The media have memories that rival fish for short-termedness. A little over six months ago, in October or whenever it was, they took great pleasure in relaying the events of Stamford Bridge. With barely unrestrained glee, they reported that Chelsea had sacked the most successful coach they ever had in Jose Mourinho and replaced him with the owner's friend, Avram Grant, a man whose claim to fame was moderate success with Isreal's national team. It was him who led Isreal to going unbeaten in the 2006 world cup qualifying group which is not bad given that the likes of France were in the group. A man who, they reported with comical incredulity, didn't even have the requisite UEFA qualifications.
Six months on and they are once again incredulous, and rubbing their collective chins sadly at the dismissal of a man who they depict as dignified etc etc. A man they criticised in the aftermath of the Carling Cup final for not having the tactical know-how to outwit his counterpart and for not having any guts to make the changes that might offend the big egos in his team. They criticised him for not being witty like Jose, for world hunger, for...well you get the picture. All of a sudden, a slick PR exercise, his father (not him, mind you) survived the holocaust dontchaknow. Grant suddenly became the sympathetic character who despite great tragedy in his life had managed to become a man on the brink of greatness whereas before he was a bumbling fool likened to Baron Silas Greenback from the DangerMouse cartoons. I do a great Baron Silas by the way..."Excellent, Stiletto". I love that character, with his little caterpillar, Nero. Sigh, they don't make cartoons like they used to.
I don't know how I feel about this dismissal, I don't think its exactly fair, but I can see the reasons. On the one hand, Grant is not the person who will bring the attractive football that Abramovich claims. On the other, it is possible he might have if he could have brought his own players in. Remember that the players for Chelsea this season were all Mourinho's players (ok maybe not Shevchenko). It was Mourinho's decision to not buy any flair players and to slowly strip the flair of players like Joe Cole or curbed their attacking instincts like Ca$hley. It was foolish for Abramovich to expect players who'd played one way for 4 years almost, to suddenly change their style.
Speaking of Mourinho, he showed what classy individual he is with his 'Philosophy of a loser' comments. My favourite part of the whole quote was his whole '2 titles a season' comment. That's right people, the Carling Cup and Community Shield are now valid titles on par with the league and champions league. I even look down on Chelsea's FA Cup win as literally the only hard sides they played in that Cup run were Blackburn and Manchester United in the semis and final respectively. And it is arguable that Chelsea were only really ahead in the league despite all their spending because no one really managed to step up and challenge them and once Manchester United woke up from their slumber; once Cristiano Ronaldo got an end product the results were present for all to see. Way to go, Jose- the luckiest manager alive.
As for Chelsea, the usual suspects are being bandied about. Hiddink because he is friends with Abramovich even though his agent reportedly has removed links. Mark Hughes is another name being mentioned. I think this would be a good choice. He's a former Chelsea favourite, and his teams while a bit thuggish, play ok football. He's also shown that he can find real gems for a good price. 6 million for McCarthy and Santa Cruz in 2 seasons, plus other players like Ryan Nelsen mean that he has a good eye of a player. Funds of course won't be a problem at Chelsea although the Abramovich camp has recently been pretty open about reminding all and sundry that the money he's spending is actually an interest free loan. It also remains to be seen what Hughes would do when faced with the biggest egos in the world. That said, he managed to keep the likes of Bellamy in line both at Blackburn and Wales so who knows. Roberto Mancini rounds up the favourites (at least according to Football365).
Alternatively, they might wait until after the Euros when some more big name coaches should be seeking employment. The big question is why anyone would want to go to Chelsea when a season that ended with them coming so close to silverware results in a sacking for the manager. A manager who was a few inches from almost delivering the trophy his Special predecessor never could with a team that wasn't really his.
Then you have the recent rumour, 50 million pounds for Fernando Torres. This for me might be the main thing that would keep managers from taking the job. What if he doesn't fit into the new managers game plan? A continental manager who is used to working under a Sporting/Football Director might be the way to go for Chelsea but even then I think the manager has some say in who he wants as far as the team goes. Frank Arnesen and the new manager would still have to meet to decide the kind of players that would fit into that manager's tactics. The Torres rumours just show that the coach is expendable and that Abramovich is going to be in charge. I don't know if the top managers are ready to work in a situation like that. Even the well known chairmen like Moratti, Berlusconi, Perez and Aulas give their managers a certain level of independence. And people like Moratti and Berlusconi have been in the game for years anyway so their opinion at least has some merit, if only a fraction- Abramovich only just came to football in 2003.
I pity true Chelsea fans, not the plastic fans who were Arsenal fans until December 2004, and manchester united fans for the previous five years but the ones who had to deal with the likes of Jokanovic, Lambourde. The fans who remember that their dodgy right back was Frank Sinclair, but that's ok he didn't cost 13.2 million. They thought they had a sensible new owner who let splashed the cash and let the club be run properly, who left the managing to the manager. They probably shook their heads at the goings on at Hearts, with their own Russian (Lithuanian) chairman, Vladimir Romanov.
Abramovich has proven himself to be just as bad as Romanov if not worse than the Lithuanian. At least Romanov talks to the press, and attempts to defend his actions or explain his rationale behind them even if it makes no sense to anybody (his Monkey rant for example).
Abramovich's one saving grace is that the amount of money (on a far greater scale than Romanov) he's ploughed into the club means that despite his best efforts Chelsea will remain successful on the pitch.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
I feel dirty aka. Champions League Final review
I'll confess. When Van Der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka's rather poor penalty attempt, I leapt up from my seat and joined my dad and sister true-United fans the both of them in celebrating. It was past midnight when the encounter came to an end, it was close to two in the morning, and almost three when Giggs and Ferdinand lifted the European Cup. Even though it was late, and the Swiss quiet hour laws come into effect about nine, we ignored it as we whooped.
Have I turned to the dark side? No. I don't particularly like Man U, I just hate Chelsea more. Actually, when I think about it, the only reason I dislike Man U is because they are our rivals for success. If they were to underacheive, i.e. scrapping for a UEFA cup place, I could see myself even supporting them more often.
At least the play the game the way it should be played. When you lose to Man Utd, at least you know it wasn't because they lumped balls to Kevin Davies for 90 minutes and it eventually deflected off his vast backside and into the net.
Rooting for Man Utd in this final was easy. The opponents were Chelsea. The idea of Ca$hley Cole getting his mitts on the trophy before any Arsenal player did, or Chelsea being the first London club to take it back to England filled me with bile. Man Utd had to win.
They should have won in 90 minutes. They ripped Chelsea apart in the first half, with Essien looking like a midfielder playing at right-back. However, Man Utd had a frailty about them from playing Carrick and Scholes against a powerful Chelsea midfield. Scholes (and Giggs) for that matter have declined to the point that it's like watching Tyson's last few fights. Compounding the matter was Carrick, who I don't rate at all. In my opinion, if he didn't cost so much money, United would have cut their losses a long time ago. What he brings to the table, I fail to see. He seems incapable of passing more than 5 yards, he's not quick, he doesn't seem influential enough to run a game, he seems reluctant to tackle.
Hargreaves was on the right, but didn't have the same joy he did against Roma in the quarter finals as Ca$hley just edged that battle. Hargreaves was probably the best midfield player for United on the night though.
Chelsea's goal was typical. It's amazing how much that team often picks up victories based on a moment of madness or a loss of concentration. In truth though when it went in they should have been 3-1 down assuming Van Der Sar didn't save Ballack's point blank header, and the Tevez/Carrick and the other Tevez chance, went in.
