http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/therealamericanfootball/archive/2012/02/09/kris-boyd-s-mls-move-highlights-the-league-s-complexities.aspx

Given Bill Shankly’s professed admiration of socialism in relation to football, one would imagine he’d quite enjoy the financial regulations employed by Major League Soccer.

While the economic disparity between the top and bottom of England’s Premier League is often highlighted, the same issue fails to surface in MLS. In line with most US sports, the league strives towards financial parity and providing every team with an equal opportunity of winning.

Take for example Kris Boyd’s recent move to the Portland Timbers. The former Rangers striker had been in negotiations with Houston Dynamo – even flying to Texas – but the two parties failed to come to an agreement.

While holding discussions with Boyd, Houston placed ‘discovery claims’ on him. This meant that, in the event of a rival MLS club signing Boyd, Houston would have to be compensated. At the same time, Boyd’s agent began discussions with the Portland Timbers, managed by former Chelsea player John Spencer.

Despite strong interest from the Dynamo, Boyd chose to sign with the Timbers. As a consequence, Portland traded a first-round 2013 draft pick to Houston in order to complete the deal, meaning Houston actually gained something from not signing Boyd.

Advocates of ‘discovery claims’ believe the system benefits all parties involved. Portland acquired a striker to replace the recently departed Kenny Cooper, Boyd gets to join his preferred MLS side, and Houston get something to ease the pain of missing out on a player of Boyd’s potential.

But just as socialism has its detractors, discovery claims also garner criticism. A team may hold 10 claims at any one time – they expire on September 1st each year. Although in Boyd’s case Dynamo clearly made a genuine attempt to sign the player, it has been suggested clubs may seek to gain an advantage by staking a claim in a player they have no real intention to pursue. If such a case did present itself, it’s likely the league would punish the offending team, should this be proven.

Now you may question why such rulings exist. Essentially it’s to prevent an auction between clubs. After all, MLS is a single-entity league and internal competition only invokes bidding wars, which raise salaries. It also serves in the best interest of the clubs due to the stringent financial constraints of the salary cap, which attempts to negate financial wastage.

The concept convolutes itself further when you learn the list of discovery claims is kept secret by the league. Working out which clubs found certain players requires Sherlockian deduction, or a leak of information from a club (often the one that will benefit).

Of course, this also holds wider implications. To use a hypothetical example: Player A is ‘discovered’ by Club X. In the meantime, Club Y show a distinct interest in Player A – but upon learning that they would have to forfeit something to Club X, decide against making a move.

In those circumstances, the potential impact of Player A on MLS bears little relevance, as he (and the US game) will have missed out on a potentially mutually beneficial move. What was implemented to breed fairness can be twisted to serve a more sinister purpose.

Thankfully that wasn’t the case here, but what’s important for Portland fans is that Boyd represents a substantial gamble. The Timbers made space for him by moving Kenny Cooper – admittedly far from prolific last season – on to New York Red Bulls, so if Boyd struggles in Oregon, they’ll have strengthened two rivals at once for no appreciable gain.

The pressure is on the new guy. Timbers fans have been eager for a synopsis of his talents, and the response is simple: goals and little else. That’s what convinced Middlesbrough to furnish him with a lucrative contract after he left Rangers on a free in 2010. Unfortunately, the goals weren’t nearly frequent enough (six in 27 league games to be precise), leading to claims of Boyd being lazy and one-dimensional.

Serving only to intensify the pressure, Boyd also enters Portland as a designated player. Often referred to as the ‘Beckham rule’‚ it allows dispensation to have a player outside of the salary cap. As with other DPs, Boyd will receive $335,000 from the salary allocation with the club’s owner collecting the rest of the bill.

While Boyd awaits a decision on his work visa, it’s believed he’ll join Portland at their LA training camp which began this week. Considering there was reported interest from a number of Championship clubs as well as tentative links to former club Rangers, Boyd’s decision is something of a coup for MLS and shows that the US is becoming a more considered option for European players.

His MLS career potentially begins in March with a home game in the atmospheric Jled-Wen field against the Philadelphia Union. Then in May he makes the trip to Houston, at which point both sides should be able to define who came away best from the complex deal with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson already sounding confident: “Kris perfectly fits the profile of the team’s needs and will make a huge impact.”

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/93754/default.aspx

Legendary Newcastle United striker Malcolm Macdonald has tipped new signing Papiss Demba Cissé to be a success on Tyneside.

