Wednesday 27 June 2012

And Then There Were Four...


The 2012 European Championships are in their final embers and it would seem, from an English perspective at least, that normal order has been resumed. England are out on penalties, the only saving grace being that their exit came at the hands of a player as majestic as Andrea Pirlo and not Portugal's goalkeeper. So with Roy's boys checking out with Czech Republic, Greece and France the competition is down to four teams; the Ronaldo-centric Portugal, holders Spain, Joachim Low's vibrant Germany and England's quarter-final conquerors Italy. Need I remind you that this outcome was predicted in my last post? I do? Well, it was. Honestly...

That being said, the quarter-final ties were not exactly difficult to forecast. Portugal and Germany's opponents were always likely to be up against it, whereas France and England failed to really contend their fixtures, the latter being flattered by the need of a penalty shootout to settle such a distinctly one-sided contest. Indeed, the four teams that are left in the competition deserve to be there not just due to their successes in the previous round, but also because they are the four best teams left in the competition. As heart-warming as it is when an underdog triumphs against the odds (step forward Chelsea), the prospect of a Greece v England semi-final doesn't capture the imagination in the same way these four remaining ties do. So what will the outcome be? Will we get the Spain/Germany final that most of us are so eager to see? Surely neither Portugal or Italy can stop these two fantastic sides contesting the final? Well, it may not be that simple...

PORTUGAL V SPAIN

Portugal suffered a narrow Round of 16 defeat to Spain in the 2010 World Cup, and that defeat will still register with many of their current squad. The Portugese still lean heavily on their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains the one player that is capable of capturing the imagination of the Portugese public, his performances in their last two fixtures giving credence to their belief that this could be his year to deliver on the international stage. However, he will have to reach a standard that has so far eluded him when donning the national team strip to conquer a Spanish side that remains beyond adequate description.
No superlative can do justice to Vicente Del Bosque's side, and the criticism leveled at them during this tournament suggests an inadequacy in the standards of reporting rather than any defect in their squad. Granted, the victory over France was not always enthralling, but that was predominately due to the performance of Laurent Blanc's team, who were disappointing in the extreme. The main accusation being made against them is that they have become boring, that they no longer excite in the manner they did in 2008. Whilst they are far from droll, Spain have admittedly had to readjust their approach due to the absence of  David Villa. Fernando Torres has done his bit when required, scoring twice against the Irish, but it is fair to say that he is not currently the attacking prospect that he was four years ago. As a consequence, Del Bosque has often elected to play without a recognized centre forward, a tactic that few people seem able to get their head around. The reasons why evade me...Spain's movement off the ball and the near telepathic understanding shared amongst their players means that they can afford to play without a traditional number 9. Those looking for evidence need look no further than Cesc Fabregas's two strikes at the tournament thus far and the brace scored by Xabi Alonso in their most recent triumph. The technical ability of their six regular midfielders means that they are all, with the exception of the more practical Sergio Busquets, able to provide a threat in and around the penalty area. This is a threat that Portugal will have to annul if they are to reach their first tournament final in 8 years.
Many will believe this is a task beyond Bento's team, considering they remain heavily reliant on one players for goals. But when that player is the world's most expensive, you have to credit the Portugese with a chance of toppling the Spanish. This is because the threat offered by Ronaldo is one that stretches to all areas of the final third. Take, for example, his goal against the Czechs; a diagonal run across the full back and bullet header capable of beating even the most gifted of keepers. Or his second goal against the Dutch, where he started and duly finished a swift Portugese counter-attack. Indeed, the key word in that last sentence was that most familiar of football tactics, the counter-attack, as it constitutes the crux of Portugal's attacking threat. Bento sets his team up to sit behind the ball and to frustrate their opponents and then to break rapidly down the wings when in possession. This is a game plan that has come to favour their captain, especially now that he is no longer being restricted in the wide positions. Against Spain, Portugal are likely to keep a narrow shape in the hope of pushing their opponents into the wide positions, an area in which they lack a recognized threat. This is not to say that Andres Iniesta and David Silva should be left to their own devices if they are selected, rather that they rarely elect to cross the ball when in possession, a tactic favored by Spain's full backs. Portugal will feel confident about defending against the high ball, especially considering the impressive form of their two centre backs in their games thus far. With one of their three midfielders often dropping deep to win the loose ball, they will then look to Joao Moutinho (another impressive performer at this tournament) to release either Ronaldo or Nani out wide, players that are capable of unsettling a Spanish defence that has not always looked comfortable when being ran at.
If Portugal can curb the attacking instincts of their two full backs, who will be required to maintain a consistent shape in defence, then they have a chance of stifling Spain. That being said, goalkeeper Rui Patricio remains a concern for some, and Spain are likely to try and test him in the early stages of the game. My main concern for Spain is their ability to stay on top throughout the 90 minutes, they were at times uncharacteristically sloppy against France and this suggests to me that some of their key players are feeling the effect of a long season for both club and country. Portugal are a relatively young side that are capable of working the opposition right until the final whistle, and it is for that reason I can see them getting an opportunity to attack (albeit infrequently) against Spain. With Ronaldo firing on all cylinders, this may suggest a more testing afternoon for Iker Casillas and co than they experienced last time out.