Random Thoughts.
1. People have said it was a good final, but from about the 60th minute, you could tell both sides were playing for extra time/penalties. the persistence of Ferguson with Scholes and Carrick or the failure to bring on Anderson to at least inject some vim into the midfield could have been punished if not for Drogba being hassled to frustration by Vidic. He barely had a clear chance at goal all night. It wasn't as thrilling as Liverpool-Milan from '05 but it was a tense, technical and exciting match.
2. ITV's coverage was crap. The promo was cliched and not funny. Bob Hoskins' Russian accent he used to play Kruschev in Enemy at the Gates was a dozen times better than this. Game of Games my ass. Then we had Clive Tyldsley who only referred to Barcelona about 70 times that night. David Pleat was co-commentator and called Lampard Redknapp. I know they are related but it's an easy mistake for anyone to make...as long as they aren't being paid for it. Sadly, this is what I will have to look forward to in FA Cup games next season.
3. If Wayne Rooney wasn't English, he would have been written off a long time ago. Robbie Keane for instance is by far a better similar player and gets half the plaudits. That said, Keane was a hyped youngster, then had a rough patch around when he was Rooney's age, and has developed into a really classy player despite the rubbish celebration. Rooney will perhaps benefit a lot from England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 by using the summer to get recharge his batteries and regain some form. United's attack was nowhere good enough on Wednesday and now it seems like they are the ones who need the so-called Plan B, we were told Arsenal needed a while back.
4. Two English teams in the final; does this make the Premiership the best league in Europe? My answer: No. To say the Prem is the strongest league in Europe is like saying that the Scottish League is stronger than the Dutch Legaue or the Turkish league because the Old Firm do relatively better in Europe than the likes of PSV, Galatasaray or Gaziantepspor.
In fact, the Premiership is becoming a bit like the Scottish League but on a far grander scale of course. For the Old Firm's yearly dominance we have the Big Four. The top 4 may be super-strong, but there's still a lot of dross. No league that boasts a team as unimaginably awful as Derby County can claim to be the best league in Europe. I don't think any league right now can claim to be the strongest. A few years ago though, the Spanish League undoubtably had that claim. Looking back, I felt that nearly every single team in the Primera Liga could do relatively well in Europe. They were all that strong.
The premiership lacks this right now even if Bolton somehow managed to oust Atletico Madrid this year. Or does it. Right now, the top 12 teams could probably make a splash in whichever European competition they entered. Maybe not West Ham though, and Newcastle probably need a couple more signings. Aston Villa's squad is also probably a bit thin too but for the most part the league is on its way especially with the increase in TV money.
5. I'm not one to defend Didier Drogba, but the scapegoating of him is unreal. So John Terry took a penalty because Drogba was sent off? I call Bullshit! Unfaithful Greedy Bastard aka. Ca$hley took one, so I assume he might have given way to Drogba anyway. The fact is Terry's ego meant he was always going to take the last one. Captain Bionic Man, English Bulldog, steps forward to win the European Cup for chelsea. Can you imagine the jingoistic bullshit that would have erupted from the pens (and loins, I wager) of the English media? Terry saw his name in lights, saw an MBE (or higher) from the Queen...saw a BBC Sports Personality of the Year nomination. England captain for sure.
By the way, there is a school of thought that says he didn't slip, but rather was already celebrating scoring the penalty and expecting his troops to run down the field to victory pile on him...hmmm!
Another school of thought calls John Terry an honest pro. I have seen this in a couple of publications- Grant Wahl for instance. Again, I call bullshit! No honest pro earns 135,000 pounds a week. Or acts like Terry does with regards to haranguing referees or his handballs and his general behaviour. To call JT (please pass the vomit bag) an honest pro is an insult to true honest pros like Brian McBride. John Terry tries to be like a true honest pro, because the English media love a player like that. So he sticks his head in rough situations and tries to play on one leg, while the other is mangled all the while yelling so everyone looks over that it's just a scratch, but I'm not fooled; he's still a cheat and he's still a bad role model. So don't give me any bullshit about him being an honest pro.
As for Didier. His Chelsea sojourn will probably end with him walking off in the rain into the tunnel, never to return. It sounds almost like the defeat of a monster in a children's fantasy movie. It turns out that despite earning way too much money for the last 4 years, Didier doesn't like it at Chelsea. He's had to clear the air a few times this season over related comments. So he'll probably go to Italy or Spain now.
I do feel dirty for celebrating a Man Utd victory, but better them than Chelsea- at least they faced some decent teams, unlike Chelsea who played and struggled against Olimpiacos, Fenerbache and if not for Jon-Arne Riise, would have again fallen at the semi-final stages again.
I feel dirty, and those feelings will probably last long after the feelings of euphoria, joy and drunkeness pass from the Man Utd fans worldwide. Congrats.
Have I turned to the dark side? No. I don't particularly like Man U, I just hate Chelsea more. Actually, when I think about it, the only reason I dislike Man U is because they are our rivals for success. If they were to underacheive, i.e. scrapping for a UEFA cup place, I could see myself even supporting them more often.
At least the play the game the way it should be played. When you lose to Man Utd, at least you know it wasn't because they lumped balls to Kevin Davies for 90 minutes and it eventually deflected off his vast backside and into the net.
Rooting for Man Utd in this final was easy. The opponents were Chelsea. The idea of Ca$hley Cole getting his mitts on the trophy before any Arsenal player did, or Chelsea being the first London club to take it back to England filled me with bile. Man Utd had to win.
They should have won in 90 minutes. They ripped Chelsea apart in the first half, with Essien looking like a midfielder playing at right-back. However, Man Utd had a frailty about them from playing Carrick and Scholes against a powerful Chelsea midfield. Scholes (and Giggs) for that matter have declined to the point that it's like watching Tyson's last few fights. Compounding the matter was Carrick, who I don't rate at all. In my opinion, if he didn't cost so much money, United would have cut their losses a long time ago. What he brings to the table, I fail to see. He seems incapable of passing more than 5 yards, he's not quick, he doesn't seem influential enough to run a game, he seems reluctant to tackle.
Hargreaves was on the right, but didn't have the same joy he did against Roma in the quarter finals as Ca$hley just edged that battle. Hargreaves was probably the best midfield player for United on the night though.
Chelsea's goal was typical. It's amazing how much that team often picks up victories based on a moment of madness or a loss of concentration. In truth though when it went in they should have been 3-1 down assuming Van Der Sar didn't save Ballack's point blank header, and the Tevez/Carrick and the other Tevez chance, went in.
Random Thoughts.
1. People have said it was a good final, but from about the 60th minute, you could tell both sides were playing for extra time/penalties. the persistence of Ferguson with Scholes and Carrick or the failure to bring on Anderson to at least inject some vim into the midfield could have been punished if not for Drogba being hassled to frustration by Vidic. He barely had a clear chance at goal all night. It wasn't as thrilling as Liverpool-Milan from '05 but it was a tense, technical and exciting match.
2. ITV's coverage was crap. The promo was cliched and not funny. Bob Hoskins' Russian accent he used to play Kruschev in Enemy at the Gates was a dozen times better than this. Game of Games my ass. Then we had Clive Tyldsley who only referred to Barcelona about 70 times that night. David Pleat was co-commentator and called Lampard Redknapp. I know they are related but it's an easy mistake for anyone to make...as long as they aren't being paid for it. Sadly, this is what I will have to look forward to in FA Cup games next season.