The Senegalese international joined the Magpies on Tuesday from SC Freiburg for an undisclosed fee - believed to be in the region of £10 million - and has already been handed the iconic number nine jersey.

NEWS: Newcastle sign Freiburg front-man Cisse

And Macdonald, a former holder of the number who netted 95 goals in 187 league games for the club from 1971-76, describes the shirt as something of ‘a challenge’.

“When I first arrived in the early 1970s I was made well aware of what the number nine shirt meant to Newcastle United supporters and to the area,” he told FourFourTwo.com

“It’s a challenge. Putting it on is a challenge. There are those players that will react positively and those that buckle under the challenge. That’s why I think certain players have avoided the number nine shirt.”

With Cissé currently at the Africa Cup Of Nations alongside fellow Newcastle striker Demba Ba, Macdonald believes the pair’s international understanding will work well at club level.

“It helps to play with a fellow national, at least on a communication and understanding level.

“I think the game has lost a bit of it’s fluency in places because there isn’t that natural understanding that comes from common language.”

Macdonald also feels that Cissé’s arrival will relinquish pressure on his 15-goal compatriot.

“There’s not been somebody else who has been able to just take that little bit of goal-scoring pressure off Demba Ba. The onus has always been on him and this will just balance things out a little bit,” he said.

Given that manager Alan Pardew now has six first-team strikers at his disposal, Macdonald claims the arrival of the former Metz man may elicit a positive response from his competition.

“I think it could benefit the other strikers in truth. It should give them a kick up the backside. If they’re not up for the fight then they aren’t good enough. If a player came to me complaining about it, I’d say: ‘Oh so you aren’t up for the competition then?’”

Having scored 37 goals in 65 games for Freiburg, Cissé is considered one of Europe’s top marksmen, and Macdonald is confident his goal-scoring prowess can transcend the leagues.

“I always believe anyone who is well versed in scoring goals can go and do it anywhere. That’s one ability that no matter the level of football you can always accomplish,” he concluded.

“Sticking the ball in the net is one thing that travels well in football.”

By Kris Heneage

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature/_/id/1009581/education-key-in-football’s-battle?cc=5739

Despite being in the early throes of 2012, PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle is a man determined to achieve his goals this year. The main one - ironic for a man known as the cleverest footballer around after his appearance on quiz show Countdown - seems to be focused on education.

Having already spoken at length about the Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra affair, his idea involved prevention rather than castigation. Evidently that mentality remains just over a month later, as he says: “There’s an element of ignorance, that’s why we promote education.”

With a spate of incidents involving racism recently, those in the game are fighting a constant battle and Carlisle adds: “Until everyone is identical you will always have minority pockets of people that adopt racist attitudes. The battle is to make sure the numbers of that group dwindle year on year.”

As important an issue as racism is, Carlisle is keen to digress and explain some of the other areas he hopes to work on, including mental health. Regularly cited as football’s big taboo, players that have suffered from it are often wary of coming forward - most likely due to a fear of cruel mockery from the terraces. That’s where Carlisle believes a stern approach must be taken.

“This is one area that is the top of our list in terms of stepping out and breaking down barriers,” he says. “We need to step up our campaigns on a national and international basis so that those types of responses [from fans] are few and far between and when they do occur, they incur the wrath and incredulity that is attributed to instances of discrimination or racism.”

Carlisle is also keen to stress that, despite a perceived life of luxury, sports stars are not immune to mental health problems. In simple terms, financial wealth does not guarantee mental stability - a view that many struggle to grasp. Indeed, for discussion on mental health to progress it requires brave speakers to venture forward, something he appreciates is a difficult ask.

“We need some people like myself and let’s say Neil Lennon, who have encountered these problems to be brave enough to step forward and remove the anonymity and the taboos,” he says. “To explain to all professionals that this happens throughout the game - in the lower leagues with people like myself, right up to European and international football with someone like Neil Lennon. These players need to know that if that happens you have the help and support you need and require.”

With Carlisle happy to acknowledge the PFA’s role in helping its members overcome the complexities of mental health, he insists clubs must also play a part.

“There is a large onus on football clubs to support their players,” he says. “It’s two-fold for clubs, not only do they have the duty of care but they will also be nurturing their asset to maximize his ability every week. It’s within their best interest. I think with the continental influences entering the Premier League, we are starting to see a value added to looking after a player both physically and mentally.”

A prominent figure in the media, having appeared on BBC’s Question Time, Carlisle believes the problems football faces are wider than just the sport. “It’s about changing attitudes and levels of acceptability,” he says.

