Woes continue for Everton and Nice as Patrice Evra loses his sh*t: Europa League roundup

Soccer Source takes a rare look into the "second tier" of European football. This is a good way to see how some would-be contenders are being exposed as pretenders and other clubs are rising, potentially knocking on the door of the top tier. Maybe even our top 5? Unlikely for now, but the winner of this competition does qualify for next year's Champions League, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out.

On the pretender front: Everton FC and OGC Nice are two clubs whose fortunes very much mirrored each other since the start of last season. Both were invigorated by new managers last year: Lucien Favre for Nice and Ronald Koeman for Everton. Both outdid expectations in 2016/17, causing much excitement among supporters. Nice finished third and made it to the Champions League qualification where they fell to Napoli, while Everton finished seventh, which is about as high as could be expected in the top-heavy Premier League. This season has seen a marked decline for both clubs. Everton have already fired Koeman after a disastrous start to the season left them 18th. Favre is hanging on to his job for now, though Nice sit 16th in France's Ligue Un. While Nice did not spend anywhere near as lavishly as Everton in the off-season (just some $30 million, matching their income from player sales), they like Everton added several key players, including Wesley Sneijder (remember him?), who joined from Galatasaray on a free transfer. It's a good thing Sneijder came cheap (or free) because he has yet to do much, starting just four times in all competition, according to data compiled by our friends at Transfermarkt. The most expensive acquisition, Allan Saint-Maximin who joined from Monaco for some $13 million, hasn't played much either.

The two teams' fall from grace was on vivid display in last night's Europa League action. Everton's performance was the more pathetic of the two as the Toffees fell 3-0 to Olympique Lyon. After a decent start Everton were dismantled in the space of 21 minutes. "There was no fight, fight, fight as the goals poured in; they were just weak, weak, weak, allowing Lyon to expose the mental fragility of those who were brought in to kick-start a new era for the club," the Daily Mail reports. With the loss Everton are officially out of European competition. It is a fitting fate for a team that has played so poorly. Blues are now a laughing stock, writes the Liverpool Echo. To make matters worse, defender Cuo Martina was lost to a rather gruesome injury during this game. For a team whose defensive ranks have already been decimated by injuries, this is very bad news indeed. While Everton undoubtedly still have quality in their squad, the question has to be asked if caretaker manager David Unsworth is the man to lead them.

While Everton's European campaign is over, Nice's is very much alive. By the way the club's official name is Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur and they're known as the aiglons (Eaglets) or le gym, presumably an homage to their gymnaste roots (thanks, Wikipedia). Anyway, the eaglets (wtf is that, by the way? Like a small eagle?) scored an own goal in stoppage time to give Lazio the victory. But Nice are still second and in the driver's seat to advance to the elimination round. Here's the table of that group:



In their remaining two fixtures, Nice face Zulte Waregem (whoever that is) at home and Vitesse away. Should be do-able even for a club clearly not in their best form.

The contenders
Lazio are the cream of the crop so far, with a perfect record after four games. The Roman side have excelled in Serie A play as well, and currently sit fourth, just three points behind leaders Napoli. While Lazio lost 4-1 in their head-to-head meeting with Napoli in September, they have taken some impressive scalps as well, most notably a 2-1 win at Juventus Turin on Oct. 14. That will certainly get the #top5 ranking committee's attention. At this (admittedly still early) point Lazio should be seen as clear favorites for the Europa League trophy, though of course there will be the third-placed Champions League teams who join the elimination round as well.

Another team emerging as a contender is Zenit St. Petersburg, who dropped their first points yesterday in a 1-1 draw at Rosenborg. Unfortunately Zenit's fans caused negative attention, with reports of racist chants and hooliganism (though hopefully not massacre, as the Google-translated version of the article states).



Zenit lead the group ahead of Real Sociedad. Both clubs have qualified for the elimination round. Zenit are second in the Russian league, three points behind Locomotive Moscow. They beat Sociedad in the first meeting, which Zenit hosted.

Elsewhere Patrice Evra managed the rare feat of being sent off from a match before kickoff. The former Manchester United defender appeared to kick of his club's own supporters in the head. A French Twitter user posted this video. Perhaps inspired by Evra, his Olympique Marseille teammate Boubacar Kamara earned a sending off during the match, five minutes after OM gave up what would be the winning goal to Portuguese side Vitoria. Even with the loss Marseille can control their own destiny in this group:



It's interesting to see a club called FC Salzburg anywhere in European (or even Austrian) football. Salzburg being well-known as the birthplace of one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and less known for sport, but closer examination reveals this is just the new name for a certain energy drink-sponsored team.

