Football; It's A Funny Old Game. By Richard Maher

Southampton Preview

2012-02-15T02:24:00.001-08:00

What an occasion it was last time we were here at Upton Park. With 10-men in the first 10 minutes it was possible to envisage us embarrassing ourselves and sinking without a trace; but the players really stepped up to prove that they are completely committed to West Ham United. And we can be equally proud of the behaviour of our fans, it was admittedly a tense atmosphere but there was an absence of trouble from start to finish.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more crime as a result of this fixture; domestic violence on men is likely to rocket. There’s obviously an old, grumpy, single man at the helm of the nPower Championship who chose the date for this game, so thanks a lot for that one mate, you created an awkward conversation for many of us.

For those of you lucky enough to have escaped Valentine’s Day duties to be here tonight, at least you have a romantic fixture on your hands. Finally we get the chance to take on Southampton, who have accompanied us in the automatic promotion spots for the majority of the season, in our home stadium, and can further stretch the gap which divides us.

If it wasn’t for Peterborough’s absolute inadequacy to compete at this level of football we could be in a much better situation. Because of their poor facilities, last weekend’s game was postponed which means we were unable to maintain our 4 point safety net over the Saints. Fortunately for Southampton, their game was in their hands rather than that of an incompetent club, and so they now have the momentum and the opportunity to overtake us. But I’m confident we can handle the pressure.

Despite arguably being the Championship’s biggest game thus far, media attention has been greatly reduced due to the relentless coverage of the England manager’s vacancy. As an Englishman I’m delighted that Fabio Capello has resigned. It still baffles me as to why, in a world where two billion people can speak English, we chose someone who couldn’t to manage England’s national football team.

Hopefully the FA can make a better choice this time as, with Capello out of the picture, I am far more excited for the European Championships in the summer. It is almost inconceivable to imagine anyone other than Harry Redknapp taking over now as it seems inevitable that he will be offered the job.

I think Redknapp would be a good England manager but the main thing for us Hammers is that none of the job changes affect Sam Allardyce’s position. If Redknapp takes the England job, David Moyes could be appointed at Spurs and you might have Everton knocking on our door for ‘Big Sam’, what a disaster that would be.

I know there is still a minority of cynical West Ham fans who would still, ludicrously, welcome Sam’s departure, but if we emerge victorious today it must surely convince the remaining doubters that he has been an outstanding success. If we lose today, our fortunes could reverse as drastically as Redknapp’s did last Wednesday, when he was on his way to prison in the morning and on his way to managing his country in the evening; that is how important today’s game is.

The ideal outcome for West Ham would probably be the simple scenario of Jose Mourinho getting the national job, thereby avoiding the managerial merry-go-round which a Premier League appointment would entail; I can’t see Real Madrid looking to Allardyce as a replacement. This situation is not completely out of the question as I wouldn’t blame Harry for rejecting the job and remaining at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp has built the best squad he has had in his entire career at Tottenham and they are at the perfect age to continue to flourish if they remain loyal. It would be a great shame to throw that away. And looking at the manner in which the media have pounced on Stuart Pearce already, chastising him for something he said 18 years ago and his brother’s political views, why would you swap a job which you are doing fantastically in, for one with such intense pressure?

However, I personally think Redknapp will take the job, he seems to be one of the last old-fashioned, English managers to whom the national job probably still means more than a Premiership one. It wouldn’t surprise me if Spurs declared an interest in Allardyce, just in an effort to unsettle him; they love being a thorn in our side. But they may have already identified his replacement; did anyone see the photo of Avram Grant at the Tottenham training ground on Thursday? Now that would be funny!

With all of this speculation aside, our main concern is today’s game. I’m glad it’s come in the form of an evening game, even if it has fallen on an awkward date. A top of the table clash under the floodlights at Upton Park is something we haven’t experienced enough in recent years. It would be nice to get a glimpse of Ravel Morrison who has already been labelled a ‘homophobe’ by the media. For anyone who didn’t see it, the story was probably written by the same desperate journalist who called Stuart Pearce racist; needless criticism.

It will also be exciting to see our other signings who will probably feature sooner than Morrison. I hope we start with Nicky Maynard up front tonight, supported Ricardo Vaz Te on the wing so we can really attack Southampton in a Valentine’s Day massacre. Come on you Irons!

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

10 West Ham Icons

2012-02-06T11:58:00.001-08:00

West Ham has always been a frustrating club to support because it has so little to show in terms of silverware for its great reputation and heritage. This begs the questions as to why it ever gained such a respectful reputation in the first place. One of the reasons is because West Ham United’s story has featured some of football’s most famous figures and this has led to a number of icons emerging in claret and blue.

1. Ron Greenwood

Many supporters and media pundits referenced ‘playing the West Ham way’ when Sam Allardyce was appointed as manager, and that phenomenon is down to Greenwood. Hammers fans often take pride in the reputation of playing ‘football the right way’ and this can be credited to Greenwood as he introduced a whole philosophy which has influenced the club ever since. Greenwood morphed the Hammers into pioneers of skilful football in a similar fashion to Pep Guardiola’s revolution at Barcelona. As manager, Greenwood led the Hammers to two FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup for their most successful spell in history. Greenwood can draw many parallels with Arsene Wenger, he was an idealist and a perfectionist in the way that he styled his team, but he had nowhere near the same resources as Wenger has had. Greenwood tutored John Lyall into being his successor and his legacy influenced the club, as well as the England national team, to their greatest ever successes.

2. Bobby Moore

There is no doubt that Bobby Moore is West Ham’s, if not English football’s, greatest icon. The image of Moore lofted above the rest of England’s 1966 world-cup winning team at Wembley with the trophy in hand is possibly the most recognisable photo in football history. Moore captained West Ham for more than 10 years and is widely regarded as the best defender who ever lived. Moore gained 108 caps for England and played 544 times for West Ham United and is certainly their most successful player ever having also achieved numerous personal awards such as BBC Sports Personality Of The Year and an O.B.E. You may go as far to say that never again will a West Ham player captain the club to three major trophies, including one in Europe, and lead England to World Cup victory. If you thought David Beckham’s status couldn’t get any greater, imagine if he had led England to a World Cup victory in 2002; that was Bobby Moore, and he did it all with the Hammers on his heart.

3. Trevor Brooking

Many good things emerged from West Ham’s golden age in the 1960’s, and Trevor Brooking was certainly one of them. Having graduated through Greenwood’s regime, Brooking was ready to continue the legacy of beautiful football when the stars of the previous era began to leave and retire. Brooking stepped up to become West Ham’s most important player in a similar way to how Cesc Fabregas did when the likes of Patrick Viera, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry departed. It is impossible to tell as to whether Brooking’s skill can be compared to the likes of Lionel Messi’s, but his majestic nature was so evident on a playing surface far rougher and muddier than the smooth ground we see today, that it is definitley worth arguing. When the Hammers were relegated, Brooking showed indescribable loyalty by pledging to stay with the team, and he did so for the rest of his career. He has even made a brief comeback as manager on 2 occasions in times of trouble, and only lost 1 game. Brooking is certainly the Hammers’ second greatest icon.

4. Billy Bonds

After signing from Charlton as a young full-back, Bonds went on to make a record 793 appearances for the Hammers in a spell at the club stretching over 20 years. Grit and determination is something West Ham supporters have always been fond of, and it is possible that this derives from Bonds. After Bobby Moore left for Fulham, Bonds’ natural leadership made him the obvious successor to the captain’s armband, and this was an honour he held down for many years to come. His strong and tough nature in midfield enabled the team to cater for the flamboyance of Brooking to provide the creativity which made the dynamics of this West Ham team so effective. Bonds can be compared to the likes of Michael Essien in the modern-day, whose defensive ability is the key to his game and allows the more creative players to flourish. However Bonds, like Essien, did not operate without the surging runs he became equally famous for and which led to him scoring almost 50 times for West Ham. To cement his legendary status, Bonds was the club’s manager between 1990 and 1994. He truly resembles the kind of defensive midfielder which has become so popular today.

5. Tony Cottee

Here is yet another local boy who came through the academy to play an integral role in West Ham’s history. Cottee burst onto the scene in a similar fashion to how Wayne Rooney did at Everton; as a 17 year-old debutant he hit the net against West Ham’s rivals Tottenham, not a bad way to introduce yourself. Cottee continued to score goals and amassed 92 in his first spell at West Ham. His goals were vital to West Ham’s third place finish in 1986, their highest ever, and he won the PFA Young Player of the Year in the same season, think how much he would’ve been worth in today’s game. Cottee did move to Everton for a British record transfer fee but he eventually returned when he was signed by Harry Redknapp in 1994. Cottee hadn’t lost his shooting boots and managed to net another 24 for the Hammers, making him one of West Ham’s highest goalscorers to date. Any West Ham striker less than 5ft8 will continue to be compared to Cottee long into the future.

6. Julian Dicks

It’s quite rare for a left-back to be thrown into a list of iconic players but ‘The Terminator’ cannot be excluded. Dicks combined the unforgiving, tough tackling that fans love to see with an undeniably wicked left-foot in a way which few have since Roberto Carlos. Dicks’ hard-man reputation often clouded the fact that he was actually an excellent footballer and managed to score 50 goals for West Ham. Dicks was able to power down the left wing in a manner as threatening as Gareth Bale does for Tottenham today, and if he was given enough space on the edge of the area, he would not be afraid to release a thunderous drive at goal. It’s also debatable as to whether West Ham have had a better penalty taker since Dicks as his explosive shot was effectively replicated from 12 yards. However, Dicks’ attacking talents were not to compensate for his defensive ability as he defended in a formidable manner which was certain to strike fear into any winger who considered a few step-overs; the best left-back ever to play for the club.

7. Tony Carr

It is difficult to select one of the magnificent players that ‘The Academy of Football’ has produced as firstly, many are good enough to be in this list, but secondly because none of them were loyal enough to West Ham United to be considered for selection. However, the emergence of these players is widely credited to Tony Carr and so, although he has never made a professional appearance for the club, he is a worthy icon. Carr resembles West Ham’s proudest institution, their youth academy, which has produced the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and more. If Carr’s class had remained at West Ham then it is certain that they would’ve been far more successful in recent times than they have been and would’ve probably been regular Champions League spot, if not Premier League title, contenders. Although this is somewhat of a regret, Carr’s brilliance has not gone to waste as he has generated extortionate amounts of money through player sales which have saved the club financially on more than one occasion.

8. Paolo Di Canio

Di Canio is West Ham’s greatest contemporary icon, resembling the style and skill which has been seen throughout football’s modern age of the Premier League and foreign imports. The Italian was a controversial signing as his eccentric nature, which had previously led to him toppling a referee, made him somewhat of a cult figure in the English game. However, his skill was undeniable and had been showcased during spells at footballing giants such as Lazio, Juventus and AC Milan. Di Canio’s career at West Ham was a huge success; the passion and emotion which he brought to the team made him a fans’ favourite instantaneously and it appeared he fell in love with the fans just as quickly. Highlights of Di Canio’s West Ham career include a winner at Old Trafford, the greatest Premier League goal to date and an emotional winner against Chelsea in his last game at Upton Park. There was never a dull moment with Di Canio and many hope that one day he can return as manager.

9. Carlos Tevez

It may be debatable as to whether Tevez is worthy of a place on this list given that he featured just 26 times for West Ham, but his character and ability certainly made him a true West Ham icon. A move to the biggest clubs in Europe was mooted for the Argentinian international before he was surprisingly transferred to West Ham in one of the most controversial deals of all time. Upon a wave of excitement, Tevez struggled to settle at first, but as the Hammers looked to be sinking into the second tier of English football, his brilliance prevailed. Tevez scored 7 goals in the last few games of the season to achieve one of the greatest escapes football has ever seen, including a stunning free-kick against Tottenham and a winning goal at Old Trafford on the final day. Although his attitude has been a matter of dispute in recent times, his commitment to West Ham on the pitch was unquestionable.

10. Scott Parker

Parker is the most recent player who can be considered a true icon; his face was stapled to every West Ham marketing campaign until he was regretfully sold earlier this season. Parker arrived amongst a number of high-profile, proven Premiership players during the free-spending Icelandic period. Like many of these recruits, his breakthrough was heavily delayed due to injury; however he stood out as the only one who could really reach iconic status. Parker’s gritty determination and commitment meant he carried one of the poorest West Ham teams ever through some very difficult times and almost single-handedly saved them from relegation in 2010. Parker also provided some vital goals in his time and his ability was finally recognised by Fabio Capello when he was recently drafted into the England squad. Following the inevitable relegation in 2011, Parker was sold to Tottenham in order to aid him with his international aspirations. It is testament to Parker that only a small minority begrudge him of the move and it is even possible that he could receive the England captaincy in the near future.

West Ham have had the privilege of being involved with a number of iconic figures throughout history. However, few of these individuals were of this status before their association with West Ham and so it is clear that, although we are not the most successful team in the world, we are truly great at creating genuine football icons.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

The Millwall game means nothing

2012-02-04T01:45:00.000-08:00

With the intense anxiety surrounding our fixture against Millwall, I was posed with the question as to what it would actually mean for our fans to thrash the Lions. I have come to the conclusion, that in the grand scheme of things, it means little more than an ordinary game.

Whilst Millwall have not entered the top tier of English football for over two decades, the majority of West Ham’s recent history has either been spent there or vying to return there. Although I will be accused of being a biased West Ham fan, I think we can safely say that the Hammers are a far bigger club.

Modern history has seen us develop a more relevant rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur, a club which has been in the same division as us far more often and who we have had arguably more fracases with, the latest being the battle for the Olympic Stadium. When we beat Tottenham I am filled with an immense sense of pride and relish the next, inevitably, boastful encounter I will have with a Spurs fan; when we beat Millwall it is more a sense of relief.

Whilst both clubs have had their own aims to focus on, West Ham’s being promotion and Millwall’s towards the other end of the table, eyes have certainly been drawn to this game, whether it is with eagerness or caution. The initial leg played at the Den resulted in a dull 0-0, but of course the main thing to report was an impressive lack of crowd violence.

The rivalry between West Ham and Millwall has become so warped by popular culture and Danny Dyer’s everlasting list of football ‘firm’ films that the violence which was synonymous with 1980s hooliganism shamefully returned to the surface just three years ago. Strangely, the match between the sides at Upton Park in 2004 and even in the corresponding fixture earlier this season have passed by without incident. So what was different about the infamous meeting in 2009?

Quite simply, being a League Cup match which was not included on the season ticket, much of the ground was not filled with genuine Hammers’ fans but with rowdy idiots who purchased tickets to the match with the sole intention of re-creating the violent rivalry which has been advertised through cinema in recent years.

Although these topless yobs on the pitch may have had hammers imprinted on their skin, a real West Ham supporter would care more about our reputation and the negative repercussions the club could face rather than shattering a Millwall fan’s cheekbone.

Whilst the banter of healthy rivalry is integral to the character of football as a whole, seeing it resort to mindless violence undermines the whole purpose of the game which is, ultimately to entertain. Thanks to the outrageous scenes of the last meeting between the two clubs at Upton Park, alcohol is banned within a surrounding proximity of the Boleyn Ground and many parents have refused to take their children to the match, this affects the way in which a huge amount of people want to enjoy football.

The absurdity of wanting to injure, or even kill, another man on the basis of who he wants to win a game of football is almost incomprehensible when you look at it in that way. Many of these stupid thugs don’t even know why they are attacking the man opposite them; it is simply “because he supports Millwall!”

In truth the rivalry originates from when Thames Ironworks were placed on the opposite side of the River Thames to Millwall’s founding company and put in direct competition with them. It is easy to see why, when both companies decided to form football teams, it was always a fierce encounter.

However a fiery competition on the pitch is completely different to hundreds of grown-men lobbing glass at each other over. I hope it does get heated on the pitch this Saturday as that is the best and most entertaining way to respect this historic rivalry, not by fighting other fans.

The main thing for real West Ham fans is that we pick ourselves up from a shocking 5-1 defeat to Ipswich in the week and remain on course to win the Championship. We are excited to see the new signings Ricardo Vaz Te, Ravel Morrison and Nicky Maynard add some much needed pace and flair to our football; we do not want to see pathetic old men or ignorant troublemakers trying to cling onto a shameful period of football’s past.

It would mean an enormous amount for Hammers’ fans to see an exciting and passionate game of football in which West Ham emerge victors, but not because of the regretful connotations of this fixture. It would mean so much because it would prove that the players actually care about West Ham United, a matter of debate with regards to Tuesday night, and would push us a step closer to returning to where we belong.

