Despite the Premier League’s reputation for being the most exciting league in the world matches like Sunday’s Manchester derby don’t come around too often.
I am supporter of neither team but I couldn’t help but be caught up in the breathless drama of it all. Local tussles such as this can often degenerate into passionate but scrappy affairs, with the fear of defeating leading to a drab draw.
But Wayne Rooney’s early strike on Sunday appeared to unleash a spring that had been wound up tighter and tighter during the build up to this encounter, with managers, players and fans all trading verbal blows. It became a derby match full of everything a spectator would hope to see. Great goals, great saves, great tackles; passion, drama and excitement - A true advert for the Premier League.
There was also plenty of controversy to add into the mix. Owen’s goal in the 96th minute will no doubt have infuriated Mark Hughes, who had just seen Bellamy seemingly rescue a point for his determined outfit.
Speaking of Bellamy, the Welshman scored two fantastic goals but then blotted his copybook with a needless cuff on a pitch invading supporter. The game summed up Bellamy really, he has bags of skill and talent but also struggles to keep his temper in order - there was no need to wander over to the supporter, who was being held by down two stewards, and hit him in the face. Just concentrate on what he is good at.
Though the following week at work will be hard to take for City fans to take, when the dust settles on this extraordinary game they will take heart from the fact they pushed their neighbours so far. United needed to be at their best to beat City on Sunday, something they haven’t needed to be in previous years. I get the feeling it won’t be long before the blue half of Manchester comes out on top in these local tussles.
For the rest of us we can just sit back and enjoy the spectacle, which will go down as one of the greatest games in Premier League history.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Fickle Finger of Blame
Saturday Afternoon, Middle Eastlands Stadium in Manchester and Emmanuel Adebayor rises above a sparse Arsenal defence and nods in the clinching third goal of an enthralling back and forth encounter which adds substance to the blue half of Manchester's claim that they are Champions League bound....discuss!
Except that we're not discussing it are we, the pulsating match that took place, Adebayors own performance, City's display of pacy counter-attacking football and an electric atmosphere have all been over shadowed by Adebayors apparent revenge mission against Arsenal.
I feel sorry for Robin Van Persie, the Manchester City FC stewards (who deserve most if not all the credit here!), City fans and Mark Hughes who were all afftected directly by Adebayors pathetic attempts at retribution against, in his own mind at least, the Evil Empire of Arsenal.
Now please note here that i've not mentioned the Arsenal fans, as the question i'm now asking is who are the real culprits in this over-zealous game of one upmanships between fans and players?
Adebayor will undoubtedly be punished for his mindless, Usain Bolt like 90- yard dash to the Arsenal fans with the sole purpose of winding them up. The excuse that he was caught up in the moment loses credence when you consider the length of time that it actually took him to get down the other end, he knew exactly what he was doing......I think a better defence would be to say he was paying homage to Forrest Gump but didn't know where the Eastlands tunnel was in order to run down it!?
However lets take a small moment to imagine what was running through Adebayors head at the time, and it muddies the water of damnation just a little!
Even whilst he was playing for Arsenal, Adebayor was being booed by his own fans and abused by those who are supposed to be his supporters all because he had the sheer audacity to speak to another football team who had enquired about his services. I mean how dare he?? He's playing for Arsenal, why would he ever want to speak (with Arsenals permission) to the multiple time European Champions who have some of the worlds greatest players at their disposal, are one of the oldest and most respected on footbal clubs and who play in one of the Cathedrals of our beloved game?? He must be mad right??
So for this "indescretion" he his vilified by his own culminating in a move to Manchester City, which of course is proof that he was just after a big pay-day all along. But us fans are too dignified to move to another company that patys us more right.....WRONG!
Adebayor aside, players have to put up with the most ridiculous fan expectations, demands and sickening abuse that would result in arrest if it was done on the street. I've heard people say that Adebayor "shamed football" on Saturday, but what shamed me was the horrible chant labelling Adebayors family as slaves and prostitutes. So answer me this honestly, if someone came up to you in a pub on a Saturday night and said "here mate, your dads a no good car washer and your mums a dirty ass stripper" what would you do?? My bet would be a lot worse than Adebayor did!
It gauls me that after an entire match worth of goading and poking Adebayor with a stick, Arsenal fans then have the front to demand Adebayor be suspended for baiting them back! Now I do feel sorry, as I said, for the innocent Arsenal fans who don't get involved in the more sickening chants as they didn't deserved to get squashed by their cohorts but it doesn't excuse the level of abuse that now plagues our game.
