Arrogance, Lack of Perspective Doom USA to Embarrassing Disqualification

Last night's 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago means that the United States will miss the World Cup for the first time since 1986. This is an unacceptable result for a national team fan. This is hardly a country built on soccer, but the manner of last night's defeat displayed the difference between a fan's disappointment and anger at defeat. USA fans should be upset.

There are plenty of reasons to be upset. One of them is not because Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras, who qualified ahead of us, have about the same combined population as New York. Size does not matter in soccer. Iceland has been a top-10 team in the world over the past eighteen months - they play with spirit and emotion. Our team doesn't have either and doesn't have enough talent (like Argentina) to overcome tricky opponents when not playing well.

One of the main reasons to be upset is because there were so many mistakes made during this qualification campaign that could, and should, have been avoided. We made a criminal mistake by pulling an England - firing our foreign manager halfway through the campaign to hire someone from our home country in a vain attempt to unite the team. Pulling an England in anything soccer-related is never good (see:Iceland) and while I voiced my displeasure with Jurgen Klinsmann, the solution was obviously not Bruce Arena. Bruce did a great job to take the team to the World Cup in the 2000's - the manner of our defeat in the group stages in 2006 showed that he was not a top-quality manager. It was established at that time that he had taken us as far as he could - something I praise and commend him for. So, 8 years with the LA Galaxy took him to another level? You've got to be kidding. Analysts spoke of his "long undefeated run" prior to last month's home defeat to Costa Rica, despite the only win of merit in that entire run being a 2-0 home win in the Gold Cup against Costa Rica, which was easily cancelled out considering we drew two competitive matches with Panama. The manager doesn't have the quality required and he was only hired because he is an American. Pull an England and you're going to be out of whatever tournament you're playing in. This mistake was visible from the beginning.

The players did little to help. Our players aren't overly talented but without question are more talented than at least Panama and Honduras. They played with no focus and no discipline under Klinsmann, which was somewhat understandable given that Klinsmann was never known as much of a tactician, and the players clearly lost faith in him prior to their heavy defeat in Costa Rica. Perhaps it is more disturbing that this did not change under Arena, who was brought in to be a uniting force. That we could lose to a terrible team who had nothing to play for, a team with one win to eight losses in their previous nine matches, says quite a bit about the fight our team possesses right now. We deserved to lose as well. We have several good players but they never seem to be on the same page, and once things go against us, there doesn't seem to be much belief. We picked up only three points from a possible fifteen in our road matches. No spine whatsoever.

It shouldn't be difficult for us to qualify for the World Cup, but expectations are completely out of whack with this team. I think Americans are used to thinking they are the best at everything, or can be the best at everything eventually, while any neutral fan can see that we are nowhere close to top quality. When Arena spoke of the difficulty of qualifying from CONCACAF this week, specifically "challenging" a European team to consider how difficult it is to qualify in North America, it showed a shocking lack of perspective. He is not incorrect that CONCACAF offers a unique challenge - weather and pitch conditions in Central America are no picnic. But I can assure Bruce that Germany would much rather play in a qualification zone where they only have to finish in the top 4 (out of 6!!) to either be in or reach a playoff. UEFA requires a first-place group finish to automatically qualify, while only eight of the nine second-placed teams go to playoffs. Italy, Croatia and Switzerland are among the playoff teams in UEFA; Panama (ranked 60th in the world) has an automatic berth. Bruce, watch some soccer outside of LA. CONCACAF is little league - UEFA and CONMEBOL (South America) are the majors.

After all that, there is a lot of hope for the future. Step one will be getting an experienced manager who can handle a number of different styles. It is clear that the players have not meshed well during the campaign and I believe this to be a result of half of the team playing in Europe and the other half in the USA. Obviously European clubs are of better quality, but it is the contrasting styles that are giving our team the biggest problem. Neither Klinsmann nor Arena could find a system or starting eleven that worked. Our new coach has to be able to combine the finesse game of Europe with the physical nature of the MLS. If we can set a tactical game plan, we have the best talent we've ever had in Christian Pulisic growing into a superstar. He will be good enough to carry us to the World Cup on his own in four years, so hopefully we don't take his talent for granted. I am embarrassed for our team last night, but can see how some relatively minor changes in attitude, from management all of the way down to fans, will yield much better results. The bright side of losing last night was sparing us the further embarrassment of being pounded in the World Cup next summer - maybe our team could learn more by watching than playing.

Euro 2016: More Teams, Fewer Favorites

Euro 2016 is the first European tournament to be held with 24 entrants, up from 16 in the previous few versions. There will also be an extra knock-out round; the best four third-placed teams will qualify from the group stage along with the winners and runners-up of each of the six groups. As I noted in a previous post, the expansion to a 24-team final tournament strongly increased the level of play in qualifying, and we will see a number of nations in this year’s edition that had never previously qualified – Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Wales all make their first appearance in the tournament. This is a positive for a number of reasons, namely that more people get to take participate and dream of their country bringing home the cup. 
 

