club in September 1996. Mr.Wenger’s unique attacking concept made life a lot easier for the non-flying Dutchman as he was able to use flair, vision, talent and intelligence to the fullest under him. Playing just behind striker and friend Ian Wright, the two formed one of the deadliest striking partnerships in the Premier League. Under Arsene Wenger Dennis Bergkamp was back to his best and both plotted one of the biggest coups in the Premier League history since its inception by capturing the domestic title, stopping Manchester United’s monopoly on the competition during the 1997-1998 season. During the same season the Gunners made the double by winning the FA Cup final although Bergkamp missed it through injury. Dennis Bergkamp’s heroics for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger’s aggressive managerial style flooded the North London side with talented overseas players like Patrick Viera, Marc Overmars, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, to name a few. The 1997-1998 season saw Bergkamp awarded the PFA player of the year award for his sixteen goals in the season and his amazing creativity that helped his teammates score many goals that made such a successful season.
Although Bergkamp failed to match his spectacular 1997-1998 season in the successive seasons, he was the main man in the Arsenal side that suffered from inconsistencies time and again. Yet silverwares and success kept coming the Dutchman’s way as he was involved with the team that again did the double in 2002, courtesy of Begkamp and Thierry Henry. He won the FA Cup 2003 and was an integral member of the Arsenal side that went the whole season unbeaten in the 2003-2004 season and were duly nicknamed ‘invincibles’.
Dennis Bergkamp would have surely tasted more success and goals in his Arsenal career but for his fear of flying. The player developed this aviophobia during the 1994 world cup in the US when the Dutch team was involved in a hoax plane accident incident that reminded Bergkamp of a plane crash that killed Surinamese Dutch players on their way to Suriname. The fear was so acute that Dennis either missed Arsenal’s European games or drived overland to play in mainland Europe. The journeys were so tiring that he had to miss domestic games preceding and following the respective European game. A Champions League medal always remained elusive for such a great player as Arsenal lost the 2006 final to Barcelona and the Dutchman brought curtains down to his glittering career immediately after that.
Dennis Bergkamp retired from all forms of football in the summer of 2006. Coincidentally the last game he played for Arsenal against Wigan on May 7, 2006 was also the club’s last game at Highbury and after a decade of success in London, in which the Dutch maestro scored 120 goals in 423 matches and made 166 assists(a Premier League record)Arsenal looked forward to a new life at the brand new Emirates stadium without the services of one of their favourite sons.
Later on the master himself looked back into the events that made his career so unique at such a modest club and said this, “I feel I had a contribution to Arsenal’s attacking style but there are so many other factors. I was part of the start and then the boss came, Patrick Viera, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars and then on to this team where they’re basically all world-class players. Maybe 15 years ago they wouldn’t have played for Arsenal, but they do now and I helped that.”

Dennis Bergkamp’s international career was as glittering as his club career although more at a personal point of view. He was part of various Dutch teams that on paper looked favourites in any tournament they played in yet at the most important hours, those highly talented teams failed to deliver as infighting and ill-luck devastated the Dutch at the wrong hours.
The Iceman made his debut for Holland against Italy in September 1990 and a couple of months later scored his first goal against Greece. Having scored 37 goals in 79 internationals, Dennis Bergkamp retired from international football after Holland’s exit from the EURO 2000 finals when they lost to Italy at home on penalties. The highlight of Bergkamp’s international career came at the 1998 world cup in France when he guided the team to a semi final finish that included the famous quarter final win over favourites Argentina in Marseille. The goal that proved to be the winner was probably the best Dennis Bergkamp has ever scored in his life and was the result of his weeks of success that he achieved at Arsenal. It was a truly memorable moment both for him and the Dutch supporters as the Arsenal man produced a moment of genius in the dying minutes of the clash of the titans. Having expertly received a 60-yard long pass from Frank De Boer, Bergkamp controlled the ball through Roberto Ayala’s legs and with the outside of his right foot unleashed a fearsome shot that rattled the Argentinian net and with it took Holland to the next round only to lose to Brazil, again on penalties.

A true legend indeed.

