German Football: Bayern's house not quite in order

German Football / Ben Lyttleton / 20 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Bayern's "world class at his peak" midfielder Arjen Robben

"The prospect of Bayern going a second straight season without the title, for the first time since 1995 and 1996, becomes more likely."

Bayern Munich are facing another season without a league title says Ben Lyttleton, and discontent within the camp might just hinder their Champions League aspirations also.

When the draw for the Champions League Round of 16 was made last December there were sighs of relief in Munich. Bayern, who did well to top the toughest group which contained Napoli, Manchester City, and Villarreal, were drawn against FC Basle, surprise qualifiers ahead of Manchester United, and friends and neighbours of the German giants.

After all, Basle began the season with former Bayern stalwart Thorsten Fink on the bench; his successor Heiko Vogel used to work with Bayern's youth teams; and last month, Bayern signed Basle's playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, who will move in the summer. It all looked perfect for the team who will host this year's Champions League final ­ and it was why Bayern were backed as third-favourites behind Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the competition.

Fast forward ten weeks and the picture is not so rosy. In the last fortnight, Bayern have dropped four points, going from top to third and they are now four points behind new German leaders Borussia Dortmund. Last week showed that teams often drop points before vital Champions League matches (Lyon, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen all lost before their midweek ties) but no-one expected Bayern to drop points at bottom-of-the-table Freiburg.

The game finished 0-0 and with Dortmund beating Hertha 1-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 16 games, closing in on a club record 19 from 1991-92, the prospect of Bayern going a second straight season without the title, for the first time since 1995 and 1996, becomes more likely. Dortmund are now [1.85] to win the Bundesliga, with Bayern [2.98]. Borussia Moenchengladbach, one point ahead of Bayern, are [11.0].

You can normally gauge how things are going at Bayern by monitoring which of their top brass is speaking and about what, and last week suggested things are not altogether breezy in Bavaria. First, Franck Ribery declared that, "the second team is not strong enough", suggesting that there is little strength in depth (as Rafi Hongistein explains here, the Shaqiri signing goes some way to solving that
) and he was proved right on Saturday, as David Alaba and Luis Gustavo struggled against Freiburg¹s pressing game.

Then chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge weighed in with a long-winded
criticism of referees showing bias against his club. "Referees are always deciding against Bayern when they are in doubt, because that will bring some peace and quiet to their life the following week. Our fans can handle wrong decisions, while other teams' fans constantly hassle them." As this analysis based on findings from Wahre Tabelle shows, Bayern have actually gained two points from refereeing decisions, as they have had two fine goals wrongly disallowed, but scored three goals that should have been ruled out.

The biggest talking-point going into Wednesday's game at Basle, for which Bayern are [1.66] to win (Basle are [6.4]) and [1.13] to progress (with Basle [8.0]) concerns the player whose performances single-handedly inspired them to the 2010 final: Arjen Robben. Bayern are at a delicate stage of contract negotiations with the Dutch winger, whose current deal expires in 2013, and, as if to show that he is not indispensable to the team, he has been benched for the last two matches (the Shaqiri signing also strengthens Bayern's hand).

Bayern's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer waded in to the Robben-debate last week, suggesting that his "selfishness" had cost him "recognition" inside the camp. "At some point the team-mate will say if you're not going to recognise my pass then next time you can come and get the ball yourself", Beckenbauer said. Robben's bosses immediately tried to defuse the situation: Rummenigge said, "Everyone knows he's an important player", while coach Jupp Heynckes said "he's world-class when at his peak".

The worry for Bayern is whether his peak will come this week. Basle have started the spring campaign slowly, with two draws since their winter break was over ­ they needed a last-minute equaliser against Young Boys on Saturday to scrape a 2-2 draw. But they showed against United that they can be dangerous at St-Jakob Park. Former Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg warned that Bayern are lacking in leadership and need the likes of Phillip Lahm and Manuel Neuer to stand up and be counted: this week will be their biggest test.