PREDICTION: Portugal win

GERMANY V ITALY

If Spain have been 'boring' at Euro 2012, no such comment can be made against Germany, who have regularly impressed their audiences with their attacking forays. the most remarkable thing about their game against Greece was that they conspired to concede two goals, despite dominating 99% of the contest. Joachim Low has set his team up to play high up the field, a strategy that suggests they are confident of out-scoring any team they come up against. With a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal, it is hard to argue against this sentiment. After Greece's equaliser, Germany scored three goals in 19 minutes, ample proof that they are the most potent attacking force left in the competition.
However, they are coming up against an Italy team that has conceded only twice and will be high on confidence after their dramatic victory over England. Cesare Prandelli has fashioned a side that has done much to restore some pride in Italian football after their domestic league was yet again ravaged by scandal, and for that he deserves a great amount of credit. Prandelli appears to be both practical and ambitious; after the England game, he spoke little of celebration but rather of aspiration, stating that celebrations would only be indulged when his team had won a trophy. This is a mentality that has quickly spread amongst members of the Italian squad and was personified so succinctly by Andrea Pirlo's audacious chipped penalty in Sunday night's shootout. Italy will not fear Germany, which suggests a fascinating game is ahead of us.
The current Italian team is doing much to shed the stereotypes attached to the DNA of football in their country, those being that 'Calcio' constitutes the prioritization of defensive organization over ball retention and attacking play. Whilst Italy remain an organized outfit under Prandelli, they now afford more time to their passing game and offer a more loosely defined role to their midfielders and forwards. An example of this is the prominence of Antonio Cassano in the starting eleven, a player previously seen as a luxury by Azzuri managers. Under Prandelli, the Milan striker has been allowed to play his natural game, which is to often drop deep and roam around the attacking third. Cassano's vision is indulged by the selection of either Mario Balotelli or Antonio Di Natale alongside him, strikers who are capable of making incisive runs beyond Cassano, who will then seek to find them with the through ball. Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo are also evidence that Prandelli is seeking to assemble a team that is flexible when attacking the opposition. Both players often occupy variables areas of the midfield, making them difficult to mark, a reality that dawned on Wayne Rooney far too late into Sunday's fixture. Pirlo, in particular, appears to be relishing his Indian summer and is likely to be decisive when it comes to Italy's chances of making the July 1st final.
If Italy's off-the-ball trends are difficult to defend against, then the German's are almost impossible to counter. Low has gradually encouraged his team to become more confident when providing an option for the man in possession, and this has seen almost every outfield player adopt an attacking mentality. At times against Greece, goalkeeper Manuel Neur would find himself closer to his halfway line than the goal, so high was the area being occupied by his defence. The emergence of Mats Hummels at Euro 2012 is demonstrative of the evolution of the Germany side, his confidence on the ball allowing him to be just as prominent going forward as he is when defending. Whilst this makes the Germans vulnerable when they lose possession, the presence of Neur in between the sticks means that they can be confident of keeping the opposition at bay. That being said, if Greece found the net against them twice, then Italy will surely fancy their chances of punishing any mistakes committed. Bastian Schweinsteiger will for this reason have to be more prudent in possession than he was on Friday evening if Germany wish to avoid any such castigation.
What swings the favour away from the Italians is the inconsistency of their attack; Cassano only returned to full fitness in April, Di Natale seldom starts and Balotelli remains frustratingly unpredictable. Against a team of Germany's class, you have to be able to rely on your attacking players to make the most of any opportunity they get, and the Italians inability to see off England over 120 minutes suggests that they may not be able to place such trust in their current crop of strikers. Die Mannschaft, on the other hand, will be more than sure that they can make the most of their chances, which are likely to be in higher supply than for their counterparts. For that reason alone, I expect Italy's Euro adventure to come to an end in this game. If that is the case, their heads should be held upwards rather than towards the ground, as they have defied many people's expectations at this tournament and have set a sound foundation for the future.