In the last 4yrs of being a United season ticket holder, i've heard the following;
1) The Adebayor song that was sung by Arsenal fans on Saturday
2) Hissing noises being made by Uniteds fans, at the Tottenham fans.....and if anyone doesn't know the significance of this then believe me your better off not knowing!!
3) Stretford enders striking up a chorus of "Your wifes a Geordie ****" in the direction of Ashley Cole
4) The now infamous song relating a then crippled Eduardo, to the equally disliked figure of Heather Mills
Now you might say anyone taking this to heart needs to grow up a bit, and god knows that most of these players are paid enough that it more than makes up for the grief they get from opposition fans.....however I do feel that as football fans we need to take a long hard look at ourselves and admit that we have as much a part to play in on the pitch behaviour as the players have in off the field behaviour.
Think about the most annoying 10 customers you have at work, now imagine that those customers are allowed to sit next to you all day, once or twice a week, and sing derogatory songs about your lifestyle, your family, your performance etc etc etc.
Now imagine you do something such as flip the bird to that same group of annoying customers, and not only are you suspended for it but you have hacks from all the papers camped on your door step harrassing your family for the next few days because of it.....are you telling me you wouldn't feel the slightest bit agrieved by it all???
I know lifes not as simple as that, football is a passionate sport and we're all guilty of over stepping the mark here and there, what I'm saying is simply that if we're capable of over stepping that mark on the terraces then surely we cannot be so quick to condemn others for doing so on the pitch.
Except that we're not discussing it are we, the pulsating match that took place, Adebayors own performance, City's display of pacy counter-attacking football and an electric atmosphere have all been over shadowed by Adebayors apparent revenge mission against Arsenal.
I feel sorry for Robin Van Persie, the Manchester City FC stewards (who deserve most if not all the credit here!), City fans and Mark Hughes who were all afftected directly by Adebayors pathetic attempts at retribution against, in his own mind at least, the Evil Empire of Arsenal.
Now please note here that i've not mentioned the Arsenal fans, as the question i'm now asking is who are the real culprits in this over-zealous game of one upmanships between fans and players?
Adebayor will undoubtedly be punished for his mindless, Usain Bolt like 90- yard dash to the Arsenal fans with the sole purpose of winding them up. The excuse that he was caught up in the moment loses credence when you consider the length of time that it actually took him to get down the other end, he knew exactly what he was doing......I think a better defence would be to say he was paying homage to Forrest Gump but didn't know where the Eastlands tunnel was in order to run down it!?
However lets take a small moment to imagine what was running through Adebayors head at the time, and it muddies the water of damnation just a little!
Even whilst he was playing for Arsenal, Adebayor was being booed by his own fans and abused by those who are supposed to be his supporters all because he had the sheer audacity to speak to another football team who had enquired about his services. I mean how dare he?? He's playing for Arsenal, why would he ever want to speak (with Arsenals permission) to the multiple time European Champions who have some of the worlds greatest players at their disposal, are one of the oldest and most respected on footbal clubs and who play in one of the Cathedrals of our beloved game?? He must be mad right??
So for this "indescretion" he his vilified by his own culminating in a move to Manchester City, which of course is proof that he was just after a big pay-day all along. But us fans are too dignified to move to another company that patys us more right.....WRONG!
Adebayor aside, players have to put up with the most ridiculous fan expectations, demands and sickening abuse that would result in arrest if it was done on the street. I've heard people say that Adebayor "shamed football" on Saturday, but what shamed me was the horrible chant labelling Adebayors family as slaves and prostitutes. So answer me this honestly, if someone came up to you in a pub on a Saturday night and said "here mate, your dads a no good car washer and your mums a dirty ass stripper" what would you do?? My bet would be a lot worse than Adebayor did!
It gauls me that after an entire match worth of goading and poking Adebayor with a stick, Arsenal fans then have the front to demand Adebayor be suspended for baiting them back! Now I do feel sorry, as I said, for the innocent Arsenal fans who don't get involved in the more sickening chants as they didn't deserved to get squashed by their cohorts but it doesn't excuse the level of abuse that now plagues our game.
