It's an interesting question to pose. There are 14-16 test rugby matches between now and the WC so why are we talking as if this is the team that will be playing the opening match at Twickenham in just under two years' time?
To compare, the England football team will have played a similar number of internationals between summer 2012 and next summer and yet we're only talking about the WC now, only seven months beforehand. I feel it's a combination of two factors:
1. English football is shit. We haven't won anything in two generations and yet people still clamour over it and believe that, since we have now qualified, the slimmest of possible chances is still a chance to win the WC again and end years of hurt. I have a few choice words for those believers. Give up. Our best players, in my opinion, are being catastrophically overlooked not only at international level but at club level as well. I've always said that Tottenham will only ever be a force to be reckoned with if they start trusting Jermaine Defoe to get them the goals! He scores nearly every time he's given a chance to start and he could do the same with England but, again, he's neglected by what I can only assume is blind stupidity. Leighton Baines had a shocker against Chile, but I do think that Ashley Cole has had his day at this level and it's time to move for Keiran Gibbs and let him show the world why he's part of a league-topping defence.
Conversely, English rugby is good. We showed last autumn that we can still battle with the best in the record defeat of the Kiwis and there were a lot of positives to take out of the internationals this month. That, and the fact I can remember the Grand Slam and WC combo in 2003, mean that the public in general believe that England actually have a chance in the next WC and they do. England lost their opening match at the 2007 RWC and yet still made the final. That's how crazy rugby can be sometimes, and I don't even think the 2007 bunch were particularly good! Yet they showed the determination, as incumbents, to reach the final and challenge for the WC. Did Cueto score a try? Well, it was an Aussie ref...
2. English football had to qualify. Nearly every country recognised by the UN (and a few that aren't) play international football. This means that there is a rigorous process to be one of the 32 teams that ultimately makes it to the finals. It also means that talking about England and their chances at the WC is somewhat premature before they've qualified. Seeing as how 'down to the wire' it was this time, it might be a while before we can safely be assured of qualification. I mean, who are Montenegro? Seriously?
Thanks to the slightly different way the RWC works, England don't have to qualify, and probably never will. This is largely due to there being fewer rugby nations (and even fewer 'test' nations). The southern hemisphere powers and the teams that compete in the Six Nations would take umbrage at having to qualify. Although they would have to if they did not place in the top three in their pool at the previous WC. This, however, would be a rare occurrence as they're the top nine teams in the world and there are twelve spots up for grabs.
The combination of these two facts mean that we are able to start talking about the current England rugby team with reference to the WC in 2015 (which is being held here) and not feel too ridiculous doing so. The flip side is that there are a few players who are part of this current team who may not make the cut in two years' time. Young players are constantly being blooded into the England team, look at the successful tour to Argentina this summer. Various players need a bit more time. Tom Youngs needs to practice his lineouts and Billy Twelvetrees should show more of his club form for his country as he was not at his best against Argentina this autumn.
It is premature, but the knowledge that both teams will be competing in their respective World Cups means that we can start to gossip and speculate and, as Englishmen, we do that really well.
Tuesday 19 November 2013
Tuesday 5 November 2013
An Excellent All-Round Display At Twickenham
I really enjoyed watching England beat Australia. Not just because it was Australia, but because we played an excellent game of rugby. I prevented myself from learning the score as I was at work followed by a Halloween party. I shall forever be indebted to the hosts for recording the match and preventing those that knew of the score from talking until after we'd all watched the match the following morning.
Let's start with the Man of the Match shall we? Fully deserved of the honour, Mike Brown had a game to remember. His incredible up-and-under followed up by picking the ball off the head of Will Genia was a joy to watch. A real contrast to the usual kick-and-forget rugby that we've become accustomed to recently. It was like watching Clement Poitrenaud, who I consider to be one of the best international fullbacks to have played, in the ingenuity of his game on Saturday. Special mention goes to the touch judge who didn't see how clearly Brown was in touch in the build up to one of England's tries. Although Cooper could have done better with that kick.
Talking of Quade Cooper, he is a mentalist isn't he? Great rugby player though. He plays with strength and flair. It's very rare to have a rugby player that can combine those two traits. His kicking left a lot to be desired and he seemed to attack Marlon Yarde without any reason to. He needs to control his temperament otherwise he could lose his spot. As my host for the weekend said, "If it weren't for rugby, he'd be in prison." If he carries on the way he's going, he might just end up there anyway.
By contrast to Brown, Billy Twelvetrees had a game to forget at 12. None of the excellence that he displayed during the Six Nations was on display against Australia. He has more to give and the England fans know it. He was given a very warm cheer from them when he was replaced by Toby Flood towards the end of the match. He just needs a bit more confidence.
I actually called that replacement, and my host will back me up. Owen Farrell had been struggling through most of the match but his try, and subsequent conversion, gave him confidence in himself. As a match average, a regular coach would have substituted him and brought on the more experienced Toby Flood to close out the game. I remember at the 2003 World Cup, Wilkinson was struggling during one of the knockout games. To bring him off would have knocked his confidence going forward, as it would have done on Saturday to Farrell. So, instead, in 2003 Mike Catt came on at Inside Centre instead to relieve some of the in-hand kicking duties and line-marshalling from Wilkinson. I suggested that they do the same as Twelvetrees was playing poorly and Farrell's confidence was beginning to build. I believe that decision showed a lot of maturity on the part of Stuart Lancaster and I was proud of myself for calling it.
Moving onto the forwards and the brothers Vunipola staked their respective claims for next year with outstanding displays at 1 and 8. Tom Wood showed maturity and understanding as he bounced back from all the media speculation over the England captaincy to put in a solid performance at 6. Then there's Chris Robshaw.
Since he was named as England captain, I have always championed his appointment. The only game I feel he hasn't contributed his utmost was last March against Wales. Since then, he has shown the reasons why he is England captain in the way he dealt with not going on tour with either the Lions or England in Argentina.
