La Liga 2015-16 Season Preview: Sporting Gijon

It’s a never-ending cycle. Three years of dwindling in the Segunda Division later and Sporting Gijon are back in La Liga, but it will take a super-human effort for the Asturian outfit to avoid relegation this time out.

Like last season, though, Coach Abelardo Fernandez will be relying on the flair of his youthful set-up to produce the goods. Indeed, Sporting entered 2014-15 without any new signings and were forced to rely on the young graduates from Mareo. Yet, against all the odds, the courageous attitude of the young side saw them secure promotion on the final matchday, when most believed they would only qualify through the playoffs.

Despite their lack of signings, however, Sporting find themselves in good stead for the new campaign. The likes of Jony and Carlos Castro matured significantly throughout 14-15, the former playing a key role for the side in midfield as he made 39 appearances and scored six goals in the process. The emergence of Miguel Angel Guerrero too is promising for the season ahead. The striker scored 10 goals in 34 appearances.

Key to Sporting's form has been the appointment of Abelardo, who is Rojiblanco through and through. Indeed, his ability to manage a team brimming with inexperience has been by far the greatest achievement in his short managerial career. And as the 45-year-old prepares to pit his wits against the best in the business this season, he will have to rely on the side’s defensive stability. The former Barcelona player established a backline which conceded just 27 goals last season, the fewest in La Segunda.

Read the rest of my preview for Football Espana

La Liga 2015-16 Season Preview: Sevilla

It all seemed like a well-directed film; no bloopers, no retakes as three, astonishingly, inch-perfect free-kicks left a 52,000-strong crowd in Georgia with their jaws dropped. Eventually, it all culminated in nine goals in an unforgettable 120 minutes of play as Barcelona narrowly edged out Sevilla 5-4 in the UEFA Super Cup.

If anything though, that very match exhibited all the qualities that we have come to associate with Unai Emery’s troops. Resilience, as well as possessing the ability to break down the best defences with breathtaking efficiency, has come to define what is now Andalucia's undisputed No 1 side.

Their previous season began with the sales of the likes of Alberto Moreno and, more significantly, Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona. However, the acquisitions of starlet Denis Suarez and the arrival of the relatively-untested Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak helped ease the duo's departures.

It it all began with a bang as the Andalucians won seven of their opening nine matches to reach as high as second, before inconsistency throughout the season saw them challenge Valencia for a Champions League spot, a battle they eventually lost.

Nevertheless, back-to-back Europa League titles, the latest of which saw them edge out Dnipro 3-2 in the final marked their return to Europe’s elite club competition this season.

Read the rest of my preview for Football Espana

Serie A preview: Juventus the favourites again, but Milan and Roma could challenge this season

Italian football may not be what it was during its 90s pomp, with match-fixing scandals taking some of the gloss off and Serie A outfits often treated more like accessories than businesses by their owners.

However, with Juventus reaching last year's Champions League final and Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol’s injecting some cash at AC Milan, it feels like a new era is being ushered in.

No doubt the Old Lady have helped place Italy on Europe’s footballing map again. The Bianconeri, under the tutelage of Massimiliano Allegri, steamrolled their way to a fourth consecutive domestic title before claiming an unprecedented domestic double, narrowly edging out Lazio in the Coppa Italia. And while they failed to lift the Champions League crown against Barcelona in Berlin after wins over Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, they certainly have done their bit in paving the way for another exciting season.

Read the rest of my season preview for Mirror Football

Shaqiri not in tune with Inter

In many ways, Roberto Mancini seemed to have lost touch. Upon his return to the Nerrazzuri in mid-November, the 50-year-old acted as if the post-Mourinho hardships had never happened. Inter, he claimed, were still a top European club and for that they could attract the continent’s best talent was taken as read.

Inter, after all, are one of the most iconic clubs in Europe with 18 Serie A titles, three Champions League crowns and a host of other domestic and intercontinental honours. However, recent struggles meant Mancio’s optimism seemed rather unrealistic - that is until Xherdan Shaqiri joined the club.

Not since Wesley Sneijder has a player mustered so much popularity within the club. So much so that supporters gathered in their thousands and made their way to the airport to greet the new signing. For a League, and club, that had lost its appeal to the wider public, Shaqiri’s agreement to join the club on a loan deal before signing on for another five years, was quite a coup.