In the last 4yrs of being a United season ticket holder, i've heard the following;
1) The Adebayor song that was sung by Arsenal fans on Saturday
2) Hissing noises being made by Uniteds fans, at the Tottenham fans.....and if anyone doesn't know the significance of this then believe me your better off not knowing!!
3) Stretford enders striking up a chorus of "Your wifes a Geordie ****" in the direction of Ashley Cole
4) The now infamous song relating a then crippled Eduardo, to the equally disliked figure of Heather Mills
Now you might say anyone taking this to heart needs to grow up a bit, and god knows that most of these players are paid enough that it more than makes up for the grief they get from opposition fans.....however I do feel that as football fans we need to take a long hard look at ourselves and admit that we have as much a part to play in on the pitch behaviour as the players have in off the field behaviour.
Think about the most annoying 10 customers you have at work, now imagine that those customers are allowed to sit next to you all day, once or twice a week, and sing derogatory songs about your lifestyle, your family, your performance etc etc etc.
Now imagine you do something such as flip the bird to that same group of annoying customers, and not only are you suspended for it but you have hacks from all the papers camped on your door step harrassing your family for the next few days because of it.....are you telling me you wouldn't feel the slightest bit agrieved by it all???
I know lifes not as simple as that, football is a passionate sport and we're all guilty of over stepping the mark here and there, what I'm saying is simply that if we're capable of over stepping that mark on the terraces then surely we cannot be so quick to condemn others for doing so on the pitch.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
International Break Brings Off Field Drama
International breaks mean nothing to me if I'm honest, of course I watch my own contries games but I never feel as involved as I do when United are playing or even just watching another league game. So from my own personal viewpoint an international break is about as much fun as a tournament free close season.
However this international break has been different!
In recent times we have had the debate over simulation or diving or whatever you want to call it, my own personal word for it is cheating! Sparked by Eduardo's attempts at "earning" a penalty against Celtic that was hardly deserved, In Eduardo's defence it wasn't the worst example i've ever seen however it was a dive and he didn't help the matter by sporting a grin that is only equalled by a toddler who has gotten away with having his hand in the cookie jar!
However UEFA have been silly over this, Eduardo is NOT the only player guilty of this sin and to single him out and suddenly slap him with a ban is bordering on insanity. All that was needed from UEFA was a simple statement to say that anyone caught cheating in this manner is from now on subject to investigation and a possible ban, to punish without precedent or warning is not a logical step.
My own view is this, there is a VAST difference between playing for a penalty or free kick and diving for one! The Arsenal vs United game gave us 2 perfect examples however, Emmanuel Eboue (one of the worst offenders in football) literally launched himself into mid-air with no United player within 12 inches of making contact and then has the gaul to wag his finger at the referee when he was booked.
Then we have Wayne Rooney's penalty incident. Now before any of you accuse me of wearing Old Trafford tinted spectacles, I am the first to admit Rooney has been guilty of diving before and Ronaldo should've wore goggles the amount of diving he did! However like it or not that incident WAS a penalty.
Manuel Almunia made a grave error in rushing out to meet Rooney when he posed no real threat on goal, what Rooney did is what all players attempt to do and that is take advantage of an opponents mistake. Rooney knew full well that by getting to that ball first and prodding it out of the way, Almunia would clatter into him and foul him. It is not the attackers responsibility to avoid contact, it is the defenders job not to make it.
I hope you see the difference between the 2 incidents on display at Old Trafford, and the difference in the 2 theories in general.
This issue has now been lost in the wilderness and dwarfed by the larger and much graver issue of irregularities in youth level player transfers.
This to my mind, is something that must be stamped out immediately for the good of the game on a local and global scale!
Firstly 14, 15 & 16yr old boys should not be uprooted from their home (and in some cases their countries) to be brought here and pressurised into making it as a footballer or going home as a failure and with no qualification to start earning money with. Dangling the dream lifestyle in front of youngsters and then whipping it away from them in an instant is neither fair nor right.
Then we have the issue that the top clubs are scouring Europe for young talent instead of looking locally.
This is where American Sports leads the way, their treatment and handling of young sportsmen is second to none! They play for colleges/university who have academic standards that must be met in order for them to be allowed to play their chosen sport. If they don't learn, they don't play, if they don't play they don't get to chase their dream of playing in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL.
Then the teams pick the players based on their talent, which some may say is a bit cattle market, but it gives the lesser teams the first picks which means they get the better players and if god forbid the players don't make the grade then they still have a University degree to fall back on and a vocation to follow!