News from other groups
Group J is an interesting one, with two well known clubs (Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin) and two that probably nobody has ever heard of (Ostersunds FK and FC Zorya Luhansk). Shockingly, it is the lesser-known clubs who head the group. Ostersunds, apparently from Sweden, are first followed by Zorya Luhansk, who by the way sound like a female villain from a James Bond film.



As you can see there is still everything to play for. Bilbao host Hertha and visit the Zorya in the final two matchdays.

Finally, Arsenal are through to the elimination round after a scoreless draw at home to Red Star Belgrade, but you probably knew that already.

With Koeman gone, Everton stand to benefit. Too much quality in this team

Everton fired Ronald Koeman yesterday, cutting ties with the man once seen as the Barcelona manager in waiting. It was widely expected and not much of a surprise in the end. Everton have been a shambles all season even after spending $150 million on new players over the summer, according to figures compiled by our friends at Transfermarkt.com. There are other statistics that speak to Koeman's ineptitude, with the Royal Blue Mersey blog listing just 10 of them. To quote Abraham Lincoln, it was altogether fitting and proper that Koeman was fired.

Everton have been an embarrassment, especially considering their aspirations from the preseason, but there is reason to believe things will change for the better with a new man in charge. It needs to start with some kind of tactical consistency. Koeman trotted out a different formation almost every game and started players at different positions or not at all, with seemingly little rhyme or reason. Then he was quick to make halftime substitutions, just to add a little more unpredictability to the mix. Picking a formation, sticking to it, and deciding on a "spine" of about six or eight starters at key positions will be a first priority for interim manager David Unsworth. Simply doing that may not produce results itself, but it will put the team in a good position for the undeniable talent in its ranks.

Much has been said and written about Everton's inability to replace Romelu Lukaku and how the team's ills emanate from it. That's a little simplistic. Lukaku is a prolific goalscorer but it's hard to see how even he would be able to bag goals this season with all the confusion in the lines behind him. Luckily Everton have players who can provide service to a deep-lying forward. The problem is they have too many of them. Morgan Schneiderlin, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Nikola Vlasic, Davy Klaasen, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and that's not counting Wayne Rooney or the injured Ross Barkley or out-on-loan Kieran Dowell. Decide who the creative force is in attacking midfield and then make somebody like Rooney or DCL play at striker. That will undoubtedly leave somebody frustrated for lack of playing time and desperate for a move out of Merseyside during the January transfer window. Fine, let that player leave. Especially if it's an attacking midfielder as Everton have too many already. Once the midfield is able to generate chances (and again there is enough talent for it to do so consistently) then it doesn't really matter who is putting the balls in the net. Even an aged Rooney is good enough.

Everton's defense is in decent shape already. Go ahead and laugh. Of the 18 league goals conceded this season, 12 were from a combination of Tottenham (the fifth-best team in the world, according to us, 3-0 victors at Goodison Park on Sept. 9), Manchester United (4-nil victors on Sept. 17) and Arsenal (5-2 last weekend). Here too Koeman's mixing and matching did Everton no favors. Nor did his undying devotion to Ashley Williams. Because other than the 33-year old Welshman, the facts again speak to quality players. Jordan Pickford is a superb goalkeeper and future number one for England. Michael Keane, signed from Burnley this summer, was a bright spot until a recent loss of confidence, in no small likelihood manager-related. Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines are perfectly capable, just on the wrong side of 30. Mason Holgate, on the other hand, is not. The 21-year old has only started once at centerback this season, a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on Sept. 23. He did not play in either of the three lopsided losses mentioned earlier. It might be worth giving him another shot in a back three. If not him then Cuco Martina or Muhamed Besic could be given a shot. The point is, though Everton's defense is thin thanks to injuries to Seamus Coleman and Ramiro Mori, they do have options here as well.

Managing these options will be Unsworth's jobs for now. Perhaps the 44-year old will be given a chance to win the position on a full-time basis. More likely Everton will target a big-name replacement, somebody like Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel with whom they have reportedly already made contact. Lack of Champions League football might be a bit of an ask for managers of those reputations, but Everton have the players and the budget to make this a compelling offer. Either way, they will likely be alright by the end of the season. Not top-five, but certainly solidly mid-table.

The new power structure in English football

Yes I called it football, which I assure you has absolutely nothing to do with my desire to attract search engine traffic from outside the U.S.

