Weekend Mailbag - 25 August

It's that time again, faithful readers. This week Bryce takes a turn delving into the old mailbag to answer your emails.

Frank in West Sacramento, CA: Chelsea lost on Wednesday! Can you believe it? Maybe they aren't invincible after all?

Bryce: Skeptics of the demise of the Stamford Bride dynasty will point out that last season Chelsea lost 3-0 in the same fixture without damaging their title defense in the least. Maybe they have even improved, they might say.

I on the other hand, think this is a sign of things to come. Like others who will eventually come around to see the light, I believe this Chelsea squad faces issues unlike any previous incarnation in the Chelski era. While not at the heart of the issue as of yet because of the injury to Michael Ballack, I don't think they can defend as well with this lineup as they have in the past - not for lack of talent, but rather, a disgusting overabundance.

The club is intent on playing four in the back, that much is certain. That leaves six field players to be selected from Schevchenko, Drogba, Robben, Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Makelele, Essien, Diarra, Wright-Phillips, and Mikel (unless they make any more signings in the next week). If Schevchenko is utilized as a lone striker, the five positions in midfield must feature Lampard and Ballack in the middle where they are both most effective. Two of their wingers, say Robben and Cole, can then line up to attack out wide as we are accustomed to seeing. That leaves one spot left over for Makalele to play in front of the back four.

The goals should certainly be more forthcoming this season with such an attack-minded team. The problem is, the lineup leaves gaping holes on defense between the wingers and the fullbacks. Without a more balanced shape in midfield, Chelsea will be much more vulnerable to counter attacks, as even the great Makelele cannot be asked to cover that much ground.

They might yet still straighten the ship before the season is lost, but look for Chelsea to concede more goals and let more than these three points slip away.

Ronnie in Bloomington, IN: Bryce, I liked your gutsy Liverpool pick for the EPL title. However I see a few problems for the Reds. They haven't been able to win away from Anfield consistently under Benitez. Also, how do you balance a midfield with so many stars: Gerrard, Garcia, Alonso, Sissoko, Zenden, Riise, Pennant, Gonzales, Kewell - the list goes on. Your thoughts?

Bryce: As far as winning on the road, there is simply no excuse for a team of such talent to have problems with the likes of Sheffield United. Blame it on the fixture congestion if you must. But yes, everything else that can be said is meaningless if they can't improve their away form.

And for your second point, this problem does look at first glance exactly like the problem Chelsea is facing that I have just been bemoaning. The key difference for me however, is how they are able to interchange parts, but also maintain their form. Sissoko and Alonso when both fit will usually anchor the midfield, as ball winner and distibutor respectively. This pushes Gerrard out to the right side as he is now accustomed to under Benitez. On the left, the likes of Kewell, Pennant, and Riise all make for tantalizing options depending on the opponent. Most importantly, they present a much more balanced team. A Mark Gonzalez or Luis Garcia can be brought in for extra attacking muscle, but the cover provided by the rest of midfield makes a huge difference.

What I think should have more punters and pundits considering the Pool's chances this season is the drastic upgrade to the strikeforce which seemed to single-handedly hold them back at times for enormous stretches last season. Crouch, Bellamy, Kuyt, and Fowler should be a much more potent attack. And I certainly don't see midfield congestion being an issue for this club considering its fixture schedule.

Gunther in Las Vegas, NV: What are your impressions of the Bundesliga? I am sad to see the league become more of a selling league than a buying league. The days when teams like Stuttgart, Dortmund, or Leverkusen could compete for honors seem to be over and only Bayern Munich has a deep squad. What do you guys think?

Bryce: Danke schön für deine Frage, Gunther. I am still gaining my sea legs in the opening weeks of Bundesliga action, but would love to share my thoughts. Aside from following the action in the papers, I also attended the Hertha - Hannover match last weekend and left with some lasting impressions.

First, the good:

1) They sell beer at the stadium by the liter. For children and the elderly it comes in half-liter cups as well. Needless to say, this makes for a spirited atmosphere. I would like to know where the one-liter option was during the World Cup, but whatever.

2) The Olympiastadium was the third stadium I've seen since my arrival, but only the second home to a Bundesliga club (Leipzig has two lower-division teams which share its stadium). All three were nice, but the Olympiastadium was amazing. It is home to so much history, from Jesse Owens' name on the list of gold medalists and the Marathon Gate, to the site where Zidane went postal during last month's World Cup final, and it makes for an unforgettable football-watching experience. While Berlin is home to arguably the league's finest stadium, all of Germany's World Cup venues received glowing reviews from fans all over.

3) While many outside fans consider the Bundesliga to be a one-team league (like the rest of Europe's domestic leagues of late), Werder Bremen is quietly playing entertaining, attacking football and could threaten to win its second title in 4 years this season. Bremen isn't the largest club or the wealthiest, but for several seasons now their brand of attacking football has led to goals a plenty. Unfortunately, they have just been drawn into the Champions League "Group of Death" with Barcelona and Chelsea, so they might find themselves in the UEFA Cup before too long. But after their win against Leverkusen last weekend, they appear to be the main challengers to Munich's crown. I look forward to seeing Miroslav Klose continue his magical form as well as the team's new creative sensation, the Brazilian Diego.