PREDICTION: Germany win

So folks, that would leave us anticipating a Portugal/Germany showdown on Sunday night...can Ronaldo put his demons to rest and fire his nation to glory? Or will Germany appease many people's pre-tournament forecast and lift their first trophy in 16 years? I'll be back to give my verdict on the game and the tournament as a whole next week. For the meanwhile, here's to two thoroughly entertaining semi-final games. Fingers crossed...

@benrasmin


   



Thursday 21 June 2012

Euro 2012...What Next?



The group stage of the 2012 European Championships concluded on Tuesday night with England registering a second consecutive victory, one which secured them top spot in Group D. If that reality is not an indication of the unpredictability of these championships, then the premature exit of pre-tournament favourites the Netherlands may well be. Either that or the unfancied duo of Czech Republic and Greece managing to escape Group A at the expense of Russia and co-hosts Poland. Yes, Euro 2012 has already provided plenty of shocks...but the most pleasing aspect of the tournament for me thus far has been the willingness of almost every side to play for the win, bringing an end to the negative 'avoid defeat at all costs' mentality that marred the 2010 World Cup. This positive alteration has meant that some of my forecasts for the group stage have not been altogether prophetic, but I'm willing to put my neck on the line and make my predictions for the quarter finals. Here goes...





Czech Republic v Portugal

The Czechs, along with the Dutch, are the side primarily responsible for spoiling my pre-tournament predictions. Rather than finishing bottom of Group A (a scenario that looked more than likely after their heavy defeat to Russia), they finished the group in top spot and subsequently set up a quarter-final tie against the perpetual 'nearly men' of the European Championships, Portugal. Michal Bilek deserves credit for the way he picked up his charges after their opening day capitulation, but he will know he faces a challenge to progress beyond this point. After their unfortunate defeat to Germany, Portugal have thrown off the shackles and made the most of their attacking talent, securing wins over both Denmark and the Netherlands to finish runners-up in Group B. Their marked improvement from their rigid performance against the Germans has largely been down to the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is finally threatening to recreate his club form at a major international tournament. After his deveastating performance against the Dutch, Ronaldo is likely to trouble a Czech defence that looks vulnerable. With Milan Baros also misfiring up front, Bilek's side will rely on the energy of their midfielders but it is likely that they will be given short shrift by Portugal's impressive midfield trio of Meireles, Moutinho and Veloso and the pairing of Bruno Alves and Pepe in defence. This being said, Paulo Bento's are often slow out of the traps so the onus will be on the Czech's to make it difficult for them from the onset, a task which will be made easier if talisman Tomas Rosicky is passed fit to play. As if often the case with these sort of ties, it is likely to be a lot tighter than most will expect, but I still expect Portugal's forwards to be the decisive factor.