Spurs consider a Green choice

2012-01-26T04:56:00.000-08:00

It has emerged that Tottenham Hotspur are looking into the possibility of signing West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green as a replacement for the ageing Brad Friedel; and they could get him for free.

The experienced Friedel, who turns 41 in May, has had an impressive debut season at Spurs as the club have forced their way into title contention, but being eight years younger, Green could be a more viable option in the long-term. Tottenham are looking to solidify their position amongst the English elite and therefore want to add to a group of players who can mature together over the next few years.

This could prove to be an attractive option for Green who has seen his former Hammers team-mate, Scott Parker make the same move and become a Tottenham favourite. Parker has been highly-praised for his performances this season, which have helped to make Spurs strong contenders to qualify for the Champions League, a meteoric rise considering he was playing in England’s second tier at the start of the season.

Although Green’s track-record suggests a strong loyalty, having only played for Norwich City and the Hammers, he may wish to test himself at the highest level before retirement. Green, unlike Ben Foster and Paul Robinson, has also expressed a desire to remain involved on the international stage and a move to White Hart Lane could only strengthen his cause. Since his infamous error against the USA at the World Cup, Green’s credibility as England’s keeper has greatly eroded, but whilst he is highly unlikely to displace Joe Hart, he could be a worthy understudy.

If these reasons for a move away were not enough, West Ham are playing hardball over a contract extension to the one which expires in the Summer. Determined not to make the same mistakes as previous regimes, David Sullivan and David Gold are hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League before offering one of their highest-earners a new deal.

Although this seems sensible at first-glance, it could risk losing one of West Ham’s best and long-serving players who would be invaluable to surviving relegation if they were to be promoted next season. Reliable goalkeepers are notoriously hard to identify, even Manchester United have struggled, and Green has certainly proved to be one of the talented few, despite his high-profile mistake.

Contract laws are such that Green could freely speak to Tottenham in the summer, or be offered a move by a European club from now with relation to a free transfer in July. With Monaco also apparently interested in Green, this possibility could not be out of the question.

However, a move to Tottenham seems to be much more likely as it would require little adjustment or relocation and would give Green the opportunity to play at the highest level of European football. Hammers’ fans will be hoping their owners decide to tie him down quickly or they will risk losing yet another star to their bitter rivals.

Follow me @RichMaher93

Hammers make ambitious bid for Kalou

2012-01-26T04:54:00.000-08:00

With rumours circulating that West Ham’s move for Nikica Jelavic may have fizzled out, Sam Allardyce has been quick to turn his attentions to yet another high-profile forward; this time in the form of Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou.

It has emerged that Allardyce has proposed a loan deal for the Ivory Coast international, currently at the African Cup of Nations, in order to help boost his attacking options for the remainder of the promotion campaign.

With offers for lesser-known strikers such as Jordan Rhodes already apparently rejected, it seems a rather ambitious attempt, however it delivers a clear statement of intent to the rest of the league, similarly to how the purchase of Kevin Nolan did in the summer.

Allardyce has not baulked at the prospect of bringing high-profile names to less glamorous clubs in the past, managing to lure Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nicholas Anelka to the Reebok Arena to play for Bolton. Despite West Ham arguably being a bigger club, the lack of Premier League football to offer is likely to repel players of Kalou’s status.

Although it is an admirable effort, which apparently also featured a cheeky enquiry with regards to Florent Malouda, it is highly unlikely to be completed. Although Chelsea would perhaps not be averse to seeing the pair leave, with the arrival of Juan Mata and return of a more mature Daniel Sturridge dramatically reducing the roles of the duo at Stamford Bridge, they are unlikely to accept.

Kalou has rejected a slightly more seductive offer from Olympiakos in the past in comparison to plying his trade in the unforgiving second tier of English football, and with Arsene Wenger a known admirer, he is likely to hold out for a transfer to a team playing at a similar level to his current employers.

A player of Kalou’s mould is certainly needed and would provide a great option to either pair with one of our larger strikers, or to deploy down the wing to add some much need flair, pace and width to our game.

It won’t come as a surprise that Kalou is not likely to join but ‘Big Sam’ must be commended for his efforts and ambition. But with less than a week remaining of the transfer window, it may be time to identify some more realistic targets in order to bolster our front-line.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

West Ham v Nottingham Forest Preview

2012-01-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

Nottingham Forest, similarly to us, had a new, high-profile manager in place at the time of our last meeting, in the form of Steve McClaren, a man who had apparently recently rejected the position to be our boss (for the second time) and had beaten our own Sam Allardyce to the England post, which eventually destroyed his national reputation just a few years earlier. It’s fair to say that a resounding 4-1 victory was rather satisfying.

Steve McClaren quickly abandoned Forest and embarrassingly scuttled back to Holland after more dismal results, a country in which it is inevitable that he is held in a higher-regard considering the joke he has become to the English fans and media. His impressive grasp of the Dutch accent is also cited as a key reason for his return to FC Twente.

In contrast to McClaren’s retreat, Allardyce has managed to stabilise West Ham’s situation and has led us to the pinnacle of the Championship alongside this year’s enemy, Southampton. However, fans have fashionably continued to criticise his style of play, despite its arguable success, and still want more. The increasingly irritating notion of the ‘the West Ham way’ is continually used as an argument to suggest Allardyce is not suited to guide us to success.

In my nine years as a season-ticket holder, I have never seen this so-called ‘West Ham way’ in action, perhaps with the exception of a brief period under Gianfranco Zola, but this arguably represented the Italian’s ideology rather than some kind of natural style of football which inhabits Upton Park. It’s often flattering to hear this myth in the media but when our own fans become deluded into believing it, it can cause some discontent.

Admittedly, our victories since the Forest game have rarely been so emphatic, but they are still victories; something we’ve been unable to produce consistently for many years. Even Alan Pardew’s team that got promoted was infamous for its inability to turn draws into wins.

Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea City are the latest club to grab the imagination of the Premier League leading to sycophantic stories and reports about their style of play covering every back page and every pundit’s script. It’s certainly a proud moment for the club, as it was for us when we captured the attention of everyone back in 2006 and for that brief success with Zola; however, we now know from experience that it never lasts long.

Blackpool were the equivalent of Swansea of last year and look where they are now. Realistically, Swansea have a better chance of surviving this season than Ian Holloway’s Tangerines did last term, but it won’t be long until the Welsh side hit hard times. With Allardyce in charge, it’s possible that we won’t become the team that has everyone drooling over passing statistics, but we are also unlikely to come crashing down as Blackpool did, and as Swansea will.

This pessimistic view does not begrudge the Swans of their time in the limelight, it’s always nice to have that team who romantically rise to the top against all the odds and beat the likes of Arsenal. In fact, this January has been a very romantic month for English football, especially considering the lack of major transfer activity; it has seen the return of Thierry Henry to Arsenal, who glamorously netted the winner on his debut, and also Paul Scholes to Manchester United who likewise scored upon his return.

It makes a change for West Ham to be exempt from this coverage. The past decade has seen relegations, promotions, takeovers, three trips to the Millennium Stadium, the signings of international superstars and the departure of Tony Carr’s golden age. The less extravagant nature of the modern West Ham can be seen as a little boring and depressing, but you can be sure that if we keep up these consistent modest victories we’ll be back in the headlines for the right reasons, and back in the Premier League.

You may despise Stoke for their style of football but I’m sure you would accept being 8th in the Premiership at the moment and that is the impressive position in which they currently stand. With Allardyce in charge, there is no reason that we cannot match this gradual success, and perhaps build on it with a little more swagger than the Potters.

The likes of Youri Djorkaeff, Nicholas Anelka and Jay-Jay Okocha were added to the solid foundations of Allardyce’s Bolton team and gave it the flair and exuberance which led to a League Cup final, Europe and becoming a regular member of the Premier League. It is only since Owen Coyle has tried to dismantle Sam’s foundations in exchange for more attractive football that Bolton seem to be losing their grasp on Premier League status. Coyle’s Bolton are yet another team who the media were briefly in awe of last season and have dumped now that their ‘open and expansive attack’ has predictably turned into a weak and frail defence.

I have no doubt that Allardyce is looking to add that flair to our squad in this transfer window, and that he will continue to do so in transfer windows to come, in which we will hopefully have Premiership football to offer. But Allardyce’s management is built on a solid base, and that means 1-0 victories are Sam’s plan for his first season in charge and his struggle to get us out of the second tier. An addition of quick and skilful players this month would certainly help to give us the edge of champions and make us a more attractive side to watch; but if we trudge to another one goal victory today, I for one will be more than happy.

Why the 'Rooney Rule' should not be introduced in England

2011-09-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Of course in our country, the name Rooney only triggers the thought of one man, that being Wayne; arguably our best footballer for many years. However, in America the name Rooney is most prominently associated with Dan Rooney, the chairman of the NFL’s diversity committee and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers whose rule (‘The Rooney Rule’) forces football teams to interview an ethnic minority as a candidate for senior roles within their club. The name ‘Rooney’ could soon have similar connotations in the English game.

American lawyer Cyrus Mehri, a key figure in the implementation of the Rooney Rule in the USA, arrived in London recently to discuss a possible system of a similar nature being enforced in English football. The PFA’s chief executive, Gordon Taylor, of course backed the idea in the politically correct fashion in which you would expect; but is this really a good idea? I don’t think so.

The issue with regards to this rule is; is it really necessary? People can speak of inherent racism remaining within our country as much as they like but as far as I’m concerned it is obvious that football does not suffer from it. The amount of black players in the Premier League for example, shows that there is categorically no discrimination as 24% of the Premiership’s players are black whilst only 3% of the country is.

However, of course this issue is about management where, admittedly, the figures are rather disproportionate. The only black managers currently in professional work in England are Chris Powell, the boss of Charlton, and Chris Hughton, of Birmingham City (who is actually mixed race). This is odd but is it really through a lack of opportunity which the advocates of this rule try to convince us of?

Other former black managers who spring to mind are Paul Ince and John Barnes. Paul Ince was handed the Macclesfield Town job and, after impressing, was quickly promoted to MK Dons. Here he had a successful spell with a 60% win record and led the Dons to the Football League Trophy and to becoming League 2 Champions. As an exciting, young manager, it wasn’t long until the Premiership clubs began sniffing around him, despite the fact he’s black would you believe!

He couldn’t resist the lure of the top tier of English football and so decided to ditch his lower league club and was appointed by Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2008 to become the first black manager in the league. However, his story goes rather downhill from here as a miserable run of 11 defeats saw him sacked by the end of the year. Did this have anything to do with the colour of his skin? Of course not, it was a just a run of poor form in an infamously results-based industry. Ince was even given the chance to return to MK Dons the following summer however he eventually decided to leave again and was consequently signed by Notts County. Here he lost a record 9 games in a row and left the club by mutual consent. Again this was because he failed in his job, not because of the colour of his skin.

John Barnes is perhaps an even more obvious example of a manager who was given an opportunity but failed and is now out of the game. Despite the statistics with regards to black managers, Barnes was handed a shot at one of the biggest jobs in Britain; Celtic. His team were ridiculed for how badly they performed under him and suffered a shock Scottish Cup defeat to the hands of Iverness Caledonian Thistle leading to him being duly fired. After a short-spell as boss of Jamaica, Barnes indicated he wished to return to club management and despite his previous failures, he was appointed by Tranmere Rovers. His time there was disastrous and he was sacked after just two wins from eleven games.

This is not in any way suggesting that all black managers will be failures, it simply shows those who have been given opportunities that, if what supporters of the ‘Rooney Rule’ suggest was true, they never would have. There have been other black managers in England including Viv Anderson (also the first black man to be capped by England), Luther Blissett, Leroy Rosenior and Keith Alexander. Suggestions of a ‘glass ceiling’ in place for black managers did arise when the latter two began to become more successful in the lower leagues, but of course Ince’s appointment by Blackburn smashes these accusations.

Chris Hughton and Chris Powell were both appointed as managers this year. Had the Rooney Rule been in place everyone would’ve been praising it for its progress whereas, infact, neither has needed the Rooney Rule to earn their positions. Instead they can receive the credit for working hard and ignoring the manufactured idea of managerial discrimination.

Powell’s namesake, Hope Powell, who is also black, is the manager of England women, and has held the position since 1998. Again this shows football has not hesitated to include, and maintain, a black manager when he, or she in this case, is of the right calibre. Why should clubs have to interview ethnic minorities if they are not of the right calibre? It is a waste of everyone’s time and could be depriving a more deserving manager the time of a club’s chairman, regardless of his skin colour.

With the amount of money being thrown around in football at the moment, I can guarantee that no chairman would hesitate to appoint a black, or Asian manager if he thought that it meant bringing success to his club. Chairmen look for potential and success; not skin colour.

Mehri has eccentrically claimed that the lack of black football managers in the Premier League is “like putting poison right through society”. However the only matter of racism is coming from Mehri himself as he is making an issue out of something which is essentially not a problem and infecting the media with it in an attempt to broker another deal for himself and add another big achievement to his CV. If the rule is enforced it will be he who gets the credit for black managers breaking into the game, not the likes of Hughton, Ince and Powell.

In a ‘Martin Luther King’ fashion speech, Mehri has described himself as a “catalyst for change”. However no comparisons, however minimal, can be drawn with this situation and the time when King was campaigning for his dream. At that time federal action was required, but we must hope that no senior official in football considers himself a potential John F Kennedy as the ‘Rooney Rule’ would only cause more damage than progress.

At a time when we have reached the stage where most see skin colour as irrelevant, why would you separate the minorities from the majority all over again? This act of positive discrimination is insulting to white people in the sense that it suggests they believe they are a ‘superior race’ and also embarrassing for black people and other minorities, who wouldn’t like the idea of receiving special treatment and being separated from the rest of society again.

Do I hope that there are successful black managers in English football in the future? I don’t really care. As much as I don’t care that there are currently more managers from Glasgow than those from England; I’m surprised someone hasn’t made a conspiracy theory about that. Whether the Premier League has 20 white managers, 20 black managers or half and half, as long as our league is the best in the world I will be content that each and every person is doing his job.

5 of the best England vs. Wales meetings

2011-09-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

November 16th 1966: England 5 – 1 Wales

Jack and Bobby Charlton became the last siblings to score for England in a single game as the World Champions thrashed their neighbours in an emphatic 5-1 victory. World Cup final, hat trick hero Geoff Hurst had put England 2-0 up before Wales pulled one back, however the Charlton brothers struck either side of an own goal to complete the convincing victory.

May 31st 1977: England 0 – 1 Wales

This famous Welsh victory marks their first, and so far, only win at Wembley Stadium. England’s most-capped player, Peter Shilton brought Leighton James down in the box and gave him the opportunity to covert the resultant penalty to the delight of the travelling fans. The result was quite a shock for an England side sporting the likes of Phil Neal, Emlyn Hughes and Kevin Keegan. Fabio Capello will be glad Wales didn’t double that win tally at Wembley last Tuesday.

May 17th 1980: Wales 4 – 1 England

The ironically named Mike England got off to a flyer in his eight-year spell as the Welsh national manager as his side stunned Ron Greenwood’s England team, who had taken the lead early on, by cruising to a 4-1 triumph. Leighton James yet again returned to haunt England with one of the goals whilst it was a day to forget for Liverpool legend Phil Thompson as his comical own-goal completed the embarrassing defeat in the friendly at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.

May 2nd 1984: Wales 1 – 0 England

England’s next visit to the Racecourse Ground was just as fruitless as the previous as an impressive Welsh side boasting the likes of Joey Jones, Neville Southall and Ian Rush battled their way to a 1-0 success with debutant Mark Hughes netting the only goal of the tie in the 17th minute. Wales held on for the rest of the game, against a relatively inexperienced England team led by Bobby Robson, to win the match which proved to be the final Wales and England meeting in a Home Nations Championship.

October 9th 2004: England 2 – 0 Wales

An attacking Sven Goran-Eriksson England team, featuring a front three of Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney comfortably overcame a worryingly weak Wales side, this time managed by Mark Hughes. Rio Ferdinand was recalled following his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test and Frank Lampard gave England the lead inside the first five minutes at the Millenium Stadium, but in typically spectacular style it was David Beckham who stole the headlines. In the second half his stunning, trademark curling strike from outside the area flew past goalkeeper Paul Jones to secure the victory. Beckham’s reckless booking was also later revealed to have been a deliberate stunt to earn him a suspension in a game he would’ve missed through injury anyway, sparking outrage amongst some of football’s leading bodies.