3. If Wayne Rooney wasn't English, he would have been written off a long time ago. Robbie Keane for instance is by far a better similar player and gets half the plaudits. That said, Keane was a hyped youngster, then had a rough patch around when he was Rooney's age, and has developed into a really classy player despite the rubbish celebration. Rooney will perhaps benefit a lot from England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 by using the summer to get recharge his batteries and regain some form. United's attack was nowhere good enough on Wednesday and now it seems like they are the ones who need the so-called Plan B, we were told Arsenal needed a while back.
4. Two English teams in the final; does this make the Premiership the best league in Europe? My answer: No. To say the Prem is the strongest league in Europe is like saying that the Scottish League is stronger than the Dutch Legaue or the Turkish league because the Old Firm do relatively better in Europe than the likes of PSV, Galatasaray or Gaziantepspor.
In fact, the Premiership is becoming a bit like the Scottish League but on a far grander scale of course. For the Old Firm's yearly dominance we have the Big Four. The top 4 may be super-strong, but there's still a lot of dross. No league that boasts a team as unimaginably awful as Derby County can claim to be the best league in Europe. I don't think any league right now can claim to be the strongest. A few years ago though, the Spanish League undoubtably had that claim. Looking back, I felt that nearly every single team in the Primera Liga could do relatively well in Europe. They were all that strong.
The premiership lacks this right now even if Bolton somehow managed to oust Atletico Madrid this year. Or does it. Right now, the top 12 teams could probably make a splash in whichever European competition they entered. Maybe not West Ham though, and Newcastle probably need a couple more signings. Aston Villa's squad is also probably a bit thin too but for the most part the league is on its way especially with the increase in TV money.
5. I'm not one to defend Didier Drogba, but the scapegoating of him is unreal. So John Terry took a penalty because Drogba was sent off? I call Bullshit! Unfaithful Greedy Bastard aka. Ca$hley took one, so I assume he might have given way to Drogba anyway. The fact is Terry's ego meant he was always going to take the last one. Captain Bionic Man, English Bulldog, steps forward to win the European Cup for chelsea. Can you imagine the jingoistic bullshit that would have erupted from the pens (and loins, I wager) of the English media? Terry saw his name in lights, saw an MBE (or higher) from the Queen...saw a BBC Sports Personality of the Year nomination. England captain for sure.
By the way, there is a school of thought that says he didn't slip, but rather was already celebrating scoring the penalty and expecting his troops to run down the field to victory pile on him...hmmm!
Another school of thought calls John Terry an honest pro. I have seen this in a couple of publications- Grant Wahl for instance. Again, I call bullshit! No honest pro earns 135,000 pounds a week. Or acts like Terry does with regards to haranguing referees or his handballs and his general behaviour. To call JT (please pass the vomit bag) an honest pro is an insult to true honest pros like Brian McBride. John Terry tries to be like a true honest pro, because the English media love a player like that. So he sticks his head in rough situations and tries to play on one leg, while the other is mangled all the while yelling so everyone looks over that it's just a scratch, but I'm not fooled; he's still a cheat and he's still a bad role model. So don't give me any bullshit about him being an honest pro.
As for Didier. His Chelsea sojourn will probably end with him walking off in the rain into the tunnel, never to return. It sounds almost like the defeat of a monster in a children's fantasy movie. It turns out that despite earning way too much money for the last 4 years, Didier doesn't like it at Chelsea. He's had to clear the air a few times this season over related comments. So he'll probably go to Italy or Spain now.
I do feel dirty for celebrating a Man Utd victory, but better them than Chelsea- at least they faced some decent teams, unlike Chelsea who played and struggled against Olimpiacos, Fenerbache and if not for Jon-Arne Riise, would have again fallen at the semi-final stages again.
I feel dirty, and those feelings will probably last long after the feelings of euphoria, joy and drunkeness pass from the Man Utd fans worldwide. Congrats.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
inspired by Mortal Kombat
Subject: Arsenal's Season
FINISH IT
Forward, Forward, Back, Back, L (i played it on SNES alright, don't give me any gyp).
Ronaldo scores from the spot unfazed even though he has to retake. Hargreaves scores a free kick which might have been stopped if Van Persie was arsed to jump. Final score. Manchester Utd 2 Arsenal 1.
(Sonya blows a kiss at Arsenal's season. The kiss lands on it and set's it ablaze. Arsenal's season drops to its knees with a final dying scream, its flesh all charred off and a skeleton left behind).
Sonya Wins
FINISH IT
Forward, Forward, Back, Back, L (i played it on SNES alright, don't give me any gyp).
Ronaldo scores from the spot unfazed even though he has to retake. Hargreaves scores a free kick which might have been stopped if Van Persie was arsed to jump. Final score. Manchester Utd 2 Arsenal 1.
(Sonya blows a kiss at Arsenal's season. The kiss lands on it and set's it ablaze. Arsenal's season drops to its knees with a final dying scream, its flesh all charred off and a skeleton left behind).
Sonya Wins
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Feeling Sorry For Theo
Disclaimer: this is being written by me when I am fucking angry. I watched the match in a pub full of Liverpool fans. I now understand what drives hooligans. Bad grammar and illogical thoughts may follow therein.
I don't know what to say. Arsenal are bastards. They are like you know the kind of person that will get a PS3 box and put a pair of socks in it, and wrap it up and give it to you.
You open it up excitedly, A PS3 you shriek. then you open it and see a pair of Marks and Spencer's fresh feet socks. You smile, and say thank you even though you know you are totally disappointed.
This tortuous analogy leads me to Arsenal. Despite the collapse of our season- all things considered the "Finish Them" of our season will come this Sunday at Old Trafford- there have been times like against Chelsea and in both legs against liverpool when I felt that just maybe we could make it only for us to throw it all away.
People will say I'm mad, but i'm saying a disappointed thank you to Arsene. On his head this season's failures lie.
Lack of signings. Maybe not in the summer when optimism said maybe Eboue is a right winger, or Eduardo can play on the left but definately in January. Instead we not only failed to buy anyone, we also let go a really decent player in Diarra. He would have been good today when flamini came off. He would have been essential in giving Cesc or Flamini a rest. Then we sent the youngsters like Gibbs and Merida on loan. I'd like to see how much they've played. I know they are young but so was Pele, and if it doesn't work out, they're still young- its a learning experience. Adams was around their age when he first made the Arsenal first team and he made mistakes, but then he was captain at 21.
Stubborness. Wenger is like that annoying Football Manager freak who lords it over you because he found some unknown (possibly fake) but amazing player- the Tonton Zola Moukoko and won everything with Macclesfield in his game by 2010. He wants to have a smug look on his face when he wins by saying we did not buy success. Well, I'd rather have Anelka than Bendtner- Anelka would know to jump out of the fucking way at least.
If Wenger actually had a track record of playing our so called world class youngsters outside anything than the carling cup, then you might say he has a point, but they eventually get shipped out. Does anyone not feel bad when they see Eboue/Diaby attempting to be wingers, when meanwhile the likes of Bentley (spits) and Larsson do infintely better jobs. They might not be Arsenal class but neither is what we have right now in those positions.
Fair enough, he then plays said players and they suck, conventional wisdom says you don't play them again, but no not Mr. Wenger. He persists. Today, we were being battered by Liverpool especially in the second half, totally on the ropes, Dirk Kuyt for god sake had the freedom of the right flank where Diaby played. Thank God it was only Kuyt.
on the right things weren't much better. Toure was far better than Eboue going forward. In fact, I wager that if i stop eating a slab of bacon as a snack, and got fit- I might actually be better than Eboue going forward- don't hold me to that. he's decent enough when it isn't expected of him but he's not it. Why didn't Walcott start, why didn't he come on when it was obvious that Liverpool were making things difficult for us. The 20 minutes ot so before Torres scored were really uncomfortable. Walcott did more in his 17 minute cameo than Eboue did in the entire time he was on. However, perhaps, him being on meant that we failed to deal with Babel adequately for the penalty but horses for courses.
