“Tottenham have turned into the laughing stock of the season. And just to rub it in, there is a new joker in town — keeper Gomes.” - Pat Sheenhan

Comment & analysis round-up

Quote of the day: “We are worse than Leeds [when they were relegated in 2004] at the moment and we need a kick up the arse. It’s mental and physical. If you don’t have a winning mentality you have a losing mentality, and we’ve got that at the moment. We’ve got to get stuck in and start winning games. We’ve got to start learning and concentrating. We’ve got to start grafting. We’ve got to stand up now, but it’s going to be hard. We’re rudderless at the moment.” - Jonathan Woodgate.

Runner-up: “It is time to look at two Premier Leagues - Premier League One and Premier League Two - and the way the finance is allocated. You could have 36 Premier League clubs split into 18 and 18 and that would also solve the problems of the winter break and supporting the England team. It would even everything out and it would make it more competitive on that basis. We have already got to the situation where the three clubs that go down from the Premier League are usually the three that come up, although a couple of others might sneak in. I don’t have the answers but it is certainly time for a debate - perhaps even on not having relegation from a second division of the Premier League.” - Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside.

Today’s overview: Poor Heurelho Gomes finds himself at the centre of some name-calling this morning, as the scribes react to his blunder in Udinese last night.

The “Octopus” is first criticised by Gary Jacob in his match report (”The Brazil goalkeeper dropped the ball in the opening two minutes, flapped at other crosses, punched poorly at a shot and was solely culpable for Udinese’s opening goal.”) only to have his faced rubbed in it by Pat Sheehan - “Tottenham have turned into the laughing stock of the season. And just to rub it in, there is a new joker in town — keeper Gomes.”

Steven Howard (The Sun) reacts to Joey Barton’s claim that he wants to become a role model by curiously claiming John Terry to be someone kids can look up to.

In other Premier League news, James Montague met with Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim for the Guardian, “the big, brash and bold billionaire who fronted Abu Dhabi’s takeover of Man City,” while Kaveh Solkehol noted the main talking points from Arsenal’s AGM yesterday.

In a stand-out article, Simon Barnes (The Times) observes how English football has been a leader in denouncing racism, yet other forms of abuse continue in earnest.

Looking back at this week’s Champions League action, James Lawton praises Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi. Glenn Moore (Independent) makes reference to how English teams are dominating the Champions League again.

Beckhamania is once again prevalent in the papers. Tony Cascarino gives a thumbs up to David Beckham’s proposed move to AC Milan, arguing that Becks should consider ditching the MLS all-together. Taking a Stateside perspective, Harry Rollins can’t help but notice how Beckham’s footballing career has been a failure in the MLS. And a second American opinion on Beckham’s move to Milan is delivered by Grahame L. Jones (LA Times), arguing that the Galaxy are being “emasculated” by this latest episode.

In other news, Henry Winter reports that despite the credit crunch England are taking 7,000 supporters to Germany next month, Steve Wilson announces that Doncaster Rovers are English football’s most overachieving side, and in a light-hearted editorial, Harry Pearson yearns for crazy sports administrators.

Heurelho Gomes, Tottenham’s goalie, comes under fire from The Times’ Gary Jacob in his match report. “The Brazil goalkeeper dropped the ball in the opening two minutes, flapped at other crosses, punched poorly at a shot and was solely culpable for Udinese’s opening goal. Perhaps because of his shaky kicking, he tried to control the back-pass, slipped and found Fabio Quagliarella bearing down on him… Gomes claimed partial atonement by pulling off excellent saves from Gaetano D’Agostino and Di Natale, but equally he sent pulses racing by failing to catch a cross and juggling the ball like a clown.”

The Sun’s Pat Sheehan labels Gomes a “joker.” “Tottenham have turned into the laughing stock of the season. And just to rub it in, there is a new joker in town — keeper Gomes. He is known as the octopus because of his incredibly long arms. Only for the Spurs fans and defence, his display last night was not so funny. Maybe he needed eight legs to deal with a 24th-minute pass-back from Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Gomes had plenty of time to hoof into the yonder but tried to control it first, then slipped and staggered back. Udinese ace Fabio Quagliarella chased the ball down and, as Gomes tried to skip past him, the Spurs stopper inexplicably pulled him down in the box. Penalty. No argument. And Antonio Di Natale slammed home.”