PREDICTION: Portugal win





Germany v Greece

Many will see this as the mis-match of the knockout stages, given Greece's penchant for results-driven football. They registered the lowest amount of shots on goal in the group stage, yet still progressed at the expense of a Russia side blessed with attacking talent and a Poland team spearheaded by one of the most promising strikers on the continent in Robert Lewandowski. This goes to show that the Greeks cannot be underestimated, and that this tie may not be as straightforward as it is expected to be. For all their talent, the Germans have not hit full stride at this tournament so far and a slow start against the Greeks could make for a frustrating evening for Joachim Low's men. That being said, Germany have still registered three wins out of three, which suggests that they have adopted the sort of winning mentality needed to succeed on the international stage. Mario Gomez is looking forebodingly good at the top of the German attack, and the young defender Mats Hummels has marshalled the defence superbly thus far. Greece will miss captain Giorgous Karagounis, who is suspended, and their midfield will lose much of its attacking drive in his absence. They will hope to get in behind their opponent's full backs, where the likes of Dimitris Salpigidis can provide an attacking threat, but they will know that Phillip Lahm and Jerome Boateng (or Lars Bender for that matter) are more than competent at quelling any such threat. This may be the game where things 'click' for the Germans, and if it is, then the other teams remaining in the tournament should take note. 

PREDICTION: Germany win  




Spain v France

The French have been, in my estimation, one of the most disappointing sides at the tournament thus far. Against England they flattered to deceive and they squandered the chance to top Group B by failing to turn up against a Sweden side that had already been eliminated. Their just reward is a quarter final tie against the European and World Champions. Spain, much like the Germans, have failed to reach their peak thus far...they were frustrated by Italy in their opening game, and were fortunate to beat Croatia in their final fixture. Nonetheless, they still won Group C by two points and will head into this game feeling confident that they can expose an average French backline. Laurent Blanc must have been frustrated by the deficiencies displayed by his defence in their final group game, and he will know that these problems need to be addressed speedily if they are to stand a chance of progressing further in this tournament. One crumb of comfort for France is that their forward line could well trouble a Spain defence that looked penetrable during the group stages, though they will need to improve the supply afforded to Karim Benzema, who has cut a frustrated figure thus far. The solution may well be to introduce Arsenal-bound Olivier Giroud to partner Benzema, in the hope that the Ligue 1 top scorer can 'bully' Spain's back-line in the way that Didier Drogba harried Barcelona's defence in the Champions League semi-finals. Vicente Del Bosque, on the other hand, will have to consider whether to persist with Andres Iniesta and David Silva in the wide positions or to introduce a more conventional winger (Jesus Navas) to add more variety to Spain's attack, a conundrum that most international managers dream of. Either way, it is hard to see past a Spain victory in this tie, though you would hope that the French will at least make it difficult for them, a task which is by no means beyond them.

PREDICTION: Spain win




England v Italy

Of all the quarter-final ties, this is the most difficult to call. England have been superb so far under the wily management of Roy Hodgson, and the Italians have been equally impressive in the face of adversity back home. Both sides adopt a patient approach, though they contrast in the way in which they attack the opposition. England have been more direct under Hodgson, particularly when Andy Carroll is in the side, whereas Italy tend to play a possession game before picking holes in their opponent's defence. Andrea Pirlo is the master of this particular art, with few players being able to rival his range of passing or his vision. Claudio Marchisio has also caught the eye during the group stages and Daniele De Rossi promises commitment whether he is elected to play in midfield or defence. The absence of Giorgio Chiellini will be good news to England, though, with the Juventus man enjoying a solid tournament up until the injury he sustained against the Republic of Ireland. England are riding a wave of momentum after topping Group D and will go into this tie knowing that they are more than a match for the Italians, particularly now that Wayne Rooney is available for selection once more. The Manchester United striker wasn't at his best against Ukraine, but still grabbed the winning goal and linked up nicely with club colleague Danny Welbeck, who has been vital for the Three Lions thus far. Steven Gerrard has rose to the challenge of captaining the side, and he could well be the key player on Sunday, given the quality of his delivery from both open play and dead ball situations. My main fear for England is that the defence is still guilty of affording the opposition space to run into, which often means they rely on last-ditch tackles to cut out goalscoring chances. With Italy possessing three dangerous centre forwards as well as an impressive midfield, England will need to keep a tighter shape and try and push their opposition into wider areas. Ultimately, I can see this tie heading into extra-time and being decided by one goal, given the tactical acumen of both Hodgson and Cesare Prandelli. Regardless of who is eliminated, both men should be happy about their achievements in the tournament and should look to the 2014 World Cup with plenty of confidence.

PREDICTION: (Narrow) Italy win 

So, if my that's anything to go by, the semi-finals will be...