While I believe the gap between the top sides in Europe and the weaker sides in this tournament has closed, there isn’t much to choose from after Germany and France. The Germans come in confident after their triumph in the 2014 World Cup and have the strongest and deepest roster in Europe. It was shocking to see them lose their aggregate tie in qualifying to the Republic of Ireland, a team I rank as one of the weaker sides to qualify. However, the Germans still won Group D and deserve their label as favorites coming off their World Cup victory. A recent friendly loss to Slovakia shouldn’t be looked into too deeply. France, as hosts, won the World Cup in 1998 and look to repeat that task this summer. The team has gone through more than enough ups and downs in previous tournaments and it seems to be time to get down to business – everyone is sick of the melodramatic stigma that surrounds this team. The midfield is stacked, led by Juventus’s Paul Pogba, and Antoine Griezmann is in the form of his career for Atletico Madrid. The French are my pick to win the tournament.

Spain just looks old to me. The two-time defending champs struggled in the World Cup and their forward line is surprisingly thin. Their qualifying group was particularly weak and they split their matches with the second-best side, Slovakia. No one in their right mind can pick England. I like the roster – it looks stronger than previous tournaments – but there’s that inevitable sense of failure looming. Maybe Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy can change that? They’re in a very tough group and were truly dreadful in Brazil. Belgium, Portugal and Italy are the last three sides that could be considered as possible contenders, but Belgium is still young, Portugal has little else outside of Ronaldo and Italy is lacking the quality you’d expect out of an Italian team.

There are a few dark horses in this tournament. Croatia has a wealth of talent in midfield and experience up front with Mario Mandzukic. They have failed to live up to expectations since their quarterfinal appearance in Euro 2008, missing the 2010 World Cup and crashing out in the group stages of Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. Croatia placed third in Euro 1998 and could make a deep run in France again. They have the talent to win the tournament and while that is a lofty expectation, a semi-final appearance seems likely to me. Switzerland is another team that could make a much deeper run than expected. Their group is weak other than France, whom they lost to 5-2 in 2014. Romania and Albania shouldn’t be any issue for the experienced Swiss side, and a runners-up position in the group would likely pit them against Poland or Ukraine. A quarterfinal appearance seems reasonable, and would surpass expectations for a side that managed to hold Argentina for 116 minutes in the World Cup before losing 1-0.

France should win Group A easily. They crushed the Swiss in the World Cup (the 5-2 score line understated the play on the field) and Romania won’t be able to score against them. Albania is the worst team in the tournament by some distance. They qualified mostly due to the fact that their group was bad and they were the beneficiaries of an unfortunate incident involving Serbia. Romania has gotten steadily weaker over the last two decades and I haven’t seen anything to convince me a turnaround is coming. They can pack it in defensively but that’s about it. Switzerland should advance along with the French. Group B is a wildcard. You never know what you’re going to get from England, and their first match against the regularly underperforming Russian side should give us a good idea. The matchup with Wales on June 16 will be dynamite, and the one-man show of Gareth Bale will need to be on top form to advance. Other than a bizarre home loss to Belarus, Slovakia was solid in qualifying and presents a very balanced opponent. Martin Skrtel and Marek Hamsik are the cornerstones of the side, and both are experienced, talented players. Russia always seems to underachieve in major tournaments and this group presents a greater challenge than they faced in Brazil. I’m going to take England to win the group and advance with Slovakia, but I’m prepared to hear the England fans moaning if they blow it against the Welsh. They’ll never hear the end of that. But Group B could finish in any order and it wouldn’t surprise me.

Poland and Germany split two matches in qualifying and they will play again in Group C, also on June 16. The Poles have steadily improved over the last few years and with Robert Lewandowski leading the lines, they will be an entertaining team to watch. Both Ukraine and Northern Ireland are boring and bad, so I’m hoping that the Germans and Poles find their way through. The Irish won what was the worst European qualifying group I’ve ever seen, and while their progress deserves accolades, it doesn’t make them any better. The best side they managed to beat was Hungary (who I rank 23 out of the 24 teams that qualified). Ukraine is a bit better but there were just 18 total goals in their 10 qualifying matches, with six of them coming in a pair of 3-0 wins against Luxembourg. Can’t say I’m excited to watch Ukraine play, although Andriy Yarmolenko can make them bearable to watch. Ukraine did have success against Poland in 2013 but the teams have been going in opposite directions since then. Thankfully, Germany and Poland are the best two teams in the group and should head through. Group D is very interesting. Spain will try to bounce back from their embarrassing exit in Brazil, but their squad doesn’t look too intimidating to me. Diego Costa will not go to France, and while he has struggled with injuries, finishing, and keeping his head on straight over the last twelve months, his absence leaves Spain heavily reliant on Juventus forward Alvaro Morata. An aging midfield behind him does not inspire me, and a 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final tune-up could prove to be an eerie sign. The Czechs and Turks also faced off in qualifying, with each side winning at the other’s ground. Turkey seems to play well in tournaments so they could be a dark horse in this group. I see Croatia as the best team in the group. Some combination of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic will form what looks like the best midfield in Europe. Croatia faces Spain on June 21, likely to determine the group’s winner. I like the Croats to beat the Spanish and win the group, with Spain second.