Then he goes and grabs a very bizarre try at the weekend. A try that was unusual in that it did not involve any forwards doing what they would normally be doing. From Billy Vunipola's charge down to Robshaw's positioning, they looked more like backs. Very pleased with that try. As I was with Farrell's try. A moment of brilliance (and luck thanks to Dylan Hartley) to spot the gap. He was surprised by the gap though.
The debutants Marlon Yarde and Joel Tomkins were certainly interesting and provide a good balance between experience and youth within the starting lineup.
Throughout all this there were a few negatives. Tom Youngs again could not sort out his lineouts and the ball rarely made its way towards either Yarde or Chris Ashton.
I'm looking forward to the next couple of tests, especially New Zealand. It will be a tough test as they will be out to avenge the record defeat 12 months ago but this England team is beginning to excite in the build up to the 2015 World Cup on home soil.
Let's start with the Man of the Match shall we? Fully deserved of the honour, Mike Brown had a game to remember. His incredible up-and-under followed up by picking the ball off the head of Will Genia was a joy to watch. A real contrast to the usual kick-and-forget rugby that we've become accustomed to recently. It was like watching Clement Poitrenaud, who I consider to be one of the best international fullbacks to have played, in the ingenuity of his game on Saturday. Special mention goes to the touch judge who didn't see how clearly Brown was in touch in the build up to one of England's tries. Although Cooper could have done better with that kick.
Talking of Quade Cooper, he is a mentalist isn't he? Great rugby player though. He plays with strength and flair. It's very rare to have a rugby player that can combine those two traits. His kicking left a lot to be desired and he seemed to attack Marlon Yarde without any reason to. He needs to control his temperament otherwise he could lose his spot. As my host for the weekend said, "If it weren't for rugby, he'd be in prison." If he carries on the way he's going, he might just end up there anyway.
By contrast to Brown, Billy Twelvetrees had a game to forget at 12. None of the excellence that he displayed during the Six Nations was on display against Australia. He has more to give and the England fans know it. He was given a very warm cheer from them when he was replaced by Toby Flood towards the end of the match. He just needs a bit more confidence.
I actually called that replacement, and my host will back me up. Owen Farrell had been struggling through most of the match but his try, and subsequent conversion, gave him confidence in himself. As a match average, a regular coach would have substituted him and brought on the more experienced Toby Flood to close out the game. I remember at the 2003 World Cup, Wilkinson was struggling during one of the knockout games. To bring him off would have knocked his confidence going forward, as it would have done on Saturday to Farrell. So, instead, in 2003 Mike Catt came on at Inside Centre instead to relieve some of the in-hand kicking duties and line-marshalling from Wilkinson. I suggested that they do the same as Twelvetrees was playing poorly and Farrell's confidence was beginning to build. I believe that decision showed a lot of maturity on the part of Stuart Lancaster and I was proud of myself for calling it.
Moving onto the forwards and the brothers Vunipola staked their respective claims for next year with outstanding displays at 1 and 8. Tom Wood showed maturity and understanding as he bounced back from all the media speculation over the England captaincy to put in a solid performance at 6. Then there's Chris Robshaw.
Since he was named as England captain, I have always championed his appointment. The only game I feel he hasn't contributed his utmost was last March against Wales. Since then, he has shown the reasons why he is England captain in the way he dealt with not going on tour with either the Lions or England in Argentina.
Then he goes and grabs a very bizarre try at the weekend. A try that was unusual in that it did not involve any forwards doing what they would normally be doing. From Billy Vunipola's charge down to Robshaw's positioning, they looked more like backs. Very pleased with that try. As I was with Farrell's try. A moment of brilliance (and luck thanks to Dylan Hartley) to spot the gap. He was surprised by the gap though.
The debutants Marlon Yarde and Joel Tomkins were certainly interesting and provide a good balance between experience and youth within the starting lineup.
Throughout all this there were a few negatives. Tom Youngs again could not sort out his lineouts and the ball rarely made its way towards either Yarde or Chris Ashton.
I'm looking forward to the next couple of tests, especially New Zealand. It will be a tough test as they will be out to avenge the record defeat 12 months ago but this England team is beginning to excite in the build up to the 2015 World Cup on home soil.
F1 Is Boring Now
I haven't watched an F1 race in full since Silverstone. It's a damning indictment for me, because I love the sport. It's not because McLaren are doing badly, it's not because the racing itself isn't incident-packed enough. It's because if Sebastian Vettel races, he wins.
I don't blame him or Red Bull, he's a great driver and Adrian Newey has designed yet another great car. I don't even blame the other teams for not being competitive enough or the tyres for being poor (even though they are). I can't even blame Sky, who have ruined Formula One for every UK-based viewer.
It's just the way of the sport. I still found the years when Michael Schumacher dominated interesting. It might be because there were still a few title challengers during those years, even though no serious contender materialised.
I actually blame Timo Glock. An odd choice of person to put the blame on but hear me out. If he hadn't equipped his Toyota with slick (or non-wet in those days) tyres towards the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008, Felipe Massa would have won the World Championship and it would have been just as exciting as every other F1 Championship. Except he started the last lap on those tyres. The rain had fallen for the previous three laps and created a river running downhill at the final corner.
As Glock made his way around the lap, the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, on intermediate tyres, closed in but was unable to pounce due to the Toyota's superior grip on the dry straights. Hamilton needed to come fifth or higher to secure the World Championship. He was running in sixth. Massa crossed the line in first place and the Ferrari garage went mental in celebration. Then all eyes watched the screen in total disbelief as, on the last corner of the last race of the season, Timo Glock's Toyota loses grip on the wet surface and Lewis Hamilton's McLaren passes it to move into fifth position and take the Championship away from the Prancing Horse.
I can think of only two moments that can even compare on a sporting scale - Liverpool's Champions League triumph of 2005 and England's Rugby World Cup win in 2003. Both extremely nail-biting and exciting for both fans and neutrals. Many can point fingers at last year's Ryder Cup triumph but Golf is inherently boring so it has been removed. Special mention though.