Anyway, it is clear that the era of the "big four" in the English Premiership is over almost as quickly as it started. In its wake a three-tiered structure has emerged. Only, it's not quite as clear cut as the previous one. That is largely due to the fact that the new pecking order is still shaking out, which is very much the nature of the beast. Whenever there is a change in power structure, be it political, artistic or in more important areas of life, a period of upheaval is all but inevitable. Such is the situation we find ourselves in at the start of the new decade in the English Premier League.

How has this three-tiered power structure taken hold thus far? Let's take a look:

1. The top tier: Manchester United and Chelsea
This one's pretty easy. Man U and Chelsea have dominated the Premiership the past five years, during which time they have held a stranglehold on the league trophy. During the big four era, which we're defining as 2003 to 2009 (none of the big four finished outside the top five during this stretch), Arsenal and Liverpool figured into the title chase as well. That is no longer the case this season. It actually hasn't been the case in some time where Arsenal is concerned. Since 2005, when Gunners finished second, they have finished fourth three times and third once (in 2008). So Arsenal, though a splendid team, can no longer be viewed in the same class as the "elite two". By contrast, one could make the case that Arsene Wenger's side dominated the Premiership for the period before that: Between 1998 and 2005 Arsenal finished first or second every year, capturing three trophies. They remain the only team to go undefeated over the course of a Premiership season (in 2003-2004). We don't expect anybody to match that feat anytime soon, if ever. Or at least not in our lifetimes. The last team to do it before Arsenal were Preston North End in 1889.

As for Liverpool, they only finished second two times last decade. And we all know what's been going on this season (though at the time of this writing they were somewhat miraculously back in fifth place).

The argument that Arsenal and Liverpool have lost touch because of economics holds no water in my view. Yes, Reds are saddled with debt and Gunners might not flash the cash as often or with as much gravity as Chelsea. But both clubs have spent impressive sums on acquisitions in the past year, as the names Andrey Arshavin and Alberto Aquilani attest. Besides, who did Chelsea sign in the January transfer window? What about Man United, who have been sellers (Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez) more than buyers the past year?

The decline of Liverpool and Arsenal is not a result of economics but of mismanagement. With the North London side it appears a case of Wenger being a bit too full of himself and his methods. Sure, Arsenal's style of play is entertaining but it's also finicky. Better defense is needed and a little brawn to go with the finesse would do wonders. With the Merseysiders, it's a clear case of Rafa Benitez' incompetence. Not so much in managing a game (though there too) but more in putting the talent he acquires to proper use.

So Reds and Gunners are no longer in the top tier. But as we'll see they aren't in the second tier either.

2. The middle tier: Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City.
Under its new owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Man City can outspend literally anybody, but it hasn't done them much good yet. That is finally starting to change after Mark Hughes was justifiably shown the door in December. Since Roberto Mancini took over from the Welshman, Citizens have won eight of 10 games and moved up to sixth in the standings. They are equal on points with fifth-placed Liverpool but have two games in hand. So Manchester City could make a move for fourth place, the spot currently occupied by Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have had a solid season after two traumatic campaigns that saw them fall out of the Champions League contention they previously occupied. But Spurs are not an elite team by any means. They have a terrible record against the top three teams in the league and are probably at least two big signings away from being able to contend. Then again, so are a lot of teams. Like Aston Villa, who flirted with third place for a long time last season before falling off the pace. Or Everton, who have not lost a league match this year. Villa and Everton lack the financial resources of City or even Spurs, but they make up for it with two of the best minds in the game. If either David Moyes or Martin O'Neill were English one of them would have gotten the call to manage the Three Lions a long time ago. But England's loss is the Premiership's gain. If Everton had Man United's money, David Moyes would be Alex Ferguson. Come to think of it, he's kind of the obvious heir apparent to Sir Alex at Old Trafford should the old boy step down (dude's 68 years old. It can't be that much longer now).

Together, the Man City-Villa-Spurs-Everton quartet occupy a type of purgatory in the EPL. They aren't good enough to compete with the big boys but aren't bad enough to have to worry about relegation. They may make forays in one direction or the other, and may manage a top three finish one of these years if everything goes exactly right. But mostly, this is who they are. The one possible exception is Man City, who could be seen as favorites to finish third next season now that they have proper leadership.