Group E is another very balanced group. Belgium and Italy face each other first on June 13 in what should be an exciting contest. It could go either way, and we should see plenty of goals. Sweden and Ireland played one another in World Cup qualifying in 2013 and the Swedes came out on top, winning in Ireland and securing a draw at home. What would this tournament be without Zlatan? He’d be the first to tell you it would be boring and not worth watching, so let’s hope his final Euros turns out to be a memorable one. The problem is, Sweden just isn’t very good, and although they were in a tough qualifying group and were the only side to take a point from Austria, they won just five of their ten matches and had to beat Scandinavian rivals Denmark in a playoff just to qualify. Ireland has put up some very good results, beating Germany during qualifying and knocking out a strong Bosnia-Herzegovina side in the playoffs. They haven’t been nearly as good outside of Ireland, and this group is particularly tough. Despite their respective issues, Belgium and Italy will be heavy favorites to advance and I expect both sides to do so.

Lastly, Group F strongly resembles Group D in the Copa America – there are two very strong sides and two rather inept ones. Portugal will always be a threat with Cristiano Ronaldo in the side and Austria is their only formidable opponent. Austria ran off nine wins and a draw in ten qualifying matches to reach the tournament for the second time (they co-hosted in 2008). Led by Bayern Munich midfielder David Alaba, the Austrians have perhaps their best team ever. I would rank them higher but their lack of experience concerns me. The two clunkers in the group are Iceland and Hungary. Iceland had a great run in qualifying, but I expect them to come down to Earth. Their two wins against the Netherlands say more about the state of the Dutch side than the prowess of their own play. Iceland has some stars but no real experience to draw upon. Hungary came in third in that awful qualifying group that Northern Ireland won. They scored only 11 goals in 10 matches and qualified by beating a poor Norway side. This isn’t the Hungarian side from the 1950’s. Iceland has a better shot at causing a shock but Portugal and Austria are a few steps above both teams.

I picked the hosts in Brazil and felt pretty dumb afterwards so I’m hoping this isn’t a repeat. France has the fortune of an easy group to get the home crowd behind the team. It also doesn’t hurt to have a squad of their caliber. Overall, I expect this tournament to be less predictable than the Copa America – these teams don’t play each other in competitive atmospheres very often and there are eight more teams involved. That means eight additional styles of play, numerous additional superstars that could win a game single-handedly and ultimately what should be a very fun tournament to watch. The Germans are the betting favorite but this is the type of year where you could see an underdog take the trophy.

Copa America Centenario Preview: Don’t Expect Much From Team USA

On June 3, the United States has the unique opportunity to host the Copa America, the South American version of the European Championships (which begin June 10 in France, preview coming soon). It’s kind of odd in many ways, as not only has the tournament never been held outside of South America, but it’s usually every four years, and they just had it last year (Chile won as hosts). I’m not complaining though, more competitive soccer for us. The tournament is a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first tournament in 1916.

There are a handful of teams capable of winning the competition. However, we are not one of them, barring a ridiculous Greece-like run. The shameful fourth-place finish we had in last year’s Gold Cup doesn’t seem like an inflection point as much as it seems like a continuation of the downward trend under Jurgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann has done some nice things with the team, and he certainly has strengthened the talent pool for years to come by attracting “foreign” players. However, his in-game coaching is clearly lacking, as Phillip Lahm so eloquently put in 2011, “he doesn’t do tactics.” Over the last ten months, we’ve lost competitive matches to Jamaica, Panama (both at home), Mexico (at home, with a chance to go to the Confederations Cup next year), and Guatemala. Ugh. We should be able to beat Jamaica and Guatemala with me coaching the side but somehow we didn’t. My waning hope for this team rests on the first match, against Colombia. If we can get a positive result in that game (which for me would be a draw), we could make a somewhat deep run, especially considering we’re hosts. I don’t see it, and although I think we can beat Costa Rica and possibly Paraguay, I simply don’t have the faith in Klinsmann to put any expectation behind it. I’ll be happy if we get out of the group.

Colombia is the best team in Group A; they should win it without an issue. The other three sides are set to fight for second, and it should be pretty tight. I’m going to take us for second just because I want to see it happen. There’s nothing particularly special about either Paraguay or Costa Rica, although Paraguay were finalists in the 2011 version.  Group B should be a breeze for Brazil. They could probably beat Haiti with nine men, and history suggests Peru and Ecuador have little chance of securing a point. Haiti is a clear level below the others in this group. Peru and Ecuador, two teams used to playing at high altitudes, play on June 8 in Glendale at an elevation of just 522 feet. I expect both teams to be uncomfortable there and a draw is likely, meaning second-place could come down to their goal differences in their nearly-inevitable wins against Haiti and losses against Brazil. I like Ecuador to take second.

Group C should be the tightest overall. Mexico plays their three matches in Arizona, California and Texas so they’re basically hosting as well. Their first match, June 5 against Uruguay, will be the most entertaining. Pichichi winner and constant antagonist Luis Suarez will be a menace for Uruguay, and last year’s Gold Cup winners haven’t convinced me they have the attacking power to keep up. Suarez’s fitness will play a large role in deciding this group. As of right now, I’m assuming he will be fit by ranking Uruguay fifth. If he is unable to play, I would drop them to eighth. Leicester’s Wes Morgan leads Jamaica into the tournament, runners-up to Mexico in the aforementioned Gold Cup. Jamaica isn’t very good, but their experience is in defense, so they could be tough to break down. Venezuela is a bit of a wild card but their results have been poor in qualifying and I don’t expect that to change here. Uruguay and Mexico should navigate through Group C. Group D features two of the tournament’s best sides – Argentina and Chile, who played in last year’s Copa America final – and two of its worst, Panama and Bolivia. Argentina and Chile play on June 6 in Santa Clara, each team’s first game, so we should be in for an entertaining rematch. The other two sides don’t have nearly enough talent or experience to keep up.