As a result, everything pales in comparison. Many a football match has come and gone since 2005 and even more rugby games since 2003 but there haven't been enough F1 races. The 2004 Six Nations was disappointing to watch and I struggled to really get into the 2005-06 Champions League, despite the fact that Arsenal didn't concede a goal for over 1,000 minutes of football and contributed to one of the most highly anticipated finals in years.
I really hope next season is exciting, it should be. Raikonnen moving back to Ferrari gives them one of the most interesting lineups on the grid. The volatile Alonso racing alongside the man they call 'The Iceman.' Can't wait.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
Let's All Laugh At Tottenham, United and Chelsea For The Time Being
Two penalties and my season collapsed. That's what I thought as I looked on from my new seat at The Emirates on the first day of the season. There was a lack of optimism going into the match. Then Giroud scored the first goal of the season and the crowd got behind the team.
Down went Agbonlahor and the referee, after initially playing advantage, pointed to the spot. Aston Villa's redeemer last season, Christian Benteke, steps up and sees his inital effort saved before pouncing on the rebound to equal the score.
Another penalty follows shortly after the hour mark. This time, Benteke doesn't need a rebound and slots the ball past Sczezsny and into the back of the net. Antonio Luna's first goal five minutes from time seals the victory for Villa.
All the anger, frustration and disappointment of eight seasons without a trophy and just the one signing begin to pour out after the final whistle. Chants of 'Spend some f***ing money' and 'Wenger Out' echo around the stadium. The players walked, shoulders hunched, back down the tunnel with fans screaming abuse from all four sides. This was the lowest point I had ever felt as an Arsenal fan and it wasn't because I'd just paid a little over £1,100 for my season ticket.
Then several incidents occurred. A Champions League away match provided an early welcome relief from the pace of the Premier League. A routine three-nil win over Fenerbahce caused ripples within the anti-Wenger support. This was swiftly followed by a 3-1 away win at Craven Cottage. After completing the job against Fenerbahce with a 2-0 home win, it was time for the big one.
The North London Derby is the most anticipated football match in the calendar. As several Arsenal fans said, "This is it." This is the culmination of months of nothingness. A few days earlier we had announced the re-signing of Mathieu Flamini, our former midfield general who had deputised at left-back during our 1000+ minutes of not conceding a Champions League goal while Ashley Cole and Keiran Gibbs were out with suspiciously similar injuries. It was a token signing, as we felt at the time. He didn't have a club and we felt sorry for him. Similar to Sol Campbell and Jens Lehmann over the last few years. Tottenham, on the other hand, had spent during the summer. In anticipation of selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, Andre Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy had been out hand-picking some of the best players from Europe to create a serious team that could mount a title challenge.
Arsenal went on to win 1-0. Faith was restored. Suddenly the team looked amazing. Everyone got behind the players. Defensively we looked organised and offensively we looked capable of tearing any team apart. Then came the icing on the cake.
Not content with just beating our big-spending neighbours, Arsene Wnger then took advantage of the sale of their biggest asset by smashing Arsenal's transfer record and bringing in Mesu Ozil from Real Madrid. The news of this deal began filtering through just for the Tottenham game and then hit home shortly afterwards. With the euphoria of the win still sitting in the minds of fans everywhere, this raid of Europe's best playmaker was greeted with incredulity around the world.
It took eleven minutes for Ozil to make his mark on the Premier League. As a hopeful long ball was punted upfield, Ozil showed what he can do with an amazing touch before passing to set up Giroud for the opening goal of the game against Sunderland. The touch gave him so much time, he could have texted Giroud where he was going to put the ball.
Wins agains Marseille and Napoli in this season's Champions League's 'Group of Death' followed and now you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wants Wenger out, but then that's the fickle nature of football. That and the fact that Thierry Henry is still hanging out at London Colney and around the Emirates with former teammate Robert Pires just shows what a community Arsene has developed over the years.
When you consider that United, Chelsea and Man City have all started the season with new managers and they're struggling (actually, Chelsea aren't really but I still enjoy laughing at them) then you can see the argument for continuity standing out as the number one.
Also, Tottenham must be heading for bankruptcy if they don't make it to the Champions League within the next few seasons, which makes me laugh. Hard.
Arsenal came into this international break at the top of the league, albeit on goals scored, but with two more winnable games against Norwich and Crystal Palace coming up, the optimism will carry on for a while yet. November will be the real test when Arsenal play both Liverpool and Manchester United in the fist half of the month and Borussia Dortmund away sandwiched in the middle. Three tough games.
This year there is real optimism, and now I don't regret buying my season ticket. I'm just annoyed it has taken this long. Until next time!
Friday 31 May 2013
Football's Silly Season
So one of the biggest transfer sagas has come to an end. Neymar has officially moved to Barcelona for an undisclosed sum of money. Excellent, so let's move on.
This period of the year always leaves me anxious. As an Arsenal supporter I'm always concerned that one of our star talents will leave. However, this season, no one player has stood out. Add to that the £70m Arsene Wenger has earmarked for new players and suddenly, I'm not so concerned.
It's been a while since we have been linked with big names. Arshavin was the last 'big name' we were linked to I think. Before David Villa of course. Now, however, we have been linked with Villa, Wayne Rooney and our former captain, Cesc Fabregas. Such a plethora of talent would seemingly put us into the spending regions of both Man City and PSG. Except it won't.
Thanks to Wenger's shrewdness, Arsenal have first refusal on Fabregas. Couple that with Barça having to pay half of his transfer fee to Arsenal and suddenly it makes more financial sense for them to sell him to Arsenal for £20m than to anyone else for £30m.
Rooney wants to leave United. That's a fact. Whether Moyes changes his mind and convinces him to stay, it will only be for one more season. As a result, he'd probably be a lot less expensive than he would otherwise have been. The only issue is his salary. Rooney reportedly makes £200k a week, twice that of Arsenal's highest wage-earner, Lukas Podolski. I doubt Arsenal would be happy to spend that.
Finally David Villa. He's 31. He's going to be less than people say he's worth. I reckon if he goes anywhere, it'll be for £16m. No-one is going to pay more than that. Especially considering that Thierry Henry who, as Leeds fans will know, can still perform magic cost Barça that amount when he moved to them.