His strategies are generational; change must begin with the youngest minds. A key part is played by the schools and youth clubs who can teach the children of today what is acceptable. But it is not about targeting the individual.

“I don’t believe it’s about isolating the idiots” he says. “Isolating the incidents of discrimination is the battlefront of the attack but educating everyone is where the long term battle is won.”

He also has ideas for another prominent issue within the game: technology. Given how frequently referees have become a point of discussion, the Preston defender suggests that any piece of technology that can enhance the game must surely be introduced.

“We are seeing on a weekly basis the media using technology to sensationalise issues,” he says. “It is to the detriment of our game, and the players, when the outcome of matches is decided on an instance that would only take 10 seconds to call correctly. I’m not saying it should be used for every incident, but it needs to be to be introduced to maintain the integrity and enthusiasm for the game.”

Now 32, it is fair to say Carlisle may only have a handful of years left in the professional game. When he does decide to retire, his position with the PFA will also be relinquished - it is a prerequisite that the chairman of the PFA also holds a playing contract, a rule that the current holder feels is vitally important.

“Sympathy for a situation is one thing, but empathy takes it to another level,” he says. “It’s a lot easier for players to speak to someone still in the game that has that awareness, than someone who retired even as recently as five years ago.”

Despite his confident persona and eloquent rhetoric, the defender admits he even questions himself on occasion, but explains that while he may not have all the answers he is always willing to try and help. “I leave my phone on 24 hours a day,” he admits. “I try to give out my number to as many players as possible, under the idea that if I can’t help them I’ll strive to find the right person who can.”

With all that said, he is not immune to criticism. Branded a pseudo-intellectual, some believe his clever articulation is a facade to make himself appear more intelligent. His riposte is simple, as he laughs: “I’ve never professed to be intellectual. I don’t see why trying to better yourself is a bad thing.”

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/92840/default.aspx

Professional Footballers’ Association Chairman Clarke Carlisle has stressed that it is vital all union members understand what language is considered acceptable in England.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches on Wednesday for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October.

Carlisle, currently on loan at Preston North End, told FourFourTwo.com: “We already educate the scholars and apprentices. This instance with Suarez has highlighted that we can’t just assume because a mature man is coming into the game, that he is aware of the levels and precedents that are set in our game.”

The former QPR and Leeds player also believes it is up to clubs to educate their foreign players.

“It is for clubs to take up that responsibility. So that when players come into our game, they fully understand what is expected of them in any given situation.”

Having been handed an eight-game suspension by the Football Association, Carlisle feels that the Uruguayan’s sentence should not be increased if his appeal is unsuccessful.

“People have said it would be laughable to increase the ban, and I concur. The whole reason that was put in place was to stop frivolous appeals over red cards,” he said.

Suarez, who joined Liverpool from Ajax in January,  also recieved a £40,000 fine, something Carlisle considers to be the least most effective form of discipline.

“The financial implications are wholly immaterial. The way to hurt a footballer is to take away the love of his life, which is to play football. I think the eight game ban is more than sufficient.”

Liverpool’s game at Wigan on Wednesday night saw both Kenny Dalglish and his players take to the pitch with T-shirts supporting Suarez.

Carlisle believes that it is wrong to blame the club, adding: “I don’t want to cast aspersions on Liverpool, they are showing the kind of solidarity that has kept this game alive.

“What I would say is, that it’s vitally important that we get the message out that you can’t just say what you want when involved in altercations. We need to nullify all kinds of abuse.”

By Kris Heneage

In football as with life we so often speculate on what might have been. Despite being named MLS MVP for 2011 and recording a successful season with D.C. United, Dwayne De Rosario still holds a contemplation of his own - what if I’d stayed in Milan?

“I don’t call it a regret, I don’t like to use that word.” He says as he begins to explain the circumstances that surrounded his decision. Aged 14 Canadian De Rosario was offered a five year contract with Milan (a club of which he still considers himself a supporter) but decided against it after spending time in the red half of the Italian city.

“I guess you could say I was a street kid.” He said, laughing as he reminisces about his younger self. “I was 14 and a five year contract seemed like my whole life. It wasn’t until I flew back and I realised what happens when you waste it, because hanging out in the streets and getting into trouble is not the solution.”