My pick for the tournament winner is Argentina – they have the best team and will be smarting after last year’s shootout loss to Chile in the final.

See the below table for my full predictions for the opening round. The teams are ranked 1-16 (by me) and are formatted to show the potential disparity or closeness in ranking. The recent results highlighted in green are particularly important; the ones in red you can disregard. This is because of the timing of the recent matches or the competitiveness of them. Most recent result is listed first. 

Jose Mourinho: Not the Right Fit for Manchester United

This morning, Jose Mourinho was hired as manager of Manchester United. It was a job he spoke about continually after departing Chelsea in 2007, as he hoped to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson upon his retirement. Ferguson chose David Moyes instead, and Mourinho went back to Chelsea, where he had one good year, one great year, and half of last year which ended in a complete disaster. Meanwhile, Manchester United have been far below their historical standards, finishing seventh, fourth and fifth in the past three seasons.

As a Chelsea supporter, I don’t blame Mourinho at all, or hate him, for joining Manchester United. His players revolted on him at Chelsea and Roman Abramovich had no choice but to fire him. The Premier League is one of the most emotional sporting competitions in the world, and clearly the locker room at Chelsea was not behind him. I expressed my disdain for the chief antagonists in that development in my last post and I hope they’re shipped out of London this summer. Anyway, Mourinho isn’t exactly an endearing coach. It’s his way or the highway, and when things are going well, he is the first to bask in the glory. When things aren’t going so well, it quickly falls apart for him. The United board was already hesitant to hire him so I don’t expect him to be on a long leash. He hasn’t exactly had the best relations with boards of directors at his previous clubs.

There are a number of issues in play here. I believe many United fans misunderstood the purpose of Louis Van Gaal’s tenure. Not particularly endearing himself, Van Gaal rarely displayed the type of vigor many United fans wanted to see (but his flop on the touchline was pretty epic). It was his job to transition the team from the disaster that Moyes gave him to a title challenger in three years. The team finished lower in the table this year, and some of his purchases were certainly questionable, but he helped develop many of United’s best players. Marcus Rashford made a splash when Van Gaal put him in the lineup (he scored a goal on his debut for England today), and Van Gaal helped develop Memphis Depay and Daley Blind with United and previously with the Dutch national team. Anthony Martial is arguably the best position player on the team. Van Gaal has a strong record of developing youth and did relatively well with a young team. Jesse Lingard scored the winner for him in the FA Cup final, his final game. Was winning the title ever a realistic goal with the squad he had? Absolutely not. Tactically, United were very boring, and I think that’s why he was ultimately fired. Also, missing out on the Champions League because of the loss at West Ham was a killer.

As for Mourinho… First things first, if Mourinho is allowed to spend at will, United will be a contender, regardless of his antics. Mourinho has a way of getting the best out of players with somewhat obscure personalities – his great relationship with transfer target Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a perfect example, as is the 2014-15 performance of Diego Costa. United finished fifteen points behind Cinderella-side Leicester, their closest finish to the top since Sir Alex left, so it’s not like Mourinho needs to pull some sort of miracle to take them towards the upper echelon. He also has the best goalie in the league in David De Gea. He will need to buy, especially for midfielders and a striker, and if he is allowed to do so, it’s hard to see United struggling again.

However… there are a number of ways Mourinho just doesn’t fit the club:

1. He doesn’t trust youth. Van Gaal has spent the last two years developing players, many through the academy, a United staple. Their golden generations have come through the academy and shined for years as homegrown players. Young players like Marcus Rashford, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Adnan Januzaj are not going to play under Mourinho. He simply doesn’t do it. He will buy more experienced players to replace them. They’ll get a few starts in cup games, but it’s more likely you’ll see them shipped out on loan. Also, the existing side is old. With Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all well past their prime, Mourinho will have to spend heavily to get a starting XI that he’s comfortable with.

2. His style is usually boring. United was not exactly an exciting team to watch last year; they finished 10th in scoring, with just one more goal than nearly-relegated Sunderland. David Moyes played a long-ball style which was terrible, and while Van Gaal emphasized possession more, his players were often unable to do much with it. Mourinho plays on the counter. He can have his players play directly and I would expect more goals, but it’s not exactly a Pep Guardiola-esque free-flowing attack. His style was one of the major reasons United hesitated to hire him to begin with. One of his strengths is his tactical genius, but his style will not always, or maybe ever, please supporters.

3. He is overbearing. United has already given Mourinho the final say on all transfers, which definitely will help relations, as they have already accepted this to begin with. It’s not just transfers with him, it’s preparations, warm-ups, even team doctors that he feels he needs to control. As a club, United just don’t have that kind of personality, and when he used this approach at Real Madrid they eventually threw him out.