The 23-year-old’s first few months were indeed promising. With legends such as Oliver Bierhoff claiming that he had everything to become a fan favourite, Shaqiri got off to a perfect start by scoring on his debut, combining with fellow new recruit Lukas Podolski to eliminate Sampdoria from the Coppa Italia.

By February, Inter’s faithful came flocking back to San Siro, as their attendances almost doubled, not to mention the fact that Shaqiri was, perhaps, the Nerrazzuri’s best player throughout the month as he contributed in every facet possible, in particular setting alight the Europa League. So much so, that club legend Javier Zanetti compared the Swiss to Sneijder for his ability to spark the team to life.

Read the rest of my piece on Football Italia

Top Five Inter Youngsters 2015-16

It’s fair to say that for the past few seasons, Inter have ultimately flattered to deceive. In fact, such were the lacklustre team performances last term that not only did the Nerazzurri get dumped out of the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals, but they ultimately finished in eighth position in Serie A, and are set to miss out on European football this time around.

The re-appointment of Roberto Mancini at the expense of Walter Mazzarri has, thus far. failed to show much promise with the tactician seemingly finding it tough to successfully integrate his players into his own philosophy.

There is good news amongst all this negativity, however: Inter’s youth structure continues to produce talented starlets capable of becoming world-class players, and with president Erick Thohir insisting that the squad for the new season will be limited to just 25 players, it seems now is the time for Mancio to rely on the younger generation as they attempt to re-build.

Here, I took a look at five promising Inter youngsters for Forza Italian Football

Perth Glory, Wellington, WS Wanderers all through to FFA Cup final 16

Last year's runners-up Perth Glory progressed into the round of 16 of the FFA Cup after a narrow 4-3 penalty shootout victory over the Newcastle Jets after the scores were locked at 2-2 after extra time on Tuesday evening.

The stakes were high heading into the match with both sides looking to rebuild following their respective controversies last season. The Glory were ousted from the A-League finals following their salary cap scandal while the the Jets have begun a new era under FFA control following their recent financial struggles.

It was the Novocastrians who got off to a better start with new recruit Labinot Haliti almost drawing first blood in the eighth minute when a marauding run eventually saw his shot across the face of the goal saved by former Wanderers teammate Jerrad Tyson.

The Jets built upon their early dominance when David Carney opened the scoring midway through the first half after pouncing on a defensive error from Antony Golec before blasting a powerful shot past a helpless Tyson.

Haliti continued to threaten as he stung the palms of Perth's custodian in the 33rd minute with a crisp strike before sending a volley into the back of the net from the far post only to be ruled offside.

A frenetic start to the second half saw the Glory immediately place their opponents on the back foot as Scott Miller's men struggled to retain possession.

Read the rest of my FFA Cup review at ESPN FC

Sydney FC and Adelaide United progress to the FFA Cup round of 16

Adelaide United proved to be a class above minnows Darwin Olympic as they opened their FFA Cup title defence with a comfortable 6-1 win at Darwin Football Stadium on Wednesday night.

The stakes were undoubtedly high coming into the fixture. Darwin's encounter marked a historic moment for football in the Northern Territory as Steve Lolais' side became the first Territory side to compete in the nation-wide competition.

Meanwhile, the match also marked Adelaide United's first fixture since Josep Gombau's shock departure a little less than two weeks ago, with former Barcelona midfielder Guillermo Amor subsequently taking over the reins of the club.

There was very little to separate both sides in the opening stages with some pulsating end-to-end play in the opening 10 minutes whereby neither team were able to gain foothold in the match.

All of Olympic's good work thus far in the match soon came undone in the 17th minute when Marcelo Carrusca made no mistake from the penalty spot after Billy Kathopoulis cynically brought down Osama Malik to give the Reds the lead.

Read the rest of my FFA Cup review at ESPN FC

Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City win, make last 16 in Australia's FFA Cup

A-League champions Melbourne Victory began their FFA Cup campaign in scintillating fashion as they ruthlessly progressed to the last 16, defeating Balmain Tigers FC 6-0 at Leichardt Oval on Tuesday evening.