Why not implement a similar system in UK sport? The better players will always end up at the big clubs, but it gives the lower league clubs a basis in which to make themselves more financially stable and then build a team for at least a few years. It could be based on a county system so teams only take players from a catchment area and that would mean less upheaval for the youngsters.
Uefa have quite rightly jumped all over this issue, but they need to know prevent this from happening rather than punish the offenders. A transfer ban on all those under 18yrs old would ensure these players get a good grounding before moving around, then it means transfer fees have to be exchanged and that the selling club can at least have some control in the matter instead of just losing promising young players for pittances.
My only reservation about this story is that suddenly after making no comment whatsoever when the transfer occurred, teams are suddenly pouring out of the shadows to claim they were robbed of players. Whilst they may well be telling the truth, it does raise the question as to why nothing was said before and why official complaints were not raised before accusations are slung around in the media??
I have a feeling that transfer bans will loom large for Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and maybe more for importing foreign talent against the rules....the bigger issue is if it has been going on between English clubs and what will happen to them??
However this international break has been different!
In recent times we have had the debate over simulation or diving or whatever you want to call it, my own personal word for it is cheating! Sparked by Eduardo's attempts at "earning" a penalty against Celtic that was hardly deserved, In Eduardo's defence it wasn't the worst example i've ever seen however it was a dive and he didn't help the matter by sporting a grin that is only equalled by a toddler who has gotten away with having his hand in the cookie jar!
However UEFA have been silly over this, Eduardo is NOT the only player guilty of this sin and to single him out and suddenly slap him with a ban is bordering on insanity. All that was needed from UEFA was a simple statement to say that anyone caught cheating in this manner is from now on subject to investigation and a possible ban, to punish without precedent or warning is not a logical step.
My own view is this, there is a VAST difference between playing for a penalty or free kick and diving for one! The Arsenal vs United game gave us 2 perfect examples however, Emmanuel Eboue (one of the worst offenders in football) literally launched himself into mid-air with no United player within 12 inches of making contact and then has the gaul to wag his finger at the referee when he was booked.
Then we have Wayne Rooney's penalty incident. Now before any of you accuse me of wearing Old Trafford tinted spectacles, I am the first to admit Rooney has been guilty of diving before and Ronaldo should've wore goggles the amount of diving he did! However like it or not that incident WAS a penalty.
Manuel Almunia made a grave error in rushing out to meet Rooney when he posed no real threat on goal, what Rooney did is what all players attempt to do and that is take advantage of an opponents mistake. Rooney knew full well that by getting to that ball first and prodding it out of the way, Almunia would clatter into him and foul him. It is not the attackers responsibility to avoid contact, it is the defenders job not to make it.
I hope you see the difference between the 2 incidents on display at Old Trafford, and the difference in the 2 theories in general.
This issue has now been lost in the wilderness and dwarfed by the larger and much graver issue of irregularities in youth level player transfers.
This to my mind, is something that must be stamped out immediately for the good of the game on a local and global scale!
Firstly 14, 15 & 16yr old boys should not be uprooted from their home (and in some cases their countries) to be brought here and pressurised into making it as a footballer or going home as a failure and with no qualification to start earning money with. Dangling the dream lifestyle in front of youngsters and then whipping it away from them in an instant is neither fair nor right.
Then we have the issue that the top clubs are scouring Europe for young talent instead of looking locally.
This is where American Sports leads the way, their treatment and handling of young sportsmen is second to none! They play for colleges/university who have academic standards that must be met in order for them to be allowed to play their chosen sport. If they don't learn, they don't play, if they don't play they don't get to chase their dream of playing in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL.
Then the teams pick the players based on their talent, which some may say is a bit cattle market, but it gives the lesser teams the first picks which means they get the better players and if god forbid the players don't make the grade then they still have a University degree to fall back on and a vocation to follow!
Why not implement a similar system in UK sport? The better players will always end up at the big clubs, but it gives the lower league clubs a basis in which to make themselves more financially stable and then build a team for at least a few years. It could be based on a county system so teams only take players from a catchment area and that would mean less upheaval for the youngsters.
Uefa have quite rightly jumped all over this issue, but they need to know prevent this from happening rather than punish the offenders. A transfer ban on all those under 18yrs old would ensure these players get a good grounding before moving around, then it means transfer fees have to be exchanged and that the selling club can at least have some control in the matter instead of just losing promising young players for pittances.