Mourinho has a lot to prove at United. He has to prove that he hasn’t lost his tactical acumen and that he can manage a big club without annoying everyone within it. I thought a move to a national side would have been more logical for him (he would’ve made a great coach for Portugal), but he has always wanted the United job, so he had to take the opportunity. The squad needs major improvements, and Mourinho will be successful if he is allowed to bring in a number of superstars. He won’t trust youth, and if he is not immediately successful, he will start alienating people at the club. Club legend Ryan Giggs is already on his way out after Mourinho’s appointment. I don’t have a prediction for Manchester United’s season, mostly because summer transfers will shape their potential success. With Leicester, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all contending for the title next year, Mourinho has a very difficult job on his hands. I understand why United hired him – he is definitely the best coach available at this point in time. But at first glance, he doesn’t look like the right man for the job.

The Story Behind the Fall of Chelsea FC

As a Chelsea fan, I love Jose Mourinho. I still do. His return to the club was supposed to set up a period of stability for a club that, although successful, has experienced turbulence and a great amount of turnover in personnel.

Well.. not so much. Mourinho’s departure paves the way for yet another interim manager, Guus Hiddink, and yet another period of uncertainty for the club. This time, the interim manager has a legitimate hole to dig out of, as opposed to other managers, whom were simply the next man up when owner Roman Abramovich became impatient.

Chelsea are in 15th place. They are just three points above the relegation zone. The team probably overachieved last year when it won the Premier League, but this is a disgrace. I feel for Mourinho because he tried everything. Perhaps it was the success from last year, the issues with the team doctors, or the poor early results – but what transpired was a swooning spiral into 15th place.

I place a large amount of blame on Cesc Fabregas. It is clear that Fabregas has a problem with Mourinho, and although he was typically matter-of-fact with the press, and publically paid tribute to the manager after his departure, I don’t believe him. He’s lying.

When Mourinho was at Real Madrid, he benched Iker Casillas, the famed Spanish goalkeeper and poster boy of Real Madrid. He benched Casillas because he wasn’t the best goalkeeper on the team. It did not go well. Casillas was visibly upset, and Mourinho eventually left the club. Casillas did as well, because Mourinho was right – Casillas no longer should be starting for a club that is aspiring to win all trophies like Real Madrid. As a club legend, Casillas felt he was owed something, something that was not given to him when Mourinho put him on the bench.

Fabregas was taken off at halftime after a poor showing against West Ham, and subsequently benched against Liverpool. Chelsea lost both games. He was taken off, and benched, because he was playing pathetically and with little effort. If there is one thing Mourinho will not put up with, it's a lack of effort on the defensive side. Rumors started to surface of locker room tensions, and many were tied to Fabregas. He denied them, and although his words were direct, the tone was not. At this point, things at Chelsea started to take a real turn for the worse. More recently, rumors spread that Chelsea team information was leaked before their crucial tie against FC Porto. Guess who was sitting on the bench – Fabregas. Hmm..

It really seems like Fabregas, and the other Spanish players in the squad, decided they’d had enough of Mourinho. Spain won three international tournaments in a row – they did so by playing possession football and playing through the midfield. Mourinho’s style of play could not be more opposite – he demands you cover as a winger, and the general style is counterattacking, not possession. What you have here is a classic case of the players believing they are better than the manager.

Fabregas has been terrible all year. His typically smooth passing has been non-existent, which has rendered him a liability in midfield because he’s never been a good defender. Diego Costa came into training overweight, by his own admission, and has spent more time this season trying to instigate opposing defenders than actually getting around them. Yeah, it was funny when he got Gabriel to bite against Arsenal, but it’s not funny when you’re losing more than half of the games you play because the striker isn’t in the right position. His spoiled demeanor was evident when, although being the last member of the squad to be dropped, he threw his warmup bib at Mourinho after not being played against Tottenham. Costa has scored three goals this season – I don’t think anyone can see the crying as justified.

The two other Spanish members of the squad are different stories. Pedro came over from Barcelona over the summer and he just hasn’t been very good. I don’t question his effort, but his overall play has been poor. I thought he was a good bargain but it just hasn't worked out. It happens. Azpilicueta, on the other hand, has been horrible. The goal he gave up to Riyad Mahrez last Monday was laughable. Yeah, it was a nice move by Mahrez, but if you basically get out of the way of an in-form striker when he shoots from six yards out, what do you think will happen? I’ve always thought Azpilicueta was a hard worker, and that makes his recent lack of effort that much more noticeable. He isn’t trying, and neither are Fabregas and Costa. When three members of an eleven-man team, with one in each line of the formation, aren’t giving their full effort, what you get is a 15th placed team.

It isn’t only on the Spanish players. Eden Hazard has yet to score in the Premier League after legitimate comparisons were made between him and Cristiano Ronaldo last year. I think he just got sick of Mourinho telling him to track back, and when Fabregas started the trouble, he joined in. Hazard’s hip injury exit from Monday’s game in Leicester was dubious – you could tell by Mourinho’s tone that he didn’t really believe him. I doubt he’s really injured. When Mourinho said he was “betrayed” – look no further.