3. The lower tier: Everybody else (except Liverpool and Arsenal).
Speaking of purgatory, Liverpool and Arsenal aren't in this group either. They're better than that, obviously. They're probably better than the mid-tier clubs as well, though they may not always show it. For now, the fates of these two teams can simply not be determined. It may be another year before they take their spots in the pecking order.

There isn't really much that can be said about the lower tier teams. They are almost without exception wholly uninteresting. Even Fulham, who have been the best of the bunch the past season and a half or so, can be painful to watch sometimes. Each of these clubs may have one or two players who stand out. But once they are fully established, a richer club in England or Europe snatches them up. Though that too is increasingly rare. For the most part these teams trade players with each other. Unable to afford the big talent, they are forced to settle on the bargain bin. Which explains why, no matter how skilled their manager, they are doomed to the Premiership's equivalent of the third estate.

Sure, some will make forays into the top eight from time to time. Others will be relegated. They're essentially interchangeable parts, though every now and then somebody will come around and really stink it up (like Derby County a few years ago or Pompey earlier this season). But for the most part there is very little that separates these teams. On any given day any one of them could beat another one.

In fact, who's to say this pertains just to the bottom 12 Premiership clubs? Are the likes of Hull City and Pompey and Burnley really that much (or at all) better than Newcastle or West Bromwich Albion or Nottingham Forest? I'd have to watch more of the Coca Cola Championship to say for sure, but I have a feeling the difference is negligible.

So there you have it. The new power structure in English football. Get used to it, because it will probably be here for a while.

Photo taken from Independent.co.uk without permission.

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, April 20, 2009

A week that separated the men from the boys in European soccer. The four Champions League semifinalists are set. Do they represent the best four clubs in the world? Not by a longshot, though it is hard to argue that any of the four belong outside the Top 10. The UEFA Cup semifinalists are set as well. Did any of them crack the Top 10? You'll just have to read on to find out!

1 (1). FC Barcelona
By winning both games last week (we count two-legged match-ups such as Champions League elimination games as 180 minute games) Barca were able to stake their claim to the No. 1 spot. Granted, the second game, a 1-0 road win over Getafe, was a little close for comfort, with a 19th minute Messi goal the deciding factor. But style points count for little at this stage of the season. Barca maintain their six point lead over Real Madrid in the Liga BBVA with the victory. Seven rounds remain.
Next Up: A tough midweek game with third-placed Liga side Sevilla Wednesday at Nou Camp, followed by a trip to fourth-placed Valencia on Saturday. The first leg of the Champs League semifinal with Chelsea follows a week from tomorrow. Barca host that game.
Against Top 25 (when they were Top 25): Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16), beat Sporting Lisbon away (5-2, Nov. 26), beat Sevilla away (3-0, Nov. 29), beat Valencia at home (4-0, Dec. 6), beat Real Madrid at home (2-0, Dec. 13), won at Villareal (2-1, Dec. 21), beat Atletico Madrid over two legs (5-2 aggregate) in the Copa del Rey, beat Olympique Lyon in the Champions League round of 16, beat Bayern Munich in Champions League quarterfinal.

2 (2). Manchester United
Man United had no answers for Everton in yesterday's F.A. Cup semifinal, finally losing on penalty kicks after neither team managed to score in 120 minutes. But let's not forget Cristiano Ronaldo's heroics (click for YupeTube video) in the midweek victory at Porto. Certainly understandable that Red Devils would suffer a bit of a hangover after that one. Lest we forget they become the first team to win at Porto's Dragao this season (and first English team to pull the feat ever). It was a tremendous effort by Sir Alex' men, who would likely be the top club this week had they managed a better penalties display at Wembley (I mean Berbatov? Hello? Who taught him to take penalties, John Terry?)
Next Up: Host Pompey Wednesday and Spurs Saturday. The first leg of the Champions League semifinal with Arsenal is a week from Wednesday at Old Trafford. We don't expect Man U. to have much trouble with that one. But we've been wrong before.
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17) and away (0-0, Nov. 25), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic at home (3-0, Oct. 22) and tied at Celtic Park (1-1, Nov. 6), lost at Arsenal (2-1, Nov. 8), beat Chelsea at home (3-0, Jan. 11), beat Inter Milan in Champions League round of 16, lost at home to Liverpool (4-1, March 14), beat Porto in the Champions League quarterfinals.