Instead of venturing to Europe De Rosario began his career with local side Malvern Majors, a time of which he is clearly fond: “We had a very young and talented team. The majority of players in that team could of gone pro but circumstances unfortunately meant they didn’t and everybody parted their ways.” Not wanting to forget his roots he cites his celebration the ‘shake an bake’, as a tribute to those who were unable to play the sport professionally, “It’s one we’ve been doing since we were kids.”

A young De Rosario may have lacked the professional hunger, but now 33 his desire is stronger than ever after an interesting 2011. When asked to describe his season his response is simple: “Ups and downs definitely.” An apt evaluation considering De Rosario is the first MVP to play for three teams in a season and still win the award. A testament to his resilience.

Few could have predicted such a drastic upturn in form when he departed New York Red Bulls after only thirteen games (Having briefly started the season at Toronto FC). Far from happy with the way things transpired, De Rosario recalls the moment he was told his time with the New Jersey-based club would be coming to an end. “On the Monday afternoon after training they called me,” he said. “I was going to my daughter’s graduation in Toronto the day after and they called me in and basically said, “We just did a trade.” And I was like, “I was in the office, you could of simply just pulled me in then.”

De Rosario had only recently completed a down payment on a house. Did he feel disrespected? “Yeah 100%. Like I said it’s not the fact I’d just came there. I don’t think anyone should be treated this way, but especially a guy having been in the league for this long and having accomplished what I’ve accomplished. Sometimes when you treat a player like that it doesn’t go well.”

Departing for the nation’s capital, De Rosario would return to New York only days later - this time as a D.C. United player. With a point to prove the script was written, and De Rosario performed. A clever dummy that saw him lose Dax McCarty (ironically the player New York acquired in the trade) was followed by a pin point shot in off the post. A rendition of the ‘shake an bake’ was now met with an intensity in his eyes. Ben Olsen had not acquired an aging veteran looking to bow out, but a player with a point to prove and four months to do it.

New York would not be the only former team De Rosario would haunt this season. A hat-trick against Toronto FC at RFK stadium, left him with a somewhat bittersweet taste. “There was a lot of emotions there. Obviously Toronto is my hometown and it’s a city I’m very very passionate about. To experience what I experienced there was difficult. I still gave 100% every training session and on the field, despite what was going on off the field. To have to play them, it was a weird feeling.”

As you might expect De Rosario speaks highly of his current manager Ben Olsen. There’s a level of respect between player and manager, that was forged during years spent playing on opposing sides, both in MLS and at youth international level. “I’ve always had a great respect for Ben’s game in terms of his tenacity, he doesn’t give up and he always works hard.” He said, “That attitude can take you a lot of places. I’m even more impressed at the way he’s made the transition from being a player last year to now being a coach.”

When asked if it’s a transition he can envisage himself making, De Rosario’s response is non committal: for now his focus is on his playing career. Much like D.C. United, De Rosario values youth and the potential to develop the next generation. But he also speaks of his enjoyment at devising tactical strategies. As he continues to talk ‘maybe’ begins to sound more like ‘yes’.

The off season has seen much discussion on whether De Rosario can maintain such form. Unwilling to set himself specific targets for the season, he takes lessons from D.C. legend Jaime Moreno and a certain Manchester United midfielder. “After every season you should look at yourself and really evaluate the things that you’ve done well and the things they need to improve on,” he said. “You look at a guy like [Ryan] Giggs he thinks a lot quicker than his opponent and he frees up his own space. I admire players like that they really play with their brian.”

Now in his fourteenth season as a professional, what role does De Rosario believe his vegan diet has played in his longevity? “I think it helps me a lot in terms of staying on top of my personal growth as a player and an individual to see what I eat and what I put into my body. I think it really helps me stay on top of my game for the full 90 minutes.”

De Rosario sounds comfortable and accepts that, while it may have taken time, he has eventually found the right team for him. As for next season his goals are simple as he explains; “The main thing for me is collectively as a team being successful, so whatever we have to do to make that happen I’m willing to do, and right now it’s putting the ball in the net. I’m going to try my best to continue to do that.”

http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/anenglishmaninnewyork/archive/2011/12/14/conference-semifinals-financial-transparency-and-winter-breaks.aspx

More exclusive insights from New York Red Bulls hit-man Luke Rodgers. Here he tells Kris Heneage about the MLS Cup, winter breaks and wage structures… 

Well the season has finally come to an end, with LA Galaxy being crowned MLS Cup champions. You can’t take anything away from them, they were fantastic. In some ways to go out to the eventual winners - as we did in the Conference Semifinals - does soften the blow. For me, we were the only team that really challenged them all season, having beaten them 2-0 at our place in the normal league season.