I love this part of the season, the drama, the headlines, the mistrust and the broken loyalties all played out to an audience of billions.
Let the silly season begin!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
This period of the year always leaves me anxious. As an Arsenal supporter I'm always concerned that one of our star talents will leave. However, this season, no one player has stood out. Add to that the £70m Arsene Wenger has earmarked for new players and suddenly, I'm not so concerned.
It's been a while since we have been linked with big names. Arshavin was the last 'big name' we were linked to I think. Before David Villa of course. Now, however, we have been linked with Villa, Wayne Rooney and our former captain, Cesc Fabregas. Such a plethora of talent would seemingly put us into the spending regions of both Man City and PSG. Except it won't.
Thanks to Wenger's shrewdness, Arsenal have first refusal on Fabregas. Couple that with Barça having to pay half of his transfer fee to Arsenal and suddenly it makes more financial sense for them to sell him to Arsenal for £20m than to anyone else for £30m.
Rooney wants to leave United. That's a fact. Whether Moyes changes his mind and convinces him to stay, it will only be for one more season. As a result, he'd probably be a lot less expensive than he would otherwise have been. The only issue is his salary. Rooney reportedly makes £200k a week, twice that of Arsenal's highest wage-earner, Lukas Podolski. I doubt Arsenal would be happy to spend that.
Finally David Villa. He's 31. He's going to be less than people say he's worth. I reckon if he goes anywhere, it'll be for £16m. No-one is going to pay more than that. Especially considering that Thierry Henry who, as Leeds fans will know, can still perform magic cost Barça that amount when he moved to them.
I love this part of the season, the drama, the headlines, the mistrust and the broken loyalties all played out to an audience of billions.
Let the silly season begin!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Monday 27 May 2013
End Of Season Review
So that's it for another season. All in all, pretty incredible. After the first few games, I said that the Premiership was Chelsea's to lose. They seemed unstoppable. Then Abramovich sacked the manager and they spiralled into free fall. Although all credit to Benitez for dragging them back up to the dizzying heights of the Europa League final.
Manchester United were sensational. He may not have won the treble, or even the double, but I feel that Ferguson went out on one helluva high. What a team. Even Rooney can't secure a starting place in it and he's one of their highest paid players.
Manchester City, on the other hand, endured a terrible season. Second in the toughest league in the world and runners up in the most prestigious national cup competition in the world. I'm surprised they didn't sack Mancini earlier.
Obviously I'm being sarcastic, but you get my point. As an Arsenal fan it always pains me when I remember the last time we won a cup and then you look over at the spoilt brats at City and you can't help but tell them to move away from you in a four-letter direction.
Tottenham had an excellent season, all things considered. They amassed a club record points haul this season which is great and, if they're able to keep hold of Bale, they will be in for a top four shout next year. I felt they missed Rafael van der Vaart though. Without his dynamism and creative influence, they relied too heavily on Bale knowing that if he had the season he did have, other bigger teams would be gunning for him.
At the other end of the scale it was a real shame to see Harry Redknapp go down. I really hope that him and his band of overpaid wannabes languish in the Championship for season after season. If I had one wish, it would be that he never managed a Premier League club again. I pray that his twitchy, smug, potato face is forced to work for jack all and earn an honest wage out of which he pays his taxes. As you can probably tell, I'm not his biggest fan. I've never liked him. I was so glad that QPR went down I started singing some Bay City Rollers. All together now! "Bye bye Harry, Harry goodbye."
So now that the season is over, I can dish out my awards. I would write some justification for them but I'm pretty sure they'll speak for themselves. If you disagree, I'd love to hear your opinion.
Signing of the Season: Robin van Persie/Christian Benteke/Michu
Manager of the Season: Sir Alex Ferguson
Worst Decision of the Season: Letting Mike Dean referee anything more important than an U10 game
Best Moment of the Season: Tottenham fans celebrating Newcastle's 'equaliser' on the last day of the season
Worst Signing of the Season: Christopher Samba
Underrated Player Award: Romelu Lukaku
Overrated Player Award: Gareth Barry
Funniest Moment of the Season: Chelsea fans' reaction to Benitez hired as manager
Legacy Award: Wilfried Zaha to Man U. Ferguson has left Moyes with another gem
The Golden Mug Award: Luis Suarez
The Silver Cock Award: John Terry
The Bronze Genitals Award: Jamie Redknapp (almost as crap at analysis as his dad is at keeping teams up)
The Biggest Surprise: Gary Neville praising Arsenal, never been so proud
Hope you've enjoyed the season. I certainly have. Coming up over the summer we have the British GP, Wimbledon and the Lions in Australia so keep an eye out for more posts.
Oh, and don't forget the transfer gossip!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Manchester United were sensational. He may not have won the treble, or even the double, but I feel that Ferguson went out on one helluva high. What a team. Even Rooney can't secure a starting place in it and he's one of their highest paid players.
Manchester City, on the other hand, endured a terrible season. Second in the toughest league in the world and runners up in the most prestigious national cup competition in the world. I'm surprised they didn't sack Mancini earlier.
Obviously I'm being sarcastic, but you get my point. As an Arsenal fan it always pains me when I remember the last time we won a cup and then you look over at the spoilt brats at City and you can't help but tell them to move away from you in a four-letter direction.
Tottenham had an excellent season, all things considered. They amassed a club record points haul this season which is great and, if they're able to keep hold of Bale, they will be in for a top four shout next year. I felt they missed Rafael van der Vaart though. Without his dynamism and creative influence, they relied too heavily on Bale knowing that if he had the season he did have, other bigger teams would be gunning for him.
At the other end of the scale it was a real shame to see Harry Redknapp go down. I really hope that him and his band of overpaid wannabes languish in the Championship for season after season. If I had one wish, it would be that he never managed a Premier League club again. I pray that his twitchy, smug, potato face is forced to work for jack all and earn an honest wage out of which he pays his taxes. As you can probably tell, I'm not his biggest fan. I've never liked him. I was so glad that QPR went down I started singing some Bay City Rollers. All together now! "Bye bye Harry, Harry goodbye."