Portugal v Spain

Germany v Italy

This means there is a possibility of a replay of the 2008 final between Spain and Germany, a contest which will leave most of us more than a little excited. But the 2011/12 Champions League season has shown us that just about anything can happen in football, so it would be foolish to discount the chances of Italy and Portugal pulling off an upset. After all, if Cristiano Ronaldo continues his upward trajectory then this could well be his year to finally shake off the shackles that has halted his international career to date. The Italians, on the other hand, will look to their 2006 triumph for inspiration, that being the year when international success came as a remedy to the problems engulfing their domestic league. Either way, it should be an exciting week or so of football. I'll be back to make my predictions for the semi-finals and the final in due course...

@benrasmin


















Monday 18 June 2012

Lilywhites Wilting



Last Wednesday saw the culmination of Harry Redknapp's four year tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, the 65 year old being handed his P45 despite guiding the club to fourth place, a position which would usually result in qualification for the Champions League. Chelsea's unlikely triumph in that competition deprived Spurs of a second crack at Europe's premier competition, their last foray resulting in a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Real Madrid. Whether this unfortunate twist of fate was what deprived Redknapp of the opportunity to continue in charge at White Hart Lane is still uncertain, but in my opinion it is the least of the club's worries.


The 2011/12 season is likely to be looked upon by Spurs supporters as a missed opportunity; after scaling the table to the heady heights of third place, a dramatic loss of form saw them scrape to fourth place on the final day of the season. In many ways, last term's events at White Hart Lane was characteristic of the season as a whole...the early season proliferation of the traditional 'big four', only for (Liverpool aside) normal order to be resumed in the final throes of the season. Many critics and fans alike were captivated by the Lilywhite's start to the season, with Redknapp's team showing an impressive commitment to attacking football. Luka Modric and Gareth Bale were once again the key performers, but the summer acquisitions of Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker also proved to be crucial in providing an extra axis to Spurs' play. Praise was also bestowed upon Redknapp for the form of ex fringe players such as Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker, the manager being credited for revitalising a club that has so often threatened to join the elite without ever making good on their promise. But, as is the way with the Premier League, a crisis was never far around the corner...


Redknapp's tax trials threw immediate uncertainty on the issue of his future at the club and even when he emerged from court victorious, you sensed that things were not going to be quite the same when he resumed work. The bizarre coincidence of Fabio Capello's resignation from the England job provided further fuel for the flames that were beginning to embellish 'Arry's stewardship at the Lane. For months, questions were fielded regarding the seeming inevitability of his appointment as Capello's replacement, with Redknapp doing very little to quash suggestions that he was prepared to take the job. All the while, Spurs league season began to unravel in truly horrific style, the lowest ebb being their 5-2 capitulation at the Emirates Stadium in a fixture which handed the initiative to their North London rivals in the race for European qualification. A quiet January transfer window (only Ryan Nelson and Louis Saha arrived) also provided further inclination that all was no longer well in the corridors of White Hart Lane.


Nonetheless, the dismissal of Redknapp still came as a major shock to followers of the game, especially seeing as there was only 12 months remaining on his existing contract at the club. Many would have expected to see him see out a final term in charge before stepping down for a younger model, with his coach Tim Sherwood seeming an ideal candidate to continue the impressive work of the last four years. Football is, however, the most ruthless of all sports and we should perhaps not have been totally overawed by chairman Daniel Levy's course of action...after all, he's not been afraid of sacking managers in the past. Just ask Martin Jol. Ultimately, what will concern Spurs devotees is the answer to one question...where do we go now?

Reports in the press appear to suggest that Levy will ignore clamours for David Moyes to be approached and instead attempt to convince axed Chelsea chief Andre Villas Boas to return to English football. This should not surprise anybody. Despite his problems at Stamford Bridge, Villas Boas remains a very promising coach and, given his age, one of the most impressive possibilities available to Tottenham. But it is unlikely that any move for AVB will coincide with a continuation of Redknapp's sterling work at the club, at least not when we consider that the Portugese is likely to want to bring his own staff (both on and off the field) along with him. Can Spurs afford a summer of turnover? When you consider the inroads that their rivals are likely to, and in some cases already have, taken then the answer is surely no.