Post-Parker Panic Passes

2011-08-29T03:57:00.000-07:00

For the last few seasons West Ham’s existence without Scott Parker would’ve been predicted disastrous. On numerous occasions he has turned in yet another superb performance of gritty enthusiasm to haul the Hammers out of the most depressing situation and secure some much-needed points. It’s fair to say life without the Hammer Of The Year of the last three seasons would be the end of an era at Upton Park as he rapidly ascended from popularity to almost legend status amongst the likes of Sir Trevor Brooking, Paolo Di Canio and perhaps even Bobby Moore, however, judging by yesterday’s winning performance at the City Ground; the post-Parker era could be much more fruitful than expected.

There were no urgent questions as a result of Parker’s absence as by drafting the exciting young prospect of Jack Collison into the centre of midfield, Allardyce was still able to utilise his so-far favoured formation of a 4-5-1. It’s fair to say Allardyce’s managerial counterpart, and former competition for the Hammers job, Steve McLaren needs to be a lot more active before the transfer deadline slams shut on Wednesday as, with the centre-midfield duo of George Boateng and Jonathan Greening having a combined age of 67, an investment for more youthful exuberance is required. No one could begrudge McLaren for cowering under an umbrella this season if Nottingham Forest’s home form continues in this manner. With the City Ground being labelled as something of a fortress with Billy Davies at the helm, Forest appear to have taken a few steps backward under McLaren who’s pitiful defending would’ve discouraged the most optimistic of fans from describing them as promotion contenders.

The manner in which West Ham took the lead appeared effortless as, although perhaps on the back foot for the early part of the game, one of Matt Taylor’s trademark whipped crosses was nervously misdirected by Luke Chambers into the back of Lee Camp’s net; not the first time a West Ham dangerous delivery has resulted in an fortuitous own goal this season. The Hammers added this goal to their momentum rather than simply sitting back as a certain Avram Grant may have done in the past. Captain Kevin Nolan doubled the lead after, despite being infamously dangerous in the six-yard box, he was given enough room to re-direct Tomkin’s header from a corner in the back of the net with the Forest defence standing stationary and stunned. Nolan performed his joyful chicken dance and the Hammers continued to enjoy the control of the game.

Allardyce had a couple of scares in terms of conceding as he marched up and down, just outside his technical area in a rather rebellious and arrogant manner, with Green parrying Lewis McGugan effort away being the most prominent. But it was clear who was going to be the more ruthless in front of goal as Carlton Cole continued a decent run of form as the lone striker by tripling the lead from close-range; again as a result of the corner. Although McLaren’s side’s defending can be almost as much to blame, Allardyce’s famous set-pieces have given West Ham a completely new outlet of goals which they have lacked in recent years, and in turn, the ability to score much more effective away from home.

Substitute Joel Lynch’s impact on the left hand side gave Forest a little more danger and a low cross was eventually converted by Robbie Findley to give the home team a glimmer of hope and pride, especially after their epic comeback to draw with Sven Goran-Eriksson’s Leicester a few weeks earlier. However New Zealand international Winston Reid quickly dispelled any ideas of a similar drama by adding the fourth to West Ham’s tally, yet again from a corner, and finishing the match as an impressive 4-1 victory for the Hammers, who’s away form is become increasingly renowned and feared throughout the league.

McLaren looked rather taken aback at the end of the game as West Ham appeared to have strolled to victory emphatically without ever really reaching the pinnacle performance which the quality of squad they have suggests they can. Allardyce’s business in the transfer market cannot be questioned as Nolan’s presence in the box gives the rather unpredictable and inconsistent, although sometimes extremely effective Cole the much needed support in terms of goal-scoring in this formation, whilst Matt Taylor’s delivery was simply a class above the division he is playing in.

Away from home there appears to be no problems, with or without Parker, but the addition of Sam Baldock earlier in the week will do wonders for home form as it allows Allardyce to pair him with any of his three larger strikers, Cole, John Carew and Freddie Piquionne and give the team much more of a dominant look at the Boleyn Ground. As for Parker he may have been flicking backwards and forwards from the West Ham game on Sky Sports to ESPN’s coverage of Tottenham 5-1 defeat to Man City and be thinking; maybe I’m needed more at White Hart Lane. Perhaps Parker’s absence lifted a shadow of inadequacy from the rest of the players, and although I’m sure the whole of West Ham would like to thank him for his undeniable magnificence and loyalty over the past few seasons, its clear Allardyce’s side can make do without him and maybe even improve without the intense and monotonous speculation he brings.

West Ham vs. Blackburn Preview

2011-05-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

It’s quite absurd as to how Avram Grant remains in a premier league job. Now, even Osama bin Laden has been terminated before Grant’s contract. The American authorities had searched tirelessly for almost ten years before finally tracking down their target, whilst Grant has been on show at Upton Park for the last nine months, sporting an embarrassing league record of a mere 20% win ratio, must we remind our owners that they have the ability to eliminate him? Perhaps in bin Laden’s killer we have finally found someone more ruthless than the acrimonious Karen Brady.

British football experts continually convince English clubs that they must continually adhere to the manager they have appointed, stating the few obvious case studies of David Moyes, Arsene Wenger and most notably Sir Alex Ferguson as examples of the fruits of long-term leadership. What they fail to recognise in the case of West Ham United is that, instead of appointing a young, enthusiastic, inspiring candidate wielding previous honours and success, such as that of the three names mentioned above, our owners somehow saw it fit to employ the dull, inadequate and recently relegated; Avram Grant.

It seemed rather strange of David Gold, at the time of the appointment, to describe Grant as someone who had “been there, done that and got the T-shirt”, when in fact, his Portsmouth side, albeit with a points deduction, had already sunk into the second tier of English football. In fact, his record with Portsmouth was even worse than it currently is with West Ham, so to blame their relegation on this penalty would be ridiculous. David Sullivan also agreed with his co-owner at the time, claiming; “we have taken our time over this appointment and are certain we have got the right man”. Perhaps this is the perfect statement to epitomise how much our owners actually know about football.

At the time, Gold also added that “the bottom line is the relationship between the manager and the chairman is critical. In our case it’s two chairmen so it’s even more difficult as you need to have a relationship between three people”. It is now evident that what Gold actually meant by this statement is that by handing the position to an innocuous, lifeless excuse of a manager, there was enough room for him, and Sullivan, to squeeze their inflated egos onto the scene.

Prior to the Manchester City game, the frustratingly irritating Sullivan couldn’t resist the attention of opening his mouth once again by announcing that the Hammers only have a “25% chance of staying up” and labelling the players “spoilt”, claiming most of them are more interested in “where they will be next season” than keeping West Ham in the premiership. Sullivan certainly has a warped view of motivation if he believes deeming the players fickle mercenaries will give them the inspiration to battle for some much needed points.

And then, in an act of comical hypocrisy, Sullivan (and Gold) failed to show at the City Of Manchester Stadium, justifying their disloyal absence with the impact of “watching our poor away performances week after week”. If his comments were not rich enough, he went on to compare his motivational skills to that of Winston Churchill. It’s no wonder as to why he was unable to secure the services of an established, dignified manager in Martin O’Neill in January, as he continues to embarrass himself, and thus the club, with these sporadic outbursts.

It’s also worth noting that Sullivan stated; “I do think that a manager needs that fear factor. You look at Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. The players are a little bit frightened of them”. Obviously he completely ignored this belief when he appointed Grant as, with the omission of his eerily zombie-like demeanour, he would fail to strike fear, or any emotion for that matter, into anyone.

Even Demba Ba admitted that, in the brief February period in which we began to consistently win some games that “we had a new team … and other teams were surprised by us. Now they know how to counter us”. Clearly even Grant’s players recognise that he is tactically inadequate and that, even in the very few games he has won, it was not his ability as a manager but the fact he was able to spring a few new faces upon his opponent, before their traits were identified, assessed and countered by genuinely Premiership-quality managers, and it was back to square one.

Grant has tried to use this hopeless tactic all throughout the season, meaning West Ham have used more players than any other squad in the Premier League. Quite astounding considering the lack of depth in quality we have in some departments. Seeing Grant’s notebook fall apart and flutter around the pitch in Manchester last Sunday was quite symbolic of a man whose plans have completely crumbled. Seeing his hopeless attempt to collect them back together was perhaps even more significant in suggesting the lack of answers he has to the undeniable problems.

Seeing the emotion and joy on the faces of Norwich fans on Monday evening, following their promotion, sparked wonderful, nostalgic memories of our play-off success in 2005. However, it also provoked the epiphany of the immense value of premiership status, and the fact that at the moment, we are sickeningly throwing it away. Surely, whether he completes this demolition of another premiership club or not, Grant will be fired and disappear into the wilderness, as bin Laden did all those years ago. Inevitably he will never again have the chance to manage a premiership club, not that he was ever capable or worthy of doing so in the first place.

Grant’s career will be reflected on in bewilderment, as it was effectively based on absolutely nothing. However, I still believe that the team will remain in the premier league due to fortuitous fixtures, the incompetence of those around us and the personal brilliance of the likes of Scott Parker. That will leave us with yet another summer rebuilding job which must be done correctly this time. Where it leaves Grant is debatable, with a football director’s role rumoured to be lined up at Chelsea, he could unbelievably stroll into yet another lucrative contract. Grant’s secret is certainly beyond me, it’s certainly not his charisma or his ability, but as long as he’s nowhere near West Ham United next season, I’ll be a happier man, and so will 34,000 others.

West Ham vs. Tottenham Preview

2010-09-26T11:53:00.001-07:00

Sunday the fourth of March 2007. If you’re tantalizing over our current predicament, consider the plight we were faced with in the season we fondly recall as; ‘The Great Escape’. On that Sunday, Tottenham travelled to Upton Park for what was to be one of the most memorable matches at the Boleyn Ground in recent history, an amazing feat considering it was ultimately a loss.
On that day, we had less than three months to save our season, today we have eight. On that day we had Nigel Quashie patrolling the centre of our midfield, today we have Scott Parker. And by the end of that day, we remained 10 points from safety, by the end of today; we could be trailing by mere goal difference. The fact is, despite our supporters’ unquestionable loyalty, we can elaborately request too much of our present team. We demand brutal passion, flowing football and obviously; points. All on a diminutive budget in comparison to the monstrous flexibility of rivals, including today’s visitors. Out of our three, admittedly ambitious lusts from those wearing claret and blue, passion is one which can be employed by a budding Lionel Messi or a hung-over, obese father of three on a Sunday morning at Hackney marshes. But it was the one obvious factor lacking in our disappointing performances earlier in the season.
What has changed is unknown to me, but something has. The term ‘battle’ is one which has rarely been used for Hammers teams of late, but we certainly battled for our point at the Britannia Stadium last weekend. Many a team of great quality has faltered at the intimidating home of Stoke City since their rise to prominence, and the fact we were able to gain our first point in such a ruthless fixture has convinced me that the writing is not yet on the wall. And it was with such irony that the poster-boy of this season, Scott Parker, was the man who managed to stab the ball over the line for the moment we will possibly look back on as the turning point.
And then, what can only be described as an outstanding victory at the Stadium of Light was celebrated during the week. The fact our first away win for over a year was against a serious Sunderland side sporting the key duo of Darren Bent and the new, big-money import Asamoah Gyan is certainly something to shout about. Maybe that will provide us with the confidence-booster we required to earn some valuable points today.
It could be argued that in 2007, it was the hiding fortune of our illegal Argentinian superstar, Carlos Tevez, who was the catalyst for our eventual survival. And I wouldn’t disagree. But who is to say that Victor Obinna can’t have a similar effect? Of course he hasn’t arrived in such a dramatic soap-opera of a welcoming, and he perhaps hasn’t got the same loveable dogged approach, or even the magnificent ability of the terrific Tevez, but he has taken a lot less time to open his scoring account, along with partner Frederic Piquionne, and he is unattached to the burden of expectation carried by the Argentinian. Today could be the day that our Nigerian forward cements a position as a fans’ favourite, a status his media appearances suggest he craves.
Tottenham Hotspur at home is one of them games our supporters’ instantly scan for as we receive the fixture list for the coming season because it can potentially hold such a wonderful atmosphere. The boisterous rivalry between the two sides always creates a lively occasion and despite the omission of the injured Jermain Defoe this afternoon, preventing us from our annual Jermain-jeering, it is certain to be a heated affair that could not have arrived at a better time. Whilst we have surfed backwards and forwards on a wave of mediocrity since our last memorable match, Spurs have enviably gate-crashed the top four and challenged for silverware, but, traditionally, these derby matches can launch the most unexpected of results at the fans. A win is certainly not out of the question.
Flowing football provides nothing more than self-indulged pride with occasional recognition from irritating TV pundits like Andy Gray. We must be patient, if today Avram Grant makes us subject to the most mundane of tactical performances we must understand that you have to earn the right to improve ‘the match-day experience’ with pretty football, and the way to earn that is by getting a sufficient amount of points on the board. Yes, today is about passion, but more importantly, it is about points. We have never been dealt a better time to beat Tottenham, so let’s get behind the boys, and who knows, perhaps one day we will be affectionately reminiscing on the twenty-fifth of September 2010. But this time, it was an unforgettable victory.

West Ham vs. Chelsea Preview

2010-09-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

At this moment in time it’s very difficult to be a happy West Ham United supporter. It’s difficult to determine whether the recent transfer window can be deemed a stable success or an uninspiring, gutless failure. And it’s difficult to be optimistic with regards to gaining anything at all from today’s game against our frighteningly powerful and convincing champion neighbours, Chelsea.
Whether the transfer window slamming shut on that fateful evening proves to be an upward path for the better, or a slippery slope to the championship, one thing remains certain; it will be an evening of great significance for the future of the club. Whilst we held onto the talismanic figure of Scott Parker, much to the delight of David Sullivan’s ego, along with our, once, vibrant English core of Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole, we have received nothing in terms of the ‘David Beckham’s, ‘Thierry Henry’s or ‘Ronaldinho’s whose monstrous reputations were conveniently linked to our club at peak season ticket selling periods. Perhaps David Sullivan and his partner in crime, David Gold, should realise that, like themselves, West Ham fans are not idiots. Our persistent season ticket purchases are not in the wake of outlandish, fabricated rumours but unquestionable loyalty and the desire to see our commitment matched on the pitch.
Perhaps in the days of FA Cup finals, Carlos Tevez and Eggert Magnusson, we may have lost touch with reality and been drawn in by the exaggerated claims of Champions League dreams, but after recent seasons, our expectations have been sent crashing down to earth with such imbalanced periods of mediocrity or turbulence. Our support has become so cynical that even in the honourable situation of our player being called up for international duty, we’d bet good money on an injury being sustained. Or even if we destroyed Chelsea by six goals today, a loss at Stoke the following week would be a distinct possibility. The one thing we ask for is commitment. Even if we lose today by a comfortable amount of goals, if I see some display of passion I will the leave the stadium a much happier Hammer than when I entered. If I see, even one hard, meaningful challenge on Frank Lampard by anyone but Scott Parker or Mark Noble, or even something as little as Carlton Cole viciously shrug off John Terry as he advances in on goal, I will take some salvation and attempt to accept we have the foundations to remain in this incredibly competitive division, but at the moment I am struggling to see the passion we need to survive. There is an absolute lack of fight which was evident in our last great escape or even the eventual relegation in 2003.
David Sullivan has even conceded that some want-away foreign employees ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to play for us during the trading season in the expectancy of a move, but as these haven’t materialised, I hope he is right in saying they have no choice but to now pull up their socks and battle for the team, I don’t care whether that is to keep West Ham in the Premiership or to cement their place in the shop window, but it is in the best interests of the likes of Valon Behrami, who have flirted with brilliance but never quite achieved it, to make a name for themselves. Whether Avram Grant has the physical drive to fire these players up to do so, is debatable.
I was disappointed with the appointment of the dour Grant. His uninspiring nature and, in my opinion; inexperience did not make him the standout contender for the role of the Mr. Fresh the owners wished for. Although he has seemingly achieved some success in England, this was all handed to him on a plate and he has, effectively, created nothing of his own. But now we are stuck with him. We mustn’t take the lead of the ridiculously predictable, lazy ‘News Of The World’ story that he has ‘3 games to save his job’, as they attempt to destabilise us and foreseeably jump on the bandwagon of our failure. This is Grant’s chance to create his own dynasty and we must get behind him.
We could all see that this would be a difficult start to the season and although it’s disappointing; being pointless at this stage was always a possibility. It seems ridiculous that three games in to the campaign you are all subject to a worried, relegation-threatened article, but it is likelihood we’ve all accepted many a time, only to be proved wrong and reminded why we love football so much. This is a long season, and now we’ve selected a 25 man-squad, we are without the playing staff uncertainty previously suffered and are given the stability needed to mount some kind of form. So let’s enjoy today, there is no pressure for us to get anything from the game, it’s a London derby and who knows? We can be a funny old team.