Steven Howard (The Sun) reacts to Joey Barton’s claim that he wants to become a role model by curiously claiming John Terry as someone kids can look up to. “More, though, should be made of John Terry’s contribution both to Chelsea and England. Obviously, the use of the term ‘role model’ relating to the Chelsea skipper will produce much guffawing in certain quarters considering his own colourful past. Urinating all over the dance floor at Shaun Wright-Phillips’ birthday bash is not the brightest idea (you might slip and pull a muscle rather than a bird). But there are clear signs Terry IS cleaning up his act. Knowing previous indiscretions might well have caused England coach Fabio Capello to look elsewhere for his captain, Terry is determined to make the most of the opportunity. His loyalty to England has never been disputed.”

James Montague met with Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim for the Guardian, “the big, brash and bold billionaire who fronted Abu Dhabi’s takeover of Man City.” “His knowledge of the Premier League remains a little sketchy (”I have never heard of this club. Have you heard of this club?” he asked around when I suggested he might want to get involved in taking over the newly impoverished West Ham United. “Really? Are West Ham still in the Premiership?”) But it’s a minor quibble… Al Fahim, with the interview finished, gets up to shake my hand. He has things to do, he tells me. Piers Morgan is coming over to do a documentary on him and wants to ride horses on his farm. And he is looking after a very special Hollywood power couple, in town to help him with a new real estate venture that will bear their names. “I have to go and pick up Antonio Bandaras at 2pm … in my Lamborghini.” His entourage barely bat an eyelid, as if this type of chore is entirely normal. Because in the crazy world of Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, it really is.”

Arsenal yesterday had their annual general meeting, and The Times’ Kaveh Solkehol noted the main talking points. “Ken Friar, the acting managing director, announced that turnover had risen by £22.2 million to £223 million for the year ending May 31, 2008 and that spending on wages had increased from £89.7 million to £101.3 million. Moving to the Emirates Stadium has transformed the club’s capacity to generate income but at a cost. Arsenal borrowed heavily to build their new stadium and to develop Highbury, their former ground, into residential units. The club’s debt has risen to £318 million and they are saddled with a mortgage of £250 million that costs about £20 million a year to service. Profits in 2008 rose by almost £10 million to £36.7 million.”

In a stand-out article, Simon Barnes (The Times) observes how English football has been a leading in denouncing racism, yet other forms of abuse continue in earnest. “It’s undeniable: football has been a beacon of progressive thought and sanity. That is not to say that racism has been eradicated in this country, but at a time when football brings us black heroes on a daily basis, we at least have different views of what racism means. We have different targets: Asians, especially Muslims, asylum-seekers, East European migrant workers. Let’s not get smug. And there is a sense in which football’s curiously total victory over racism is a compromised triumph. It is as if the prohibition on racism means that everything else is permitted. If we are to deny ourselves the pleasures of racist abuse, it is only fair to allow ourselves every other form of abuse - while considering ourselves saints for our restraint.”

Looking back at this week’s Champions League action, the Independent’s James Lawton praises Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi. “When Fabregas on one night cut the defence of Fenerbahce into a thousand pieces and then, on the next, Messi toyed with Basle so utterly, a uniting of these talents seemed like a command from the football heavens. Wenger naturally will fight it with all the means he has because if the departures of such as Anelka and Vieira and Henry could all be rationalised in one way or another, the loss of Fabregas – we could see more plainly than ever on Tuesday night – would not much cloud the future as dismantle it. No one player is indispensable, they say; no one is bigger than the team. Do not tell Wenger because in this case his reaction would be withering. This week Fabregas and Messi were twin riders of football dreams. They made so much of the rest of football seem prosaic.”

Glenn Moore (Independent) makes reference to how English teams are dominating the Champions League again. “English clubs have now played 12 ties in this season’s competition, winning eight and drawing four. All are at least joint-leaders of their groups with a minimum four-point cushion. The last round of matches, in early December, may be dead rubbers for the Premier League quartet. It is not just on the pitch English clubs are moving ahead of the competition. Atletico are one of Spain’s bigger clubs yet travelling fans will have noted their stadium is dated by English standards. Chelsea’s fans will be astonished at the basic facilities at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico when they go there for the next group matches – especially as it is the location of this season’s final. The same applies across most of the continent, with the general exception of some venues rebuilt for major tournaments in the last decade.”