As the season heads into the last laps, things are getting a bit clearer around the top and the bottom of the league table. With one game left to complete another enthralling Premier League fixture cycle, one can wish to think that Manchester United would be crowned as the champions of England for the third successive season and the Premier League could witness the relegation of two high profile North East clubs in the forms of Middlesborough and Newcastle United along with Midlands side West Bromwich Albion. Monday night football sees Alan Shearer’s beloved Magpies take on Portsmouth at the St.James’ Park which is going to be nothing less than a must win fixture for the home side.

Let us have a look at the weekend’s results that have produced some exciting ties with goals and controversies galore.
The pick of the ties was a late Saturday kick-off between champions Manchester United and Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham at Old Trafford and what a spectacle it was both for the neutrals and the United fans albeit with a penalty controversy making up all the headlines on Sunday morning. Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Hull earlier in the afternoon kept up the pressure on Sir Alex Fergusson’s side and any fixture against a rejuvenated Spurs side under Mr.Redknapp would undoubtedly test the Red Devils even if the tie was at the fortress that is Old Trafford.

United’s shakiness at the back was again evident as the North London side took an unexpected 2-0 lead going into half time raising expectations at Merseyside that Manchester United could be capitulating under pressure. Yet the Red Devils are masters of comebacks and this tie was no exception as the home side reignited memories of September 2001 when Tottenham(then the home side)were leading 3-0 at half-time only to be displaced by a rampaging United comeback that saw David Beckham and company win 5-3.

This match took a similar turn as United scored five times in a stormy second half that had Spurs manager fuming over referee Howard Webb’s penalty decision for the first goal which inevitably brought the home side’s amazing turnaround. It was Spurs though that controlled the first half totally with Aaron Lennon proving the catalyst to a resurgent attacking display. United’s defence looked shaky again and although the Red Devils have no problems going forward yet their leaky backline is a major concern for the team’s coaching staff ahead of a double Champions League header against fellow English side Arsenal.

Spurs took a deserved lead in the 29th minute as Aaron Lennon continued to terrify Patrice Evra in the wing and the England international’s cross found Croat Vedran Corluka who sent in a cross in the danger area that Darren Bent controlled and lashed home past Edwin Van Der Sar. Rio Ferdinand could be blamed for the goal as he failed to deal with bent.

Things turned for the worse as the home side conceded as second goal minutes later with Aaron Lennon again involved in the thick of things as the diminutive winger crossed to Luka Modric who controlled the ball with his chest before firing it into the opposition net. The Old Trafford crowd was in a state of shock as the scoreline sent ripples around the Premier league chasing pack. Yet going into the half time there was always a concern in the Spurs’ supporters minds about what happened in 2001 and also given the world club champions’ recent records in springing comebacks. The home side looked a bunch of squad packed with nerves until the 56th minute when Mr.Webb, considered one of the best officials in the country, pointed to the spot after Haurelho Gomes was adjudged to have fouled Michael Carrick although TV replays showed that the goalkeeper got the ball first before Carrick.

This particular decision overshadowed the tremendous United comeback with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp calling for the use of TV technology on the field and Sir Alex terming the victory as ‘fortunate’. It cannot be denied that the penalty decision shattered the Spurs confidence and given what United can do when they smell blood in front of their own fans, it was a matter of time the home side would draw level and ultimately go on to win by such an intimidating margin.

Leaving aside the controversy,Wayne Rooney was the architect of the 5-2 win scoring twice and helping Cristiano Ronaldo score his second of the day by directing a pin point cross that the Portuguese winger had to head in to give United a 3-2 lead. The England striker’s performance is world class given that he operates throughout the frontline including the wings whenever he gets the opportunity to support Ronaldo and Berbatov. This versatility on the part of Rooney augurs well for both his club and country.

Tottenham might be disappointed with the crucial spot-kick decision, which many say had been brought about by Sir Alex’s scathing attack on the media relating to Mike Riley’s decision not to award the Manchester club a penalty in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton last week that ultimately put unwanted pressure on Howard Webb, yet it cannot be denied United’s hunger to comeback from losing positions. That’s the mark of champions which Red Devils are.