Capello; he doesn't have a clue

2010-08-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

With a lengthy spell away from blogging enforced by national football disappointment, you would’ve thought it was rejuvenated optimism which carried me back to this past-time activity. But in fact, it’s an increasing frustration that has led me to disagree with the ex-professional, optimistic, do-gooders in the media who claim Fabio Capello is a top coach who should be given time and who have pushed me to the edge of needing to release my own dissatisfaction in the same medium which once held all my optimistic world cup hopes and dreams.
Is it not clear to everyone that England need to start a fresh? Surely it is that blatantly simple for the most casual of followers. Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Frank Lampard should be ghosts of England’s past, ruing their missed opportunities from their elaborate Wembley box, not still haunting the fortunes of the national team on the pitch. By the time the next world cup is upon us these players will be 35, 33 and 36 respectively, they should be closer to a retirement home, or Serie A, than the field of play, battling to win sport’s finest tournament against a group of fresh Brazilians on their own turf.
I appreciate the next major tournament is Euro 2012 but the World Cup is English football’s main aim, and we must learn from previous winners and our past mistakes before we even think of bringing it home. Spain won Euro 2008, yes, they were blessed with an array of talent, but the squad was packed with a majority of young, vibrant players who were carefully blended together, don’t be fooled into thinking the individual brilliance of the likes of David Villa, Andreas Iniesta and Fernando Torres won that trophy. Of course it had an impact but we must go back to the cliché that football is very much a team game. And look; Spain went onto win the World Cup we had all dreamed of, with a very similar team, this is no coincidence, stability is key, a team must be built and not thrown together. This will be proved by Manchester City this season and we’ll unanimously agree it was inevitable without the appropriate team blend, but still people will make the same mistakes.
We constantly use the excuse that the England team doesn’t know how to play with each other because they don’t play together enough. Of course Spain were, again, blessed with the fact the majority of their players plied their trade for the brilliant Barcelona and therefore had a footballing connection before they even pulled on the national shirt, but if we attempt to pick our World Cup 2014 23-man-squad now, they will have 4 years to play with each other, they will have big tournament experience together due to the Euros, and they will have little excuse.
If we’re looking to emulate Spain’s success, then Mikel Arteta is certainly not the answer either. If he has never made it into a full Spanish national squad then he is not good enough for what we want to achieve. He is also 28, making him 32 for the next world cup, hardly a prime age, and categorically, he is not English! Capello’s lack of understanding of how the English public long to relate to their national team is again thrown into question and yet again it seems like an English manager is the most logical option.
I should be excited for a game of competitive international football heralding a new era for English football, but instead, I am frankly sickened by aspects of the squad and rumours of Capello dragging the likes of Paul Scholes out of retirement. Mr. Capello has proved to be as, dare I say it, naïve as I thought in my original anger following our South African adventure. First he disrespectfully dismisses the national hero who is David Beckham’s chances of regaining an England place. Of course, there is no way Beckham should play for England again in his aging state, but to broadcast it in such a manner so as not to consult Beckham first was a disgraceful and undeserved manner in which to retire one of our most loyal servants. But now, in the wake of his stupidity, Capello has backtracked on his claim in order to save his own reputation and hypocritically ended the fresh feeling of a much-needed new start. He’s even attempting to rip Scholes from his tranquil retirement. Of course there’s no doubt Scholes is an excellent player but a 35 year-old man should be nowhere near this England team, especially if he even refused to play at the previous world cup. All this does is put a model professional’s name at risk of being unpatriotic and shows Capello has no idea what he should do next or how to deal with players.
I certainly felt it was appropriate for us to see the back of the likes of Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick and, reluctantly, Peter Crouch in an England shirt with the hope of looking to the future but we’ve tracked back with these distinctly average squad players and all have been recalled. Why is Chris Smalling not in place of Upson? Sir Alex Ferguson obviously rates him and we can mould him into international football before he’s corrupted by the ‘different style’ of the premier league, as if these professionals are unable to adapt. Why is Jack Rodwell not replacing Carrick? Apparently the Everton youngster was the subject of a £10m plus Carrick bid from Manchester United, surely this shows he’s a better player than Carrick and he defiantly offers more going forward than the immobile former West Ham and Spurs man. A sure star of world football’s future and maybe even a potential captain. And why is Andy Carroll not replacing Crouch? With 4 premiership goals already to his name and the welcome return of an old-fashioned English centre-forward, why has he not been handed his chance ahead of our infamous plan B. Not to mention he should’ve got in ahead of Carlton Cole whose start to the season has been nothing short of awful as he has made a worrying return to his fragile lack of confidence. And that’s coming from a West Ham fan.
Other ridiculous decisions such as no Aaron Lennon in spite of the inclusion of Shaun Wright-Phillips, and the omission of our budding creativity, Jack Wilshere straight after his international debut add up to make this squad appear even more mundane and safe as I first feared. As Bill Gates says; ‘the future is now’, obviously not for Capello. He didn’t even attend the under 19s tournament despite his £6 million a year payment while he irresponsibly holidayed instead. The Italian has no intent to look to the future, he’s content to breeze through the qualifiers whilst collecting his bumper pay cheque while learning and preparing nothing for our patriotic dreams. The same old faces will return and yet again we’ll get to a major tournament with injury problems, the lack of a recognised starting eleven and a bunch of lads thrown together as the ‘wise’ old man continues to tinker with squad after squad. We’re crying out for a decisive leader, and Capello is certainly not the answer.

Wish farewell to 'The Golden Generation'. They should never return as, yet again, they deflate the nation

2010-06-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

As I, as well as half the nation, enter into the early stages of depression, the jolly tunes of ‘World In Motion’ are drowned out by Oasis’ apt, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’. England are defeated. Defeated and disgraced. The golden generation are over and there are so many unanswered questions rapidly meeting our ears as we sit and dwell on what could’ve been.
Sepp Blatter says “fans love to talk about wrong decisions”. This is his reasoning for not employing the much called for goal-line technology. Mr. Blatter is clearly not your average football fan. As he is pampered in his luxurious world of being the FIFA chief executive, he has clearly lost touch with reality. Fans hate these scandalous decisions. They hate the fact that, if the destroying decision to call Frank Lampard’s spectacular ’goal’ was rightfully given as a goal rather than the outrageous call of a “no goal”, we could be having yet another England barbecue in a few days time. They hate the fact that the media will talk about it until the premiership begins and something new, scandalous becomes the major talking point. They hate the fact it will be used as an excuse to paper over the cracks of a disgusting performance which insults them all. They hate the fact they’ll never know what might have been.
Because it was a terrible performance. As I look back, it’s rather difficult to understand why we invested so much optimism in this game. We always invest our belief in them, they beg for our support in their darkest hour, and they always let us down. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry. Names we will probably never see in an England world cup squad again. It was their last chance and they could barely pass the ball. Fabio Capello; tactical genius? No. Mr. Capello has let us down, “the best manager we’ve ever had” we bellowed proudly at foreign rivals. He stubbornly dismissed the option of playing Gerrard behind Wayne Rooney, he pushed Joe Cole on the pitch in the dieing minutes of our campaign to cover his own back and he didn’t even organise a decent defence. In fact; the defence was truly woeful as they constantly strayed out of position and desperately clambered to strengthen their laughably stretched back line.
Wayne Rooney. Admittedly he’s carried the hopes of our nation on his shoulders for some time now, but if he does want to fulfil his potential as the superstar he could become then he must take responsibility and produce the displays expected of him. Numerous times I watched Manchester United last season, on so many occasions a shiver has rocketed down my spine as Rooney is clattered to the floor and I pray in hope that he gets up and is ok for the world cup. What a waste of time. Rooney’s performances have been nothing short of pathetic for England and I must say, I feel personally disillusioned with him. Every time he lethargically admired the ball as it bounced in front of him, “throw yourself at it” the nation would roar, frustration built as the goalkeeper gratefully cleared up with pleasure. When the final whistle went of this Germany game, it’s likely the frustration thermometer inside the hearts of England fans finally reached boiling point as they internally exploded and their hopes and dreams for England spontaneously combusted.
All the goals were pathetically conceded with simple counter attacks employed by the Germans. To concede four in a game of such magnitude is simply a disparaging humiliation. When Matthew Upson scored that header and that regretful moment of Lampard’s ‘goal’ erupted onto our screens it genuinely looked like one of them landmark moments. That game you tell your grandchildren about. The time the British spirit was at it’s very best as the underdog battled their way into the lead and progressed into a latter round. It was never to be.
With England, it’s questionable as to whether it ever will be. In my life-time? Debatable. And I’m 16 years-old. That group of players were something special, for their clubs at least, and as you expected them to build international experience and adjust to each other’s playing style in time for a romantic tournament victory, they’ve simply deflated and succumbed to England’s worst world cup defeat of all time. The new generation; Jack Rodwell, Adam Johnson, Joe Hart. Good players, but they’re not Lampards, Gerrards or Beckham. But we must wish goodbye to these talismanic figures who’ve continually abandoned us and left us in a state of unbearable disenchantment.
I sincerely hope these men never play for England again. Yes; Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney will. But we must look to the future. Perhaps be sensible and build a team who will play together and will forge a push for the championship we've longingly wished for, but admittedly, never deserved.

Uruguay and Ghana progress. Will England do the same? Yes.

2010-06-27T03:17:00.000-07:00

Well that’s it. Before you could blink two countries have been ferociously eliminated from the tournament at the expense of two proud, progressing nations. Although the games have not been of such scintillating quality; the passion, commitment and ‘do or die’ attitude displayed in this ruthless knock-out phase had made these games an exciting advert for what is still to come.
With Uruguay going unbeaten and topping their, admittedly, rather difficult group, the South Americans would’ve fancied their chances when drawn against South Korea. The Koreans appear an organised unit with useful assets but the quality of the likes of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez would surely be too much for 2002’s surprise package. The efficient duo quickly got to work when a dangerous ball in from Forlan was hit low with power, the Koreans casually ignored it as their goalkeeper deliberated whether to clear it up or calmly watch it cannon past his goal-mouth. Mistake. The goal-scoring prowess of one, Luis Suarez should not be underestimated as he gratefully smacked the ball into a half-empty net to strike an early lead.
Uruguay’s attempts to crowd the box from a deep free-kick proved flawed as the Koreans happily bundled the ball home to gain the necessary equaliser and open the game once more. Chances to clinch victory came and went but as the tension built from a Uruguay corner, you could feel the sense of a landmark moment. The ball fell to Suarez who shimmied inside and whipped a magnificent shot curling away from the goalkeeper, onto the inside post and in. The expressive Suarez galloped around the pitch, attacking the Uruguayan badge with his thankful lips until, finally, he was met with an emotional embrace from his team-mates as the rain pounded on their grateful shoulders. This siege mentality continued until the final whistle and Uruguay were the first team to enter the quarter-finals.
Who they would face was, for now, a mystery until the decider began at the traditional 7:30. An early goal from artificial Ghanian, Kevin Prince-Boateng put the Africans on the front foot with the inexperienced Americans chasing the game from the word go. Boateng’s goal would certainly have pleased the Portsmouth administrators by adding a few millions to his price tag with Avram Grant, possibly waiting to pounce and transfer the midfielder to West Ham United. However, just after the hour mark, John Mensah, rather foolishly committed himself to a sliding challenge as Clint Dempsey advanced within the box, as the Fulham man pushed the ball away from the Ghanaian defender and forced the challenger to bring him to ground, their was no question as to whether it was a penalty. Landon Donovan dramatically blasted his spot-kick into the back of the net and in the words of Barack Obama, their was ‘hope’.
However; despite holding onto this position until the final whistle blew, extra-time proved, immediately, to be more decisive. In the 93rd minute, Ghana’s predicted hero, Asamoah Gyan managed an expert finish to win the match for the Africans. After the game, Gyan shrewdly dedicated the victory to his continent which will result in great support for Ghana from many match attendees and gives Ghana, a genuine, yet unexpected chance of victory. Only once has the world cup been won by a nation from outside the continent which hosted it, and it is, a distinct, yet momentarily ridiculous proposition to suggest Ghana could be lifting the trophy on the 11th June. Even without the unfortunate Michael Essien.
So now the frantic build-up is drawing to the main event itself. Germany vs. England. What a spectacle this has the potential to be, and hopefully, it doesn’t falter like many of the matches we’ve witnessed this term. Can England win? Yes, they most certainly can. Will they win? I hope so. We have better players, a more experienced team, I’m sure of it. Whether we can create the self-belief always displayed by the Germans with their winning mentality is debatable, and if England dwell on their typically cynical attitude it’s possible this could be the end. But believe; and we will win.

The Groups are finally decided. Will the knock-out stages prove to be the spectacle we expected?

2010-06-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

In the famous words of Frank Sinatra; now the end was near. Round one of the illustrious world cup had been somewhat of a disappointment in comparison to it’s colossal expectations but as we enter what is seemingly ’where it get’s interesting’, it’s debatable as to whether this stage of the tournament is always an irrelevance which is rapidly washed from our minds and converted into fond memories of the knock-out stages.
When Paraguay only managed a goalless draw against the hollow side of New Zealand it’s likely they believed Italy had duly beaten Slovakia which would’ve accelerated the champions into first place. How wrong they were. The ageing Italians at least provided us with a good game from these rather fruitless group stages with their uncharacteristically awful defending which allowed Slovakia to net an amazing three goals. Famous for their defending; this performance would’ve left the Italian back-line as a national disgrace for un-doing the past generation’s good reputation of artistic defence. They did, however, manage to score two goals themselves and it’s debatable as to whether them or New Zealand can be more gracious in elimination. First instinct leads us to believe New Zealand can be proud for going through the entire tournament unbeaten but clearly they never believed they could get through. The entire campaign lacked ambition from their perspective and the tedious displays would’ve knocked the tournament’s integrity. Although much more expectation was placed on the champions in comparison to FIFA‘s engineered Kiwis, Italy at least attempted to win the game, perhaps this was what made them loose focus on their defending. When the manager, Lippi, returned to the helm after having a break between the world cups, he was hailed as somewhat of a saviour, but clearly he did not have the courage or fortitude to restructure the squad appropriately and stuck with his budding pensioners, leaving the unfortunate, troublesome duo of Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli at home, desperately watching their national team wither away into nothingness.
Holland duly gained victory over the pathetic Cameroon, despite the Africans at least managing to score a goal. Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie ingrained his name firmly on the score-sheet with a good finish which opens his world cup account and reboots his fancied chances of golden boot glory. The Dutch look an exciting prospect and with Arjen Robben yet to start a game, the potential best is still to come. In the other, more important, fixture between Japan and Denmark, the Danes succumbed to a 3-1 loss which ends their world cup and puts the Japanese through to the round of 16. They played some fantastic football and the likes of Keisuke Honda will have certainly caught the hungry eye of premiership managers.
Group G then climaxed with the most attractive game of the group stages. Brazil vs. Portugal. But frustratingly, yet again, the old cliché of the two best teams not producing the best games proved correct and a convenient 0-0 meant both teams qualified for the latter stages. However Portugal would have to take on the winner of Group H which would most likely be a glamorous, rival fixture against Spain. Ivory Coast smashed the North Koreans 3-0 in their game but following the astounding 7-0 win by Portugal, they never believed they would be able to qualify with goal difference being their only hope.
Spain emerged victors over Chile which meant they were set up for a tie against Portugal. David Villa continued his scoring run which leaves him chasing the golden boot and the Spanish national record, currently held by Raul. Chile would certainly have been worried that Switzerland would get a convincing win over a, so far insignificant, Honduran team but Wilson Palacios and his side admirably held the Swiss at bay in a game of pride which sends the reasonably impressive Chileans through to the next round.
So now we have some great fixtures on our hands. England vs. Germany and Brazil vs. Portugal are the particular stand-outs, but, as has been proved; it’s not always the best teams that make the best games. Hopefully games such as Uruguay vs. South Korea and USA vs. Ghana will be packed with thrill and excitement, out-flooding some of the dour performances we’ve been subject to in round one.