My anger is spent now. I realise that in fact this season was one of overachievement. Going into the season with a team like this is like going into your Mock exam with a fake made in China Maths Set. You know the one where the dividers look like the polio riddled legs of a child and the eraser leaves black marks all over your work like you used a piece of coal. By some miracle you get a B2 or something good like that. You'd be foolish to go into the actual SSCE with that same piece of shit.
What we need now is
a. another striker because Bendtner is crap, Walcott is apparently too young still, Eduardo needs to start walking first before we consider him, Van Persie is made of glass.
b. We need a winger. so we can stop playing square pegs in round holes.
c. We need someone with a spine. This person needs to become immediately influential in the side. We were raping Liverpool in the early stages but once Hyypia equalised, we became the victims. Our heads dropped. It doesn't help that the influential members of the squad are all basket cases or just rubbish now. Gallas and Toure are like old Soviet nuclear reactors, capable of meltdown at any moment. Gilberto is sipping capirinhas in his Rio villa whilst chuckling at the attempts of his doppelganger houseboy to cut it in the premier league. We would never have gone down like that if Adams, Keown, Parlour or even Vieira were on board.
d. we need another creative central midfielder so we can rest cesc once in a while. lansbury could have played here. instead he's sitting on the bench somewhere in the football league.
sigh. well when henry left i thought the worst. some people stepped up to the plate in a big way this season. a few signings, blooding the youngsters (and damn the consequences), and not being more fragile mentally than britney spears next season could see us do something special.
so a disappointing thank you to Arsene for the socks inside the PS3 box. maybe next year we'll get the real thing?
I don't know what to say. Arsenal are bastards. They are like you know the kind of person that will get a PS3 box and put a pair of socks in it, and wrap it up and give it to you.
You open it up excitedly, A PS3 you shriek. then you open it and see a pair of Marks and Spencer's fresh feet socks. You smile, and say thank you even though you know you are totally disappointed.
This tortuous analogy leads me to Arsenal. Despite the collapse of our season- all things considered the "Finish Them" of our season will come this Sunday at Old Trafford- there have been times like against Chelsea and in both legs against liverpool when I felt that just maybe we could make it only for us to throw it all away.
People will say I'm mad, but i'm saying a disappointed thank you to Arsene. On his head this season's failures lie.
Lack of signings. Maybe not in the summer when optimism said maybe Eboue is a right winger, or Eduardo can play on the left but definately in January. Instead we not only failed to buy anyone, we also let go a really decent player in Diarra. He would have been good today when flamini came off. He would have been essential in giving Cesc or Flamini a rest. Then we sent the youngsters like Gibbs and Merida on loan. I'd like to see how much they've played. I know they are young but so was Pele, and if it doesn't work out, they're still young- its a learning experience. Adams was around their age when he first made the Arsenal first team and he made mistakes, but then he was captain at 21.
Stubborness. Wenger is like that annoying Football Manager freak who lords it over you because he found some unknown (possibly fake) but amazing player- the Tonton Zola Moukoko and won everything with Macclesfield in his game by 2010. He wants to have a smug look on his face when he wins by saying we did not buy success. Well, I'd rather have Anelka than Bendtner- Anelka would know to jump out of the fucking way at least.
If Wenger actually had a track record of playing our so called world class youngsters outside anything than the carling cup, then you might say he has a point, but they eventually get shipped out. Does anyone not feel bad when they see Eboue/Diaby attempting to be wingers, when meanwhile the likes of Bentley (spits) and Larsson do infintely better jobs. They might not be Arsenal class but neither is what we have right now in those positions.
Fair enough, he then plays said players and they suck, conventional wisdom says you don't play them again, but no not Mr. Wenger. He persists. Today, we were being battered by Liverpool especially in the second half, totally on the ropes, Dirk Kuyt for god sake had the freedom of the right flank where Diaby played. Thank God it was only Kuyt.
on the right things weren't much better. Toure was far better than Eboue going forward. In fact, I wager that if i stop eating a slab of bacon as a snack, and got fit- I might actually be better than Eboue going forward- don't hold me to that. he's decent enough when it isn't expected of him but he's not it. Why didn't Walcott start, why didn't he come on when it was obvious that Liverpool were making things difficult for us. The 20 minutes ot so before Torres scored were really uncomfortable. Walcott did more in his 17 minute cameo than Eboue did in the entire time he was on. However, perhaps, him being on meant that we failed to deal with Babel adequately for the penalty but horses for courses.
My anger is spent now. I realise that in fact this season was one of overachievement. Going into the season with a team like this is like going into your Mock exam with a fake made in China Maths Set. You know the one where the dividers look like the polio riddled legs of a child and the eraser leaves black marks all over your work like you used a piece of coal. By some miracle you get a B2 or something good like that. You'd be foolish to go into the actual SSCE with that same piece of shit.
What we need now is
a. another striker because Bendtner is crap, Walcott is apparently too young still, Eduardo needs to start walking first before we consider him, Van Persie is made of glass.
b. We need a winger. so we can stop playing square pegs in round holes.
c. We need someone with a spine. This person needs to become immediately influential in the side. We were raping Liverpool in the early stages but once Hyypia equalised, we became the victims. Our heads dropped. It doesn't help that the influential members of the squad are all basket cases or just rubbish now. Gallas and Toure are like old Soviet nuclear reactors, capable of meltdown at any moment. Gilberto is sipping capirinhas in his Rio villa whilst chuckling at the attempts of his doppelganger houseboy to cut it in the premier league. We would never have gone down like that if Adams, Keown, Parlour or even Vieira were on board.
d. we need another creative central midfielder so we can rest cesc once in a while. lansbury could have played here. instead he's sitting on the bench somewhere in the football league.
sigh. well when henry left i thought the worst. some people stepped up to the plate in a big way this season. a few signings, blooding the youngsters (and damn the consequences), and not being more fragile mentally than britney spears next season could see us do something special.
so a disappointing thank you to Arsene for the socks inside the PS3 box. maybe next year we'll get the real thing?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Hating Chelsea
I know Barnsley is in Yorkshire, but that’s about it. Oh and that they play at Oakwell. Even factoring that a lot of people support the underdog in the FA Cup, the antipathy towards Chelsea during their recent FA Cup in some circles was out of this world.
It’s not about the money but maybe it is after all. John Terry was in the news recently for parking in a disabled zone because it was convenient, and when you earn 135 thousand pounds a week, a 60 pound fine isn’t really going to matter but it’s the principle of it. It’s not like he was taking his heavily dilated WAG to the hospital or about to miss his flight at the airport, he was going for pizza and there was a parking garage nearby where he could’ve done it for 50p apparently. Yes, maybe a part of the reason why Chelsea are so hated is because of the money- Terry and Lampard were alright guys, despite some youthful indiscretions before and up until the early Roman days.