My only reservation about this story is that suddenly after making no comment whatsoever when the transfer occurred, teams are suddenly pouring out of the shadows to claim they were robbed of players. Whilst they may well be telling the truth, it does raise the question as to why nothing was said before and why official complaints were not raised before accusations are slung around in the media??
I have a feeling that transfer bans will loom large for Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and maybe more for importing foreign talent against the rules....the bigger issue is if it has been going on between English clubs and what will happen to them??
Monday, September 7, 2009
John Barnes on the brink as Tranmere plummet.
Usually the lower divisions offer calmer seas for managers to negotiate. Away from the cash rich goldfish bowl of the Premier League, fans and chairman are more sympathetic to the restrictions placed on lower league managers.
But given that Bryan Gunn was sacked less than a week into the new campaign those days appear to be numbered. Certainly in League One, which looks like being at it’s most competitive for years.
If Gunn was fired after one heavy defeat then new Tranmere boss John Barnes must be really feeling the heat.
To say they have made a bad start is to put it mildly. Five defeats out of six have left Rovers second bottom and the fans restless with the news of their ever increasing football odds of relegation.
While keen to give Barnes a chance they remain puzzled as to why former boss Ronnie Moore, a man used to working within lower league budgets, was let go in the first place, especially after a respectable finish last season, when only an 88th minute header from Scunthorpe’s Cliff Byrne nudged the Iron ahead of Tranmere in the play-off places.
Faced with another year in football league One and further budget cuts Moore was sacked ,with the club citing falling attendances as one of the reasons behind it.
From the outside it looks like the Tranmere board have put their faith in Barnes’ reputation from his playing days, where he was one of the best midfielders of his generation. This would then inspire the players to greater heights and encourage the fans to return to Prenton Park to watch Barnes’ young charges strut their stuff.
Barnes’ immediate problem was lowering the wage bill as further budget cuts were made and he has been forced to trim the squad. This meant it was a very youthful looking Rovers side that took to the field at Yeovil’s Huish Park on August 8. But five defeats on the spin with 12 conceded and none scored have left the fans baying for blood
To be fair to Barnes the club have had to play many of the top sides. But it is the manner of those defeats that have hurt the fans the most and they have begun to question Barnes’ ability to turn it around.
Sadly I feel Tranmere have gone for the glamour option in a bid to win back the fans but have lost sight of the realities of league one, which is tougher than ever this year.
Great players don’t always make great managers and unless we see a dramatic turn around, I think we may have to add Barnes to that list.
But given that Bryan Gunn was sacked less than a week into the new campaign those days appear to be numbered. Certainly in League One, which looks like being at it’s most competitive for years.
If Gunn was fired after one heavy defeat then new Tranmere boss John Barnes must be really feeling the heat.
To say they have made a bad start is to put it mildly. Five defeats out of six have left Rovers second bottom and the fans restless with the news of their ever increasing football odds of relegation.
While keen to give Barnes a chance they remain puzzled as to why former boss Ronnie Moore, a man used to working within lower league budgets, was let go in the first place, especially after a respectable finish last season, when only an 88th minute header from Scunthorpe’s Cliff Byrne nudged the Iron ahead of Tranmere in the play-off places.
Faced with another year in football league One and further budget cuts Moore was sacked ,with the club citing falling attendances as one of the reasons behind it.
From the outside it looks like the Tranmere board have put their faith in Barnes’ reputation from his playing days, where he was one of the best midfielders of his generation. This would then inspire the players to greater heights and encourage the fans to return to Prenton Park to watch Barnes’ young charges strut their stuff.
Barnes’ immediate problem was lowering the wage bill as further budget cuts were made and he has been forced to trim the squad. This meant it was a very youthful looking Rovers side that took to the field at Yeovil’s Huish Park on August 8. But five defeats on the spin with 12 conceded and none scored have left the fans baying for blood
To be fair to Barnes the club have had to play many of the top sides. But it is the manner of those defeats that have hurt the fans the most and they have begun to question Barnes’ ability to turn it around.
Sadly I feel Tranmere have gone for the glamour option in a bid to win back the fans but have lost sight of the realities of league one, which is tougher than ever this year.
Great players don’t always make great managers and unless we see a dramatic turn around, I think we may have to add Barnes to that list.
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