England thankfully through but Germany and Argentina wait as potential heart-breakers

2010-06-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

The romantic tendencies of the world cup were almost resurfaced as South Africa gained a 2-1 victory over a French team who find themselves in utter turmoil. Following the South Africans taking a proud lead, Yohann Gourcuff was unjustly dismissed for what appeared to be a very slight, accidental elbow into the upper body of an African defender. Although France received little sympathy following the disgusting antics of the egotistic squad’s strike. And, when South Africa bundled their second over the line, the majority of the world would’ve been cheering. However; despite the possibility of an unlikely qualification for South Africa when Uruguay’s Luis Suarez scored his first of the tournament to ascend the South Americans into first place and leave Mexico’s place in the last 16 in a vulnerable state, South Africa were incapable of converting the flurry of goals they required, and as France escaped the tournament in disgrace, South Africa are able to hold their heads high and enjoy what remains of their prestigious competition, despite their own omission.
In the evening, Diego Maradona’s Argentina sported what was considered a second string side, however still included the illustrious names of first-time starters Sergio Aguero and Diego Milito, as well as the consistent inclusion of Lionel Messi. Greece continues to approach the game with a lack of ambition and appeared happy to depart the tournament on the back of a dour 0-0 draw with the South Americans. However, despite containing the virtues of Messi for the entire evening with a specific marker, the Greeks began to tire and the Argentineans eventually made the breakthrough via Demicheles blasting a shot into the roof of the net from a scrappy corner. Argentina went on to net a second when a Messi rebound poetically dropped to the feet of veteran, Martin Palermo who solidified Argentina’s position at the pinnacle of their group and left Greece with little positives to take from this tournament. At least we won’t have to face another hour and a half of their negative tactics this year. In the parallel fixture South Korea and Nigeria produced an exciting 2-2 draw which sends the Koreans through to the next round and leaves the Nigerians in despair, Yakubu in particular contributed one for next Christmas’ “Own Goals & Gaffs” DVD when he missed an easy chance which could’ve seen his side in the last 16.
It was then the nationally awaited turn of England as they engaged with Slovenia in a crucial fixture requiring a necessary win. The omission of Emile Heskey put many English fans in good spirits before the game had even begun and with a fellow goal scorer, Jermain Defoe, beside a rather depleted Wayne Rooney, the approach to the game was a lot more positive. James Milner particularly impressed as he consistently whipped efficient crosses into the box, eventually Defoe pounced on one of these in typical fashion, sending England into a one goal lead and the country into hysterics. A few scares were in store but despite a magnificent challenge from fringe defender Matthew Upson, solidifying his position in the squad, and an unusual miss from Rooney, England claimed a vital victory sending them into the next round. Despite this situation resulting in England topping the group for the majority of the day, Landon Donovan, incredibly, scored in injury-time sending the Americans into first place and leaving England with the likely scenario of a tense game against Germany against Sunday afternoon. If that doesn’t woo the Americans into falling in love with football, it’s questionable as to whether they ever will.
Sure enough, it was the impressive, Mesut Ozil who scored an astounding volley from the edge of the area for Germany, a worthy match-winner over Ghana, and setting up a charming tie between Germany and England packed with emotion, heritage and rivalry. The perfect match. The Germans have been impressive at times in this tournament but the defeat to Serbia will unveil loopholes in their brilliance to Fabio Capello and as they struggled to gain the win over the Africans, England certainly can win this match. However, the likelihood is that Argentina will be waiting for them in the quarter-finals and this would be an even tougher ask, however, again it would be a historical fixture which, with a victory, would capture the hearts of the globe.
Serbia couldn’t manage the win they required over Australia as the ‘Socceroos’ gave themselves a chance of a place in the last 16. However, with the two victories being as narrow as they were; Ghana sneaked through on goal difference to be a rare representative of Africa in the advanced stages of the competition. The tournament is beginning to heat up as it began with rather modest displays and as the knock-out stages close in, could this be our year? At the moment I’m still too afraid to say it.

Portugal and Spain re-emerge as contenders whilst France and England continue to descend into a destiny of disappointment

2010-06-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Paraguay look certain to advance to the next stage of the world cup as a rather comfortable victory over Slovakia and the reintroduction of star players Roque Santa Cruz and Oscar Cardozo evolved Paraguay’s general expectation as outsiders into a potential dark horse of the competition.
The south Americans appear to have prepared well for the tournament which is certainly a manageable task considering the extensive length of four years between each world cup, in which time you have a number of exhibition matches and opportunities to formulate your push for victory. Maybe England could learn from this. Fabio Capello has been paid an astronomical amount to sit at home or English football stadiums for the majority of his time, such is the situation with international management, over a period of two years. In which case; how has he gone into the two week pinnacle of his job without knowing his goalkeeper, his formation, his line-up or how to motivate his players. Capello himself has questioned the players attitude and singled out the likes of Wayne Rooney for individual criticism, this all goes against the fabric of football management. Surely this man has been paid that obscene amount of money to mould the attitude of his squad.
A similar situation has occurred in the French camp. Following the euphemistic dismissal of Nicholas Anelka; the players have staged a successful strike. Surely the French Football Association could identify the problem with Raymond Domenech’s reign and he should’ve been the man dismissed before this unfortunate epidemic. Four years to prepare for this and it’s unravelling after just a week! Incredible.
The world champions, Italy, are another side who’s preparations appear to have been flawed to some extent. Rather than realistically and sensibly admit the sorry fact that the previous world beaters including, captain, Fabio Cannavaro, would have taken at least a few steps too far over the hill for this tournament, they’ve enforced their legends to experience another gruelling campaign rather than moulding a fresh team who are able to compete with the physicality of the competition. The fact they could only take a 1-1 draw against an inexperienced New Zealand side packed with semi-professionals and fraudulent, artificial Kiwis proves that the modern game has advanced so far that genuine athletes can effectively compete with players of any skill if they’re not muscularly prepared.
Brazil are, rather frighteningly, prepared in terms of physicality and an unusually unstylish victory against North Korea proved the Brazilians could now win in beastly fashion. However, ‘the beautiful game’ advertised by legendary, Brazilian teams of old thankfully hasn’t slipped out of the South Americans at the expense of the muscular approach of the likes of Lucio, Juan and Maicon. Luis Fabiano’s lack of confidence was well and truly redeemed when he netted two goals in thunderous fashion against a potentially dangerous Ivory Coast side. Some incredible football also enabled Elano to casually convert a critical third and despite an unjust dismissal to Kaka due to the detestable play-acting of African winger Keita and a late consolation goal for Didier Drogba, Brazil held onto a relaxed victory which will strike fear into the hearts of fellow contenders.
With Portugal’s recent displays of great disappointment despite the inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo, their match against North Korea wasn’t predicted a push-over. But it was the definition of demolition. Despite a modest one goal lead at half-time, the Portuguese went on to claim a rampaging 7-0 win which leaves Ivory Coast’s hope of goal difference qualification hanging by a fraying thread and reinvigorates Portugal’s hopes of tournament victory.
Later in the day Chile were able to claim a vital three points at the expense of the surprising, Spain-conquering Switzerland which practically qualifies them into the last sixteen. Despite the disastrous start to the tournament, Spain achieved a solid 2-0 win against a Honduras team who looked severely out of their depth. With Spain re-emerging as potential, eventual victors with a quality display from David Villa in particular, can England achieve a similar goal and will Wayne Rooney claim a victorious brace which not only wins the game, but wins back the heart of millions.

Opposing talismans shine whilst our's swears at cameras. Is Capello as inadequate as Domenech and Le Guen or will we see redemption?

2010-06-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

A wretched, feeble, pathetic performance against Algeria means England’s hopes of qualifying to the knock-out stages of the world cup is unexpectedly in a great degree of doubt. The spineless showing attracted abuse from inside the stadium as well as living rooms and pubs across the nation and English football is at an extremely low point.
With Fabio Capello hailed as a tactical genius and paid six million pounds as year, as the highest-earning international manager in the world, you’d think the least he could do is set the team up correctly after years of preparation, especially as he appears to hold no motivational or man-managing value. The most casual of football fans in the country could identify the fact that chances were not being created and our formation simply wasn’t working, so why did Capello introduce Shaun Wright-Phillips as a like-for-like change for Aaron Lennon? This was clearly going to change very little tactically and replaced our frighteningly, quick winger with an arguably lesser version.
Surely Joe Cole should have been introduced. Any fan in the local pub realises that Cole has the ability to provide a moment of magic and contains the star quality and vitally, confidence which was required in that lacklustre situation. One man I do sympathise with is Emile Heskey. Continually branded as a scapegoat for England’s eternal failing, he is picked by the manager and has never let his country down. His patriotism and professionalism is something the squad certainly lacks and although, obviously not a top-class finisher, he continues to battle in attack in support of the essential Wayne Rooney. However, I’m unsure Heskey should actually play. As Rooney had been consistently outstanding for Manchester United last term as a lone striker and Steven Gerrard can naturally support a front man, surely playing Gerrard in a more advanced role in aid of Rooney is the rational option.
Capello’s hostile approach towards the squad is an increasing worry. With the Italian’s tactical knowledge thrown into question, it’s highly doubtful he’ll even have the ability and attitude to galvanize his troops, maybe even, the comical, yet inspirational speeches of James Corden would be a better option than Capello’s dour team meeting ahead of Wednesday’s game against Slovenia when England will either regain the faith of their excited nation or inconsiderately perish into possibly the most despised team in living memory.
Games the following day seemed to quickly pass as the intense interest of the competition was certainly hindered by disappointment and the repercussions of extensive drinking from the previous night across the nation. Holland managed to maintain their 100% record with a Wesley Sneijder goal and a sound defensive display. With Sneijder being the main talisman of the Netherlands, you certainly wonder why Rooney fails to emulate his ability to be a match winner for his team when his passion and ability has never before been in doubt. Perhaps it’s his fitness after a physically challenging season, or maybe financial concern is worrying him after he was forced to pay legal fees to his former agent, but most likely, it’s the fact Rooney has finally slipped out of touch with reality and is no longer the ‘working-man’s man’ he was formerly proud to represent. Mentally wrapped in theoretical cotton-wool by the ‘protectors’ who surround him and carrying the hopes and pressure of the nation’s chances on his, surprisingly young shoulders, Rooney’s mini rant as his exited the pitch in South Africa summed up his inability to empathise with ‘normal people’ and maybe, worryingly, he is evolving into the self-indulged narcissist many feared he would become. Let’s hope Sir. Alex Ferguson gives him a call before the next game to improve his attitude, as Capello appears incapable of doing, and he can turn this tournament around, becoming the legend we all wished for.
With African teams being tipped as surprise contenders in this tournament with a delightful array of talent in their own continent, two potentially successful representatives of the region failed to improve their trophy chances. As an Australian team, missing the influential Tim Cahill via suspension, took an early lead against Ghana, another disappointment for African supporters was on the card. Before the twenty minute mark, Harry Kewell was rightly, but rather pitifully, eagerly dismissed for saving an equaliser with the use of his hands. Clearly Mr. Kewell has a better grasp of the infamous ‘Jabulani’ ball than the goalkeepers themselves. Asamoah Gyan netted his second of the tournament, and Ghana’s equaliser from the spot, but; despite the numerical advantage, the sorry Ghanaians failed to convert a decisive goal.
It was the hopeless, overrated Paul Le Guen who engaged in battle later in the evening as his Cameroon team had to steal some kind of result against a decent Denmark team. Despite taking a lead, the egotistic Samuel Eto’o didn’t use any of his attributes to finish the game and the inadequate Le Guen helplessly looked on to see the Danish comeback to a 2-1 victory, making them the first side to be mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
Nicholas Anelka also retired from international football after “insulting” Raymond Domenech. Admittedly, if I was in Anelka’s position, it would be quite a struggle to retain myself from insulting Mr. Domenech due to his obvious incompetence. But judging by Anelka’s track record and his scandalous reputation as ‘Le Sulk’, perhaps we’ll regretfully, offer Domenech some sympathy.
It’s inconceivable that England won’t win on Wednesday. Surely it just can not happen with that squad of players. But upsets are consistently occurring as a number of major countries in the tournament are undergoing internal turmoil. It’s incredible that these organisations cannot use their years of preparation sufficiently as things always tend to disastrously unravel in the fateful two weeks for someone. Hopefully it’s not England who continue to deteriorate and they redeem themselves appropriately and unconvincingly squeeze through to the last sixteen.

Germany lose! And USA produce fight-back which leaves England in safe but vulnerable position

2010-06-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

The second big shock of the tournament occurred this morning when Germany crashed to an astonishing defeat at the hands of Serbia. With the Serbs displaying a disappointing showing of themselves in their first game of the world cup and Germany smashing Australia in a rampant victory, which was arguably the most impressive performance of the tournament yet, a German loss was almost inconceivable. But the early games of this particular Friday featured many refereeing errors in comparison to exactly a week ago when the tournament begun, when the officials were receiving magnanimous praise, and this went some way to corrupting the purity of two unexpectedly, marvellous football matches.
With the colossal figures of the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Nikolai Zigic in the Serbian line-up, it was sure that they could match the Germans in terms of physicality but with a fresh, young, skilful spine including the likes of Mezut Ozil in the German side it was thought that there was no real contest. Until the referee got involved. From the moment he blew his whistle, Mr. Mallenco had his hand in his pocket threatening disciplinary action against any player who as even looked him in the eye for an extended period of time. A meaningless yellow card dished out early on set the ridiculous consistency Mallenco retained and in no time, Miroslav Klose was off the pitch following two minor trips in honest attempts to win the ball. Immediately after this demented decision, Serbia managed to take advantage of German sorrow by predictably pumping the ball onto the head of Zigic who fumbled it down to Jovanovic, who acrobatically flung himself in aid of the Jabulani’s advancement and left the keeper with no choice but to lift the ball from the back of the net and bellow words of disheartened encouragement.
The Germans were handed a lifeline when Vidic needlessly handled in the area, which is becoming somewhat of a bizarre, common occurrence for the Serbs. However; Lucas Podolski unusually missed from the spot and Germany failed to net the equaliser they desired, resulting in an a blow to Germany’s confidence and an increasingly exciting group D.
An important game for England followed as the USA took on Slovenia. The Slovenians were promptly in a surprising two goal lead against the favourites as half-time quickly emerged and appeared good value for their lead. A stunning strike, a neat finish and the half-time whistle was superb for Slovenia’s predicted, slim chances of qualification but America battled in traditional, patriotic spirit and emerged from the tunnel fighting as Landon Donovan reduced the lead early on with a cannon into the roof of the goal. The double change from American coach Bob Bradley clearly worked wonders and then, like a cheap Hollywood movie, his son, Michael Bradley lunged at a floating opportunity. The ball thumped past the helpless Slovenian goalkeeper and produced sighs of relief from England fans and uncontrollable, hysterical, yet predictable tears from American followers.
Yet another loathsome decision from a referee marred what would’ve concluded an astounding, emotional fight-back from the Americans when substitute, Edu’s volley rocketed into the back of net and was unjustly disallowed. Replays reveal at least two or three fouls during the scramble for a winning goal but all appeared to be to the detriment of the USA as Slovenians recklessly, attempted to wrestle them to the ground.
The fight-back should still be hailed by the American media and it’s likely the “New York Post” may even perceive it as they ‘won 2-2’ but the awful decision from Mr. Coulibaly would’ve left a sour taste in the back of American throats. However; a draw was perhaps the perfect result for England as they can encounter a weak Algerian side tonight with the potential to top the group. Anticipation is continually building with team selection speculation rife but one thing is for sure. If England don’t pull off an expected victory tonight they’ll have a tough battle on to even escape their group and the rather impressive USA and Slovenia will not hesitate to knock us out.