Coming into the match, Tigers manager Tass Fiakos was hopeful that the New South Wales State League side could pull off an upset, claiming that they were "certainly not going to lie down."

Despite a lively start where they were able to shut down space in midfield in the opening 10 minutes, the Tigers were brought back down to earth when the Victory drew first blood in the 11th minute when Besart Berisha slotted into the bottom corner off a Jesse Makarounas assist.

Kevin Muscat's side doubled their lead minutes shy from half-time when a well worked move on the right flank saw a Jason Geria cross find attacker Connor Pain unmarked at the far post for a simple tap in.

The Victory began the second half from where they left off, applying pressure on Balmain's defence as they easily monopolised possession, and they netted their third in the 56th minute when Kosta Barbarouses slotted home from 15 yards out.

Read the rest of my FFA Cup review at ESPN FC

Palm Beach Sharks knock South Melbourne out of Australia's FFA Cup

Australia's FFA Cup round of 32 matches kicked off in style on Wednesday night with the Palm Beach Sharks overcoming former National Soccer League giants South Melbourne 8-7 in a penalty shootout after the scores finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.

The Sharks looked determined to repeat last season's heroics, but it was the Victorians who got off to the better start with a couple of set-piece chances going close early on.

Their efforts were duly rewarded just after the half-hour mark when Milos Lujic headed home from the back post off a cross from the left-flank.

South Melbourne's lead was short-lived, however, when Florian Matk coolly converted from the spot after SM custodian Nikola Roganovic cynically brought down Rees Duncan in the box.

Lacklustre efforts in front of goal in the second half and extra-time saw both sides fail to secure the knock-out blow within 120 minutes of play.

Read the rest of my FFA Cup review at ESPN FC

How Bartomeu beat Laporta to the Barcelona presidential hot-seat

When Joan Laporta came to power back in 2003, Barcelona was a club in turmoil. It had been four years since since the Blaugrana had won a major trophy and the Catalan club could barely cope with the immense dominance of rivals Real Madrid and Valencia.

Not now, though. Just six months ago, Barcelona were left reeling from a loss to David Moyes’ Real Sociedad  at the Anoeta. Luis Enrique’s tenure was hanging on by the skin of his teeth, and the board was forced to call early elections to dissolve the tension. Bartomeu, for all it was worth, was a dead man walking.

Remarkably, days out from the election, Bartomeu was considered the favourite for the presidential hot-seat at the expense of, as Agusti Benedito put it, his worst enemy. But it seemed the businessman with airport and seaport facilities to his name was always that one step ahead. At the end of the day, Laporta made a meal of his campaign, and if anything, he was his own worst enemy.

In early March, a poll from Catalan radio show El Club de la Mitjanit found that the former president had 51% percent of the votes, a sizeable majority over Bartomeu who had only garnered 27% of the votes from respondents, that is, before he even confirmed his intention to run as president.

But, in hindsight, his three-month campaign can be characterised by one which was severely disorganised and grossly improvised. For a man who, as a former politician arguably knew of the secrets to political success, his mistakes costed him oh so dearly.

Read the rest of my piece on World Soccer Talk

Paulinho – the sorry decline of the Brazilian ‘Lampard’

Two years ago, Paulinho was on top of the world. When Argentinean playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme called Paulinho a ‘phenomenon’ and likened the Brazilian as the ‘black’ version of Frank Lampard for their similar box-to-box style of play, the 26-year-old simply took on board the comparison with little fuss, pledging to such a comparison as fuel for greater things.

“This comparison is a responsibility that I will take, I will not run away from it. Lampard is a great player…I intend to follow in his footsteps as he is a very professional guy. I’ve always looked at what Lampard does and to me he is a huge phenomenon. The way he hits the ball, what positions he takes up, he really is incredible.”

But following two seasons in England’s top flight, Paulinho has completed an astonishing move to Guangzhou Evergrande – the cash rich reigning Chinese Super League champions who are chasing their fifth consecutive domestic title and a second Asian Champions League title for a second time in three years – for £10m.

Not only does he leave England with his previously glorified reputation in shatters, but also 169 goals short of Frank Lampard’s goal tally in the English Premier League and 93 assists behind the Chelsea legend.