Hertha Berlin are in a mess and are looking for their third coach of the season, and leaders Borussia Dortmund are unlikely to show them any mercy this weekend, writes Kevin Hatchard....

Felix Magath is a figure that polarises opinion in German football, but Kevin Hatchard thinks the teak-tough tactician may finally be working his magic at Wolfsburg....

Schalke are in the thick of the title race, and Kevin Hatchard expects them to maintain their momentum against Mainz this weekend....

Amazon Sports Center

Timeform Chasers & Hurdlers 2010/11: Order yours now!

Timeform Features / Timeform / 12 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

Ballabriggs jumps the last in a controversial Grand National

"the latest edition including a call for the racing authorities to wake up to the number of ‘non-triers’ over jumps which, says the annual in the essay on Peddlers Cross, ‘are as widespread now as they have been for a long time’."

Once the poor relation, jumping is now streets ahead of the Flat in public appeal and the appearance this Saturday of Timeform's Chasers & Hurdlers annual is a timely reminder that the top jumpers will soon be taking centre stage again. Read on for a sneak preview of what's inside...

As with its predecessors, Chasers & Hurdlers 2010/11 covers all the season's controversial issues (and raises new ones!), as well as recording in full the achievements of all 9,500 jumpers that ran in Britain, providing a monument in print to a vintage season which, despite some of the worst winter weather for years, lived up to everything expected of it.

The exploits of the season's outstanding champions are all vividly brought back to life in the wide-ranging essays that are so much a feature of the Timeform Annuals. Long Run became the youngest winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup since Mill House, beating veterans Denman and Kauto Star - the last-named looking for a moment as if he might regain the Gold Cup for a second time - in a never-to-be-forgotten race which features on the dust jacket of Chasers & Hurdlers.

Big Buck's, one of the finest staying hurdlers ever seen, continued his serene progress towards equalling Sir Ken's long-standing record winning sequence for a hurdler of sixteen wins, something he will achieve if he goes unbeaten through the four-race campaign mapped out for him in the next season (Chasers & Hurdlers sees nothing to touch him in the big races).

It is testament to the quality of the top jumpers around at the moment, however, that neither Long Run nor Big Buck's was Timeform Horse of the Year, that award going to the Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly who, like Big Buck's, was unbeaten. Hurricane Fly, a true heir to Istabraq, won five Grade 1s and, as with Big Buck's, Timeform can't envisage him surrendering his crown in the next season.

As usual, the longest essay in Chasers & Hurdlers is on the Grand National winner, the exposition on Ballabriggs extending to fifteen pages and covering in detail the furore over the deaths of two of the runners, and the winning rider's suspension for excessive use of the whip. Chasers & Hurdlers points out that Ornais and Dooney's Gate were the first horses killed in a fall in the National for nine years but says that the race will never shake off criticism (the essay traces the history of the troubles endured by the race down the years).

Timeform points out that the construction of the fences and the quality of the racing surface at Aintree would be hard to better. 'Despite the criticism, the race has stood the test of time,' says Chasers & Hurdlers which records that the crowd of 70,291 was one of the biggest for more than fifty years and the TV audience of 8.8m dwarfed that for any other horserace. The National was responsible for Tony McCoy gaining overdue recognition by becoming the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, an achievement covered in the essay on Don't Push It.

The media coverage of winning rider Jason Maguire's five-day suspension after the latest National led to the British Horseracing Authority announcing yet another review into use of the whip, the recommendations from which are now controversially being implemented.

Chasers & Hurdlers warns that the BHA faces a near-impossible job to come up with a solution that will satisfy everyone. Timeform believes that the new cushioned whip should in itself have gone a long way to providing the answer. The essay on Ballabriggs points out that the publicity given to whip suspensions after big races has played its part in making the whip an issue that won't go away. The answer: the whip rules should be framed around incorrect use of the whip with the specifying of a 'norm' for excessive use (which triggers most of the inquiries) being dropped, the worst cases of excessive use being dealt with - as they can be equally effectively - under other existing parts of the whip rules.