Argentina emerge as genuine contenders but the arrogant French wither away into disgrace

2010-06-18T04:17:00.000-07:00

It was time for Diego Maradona’s Argentina side to engage in their second battle of the tournament. Although the South Americans were firm favourites, the game against South Korea was not likely to be an elementary task for Lionel Messi and his team-mates after the likes of Park Ji-Sung impressed in the earlier stages of the tournament.
Argentina invariably threatened to score from the moment the referee puffed on his whistle to signal the start of a potential buffet of world-class goals. With Lionel Messi attempting to firmly put his stamp on this tournament in the manner of Pele in 1970 or his own coach, Diego Maradona in 1986, it was he who forced the opening goal with a spinning free-kick which pitifully parried off of a Korean defender into the back of the net. Typical, admirable persistence from the bullish Carlos Tevez obtained a free-kick for the Argentineans in a dangerous position, link-up play between Messi and Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez resulted in a cross meeting the unmarked head of Gonzalo Higuain as he responsively knocked the ball in the goal to double the lead.
As an annihilation was in the reckoning, the game was swung in the opposite direction as the Koreans managed to undeservedly score a goal of their own. However, Argentina went on to seal the game as Higuain completed a hat trick of simple finishes, one being a Messi rebound from the post as ‘the best player in the world’ is struggling to gain firm recognition of his own. Higuain still managed to look unconvincing at times and with Argentina certainly progressing into the latter stages, it’s likely a better side will be able to deal with his threat more easily, perhaps signalling the introduction of Diego Milito, a much better striker in my opinion.
It was now the turn of the other two contenders in what was rapidly becoming ‘Argentina’s group’. With Greece looking extremely lacklustre in their opening fixture and Nigeria some how managing to hinder the threat of the Argentineans, I certainly favoured the Africans to take the three points in this game. Kaulo Uche’s early free-kick from great distance seemed to dance between bodies of defenders and attackers before settling in the goal itself, a very poor and frustrating goal to concede for the Greeks. However, the European side were handed a lifeline when a petulant attack from a Nigerian midfielder on a Greek was spotted by the referee and resulted in a red card. Greece then netted the equaliser on the stroke of half time, notoriously, ‘a great time to score’. Incredibly, being the first ever goal for the previous European champions, Greece finally appeared enthusiastic enough to gain a win, and they did just that when they scored with twenty minutes remaining and managed to hold on to their lead.
In what first appeared a predictable group, group A was quickly becoming an exciting prospect. With a rather dour performance by the French against Uruguay, Raymond Domenech’s men needed to put in a much better performance against a team of focused Mexicans. Mexico always looked the more likely to win as they played with passion, commitment, and most importantly, conviction whilst France arrogantly strolled to defeat. Perhaps Domenech will be regretting the omission of the likes of Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema as his preference for older players, lacking hunger and focus looks to be a huge mistake. Hernandez, who will ply his trade at Manchester United next term opened the scoring and an inconsiderate, careless challenge from Eric Abidal, summing up the attitude of the French, resulted in a penalty expertly converted by veteran, Blanco.
As the whistle blew, Patrice Evra aggressively ripped his captain’s band from his upper arm and smashed it down on the earth whilst Domenech remained casually leaning against the side of his dugout with his arms coolly folded. Clearly the French squad is in disarray with immature rifts within the camp and selfish, ambitionless performances from the likes of William Gallas and Thierry Henry, due to the fact they’ve already won sufficient trophies in their career, is ruining the likes of Patrice Evra’s and Florent Malouda’s chances of ever lifting an international trophy. Whether the international veterans will turn on the style for one more time is unsure, perhaps they will in aid of the fond memories of their own career but it’s unlikely they’ll do it for patriotic reasons as they seem focused solely on themselves and Domenech hardly looks like he has the ability to motivate this side of prime a donnas. Whether Evra can play his part in building up a non-existent team spirit remains to be seen but the sincere arrogance of the withering ‘class of 1998’ is clear as they continue to swim in self-indulgence and patronisingly look on at the younger generation and sneer at their attempts of success. I certainly hope this is the last time the over thirties in that squad play for France and have lost a lot of respect for a number of formerly,great players.
France must be rid of the unpopular Domenech and appoint a young, hungry manager, perhaps Laurent Blanc, or they will continually fail to fulfil their potential and the likes of a potentially new golden generation including Frank Ribery, Karim Benzema and Yohann Gourcuff will go to waste. It’s unlikely Uruguay and Mexico will play out a ‘convenient draw’ which would see both qualify as this would diminish the integrity of the competition but with South Africa certain to be fired up for potentially their last appearance in their own world cup, it’s certainly possible that they will out battle and admirably defeat the disgrace of this year’s French team.

The Swiss shock Spain and it's time for redemption as the second set of games begin

2010-06-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

When Brazil’s first fixture’s opponents were identified as a team of semi-professionals in the form of North Korea, everyone expected an unquestionable demolition. But the underdogs showed they were no pushovers in this game and made the “group of death” appear an even more difficult prospect for the highly-fancied Ivory Coast, Portugal, and of course, the Brazilians.
The amazing spirit of the Koreans was infallible as the defence managed to shield the majority of attack bombarded in their direction. Brazil weren’t particuarly convincing despite their incredible squad featuring brilliant attacking options as well as an unusual array of defensive quality. The likes of Ronaldinho and Adriano were omitted from the squad with a strong message being sent out from manager, Dunga, that this years Samba stars will very much be a hard-working ‘team’, and not a bunch of ‘Galacticos’ attempting individual brilliance.
Robinho’s performance would’ve left Roberto Mancini scrambling for his mobile phone in order to persuade the high-maintenance star to return to Eastlands for another season at Manchester City as he pulled all the creative strings in tense conditions. However, it was Inter Milan’s Maicon who opened the scoring with an outlandish attempt from an incredibly difficult angle, resulting in an extravagant swerve from the ‘Jabulani’ ball as it nestled in the back of the net. Whether this was intended as a shot is ambiguous but with Brazil, anything is possible. The Koreans’ organised approach was slashed open with a killer pass from Robinho which resulted in another former City player, Elano, passing the ball casually in the bottom corner of the net.
It was all over from here and despite the admirable heroics of North Korea it was too big of an ask for them to equalise the match. But, incredibly, a burst of pace from the forward late on resulted in a fantastic consolation goal and a spirit-raising statistic which will worry Sven Goran-Erikson and Carlos Queiroz as they gear up for their ‘easy’ game.
Honduras then faced Chile in the opener of the final group of the world cup. As the Honduran star, Wilson Palacios was unjustly booked early on, his urgency and aggression was severely reduced in order to avoid further indiscipline and Honduras reluctantly accepted defeat. Chile looked like a very good side and performed possibly the most expansive, attacking display seen is this modest tournament (with the omission of Germany). Alexis Sanchez’s pace and skill would’ve caught the eye of premiership hawks, circling over the talented prey of this world cup, ready to snap them up for their club team. But it was a lucky goal which proved decisive as a Honduran defender slid the ball onto the side of a Chilean forward only to see it crash into the back of the net and ascend Chile into first place.
It was then the European champions and favourites for this world cup, Spain who finally took on a Switzerland side missing key-man Valon Behrami. With such an extended wait for their first game it was assumed that the Spanish would be totally prepared and have the added bonus of a fit Fernando Torres available from their selection roster, but a shock was on the cards. Despite capable, dexterous attempts from the unquestionably skilled Xabi Alonso, David Villa and Torres, Spain, incredibly, failed to hit the back of the net. However, to Spanish detriment, the Swiss did manage to score an invaluable goal as a combative goal-mouth scramble resulted in another former City man, Gelson Fernandes, nudging the ball over the line after a strenuous race with the defenders for the opportunity. Despite the obvious, evident attacking virtues of Spain, they failed to gain the equaliser and Switzerland held out for an astonishing win. It’s results like this that make you realise you’re not alone in the manner that your national team is continually an unexpected disappointment.
It was then time for the second branch of games to begin as the hosts, South Africa took on a Uruguay side who stole a point from France in the earlier game and at times, flirted with brilliance with the impressive front two of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. It was Forlan who really shone on this occasion as the South Africans were stunned by his extravagant effort which cannoned into the back of the net with the aid of a slight deflection. However, like many who have had the benefit of taking a goal lead in this tournament, the Uruguayans did not plan to stop, as Suarez attempted to round the keeper an outstretching leg sent him crashing down to earth, resulting in a red card. The intimidating, focused face of Forlan was converted into one of a joy when he blasted a penalty into the back of the net. As the South Africans dwelled on their performance in dismay and disappointment, the Uruguayans went on to net a third meaning the romantic prospect of the hosts advancing to the next round were slimmer than ever.
Clearly the first round of games in this tournament didn’t live up to the hype of the tornado of brilliance, excitement and individual genius we were hoping for and maybe expecting, but a firm implication of each team is now ingrained within our brains and the best is yet to come. With Diego Forlan’s outstanding display against South Africa well publicised, perhaps this will provide the intent for all players in South Africa to really display their inventive, inspirational, imaginative powers on the biggest stage.

Could it be an unpredictable contender who overthrows the Italians?

2010-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

As the world champions, Italy, couldn’t even beat a Paraguay team missing their major threats in the form of Roque Santa Cruz and Oscar Cardozo, there’s sure to be a power shift this tournament and a new king. Although notoriously slow starters to major tournaments, Italy lacked speed and strength and with this world cup appearing to be one of stamina and endurance it’s unlikely they’ll progress too far in to the competition.
Paraguay took the lead in a tedious first half, which tends to have been the case with most games since the opening day. However, Italy did manage to net an equaliser from a set-piece with yet another goalkeeping mistake. As the ball was graciously floated in, the South American goalkeeper, Justo Villar flapped at his opportunity to catch and helplessly watched the infamous “Jabulani’” advance past his body and connect with Daniele De Rossi for an easy goal.
It was soon the turn of Group F’s other two contenders, New Zealand and Slovakia playing what was probably the least anticipated match of the entire tournament. With Australia, unfairly in my opinion, drafted into the Asian qualifying system for being ‘too good’ for their continent of Oceania, the Kiwis were presented with a timid route to the finals and with the emergence of deceitful “New Zealand internationals” born elsewhere, searching for world cup glory, such as Tommy Smith from England, who conveniently lived there for a while; they also had a whole new team.
The Slovakians duly took the lead with a rare attack on goal finishing with a converted header. More opportunities were scarce and you were left wondering how the likes of Sweden, the Czech Republic and even the Republic Of Ireland were left out of the tournament at the expense of this team of non-leaguers and fake national heroes. Romantically, the Danish, Winston Reid scored a header in injury time to gain New Zealand a point sending their team into hysterical celebrations. Celebrated as their ‘best result ever’ you have to wonder whether the system is flawed and FIFA’s interference with geographical qualification leagues is hindering the quality of the tournament which is famous for sporting the best teams and players in the entire world. With Dimitar Berbatov, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Petr Cech absent, should the qualification process be reassessed? I defiantly feel there is room for improvement.
With such a lack of quality in that group, it was time for the “group of death”, group G, to display their unquestionable talent and their right for a presence in South Africa, perhaps with the omission of North Korea. Arguably the best African side, Ivory Coast, were hit with a group including Brazil and Portugal, diminishing their favourable chances of progressing to an honourable stage of the tournament. With the appointment of Sven Goran-Eriksson as manager, the Ivorians’ hopes were instantly raised and despite a potentially fatal blow in the form of an arm fracture for the incredibly powerful, talismanic hit man, Didier Drogba, the Africans played better than they were given credit for.
Drogba was handed a place amongst the substitutes but Ivory Coast still managed to field an impressive side including the Toure brothers, Salomon Kalou and the particularly credible, Gervinho. A typical Eriksson display limited the Portuguese to only one satisfying attempt in the form of some Cristiano Ronaldo magic as the outstanding player produced a neat turn and distant snap-shot resulting in the woodwork. It was mainly the Africans who flaunted an undeniable urgency, rarely visible in the dull nature of this tournament’s competition by causing the majority of the problems.
Drogba’s passion could not be questioned as he appeared, constantly animated from the sidelines and he was finally allowed to join the game with twenty-five minutes remaining. His involvement was minimal as all his team-mates appeared to be aware of his unfortunate situation and intended to save his brilliance for other games, with a point seemingly, already gained from a disappointingly sedate European team. However; Drogba did make sure his presence was respected with an outstretching leg to send the ball agonizingly wide on one occasion, but it was obvious that this is the best African team and could, in my opinion, be a real contender for the title if they manage to sneak out of their difficult group as the improbable advancers.
Attention now turns to the world cup’s most successful nation, Brazil. Against an unassuming North Korean side, it’s likely this unusually solid side of Brazil’s, still containing the predictable flair, skill and brilliance of always will do their best to dismantle, devour and destroy the Koreans. But football is made for moments like this and it could be quite a moment of national pride if the underdogs manage an unlikely draw or even an inconceivable victory.

Do we never learn? 'NEVER write off the Germans!'

2010-06-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

As the world cup has progressed we’ve already seen the typical, predictable, yet rather fun circus of controversy, tears and ‘never write off the Germans’ slogan, which tends to show it’s face every four years.
Following England’s disappointing showing in the opening fixture of group C it was now time for the two lesser nations of the group to fight for some valuable points. Whoever lost this game would arguably find it almost impossible to qualify and whoever won would have a strong three points, go top of the group and genuinely be able to begin a solid quest for qualification. However; with the potential of the world cup knockout stages in store, neither side began with any particular strength, skill or determination. A very poor match by world cup standards, sporting only three to four players who could possible hope to even play in the premiership, was thankfully finished by a goal from former West Bromwich Albion midfielder, Robert Koren. Koren’s shot looked to be heading for the Algerian keeper’s grateful grasp when he suddenly appeared to forget he had the use of his arms and helplessly watched the ball fly past his chest into the back of the net. It appears it’s not only Robert Green having his problems and perhaps if these goalkeeping misjudgements continue to occur it will be the “Jabulani” ball who has yet more guilt to accept.
It was then the start of Group D where a reasonably strong Serbia side would take on last tournament’s wild card; Ghana. The Ghana side quite obviously missed the presence of Michael Essien in the middle, as any team would, following his heart-breaking injury and the lack of urgency in midfield became instantly apparent. The slow tempo in the middle of the park made for yet another poor game with a lack of attacking flair but Ghana will be pleased with the acquisition of Kevin-Prince Boateng as a Ghanian international as his flashes of quality proved decisive and he, himself will be delighted with his high stature in the team despite his easy route to the tournament. Despite a strong nucleus of Nemanja Vidic, Dejan Stankovic and the giant Nikola Zigic in the Serbian side they failed to advance from first gear and never really got going. An imbecilic hand-ball from a Serbian international in his own penalty area lost the chance to gain any points as Asamoah Gyan stepped up confidently for Ghana, in patriotic fashion to blast the ball into the back of the net resulting in wild celebrations of joy and cultural dance. However; despite the win, it was another disappointing display from an African side who I had expected to excel in this tournament.
With neither team a particular favourite of the Englishman, the majority of the nation did not mind if either side crashed and burned immediately. However; to see Germany beat Australia so convincingly was rather worrying as they put in, unquestionably, the performance of the tournament so far to smash the Aussies and place a gloomy cloud over group C, which of course includes England. Whoever draws Germany in the round of the last sixteen will have to do very well to advance any further in the competition. As we, in England, consistently moan how our players including the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney perform so magnificently at club level, yet fail to convert their form onto the international stage, it appears Germany have the complete opposite of that problem. With Miroslav Klose and Lucas Podolski only scoring three goals each domestically this season, they still managed to form a deadly partnership and opened the scored for Germany with a goal each. The third striker, the much talked about Mr. Muller, then aptly netted the third goal and to top it off, the introduction of Brazilian-born forward Cacau then netted the forth to complete the demolition.
Confident moves and comfortable passing from the Germans throughout made this performance more than convincing with the captain, Phillip Lahm just one of the stand-out players as he patrolled the flanks in aid of offense and defence. Mesut Ozil was another star who appears to have burst onto the scene and his effective play-making is likely to have taught England a lesson. We need Joe Cole. The young midfielders dribbling ability and eye for the killer pass, aswell as his own threatening runs towards goal made him a constant problem to the opposition. His position was clearly made for the slow tempo of this year’s world cup and the only players England have in that mould has to be Chelsea’s departing Mr. Cole. The controversial sending-off of Tim Cahill was a shocking mistake which sent the Australian into tears. Not only did it effectively kill the game off in Germany’s favour but it also broke the heart of a fantastic, honest footballer and again raises the question of video technology. The challenge should no where near have been deemed a red card offence and now Cahill’s tournament could be over due to the reckless, unnecessary antics of an irresponsible referee.
Holland’s game the following morning was of much anticipation with excitement building around this year’s team despite the absence of Arjen Robben. However, despite a relatively comfortable win, the side failed to live up to it's expectations of ‘total football’. An incredibly fortunate own-goal in favour of the Dutch saw a Danish defender, under little pressure, head the ball into the back of his own team mate only to watch it drop perfectly onto the post and in. Later on, as the game was becoming stale, Holland hit the post and the ball fell nicely for Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt who gratefully slotted home. Holland showed no where near the class of Germany the previous evening.
Japan then stole a deserved 1-0 win over another disappointing African side in the form of Cameroon. Despite the likes of Geremi, Sebastian Bassong and Samuel Eto’o, the organised unit of the Japanese drove out a grinding 3 points and increased their, before, slim chances of qualification to the knock-out stages.
Overall; the tournament is advancing calmly into one of potential excitement but has so far failed to hit the heights we had all hoped for. Apart from the Germans of course. Typically we wrote this off as their ‘worst team ever’, and yet again, typically they have proved us wrong with a stunning display of strength, skill and determination and emerged as genuine contenders. Tonight we can see the world champions, Italy with an ageing team against a Paraguay side without it’s two key strikers, Roque Santa Cruz and Oscar Cardozo. If the Italians fail to beat the Paraguayans then surely their chances of retaining their title is over. But then again; you never know in football.

A magnificent start with a desperate finish. Is the best still to come? It better be.