4) I am a big fan of supporters singing songs for their clubs. While not exactly "You'll Never Walk Alone," it was impressive to hear the Hertha supporters greet their players for the opening home match of the new season. Far surpassing that however, was the song I learned on the subway ride home. Loosely translated (OK, directly) translated as "Take the Lederhosen off the Bavarians," it's a lovely little diddy everyone sings after a win, regardless of the opponents. It's a song directed at Bayern Munich, but everyone feels good singing it on any occasion. Fantastic.

Second, the bad:

1) As much as I enjoyed my first trip to the Olympiastadium, there were only 37,000 or so other spectators there with me. What's to complain about? That makes for a stadium a little over half-full, and this was the home opener for Berlin's biggest club on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. And it is sadly the norm when the opponent doesn't draw in additional spectators. While other teams continue to play in front of packed stadiums, roughly 1% of the city of Berlin's population found the game worth attending. They missed an incredible performance, loads of cheap beer, and a 4-0 victory. It's a shame.

2) Trying to watch a game on TV here is next to impossible. Almost every game is only available through a satellite or premium cable service. The provider for this season has changed, so establishments with the old set up can show Champions League matches, but not Bundesliga games. If they want to show Bundesliga matches, which they evidently don't, they have to subscribe to the new service. Basically, life was much easier during the World Cup when everyone and their grandma had all the games on. Maybe not showing games on TV helps gets fans in seats in other cities....

3) You're right Gunther, after the tremendous success as World Cup hosts, many people thought it would be a boost for the domestic league and that new faces would come ply their trade in the Bundesliga. On the whole, more big name players have gone in the opposite direction. That being said, clubs have also been able to hold onto stars that might otherwise have been tempted away from big-spending foreign clubs. Sure, they lost Ballack and Rosicky for example, but having the resources to keep players like Klose and Hargreaves is also a good sign of financial stability and hopefully continued success for the league.

Taylor in Mansfield, MA: I hate to say "I told you so," but the US sure was a flop in Germany. There was no creativity, no consistency, and no one who would shoot! Where does the US team go from here? Do you expect US Soccer to make a run at Klinsmann?

Bryce: I fully expect the US Soccer Federation to do everything in its power to have Jürgen Klinsmann take over as full-time manager before the end of the calendar year. If they can't pursuade him, don't be surprised if the job goes to DC United manager Peter Nowak. Both men would bring a different approach to the team and could bring in some very different faces to represent the Stars and Stipes in the coming few years.

Many of the familiar faces have already announced their "retirements." As if Eddie Pope really needed to tell us he wouldn't be playing for the US again....That being said, the old guard will need to be replaced somehow. I think the next wave of American players are more likely to feature creative, attacking midfield players that might alleviate some of your concern.

The continuing development of DeMarcus Beasely and Bobby Convey will be huge. Also look for Beasely's teammate at PSV, Lee Nguyen to begin getting chances with the USMNT. Freddy Adu will eventually have to be introduced into the lineup, and Clint Dempsey should also see increased playing time. There are a lot of things to like about this young group of players (especially if the can push Landon Donovan out of the picture).

The one name I would add to the mix as a holding midfield player is Ricardo Clark. He is a tough tackler and great distributor of the ball from the back of midfield. If he continues to develop and eventually make his move to Europe, he could become a fixture in the US side for years to come.

With all that in mind, I think the US should make a return to Copa America next summer in Venenzuela and field the following starting eleven with an eye towards the future:

Tim Howard; Corey Gibbs, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Heath Pearce; Clark, Convey, Beasley, Dempsey; Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching.

Spots on the bench for:

Jay DeMerit, Adu, Michael Bradley, Bobby Boswell, Conor Casey, Nguyen, and either Reis or Guzan in net.

All of these guys should be moving to clubs in Europe ASAP if any coach is going to have a chance at competing with the best countries in the world.

And yes, I realize that few coaches would leave out Donovan, but I have given up on him. I want someone capable of taking on the real world, not just Real Salt Lake (and yes, I get bonus points for the clever MLS-pun).

Anthony in White Plains, NY: England sure did look good against Greece! Should we be excited about the McClaren era, or was this result due to the ineptitude of a clearly struggling Greek squad? What do you think is England's best Starting XI in the post-Sven era?

Bryce: Well Anthony, I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, England looked sharp in their first outing sans Becks and Sven. And yes, the Greeks made life very easy for them as well. But, overall, it is a great start and few will complain about McClaren's debut friendly result. The big stink will come when we see anything less when the Euro 2008 qualifiers begin.

As for my ideal England Starting XI, I will refrain from naming injured or retired players (Why Alan? Why?), and stick to who is actually available for club and country right now. The 'keeper and most of the back four remain unchanged for me: Robinson, Cole (assuming he starts playing for someone), Terry, and Ferdinand are locks. Given the Neville injury, Luke Young gets the job at right back. In midfield, I would play Joe Cole on the left, Lampard and Hargreaves in the middle, and Gerrard out right. Rooney and Crouch would partner up top, but I would love to see Dean Ashton play alongside the Manchester United youngster in the coming months to see what he can do.

That also leaves a ton of good options to come in off the bench to provide a change of pace when necessary. Brian, I'm sure, would take the time to reiterate his desire to see more speed on the pitch, but I'm still not convinced you can sacrifice a Lampard or Gerrard for an Aaron Lennon for 90 minutes. 20 to 30 I can live with, but anything more right now would be a crime.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and thethao.vietnamnet.vn. Thanks for the emails, keep 'em coming. And don't worry, the EPL Fashion Review is almost here!