His departure for an a eight figure sum, though, seems to have been met with such delight from Tottenham’s faithful so much so that Daniel Levy has, momentarily at least, regained the trust of the club’s supporters. While the transfer fee highlights Guangzhou’s financial might, and Luiz Felipe Scolari’s power in negotiations, a £7m loss from their initial purchase of £17m seems to be a big win for the club especially given that the player has largely been underwhelming at the White Heart Lane.

Read the rest of my article for EPL Index

Neymar’s suspension is a blessing in disguise for Brazil

It was approximately one year ago when Luiz Felipe Scolari’s managerial tenure as Brazil’s head coach looked in tatters. Some would argue that partially through no fault of his own, Scolari’s stint was left in a sorry state. Neymar’s campaign was over after having his back broken in the latter stages of their World Cup quarterfinal against Colombia courtesy of a cynical challenge. Such was the loss that the players all donned snap backs in support of their injured warrior, a move Dunga at the time was highly critical of. Forget about Neymar and get on with the job was the message.

Fast forward 12 months and Dunga himself found himself in a similar career defining moment. Ironically, once again, it was Colombia who had ended Neymar’s participation in a major international sporting competition, this time through a four match suspension handed down for the 23-year-old’s antics.

Neymar, of course, had acted like a spoiled kid who was dissatisfied with everything that went against him. His frustration at being unable to break down Colombia’s stubborn defense clearly evident as he was lucky to escape a booking towards the end of the first half after protesting against the referee and subsequently punching the ball away. He would later try to headbutt an opponent and strike another with the ball, all of which culminated in a dramatic downfall. A monster had been unleashed, so they said.

Although Dunga faced criticism for his move in naming a still immature Neymar as captain of world soccer’s most successful side, Dunga largely dealt with the situation with class and didn’t allow such a controversial scenario to derail the Selečao’s attempt to reach the knockout stages. The fans too accepted Neymar’s suspension with grace.

Read more of this article at World Soccer Talk

Australia’s historic win against Brazil breeds confidence and self belief

The caption of a graphic that Nike Soccer uploaded onto their social media channels recently read: Strong Alone. Unstoppable together. If anything, Australia’s history-making quarter-finals berth into the Women’s World Cup was the manifestation of exactly that.

While the Matildas cannot exactly boast high-profile players the likes of five-time World Player of the Year Marta, United States’ own superstar Megan Rapinoe or France’s star-attacker Eugenie Le Sommers, the Aussie line-up isn’t quite bereft of talent.

Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams has been assured in between the sticks ever since replacing Melissa Barbieri in the starting line-up; Laura Alleway has proven to be lethal in the air; while Lisa De Vanna has proven to be a nightmare for opposition defenses.

But the key to the Matildas’ stunning rise is not simply the result of strength in depth in a roster that boasts a hybrid of youthful flair and experienced exuberance, but rather the cohesiveness of a side brimming with confidence, all that under the tenure of a youthful, yet tactical adept and organized coach.

Pitted against the might of the United States, Sweden and Nigeria, a positive result in the Group of Death seemed unlikely. But instead of being caught up in the hype surrounding the difficult task of qualifying from their group against such strong nations, the Matildas, let their work on the pitch do the talking. And the Aussies have proven to be worthy opponents.

Read the rest of my article on World Soccer Talk

Barca make Berlin history

It was a match which perfectly summarised Barcelona’s treble-winning season, a match which, in itself, encapsulated not only the highest of highs, but also the lowest of lows. And in the end, as Gerard Pique so rightly pointed out, the addition of the European crown, the club’s fourth in the space of decade, to their La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, was perfection.

But it very nearly wasn’t.

Jittery as if they’d forgotten how to approach finals, upon kick-off, the Blaugrana were immediately placed on the back foot. Juventus’ proactive pressing saw Luis Enrique’s men cough up possession and concede a corner early on. And yet, true to form, Barcelona found their feet, and subsequently, the back of the net as an incisive through ball from Neymar carved up a depleted Juventus defence, before Andres Iniesta’s square ball to an unmarked Ivan Rakitic saw the Catalans draw first blood.

In many ways, the manner in which the Camp Nou outfit scored their first was apt. So much had been made of the fact that Enrique had started to change Barcelona’s tiki-taka approach. And yet, the way the Catalans carved up Juve’s usually-sturdy defence was exactly in that same vintage vein they had so often done. Their use of possession, quick transitions and intricate short passing led to a goal which involved all 10 of Barca’s outfield players.