Liverpool win at Hull to keep pace with United

After a thrilling 4-4 draw with Arsenal at Anfield last week, Rafael Benitez’s side have no other options but to win all their remaining games and hope the Champions from Old Trafford slip up in their pursuit of a third successive title win. A visit to the KC stadium would always be tricky for the Reds and Phil Brown’s brave and passionate Hull City made it really hard for the side from Anfield on a beautiful early summer day. Liverpool’s match at Hull kicked off a couple of hours earlier compared to United’s and so it was always an incentive for Rafa Benitez to see his side go top on goal difference.

But a spirited Hull City kept the Reds at bay for most of the first half, even controlling the game at times with utmost ease creating chances, only for the inspirational Xabi Alonso to lash home a 25-yarder just before the first half whistle. Phil Brown’s boys are in danger of returning to the Championship after such a opening round promise that included a stunning a 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.

The game was virtually finished off for the home side as Caleb Folan was shown the door by referee Martin Atkinson after 59 minutes and Hull never really recovered from the dismissal of Folan. Dirk Kuyt soon rubbed salt on 10-man Hull’s wound as the Dutch forward, after just four minutes since the red card of Folan, headed in a Martin Skrtel cross past Boaz Myhill although TV replays showed that the ball struck Lucas Leiva’s arm in the build-up to the goal.

With 2-0 down, 10-man Hull refused to throw in the towel as their persistence paid off after Geovanni reduced the margin in the 73rd minute to raise hopes of a stirring comeback. Yet Liverpool were always in control of the game and the match was as good as over when Kuyt scored his second of the afternoon and his side’s third after diverting an Alvaro Arbeloa cross past Myhill late in the match to briefly take the Merseysiders top of the table.

In the post-match interview, Phil Brown criticized the referee for awarding the free-kick just before half-time which led to Liverpool’s first goal.
The outspoken Hull manager was quoted as saying, “We were having to pick players up at half-time after an injustice was done. We knew it was going to be tough and somebody has let them off the hook. I cannot see a free-kick there. I have no excuses for the sending off. I feel it was justified and it will be dealt with in-house. That killed us, 10 against 11, and Caleb made it a little bit easier for them.”

On the other hand Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was all praise for Dutchman Dirk Kuyt in his post match press interview.
The Spaniard said, “Everybody is very pleased for him(Dirk Kuyt). Kuyt is a fantastic professional and is always working hard to score. He was very positive and we are really pleased for him. We were working very hard and we have to be satisfied. We were nervous because the pitch was terrible and difficult to pass on.”

Chelsea win at West Ham courtesy of an inspired Frank Lampard

Chelsea’s visit of Upton Park was all about Frank Lampard’s return to his old club that has yet to forgive his departure from London’s east end. With one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Barcelona, Guus Hiddink rested several first team players and keeping in mind Ashley Cole’s suspension for the trip to the Nou camp, the Dutchman put up an experimental backline with Jose Bosingwa at left back and Michael Mancienne at the right back with skipper John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic making up the back four.

Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack were all rested but it was Frank Lampard who called all the shots in Chelsea’s midfield that worked tirelessly to connect to lone man upfront Nicolas Anelka. The England midfielder received a hostile reception from the Hammers fans throughout the match which led to John Terry criticizing the crowd for taking their mocking too far and West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola apologizing to Lampard at the end of the game. After the midweek goalless draw against Everton prompted Guus Hiddink to concede the club’s title bid failure, the match against the Hammers was always going to be a matter of keeping pace with the front runners until the end and testing his squad out before the grueling trip to Catalunya ahead of the clash against Lionel Messi and company.

But the performance of the afternoon came from the embattled England midfielder Frank Lampard who put in a typically bulldog-type performance in the Chelsea midfield and the 30-year old amazingly controlled the pace of the game all by himself despite being subjected to a horrible reception from the home fans. It came as no surprise as the only goal of the match came courtesy of Mr.Lampard’s inspirational midfield play that ultimately turned out to be the winner for the visitors.

