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.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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.
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