2010-06-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

The first Saturday of the World Cup was a day of magnificent starts, encouragement and hope; only to see the excitement agonizingly fizzle out into a calm game of a cautious, tedious nature. Typical of an international exhibition match but not the World Cup.
The Korean Republic were rather impressive against an extremely poor Greece side with a distinct lack of ambition. As an organised unit the Koreans scored from a set-piece early on, which would’ve infuriated the Greek coach. They then became the first team of this world cup to kill a game off with regards to the scoring of their second goal. A weaving, speedy run from Manchester United’s Ji-Sung Park was completed with a neat finish. His creative threat throughout was a constant thorn in the sides of the Greeks and it’s possible Park has the potential to be a hero for his nation in this world cup. The likes of Georgios Samaras and Thomas Gekas up front for Greece showed little to suggest the European side could pull off another amazing tournament win, reminiscent of Euro 2004 and it was easy to tell why they’re struggling to sell tickets for games.
Argentina against Nigeria was probably the first game of the tournament that the neutral genuinely wanted to see, rather than simply being sucked in by world cup fever. Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi naturally impressed throughout but the Argentinean goal came early on from an unlikely source in the form of former Manchester United left-back Gabriel Heinze. Widely criticised throughout the qualifying campaign and resented by the Argentinean public for the omission of Champions League winners Zanetti and Cambiasso, Heinze began to defy the critics with a superb, diving header from a corner. Absence of marking and urgency from Nigeria practically gifted the opportunity to Heinze who couldn‘t believe his luck.
Nigeria’s poor performance in defence continued but Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain missed two superb opportunities which left Diego Maradonna rolling down the touchline in despair. Champions league final hero, Diego Milito eventually replaced Higuain but it was astounding to see a team sporting an advanced trio of Messi, Tevez and Higuain with the likes of Miltio, Martin Palermo and Sergio Aguero sitting on the bench fail to convert the second goal.
And then it was England’s much awaited, opening clash with the United States of America. Capello finally put a stop the infernal line-up speculation from the media by announcing Robert Green, James Milner and Emile Heskey would all start. England began in the best possible way, with Heskey displaying his link-up play to the audience in an attempt to justify his selection, he put Steven Gerrard, controversially starting next to Frank Lampard, through on goal who gracefully slotted the ball in the corner. The game looked as though it would practically die out in typically English fashion with the British scraping the 1-0 in a game involving nothing more than a few scares. Wrong. Clint Dempsey’s rather weak strike of desperation from 25-yards looked to be safely entering the grateful grasp of Robert Green when the West Ham keeper shockingly spilled the ball and scrambled in despair only to see it tortuously trickle over the line as a fortunate equaliser. As a West Ham fan, the feeling of Green’s embarrassment and incredible shame was shared by me. Like watching your son lose the relay for his team on sports day, I was met with a feeling of guilt and lust for the Earth to gobble Green up before he had the chance to re-show his face. However, I’m sure Green’s relaxed nature will mean he can bounce back from this and I hope Capello reselects him for the Algeria game so he has an opportunity to redeem himself.
James Milner’s hasty substitution on the half an hour mark heralding the introduction of Shaun Wright-Phillips must’ve been heart-breaking for the Manchester City target but his reckless fouling was a danger to England’s hopes and by displaying such indiscipline, as well as failing to assist Ashley Cole in dealing with Landon Donovan, perhaps it was the correct decision. The safety-net of Gareth Barry was missed by the defence and as Ledley King predictably left the field via injury a lethargic back two of Jamie Carragher and John Terry required his presence as they were continually skinned by the likes of Jozey Altidore. God knows what will happen when they’re up against the likes of Luis Fabiano, Didier Drogba or Fernando Torres rather than the former Hull City fringe player.
With immense pressure and focus placed on Wayne Rooney, he often found himself isolated by mass amounts of American defenders and had to come deep into midfield to collect the ball; meaning his new-found goal-scoring prowess for Manchester United this season was non-existent and he was relatively ineffectual. It’s worth arguing that with the opposition placing so much attention upon our young talisman it could open the way for other strikers to score. But when your other striker is Emile Heskey, what chance do you stand?
In fairness to Heskey he went someway to showing exactly why he is chosen but I stand by my theory that you need someone who will take your chances in the big match and by admiring Argentina’s awesome bench it’s obvious we don’t have the ammunition of our competition. However we do have a top manager in Fabio Capello who must do a better job than Diego Maradonna and despite a disappointing start on a national level, we can still go further in the tournament. Maybe the best is still to come.

The World Cup begins with a magnificent opener on South Africa's day of pride

2010-06-11T14:55:00.001-07:00

The mood-reflecting, sun shone brightly down on ‘Soccer City’ in this illustrious day for the proud nation of South Africa. The delightful opening ceremony’s essence of Africa and celebration was as refreshing as any previous tournament’s attempts and despite the unfortunate absence of the iconic Nelson Mandela due to his great granddaughter’s shocking death, the display still managed to emit the positive message of diversity and prosperity amongst the proud continent of Africa on a colossal scale.
The first game of the tournament which saw the hosts, South Africa take on a Mexico team recently beaten by England was of little disappointment. Conveniently, it was the Africans who took the lead as the rather comically named, Siphiwe Tshabalala blasted an astounding bullet beyond the grasps of the Mexican keeper. The Kaizer Chiefs’ (a South African football team in case you were thinking the team had some kind of rock star) winger will have attracted European interest, which will come as a nightmare to John Motsen, with a performance which made him a constant threat to the opponents as he constantly advanced within Mexican territory with genuine pace and quality. The slightly embarrassing, yet meaningful, patriotic celebration involving a choreographed dance which followed is likely to be a cult image to be carried through generations and a famous picture resembling the moment Africa really, finally put it‘s stamp on the world of football on a global basis.
Moments of quick, quality, fluid football from the, so-called “Bafana Bafanas” will have pleasantly shocked viewers who considered South Africa’s presence in the tournament a mere convenience on a geographical level. However, the emphatic, monotonous drone of the controversial vuvuzelas was unexpectedly drowned out by disappointment when Barcelona defender, Rafael Marquez spoilt the party by equalising for the Mexicans. A late chance for South Africa agonizingly hit the post, but overall it was an encouraging, positive, commendable start to a tournament which has attracted such negative speculation.
France versus Uruguay, on the other hand, was much more of a disappointment. Arguably two giants of world football; despite the Uruguayan’s severe loss of stature in modern times, an exciting strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan threatened to regain the South Americans’ respect and pride in the world of football and act as a catalyst in catapulting the team into an unexpected contender to enter the latter stages. Nothing of the sort. Tipped by many to overturn the French, a rather pathetic couple of shots from Forlan was all Uruguay could muster and France contributed little into making this the spectacle it had the potential to be.
The France manager, Raymond Domenech went some way to proving why he is so unpopular in his native country with a lack of tactical awareness, poor substitutions and a generally negative approach to “the greatest show on earth”. Florent Malouda’s introduction was far too late and after the Frenchman’s superb performances for Chelsea in attack this year, he should have been employed in a more advanced role. The straight swap of Thierry Henry for Nicholas Anelka lacked ambition as last year’s finalists cautiously, unimaginatively decided not to convert to a formation sporting a front two. Henry’s performance was nothing like the magical, majestic displays of his time at Arsenal and this once, world-class act appeared isolated as the lone striker and his physical attributes are slowly, pitifully withering away. His desperation for an impact even forced him to appeal for a handball, an extremely hypocritical and audacious action with regards to his Irish shame. It’s unlikely Henry will agree to David Sullivan’s bold attempts to sign him for West Ham as his legendry status in England would drop further down the drain with poor performances, a financially rewarding transfer to the USA would probably be the most sensible move at this stage of his career. Unless he sincerely believes, in his unquestionable yet rather admirable arrogance, he can still have a crack at the big time.
A late sending-off for an irresponsible, reckless, Uruguayan substitute was the only controversial action of the game, on a day when referees made some fantastic decisions in both matches. The much awaited 11th of June is finally over and the world cup is well and truly underway with the anticipation increasingly growing ahead of England’s game tomorrow evening. Despite a tedious match to finish the night, it would be acceptable to say that South Africa can be very pleased with their soccer introduction to the world.

Could the end be near for the deceitful Arsene Wenger and his hopeless Gunners

2010-06-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

The stubborn Mr. Arsene Wenger today stressed how Arsenal wouldn’t “panic into spending big”. Is this sensible in today’s inflated market or just another excuse for a disappointing summer with a severe lack of signings? The Gunners are in danger of slipping out of England’s elite sides as the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City and their bitter, north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur traditionally attempt to “gatecrash the top four”. With Tottenham making the breakthrough during the most recent campaign, at the expense of Liverpool, both them and City are showing little signs of slowing down in terms of spending and unless Arsenal react it won’t be long until they’re overtaken as well.
Wenger could certainly be accused of sporting an oversized ego in times of late with his constant dismissal of the transfer market. Acquiring youngsters at a young age and blending them carefully into a squad of capable footballers is an admirable plan and one which keeps the club financially sound (a certain priority in these worrying economical times for football). However, this does involve poaching young players from other professional clubs, a particularly controversial action. How stealing young prospects from clubs who employ scouts to complete the gruelling task of choosing a few out of thousands is ethically correct is beyond me and their should be a minimum transfer age.
An example of this is young, Fran Merida. Sneakily plucked from Barcelona’s academy (a similar transfer to that of Cesc Fabregas’) at the tender age of sixteen; he was gullibly enticed by the prospect of the premier league and signed a contract for the deceitful Mr. Wenger. This caused chaos in sporting law and it must have been an extremely stressful period for Merida as two monstrous clubs engaged in legal battle. Eventually Merida’s contract was deemed legitimate and all three parties could move on. This summer, Merida has been released at the age of 20, finding first team opportunities scarce (he made only 6 appearances for Arsenal), he’s now back in Spain with Atletico Madrid practically restarting his career with minimal experience for a player of his age. Surely Merida would have been better off remaining under the expertise of Barcelona? This is just one career that Wenger has arguably hindered.
Of course some moves do work out; step forward Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas is unique in the way he’s a genuine success story from Arsenal‘s bag of stolen goods, he’s matured into a player of superb ability, a club captain and a Spanish international. However, despite an arguably successful period at Arsenal on a personal level for Fabrgeas, the Londoners have only collected one major trophy (the F.A. Cup) during his, remarkably, 7 years at the club. After being promised a key role in a European giant on a number of occasions, Fabregas has become alienated by the club’s transfer policy and lack of immediate ambition and is finally forcing his way out of the club. With a return to his supported club, Barcelona a romantic proposition and the increased likelihood of trophies, no one can blame Fabregas for wanting to leave. But Arsenal are continually denying him this right. Yes he is under contract and the Gunners have the right to hold out for as much money as they can grab but can’t Wenger see this is another prosperous career he is in danger of ruining? It’s embarrassing for Arsenal and risks destroying a decent relationship previously enjoyed by club and player. What’s the point of uncovering a rough diamond at a young age if you’re not willing to build a sufficient squad around him? Can’t Wenger see it was when he had the steal and determination of the likes of Patrick Viera in his squad that he won trophies? Why does he ignorantly waste opportunities for success by not emulating this and opening his wallet?
It’s clear Arsenal don’t even restrain from spending on experience in order to be the big boys in terms of youth investment. Cristiano Ronaldo recently revealed he “nearly joined Arsenal” and claims the reason he went to Manchester United is because “they gave me a better offer”. What an investment that was, and now Untied have had a number of trophy-rich, successful seasons from him and recouped an astounding eighty million pounds. Maybe if Wenger had dipped a bit deeper it could’ve been Arsenal who had enjoyed such success in recent years.
Admittedly last season was encouraging for Arsenal. Hotly tipped to drop from the top four, they were aided by a dismal display from Liverpool and some very good runs of form themselves. With a genuine shot at the title and the injury to key striker Robin Van Persie a major hindrance to these ambitions, it was obvious fire power was required in January. Nothing. Yet again, in typically arrogant fashion Wenger continued with the squad he had and his side withered away into nothingness as the premier league climaxed. Wenger’s worrying tendency to consider himself as ‘looking out for the club’ must be frustrating for Arsenal fans as they pay extortionate amounts for tickets in the hope of signing some genuine stars, only to find Wenger believes the answer to his undeniable defensive problems is freebie, Notts County veteran, Sol Campbell. How exciting.
Evidently the market of expired contracts is a level above that of recent years on this occasion and Wenger is likely to raid it. With Marouane Chamakh already added to the squad, it’s possible someone like Joe Cole will be acquired free of charge. But with high competition, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will have the muscle to push the deal through or allow him to slip from their grasps as Ronaldo did all those years ago. I’m sure Arsenal fans would be delighted with the signing of Cole, not only because he’s an outstanding footballer, but also because he’s British. Wenger continually ignores the country’s uncomfortable stance with his exotic squad and at times it appears he restrains from purchasing British talent in an attempt to show he won’t bow down to anyone, unable to accept that perhaps it is he who is in the wrong. But with Campbell and William Gallas on the outgoing list in the department of contract expiries, Arsenal will need to strengthen their squad more than ever before in the defensive sector and if Wenger’s ambitions match that of a club of Arsenal’s stature, a quality goalkeeper is also required.
In my opinion, next season has the ability to make or break Wenger and it’s likely another season with an absence of silverware will see the Arsenal fans finally run out of patience with the Frenchman. If influential players like Gallas and Fabregas move on and are not replaced in addition to extra recruitments due to Wenger’s inexcusable vanity, it won’t be long until the pressure starts mounting. And don’t tell me he “did not see it” coming.

Why football should employ a salary cap

2010-06-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

As Premiership clubs are warned about their wage structures and recent statistics reveal that top flight clubs were spending around 1.3 billion on player wages even before Manchester City’s big-spending summer, we are yet again faced with the inevitable, yet predictable question; should football have a salary cap? The sport seems to have taken one step to far in recent times with irresponsible, uneducated footballers such as John Terry and Ashley Cole making publicly visible life errors and arguably, mediocre players such as Kieron Dyer and Michael Ballack remaining on astronomical wages. Unless you’re as deluded as the Chelsea left-back’s women judgement, the answer is a categorical yes.
Clubs such as West Ham, Crystal Palace and most notably Portsmouth have been placed in severe danger of ceasing to exist completely; an eventual state which would be a bloodcurdling disaster for staunch supporters. Fans will loose their love, which they have cherished throughout generations and the integrity of the sport will suffer a major dent if clubs with any form of history and heritage begin to disappear off of the face of the earth. The reason for this; astronomical wages which are financially crippling clubs with any kind of ambition. More and more foreign owners are breaking into the premiership toy shop, playing with a club, demanding instant success, handing out ridiculous contracts to playing staff; and if all goes wrong? They simply walk away, find something new to play with and leave the broken toy waiting for a saviour, reminiscent of David Gold and David Sullivan picking up the pieces at West Ham after the outlandish, unsustainable Icelandic era, fronted by Eggert Magnusson - and as debt increases, less of these heroic figures are going to be able to save the plight of doomed clubs.
The job of a footballer requires little responsibility - as doctors, nurses and soldiers struggle to stay out of the red, these uneducated fools are splashing out on Bentleys without a care in the world - how can this be logical? When these men and women fight for our country and save our lives, it seems staggering that a young man who kicks a ball around for 90 minutes on a weekend can get paid double in a week in comparison to what these high-profile professions earn in a whole year. A salary cap must be enforced.
As a casual fan of America’s NFL, it’s obvious this system has worked wonders in making their league one of the best domestic sport leagues in history to date. Every year holds an exciting race for the Superbowl title, with even games, competitive players and eventually an unpredictable champion. It’s a tried and tested method. It’s worked extremely effectively; so why not use it?
However; I must stress that I’m only in favour of the salary cap it it’s enforced on a global basis by FIFA. Players would simply request transfers abroad if nations such as Germany, Italy or Spain had no wage restrictions and this would degrade the quality of the league completely, turning the English premiership from what I believe is the greatest football league in the world to a mediocre campaign.
You may argue that if a club has money, why shouldn’t they be able to spend it? That’s why giving each club a unique salary cap based on their turnover is a rational option - this would mean large clubs such as Manchester United, who work hard on increasing their stature throughout the world and make colossal sums each year from selling their brand would have the ability to hand out bigger contracts than the likes of say, Wigan Athletic, who obviously don’t make anywhere near the same profit as United. As success breeds popularity, each club would strive to reach the top in order to make money and gain a lenient salary cap, meaning clubs would be unable the simply buy success and would have to gain stature naturally before being able to spend titanic sums of money in order to sustain their success.
Of course there is the argument that with foreign owners giving mammoth wages to English residents, the taxes are coming back into the country. But, with the economy in the dire state it is, these taxes obviously aren’t doing much good. The reality is, the government will always spend out of their means, no matter how much money is coming into the country. Footballers taxes appear relatively ineffectual at this current state, so why not change it? Football will provide it’s fair share of money for the country anyway if is able to win the 2018 world cup bid.
Yes; football gives an opportunity for the middle-class to earn big money and achieve a dream of being ‘rich’, but, in this respect, football is more of a distraction from education than a realistic, potential career. An extremely limited amount of hopefuls make it as a professional, so if gullible youngsters unrealistically believe they can be the next boy wonder, their education could suffer through lack of caring and a poor attitude under the belief they don’t need the qualifications. If wages were capped, perhaps these students would work harder on their studies rather than following the “£” signs provided by football. For the uneducated boys who actually do move into the game, role model status is instantly their, as idols to thousands, a huge number of kids aspire to be like these players because of the money they earn. If they didn’t receive such obscene amounts, perhaps more suitable role-models would be selected such as attainable jobs like doctors and lawyers.
Obviously I am in complete favour of a global salary cap for football, it will keep the clubs safe, the supporters happy and take the game back to what it originally was - a working man’s game and no longer a corporate monster which sucks all the fun out of a game which is, after all; entertainment.