I remember the last time I rooted for Chelsea in one of the most important matches of the decade. Chelsea vs. Liverpool at the end of the 2002/03 season. The match would end up affecting the course of European football for the next few years. Both sides went into the final round of matches on 64 points, and the winner of the match would get a place in the Champions League. For cash strapped Chelsea, who could only afford to bring in Enrique de Lucas on a free that season, CL qualification was essential to their survival. Chelsea won the match 2-1. If they hadn’t qualified, the loss of revenue, added to the fact that Roman might not have found them so attractive and Chelsea might have been scrapping with Leeds in League 1 at the moment.
Chelsea at the time were a bit like Newcastle during their 90s heyday. They tried to play attractive football and would probably have been a candidate for most people’s second team. I would say the neutral support was leaning towards them on that day in 2003. The summer following was crazy, and great time to be a Chelsea fan. It was almost like Christmas in July for the Chelsea fans as almost every morning saw a new top-class signing coming in. Not bad when the fans had grown accustomed to seeing the likes of underperformers like Jokanovic and Dalla Bona in the team.
The manager was Claudio Ranieri, who once the press gave a chance to settle showed himself to be a thoroughly likeable man. The team was built in his own jovial image. Zola, another player you can’t say a bad word against pulled the strings on the pitch. People were quick to champion the likes of Terry and Lampard over their Manchester United counterparts Ferdinand (who’d been banned for missing a drugs test) and Scholes.
Then came Jose Mourinho, and the smiling face of Chelsea turned into something altogether different. In Sophie Kinsella’s new book, Remember Me, the main character apparently has to become an uberbitch to achieve a successful career. Sophie could basically have been describing Chelsea. They may have won 2 league titles and a handful of cups, but they’ve lost a lot of friends. I don’t think so much mirth would have followed a Chelsea cup exit only 5 years ago.
It’s not about the money but maybe it is after all. John Terry was in the news recently for parking in a disabled zone because it was convenient, and when you earn 135 thousand pounds a week, a 60 pound fine isn’t really going to matter but it’s the principle of it. It’s not like he was taking his heavily dilated WAG to the hospital or about to miss his flight at the airport, he was going for pizza and there was a parking garage nearby where he could’ve done it for 50p apparently. Yes, maybe a part of the reason why Chelsea are so hated is because of the money- Terry and Lampard were alright guys, despite some youthful indiscretions before and up until the early Roman days.
I remember the last time I rooted for Chelsea in one of the most important matches of the decade. Chelsea vs. Liverpool at the end of the 2002/03 season. The match would end up affecting the course of European football for the next few years. Both sides went into the final round of matches on 64 points, and the winner of the match would get a place in the Champions League. For cash strapped Chelsea, who could only afford to bring in Enrique de Lucas on a free that season, CL qualification was essential to their survival. Chelsea won the match 2-1. If they hadn’t qualified, the loss of revenue, added to the fact that Roman might not have found them so attractive and Chelsea might have been scrapping with Leeds in League 1 at the moment.
Chelsea at the time were a bit like Newcastle during their 90s heyday. They tried to play attractive football and would probably have been a candidate for most people’s second team. I would say the neutral support was leaning towards them on that day in 2003. The summer following was crazy, and great time to be a Chelsea fan. It was almost like Christmas in July for the Chelsea fans as almost every morning saw a new top-class signing coming in. Not bad when the fans had grown accustomed to seeing the likes of underperformers like Jokanovic and Dalla Bona in the team.
The manager was Claudio Ranieri, who once the press gave a chance to settle showed himself to be a thoroughly likeable man. The team was built in his own jovial image. Zola, another player you can’t say a bad word against pulled the strings on the pitch. People were quick to champion the likes of Terry and Lampard over their Manchester United counterparts Ferdinand (who’d been banned for missing a drugs test) and Scholes.
Then came Jose Mourinho, and the smiling face of Chelsea turned into something altogether different. In Sophie Kinsella’s new book, Remember Me, the main character apparently has to become an uberbitch to achieve a successful career. Sophie could basically have been describing Chelsea. They may have won 2 league titles and a handful of cups, but they’ve lost a lot of friends. I don’t think so much mirth would have followed a Chelsea cup exit only 5 years ago.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
So good La Gazetta's Headline was in English
I certainly pick the matches. I decided that I needed to have a nice long cleansing shower which invariably cut into the match time. I then scared myself into not leaving with the fear that Milan would score while I was on the tram. With the game looking like heading towards extra-time, I started dressing up, if I left right at full time, I would get to Paddy’s in time for extra time.. One sock was half on, when UEFAs live text commentary engine roared to signify someone had scored. I flopped on my bed, and fuck me, it was Cesc. Yessss, i roared, a primal scream erupting from the depths of my person. And when Adebayor put the icing on the cake, well I was in heaven.
Milan will need some changes in the future for their creaking side and are looking at Drogba to spearhead their attack next season. Apparently. Spare a thought for Paolo Maldini. The greatest left-back ever was an inspirational figure in his last ever game in Europe (unless he plays again next season). He rolled back the years and was totally deserving of all the plaudits.
A word of warning amidst all the euphoria, 13 years ago, Ajax beat Milan comprehensively on their way to beating them again in the final. Less than a year later that team had been dissolved, dismantled by players moving for peanuts. Granted, the Bosman ruling had something to do with it and Arsenal are for the most part protected apart from Flamini, but there are echoes with the Ajax players who wanted more money and the Flamini contract saga. Sort it out soon guys, or we risk losing our better players like Ajax did with their golden generation.
Milan will need some changes in the future for their creaking side and are looking at Drogba to spearhead their attack next season. Apparently. Spare a thought for Paolo Maldini. The greatest left-back ever was an inspirational figure in his last ever game in Europe (unless he plays again next season). He rolled back the years and was totally deserving of all the plaudits.
A word of warning amidst all the euphoria, 13 years ago, Ajax beat Milan comprehensively on their way to beating them again in the final. Less than a year later that team had been dissolved, dismantled by players moving for peanuts. Granted, the Bosman ruling had something to do with it and Arsenal are for the most part protected apart from Flamini, but there are echoes with the Ajax players who wanted more money and the Flamini contract saga. Sort it out soon guys, or we risk losing our better players like Ajax did with their golden generation.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Questions from February
1. Was Yakubu’s performance against Brann Bergen more damning for Berti Vogts than anything else? The Nigerian striker was outstanding, full of running and movement off the ball. In the first leg in Norway, I am willing to believe Yak covered more ground than he did in four nations cup matches.
2. Given the Arsenal medical team’s track record, and the run of bad luck the likes of Van Persie and Rosicky have had with injuries will Eduardo be back just before the 2010 world cup?
3. Is Carlos Queiroz destined to be the new Manchester Utd boss when Fergie retires whenever? The influx of young Portuguese speaking players like Nani, Anderson and now Manucho could mean one of two things: that the Portuguese coach has a big say now in transfer and scouting (Angola?) decisions or that he is laying the foundations for his eventual coronation. Managers tend to favour players from their country of origin so it won’t be too surprising right now. I’m calling this like I called the rise of Ivory Coast in 2004.
4. Are Nigeria the England (circa 2007) of Africa? Look at the facts: crap manager, deluded fans, prima donna players, long balls, shit press etc. Did anyone feel like crying when the saw the charlatan in the number 10 shirt NotOkocha aka Mikel Obi?
5. Was Keegan’s first month in charge at Newcastle the worst month of his career? With St James about fortress-like as a tiramisu, will they be relegated? I like Keegan, and you want to see him do well but the game has passed him by and it’s still a head-scratcher why someone who admitted to not watching a game of football in 3 years was hired. My guess (and some Newcastle fans have suggested as much) is that hiring Keegan was a win-win situation. Him at the helm will keep the fans happy regardless of results for a while at least. Who knows maybe Ashley and Mort have a better longer term target in the Summer. A few quality coaches could be out of jobs when the Euros are said and done.