3. (4). Chelsea
A massive week for Blues. Not only was there the Champions League victory over Liverpool (deemed all but inconceivable a few short weeks ago) but also the weekend win at Emirates to put them in the F.A. Cup final. There is now a very real chance of three pieces of silverware for Guus Hiddink's men.
Next Up: A warmup for the F.A. Cup final Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. Also visit West Ham Saturday. The Champions League semifinal with No. 1 Barca begins a week from tomorrow.
Against Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25), lost to Arsenal at home (2-1, Nov. 30), lost at Man United (3-0, Jan. 11), lost at Liverpool (2-0, Feb. 1), won at Aston Villa (1-0, Feb. 21), beat Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinal.

4 (3). Liverpool
It was not to be at Stamford Bridge, as Reds miracle comeback fizzled in the late going. They now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they are very much alive, trailing first-place Man U. by a single point (albeit with a game more played). But the top spot in this space is now out of the question.
Next Up: An enticing league match with Arsenal tomorrow at Anfield, followed by a visit to Hull City on Saturday.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied Atletico Madrid (1-1 at Madrid, Oct. 22 and 1-1 at Anfield, Nov. 6), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26), tied at Arsenal (1-1, Dec. 21), beat Chelsea at home (2-0, Feb. 1), beat Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, won at Man United (4-1, March 14), lost to Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals..

5 (6). Inter Milan
Jose Mourinho's men drew 1-1 at Juventus Saturday, to all but wrap up their fourth consecutive scudetto. With six games remaining, the nerazurri have a 10-point lead over Juve and AC Milan.
Next Up: Host Sampdoria in the return leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal. Inter lost the first 3-0 so don't expect much. Also visit Napoli Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16), tied at Fiorentina (0-0, Oct. 29), beat Udinese (1-0, Nov. 9), beat Juventus (1-0, Nov. 22), beat AS Roma in Coppa Italia (2-1, Jan. 21), beat AC Milan (2-1, Feb. 15), tied AS Roma (3-3, March 1), lost to Manchester United in Champions League round of 16, tied at Juventus (1-1, April 18).

6 (5). Porto
It was not to be for the perennial Portuguese champs, who lost to Man United to exit the Champions League. Still, they played Red Devils much closer than anybody, ourselves included, had expected. Rebounded to win their weekend match with Academica de Coimbra (what is it with Latin teams being named after universities, particularly in South America? Anybody know?). Porto lead their nation's league by four points over Sporting Lisbon with five match days remaining.
Next Up: Visit Estrela Amadora in a cup tie Wednesday. Host Vitoria Setubal in league action Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Arsenal (4-0, Sept. 30), won at Sporting Lisbon (2-1, Oct. 5), lost at home to Dynamo Kiev (1-0, Oct. 21), won at Kiev (2-1, Nov. 5), beat Arsenal at home (2-0, Dec. 10), beat Atletico Madrid over two legs in the Champions League round of 16.

7 (8). Arsenal
Had no problems with Villareal at midweek in the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal, winning 3-0. It will be a different story in the semifinal with Chelsea, as we saw Sunday (Arse lost at home, 2-1).
Next Up: It doesn't get any easier, with a date with No. 4 Liverpool at Anfield tomorrow. Also host Middlesbrough Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev away (1-1, Sept. 17) won at home (1-0, Nov. 25), beat Man United at home (2-1, Nov. 8), beat Chelsea away (2-1, Nov. 30), tied Liverpool at home (1-1, Dec. 21), beat AS Roma in the Champions League round of 16, beat Villareal in the Champions League semifinal.

8 (7). Real Madrid
Won at Recreativo Huelva, 1-0 to keep pace with No. 1 Barca, whom they trail by six points. Seven games remain in the Spanish league, including one between the two archrivals. So there is still everything left to play for.
Next Up: Host Getafe tomorrow and visit third-placed Sevilla on Sunday. The aforementioned Barca match is a week from Sunday at the Bernabeu.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg twice (2-1 on the road, Sept. 30 and 3-0 at home, Dec. 9), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost to Juventus (2-1 on the road, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at home, Nov. 5), lost at Barca (2-0, Dec. 14), beat Valencia at home (1-0, Dec. 20), beat Villareal at home (1-0, Jan. 4), tied Atletico Madrid at home (1-1, March 7), lost to Liverpool in Champions League round of 16.

9 (9). Juventus
Juve didn't manage to get the win they needed against Inter on Saturday, and are now stuck playing for second place in Serie A (they're tied with AC Milan on points; the rossoneri have the edge on goal difference). They also have the Coppa Italia to play for...
Next Up: Host Lazio in the return leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals (Juve lost the first game 2-1). Visit Reggina Calcio Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg at home (1-0, Sept. 17) and tied on the road (0-0, Nov. 25), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1 at home, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at the Bernabeu, Nov. 5), lost at Inter Milan (1-0, Nov. 22), beat AC Milan at home (4-2, Dec. 14), lost to Chelsea in Champions League round of 16, tied Inter Milan at home (1-1, April 18).