So now that the season is over, I can dish out my awards. I would write some justification for them but I'm pretty sure they'll speak for themselves. If you disagree, I'd love to hear your opinion.
Signing of the Season: Robin van Persie/Christian Benteke/Michu
Manager of the Season: Sir Alex Ferguson
Worst Decision of the Season: Letting Mike Dean referee anything more important than an U10 game
Best Moment of the Season: Tottenham fans celebrating Newcastle's 'equaliser' on the last day of the season
Worst Signing of the Season: Christopher Samba
Underrated Player Award: Romelu Lukaku
Overrated Player Award: Gareth Barry
Funniest Moment of the Season: Chelsea fans' reaction to Benitez hired as manager
Legacy Award: Wilfried Zaha to Man U. Ferguson has left Moyes with another gem
The Golden Mug Award: Luis Suarez
The Silver Cock Award: John Terry
The Bronze Genitals Award: Jamie Redknapp (almost as crap at analysis as his dad is at keeping teams up)
The Biggest Surprise: Gary Neville praising Arsenal, never been so proud
Hope you've enjoyed the season. I certainly have. Coming up over the summer we have the British GP, Wimbledon and the Lions in Australia so keep an eye out for more posts.
Oh, and don't forget the transfer gossip!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Wednesday 22 May 2013
News
Hello everyone!
I'm delighted to welcome my friend James Craven to the site as a contributor. I'm sure you'll enjoy his thought-provoking articles.
Always ready to argue a point, James has previous experience writing for a number of websites. Most recently for a site where Manchester United and Manchester City fans discussed/argued with each other.
In other news, I will be increasing my contribution to www.room101-102.com from this month. So if you want to read my opinions on stuff other than sport plus the opinions of other people then check it out.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
I'm delighted to welcome my friend James Craven to the site as a contributor. I'm sure you'll enjoy his thought-provoking articles.
Always ready to argue a point, James has previous experience writing for a number of websites. Most recently for a site where Manchester United and Manchester City fans discussed/argued with each other.
In other news, I will be increasing my contribution to www.room101-102.com from this month. So if you want to read my opinions on stuff other than sport plus the opinions of other people then check it out.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Maybe More Mourinho?
Many
people believe that when Chelsea have finally had their fill of 'interim'
managers they always cry Mourinho! But do they? Since he left in 2007 his 5 year
absence has left Chelsea have won 2 FA cup, 1 League title and most
significantly their first Champions League in their history.
It
is notable to mention however, that under Mourinho's guidance Chelsea won 2
League titles, 2 League cups and an FA cup. It isn't surprising then that the
fans clamour for their lucky talisman and whatever the truth behind him
leaving, be it financial, a personal spat or simply to develop his own career
Chelsea do require a manager of Mourinho's enormous calibre to get them back on
track. Real Madrid have already said in a press conference that they would
require "no compensation" when Mourinho leaves at the end of this
season because it is a "mutual termination". Chelsea will also want
to secure the services of the special one because their current manager Rafa
Benitez is leaving due to their own harsh treatment of the Spaniard. The
Chelsea fans booed their current manager after a poor string of results early
in his career, it turned out enough was enough and Rafa has decided to leave
after his post season duties are over. Even though Benitez guided his Chelsea
team into Champions League football and a uncomfortable third place finish, the
Chelsea fans at the Bridge apologised via messages on the club website and with
handwritten signs some of which said "Thank you Rafa - We Forgive
You" but I believe it is too little too late.
So,
will Mourinho expect the same? I believe he would be a fool not to consider the
same treatment. Chelsea fans have shown their candid nature in the last season,
and scared off many potential suitors, but will the 'Special One' be thinking
of this if he gets into talks with Mr Abramovich's staff?
A
lot of it comes to down who the new manager will sign and everyone knows that
Mourinho will undoubtedly draw the biggest names to whichever club he chooses
to go to.
But
what do you think?
Please
comment bellow?
Friday 17 May 2013
Ferguson And Beckham - Two Footballing Icons
I am a staunch Arsenal fan. Yet, when I woke up this morning, I felt a tinge of sadness. Both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham have decided to retire at the end of the season. From an Arsenal fan's perspective, SAF leaving can only be a positive thing, but from a football fan's viewpoint their retirement brings to an end an era that has spanned more that 20 years. An age that has launched football into becoming the global brand that it is today.
First, Sir Alex. What that man has achieved at Manchester United cannot really be put into words. People will say that it can through the facts and figures but you look at the way he conducted himself throughout the 26 years he has been there and the way that people who have played for him and played against him talk and you see that it just cannot be described. His record as a manager is nearly faultless, bringing what everyone regards as the 'Holy Grail' of football, the Champion's League Trophy, to Old Trafford not once, but twice and completing what few managers have done in the famous 1999 Treble.
He will be missed by everyone involved in football. I know I'll miss him. Principally because I had this ridiculous notion of Ferguson and Wenger having one last season as adversaries. The two longest serving managers in the top flight of English football signing off with one last full-on season where they would go head-to-head for 38 or more matches and one would emerge victorious. Then they'd retire to become board members of their respective clubs and pass on those incredible squads to the next generation.
Of course, that's just a fantasy. Similar to the one that fellow Arsenal fans experienced during this season's January transfer window when it looked like we were going to sign David Villa from Barcelona. Now, it seems, Spurs have nearly got him. The heart sinks.
Ferguson's legacy will be measured by the success of his successor. David Moyes has a real job on his hands. On the one hand, if he does well, it'll be because of Ferguson's squad that he has inherited. If he does badly, it'll be his fault. Although the fact that he has signed a six-year contract makes me believe that the board have absolute and unwavering faith in him. So I wish him good luck.
Now onto David Beckham who, like Sir Alex, cannot be described purely by words. I looked through twitter earlier and found that Phil McNulty, a man who has never got a good word to say about anyone or anything and knows jack all about sport, said that he should not be considered as one of the game's 'greats.' Funnily enough, I think he's wrong.