After a barren first half, Frank Lampard rounded off his all mighty midfield display with a left foot pin point cross that West Ham keeper Robert Green missed only for Ivorian international Salomon Kalou to control and slot home from close range after fifty five minutes. Yet for all of Chelsea’s dominant possession and creative play, the match was not finished off by the west Londoners and the Blues nearly paid for it as the goal scorer Kalou needlessly brought down Herita Illunga to concede a penalty. But as always Petr Cech turned out to be the hero under the bar as he superbly tipped Mark Noble’s penalty to safety by stretching full to his left thus keeping Chelsea’s hopes of overhauling Liverpool to a possible second place.

Yet the man of the moment is Frank Lampard who silenced the West Ham crowd with a display that proves the man’s mettle on the football ground. Fighting off rumours about his private life by answering it on the football ground is reminiscent of the Frank Lampard that we witnessed last year when he controlled his grief following the loss of his mother to fire Chelsea into the final of the Champions League.
Both the managers paid tributes to Frank Lampard’s dominant display on Saturday with the following quotes from Gianfranco Zola and Guus Hiddink respectively.

Gianfranco Zola: “They(West Ham fans)didn’t forgive him for leaving. Frank is a very good professional, a very good boy and it makes me sorry to think he has a problem with this crowd.”

Guus Hiddink: “I have rested some players but if I had suggested doing the same to Frank Lampard, well, I didn’t even talk to him about it. He would have looked at me as if to say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ These guys with big personalities, they want to play every game. Maybe sometime in the near future I will have to tell him he’s not going to play, but without looking at him I think.”

Tensions in the Korean peninsula are rising ever since the North tested a long-range rocket which the US and its allies Japan and South Korea say was a missile test but Pyongyang insists it to be a launch of a rocket to put a satellite into orbit. Things turned for the worst after the UN Security Council condemned the launch and North Korea vowed to walk out of the six-party talks with immediate effect citing the UN criticism as an ‘unbearable insult’ to the North Korean people.

The US has termed the North Korean actions as provocative while Pyongyang’s neighbours and closest allies China and Russia have called for ‘calm and restraint’ on both sides to get the North back into the negotiating table. Yet when it comes to dealing with the secretive Communist state strongly, both China and particularly Russia fall short of their responsibilities as key international players in diffusing the crisis.

Beijing is the North’s undisputed backer given the two countries’ ideological similarities and keeping the Korean crisis on the boil is in China’s geo-political agenda but Moscow’s role in the crisis is still being debated and many political quarters believe that Russia’s indifference to the crisis arises from the fact that things have changed dramatically for the Kremlin since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia is no more close to the regime of Kim Jong Il anymore as the country seeks to become a major player in the region keeping political equidistant between both the North and South Koreas.

Moscow is included in the six party talks that have been formed to stabilize the region yet China is being regarded as a much more productive partner in securing some sort of deal between Pyongyang, Washington and the international community.

Well, Russia can only be blamed for this indifference and the Kremlin is now more concerned about developments in its western borders rather than in the Far East where sparks can fly any moment and the first countries that would be engulfed in a refugee crisis will be Russia and China if hostilities do ultimately take place between the US and North Korea. A stable Korean peninsula is in the interests of Moscow and President Dmitry Medvedev, along with his predecessor and mentor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, must ensure that Russian political, economic and military interests are kept safe in this ever lasting tug-of-war between communist North Korea and capitalist United States of America and the international community.

Russia’s role in the six-party talks can only be described as minor as Moscow is more concerned to look after its minimal interests that include dangers of the nuclear proliferation and the disastrous results of a sudden bloody collapse of Kim Jong Il’s DPRK. But Russia’s attitude to the crisis has to be flexible and more international community oriented. Former President Vladimir Putin briefly raised western eyebrows when he hosted the North Korean premier in 2001 and 2002 after making a landmark visit to Pyongyang in 2000 to raise questions of a renewed Russia-North Korea relationship. Yet, frankly that was the beginning of the end of hope as the North quickly realized the fact that the Russians cannot be compared to the Soviet Union when it comes to an unequivocal support for the communist state as it once used to be in the days of the red tape in Moscow.