Mourinho is not without blame. Clearly, his style is to be authoritative, and he has a “my way or the highway” personality. In a lot of ways, this is a good characteristic for a football manager, because the squad must believe in the game plan or it will fail. He’s arrogant. He berates officials, managers, players, everyone he can. But who doesn’t? He’s always been in the spotlight because of his straight-shooting philosophy and his great successes. Mourinho is a top manager whether the Chelsea players see it that way or not.  

It’s hard to believe, but this Chelsea squad has too many primadonnas – more than Real Madrid – to succeed under Mourinho. The Spanish players are too arrogant from all of their international successes. Hazard does not want to defend like a winger, only attack. No matter how talented, a disjointed team cannot win a tough league like the Premier League. They can’t even beat a dreadful team like AFC Bournemouth. Although neither could Manchester United..

What should Chelsea do? It’s going to be difficult to attract a top manager before the end of the year, but Guus Hiddink isn’t a bad option for an interim coach. In January, they need to sign a striker who is a poacher – someone who is going to run into the six-yard box and finish from close. They will not get relegated, but a top-four finish is nearly impossible, so the season is lost. If they can somehow gather form by February, PSG awaits in the Champions League. It’s unlikely they will win that matchup – so it’s time to rebuild.

Step 1 – Remove Fabregas, Costa and Azpilicueta from the team. Sell Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.

Step 2 – Find a coach with an established pedigree at a top club, but also one that fits English football. While I would not be upset if Chelsea wound up with Pep Guardiola next year, I don’t think his style really fits the Premier League. Diego Simeone would be a great coach for the team. They need a motivator.

Step 3 – Give the youth players time to play. Once Chelsea are in a safer position in the table, bench all of the above players and play some of the promising youth players, such as Bertrand Traore and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Show the players that they are not bigger than the club, and allow the talented youth to shine on the big stage. 

Jose Mourinho does not have a reputation to rebuild. These players do. Clearly, they will play better after his departure because they decided they were sick of him. In football, it’s much easier to fire one coach versus eleven players. Cesc Fabregas is impossible to root for as a Chelsea fan. He needs to go immediately. The rest of the players – their pride (in Mou’s words) is on the line for the rest of the year – to prove they are the world class players they pretended to be last year. Until some change occurs, the Chelsea players are right where they belong – 15th place.

Weekly Ranks 10/19 - PSG/Real Madrid, Manchester Derby on Deck

Rankings

1. Bayern Munich
2. Barcelona
3. Real Madrid
4. Paris Saint-Germain
5. Manchester City
6. Atletico Madrid
7. Borussia Dortmund
8. Juventus
9. Chelsea
10. Arsenal
11. AS Roma
12. Manchester United
13. Zenit St. Petersburg
14. FC Porto
15. Benfica
16. Vfl Wolfsburg
17. Celta Vigo
18. Napoli
19. Fiorentina
20. CSKA Moscow

Out: Villarreal

In: Napoli

News:

Bayern Munich made it nine-for-nine in the Bundesliga to maintain a seven-point lead over Dortmund. Bayern has a ridiculous +25 goal differential.. Barcelona got back on track with a 5-2 win over Rayo. Neymar isn't quite Robert Lewandowski, but did manage four goals on Sunday. He's doing his best to replace Messi, and I don't think Barca will fall off too much without the world's best player.. Celta Vigo maintained their surge, now second in La Liga after picking up a win at previous leaders Villarreal.  They are now joint top with Real Madrid and Barcelona. I'm not a believer quite yet. Real might not be as flashy of a team this year, but defensively, Rafa has the team in top form. They've conceded just two goals over eight games in a league that averaged 2.66 per game last year, second highest in the top-five leagues.. All four English teams in the rankings recorded wins last weekend, with Manchester United most impressive in a dominating win at Everton. The other three sides played very weak opposition, and each won easily. The Premier League is shaping up to be a bit more lopsided than usual this year.. Napoli joins the rankings after defeating Serie A leaders Fiorentina 2-1, cutting the gap between the two sides to three points. That's four wins out of five in the league for Napoli, who have recorded two additional wins the Europa League over that span.. Juventus looked better against Inter but could not defeat their rivals, drawing 0-0. I'm still waiting for Juve to turn it around, and there's still plenty of time. Maybe success in Europe will get the team going.. The Portuguese league was off this week.

Games to Watch:

Tuesday: Champions League action features Arsenal hosting Bayern Munich and Dynamo Kiev welcoming Chelsea. Arsenal dropped their first two contests and now face the unenviable task of defeating the German side to try and kick-start their European campaign. Bayern haven't lost since the Super Cup against Wolfsburg in August. They've also won their last two trips to the Emirates, 2-0 and 3-1, during first-leg matches in the Champions League. It's hard to see Arsenal breathing life into their hopes of progressing. Chelsea hardly proved they were back on Saturday despite a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, and face a long trip to Ukraine to face current Group G leaders Dynamo. Dynamo were just beaten 3-0 against arch-rivals Shakhtar, who jumped them into first in the Ukrainian Premier League. It's hard to predict what Chelsea team will show up in Kiev, and a loss would be very damaging for their chances of progression. With Eden Hazard likely returning to the side, I expect a strong performance from the Blues in Ukraine. 

