Italian giants let Ranieri go

Italian giants Juventus have sacked their manager, Claudio Ranieri, after a poor run of results saw them make little progress in Serie A. Youth team coach Ciro Ferrara will replace him for the foreseeable future.

Ranieri will be known to most lovers of English football for the stint he spent in charge of Chelsea. It was in West London that he built his reputation as a great tactician and a character that many people found it hard not to fall in love with.

Juventus are fourth in the Italian league, which means the prospect of having to play Champions League qualifiers. The reason that so many teams are dreading the prospect of this is because the rules have been changed to create an open field.

Basically Juventus could get anyone from an established team like Arsenal to a not so established team from elsewhere in Europe. This decision proves the pressure that modern day managers are under in order to go and get high profile results on a consistent basis.

No doubt Ranieri will now have a spell out of the game to regroup all of his energy and passion in order to return better than ever before. There will be a host of clubs chasing his signature and one or two from the Premier League could make an enquiry as he does have the experience of the fast paced English game.

He also has a wealth of experience in European football and showed when his side met Chelsea in the Champions League that despite any gulf between the two sides in terms of quality, he could still work and inspire a team to give anyone a run for their money.

It is a shame he has been given the sack because many people in Italy would probably be the first to admit that he is the exact sort of person you could go for a friendly chat or drink with, without even knowing him. The decision has been made based on purely football reasons only and in a strange way this is a compliment to the Italians character.

Ranieri clearly got on well with the club, there were no rumours flying around for months before hand that he disagreed with the board or the powers at be at the club. All parties concerned just felt that the football was not moving forwards any more and for this reason the manager had to change. He had a good run but could not fulfil the ambitions of the club.

Ranieri will not be the sort of person that would want his next side to meet Juventus in a competition and stuff them out of sight, however satisfying this may be. He would want to meet them and display the gracious character for which he is so admired, proving that they were wrong to let him go and proving that he still has fire inside him to keep him fighting in a game that all so often throws up various injustices. Good luck to him wherever he now goes.

United wrap up the title with goalless draw

Manchester United have wrapped up their third Premier League title on the bounce after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford. It becomes the first time since 1999 that United have clinched the title in front of their own fans and caps off yet another efficient league campaign.

In a strange match, it was actually Arsenal who were the more dominant and probably should have spoilt the party. However, United appeared determined to not be broken down and saw out the match, which was met with mad scenes at the final whistle.

United have now drawn level with Liverpool’s domestic record of 18 league crowns and Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping to gain 19 by this time next year. The side will enjoy the next few days but will have the Champions League final against Barcelona in the back of their minds as well as the fact they owe to the rest in the relegation scrap to compete against Hull City on the final day.

Ferguson said: “The great challenge now is to try and win it next year because that would be something special. A 19th league title would give us a special place in the club’s history.”

Minds will have already started thinking about next season and the drama that is unlikely to unfold over the summer. The two main tasks for the United boss is to make sure that two of his best players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, are both wearing the shirt of Manchester United at the start of next season.

Tevez’s substitution yesterday was met with a chorus of boos around Old Trafford and the scenes of Tevez waving to every corner of the ground as he trundled off could well tell a subconscious story.

This was shortly forgotten however, as club captain Gary Neville hoisted the trophy into the air. Neville said: “The best thing about this season is that you can’t name our best side. The whole squad contributed, whether they played enough games to win a medal or not.”

“Liverpool have finished in title-winning form but we have not panicked, we have fought hard and had to show some guts to win it this time.”

United’s rivals will now know just how hungry the manager still is and they will all have to improve if they are to stop United creating history next year. This is clearly the best United squad in history and if it can be kept together then the thoughts of what the side is actually capable of is frightening. The prospect of three titles in a row as well as back-to-back European Cups is truly majestic.

It makes the mind boggle as to what actually keeps Sir Alex going. He has achieved everything he can in football but he will not lie down and retire until he has set a new title record. For as long as his health allows him he will continue to manager the football club and based on this season, they will continue to win things.

Rafa puts the difference down to cash

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, says the main reason that Manchester United are ahead of his side in the Premier League table is the amount of cash they have to spend. Benitez continues to rattle off the words and excuses as it now seems all but certain that United will wrap up another league crown later today.

Benitez’s point is that every single player in the United squad carries a price tag and capital of a big sum of money, making the side a lot further away from the other teams that many think. However, it is a hard point to believe or go into when you consider the fact that Liverpool spent big money on Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane, the latter of which was sold back to Tottenham at an £8 million loss.

This in irony is one of the reasons United are financially more savvy than Liverpool. You very rarely see Sir Alex Ferguson going and spending £20 million on a player who he then decides he doesn’t like half a year later and then sells him off at a loss.

It is also important to remember that Ferguson built the success of United without the big money that he is now able to spend and it is this original success that attracted the better players and the bigger sponsors.