Russia have pledged millions of dollars to invest in North Korea in infrastructural projects but the reality is those projects would take a lot of time to even get started given the logistical, bureaucratic and political problems within the North to do business. Many analysts believe that the millions of petro-dollars that Russia have invested already in the North might just have to be waived off given the difficulty in which the Moscow-Pyongyang economic ties have run into recently. Moscow want to build pipelines across the Korean peninsula and have taken steps to build transport links that for sure would be an uphill project to complete.

One must remember that Russia is no Soviet Union nowadays and it has to balance its international ties with the United States of America and the regional allies Japan and South Korea. Even though Moscow and Washington do not see eye to eye on many aspects, it cannot be denied that the US is Russia’s strategic partner, both economically and politically. Japan and South Korea are the biggest markets for Russian energy and Moscow would never like to sacrifice that for the sake of renewing post-Soviet ties with a rogue and chaotic regime like North Korea.

Russia has to balance China’s growing dominance of the North Korean crisis with a more reasonable and responsible handling of the situation. A nuclear North Korea is a serious threat to Russian security and the Kremlin must ensure that the Korean peninsula does not become a fireball ready to cause havoc in the Far East and Moscow’s re-emergence as a super power will only become a fact if the Dmitry Medvedev government helps its regional counterparts to diffuse the situation.

This is no political playground. It is a question of a dirty weapon getting into the hands of a desperate and ugly leader that has honestly nothing to lose. The recent crisis over the launching of the long range rocket is a sign that the North wants to test the newly elected American government along with the resilience of the other parties involved, Russia being one of them.

Russia’s emergence as an economic and military superpower since the collapse of the Soviet Union has rattled many a feather in the western bloc, none more so than the United States and her European allies that regard Moscow’s aggressive international politics a gateway to a new cold war era. Kremlin’s overwhelming military victory over a hapless west leaning Georgia last August bears the hallmark of a dominant Russia that is ready to roll back the years of a ruthless Soviet legacy that constantly rubbed shoulders with its arch ideological rival, the United States of America.

Concerned about Russia’s bullying tactics against small former Soviet republics that are striving to join the affluent European Union bloc and its military wing NATO, western analysts are keeping a close watch on Moscow’s intentions in and around Eastern Europe that could easily lead to Russia-West flash points. One such potential conflict zone is the Crimea(the red mark in the map represents the region)off Ukraine’s Black sea coast. Centre of Russia’s mighty Black sea naval fleet, many pro-western Ukrainians want the Russian navy to leave Crimea.

Although last October the Russian deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov had promised that Russia would leave the Black sea peninsula if Kiev does not renew the Russian navy’s lease of the Crimean port of Sevastopol in 2017, not many Ukrainians are counting on that word from the deputy PM. Ukrainian leaders in Kiev are not in favour of extending the lease beyond 2017 yet many in the west believe that the Kremlin would find ways to bully or blackmail Ukraine in order to get an extension of the lease.

The Crimea is too strategic a place for the Russians to let go in an instant after having it as their Black sea fleet base for the last 225 years or so. With most of the former Soviet states inclined to join the EU and NATO, the base in Crimea offers Russian military and civilian intelligence agencies to keep a close watch on the political affairs in the Ukraine and its neighbouring states like Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, etc.

The politics over the status of Crimea is very complex at the moment that has taken somewhat strategic turn with the presence of a large ethnic Russian population within the peninsula that form a majority of the Crimea’s two million inhabitants. Some of the local Russian residents have more faith on the government in Kremlin than in Kiev.

So, one can believe that any forceful decision making on the part of Kiev’s politicians to get rid of the Russian military would be heavily opposed by the Russians in Crimea. This could take an ugly turn if the Ukraine follows Georgia’s policy of attacking South Ossetia that drew a stern retaliation from Moscow and within moments the Caucasus was burning under severe Russian bombardment of Georgian cities and towns.

Western fears about a Russian-Ukrainian face off over the Crimea cannot be ruled out at the moment if one goes by what happened in South Ossetia between Moscow and Tbilisi. The Ukraine, with American and NATO support, would vehemently oppose any Russian intention of keeping the Crimea under Moscow’s full control with the help of the mighty Russian navy. Many Ukrainian and western analysts have revealed that ethnic Russians in the region are possessing dual Russian and Ukrainian passports and this is where things get a bit too complicated.