Why England's first game in South Africa must be considered a success

2010-06-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

England’s first game in South Africa against local side, Platinum Stars will probably be deemed unconvincing by the British media, but, when you put the situation into perspective, the game was nothing more than a training session to the England squad and we’ve escaped with a reasonable, 3-0 win and, vitally, no injuries.
You could generously describe Platinum Stars as the equivalent of a lower league side in England, so imagine their delight and excitement at the task of facing an international side filled with stars of the calibre and stature of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, especially as the nation is currently overwhelmed with the buzz of soccer pandemonium. With those men playing the game of their lives, England would’ve been happy to take a back-seat and gain a morale boosting winning whilst not loosing any more players to the curse of injury, which so cruelly stole Rio Ferdinand’s chance to lift the trophy.
Jermain Defoe’s early goal would’ve quietened moans fighting Darren Bent’s case for a space in the 23-man squad and reassured the public that despite his rather reserved end to the season, Defoe is a natural goal scorer and should disaster strike in the form of an injury to the talismanic Wayne Rooney, he is a suitable replacement. The game was encouraging for Rooney who ended a, for his standards, moderate goal-scoring drought for his country. Emile Heskey, on the other hand, knocked an opportunity, with his head, wide of the mark. No surprise there. As top-level international matches tend to be extremely tight, tense occasions, you must be efficient in the manner of taking your chances if you’re going to succeed. If England’s golden chance falls to Heskey, it’s unlikely they’ll be advancing to the next round and the Aston Villa target man’s low popularity in this country will decrease even further. However; it would be great for Heskey if he could defy the critics in his reserved, unselfish manner by allowing Rooney more freedom to play his game and finally gaining some recognition of his own.
An attacking, solo-run from Glen Johnson was promising in terms of his offensive ability but this has never really been in doubt for the pacey full-back. His defensive credibility, however, was again a dilemma for England as a misjudged header forced him to into conceding a penalty, which the local side, fortunately, failed to convert. You can be sure a player of the stature of Didier Drogba, Kaka or Fernando Torres would not have been so forgiving and Johnson’s unreliable performances in the defensive sector will be an increasing worry for Fabio Capello, enhancing the chances of Jamie Carragher adopting the right side of the back four for himself.
The expeditious break from England in aid of Joe Cole’s goal was hopefully an advert for the expansive play we will look to employ during the tournament and was the real highlight of an otherwise, dull and modest game. The fact Cole was the only player to complete the whole game means his fitness must now be unquestionable to Capello and that can only be good news for England who, with Cole, have a genuine footballer made for the big stage. His undeniable skill, technique and ability to produce a moment of unthinkable magic makes him one of our squad’s most naturally gifted players and his disappointing domestic season at Chelsea will be quickly forgotten if he proves to be the major asset to England he has the potential to be.
Whether the vacancy of David James meant he has nothing to prove to Capello or that he’s a non-starter will certainly be up for debate, but, the lack of Gareth Barry will be a genuine worry for England and the question as to why their seems to have been a lack of recognition towards Scott Parker in the 30-man squad will yet again be raised. The enthusiastic midfielder was said to have been the outstanding trainer in the Austrian camp and would certainly have installed his passion, determination and typically English spirit into the rest of the team, not to mention his conclusive talent and decisive, defensive ability. Capello will also be labelled a hypocrite after he began his reign as the national manager stressing the importance of fitness and form, a comment he may live to regret as he continually ignores it.
The reason for Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham’s presence is ambiguous to the outsider but seeing them sign shirts and converse with the natives during this warm-up game suggests they will be able to remove some of the untenable pressure provided by the obsessive media from the players and perhaps allow the playing squad to be fully focused on winning football matches alone. The fact Capello now feel they require this particular role reflects badly on our national media as they continue to convince us our world cup dreams will finally come true, only to send our hopes crashing back down to earth in a whirlpool of cynical stories and scandal. As the most powerful voice in our country, we must take it upon ourselves to support our team patriotically in the sincere belief that this really can be our year.

Fans already suffer injuries in South Africa; why they should never have got the world cup and England must host the 2018 tournament

2010-06-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Worrying news from South Africa’s warm-up game consists of 14 fans being injured in another crowd crushing incident. Suggestions of another potential tragedy, reminiscent of the Hillsborough disaster will soon rise to the surface of the media and yet again South Africa’s ability to host a successful, and most importantly, safe world cup is yet again cast in doubt.
Terrorist attacks are a distinct possibility in this particular world cup and following the attack on Togo’s team bus during the African Cup Of Nations recently, it appears it’s not only the fans who are in danger. Fans are being advised on where not to go during hours of darkness due to car theft and shootings; clearly this world cup has the potential to be an absolute disaster.
Admittedly it’s refreshing for an African nation to host the world cup, and if you had to choose one it would have to be South Africa. They’re certainly the more developed country of the continent and have experience in hosting sporting events from the 1995 rugby world cup and the 2003 cricket world cup but the football world cup is on a whole different level and FIFA have taken a major gamble in allowing it to be held in a politically unstable, economically weak, third world country.
I’m sure the tournament will help to bring in large amounts of money for South Africa to develop into a prosperous region, but remarkably slow ticket sales in terms of a tournament as distinguished as the world cup due to inflated prices will certainly be worrying the organisers. Before their bid was successful, the country was in absolutely no position, in terms of hotels, roads, airports and most importantly stadiums to host an event of the FIFA World Cup’s monstrous nature and so billions of dollars have been pumped into the country making this the most expensive world cup to date.
The harsh reality of this glamorous tournament is, it could destroy the profile of South Africa as a tourist attraction rather than raise it if some form of disaster did take place (and that is certainly not out of the question). And, as the sporting world gracefully drifts on with another world cup under it’s belt it could leave the country further crippled in financial mess. This inconsiderate risk taken by FIFA may pay off for South Africa, and hopefully it does, but it’s one that should not be taken again and that’s why England should defiantly be considered for the next world cup.
London could probably get away with hosting a world cup as a city, let alone the entire nation. With glamorous stadiums such as Wembley, Old Trafford and the Emirates already in place, the tournament would be of minimal cost to the country in comparison to it’s predecessors and has the potential to be one of the best ever.
Although the slanderous antics of Lord Triesman have hindered England’s chances I’m sure that FIFA president, Sepp Blatter will look beyond this fault and see how England is perfect as a host nation. Blatter has previously indicated he considers England as “the motherland of football” and suggested that World Cup 2018 will return to a European country. Along with this advantage England have the benefit of the prestigious face of David Beckham heading the campaign as well as the international appeal of our Premier League, it’s certainly a substantial offer and we have a great chance of winning the bid. Crowd-violence is unjustly, still associated with this country and the disgrace of the F.A. cup clash between West Ham and Millwall may have worsened England’s argument, but, if an appropriate degree of research is employed into England, the outsider will surely realise that hooliganism is practically non-existent in British football and is certainly a lesser threat to the tournament in comparison to South Africa’s general crime rate.
Russia, Holland and Spain are worthy opponents to England amongst other Asian countries but it must be obvious to everyone that England is defiantly a better option than South Africa ever was. With the infrastructure firmly in place, our country is waiting for an opportunity like this to help rebuild it’s economy, carry it out of recession and solidify England’s position amongst the elite in the world of football.

Is having a supporter owning your club really the best scenario? West Ham sign German international

2010-06-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

West Ham have worked reasonably quickly to complete the signing of German international Thomas Hitzlsperger on a three year-deal. An absurd amount of names linked with the Hammers have been thrown around by the media of late but finally a deal has been completed and West Ham fans can look forward to a genuinely exciting signing.
Supporters of the East London club, including myself have had some faith restored in David Sullivan, along with co-owner David Gold with regards to this acquisition as it finally appears we have owners who understand the balance of value for money and a sensible employee. Hitzlsperger has had a previous stint in England with Aston Villa, has won trophies in Germany and has scored a considerable amount of stunning goals over his career. With goals from West Ham’s midfield leaving much to be desired during the previous campaign, the owners clearly understand the needs of the squad and at the ripe age of 28, Hitzlsperger could really be one the surprise deals of the summer. Of course West Ham’s squad requires a great deal more of restructuring if it is to improve upon last season’s dismal showing, but the deal involving Hitzlsperger was described by Sullivan as “the first of many signings this summer” - encouraging news for fans of West Ham United.
However; it’s becoming increasingly unsettling for David Sullivan to continue talking to the media in the fashion he currently does. His openness is turning the club into somewhat of a joke and his policies are very hypocritical when he talks of how he wants “stability” and to “reduce the wage bill” by bringing in players of a sufficient age, only to go on and romantically link the club with eccentric names of stardom including David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Even before the Hitzlsperger deal was complete, a news story appeared on the Hammers website informing the world of how a deal was “nearly done”. Was this really necessary? Admittedly transparency in the club would be a fitting gesture of trust towards West Ham fans who tend to want to be involved in the club, but stories like this risk throwing the deal off completely, attracting competition for the player and risking losing him in a similar fashion to when Tottenham Hotspur stole Eidur Gudjohnsen from their London rivals last January. You have to ask yourself, what was the point of this story? Was it really just to keep the fans up to date or was it to satisfy the ego of Mr. Sullivan, who has a worrying tendency of craving heroic status and snatching all the credit of the club’s successes himself whilst blaming the wrong-doings on his predecessors?
Admittedly I am grateful for the pair saving the club and I do feel the financial future as well as our future on the pitch is in much safer hands now in comparison to when it was dizzily thrown into disarray by various Icelandic banking companies, but now Sullivan and Gold have appointed their “own man”, in Avram Grant, they must take a back-seat and allow him to do his job. With Grant, apparently not even in work yet, it’s possible he had no input into this deal - Sullivan must understand we’re eternally grateful for what he has done but we’re becoming increasingly bored as he builds himself up as “the saviour” and releases controversial news stories regarding players and transfers to enhance his own publicity.
Sullivan released to the media Benni McCarthy’s fat to muscle percentage and compared it to his own claiming, “Benni McCarthy is nearly as fat as me” - this was incredibly unprofessional and will do no good in helping a player to settle who has yet to do so. As the signing of McCarthy cost the club a substantial amount of money he also goes on to say how “Gianfranco wanted me to sign McCarthy”, again shifting the blame onto someone other than himself. Another bizarre story which appeared on the official West Ham website regarded the signing of major basketball player, LeBron James for a fee of £200,000 a week - the club being linked with the Michael Jordon-like figure was absurd enough but for it to appear on the official site was simply ridiculous. West Ham have said no more about the issue and the media have failed to pick up on it but it wouldn’t surprise me if this was Sullivan trying to raise his profile once more in an attempt to be noticed in the United States of America.
Yes; as West Ham fans we can be optimistic about the upcoming campaign and we should place our trust in the owners to restructure our squad to an appropriate degree, until they suggest they’ll do otherwise. Having fans at the helm of their club is a supporter’s dream, but when the owners have an ego as large as that of the seedy, slimy, Mr. Sullivan’s we are faced with a potential problem which could destroy the name of the club and turn it into a laughing stock for a long while to come.

Could Liverpool be relegated? And West Ham finally announce their man

2010-06-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

So that’s it then; the conventional managerial swap-shop has well and truly begun and whilst our primary focus is held within the grasp of the monstrous world cup, a tournament which continues to dominate the globe with it’s repetitive advertising campaigns and tyrannize our media, there is never a dull moment in terms of the premier league. Half an eye of each football supporter will still be placed firmly on their club’s prestigious competition in hope of some encouraging, exciting transfer action prior to the upcoming campaign.
Gianfranco Zola was the first victim of the endless sacking spree that the premiership now experiences. It seems like many weeks ago we considered the charming Italian a top-flight manager and witnessed him admirably handing coffee to snarling journalists outside his home. Even then it appeared inevitable that Mr. Avram Grant would be his successor and, following weeks of little action at Upton Park, the official announcement was finally made this week, with the deal still subject to a work permit. Nothing’s ever easy at West Ham United.
As a West Ham fan, I’m content but uninspired by this appointment. In reality I believe Grant will be a ‘hit or miss’ employment despite the West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, craving ‘stability‘. He changed little or nothing when taking over a Chelsea side which was practically complete following the expert tuition of Jose Mourinho. Although this could suggest the man doesn’t suffer from an ego issue, which could not be said about his world-class predecessor, it also displays a lack of tactical knowledge, and although taking the side to a champions league final and having a chance to win the premiership on the final day of the season is a decent achievement, I feel it would be deceitful to judge him on this. Senior players including Frank Lampard and John Terry could’ve managed that group of players alone and therefore Grant’s presence could merely have been to supervise the squad.
Taking the Portsmouth job under those financial conditions shows how desperate Grant was for a premier league job. If he really was a top manager, why didn’t he wait for a more secure opportunity? Allowing Portsmouth to slip into the realms of relegation would’ve been deemed acceptable by anyone’s standards considering the untenable circumstances, and taking the side to an FA Cup final was a real eye-catcher on Grant’s CV, but being a constant underdog placed little pressure on the manager or his players. They were able to play every game with a care-free attitude of admirable passion, if they lost, then it was to be expected, if they won, it was a shocker and an outstanding achievement. Grant had nothing to lose and his reputation could only increase during his time at Pompey, so if you did feel sorry for him in that ridiculous job, you shouldn’t, it was a blessing in disguise, and maybe Grant knew this when he took the job. It was the perfect stepping stone to a solid premiership club.
And now we infernally refer to the man as ‘experienced’ - quite incredible for someone with two premiership seasons to his name. I hope he proves me wrong and has been the mastermind he’s perceived as by the outsider, but I certainly don’t consider this a perfect appointment. Another manager to have parted company with his club is Senor Rafa Benitez. After accepting a pay-off from the infamous Hicks and Gillette duo the scousers are now looking for a new man with Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson top of the list after Guus Hiddink effectively ruled himself out.
Benietez name is still thrown around with that of genuine quality and top European clubs including Juventus are perpetually chasing his signature, personally I don’t understand why. Yes he won the champions league in his first year which was a fantastic achievement but if he had done poorly that year it would’ve been blamed on the fact it was still Gerard Houllier’s team so to be totally sure on Benietez’s quality, perhaps we should assess it on the following years. Rafa was 3rd in the net spending list over the years, “this is a fact” (his words, not mine) and he still manages to have an unbalanced squad incapable of fulfilling their potential at this point. Liverpool should certainly have taken part in a title race competition last season and yet they scraped into the Europa League. An unthinkable plight for a club who has spent that much on transfers, with such great heritage and a supposedly ’world-class’ manager.
The sickly exit of Benietez was dignified and the supportive nature of the Anfield fans mean they will reminisce his reign fondly. The sentimental inclusion of, "Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone" was extremely cheesy but then the eternal love affairs involved in this club and it’s fans always tend to be.
Worrying signs of Kenny Dalglish returning to the club on a permanent basis loom. The club will continue to drop if it takes the Newcastle United approach of forcing decisions themselves and making sure it’s a manager who “knows the club”, honourable actions with the club at heart which saw them, oh; relegated. It’s unthinkable right now but so was a 7th place finish in the previous year - the prospect of trophies with Mourinho and Real Madrid must be a tempting offer for Steven Gerrard and I’m sure Fernando Torres has one eye on linking up with his national strike partner, David Villa at Barcelona.
So my advice to Liverpool fans would be; don’t be tempted to take the decisions of the club upon yourself, this worrying period for a great club with immense history and heritage means that all decisions need to be made firmly with the head and not with the heart. A theory which will probably, and must be taken on by all clubs in this financial climate and one that threatens to ruin the romance of the game, but for now, it’s for the best.