While the scoreline at half-time failed to do Barca’s dominance justice, the fact remains that as the Blaugrana ambled towards the break, they continued to create openings, and had it not been for Gianluigi Buffon’s first-half heroics, for the Bianconeri, their dreams of a fairytale would’ve turned into a disastrous nightmare.

Read the rest of my piece on Football Espana

Barcelona’s road to the CL final

As the curtain closes on 10 or so months of blockbuster Champions League action, it all comes down to this. With the treble on the line, arguably the two most consistent sides in Europe this season, Barcelona and Juventus, will scrap it out for the continental crown when the whistle blows in blows in Berlin.

In many ways, Berlin presents itself as an ideal backdrop for two sides whose background is draped richly in history. Like Berlin, the two sides set to take to the field have experienced eras of unrivalled success juxtaposed with scandals. Saturday’s fixture, though, presents a completely different theme. One of redemption, or as Pique put it, perfection.

As Gerard Pique noted, the Champions League final presents an opportunity for Barcelona to acquit themselves of recent bad publicity which has plagued the club off and on the pitch and to create history by becoming the first club to win their second treble.

Indeed, the final presents an opportunity for the club which, quite simply, could very well not have occurred. Just five months ago, La Blaugrana found themselves on the brink of collapse. The ongoing Neymar transfer scandal in culmination with Lionel Messi’s spat with Luis Enrique threatened to leave the club in disrepute.

While that proved to be the turning point of Barcelona’s season, it’s fair to say that single incident came as a result of accumulated pressure and frustration from the club’s unconvincing start. And Enrique’s rotation policy only left players even more demoralised and disillusioned.

Read the rest of my piece on Football Espana

Ter Stegen finally comes of age

As fireworks lit up the Barcelona skyline in celebration of La Blaugrana reaching the Champions League final, over at the Allianz Arena, their former Coach Pep Guardiola marched across the sideline towards his old friend. The man who had often gotten the better of Luis Enrique as the ‘better’ player and the ‘better Coach’ finally fell short. Sportsmanlike, Pep embraced his opposite number, and in doing so, one would think, offered Enrique his heartfelt felicitations.

Barcelona, of course, had just sealed their tie against Bayern Munich with a 5-3 aggregate win, a result which will see them travel to Berlin, the capital of Germany which lies 600 km north of Munich, for the final. And judging by their sub-par performance, the Catalans, literally, and perhaps metaphorically, have a long way to go before potentially being crowned champions.

Bathing in the success of their first-leg 3-0 win at Camp Nou, Barca seemed content to take their foot off the pedal in the most crucial of times. Bayern, yet again depleted due to injury, began the match with a bang, and exposed Barcelona’s deficiencies with set-pieces as they hit the lead on the seventh minute from a corner. Mehdi Benatia, who himself was ruthlessly criticised for his inability to handle crucial moments, ironically, became a figure of hope for the Bavarians.

And just as Bayern seemed as though they would somehow miraculously claw their way back into the tie, Barcelona hit back through the triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. The two goals in the 15th and 29th minute followed the same pattern - Messi would provide the incisive pass to cut open the Bayern defence and Suarez would set up Neymar - strikes which all but ended Bayern’s hopes of a comeback.

Read the rest of my piece on Football Espana

FFTASIA50: The Jedi Enforcer: How captain Mile Jedinak made himself indispensable to Socceroos

With the first half in its late stages, Australia were on the ascendency, searching for their second goal to give the side the lead heading into half-time of their opening encounter of the Asian Cup.

As far as starts to matches go, this was arguably not the Socceroos at their best — Kuwait had scored from a set-piece in the opening eight minutes and Melbourne’s AAMI Park fell silent. While Ange Postecoglou’s troops somehow managed to fight their way past Kuwait’s high-pressing play to equalise through Tim Cahill, as if to add insult to injury, the home side suffered another shock blow. Mile Jedinak injured his ankle.