The Georgians, during their short but brutal war with Russia, have accused the leadership in Moscow of illegally distributing Russian passports and identity cards to the ethnic Russian population in the Georgian region of South Ossetia in a bid to prove Russia’s involvement in the war perfectly legitimate. With most of the Crimean Russians carrying Russian passports, any tension over the Black sea between Russia and the Ukraine could be extremely dangerous. With most of the local Crimeans pledging their loyalty to Moscow, Russia can exploit the situation very efficiently, both militarily and politically.

Furthermore, there are divisions within the Ukrainian society about the presence of Russian naval facilities in the region. Ukraine receives around 100 million dollars a year from Moscow for leasing the naval facilities in Sevastopol. For a poor nation like Ukraine, many think that with the Russians gone from the Crimea, the country would be deprived of a large chunk of monetary security in these hard global economic times. Well, there is every bit to believe that the Kremlin has enough room to manoeuvre to turn aggressive politics into a full scale military and economic blackmailing.

Many in Eastern Europe do not trust President Dmitry Medvedev’s government in Moscow. Infact many see the academic politician and the former chairman of oil and natural gas major Gazprom as a puppet to the Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Putin. Mr.Putin is regarded as a Russian hero who is the brainchild of Russia’s revival from the tumultuous days of President Boris Yeltsin and the man who subdued the Chechen conflict and brought back respect for the Russian nation in front of the world by overlooking the vast country’s amazing economic and military resurgence. No one now can deny that Moscow has any role to play in the current economic and political turmoil that has gripped the planet.

Washington heavily depends on Moscow in bringing Iran and North Korea to the negotiating table and Russian help is immensely important in tackling the economic crisis. The Barack Obama presidency has promised of a new era of US-Russian relationship yet issues such as Georgia and Crimea could play spoilsport to the assurances that President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have provided to the American people and the allies in Eastern and Western Europe.

The Ukrainians were certainly unhappy when Russian naval warships set sail from Sevastopol to create a blockade on Georgian ports during the seven-day war last August. Kiev felt that by using its own legal territory to fuel a war in a friendly nation, Russia has directly challenged Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and security. Well, this situation luckily did not spiral out of proportions but it certainly reflected the tense nature of the geopolitical game that is being played all around the Black Sea and the Caucasian region.

The Crimea is on edge and there is every reason to believe that we are not far from a new cold war until and unless common sense prevails in the upper echelons of the political leadership in Moscow, Kiev, Washington and Brussels.

Who could ever forget the goal against arch rivals Argentina at Saint Etienne on a tearful world cup 1998 pre-quarter final night! England were left heartbroken by the dreaded penalty shootout yet a teenager announced his arrival at the international stage with a performance worthy of winning world cups. A decade has passed since France 98 but life has changed so much for Michael Owen. Now 29, Michael is a forgotten man in the English camp.

Well, footballers(particularly strikers and forwards)tend to be at their best between the age group 29 and 35 and Michael is no different. Yet since moving to Newcastle United from Real Madrid, the former Liverpool player has struggled to escape the fitness table and despite his hunger to score goals both for club and country, new England coach Fabio Capello is determined to ignore Owen for national duty.

Yes, the Italian manager is no fool when it comes to selecting his best side for world cup qualifiers but somewhere down the line one misses Michael Owen at the football pitch. After all this is the same man that has scored forty goals for the Three Lions in eighty nine international games and the striker’s sheer presence upfront forces opposing defenders to take the level of their game a notch higher.

It’s understandable that Mr.Capello wants a fit England ahead of the world cup in South Africa but there’s no denying the fact that Michael Owen should be in his long term plans. Injuries are part and parcels of a footballer’s life yet class is permanent and Owen is a sort of player that boasts of a record of scoring big goals in big games. The Three Lions do have a lot of talents in front of the goal at the moment but with all due respect to the likes of Peter Crouch and Gabriel Abonlahor, do these names have the right temperaments to score against a Brazil or a Germany or an Argentina?