He has won the league title with every team he has played for, with the exception of AC Milan but he spent a grand total of 3 months there. Not only that, but he has helped those teams win those titles. Look back at the Galacticos at Real Madrid in 2007. Look at the players in that team that could have won them the title. Robinho, Guti, Roberto Carlos, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Sergio Ramos but no, it was to David Beckham, who during the January transfer window said that he was going to play for LA Galaxy in America the following season and was then marginalised, they looked to and who came back and helped them with the La Liga trophy for the 30th time.
Now, we can't say that it was purely down to Golden Balls, but there was a period when he wasn't playing that Madrid suffered a severe dip in form. Then, when he came back, he was more determined to prove future England manager Fabio Capello wrong.
As a player, he was one of the world's greatest. Committed on the pitch and humble off it. All he wanted to do was play the game that he loved so much and enjoyed being a part of for 20 years. I will have a lot of fond memories of David Beckham, not least the free kick that saw us through into the 2002 World Cup Finals.
I wish them both the best of luck in their future endeavours and note that the landscape of global football has changed. Whether for the better, we are yet to see.
First, Sir Alex. What that man has achieved at Manchester United cannot really be put into words. People will say that it can through the facts and figures but you look at the way he conducted himself throughout the 26 years he has been there and the way that people who have played for him and played against him talk and you see that it just cannot be described. His record as a manager is nearly faultless, bringing what everyone regards as the 'Holy Grail' of football, the Champion's League Trophy, to Old Trafford not once, but twice and completing what few managers have done in the famous 1999 Treble.
He will be missed by everyone involved in football. I know I'll miss him. Principally because I had this ridiculous notion of Ferguson and Wenger having one last season as adversaries. The two longest serving managers in the top flight of English football signing off with one last full-on season where they would go head-to-head for 38 or more matches and one would emerge victorious. Then they'd retire to become board members of their respective clubs and pass on those incredible squads to the next generation.
Of course, that's just a fantasy. Similar to the one that fellow Arsenal fans experienced during this season's January transfer window when it looked like we were going to sign David Villa from Barcelona. Now, it seems, Spurs have nearly got him. The heart sinks.
Ferguson's legacy will be measured by the success of his successor. David Moyes has a real job on his hands. On the one hand, if he does well, it'll be because of Ferguson's squad that he has inherited. If he does badly, it'll be his fault. Although the fact that he has signed a six-year contract makes me believe that the board have absolute and unwavering faith in him. So I wish him good luck.
Now onto David Beckham who, like Sir Alex, cannot be described purely by words. I looked through twitter earlier and found that Phil McNulty, a man who has never got a good word to say about anyone or anything and knows jack all about sport, said that he should not be considered as one of the game's 'greats.' Funnily enough, I think he's wrong.
He has won the league title with every team he has played for, with the exception of AC Milan but he spent a grand total of 3 months there. Not only that, but he has helped those teams win those titles. Look back at the Galacticos at Real Madrid in 2007. Look at the players in that team that could have won them the title. Robinho, Guti, Roberto Carlos, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Sergio Ramos but no, it was to David Beckham, who during the January transfer window said that he was going to play for LA Galaxy in America the following season and was then marginalised, they looked to and who came back and helped them with the La Liga trophy for the 30th time.
Now, we can't say that it was purely down to Golden Balls, but there was a period when he wasn't playing that Madrid suffered a severe dip in form. Then, when he came back, he was more determined to prove future England manager Fabio Capello wrong.
As a player, he was one of the world's greatest. Committed on the pitch and humble off it. All he wanted to do was play the game that he loved so much and enjoyed being a part of for 20 years. I will have a lot of fond memories of David Beckham, not least the free kick that saw us through into the 2002 World Cup Finals.
I wish them both the best of luck in their future endeavours and note that the landscape of global football has changed. Whether for the better, we are yet to see.
Saturday 11 May 2013
Moyes - Yes or No?
There
are two discussions to be had here, and being on the fence, I thought I'd make
both of them.
Yes: He just needs
time. Like every new manager at every new club time is always needed. However,
Manchester United is not every new club
and David Moyes may not have long to impress the Old Trafford faithful. On the
plus side, he does have a shining track record as a loyal manager, who with
scarce resources, kept his Everton team in the highest tier of English football.
Not only that he kept his Everton team competitive as they were rarely in the
bottom half and often 8th or even a few places above Liverpool in recent
seasons. Which to Everton fans is more important than domestic trophies.
The
fact that Manchester United's board have chosen to sign Moyes on a 6 year
contract shows me that they have faith in the ex Everton boss. My concern however,
doesn't lie with that, I am worried about the mountain Moyes has put himself in
front of. Can he really be expected to live up to a living-legend? Many
managers internationally would most likely have jumped at the chance of the
United job but why pick Moyes? I believe United picked Moyes because he is
consistent, loyal and safe. He consistently finished 9th or above in his 10
plus years as Everton manager never once getting relegated. I'm not saying that
Moyes is the right choice but for now he is definitely not going anywhere, and
Manchester United are in safe hands.
No: There are only
two people in the world capable of handling Manchester United and one of them just
retired. The other one is special...
Jose
Mourinho. The 'Special One' has the same fire and passion for football that
other managers just seem to lack and Manchester United sorely needs that after
the departure of such a worthy, and longstanding steward. I truly believe that
had Mourinho been appointed, then United fans worldwide would be just as
up-in-arms about it as they are about the appointment of David Moyes, because
in their eyes nobody can live up to Sir Alex. Nor should they have to, a new
manager means new times and unfortunately for diehard fans that means change.
Change
is hard for a reason, and it is never harder when a manager that is both
comfortable, beloved and consistently successful departs without fair warning. But
Sir Alex is 80, and no matter how big or small a person is no one lasts forever
in football. Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in world football.
Is Moyes one of the biggest managers? There's a simple answer to that. No. Mourinho
is. His resume speaks for itself. He is one of the only managers to win a
domestic league title in 4 different countries, and currently the manager of
Real Madrid. Next to, David Moyes who hmmm...