6. Speaking of Newcastle am I the only hoping that their former manager Fat Sam chokes on his own arrogance...or at least his neck fat? He’s been in the press a lot recently whining about not being given enough time. If he’d been given any more time, he would have made them Bolton Mk II and the fact remains that those tactics can only get you so far. The players freefalling at Newcastle are mostly all Allardyce’s purchases. They were bad last season but not this bad.
7. Is this the turning point to Tottenham? If they are Champions in the next few years will it all boil down to the Carling Cup win in 2008. The press is a funny thing- one minute Levy and ENIC are jokers on the level of the ‘eccentric’ owners in Spain or Romanov at Hearts, the next minute they are geniuses. It only takes a moment of madness though for a well oiled machine to be a joke club.
8. Flat-track bullies vs. A team in decline. Has any tournament made a mockery of pundits’ positions more so than this year’s Nations Cup? In the end, Egypt were by far the best team, even destroying the Ivory Coast. They did this in West Africa, and have shown perhaps more than the likes of Morocco and Tunisia that they can perform outside the North. The only thing left of this team now is to impress on the international stage. They should qualify for the next nations cup...the question is whether they will do enough to win their qualifying group and qualify for the World Cup in 2010. They should have a chance next year for a global showing at the Confederations cup. Cameroun on the other hand had been written off as likely winners. The great Cameroun side of the early part of the century was destroyed before its time by the death of Marc-Vivien Foe. In the surprising Alex Song, they finally have someone to fill up that Foe shaped hole; now if only they could clone him. (Who would have thought a gooner would be saying that?)
9. Is the 39th Game not the most ridiculous idea ever? No doubt the premiership is popular worldwide, but this is because of its slick marketing and global distribution channels. It is not popular in countries with decent leagues. Sure if you go to an English/Irish pub during game time in these countries you will find that they are packed, but with English speakers craving for a slice of home. The fact remains that few of the fans, the ones who really go for the teams, will be able to afford to go. In Nigeria for instance, you know that people will go to be seen rather than to see. These people are the kind of people who say I’m a Man U fan and then when asked to name on player go Romario...for fuck’s sake. There will be wakes with better atmospheres. Plus given the disparity in performances between the top half and bottom half of the league this season, will the mooted seeding system not just result in giving 3 points to the likes of Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea? A far better idea would be an All-Star game and various global cities could bid to host it. Or host the Community Shield elsewhere. It will invariably end up with Manchester Utd, Arsenal or Chelsea, which we know are the teams everybody is going to bid to see.
10. Glad to see that selfishly protecting their interests has Blatter and Platini speaking sense for once on why the 39th game is craven and immoral and a sign that football is no longer a sport but a business. I am also copyrighting Blattini as term to describe the gruesome twosome above.
2. Given the Arsenal medical team’s track record, and the run of bad luck the likes of Van Persie and Rosicky have had with injuries will Eduardo be back just before the 2010 world cup?
3. Is Carlos Queiroz destined to be the new Manchester Utd boss when Fergie retires whenever? The influx of young Portuguese speaking players like Nani, Anderson and now Manucho could mean one of two things: that the Portuguese coach has a big say now in transfer and scouting (Angola?) decisions or that he is laying the foundations for his eventual coronation. Managers tend to favour players from their country of origin so it won’t be too surprising right now. I’m calling this like I called the rise of Ivory Coast in 2004.
4. Are Nigeria the England (circa 2007) of Africa? Look at the facts: crap manager, deluded fans, prima donna players, long balls, shit press etc. Did anyone feel like crying when the saw the charlatan in the number 10 shirt NotOkocha aka Mikel Obi?
5. Was Keegan’s first month in charge at Newcastle the worst month of his career? With St James about fortress-like as a tiramisu, will they be relegated? I like Keegan, and you want to see him do well but the game has passed him by and it’s still a head-scratcher why someone who admitted to not watching a game of football in 3 years was hired. My guess (and some Newcastle fans have suggested as much) is that hiring Keegan was a win-win situation. Him at the helm will keep the fans happy regardless of results for a while at least. Who knows maybe Ashley and Mort have a better longer term target in the Summer. A few quality coaches could be out of jobs when the Euros are said and done.
6. Speaking of Newcastle am I the only hoping that their former manager Fat Sam chokes on his own arrogance...or at least his neck fat? He’s been in the press a lot recently whining about not being given enough time. If he’d been given any more time, he would have made them Bolton Mk II and the fact remains that those tactics can only get you so far. The players freefalling at Newcastle are mostly all Allardyce’s purchases. They were bad last season but not this bad.
7. Is this the turning point to Tottenham? If they are Champions in the next few years will it all boil down to the Carling Cup win in 2008. The press is a funny thing- one minute Levy and ENIC are jokers on the level of the ‘eccentric’ owners in Spain or Romanov at Hearts, the next minute they are geniuses. It only takes a moment of madness though for a well oiled machine to be a joke club.
8. Flat-track bullies vs. A team in decline. Has any tournament made a mockery of pundits’ positions more so than this year’s Nations Cup? In the end, Egypt were by far the best team, even destroying the Ivory Coast. They did this in West Africa, and have shown perhaps more than the likes of Morocco and Tunisia that they can perform outside the North. The only thing left of this team now is to impress on the international stage. They should qualify for the next nations cup...the question is whether they will do enough to win their qualifying group and qualify for the World Cup in 2010. They should have a chance next year for a global showing at the Confederations cup. Cameroun on the other hand had been written off as likely winners. The great Cameroun side of the early part of the century was destroyed before its time by the death of Marc-Vivien Foe. In the surprising Alex Song, they finally have someone to fill up that Foe shaped hole; now if only they could clone him. (Who would have thought a gooner would be saying that?)
9. Is the 39th Game not the most ridiculous idea ever? No doubt the premiership is popular worldwide, but this is because of its slick marketing and global distribution channels. It is not popular in countries with decent leagues. Sure if you go to an English/Irish pub during game time in these countries you will find that they are packed, but with English speakers craving for a slice of home. The fact remains that few of the fans, the ones who really go for the teams, will be able to afford to go. In Nigeria for instance, you know that people will go to be seen rather than to see. These people are the kind of people who say I’m a Man U fan and then when asked to name on player go Romario...for fuck’s sake. There will be wakes with better atmospheres. Plus given the disparity in performances between the top half and bottom half of the league this season, will the mooted seeding system not just result in giving 3 points to the likes of Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea? A far better idea would be an All-Star game and various global cities could bid to host it. Or host the Community Shield elsewhere. It will invariably end up with Manchester Utd, Arsenal or Chelsea, which we know are the teams everybody is going to bid to see.
10. Glad to see that selfishly protecting their interests has Blatter and Platini speaking sense for once on why the 39th game is craven and immoral and a sign that football is no longer a sport but a business. I am also copyrighting Blattini as term to describe the gruesome twosome above.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wenger was right
It's been a while since I blogged due to internet issues and wanting to write about a few things that happened over the last few weeks including Egypt's magnificent and amazing win but all that has to be put back on the backburner tonight.
The first time I saw Martin Taylor, I was shocked by how little a footballer he looked. I'm not talking about him being too big, or too fat, or too small or whatever. It was when he ran, when he had the ball. Say what you want you want about Peter Crouch, call him lanky, beanpole etc forgetting that he's only about an inch taller than Kanu, and that his touch while nowhere close to being as sublime as the Nigerian legend, is still pretty darn competent. Crouch runs like an athlete. When I saw Taylor run, he ran like a golem.