Chasers & Hurdlers is unique in providing an individual Timeform commentary and the all-important Timeform rating of merit for every horse that ran over jumps or in bumpers in Britain in the latest season, plus a good number of the better Irish horses that were not seen out over here.

In addition, the season's biggest controversies are all discussed, from the horrific electrocution of two horses in the paddock at Newbury which received front-page publicity, to the fiasco of reigning champion Binocular missing the Champion Hurdle after a drug used to treat a skin allergy showed up in a precautionary test days before the race, and then to the banning of top trainer Howard Johnson who fell foul of racing's welfare and drug rules.

Chasers & Hurdlers doesn't pull its punches when discussing the major issues, the latest edition including a call for the racing authorities to wake up to the number of 'non-triers' over jumps which, says the annual in the essay on Peddlers Cross, 'are as widespread now as they have been for a long time'.

Timeform reminds readers of the wording of the rules requiring horses to be ridden on their merits which states that a jockey must be seen to have made a genuine attempt to 'obtain from his horse timely, real and substantial efforts' to achieve the best possible placing (the wording also interesting in the light of some of the riding under the new whip rules).

'The responsibility for seeing that punters are not short-changed rests with the stewards who must be seen to be imposing the rules with firmness and consistency. At times nowadays, at some of the more far-flung outposts of jump racing, it seems as if they are hardly applying them at all.'

Chasers & Hurdlers runs to 1,112 pages and is illustrated by nearly 400 photographs of the season's big races and top horses. Look up any horse - the entries are laid out alphabetically - and its merit and racing character are apparent at a glance. Everything you need to know before you bet is at your fingertips! The essays provide hours of informative and entertaining reading, and provide a valuable source of information for future historians of the sport, but the comprehensiveness of Chasers & Hurdlers is one of its major strengths. No other country has a complete directory of all its racehorses, published every year.

Chasers & Hurdlers is unique and a must for anyone seriously interested in racing over the jumps - whatever the angle!

Chasers & Hurdlers 2010/11 (£75 post free in UK) can be obtained from timeform.com/shop or by calling 01422 330540 (24hr credit/debit card line)

Frankel goes into Saturday's Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes with impeccable credentials, as befits a horse trading as the 3-10 favourite on Betfair......

Future Champions Day was the highlight of the racing in Europe this weekend, but, with neither the Middle Park nor Dewhurst producing a commanding winner, it's most unlikely that Timeform's Champion two-year-old was in action. We may, however, still have seen a top-class colt, as David Johnson reveals....

Ascot's QIPCO British Champions Day sees the return of not just Frankel but of sectional timing to a British racecourse. Simon Rowlands sees great potential in this exciting development....

Betfair website

Fulham Players: Cottage in order with Murphy at the helm

Players Under The Microscope / Paul Moon / 13 July 2011 / Leave a Comment

Danny Murphy bosses the Fulham midfield and chips in with a few goals a season

"Fulham have enjoyed their most successful period in their history with Murphy as captain, something that has largely passed unnoticed. Once he leaves the club via a transfer or eventual retirement, his true value will be recognised."

He's not one of the Premier League's more fashionable players nor is the club he plays for but the stats don't lie and Danny Murphy's worth to the cause is immense, says Paul Moon.

Poor technique is the major reason why very few British footballers and midfielders in particular, are successfully able to play for a top team on the continent. Danny Murphy is a rare product of the English game in that he could have played there and flourished. More so than most of his domestic colleagues, he has a decent first touch, a fine range of passing and understands the importance of ball retention.