Questions also remain about whether the key performers of the last two to three years can be convinced to endure another campaign in the undesired Europa League at the expense of Champions League football elsewhere. It is no secret that both Luka Modric and Gareth Bale have admirers at some of Europe's premier clubs, and it is hard to see why they should resist the advances of such clubs to stay at Spurs, other than a moral commitment to honour their long term contracts. The likely retirement of Ledley King will also leave a gaping hole in a defence that struggled in the latter part of the season. Indeed, the absence of a player like King is not one that can be remedied merely by a bit of savy in the transfer market, not when you consider how vital a role King has played at the club over the past fourteen years. These are the sort of conundrums the new managerial incumbent is going to have to face, and the answers do not appear to be as clear cut as they would hope.

All this seems to bode for a difficult 2012/13 for the Lilywhites and raises questions about Levy's judgement in deciding to rid himself of one of the most experienced coaches in the history of top-flight football in this country. However, the Premier League is an unusual arena and Spurs would not be the first club to find triumph in the face of uncertainty, which suggests that they could perhaps find more solace in Chelsea's underdog story than they first envisaged. Then again, maybe not...

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Moving On Up?



With the European Championships now well under way (a fantastic start for England included), the transfers, if you will, of Norwich's Paul Lambert and Swansea's Brendan Rodgers to Aston Villa and Liverpool respectively have perhaps fallen under the radar. Both men are unlikely to have a problem with that, considering the usual fervour that is afforded to any new managerial appointment in the Premier League. Rather, it will provide an opportunity for them to collect their thoughts and begin to devise a plan to revive the fortunes of two of the most famous clubs in the country. But were Lambert and Rodgers right to depart the clubs they had steered into the top flight in such style?

On paper, you would have to say 'yes' both times. Norwich and Swansea are admirable clubs who conducted themselves last season in an admirable fashion, refusing to depart from their commitment to attractive, attacking football. But as we all should know by now, football is not played on paper. Both men have jumped out of the cooler and into the frying pan, by which I mean they have left clubs where they were viewed as all but infallible for a much more intense and pressurised atmosphere. Aston Villa and Liverpool both enjoy decorated histories and as a consequence their very names hold a great amount of prestige, especially in the case of the latter. Any manager employed by them is expected to deliver success, and history will tell you that neither club is particularly patient. Lambert is the ninth manager in Villa's Premier League history, and Rodgers is the seventh man charged with the task of bringing the good times back to Anfield. If history counts for anything, it's fair to say that both men are going to have to hit the ground running when the 2012/13 season gets underway.

In the case of Rodgers, one factor working in the former Chelsea coach's favour is that he will not be working in the shadow of Kenny Dalglish, easily the most cherished figure in the Red's history. Whilst most supporters were disappointed to see the King removed as manager at the end of last season, even the most rose-tinted of the Anfield faithful will admit that Dalglish's second spell in charge was full of flaws. Rarely did he look at ease with the demands of the modern game, particularly when in front of the press, a claim that is backed up primarily (but not solely) by his ill-advised handling of the Luis Suarez race row. For this reason, his replacement is unlikely to have to deal with the sort of inanity that befell Roy Hodgson when he pipped Dalglish to the manager's job in the summer of 2010. The England manager was never able to get his feet under the table at Anfield, largely due to the considerably looming presence of the ultimate Kop icon in the corridors of power. Now that the spectre that blighted Hodgson's tenure has proved himself to be ill-suited to the demands of the Premier League, Rodgers will have a blank canvas to work from on.

But that's not to say that the early days of his tenure will be a bed of roses. Rodgers' Swansea team played to a clear set of principles, the main one being to frustrate the opposition via the means of an efficient, well-drilled passing game. However, the Swans were not always the most enterprising in front of goal during their debut campaign in England's top flight, evidenced by their tally of 44 goals, less than the amount scored by relegated Blackburn and Bolton. The Liverpool faithful will expect much more, but Rodgers may struggle to deliver with a team that scored only three more goals than his Swansea charges and were heavily reliant on the aforementioned Suarez, who scored 8 more goals last term than second highest goalscorer Steven Gerrard. Andy Carroll will be expected to improve in the final third, but the £35 million man is one of many players at the club who seemed to suffer a crisis of confidence last season. As a result, Rodgers' first task may be to lift the spirits of the expensive recruits who struggled to perform in the famous red jersey. Certainly, it's hard to see a high influx of players entering the club before the problems embellishing the current crop are remedied.