The simplest thing looked difficult for him but the Birmingham fans loved him. they loved the way every single challenge turned into a battle between him and the opposite striker. For me, he was stuck in my memory as the most shocking choice of right-back ever. And no matter what his teammates say here and here his perfomance that day forever marked him as mediocre in my head.
Wenger was right in a way. Innocent until proven guilty, I am not going to accuse Taylor of deliberately setting out to damage Eduardo's leg. However, the get stuck in bit was for sure drummed into the Birmingham City squad. This is a team managed by a coach who took an unfashionable Scotland side to within an inch of Euro 2008, and guess what they didn't do it by playing like Arsenal against France but rather by sheer force of effort and will and from stretching the law a bit to rough up their more heralded opponents. Martin Taylor was merely trying to stamp his authority on the game and instead stamped Eduardo's leg into oblivion. Unless anyone wants to go to Taylor's local to interview the punters or maybe ask his partner if she heard him say 'Eduardo kill' in his sleep we'll have to take his word for it.
Eduardo's career might be over. He will have access to best doctors and rehab but he may never be the same again. Will he be a shrinking violet, plagued by the memories of the agony he faced at a few minutes to 1 on Feb 23rd? I would just be happy if he can walk without a limp.
Why was Wenger right then if Taylor didn't mean it. Because its clumsy and late tackles that cause injuries like this. I've managed to dredge up the stones to view the tackle, just before the impact on his leg, and ball is nowhere there. It was an ill timed lunge from a poor player. Taylor and players like him shouldn't play again because they are danger to other players on the pitch.
In comics, occasionally the villain is a character who is not evil, but whose power is so unstable they become a danger to others. Occasionally these characters have to be destroyed for the greater good. Sad, harsh but true.
Taylor shouldn't play not because of the tackle, but because he has shown himself to be so limited at what he does that he has drifted into dangerous territory. Paolo Maldini has been playing for over 20 years and has probably never broken anybodies leg. and he's been up against players far better than eduardo.
Taylor should not be playing at this level simply put. English football is reaping what it sows for developing mediocre players like him and playing them at the highest level. o
Get well soon, Eddie.
The first time I saw Martin Taylor, I was shocked by how little a footballer he looked. I'm not talking about him being too big, or too fat, or too small or whatever. It was when he ran, when he had the ball. Say what you want you want about Peter Crouch, call him lanky, beanpole etc forgetting that he's only about an inch taller than Kanu, and that his touch while nowhere close to being as sublime as the Nigerian legend, is still pretty darn competent. Crouch runs like an athlete. When I saw Taylor run, he ran like a golem.
The simplest thing looked difficult for him but the Birmingham fans loved him. they loved the way every single challenge turned into a battle between him and the opposite striker. For me, he was stuck in my memory as the most shocking choice of right-back ever. And no matter what his teammates say here and here his perfomance that day forever marked him as mediocre in my head.
Wenger was right in a way. Innocent until proven guilty, I am not going to accuse Taylor of deliberately setting out to damage Eduardo's leg. However, the get stuck in bit was for sure drummed into the Birmingham City squad. This is a team managed by a coach who took an unfashionable Scotland side to within an inch of Euro 2008, and guess what they didn't do it by playing like Arsenal against France but rather by sheer force of effort and will and from stretching the law a bit to rough up their more heralded opponents. Martin Taylor was merely trying to stamp his authority on the game and instead stamped Eduardo's leg into oblivion. Unless anyone wants to go to Taylor's local to interview the punters or maybe ask his partner if she heard him say 'Eduardo kill' in his sleep we'll have to take his word for it.
Eduardo's career might be over. He will have access to best doctors and rehab but he may never be the same again. Will he be a shrinking violet, plagued by the memories of the agony he faced at a few minutes to 1 on Feb 23rd? I would just be happy if he can walk without a limp.
Why was Wenger right then if Taylor didn't mean it. Because its clumsy and late tackles that cause injuries like this. I've managed to dredge up the stones to view the tackle, just before the impact on his leg, and ball is nowhere there. It was an ill timed lunge from a poor player. Taylor and players like him shouldn't play again because they are danger to other players on the pitch.
In comics, occasionally the villain is a character who is not evil, but whose power is so unstable they become a danger to others. Occasionally these characters have to be destroyed for the greater good. Sad, harsh but true.
Taylor shouldn't play not because of the tackle, but because he has shown himself to be so limited at what he does that he has drifted into dangerous territory. Paolo Maldini has been playing for over 20 years and has probably never broken anybodies leg. and he's been up against players far better than eduardo.
Taylor should not be playing at this level simply put. English football is reaping what it sows for developing mediocre players like him and playing them at the highest level. o
Get well soon, Eddie.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Can Ghana make it three in a row?
Football has many little quirks, one of which is the idea of home advantage. The idea that a team should become unbeatable simply because they are playing in their own stadium, in front of their fans is almost as ridiculous as the idea of lucky jockstraps for the players or the dozens of other little superstitions they have before a game.
However it is one that holds true and Africa is no exception. I don't pretend to have a vast knowledge of African football, which is why you will not see previews like I've done for the Premiership in the past on here, but I have watched a fair bit of African football, particularly the Champions League and it is often astonishing how teams will destroy a team one week, only to be totally inept against the same opposition the next week just because they happen to be away *cough*Enyimba*cough*. Want to make money betting on African football- just bet on the home team.
The last two editions of the African Nations Cup have been won by the hosts. Indeed, there have been many instances of the hosts winning the African Nations Cup. Teams like South Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia and Algeria all won their single titles at home, and of the traditional continental powerhouses like Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria only Cameroun can boast of going forth to conquer on each of their 4 titles.
Even minnows like Burkina Faso who when they hosted the Cup in 1998 had just come off from being whipping boys of their World Cup qualifying group (for France 98) got to the semis. It is hard to see a team of relative similar quality like say Austria doing the same in Euro 2008 despite their home advantage.
The thing is this year's hosts Ghana are more than the flat-track bullies Tunisia and Egypt, the hosts and winners in 2004 and 2006, were. They are actually very good, and even if this tournament were held on the moon, they would be one of the favourites. They open up the tournament versus Guinea and it should be a routine win for the hosts. Guinea have performed generally well at these tournaments over the past few editions and could make the next round even if they have lost a lot of experience (Diawara, Thiam, Titi Camara) over the last few years.
I am looking forward to watching this game, the first Nations' cup game I will see since the heady days of 2000.
However it is one that holds true and Africa is no exception. I don't pretend to have a vast knowledge of African football, which is why you will not see previews like I've done for the Premiership in the past on here, but I have watched a fair bit of African football, particularly the Champions League and it is often astonishing how teams will destroy a team one week, only to be totally inept against the same opposition the next week just because they happen to be away *cough*Enyimba*cough*. Want to make money betting on African football- just bet on the home team.
The last two editions of the African Nations Cup have been won by the hosts. Indeed, there have been many instances of the hosts winning the African Nations Cup. Teams like South Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia and Algeria all won their single titles at home, and of the traditional continental powerhouses like Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria only Cameroun can boast of going forth to conquer on each of their 4 titles.
Even minnows like Burkina Faso who when they hosted the Cup in 1998 had just come off from being whipping boys of their World Cup qualifying group (for France 98) got to the semis. It is hard to see a team of relative similar quality like say Austria doing the same in Euro 2008 despite their home advantage.