Statistics composed by Opta and posted on Sky revealed an astonishing fact - Murphy had completed the most passes in the Premier League (2329) last season. What is both remarkable and surprising is that he accomplished the feat with a mid-table football club, which is what Fulham are. One imagined a player in a top tier club would have completed those numbers and with a team normally associated with mastering the art of possession. These statistics look even better when you discover he also came fifth in making the most tackles behind Lucas (Liverpool), Vaughan (Blackpool), Alcaraz (Wigan) and Parker (West Ham).

Looking at the reaction on the forums, the suggestion is that a lot of those passes were irrelevant or sideways. There is no such thing. Keeping the ball is an art form and something at odds with the British public psyche. You cannot fluke those Opta statistics and I prefer Mark Hughes's evaluation of the player when he acknowledged 'Murphy works at the coal face of the game.'

His career has generally been described as 'solid' but that particular word falls short of describing his value. There are negatives attached to his career though, of course. As a player we can accuse him of not being ambitious enough and consequently, he has under-achieved. He has resigned himself to being a big fish in a small pond and has quipped on a couple of occasions that he has 'no intention of sitting on a bench and taking the money' and this philosophy has shaped his career. It could be something he regrets later in life when he's hung up his boots.

When he left Liverpool at 27-years old and approaching his peak he downgraded and played for three somewhat average sides in Chartlon, Tottenham (average at the time 2006/07) and Fulham. His detractors talk about a lack of pace and this is fair comment, but like all class players of that mould, his sound positional play easily compensates for any lack of speed.

He played nine times for England, scoring once ,and was due to play in the 2002 World Cup before falling victim to the dreaded metatarsal injury; that obviously hindered his career at a crucial stage. Had he the opportunity to showcase his talents to the world that year it is doubtful his path would have led to Craven Cottage and he may yet have secured a big move where he could have played a starring role in a trophy-winning spell.

He will be most remembered for his career at Liverpool that included a most unique cup treble in 2001 - League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. There he developed an uncanny knack of scoring the deciding goal in tight matches. At Old Trafford he scored the only goal in three wins over Manchester United in four consecutive seasons and one can only imagine what was said in those forums in Lancashire at the time.

Surprisingly and considering the football knowledge of the Anfield faithful, most did not mourn his exit and this was at odds with his major contribution. He never played regularly in his best position and this was proven when he rose another level after his departure. Fulham have enjoyed their most successful period in their history with Murphy as captain, something that has largely passed unnoticed. Once he leaves the club via a transfer or eventual retirement, his true value will be recognised.

At 34-years old he is coming to the end of his playing career and has made no secret of his desire to go into coaching where he has all the credential to do well. He is intelligent, clearly understands the game and has man-management skills. Dario Gradi of Crewe rated his football intelligence so highly as a youngster that he sent him on scouting missions. He is still regarded as a legend at that club and would be welcomed with open arms should he wish to be manager somewhere down the line.

Judging by his keen interest in football management this could well be Murphy's last year and he would hope that Fulham replicate their eighth place from last year. But after looking at the candidates in that's an odds-against chance. Prices show: Man Utd [1.01] Chelsea [1.02] Man City [1.03] Arsenal [1.04] Liverpool [1.04] Tottenham [1.09] Everton [1.34] Sunderland [1.63] Aston Villa [1.93] Fulham [2.42] Newcastle [2.88] Stoke [2.92] Bolton [3.3] West Brom [3.6] Blackburn [4.4] Bar [6.6].

We've heard time and time again about how these two can't play together for England but noone doubts their individual performances at club level. But which of the two has been, and will be, most important to their team as...

Roque Santa Cruz's proposed move to Man City in the January transfer window left some people fascinated and others questioning whether the Paraguayan striker was genuinely worth the £25 million he was valued at. "Mystical" Mike Norman investigates....

Feizal Rahman tells us why David Beckham's part in England's friendly against Spain in midweek epitomised the fact that very little has changed for the national side over the last few years, such as the inability to play creative football...

Betfair website