10 (11). Dynamo Kiev
Had no problems with Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of the UEFA Cup quarterfinal, trouncing PSG 3-0 at Valeri Lobanovski Stadion. Had they won their second game of the week we might have been tempted to move them up even further (actually we're tempted to do so anyway, just lack justification for it) but it was not to be, as a club by the name of Krivbas Krivoj Rog (at least we think that's what their name is) beat Dynamo 2-1 yesterday. But our heroes still have a 12-point lead in the Ukranian Premier-Liga.
Next Up: Things are about to get very interesting, as Dynamo are matched with fellow Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk (more on them in a bit) in the UEFA Cup semis. The first leg is at Donetsk Wednesday.
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal at home (1-1, Sept. 17), lost at Emirates (1-0, Nov .25).

11 (10). Bayern Munich
As expected, Bayern were not even able to make things interesting against No. 1 Barcelona. They were able to win at Arminia Bielefeld Saturday to keep pace with Wolfsburg at the top of the Bundesliga table. Three points separate the two sides with six match days remaining.
Next Up: Host fifth-placed Schalke 04 Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon at home (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Nov. 6), beat Hoffenheim (2-1, Dec. 5), beat Olympique Lyon on the road (3-2, Dec. 10), beat Sporting Lisbon in first leg of Champions League round of 16 (5-0).

12 (15). Shakhtar Donetsk
With their victory over Olympique Marseille in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals and subsequent derby win at Metalurg, Shakhtar take a well-deserved three spot leap in the Top 25 standings. What's that? You don't agree with the "well-deserved" bit? That's fine, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, even if it's wrong. Shakhtar are for real. The fact that they don't even lead their domestic league speaks to its strengths. This is a team that played No. 1 Barca to the letter in a Champions League encounter back in October (and actually won the second game at Nou Camp, though we don't count that because neither club had anything left to play for at that point). Granted, Shakhtar were also able to take advantage of some unfortunate slip-ups of the teams immediately ahead of them in last week's Top 25. More on them below.
Next Up: Host the first leg of the UEFA Cup semis against No. 10 Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Barcelona at home (2-1, Oct. 1), beat CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup Round of 16, beat Olympique Marseille in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals.

13 (12) Olympique Marseille
L'OM exited the UEFA Cup at the hands of No. 12 Shakhtar Donetsk but came from behind to beat Lorient yesterday to hang on to first place in Ligue Un. They now have a two point lead over Girondins Bordeaux. Bordeaux? What happened to Lyon? Uh, hang on, we'll get to that.
Next Up: Visit Lille Sunday. A date with Lyon looms May 16.
Against Top 25: Lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 16), lost at Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 1), lost to Liverpool at home (1-0, Nov. 26), tied Atletico Madrid at home (1-1, Dec. 1), tied at Olympique Lyon (0-0, Dec. 14), won at Girondins Bordeaux (1-0, Feb. 8), won at Paris Saint Germain (3-1, March 15), lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals.

14 (13). Olympique Lyon
Suddenly, Lyon is in freefall. The perennial French champs gave up first place last week and yesterday suffered another defeat, this time to Girondins Bordeaux. L'OL drop to third with the loss. But there's still everything left to play for. Six match days remain and four points separate third place from first. Paris Saint Germain (five points behind the leaders) and perhaps even Toulouse (eight points behind l'OM) still need to be reckoned with as well.
Next Up: Speaking of the devil, PSG pay Lyon a visit Friday evening. Fasten your seatbelts!
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Fiorentina (2-1, Nov. 25), lost to Bayern at home (3-2, Dec. 10), lost to Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16.

15 (17). Hamburg SV
Martin Jol's side beat Hannover 96 by 2-1 yesterday to keep pace with Bayern Munich (whom they are tied with on points for second place) and first-placed Wolfsburg. Oh yeah, they also advanced to the UEFA Cup semifinals where they will meet Werder Bremen.
Next Up: Host Werder Bremen in the DfB Pokal Wednesday. Then visit Borussia Dortmund Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied at Bayern Munich (2-2, Aug. 15), beat Bayern at home (1-0, Jan. 30).