Liverpool have not had this success and although they may appear lucrative to sponsor because of the stature of the club and the history, in terms of modern success they are a little way off other clubs.

Speaking today, Benitez said: “When you talk about United, you are talking about a side that spends big, big money on every single player, every season. For me that is the main difference between the teams.”

Well arguably United now stand as the third richest club in England when it comes to funds available for transfers, behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. The point is that it is not the amount of money that breeds the success, it is how it is used.

Take the example of Everton who have been one of the only teams in the last few years to break into the top four and this is without lavish spending and working on a shoe string budget. It proves that there is still room for hard work in football and although Benitez may believe that money is the main difference, this just seems like the Spaniard grabbing at an excuse as his side’s title challenge has now failed.

Furthermore United have proved that they have a wealth of gifted youngsters at the club, all ready to step into the first team and have a big future as professionals. These are all young men that have not been bought at the peak of their career from another club. It proves that the United academy is functioning well and shows that efficient coaching is another reason for the success.

No doubt Liverpool will spend big this summer, they have to, in order to get closer to United. The point is that it is how Benitez spends the money, not the quantity. This is what sets aside the teams.

Leeds United and play offs

Watch the body language

Who would have predicted it? The Coca Cola Division One play-off at Wembley on May 24 will be between Scunthorpe and Millwall. Hardened punters would have put their money on MK Dons and Leeds United and, let’s face it, they are the two teams which should really be there.

Both played their hearts out during the season, only to be denied at the final hurdle. Scunthorpe and Millwall might well produce a thrilling match but Leeds versus MK Dons would really have lifted the roof. Ironically, it was penalties which played a major role in both Scunthorpe’s success and the failure of Leeds.

A thrilling encounter between Scunthorpe and MK Dons ended without goals after 120 minutes of non-stop action, with the Dons eventually losing out 7-6 in the shoot-out. Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins said afterwards “I enjoyed it” but he must have been the only one. Fans on both sides had no nails left by the end of it.

However, Adkins perhaps provided the clue to their success by revealing his players regularly practise their penalties and their body language and the latter is often the difference between slotting home between the posts or hitting over the bar. “They all looked as though they meant business,” he said.

Scunthorpe keeper Joe Murphy was certainly on fine form and was hailed the hero of the match. Not surprisingly, MK Dons were bitterly disappointed, with manager Roberto Di Matteo believing they deserved to go up after a long hard-fought season and few would disagree. But, as Nigel Adkins conceded, it’s all a bit of a lottery.

Leeds meantime are still counting the cost of a missed penalty by star striker Jermaine Beckford who had been so instrumental in Leeds’ push for the top. His missed spot-kick was incredibly the fifth time Leeds had failed from the penalty spot this season.

Leeds have now failed to make the play-off final for the third time in four years and face a third season in the third tier. A bitter pill to swallow given they had lost only two of their last 17 matches.

Interestingly, manager Simon Grayson and chairman Ken Bates had apparently already made plans for both Championship and League One football next season before the play-offs. A wise move given the previous financial history of Leeds, with the club at least knowing in advance where it stands with players and budgets. It does beg the question, however, of whether there was any tiny element of disbelief that Leeds would be unable to clinch the prize? Just like body language with penalties, can body language be detected amongst club officials too?

One thing is for sure. MK Dons and Leeds will both be gunning for automatic promotion next season and will be leaving nothing to chance. Perhaps fitting in a few more penalty training sessions might be advisable just in case.

Owen on the brink of quitting Newcastle United

Michael Owen is on the verge of quitting Newcastle United at the end of the season as the club continues to be scarred by the prospect of relegation from the Premier League.

Owen is arguably the most high profile player contracted to Newcastle and despite Alan Shearer dismissing the speculation it could well be the case that Owen will start to look for a move elsewhere in order to save his football career and chances of playing for England.

Owen is not a player carrying an ego, everyone on the game, professionals and pundits alike, would admit that Owen is one of the most decent individuals around and his apparent decision is just a case of him doing something he has to do.

It should not attract him negative press or a bad reception from Newcastle fans. All he is doing is trying to adapt to the situation Newcastle find themselves in and if they do go down then a bid of a high amount will have to be taken to help Newcastle cope with the financial impact Championship football would have.

Speaking today, Shearer said: “Michael is a big name player and sometimes you attract headlines. I’m 100% sure he will be playing in the Premier League. Whether that is here or anywhere else, that’s for a discussion at the end of the season.”

Although Mark Viduka and Joey Barton have already publicly promised their commitment to the club you really would not blame Owen from trying to get a move. The days where he was tearing apart defences and ripping into the heart of the Argentina national side now seem long dead.

The point is that Owen still has it in him to play at the highest level and if Newcastle do manage to stay up then there is no doubt that he will stay at the Toon and try to help them consolidate to make sure the current situation never happens again.