The first leg was a bit of a let down because we conceded a soft goal to Mike Magee. He actually spent five years at New York before moving to LA, so the goal obviously meant a lot to him. Of course that wasn’t the main talking point, that was saved for the scuffle at the end between Juninho and Rafa Marquez.

I know people have been questioning Rafa lately but I’ll say this much; I hope he stays in New York because for me he is still a fantastic talent and someone that can be a major asset to this team. Rafa was handed a three game suspension by the league in the wake of what happened. That meant he missed the second leg, which was a blow.

We started the return leg in LA brilliantly. I scored very early on and it silenced the Home Depot Centre which gave me such an adrenaline buzz. Unfortunately we couldn’t capitalize on our early goal, and LA eventually made us pay with two goals of their own. At 3-1 it was always going to be difficult to overturn that and in the end we just couldn’t do it.

The positives for us are the fact that we made the playoffs and were able to get close to a team like LA, those are definitely things to take into next year as we look to push on.

Now that the season has finished I’m back in England, which is nice. This will be my first Christmas off which is definitely one of the advantages of our league schedule. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and in particular my daughter Lola, because I know how important Christmas is to her. If I’m lucky I might even get to catch a Birmingham City game or two while I’m home.

A few of my team-mates, including USA international defender Tim Ream, have departed for training sessions with clubs in Europe. Tim has gone to West Brom for a few days and will then head up to Bolton after that. It’s a great learning expericne for him and it also gives a chance for clubs to take a look at him, which is nothing more than he deserves. I know I’ve said it before, but I really do think he’ll play in the Premier League one day, he’s that good. 

I read a recent interview with my old teammate Dwayne De Rosario in which he said he thought he was due more money. In MLS your wages are posted at the start of the season on a spread sheet, which is one thing that still surprises me. I’ll be honest and say I’m not a fan of the transparency when it comes to salaries. I just think it causes trouble, and I don’t see the relevance of it.

I think Dwayne raises a good point though, if he’s performing well he should get paid. Take Wayne Rooney as an example; If he starts playing really well and scoring goals for Manchester United, he gets a new contract on more money because he’s earned it. Now that isn’t always the case here, they take into consideration your marketability and how you appeal to new fans I understand they have to do as they are still a fairly young league but they have to draw a line sometimes. Talent should always be rewarded in my opinion.

The big announcement last month was clubs releasing their draft lists. Thankfully New York decided to protect me which means I couldn’t be picked up by another MLS team. As I said a few months ago, the trade system is still a bit crazy to me but I’m slowly getting my head around it. I’m just pleased that my future is sorted for next season.

I don’t return to New York until January which means I’ve got just over a month back home. After that I’ll begin pre-season training and gearing up towards the new season. Despite a few injury setbacks this season, I’ve had a fantastic year out here and I’ve not only enjoyed being here but being able to share my experiences with you, so thank you for reading.

I hope you have a fantastic festive period and a great New Year. Hopefully 2012 will be a great year for us all.

http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/eurovision/archive/2011/11/16/pavey-looking-to-keep-walking-down-english-football-s-rarely-trodden-path.aspx

Its fair to say that the forging a career overseas is not a well trodden path for English footballers.

When it comes to discussing the subject, your mind may subconsciously edge towards Joe Cole at Lille or David Beckham, formerly of Real Madrid, now with LA Galaxy. However in Stockholm there’s only one Englishman that matters, and his name is Kenny Pavey.

The most striking thing about Pavey is that, despite spending thirteen years in Sweden, his accent remains intact. A friendly ‘Alright mate’ greets FourFourTwoas we begin the interview and share a laugh at his cockney vernacular.

The story of how he ended up in Sweden is a curious one. He tells of his time with Sittingbourne United and a potential move to Aston Villa in 1997. All seemed well at first after an impressive trial, but things quickly turned sour when Sittingbourne were unable to agree to financial terms with the Midlands club.

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, Pavey heard of the deal’s collapse in the worst possible fashion.

“I found out it wasn’t happening when I was in a train station, on the way to a match,” Pavey explains. “It was in the Gazette. I don’t know what made me buy the paper that day, but I did and there it was: ‘Villa dream for Pavey falls through’ and it had a big interview with the manager and the chairman saying how well I’d taken it and I’d bounce back. I just got a big lump in my throat.”