16 (21) VfL Wolfsburg
The "Wolves" beat Bayer Leverkusen at home Saturday and remain in first place in the Bundesliga.
Next Up: Visit Energie Cottbus Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Bayern Munich (4-2, Oct. 25), drew AC Milan (2-2, Dec. 17), won at HSV (3-1, March 1), beat Bayern Munich (5-1, April 4)

17 (14). Sao Paulo Futebol Clube
It was a rough week for the Brazilian champs, who lost their first Copa Libertadores game of the current campaign at Independiente Medellin at midweek before losing to Corinthians in the semifinals of the Paulista league yesterday. Actually the Copa Lib game is not so painful because they were assured advancement out of their group even before. Still...
Next Up: The final Copa Lib group stage fixture, against America de Cali, is on for Thursday. Not sure when the regular Brazilian championship starts. It must be soon.

18 (18). AZ Alkmaar
Lost at home to Vitesse Arnheim, 2-1, but it doesn't matter. With three match days remaining and an 11 point lead they are (we think?) the Eredivisie champs.
Next Up: More Eredivisie action. They aren't eligible for anything else and haven't been all season. Sadly we may not know how good this team is until the Champions League campaign starts anew this summer.

19 (19). Atletico Madrid
Beat Numancia 3-0 to remain within striking distance (three points) of the Champions League spots and fourth place.
Next Up: Visit Racing Santander Thursday. Host Sporting Gijon Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26), tied at Liverpool (1-1, Nov. 5), lost to Barcelona over two legs in the Copa del Rey (5-2 aggregate), beat Barca at home (4-3, March 1), tied at Real Madrid (1-1, March 7), lost to Porto in Champions League quarterfinal, beat Villareal at home (3-2, March 15).

20 (16). Villareal
After coming up well short against Arsenal at midweek, the yellow submarine had to settle for a goalless draw with Valladolid yesterday. They drop to sixth place in La Liga with the result.
Next Up: Host Recreativo Huelva Thursday. Visit Getafe Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U twice (0-0 at Old Trafford, Sept. 18 and 0-0 at home Nov. 25), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26), lost at Sevilla (1-0, Dec. 14), lost to Barcelona at home (2-1, Dec. 21), lost at Real Madrid (1-0, Jan. 4), tied Valencia on the road (3-3, Jan. 10), beat Panathinaikos over two legs in the Champions League round of 16, lost at Atletico Madrid (3-2, March 15).

21 (20). Werder Bremen
After getting past Udinese to advance to the UEFA Cup semis (where they will face Hamburg SV in a "Nordderby"), Werder lost at Hertha Berlin over the weekend. They're in bad shape domestically. We're embarrassed to say how bad. But hey, what about the UEFA Cup?
Next Up: Face HSV in a cup tie (I think it's the semifinals?) Wednesday. Then Bochum Saturday, then HSV again a week from Thursday, this time for the UEFA Cup.
Against Top 25: Won at Bayern Munich (5-2, Sept. 20), tied at Inter Milan (1-1, Oct. 1), beat Inter Milan (2-1, Dec. 9), beat AC Milan over two legs in the UEFA Cup round of 32, tied Bayern Munich at home (0-0, March 1).

22 (24) Chivas de Guadelajara
It was a massive week for Chivas. While they didn't exactly get the result they wanted in their midweek Copa Lib match (scoreless tie with Lanus) it is enough to put them into second place in their group, which would carry a place in the elimination round. One game remains with one point separating Chivas from third-placed Everton CD. More importantly was their domestic league match, a 1-0 triumph over archrivals Club America that moves them into second place in their Clausura group (the top two teams qualify for the playoffs).
Next Up: Visit UNAM Pumas in domestic action Sunday. Play at the aforementioned Everton CD (they're from Chile by the way) a week from Wednesday needing a draw to advance.
Against Top 25: Lost to Internacional over two legs in the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals.

23 (23). Panathinaikos
Idle, presumably because of Orthodox Easter.
Next Up: Host OFI Heraklion, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Inter Milan at home (2-0, Sept. 16), beat Inter Milan (1-0 away on Nov. 25), lost to Villareal in Champions League round of 16.