So
there we have it. Both sides of the discussion laid out. But what do you think?
Are you a Yes? or a No?
Comment below
Sunday 5 May 2013
Bale Hype - Justified?
Here's a little statistic for you. Yesterday, two former Southampton teammates played their 200th games for their current clubs. Both play in similar positions and both were chasing that elusive 20th goal. Gareth Bale was one, who was the other?
Admittedly, there may be some bias here but I will try to be as objective as I can. The media cream themselves over Bale. There are no two ways about it. Because he is from the British Isles he can do no wrong. I have to say that he is a great player, but that's because he's playing for a mediocre team. I wonder how well he would play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, up against some of the best defenders in the world like Dani Alves. I don't think it would work. He'd probably end up doing a Michael Owen and spend the rest of his career as an expensive benchwarmer.
I argue it like this, I believe that Messi is currently the best player in the world but Ronaldo is a better footballer. To make you understand, I'll say this: Ronaldo is more technically proficient with the ball than Messi is. Messi's just a goal machine. Ronaldo is not as selfish as people think. He plays for the team, which makes him invaluable. But, he has a darkside. That curse that has also stricken the media's beloved Bale. A disease that is best left to the likes of Tom Daley. I'm talking about diving.
Now, Ronaldo doesn't do it so much anymore, which is great, but the memories of him in the Premier League still stay with me. It's the same with Gareth Bale. Why does he feel the need to do it? It's cheating!
It really annoys me that the media in this country pander over him like he's the second coming. 'He's a young lad, he'll grow out of it.' On Wednesday, I will be the same age as him, I only dive in swimming pools. Agreed, I play less football than he does, but my point still stands. If he was a teenager, you could forgive him for his little discrepancies. But he isn't, he should have learnt that by now.
I think he could be a great footballer, he's already halfway there, all he really needs is a great club to play for and, I'm sorry Tottenham fans, Spurs just isn't a great club. However, Gareth Bale will never be a great player.
Walcott's better.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Admittedly, there may be some bias here but I will try to be as objective as I can. The media cream themselves over Bale. There are no two ways about it. Because he is from the British Isles he can do no wrong. I have to say that he is a great player, but that's because he's playing for a mediocre team. I wonder how well he would play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, up against some of the best defenders in the world like Dani Alves. I don't think it would work. He'd probably end up doing a Michael Owen and spend the rest of his career as an expensive benchwarmer.
I argue it like this, I believe that Messi is currently the best player in the world but Ronaldo is a better footballer. To make you understand, I'll say this: Ronaldo is more technically proficient with the ball than Messi is. Messi's just a goal machine. Ronaldo is not as selfish as people think. He plays for the team, which makes him invaluable. But, he has a darkside. That curse that has also stricken the media's beloved Bale. A disease that is best left to the likes of Tom Daley. I'm talking about diving.
Now, Ronaldo doesn't do it so much anymore, which is great, but the memories of him in the Premier League still stay with me. It's the same with Gareth Bale. Why does he feel the need to do it? It's cheating!
It really annoys me that the media in this country pander over him like he's the second coming. 'He's a young lad, he'll grow out of it.' On Wednesday, I will be the same age as him, I only dive in swimming pools. Agreed, I play less football than he does, but my point still stands. If he was a teenager, you could forgive him for his little discrepancies. But he isn't, he should have learnt that by now.
I think he could be a great footballer, he's already halfway there, all he really needs is a great club to play for and, I'm sorry Tottenham fans, Spurs just isn't a great club. However, Gareth Bale will never be a great player.
Walcott's better.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Summary Of Executions
I must first apologise for not posting for a while - work has somewhat taken over my life. As a result, I thought I'd package all of my thoughts from the last two weeks into one long post. We'll cover everything from England rugby's humiliation in Cardiff to England football's triumph in San Marino, from the season opening F1 race in Melbourne to why test cricket is the best form of the game as England earn a draw in Auckland.
So to Cardiff. England are on the brink of winning their first Grand Slam in 10 years. In their way, a resilient Welsh team who, coming into the tournament, had lost 7 straight test matches. They had galvanised the team after a first weekend defeat against Ireland and put themselves in a position that, were they to beat England by more than 7 points, they would win the championship. England, for their part, simply needed not to lose. Now, I hate to say I told you so, but I did predict when Ireland played England that neither would win the Grand Slam. What I didn't expect was for England, who had played really well at the beginning of the tournament and progressively got worse, to capitulate like they did.
It was a very physical game, everyone saw that. It wasn't the physicality that caused England to lose, and lose badly. It was their lack of drive, passion, and the ability to score tries. What is the point of having a world class finisher in Chris Ashton on the wing if he has to come off it in order to get the ball? Then, when he does, he is ineffective because he is unable to break through a central defence.Everyone knows that Tuilagi is a crash-ball player and is more likely to take the ball into contact than ship it out to the wing. Look at how the Welsh managed it - quick ball out, good hands and two tries. Simple.
This is a young team, and they clearly have a lot to learn about test rugby. For the most part, I really hope that Chris Robshaw goes on tour with the Lions, he has been outstanding for England and has really led from the front. I know that Gatland is more likely to pick a mainly Welsh team, but can you really trust a team that lost 8 games before finding form? You're not going to have the luxury of that in Australia.
Moving onto football and, as I'm writing this, England are preparing for a match against Montenegro, the world's newest footballing nation. Despite this, they are top of the World Cup qualifying group. Montenegro? Really? I know that their strikers are Serie A players but come on. England demolished San Marino last week and this should be as straightforward as that. It isn't, however, and England should be wary after the 2-2 draw late on in the Euro Qualifying. That draw showed that there were still many flaws with a team that had, up until then, won every game possible and these were brutally exposed at the European Championships last summer.
That said, I expect England to comfortably move on past Montenegro this evening and put themselves in the driving seat for World Cup Qualification. Joleon Lescott and Chris Smalling are excellent centre-backs and I hope they do well against two of the more prolific strikers Italian football has to offer. Steven Gerrard should keep to playing football, talking really isn't his strong point, and England will do well I feel.