The Times’ Tony Cascarino gives a thumbs up to David Beckham’s proposed move to AC Milan, arguing that Becks should considered ditching the MLS all-together. “The possible loan move to AC Milan is perfect for him because he’ll be back among elite players in an excellent team and it should raise his game and his morale. Training with Kaka and Ronaldinho, playing at the San Siro – who wouldn’t be excited? Milan are an ageing team not based on pace or power so their style should suit Beckham. If it goes well he should stay in Italy and forget America, even if he loses money as a result. Why should he stick with a bad team in a small league if he can cut it in Serie A? Especially when the novelty of his move to MLS has worn off, and the impact wasn’t as great as anticipated.”

Taking a Stateside perspective for the Telegraph, Harry Rollins can’t help but notice how Beckham’s footballing career has been a failure in the MLS. “He has become a regular fixture on late night chat shows, courtside watching the Los Angeles Lakers and at trendy Hollywood parties. But by almost every conceivable measure, Beckham has failed to set football alight in the US. Granted, he has scored a handful of goals (five, to be precise, from 29 appearances) and some of them have even been fairly spectacular, such as a recent long-range effort against the Kansas City Wizards. But over the course of the season he has done little to improve the Galaxy’s miserable record on the pitch.”

And a second American opinion on Beckham’s move to Milan is delivered by Grahame L. Jones (LA Times), arguing that the LA Galaxy are being “emasculated” by this latest episode. “Ever since AEG sounded the trumpets in January 2007 and announced amid much boasting and fanfare that it had signed Beckham, the Galaxy has been nothing but a puppet in the hands of Beckham’s management team. Just how emasculated the club is when it comes to Beckham was again clearly in evidence Wednesday… Big-name players and coaches were quoted. Pundits rushed to get their opinions onto the Internet, on the air and into print. And the Galaxy? The Galaxy had no idea what was happening. Beckham opted not to be available to reporters after the team’s training session Wednesday in Carson, and no Galaxy official had the clout or the guts to make him face the media. The front office never even issued a news release… for the Galaxy, the Beckham circus could fold its tents and then the club could go back to being what it once was - competitive in MLS.”

The Telegraph’s Henry Winter reports that, despite the credit crunch, England are taking 7,000 supporters to Germany next month for one of the largest ever away followings outside a tournament. “The ‘Fabio Factor’ is partly responsible for England’s trend-bucking as fans clamour to see a team revitalised by Capello… Other reasons behind this huge away support for the Nov 19 friendly include the availability of cheap flights to Berlin, the relatively low cost of entry to the Olympic Stadium (£21), the chance to visit one of Europe’s most fascinating cities and the hope for a repeat of the 5-1 thrashing of Germany in Munich in 2001. The Football Association have already sold 6,500 of their 7,000 allocation and confidently expect the remaining 500 to go shortly. The size of the support is all the more remarkable because the match is not only non-competitive but is also a midweek fixture.”

According to a report revealed in the Telegraph, Steve Wilson announces that Doncaster Rovers are English football’s most overachieving side. “Using a complex array of statistics, the study took into account, among other things, the club’s starting place in the league in 1992, average attendances, changes in ownership and investments, financial difficulties, transfers and league and cup performances over each season. All 92 league clubs have been ranked, with Doncaster coming out on top (the statistics do not take in to account the current season’s results) and [Sheffield] Wednesday, despite undergoing something of a minor resurgence under Brian Laws this year, bringing up the rear. Doncaster were at the wrong end the fourth tier at the study’s staring point, and sank out of the league for a period after, too. Since returning to the league back in 2003 via the conference play-offs, they have finished no lower than 11th in whatever division they have found themselves in, and a further two promotions, the last again via the play-offs when they beat Leeds United at Wembley earlier this year, has returned them to the second tier for the first time in half a century.”

In a light-hearted editorial, the Guardian’s Harry Pearson yearns for crazy sports administrators. “At one time we had high hopes for Luciano Gaucci, president of Perugia… The sacking of the striker Ahn Jung-hwan after the South Korean’s goal dumped Italy out of the 2002 World Cup also showed rich potential… A year later Gaucci signed Hanna Ljunberg, at that time the best woman player on the planet, and pledged to play her in Serie A. When doubts were expressed over the effect the Swede might have in the dressing room, the president responded: “We are in 2003. Men go to discotheques and walk naked on the beach.” A week after that Gaucci snapped up Saadi al-Gadafy, a 30-year-old inside forward, civil engineer and son of the Libyan dictator. “This is not a publicity stunt. This is about football, full stop,” he said. Gadafy prepared for Italy’s top flight with an intensive fitness programme under the watchful eye of the disgraced Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. He was soon banned, after testing positive for nandrolone.”