24 (-). Everton
Yes, we're biting the bullet and giving Everton their first-ever (we think?) Top 25 spot. The catalyst was obviously yesterday's victory over Man United on penalties. Having an American goalkeeper helps their cause as well (we never said this was purely objective). Everton have had a solid season, particularly in the F.A. Cup where they previously caused Liverpool's exit (see below). Their European campaign was a disappointment, losing the UEFA Cup first rounder to Standard Liege.
Next Up: Visit Chelsea in a Premiership game Wednesday. Host Man City Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Liverpool at home (2-0, Sept. 27), lost at Arsenal (3-1, Oct. 18), tied Man U. at home (1-1, Oct. 25), tied Chelsea at home (0-0, Dec. 22), tied Liverpool at Anfield (1-1, Jan. 19), tied at Emirates (1-1, Jan. 28), lost at Man U. (1-0, Jan. 31), beat Liverpool in F.A. Cup (on penalties in replay match Feb. 4), beat Man U. on penalties in F.A. Cup semifinals (April 19).

25 (25). Universitario de Deportes
The Peruvian side had their weekend game with Deportes San Martin postponed. Not sure why. They are in a good position to advance to the Libertadores elimination round, sitting second in their group with eight points after five games and a three point lead over third-placed San Luis. One matchday remains.
Next Up: Host CNI, whoever that is, in a league match Sunday. We should mention Universitario sit third in their domestic league but it's early days (nine of 30 match days are in the books). The final Libertadores group match is April 29 at Argentina's San Lorenzo. Win or draw and they're in the elimination round.
Against Top 25: Beat Libertad in Copa Libertadores group play (2-1, April 8).

Dropping Out:
Sevilla (22)

A Note to Setanta

If you're going to spend millions of dollars on the rights to screen soccer matches, please make the effort to ensure that those of us who want to watch those games on television can actually do so.

For those of you interested, you can follow Liverpool v Everton, with attendant amusing commentary, courtesy of the Guardian.

--Smoods

Prem Weekend Preview

Here are the upcoming games.

The exciting game this weekend (and really, none of the others look too appealing) is Everton v Liverpool, aka the Merseyside Derby. These same-town rivals ruled the roost in the 1980s, sharing FA Cups and First Division (this was before the Premier League) titles. Between them, they won 9 titles from 1980 to 1990 (seven for Liverpool ), and three FA Cups (2 for Liverpool, both against Everton. Everton also lost to Manchester United in 1985.)

Neither club has managed to win the Premier League, going 0 for 32 between them so far. Everton did win the FA Cup in 1985, while Liverpool have done better, notably the Champions League in 2005.

But while these meetings aren't what they were - in the late 1980s, it was what Man Utd vs Chelsea is today - the local passions ensure it'll be a rip roaring game.

Otherwise, it's a very dull-looking weekend, fixture-wise. Of course, this is sports, so anything could happen, but it'd be a huge shock if Man Utd, Chelsea and/or Arsenal did anything but win with ease, and none of the other games seem particularly compelling. If you're at a loose end, you could check out Portsmouth v Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday - two teams that are usually pleasing to watch, and Spurs really do need to start winning games.

Enjoy the weekend!

--Smoods

World's richest club? Manchester City

File this one under Holy Bloody Crap. Manchester City, a club that was in the third tier of English football not too long ago, is today the richest football club in the world, the fortune of their owners estimated at about $50 billion.

City wasted no time in flashing their newfound cash, offering about $200 million yesterday as they tried in vain to lure David Villa from Valencia and Mario Gomez from Stuttgart. And in what may have been a case of the new owners showing they're not afraid of anyone, they even tried to hijack Manchester United's ultimately successful transfer of Dimitar Berbatov.

Don't cry for City, though. Despite those three attempts all failing, they still managed to break the British transfer record, and seal the fifth biggest transfer in the history of world football, snapping up Chelsea target Robinho.

So let's run through that again:

Richest club in the world? Check
Tried to have the single highest-spending day in the history of football? Check
Managed to piss off Manchester United? Check
Became the first club to beat out Roman's Chelsea in a transfer duel? Check
Guarantee that they'll be the talk of football for the next year at least? Check

What's more, the pieces are there for a top four finish this year - as well as Robinho, they had already signed Shaun Wright Phillips, Jo, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Tal Ben Haim and Glauber Berti. All those join a squad that was thin but boasted real quality with the likes of Micah Richards, Martin Petrov and Elano. Add to that, they have Mark Hughes, whom many consider to be the best British manager not named Sir Alex Ferguson (his old boss, lest we forget).

Hell of a day to be a City fan.

(PS - Everton also broke their transfer record yesterday. Though it's likely that Toffees fans, along with those of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and even Liverpool, were more preoccupied by the newborn leviathan in their midst.)

--Smoods