The thing is this year's hosts Ghana are more than the flat-track bullies Tunisia and Egypt, the hosts and winners in 2004 and 2006, were. They are actually very good, and even if this tournament were held on the moon, they would be one of the favourites. They open up the tournament versus Guinea and it should be a routine win for the hosts. Guinea have performed generally well at these tournaments over the past few editions and could make the next round even if they have lost a lot of experience (Diawara, Thiam, Titi Camara) over the last few years.
I am looking forward to watching this game, the first Nations' cup game I will see since the heady days of 2000.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Has the world gone mad?
Dave Kitson, Reading FC's flame-haired striker has been a particular friend of the press this season. Witty, erudite, down-to-earth, and with a rather interesting background, at least in footballing terms, he is a writer's dream.
Rio Ferdinand is another friend of the press although for altogether different reasons. He is one of those footballers you love to hate. The press love him if only for the amount of copy he generates. Where to begin: the Ayia Napa sex-tape, long before sex-tapes were a part of celebrity bling; the drugs ban for missing a test; his autobiography that read like a guide to late 90s/early noughties London nightlife; his slightly heated contract talks with Manchester United. Erudite is not a word you would use to describe Rio who tends to lapse into the lazy footballerspeak that marks so many of his peers. Even now he is in the press as the chief organiser of United's infamous christmas party.
Kitson is a throwback, a player whose rise to becoming a Premiership footballer is almost Disneyesque. The player who worked in Sainsbury's and who was playing for non-league Arlesey Town around the same time Rio was moving from West Ham to Leeds for 18 million is reknowkned for this fortrightness, his ability to rise above the bullshit that clings to top level football.
This is why it was a bit of a shock to hear his rather disparaging remarks about the FA Cup this past week. Come on Dave, would you really rather finish 17th in the Premiership than try to win the FA Cup? What was even more shocking was that it was Rio Ferdinand, who is depicted as being out of touch with the common fans, who encapsulated what football is about or should be about for the players at least. "You want to win every day in training, let alone a match in front of 30,000 people"
“We are not going to win the FA Cup and I do not give two s**ts about it, to be honest with you.” This attitude is rather disgusting, to be honest with you. Let's look at Reading's season so far. They may not have hit the heights of last season and may be in the lower half of the league, but they are, dare I say, safe from relegation, if only for the mere fact that there are at least three teams more incompetent than they are. In fact, Reading need only 18 points or thereabouts from 17 games (that's 18 out of 51) to reach the 40 point mark and be assured of safety. They didn't play in Europe, so I fail to see how giving it a go in a prestigious cup competition would otherwise jeopardise their chances of survival, its not as if they are tired, or they shouldn't be.
As a footballer, you should always give your best no matter the match- the same is true for life actually. If you get into that mindset of turning your passion off and on as each game comes, then it will become a habit. Take Charlton Athletic for instance. They were one of the pioneers of this disdainful attitude to the cup. However, once survival was achieved, usually around February or March, they usually collapsed. The side which performed so admirably from August would suddenly become a bunch of cloggers as winter gave way to spring, you could set your watch by it. If it had continued for much longer, then perhaps it might have replaced Groundhog day as the marker for spring or whatever that tradition means.
I know this may seem a little hypocritical given my comments in the past about the UEFA Cup, but rest assured that if we were to be in that (God forbid), I would want us to do well in it. I am sure that fans of all 731 teams that entered this year's competition hope that even if their side doesn't win it or have a hope or prayer of winning it, even if the winner has come from the so-called 'big 4' over the last 13 years, their players will at least give a good account of themselves. Saying you don't give a shit about it makes you look bad, Dave.
I hope Arsenal gets Reading next in the 4th round, it would be a nice and easy 90 minutes against a team that apparently don't give 'two s***s' about it.
Rio Ferdinand is another friend of the press although for altogether different reasons. He is one of those footballers you love to hate. The press love him if only for the amount of copy he generates. Where to begin: the Ayia Napa sex-tape, long before sex-tapes were a part of celebrity bling; the drugs ban for missing a test; his autobiography that read like a guide to late 90s/early noughties London nightlife; his slightly heated contract talks with Manchester United. Erudite is not a word you would use to describe Rio who tends to lapse into the lazy footballerspeak that marks so many of his peers. Even now he is in the press as the chief organiser of United's infamous christmas party.
Kitson is a throwback, a player whose rise to becoming a Premiership footballer is almost Disneyesque. The player who worked in Sainsbury's and who was playing for non-league Arlesey Town around the same time Rio was moving from West Ham to Leeds for 18 million is reknowkned for this fortrightness, his ability to rise above the bullshit that clings to top level football.
This is why it was a bit of a shock to hear his rather disparaging remarks about the FA Cup this past week. Come on Dave, would you really rather finish 17th in the Premiership than try to win the FA Cup? What was even more shocking was that it was Rio Ferdinand, who is depicted as being out of touch with the common fans, who encapsulated what football is about or should be about for the players at least. "You want to win every day in training, let alone a match in front of 30,000 people"
“We are not going to win the FA Cup and I do not give two s**ts about it, to be honest with you.” This attitude is rather disgusting, to be honest with you. Let's look at Reading's season so far. They may not have hit the heights of last season and may be in the lower half of the league, but they are, dare I say, safe from relegation, if only for the mere fact that there are at least three teams more incompetent than they are. In fact, Reading need only 18 points or thereabouts from 17 games (that's 18 out of 51) to reach the 40 point mark and be assured of safety. They didn't play in Europe, so I fail to see how giving it a go in a prestigious cup competition would otherwise jeopardise their chances of survival, its not as if they are tired, or they shouldn't be.
As a footballer, you should always give your best no matter the match- the same is true for life actually. If you get into that mindset of turning your passion off and on as each game comes, then it will become a habit. Take Charlton Athletic for instance. They were one of the pioneers of this disdainful attitude to the cup. However, once survival was achieved, usually around February or March, they usually collapsed. The side which performed so admirably from August would suddenly become a bunch of cloggers as winter gave way to spring, you could set your watch by it. If it had continued for much longer, then perhaps it might have replaced Groundhog day as the marker for spring or whatever that tradition means.
I know this may seem a little hypocritical given my comments in the past about the UEFA Cup, but rest assured that if we were to be in that (God forbid), I would want us to do well in it. I am sure that fans of all 731 teams that entered this year's competition hope that even if their side doesn't win it or have a hope or prayer of winning it, even if the winner has come from the so-called 'big 4' over the last 13 years, their players will at least give a good account of themselves. Saying you don't give a shit about it makes you look bad, Dave.
I hope Arsenal gets Reading next in the 4th round, it would be a nice and easy 90 minutes against a team that apparently don't give 'two s***s' about it.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year; welcome to a new era
Welcome to the new Fitbablog, as opposed to the old one, which you can read here. The old Fitbablog was at times a staggering work of breathtaking genius (if I do say so myself) that suffered because I was less prolific than Jamie Carragher- only a handful of columns since I started it in November 2005.
However, things have changed and I should have a bit more time on my hands to write. This is my hope. I also hope to have more of an audience this time around but hey you can't win 'em all.
Happy New Year to all reading this. Lets see what 2008 brings us in the world of football or 'soccah', as Beckham calls it these days.
However, things have changed and I should have a bit more time on my hands to write. This is my hope. I also hope to have more of an audience this time around but hey you can't win 'em all.
Happy New Year to all reading this. Lets see what 2008 brings us in the world of football or 'soccah', as Beckham calls it these days.
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