Wednesday: A true titanic matchup in Group A takes place, with PSG hosting Real Madrid, and Real one goal ahead of their hosts through two games. Real have been superb defensively and will be a stern test for PSG, who have been rolling through Ligue 1. This is a statement game for the French side – they are not tested in the league very often and have spent the money to be among Europe's elite. Despite the talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic being on display, I expect a tight, low-scoring game in Paris, with a slight edge to the home side. CSKA Moscow take on Manchester United with all four teams in Group B recording a win and loss in their first two games. All four are even in goal difference as well. Moscow is the site of United's 2008 Champions League triumph, and they won their last visit in 2009, defeating CSKA 1-0. It should be a good contest with a lot of goals – CSKA are leading the Russian Premier League and can keep up with United's pace. A win for United would put them in pole position to progress.

Saturday: League action is highlighted by Celta Vigo – Real Madrid. After defeating Barcelona 4-1 earlier this season, Celta could make a serious statement to the rest of the league by getting a positive result against Real. Real's goal differential is a bit inflated after a two-game stretch where they recorded 11 goals, but Ronaldo is still maintaining a healthy scoring pace. Celta would deserve a place in the top fifteen with a victory, while Real could close what has been a growing gap between Bayern Munich and the rest of the continent. It's hard to trust Celta with so few games played, but I expect them to give Real some issues.

Sunday: The top two sides in the Premier League clash in Manchester - United get the first shot at City at Old Trafford.  United halted a three-game home losing streak against City with a resounding 4-2 win last season. City have won four of six overall against United and lead them by two points. The Manchester derbies have been must-watch games over the last few seasons, and with both sides near the top of the league again, it should be another classic matchup. Wilfried Bony did a good job last week replacing Sergio Aguero, and City's title challenge this season could depend on his ability to produce until he returns. City are the better team overall, but you never know in these sort of games. Complete toss-up.

Weekly Rankings 10/12 - Germany Tops International Ranks; Netherlands Disappoints

Rankings

1. Germany
2. Chile
3. Argentina
4. Spain
5. Belgium
6. France
7. Portugal
8. Colombia
9. Austria
10. Brazil
11. Italy
12. Uruguay
13. England
14. Poland
15. Côte d'Ivoire
16. Wales
17. Iceland
18. Croatia
19. Ghana
20. Netherlands

Terms:

AFC – Asian soccer federation

CAF – African soccer federation

CONCACAF – North American soccer federation

CONMEBOL – South American soccer federation

UEFA – European soccer federation

News:

Let me first mention that FIFA’s actual “rankings” are ridiculous (perhaps a good representative of the organization itself). To summarize, they don’t take into account teams who are hosting major tournaments, and place way too much emphasis on meaningless qualifying games. If you’re looking at the official rankings and wondering why Wales is 8th and France is 22nd, there’s your answer..  No team from CONCACAF makes my rankings. The United States used to be worthy, but their Gold Cup performance was just plain awful. You could see the loss to Mexico coming – the team doesn’t deserve a place in the Confederations Cup, and you aren’t a top-20 team if you lose to Jamaica in a big game. Mexico is still a mess, despite the win. Costa Rica is the only other possible candidate – they too were poor in the Gold Cup. Years of corruption in the FIFA hierarchy (i.e. Jack Warner) has made headlines, but its effect on stunting the growth of CONCACAF is clear.. Not willing to give any team from AFC a spot either. Australia and Japan have been the best two teams in the region for quite some time, but neither made any kind of dent at the World Cup last year. South Korea also failed to make an impact, and with Iran rounding out the region’s qualifiers, the results were four last-place finishes for AFC.  It’s an area lacking in star power and depth. Asia has some of the worst teams in the world despite having massive populations, as countries like India and China are pathetic on the field. There is the most room for growth in AFC, but it hasn’t even begun its liftoff yet.

European qualifiers are nearly concluded, with only tomorrow’s matches remaining. I wrote previously about how the expansion from a 16-team final tournament to 24 teams would raise the quality of play in qualifying matches (10/14: New European Qualifying Structure Paying Quick Dividends), and the results are quite staggering. Iceland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Albania and Slovakia all qualified for their first-ever tournament, while Austria also qualified for the first time (they were co-hosts in 2008, and were automatically in). There are six pots to rank teams from best to worst, and Wales came from Pot 4, while Iceland, Northern Ireland and Albania came from Pot 5. For reference, 2012 qualifying’s lowest-ranked team to qualify was Ireland, who was in Pot 3. The last team to qualify from the fourth pot or lower was Latvia in 2004, when there were only five pots. Granted, more spots in the finals means more opportunities for lower-ranked nations, but the expansion of the Euros has not only improved competitiveness, but allowed football to grow more quickly and gain more attention in smaller countries. The move has been a clear bright spot during a dark, turbulent period for UEFA and FIFA.

As for the rankings, World Champions Germany top the list, just as their counterparts Bayern Munich do for the club rankings. Last week’s loss to Ireland was a black mark, certainly, but given the busy club schedules at this time and the cushion Germany had in Group D, it was forgivable. There is no deeper team in the world – Germany’s “B” team would likely be a top-15 side. They will be favorites next summer to win Euro 2016.. Chile logged an impressive win over Brazil to take the initiative in CONMEBOL qualifying. This should not come as a surprise, despite it being Chile’s first win over their counterparts in fifteen years. Brazil will be better when Neymar returns; for now, they are barely a top-10 side.. Argentina played horribly in a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador and lost Sergio Aguero in the process. Sadly, at this point we must expect Aguero to get hurt because it seems to happen so frequently. He should miss over a month of play this time. Despite the poor performance, Argentina will be fine without him – it is a much greater concern for Manchester City.