Well, I hope they develop into world class performers but as of now it is meaningless to keep Michael Owen out of the full squad. Let’s get it straight, Owen is England’s top scorer and is a trusted man to score against any side anywhere in the world. Even if he is not fully fit, the English fans can bet safely that the Newcastle striker would give everything on the field for the sake of his beloved country.

Fabio Capello has already done a brilliant job in instilling confidence in the English camp that was heavily missing under Steve Mclaren. The Italian’s no nonsense attitude towards player egos and profiles have given an inner strength to the England side and this strength will see the side through against the Ukraine at Wembley today, yet there is no question that Capello needs the Newcastle hit man for his long term fans to add a lethal experience to an already richly talented side.

A fit Michael Owen is a player who possesses magic touch on the field and it would be absolutely disastrous if he gets neglected by Fabio Capello for future England games. If David Beckham can be recalled to the team, why not Owen? Two sides to look at this. Beckham’s recall is a hope for Owen and his well wishers that the current England coach is keeping all his options open. Secondly, it remains to be seen whether Capello sticks with David Beckham in the future as this could be the trial for the former England captain to stake a claim in the regular England squad.

Yet, in football or for that matter any sport one must not lose hope and Michael Owen should continue his quest for a comeback into the national team. One thing is for sure, he is backed by his age, talent, international pedigree and a hunger to fight till the last breath. Fight on Michael! Hope we will not miss you in an England shirt in the future.

What a fantastic week for Liverpool! It all started with a massive Champions League pre-quarter final win against European immortals Real Madrid followed by the genocidal dismantling of World and European club champions Manchester United at Old Trafford in the premier league. Now with the Premier League title race wide open and the Champions League set to throw up intriguing opponents for Liverpool, Rafael Benitez’s new contract deal could not have come at a more compelling time for the Merseysiders.

There have been far too many worthless speculations about the Spanish manager’s future at Anfield and honestly the English press did not make the situation easy one bit for the coach by constantly speculating on an alleged strife between Benitez and the club’s American owners George Gillet and Tom Hicks. Well, undoubtedly there was something about the management of the club that annoyed Rafa Benitez but he is a sort of man who wants to get things right straightaway, whether be it the transfer policy or the management of his squad and backroom staff.

Calmness personified on the outside yet the former Valencia manager is as hard as the rock of Gibraltar inside. Rafa is not as charismatic as a Jose Mourinho or a Sir Alex Ferguson, the likes of whom are fond of getting under the noses of opponents by throwing spicy press conferences that fill out the pressmen’s morning or evening news yet the Spaniard does not mince his words either when speaking out his mind. Sir Alex got a proof of Rafa’s wrath when the latter openly criticized the Scot’s alleged disrespect of match officials.

Many sections of the media attributed Rafa’s outburst against the Manchester United supremo as a blatant sign of Liverpool’s frustration of not being able to catch up with United but the 48-year old boss stuck to his point while masterfully tackling mentally sapping media speculation of his future at the club in addition to masterminding a victory at Old Trafford that is sure to have raised a few doubts at old enemy United’s camp for not only the rest of the season but for the long term.

In five or ten years time, Rafa Benitez may not be around at Anfield but the massive 4-1 win over the Red Devils- the Reds’ biggest victory at the Theatre of Dreams in seventy three years- would surely have a huge role to play to motivate the next generation of Anfield legends to take the club forward to a new level of domestic and continental glory. The bottomline is the Liverpool fans love him and this undisputed faith has seen Benitez pass out the toughest of tests both on and off the field and now the time has come to repay the faith so that Anfield would ‘never have to walk alone’.

The road to the glory, especially on the domestic front, starts from here with Mr.Benitez signing a new deal that will keep him until 2014. Now he has got his way by putting pen to paper, Rafa would be free to manage Liverpool in his very own way and that is why the timing of the deal is so crucial to Liverpool’s chances of putting pressure on Manchester United and Chelsea for the premier league and Champions League titles. The preparation for the latter stages of this season and for the next season can start in earnest with Liverpool not having to worry about their manager’s future and this is already half the battle won mentally.