This is not to say, however, that Rodgers has made a bad choice in moving to Liverpool. He has taken a calculated risk that is only dissimilar to the one he made when joining Reading from Watford due to the size of the clubs involved. The Ulsterman has always struck me as being a very calm figure who believes firmly in his own principles, and this is likely to serve him well when in the bowels of the Anfield pressure cooker. We can most likely expect a highly organised Liverpool side next term, one that is hard to breach and more than comfortable when in possession of the ball. Players such as Lucas and Daniel Agger are likely to relish such an approach, but it is hard to see how the more rough and ready likes of Carroll and Jay Spearing will take to such a patient and probing approach. Only time will tell...

Paul Lambert, on the other hand, may have raised more eyebrows in his decision to depart Norwich for Villa Park. This is not because Villa are by any means a small club, on the contrary, they are a far bigger club than the Canaries in terms of infrastructure and revenue. Rather, it is the lack of disparity in the quality of each club's squad of players that is likely to have caused some confusement amongst the nation's armchair pundits. Clearly, Lambert sees something in the Villans post that few others have seen since the heady days of Martin O'Neill's time in charge, when they scaled to heights not seen since Ron Atkinson's highly successful spell in charge. This foresight adequately reflects the measure of Lambert as a coach...highly motivated and fiercely ambitious. In just three years he turned Norwich on it's head, steering them out of the lower echelons of League One and back into the promised land of the Premier League. Villa supporters will hope to see a similar Midas effect worked on their club.

In just two years, the claret and blue faithful have seen a highly capable side disassembled whilst also having to endure the trigger finger of chairman Randy Lerner, who is now onto his third coach in just two years. What is left at the club is a considerable amount of depth and a playing squad that is probably equal in quality to the grim bunch collected by David O'Leary in his final term in charge. Last season, Alex McLeish's side registered the second lowest amount of goals scored and the highest amount conceded from set pieces. Attendances also fell to their lowest in some time (though an improvement has been registered since McLeish's dismissal) and the squad became even thinner with the departures of Carlos Cuellar, Brad Guzan and Emile Heskey. Every cloud though...

What Villa will be getting in Lambert is, on face value, exactly what they need. Much like O'Neill did on his arrival in 2006, the former Celtic skipper is likely to focus on improving the performance levels of the current squad whilst also taking the opportunity to inject a few new faces when the opportunity arises. However, unlike his former Hoops manager, Lambert is unlikely to be afforded the riches that saw the likes of Steve Sidwell and Nigel Reo-Coker purchased for hefty fees. Rather, the new man is most likely going to have to scour the lower leagues for some bargains, a course of action that is unfamiliar territory for any Villa manager. This change in values will however serve the club well. It will reinvigorate a crowd that is tired of watching over-paid, over-the-hill players trudge around the Villa Park pitch and it will also challenge the club to change its values. Rather than dine with the Premier League prawn sandwich brigade, Villa will be tucking into a dirty kebab and playing to their own tune, signalling an end to the days of big contracts and big transfer fees.

Let's not forget either that Lambert will be inheriting some players of genuine quality...Charles N'Zogbia still has much to prove in claret and blue, Darren Bent remains one of the best finishers in the league and Shay Given is one of the finest keepers in the competition's 20 year history. Take into account the quality of some of Villa's academy graduates and you can see that there is a nucleus, albeit a fleeting one, for something of considerable measure which explains why Lambert was tempted away from Carrow Road. This is not to say, though, that there will be a radical change overnight. Lambert's first brief is likely to be to drag the club away from the Premier League trapdoor, something which he is more than capable of.

So, have two of the Premier League's brightest coaches made the right decision? As always, matters on the field (and perhaps off it) will ultimately answer that question. One thing is for certain though...they both have much to do.