He still has that edition of the Gazette in his house - a memento of what could have been. With Sittingbourne in administration it was a difficult period for the club. It was around that time he was approached by David Wilson, Aston Villa’s Scandinavian scout. Wilson offered him a chance of a move abroad, but not to where Pavey was expecting. “I was thinking where are we going? France? Spain? But no, it was Sweden,” he laughs.

The club Ljungskile SK had at the time just suffered relegation from Sweden’s top tier (The Allsvenskan). After a trial, the club confirmed their desire to make the move permanent, but once again Sittingbourne dragged their feet. With a year still to run on his contract, he was forced to wait for his move. Looking back Pavey admits to losing focus, saying; “I lost my head a bit and I got sloppy, I was still a bit annoyed about the whole Villa thing.”

When he finally completed his move to Ljungskile he settled in well. It’s at this point that FFT poses the question most Englishmen abroad have to entertain; “How did you manage with the language?”

If Youtube is anything to go by, it would seem well. Fluent interviews in Swedish suggest a strong grasp of a difficult language.

Pavey is slightly more modest in his assessment; “I’m alright talking football, but when it comes to talking stuff like politics, I’m not so sure.” He goes on to explain how he caused ‘mayhem’ at one of his early Swedish classes.

During an exercise which involved naming an animal in Swedish, then drawing it for the rest of the class, Pavey asked the teacher if he could contribute. Knowing the word for badger (grävling) he repeated it to his fellow students.

Confusion ensued, a class of international students – many of whom had never heard of badgers – couldn’t work out what he was trying to say. He struggles to finish the story without laughing. It’s at this point FFT notes the mischievous side to his character.

This part of his personality was also demonstrated when he scaled the fences at AIK’s Råsunda Stadium after scoring a second half goal against Hammarby, piercing his hand in the process, something he was unaware of until he later inadvertently smeared his face with his own blood.

FFT asks him about the club’s fans, whom he describes as “very passionate.”

He speaks of the AIK faithful as if they were family. He is clearly being careful with his words so as to not do them a disservice. “They appreciate you if you work hard, and give your all. They are very respectful to you in public. They travel all around Sweden and are some of the best fans in the country,” he explains.

Partly due to an inability to agree an extension with the club, Pavey is calling time on his career with AIK after five years in Sweden’s capital. The winger has career options throughout Scandinavia, and also back home in England.

For Pavey though, his decision now includes the potential impact on his family. “If I do end up going to Denmark it means they can stay in Sweden and either fly to see me or get the train, I don’t really want to move them, to be honest.”

While there’s currently an uncertainty about what’s next for Pavey, he does still believe the time was right to leave AIK; “I think after the great send off they gave me, it wouldn’t be right to go back now, I had a great time there and now it’s time to try something new.”

Having discussed his career in some depth, we move onto the subject of what will come after his playing days are over. The modern footballer has a wealth of options at his disposal, with coaching or media-work being the route taken by many.

“I’d really like to do something out here, to be honest. I’ve got a lot of good contacts in Scandinavia and I think some time out here could do a lot of young lads that fall through the cracks some good,” he said.

Of course it’s worth remembering that Pavey took something of a risk with his Swedish adventure. There was no guarantees other than a change of scenery. It’s through his own hard work that he has achieved his medals and been able to play in the Champions League.

Pavey’s demeanor is both friendly and down to earth, it’s more akin to chatting with an old school friend than a footballer with Champions League experience.

Wanting to go out on a high – as Pavey is aiming to do at AIK – FFT asks how it felt the first time he heard ‘There’s only one Kenny Pavey’ reverberate around the stadium

“It was brilliant, but they actually have a few songs for me,” he explains, before bursting into a full vocal rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.

Much like the many other versions of the Frankie Valli-penned classic that have echoed around stadiums across Europe down the years, AIK fans profess their love for Pavey and then offer their wives up to him. FFT asks quite how his missus, Danielle, feels about this generous offer – once again, Pavey can only answer with a fit of laughter.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature/_/id/981447/newcastle-united-scout-graham-carr-shows-value-of-being-prepared?cc=5739

Three months into the new season and Newcastle United are already leading the race to become this season’s surprise package. A series of impressive results, built on a stern backline, sees them currently sitting in the Champions League positions. Of course, as is well documented, Newcastle’s recent history has not always been so calm and stable.

Following Mike Ashley’s takeover at St James’ Park, Dennis Wise was appointed the club’s director of football in January 2008. Leaving under a cloud just over a year later, he shouldered much of the blame for the club’s shortcomings.