Winners from Euro qualifiers? The United Kingdom and Ireland, which could see four of their five teams in France next summer. England, Northern Ireland and Wales are already qualified, while Ireland head to the playoffs. Only Scotland will certainly miss out, as a loss in Georgia proved a fateful blow to their campaign. Wales are certainly not as good as their lofty FIFA ranking, but Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey could take the team a long way. The Welsh could make some noise in France. England are good, of course, but not great. More of the same should be expected.. Austria have been one of the shining stars of qualifying. Seemingly packed with expectation year after year, the young Austrian side finally came through, winning Group G easily while dropping just two points in a home draw with Sweden. Full of crafty midfielders, Austria will be a sleeper candidate.. If there was a wins-above-replacement statistic for soccer, then Robert Lewandowski would certainly top it after his performances for Bayern and Poland this season. The man is simply unstoppable. His thirteen goals easily led all scorers in qualifying, and there appears to be no way to contain him. Poland’s biggest problem is that the final tournament is a whole year away. He can take what is an above-average team (at best) and make them elite..  Despite all the buzz around the newcomers for Euro 2016, we will likely be missing one continental power as the Netherlands completely fell apart in Group A. The Dutch lost to each of the three sides ahead of them away from home, including being swept by Iceland. This is a team that usually breezes through qualifying, and Group A was not particularly difficult. It will be stunning if the Dutch miss out on France, but thoroughly deserved.. Portugal lost their first match at home to Albania before rattling off seven straight mostly-unimpressive one-goal wins to win Group I. An always-talented but inconsistent side, Portugal will go to France with perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo’s last hope of winning the Euros. While Ronaldo rightly deserves praise as the best Portugese player of all-time, it is unlikely he is rewarded with a major trophy. Portugal has matched nearly every big win with a puzzling loss over the last fifteen years.

Games to Watch:

Tuesday: Euro 2016 qualifying concludes, with a number of deciding matches on tap for both automatic qualification to France and qualification to the playoff round. Tuesday’s games are highlighted by Turkey – Iceland, Cyprus – Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Italy – Norway. Turkey only need a point to qualify for the playoffs as they own the head-to-head with the Netherlands, who take on the Czechs needing a win and a ton of help from Iceland. Turkey should be heading to the playoffs, although they were beaten handily by Iceland in Reykjavik. Cyprus host Bosnia with possibly the unlikeliest bid to qualify for the playoffs. Two points behind their opponents entering the day, Cyprus need a win and an Israel loss or draw in Belgium. Cyprus, who are a mediocre side at best, won in Bosnia before going 2-5 over their next seven matches, only managing to beat minnows (me being kind) Andorra twice. But a win last week in Israel gives them an improbable hope of making the playoffs, as Bosnia has stumbled throughout the campaign and Israel just isn’t very good. I would expect Bosnia to take care of business – they are a much better side and playing better after a nightmare start. Lastly, Norway can qualify for their first major tournament since 2000 by beating Italy, as Croatia will almost certainly beat Malta. Only a win will do, as Croatia won the head-to-head between the two sides.

In South America, Uruguay and Colombia face off in Montevideo. Both teams won their first qualifier, with Uruguay winning in Bolivia and Colombia defeating Peru. Both sides play a physical style and have elite attacking players. Brazil and Argentina are still filled with stars but aren’t the most entertaining teams on the continent now-a-days – these two, along with Chile, are. Hopefully no bites or back-breaking tackles, though.

Saturday: Club football returns, and Tottenham – Liverpool will be the matchup to watch Saturday morning in England. Liverpool hired Jurgen Klopp to replace the struggling Brendan Rodgers, as even a draw in the Merseyside derby was not enough to save Rodgers from receiving the axe. Tottenham provides a solid first test for Klopp, who is one of the best coaches in the world. His last year at Dortmund is not indicative of his abilities, and with a talented but underperforming squad, he could steer the ship back on course quickly. He has already tempered expectations and will need to sign some of his own type of players, but Liverpool should rejoin the “let’s take them seriously” conversation much sooner with Klopp at the helm.

Sunday: Many of the top club teams are missing a marquee matchup this weekend, but there is some interesting action in Italy and Spain. In Italy, Napoli – Fiorentina and Inter Milan – Juventus should be very good matches, while Villarreal takes on Celta Vigo in Spain.  Napoli have won five of six matches (the only draw a puzzling 0-0 result against newly-promoted Carpi) while logging an extraordinary 18:1 goal differential. That run includes a 2-1 win over Juventus and a 4-0 spanking of AC Milan. The hottest team in Serie A, they take on leaders Fiorentina, who are six points ahead but still proving themselves as contenders. Inter are in second place, and will have their hands full with reigning but out-of-form champions Juventus. I’m expecting Juventus to start closing that gap on Inter and Fiorentina, and it should start on Sunday with wins for the “Old Lady” and Napoli.