All the speculations will end and the media can now concentrate on focusing on the club’s preparations to end the season strongly. After signing the deal, Rafa Benitez was quoted as saying, “My heart is with Liverpool, so I’m delighted to sign this new deal. I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying.” This reflects the true personality of a man who in the midst of a rumour storm never forgot to thank Liverpool football club by signing a new deal.

Final score: Manchester United 1 Liverpool 4

A dream scoreline for the Merseysiders but what a blow to United’s pride. The title is still for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to win yet there is a feeling that Liverpool’s amazing win at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday afternoon has pierced a hole into Manchester United’s indomitable title tag. With the season into its final stages, United are still the bookmakers’ favorites to retain the Premier league title and in all probability that will be the case as the Red Devils still lead Liverpool by four points with a game in hand. So United fans need not panic as the quest for an unprecedented five trophies is still very much on. Yet Sir Alex Ferguson is fuming inside as he experienced one of his worst days at the United dug out in his long and glittering managerial career.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was his usual calm in the post match conference but clearly he was delighted with the way his team responded after going a goal down. Rafa knew he has masterminded a victory against the bitter enemy that will have long standing ramifications in English football.

The victory may be a bit too late when it comes to the title challenge yet the biggest victory at Old Trafford in seventy three years is tailormade for the long term as the age old notion of United’s home invincibility has been brutally smashed by Steven Gerrard and company on a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Honestly Liverpool’s march at Old Trafford was as stunning as unexpected but the result proves that the Reds have it in them to be England’s mightiest. As far as Europe is concerned, there is no doubt that Rafa’s men are class apart yet domestically doubts still linger on the club’s ability to withstand a season of intense pressure.

Well, now it is for all to see how the club moves forward especially after achieving the double over eternal rivals Manchester United. One never knows how the final leg of the season would unfold if Liverpool keep on winning till May and although the Red Devils are comfortably placed at the top with a game in hand, Saturday’s 4-1 hammering will be hurting Sir Alex’s men and this wound will take time to heal and that is where United will be vulnerable.

All the talk before the match centred around United’s march to the quintuple, Wayne Rooney’s hate comments against old nemesis Liverpool and how many would the Red Devils score to snuff the title challenge out of Liverpool’s heart for good. But in Rafa Benitez the Reds have a man who not only has the guts to stand up to Sir Alex Ferguson’s alleged disdain of the match officials but also has an amazingly strong calmness that rubs on to his players on the field.

It happened in the Champions League against Real Madrid and on Saturday against all odds Liverpool ‘never walked alone’ courtesy of their ruthlessly cool manager, inspirational captain Steven Gerrard and a full squad of brave hearts ready to back their Spanish manager in a personal duel with his more celebrated Scottish counterpart. And what a response it turned out to be!

Missing influential Xabi Alonso was a bad omen, losing defender Alvaro Arbeloa prior to the kick off was even worse but in veteran Sami Hyypia, Anfield has a servant who deserves all the praise for his service to the club as the manager’s faith in him. Worse still is the fact that Liverpool went a goal down after just 22 minutes when Pepe Reina hurled down Park Ji Sung for Cristiano Ronaldo to romp home a well taken spot kick.

The writing was probably on the wall that given United’s impeccable defensive record this season, it would be hard for the Merseysiders to come back into the game. But in Fernando Torres, the five time European champions have a striker who in my humble and simple eyes is the best in the business currently in world football.

Aided by an unusually erratic Nemanja Vidic, Torres scored the equalizer that was all about his pace, skill and determination and probably this goal turned the match on its head as both Torres and the brilliant Gerrard combined to rattle United not only on the field but deep inside the heart. Sir Alex might be speaking of United’s dominance in the game but that opinion did not sell much on Sunday’s morning newspapers as the 4-1 scoreline clearly nullifies his arguments.

It would be better for Sir Alex to look forward and pick his wounded side up for the rest of the season as there is every penny to play for this season considering the history that United is chasing. Liverpool should be given all due credit for a fantastic performance right through the week.