The acquisition of Ignacio Gonzalez, who arrived after Wise had been impressed by aYouTube video showcasing his talents, saw the former Chelsea captain come under heavy criticism from Magpies fans. His first actual signing, Fabio Zamblera, recently departed the club via mutual termination having failed to ever even make the substitutes’ bench.

Then there was Xisco. The Spaniard’s arrival at the club, reportedly without the consent of then-manager Kevin Keegan, was seen as a decisive factor in the abrupt departure of the Magpies’ ‘messiah’ in 2008. Three years later, Xisco remains on the Newcastle books but has played just nine league games and is currently out on loan at Deportivo La Coruna.

When Wise left Newcastle in 2009, he rightly reflected that his experience in the North East “had a damaging effect” on his career, leaving one to question who would possibly want to step into the breach as his successor.

Step forward Graham Carr. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, Carr boasts an impressive résumé of previous employers, having worked at Manchester City under Sven Goran Eriksson after a spell as chief scout for Tottenham Hotspur. Arriving in February 2010, he is the man tasked with finding Newcastle quality players that also reflect good value for money. Gone is the aggrandising title of director of football: Carr holds the more traditional position of head scout.

One of the players he identified was Yohan Cabaye. Having just won a league and cup double in France, many in Cabaye’s homeland questioned why he chose to depart Lille in June to join a side that had finished in 12th place in the English top flight. The substantial rise in wages will have undoubtedly played a part, but Cabaye has also explained that he was sold on the project and style of football Alan Pardew wants to play.

The early signs from Cabaye have been more than promising - he is a tough tackler whose range of passing far outstrips that of Kevin Nolan, the man he replaced. With his transfer fee rumoured to be between €5-6 million, he certainly appears value for money.

His move to English football and in particular Newcastle was no accident, however. Carefully monitored and comprehensively scouted, Newcastle were made aware of a contractual stipulation that allowed Cabaye to depart for such a modest fee when he entered the final year of his deal with Lille. No doubt on the advice of Carr, Newcastle moved quickly to secure their new playmaker, surprising many in the process.

Yet this was not the first time Newcastle had made such a considered, and successful, move. Last season saw the emergence of previously little known Cheik Tiote, who rather naively drew comparisons to another African midfielder, Michael Essien. Scouted by Newcastle during his time at both FC Twente and Anderlecht, Tiote was a long-admired target, securing his move to Newcastle on the back of a glowing report from former Twente manager Steve McClaren.

In recent times, Newcastle had become a resting place for overpaid stars still dining out on former accomplishments, something owner Ashley has shown a determination to change. Ashley, often considered a parsimonious businessman, clearly believes the previous strategy is neither financially viable nor beneficial to performances on the pitch.

With so many players to look at, Carr owns a well-stamped passport. The love for his role at the club is clear to see and, in a recent interview with a local newspaper, he discussed Newcastle’s approach to monitoring players. “We are looking at a lot of players,” Carr told the Sunday Sun. “We have teams of players that we’re looking at lined up in 4-4-2 formations because we want to have someone in every position.”

Speaking back in March, one of Carr’s comments relating to the type of player he was then searching for shows a direct correlation with the new tactical approach Pardew is attempting to enforce. “We want players with a bit of pace who can get about the park,” Carr said. “And they have to be the right age and they have to come within the wage structure as well.”

The likes of Gabriel Obertan, compatriot Sylvain Marveaux and Italian Davide Santon all represent the aforementioned pace and movement that the club so desires. While a passion for the job is an admirable quality, it is Carr’s contact book that also makes him a very desirable asset for the scouting network at Newcastle.

Of course, Carr’s role involves more than just the immediate - his eye is also firmly cast on the future of the club. That forethought is typified in the club’s acquisition of Mehdi Abeid. Sharing parallels with Cabaye, a contractual situation at Lens allowed him to depart for minimal compensation. What’s more surprising is that a mere two months later, two of Abeid’s former team-mates were also on Tyneside trying to impress. Darnel Situ (now at Swansea) and William Remy were invited on trial, and impressed during a reserve outing against Middlesbrough.

With Newcastle’s transfer strategy seeming so reminiscent of the rules outlined by Lyon chairman Jean Michele-Aulas in Soccernomics, Carr even seeks the advice of locals when scouting a player. Barmen, taxi drivers and waiters all become scouts for a day - most likely without even realising - while the club will regularly read foreign media such as L’Equipe to further improve their mountains of information about targets. Transfers are planned, players are told where they will play and what is expected long before they pose at the training ground with a black-and-white shirt.