He needs to be playing in the top flight and he needs to be playing at a club that has big ambitions both domestically and on the European scene. Many would have seen Owen as an England regular for years to come but injury and circumstance has seen him lose his place that he must be itching to get back.

If he has to leave Newcastle then he is not being selfish and leaving the club high and dry. He is just making the most logical decision at his disposal and you can’t really blame him for not wanting to stay at a club that would mean him simply take another step backwards in his career.

He still has it in him to score over 20 Premier League goals each season but we have just been kept from seeing it for such a long time that his career is starting to suffer. However, while he is wearing the black and white shirt of Newcastle it is pretty obvious that he will sweat blood for the team, but how much longer he is there for is unknown.

Arsenal fans must give Arsene Wenger patience

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has asked the fans to give him the time and space needed for him to rebuild the Arsenal side of his golden age. Fair enough the fans would be quite within their rights to kick up a fuss.

After all it has been four years since Arsenal last won a major honour but the point is that the inadequacies that have recently been shown up in the Arsenal side will not be fixed over night.

The current crop of players that Wenger has been nurturing is just not good enough, besides from one or two names. The current philosophy at Arsenal is a good one, but it is one that needs work with clever activity in the transfer market, as well as clever tactics and faith from the fans.

The side is very talented but it is lacking the special something that links everyone together in the way that Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry did in their spells at the club. Once this is found then it will be the football and only the football that everyone is talking about.

The current pressure on modern football for instant success is very high but if Arsenal want to create a side that demands such respect on a weekly basis then they will have to be patient with the manager, who will be under intense pressure to improve things at the Emirates quickly.

Wenger said: “If we do not deliver in the next one or two years then I will be responsible. It is the most important moment in the life of this club and we have to be strong now and support this team.”

He is right. The side can easily go one of two ways. The first is down a path that will lead to success, but this will only come if Wenger buys right this summer and gets some experience into the side that for all too long has been evidently missing. The other is down a path of doom that will see the current side be overcome by the developing quality in the Premier League.

It is unlikely that Wenger will allow the second of those possibilities to become a reality, as he obviously knows what he is doing in terms of setting the standards of good football. The point is that everyone connected with the club is losing patience having to wait for the first option to happen again.

Wenger knows how to deal with the set backs of football and there is no one better suited to guide Arsenal through this summer than the Frenchman. He knows there is a lot of pressure on him but he also knows that spending money at random will not solve Arsenal’s problems.

If he is given the time, space and respect that he will start turning wrong decisions into right ones then Arsenal will slowly improve. If he can start buying some higher calibre players instead of signing 15 and 16 year olds from established clubs, then Arsenal will slowly improve.

Over all Arsenal are going to slowly improve and it is just the case of whether the board and the fans have the patience to wait for something that could be majestic again.

Manchester United and Real Madrid battle it out for Wigan winger

Manchester United and Real Madrid will battle it out to get the signature of Wigan Athletic winger, Luis Antonio Valencia, at the end of the season. The news could well mean an end to the pursuit of Spurs’ Aaron Lennon by United, as Sir Alex Ferguson seeks a cheaper and more versatile option.

It is also no secret that Madrid are planning a big change of playing staff during the summer and it is thought that Valencia will fit into the La Liga style of play very well. It is much less physically demanding than the Premier League, which could be a big factor when Valencia has to make his decision.

Wigan manager, Steve Bruce, has all but given up on attempts to try and keep Valencia, now admitting he is likely to move. He said today: “It is inevitable Antonio will leave, but where to I am not quite sure. There have been no deals done so far, I keep reading the story but nothing has been done so far.”

So it seems that all parties involved may be waiting for the official end of season or the opening of the transfer window to happen before any action is made. It is a well known point in football that at this point in the year the rumour mill is normally in full flow and this may just be a case of a story getting way out of hand.

However, it is important and necessary to look at where would be best for Valencia if there are some elements of truth. United have proved themselves to be by far and away the strongest team in Europe over the last two seasons and there is no where better for the prospect of success than at Old Trafford.

Valencia also has first hand experience of how good United are and is already settled in England. He is likely to have already learnt the basics of English and if United make a bid then there is little doubt that he would snap the hand off of whoever makes the offer.

However, the history and calibre of Spanish football and Real Madrid is also very lucrative. Valencia is not a big person and he may suit the more gentle style of Spanish football, no doubt the quality would not be the same over the course of the season but he may well be up for the challenge.

Although Bruce is unlikely to disfavour United, having once played for them, he may prefer a bid from Spain as he would not want to see one of his main assets leave to go and play for another English club.

A move to Spain would also move Valencia back to a more familiar setting as it would feel closer to his South American roots despite the geographical gulf. This is a factor that money can’t buy and something United can do nothing about if this is what Valencia is looking for.

Where he ends up is right now a complete mystery. Wigan will have to take the offer that is right for the player and right for the club. United will probably be favourites but the solidity of their interest is unknown.