Sorry Rangers not fit to move south

IF nothing else, Glasgow Rangers’ recent performances in the Champions League have merely confirmed that they are not fit to play in the English Premier League. To be beaten at home so convincingly twice in a matter of weeks is unacceptable. Losing to Seville was one thing, but Tuesday’s capitulation against Unirea Urziceni was verging on the laughable.
Every game in the competition is a struggle for the Scots, but to then make things even harder by scoring two own-goals just sums their predicament up; you get the impression that it could only happen to them, and the number of empty seats on view at Ibrox during the latter stages of the game spoke volumes; even their own fans, renowned for being some of the best in the game, have had enough.
Which brings us back to the original point. One has to ask what the Premier League has to gain by inviting Rangers and Celtic to swell its ranks. At very best, both sides would finish mid-table; they wouldn’t even get close to breaking into the top four, or being able to compete with those on the periphery, such as Tottenham or Aston Villa.
There is no longer any money in the game north of the border, and that applies to the old firm as well. Rangers and Celtic are both unable to go out and buy players in the way they were previously, which means they are both set to struggle on the European stage for the time being. For now, until either side is able to make a serious impact in the Champions League, all the talk of them moving to the English league should be put to bed.

Sparky set for Robinho headache

MUCH has been made of the embarrassment of riches at Mark Hughes’ disposal, particularly in attacking positions. The return to fitness of Robinho will certainly give his manager food for thought, but maybe not in the way that had been hoped. With City currently flying high, having lost only once so far this season, the Brazilian’s place in the team is far from guaranteed; and this is where the problems begin.
Players of Robinho’s calibre don’t like being left out; they are selfish, and fail to see the bigger picture. With Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor virtual shoe-ins, even Carlos Tevez has had to put up with being played in a deeper-lying role, and the Argentinian, it must be said, offers far more than Robinho in terms of work-rate.
Hughes has managed to keep the big egos at the club in check thus far, but the situation has been made easier with players missing through injuries or suspensions at various times. The acid test, many argued, would come when everybody was fit and available. That time, it seems, is now.

Wenger set to hammer Zola

SUNDAY'S visit of Arsenal now takes on mammoth proportions following West Ham’s collapse at Stoke City last weekend. These are testing times for Gianfranco Zola, and a London derby against an in-form Arsenal side is the last thing he needs.
Off the pitch, the Hammers are in a state of limbo, with former Birmingham City owner David Sullivan stalling over launching a takeover bid, while on it, things are even worse; without a win since the opening day of the season, the club are in real danger of becoming involved in a relegation scrap if results don’t improve soon.
Carlton Cole’s return will certainly help, but him aside, it’s difficult to see where the much-needed goals are going to come from. Tricky games against Sunderland and Aston Villa follow the Arsenal match, and Zola’s men will need to take something from at least one of the three if things are to improve any time soon; you wouldn’t bet on it though.

Ajax face fight to keep Suarez

URUGUAY striker Diego Forlan this week expressed his hope that compatriot Luis Suarez would stay at Ajax, at least until the end of the season. He said: “I can only advise him to stay at Ajax until the end of this term. Luis is still young and very eager to learn. He should be patient and stay a bit longer.”
However, regardless of Forlan’s pleas, the decision, ultimately, may not rest on the players’ shoulders. Sadly, the Dutch league isn’t the force it once was, and with finances at an all-time low, even the biggest clubs are resigned to losing their best players.
Having sold both Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Thomas Vermaelen in the past year, Ajax fans would find the sale of their talisman hard to take. Barcelona are said to be monitoring the situation closely though, and if they were to come in with a big offer in January, the board would find it almost impossible to resist.

Cole's-play set to be a big hit

EVERYTHING seems rosy for Carlo Ancelotti at present, but he would do well to remember that Big Phil Scolari was in a similar position this time last year, and we all know what fate befell him. Nobody is saying that Chelsea are about to fall apart, but they certainly won’t have it all their own way for the whole season.
The acid test for them will come if Didier Drogba or Frank Lampard pick up serious injuries, as well as when the African Cup of Nations comes around. Chelsea are lightweight up front. Drogba and Nicholas Anelka aside, they only have Salamon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge; not enough to win you a Premiership or Champions League.
On the plus side, however, it will certainly take something special to beat them right now. With the spine of the side as strong as ever, the return of both Joe Cole and Yuri Zhirkov will add a much-needed creative spark. It’s already looking ominous for opposition defences.

No case for the defence

LAST weekend’s Manchester derby provoked widespread debate for a number of reasons. Above all else, though, the one thing we can take from the game, is that both sides will need to shore up defensively if they are to have a major say in the destination of the title.
City have now conceded six goals in two matches; and while the games came against United and Arsenal, it’s still a worrying statistic for Mark Hughes. United, meanwhile, seldom concede three goals at all, let alone at Old Trafford. The mistakes that led to City’s goals will be a particular worry for Alex Ferguson and Ben Foster’s form at present is simply not good enough.
Nevertheless, three wins in a tough week, at Tottenham, Besiktas, and against City merely confirm what we already knew: that those people writing off United at such an early stage really do need to go and have a lie down. With Darren Fletcher beginning to take games by the scruff of the neck, and Ryan Giggs doing everything in his power to prove age is no barrier, they are once again the team to beat.

No more excuses

The Champions League returns this week, and it’s not just the English teams that will be desperate for success next May. Of course, Chelsea, and Roman Abramovich in particular, won’t rest until the trophy with the big ears is taking pride of place in the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet, and how Arsene Wenger would love to be the first manager in Arsenal’s history to topple Europe’s elite.
But no, the two teams with a major point to prove this year come from slightly further afield. It’s high time both Real Madrid and Inter Milan went on a decent run and gave the four English side’s something to worry about. It’s time for the excuses to stop. Inter were easily brushed aside by Manchester United last season, whilst Madrid have failed to get past the second round for a number of years. Not good enough.
Real’s galactico’s need to hit the ground running, whilst Mourinho’s new signings Eto’o and Sneijder will surely add the spark that they’ve been missing for the last few years. Come on, give us a competition worth watching.