It seems obvious to suggest that Carr’s strength is French football. A physical competition, Ligue 1 is often seen as a smoother transition for those coming to the Premier League. Considering many of Mike Ashley’s decisions have been lamented, including a perceived failure to replace departed No. 9 Andy Carroll, it would seem that Carr’s appointment has laid the foundations for a bright future on Tyneside.

http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/eurovision/archive/2011/11/09/ole-gunnar-solskj-230-r-follows-fergie-into-trophy-triumph.aspx

In the same week Sir Alex Ferguson celebrated his 25th year at Manchester United, one of his former players was revelling in his first managerial success. And while Ferguson has to wait three years to get his first trophy, his latest protegé has gained silverware at the first attempt. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has had something of a fairy-tale start to life in club management back at Molde FK, the club he left to join the Red Devils in 1996. His return coincided with their centenary year and, thanks to Solskjær, their first ever league title.

To take on the challenge, Solskjær had left the relative comfort of overseeing United’s reserve team, but shrewdly he didn’t leave Manchester alone. His backroom staff is complimented with friends and former United colleagues Mark Dempsey and Richard Hartis.

A former United youth team player who made two appearances under Ron Atkinson, Dempsey spent nearly a decade under Ferguson coaching the 13- to 16-year-olds. Accordingly, he has split his duties between being Molde’s first-team coach and training local youngsters as part of a bank-sponsored scheme.

“He’s a fantastic, teaching coach,” Solskjær told the press conference at which all three coaching staff were first presented. “I know the Norwegian players will love his approach to training.”

Hartis joined United early in the last decade as director of goalkeeping development, growing close to Solskjær after the Norwegian became reserve-team coach in summer 2008.

“I’ve worked with Richard for three years as a coach and we’ve got a good working relationship,” said Solskjær. “I think his methods are very good and he’ll bring something to the keepers and the back four in relation to the keeper.”

On the pitch, typifying this mix of Manchester and Molde, is Magnus Wolff Eikrem. Born locally in 1990, he was picked up by Molde after impressing at one of Solskjær’s soccer schools despite being underage; he was then signed by United on his 16th birthday, impressed in the reserves and made the first-team bench for a League Cup game, but was brought back to Molde by Solskjær in January 2011 and has played a major part in the club’s success.

The son of former Molde player Knut Hallvard Eikrem, Magnus is officially deemed a foreign player, having spent half a decade growing up in Manchester. The fulcrum of Solskjær’s midfield, he has displayed an elegant style which is likely to see him interest bigger European clubs in the near future.

As for the manager, Solskjær employs a very direct counter-attack with full-backs encouraged to go forward – as epitomised by American defender Joshua Gatt. Recently announced as the league’s fastest player, the Michigan-born winger/full-back utilised his blistering pace to great effect across the season.

Despite cantering to the title, Molde didn’t go through the season without problems. An opening-day defeat at newly-promoted Sarpsborg 08, followed by two draws at Tromso and Viking FK, was not quite the start some had expected. With Sir Alex Ferguson having often stated how clever and analytical his former striker was from the bench, many fans had expected the team to hit the ground running.

In the fourth game of the season, Solskjær secured his first win, narrowly conquering Stabaek IF 3-2 at home. That was followed by an impressive 3-1 win away at Brann in which Solskjær showed that tactical nous. Although often preferring Molde to play 4-3-3, he switched to a sturdier 4-2-3-1 for the trip to Brann.

Reverting back to his favoured 4-3-3 for a game against Rosenborg he suffered his second defeat of the season. Although Solskjær suffered setbacks throughout the campaign (including his leading goalscorer Pape Paté Diouf leaving for FC Copenhagen midway through the season), credit must go to the Norwegian for his team’s ability to respond to defeat. It’s noteworthy that they never lost back-to-back matches.

Much has been made of the decline of Norwegian football. And the country’s most successful side Rosenborg may have suffered early-on in the season following the departure of key players but the Tippaligen remains a competitive league.

Off the pitch much of the news centered around the healthy financial backing Molde have gained, which allows them top-class facilities. Although many may have expected it, Solskjær has not looked to invest heavily in the transfer market.

By no means minnows, Molde were expected to place in the upper reaches of Norway’s league without ever being considered title favourites. They held on for the title despite a late surge from Rosenborg and solid challenges from Valerenga and rather surprisingly, the financially depleted Brann – whom many had tipped to implode this season.