The skipper, though, was not about to give up. Despite lying motionless on the turf for a good few minutes, agony visibly etched across his battle-hardened face, the “Jedi” soldiered on ruthlessly. He did so not with the help of painkillers but by sheer adrenalin, to lead his troops to victory, not only in their opening Asian Cup match, but ultimately as Champions of Asia.

Such stoicism is hardly the result of some pre-match pep talk Postecoglou delivered minutes before kick-off, nor the tactical training the team had undergone weeks prior to the tournament proper. Rather, Jedinak’s display of courage to play on for the glory of the nation is a result of a lifetime of hard-work, dedication to the task at hand, and, in some respects, patriotism.

Read the rest of my analysis on FourFourTwo

FFTASIA50: How former Bayern Munich recruit Takashi Usami is making up for lost time back home

"The Japanese are disciplined, hard-working and obedient toward the team. They have speed, technique, and discipline" - Felix Magath

For many football fans, Japanese starlet Takashi Usami is not exactly a household name. While most Asian youngsters continually dream of plying their trade amongst Europe's elite in the near future, the versatile attacker has been there and done that. For a player who is only 22 years of age, the realisation of his potential no longer lingers upon the hypothetical 'if', but the imminent 'when'.

How the tables have turned.

Nowadays, there seems to be an air of expectancy when it comes to producing talented footballers for the European stage. One does not need to look any further than Yasuhiko Okudera. While many may know of him as the former president of English side Plymouth, in the eyes of Japan's footballing fraternity, Okudera was a pioneer for the local game — a Messianic figure in many respects.
Indeed, Okudera's feats most notably at FC Koln, Hertha Berlin, and Werder Bremen opened the floodgates for the continual influx of local talent on the European stage. Japanese football, for that matter, is all the better for it.

The consistency of Keisuke Honda and the meteoric rise of Shinji Kagawa at Borussia Dortmund are just two modern examples of Okudera's legacy in action.

So while in some respects the aforementioned duo continue to struggle with consistency on the pitch, it seems almost coincidental, if not fateful, that their natural successor, Usami, would be creating shockwaves back home. With each performance, the attacking phenomenon finds himself edging closer to a permanent European move.

Read the rest of my analysis on FourFourTwo

Messianic Messi raises Barca’s bar

In many respects, it was a match of biblical proportions in a way which was somewhat expected. Only this time, though, Lionel Messi was the Messiah, and Pep Guardiola was the prophet.

“The way Messi is playing at the moment, there's no defence that can stop him. It’s impossible,” remarked the 44-year-old tactician ahead of his official return to Camp Nou.
And how prophetic that proved to be.

Barcelona, many opined, already had the tie in the bag prior to kick-off – there was no way in the world a depleted Bayern Munich set-up would be able to defeat a Blaugrana outfit in supreme form in their own fortress. But for 70 minutes or so, the match panned out in such a way many would have least expected.

Guardiola, as most would know, is not the sort of guy who dies wondering. Sitting back and defending with grit at the expense of potentially exposing their opponents with countless waves of attack is, for the Bayern coach, a mortal sin. And indeed, his troops gave the Catalans a run for their money in astonishing fashion.

Read the rest of my article on Football Espana

Why Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona return will see mixed reception

It was 19 March, 2015, and with 37 minutes gone, Manchester City were hanging onto dear life against a ruthless barrage of attacks at the hands of Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Pep Guardiola sat on the edge of his seat alongside his parents at the back of the lower tier, donning a thick black coat and a scarf as if to try to remain incognito. Yet, as Lionel Messi nutmegs James Milner to the raucous jeers of the Blaugrana faithful, leaving the latter in a heap on the turf, not even the former Barcelona manager could conceal his joy.

His expression said it all. You’d think the man who coached Messi to four Ballon d’Ors, during his tutelage at the club, would’ve seen all the skills and tricks of the Argentine maestro by now. But Guardiola’s need to hide his face in exacerbation would suggest otherwise.

On Wednesday evening though, Pep Guardiola will make an official return to the Camp Nou. This time, neither as a fan nor a coach, but as an enemy. And should he decide to take a seat in the one of the most iconic venues in world football, it will be on the opposing bench as Bayern Munich’s manager.

With speculation rife about his future in Bavaria, the 44-year-old tactician will hope that his boyhood club will lose, not that it will be an easy job.

Read the rest of my piece for Soccerlens.com