So the F1 season has started, and ignited like a furnace in recent days. The season opener on Melbourne threw up a few surprises. Red Bull still have the fastest car in qualifying, but it seems as though Lotus have a quick car too. Ferrari will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season but the biggest surprises have come from Mercedes and McLaren. Without the aptly named 'Hamilton Effect,' Button seems to have lost a sizeable amount of pace. He is in a car that will develop and evolve as the season goes on but he might be missing out on valuable points early on in the championship.
Where Mercedes are getting their speed from is beyond me. Sure they looked quick in testing but that rarely translates into actual race pace. Again, this might be down to the 'Hamilton Effect' but then Nico Rosberg is looking quick as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the both of them were in the hunt towards the end of the season.
On another note, I hate team orders. I think they should be scrapped absolutely and any team caught up in them should be severely punished. They ruin races. Look at what happened in Malaysia. I doubt Webber will be able to stay at Red Bull if they don't punish Vettel for what he did. But then what did he do wrong? It was exciting, wheel to wheel racing. It was just what the fans tune in to watch. What they wanted to see was Rosberg having a go at Hamilton and then Hamilton coming back and him running out of fuel. Not some dreary end to an otherwise exciting race weekend. Do I think Vettel deserved the win? Yes, he did. He was driving quicker.Webber should have turned his engine back up and tried to get him back. Think of all the epic races between team mates. Prost and Senna at McLaren. Mansell and Piquet at Williams. Amazing races where they were allowed to race against each other in cars that were a lot less safe than they are now.
Where to now? China on the 14th April. The FIA needs to look at what happened in Malaysia and make a decision on team orders. I understand the teams' position. We pay you, you are our employee, you do what we say. Bollocks. The fans and sponsors give the teams the money to pay the drivers. You work for us, the fans. We want to see racing and we want to see it now. We enjoy the action, the racing and yes, the crashes. But we enjoy the crashes a lot more now because there's less of a likelihood anyone is going to be seriously injured. Look at Robert Kubica's crash in Canada a few years ago. It destroyed the car and yet he was back the following race. Then there was Felipe Massa's accident in 2009 when a piece of car came off his compatriot Barrichello's car and embedded itself in Massa's crash helmet. Were it not for the recent redesign of the crash helmet and the fact that it was 9 layers of carbon fibre thick, he would have died. We want racing!
Finally onto a point I have been trying to bang home for ages. Test cricket is the best form of the game. Simple as that. Americans won't get this because there has to be a winner with them. It's the principle that you can go and watch your team play for 5 straight days and then, right at the end, the best result for your team is a draw. And you celebrate that draw too. Take England over the past 5 days. Abysmal is how I would describe it. Right up until the final day at Eden Park. Chasing a total of 400+ runs, England came out and batted right up to the end of the day. This left no other option than for the match to be called a draw and for New Zealand to wonder where it all went wrong. With 16 balls remaining, England were down the their last wicket. And it was Monty Panesar, who faced 5 balls. Not really who you would like to see as your last man standing but an admirable two runs meant he finished the match with an envious run rate of 40. What a match!
With a rather humiliating series defeat in the sub-continent for Australia, who knows what the Ashes has in store for us this year? With England having the advantage of playing another test series against New Zealand, again, on home soil, it will be difficult to see how Australia will improve ahead of the Ashes but we will wait and see.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
So to Cardiff. England are on the brink of winning their first Grand Slam in 10 years. In their way, a resilient Welsh team who, coming into the tournament, had lost 7 straight test matches. They had galvanised the team after a first weekend defeat against Ireland and put themselves in a position that, were they to beat England by more than 7 points, they would win the championship. England, for their part, simply needed not to lose. Now, I hate to say I told you so, but I did predict when Ireland played England that neither would win the Grand Slam. What I didn't expect was for England, who had played really well at the beginning of the tournament and progressively got worse, to capitulate like they did.
It was a very physical game, everyone saw that. It wasn't the physicality that caused England to lose, and lose badly. It was their lack of drive, passion, and the ability to score tries. What is the point of having a world class finisher in Chris Ashton on the wing if he has to come off it in order to get the ball? Then, when he does, he is ineffective because he is unable to break through a central defence.Everyone knows that Tuilagi is a crash-ball player and is more likely to take the ball into contact than ship it out to the wing. Look at how the Welsh managed it - quick ball out, good hands and two tries. Simple.
This is a young team, and they clearly have a lot to learn about test rugby. For the most part, I really hope that Chris Robshaw goes on tour with the Lions, he has been outstanding for England and has really led from the front. I know that Gatland is more likely to pick a mainly Welsh team, but can you really trust a team that lost 8 games before finding form? You're not going to have the luxury of that in Australia.
Moving onto football and, as I'm writing this, England are preparing for a match against Montenegro, the world's newest footballing nation. Despite this, they are top of the World Cup qualifying group. Montenegro? Really? I know that their strikers are Serie A players but come on. England demolished San Marino last week and this should be as straightforward as that. It isn't, however, and England should be wary after the 2-2 draw late on in the Euro Qualifying. That draw showed that there were still many flaws with a team that had, up until then, won every game possible and these were brutally exposed at the European Championships last summer.
That said, I expect England to comfortably move on past Montenegro this evening and put themselves in the driving seat for World Cup Qualification. Joleon Lescott and Chris Smalling are excellent centre-backs and I hope they do well against two of the more prolific strikers Italian football has to offer. Steven Gerrard should keep to playing football, talking really isn't his strong point, and England will do well I feel.
So the F1 season has started, and ignited like a furnace in recent days. The season opener on Melbourne threw up a few surprises. Red Bull still have the fastest car in qualifying, but it seems as though Lotus have a quick car too. Ferrari will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season but the biggest surprises have come from Mercedes and McLaren. Without the aptly named 'Hamilton Effect,' Button seems to have lost a sizeable amount of pace. He is in a car that will develop and evolve as the season goes on but he might be missing out on valuable points early on in the championship.
Where Mercedes are getting their speed from is beyond me. Sure they looked quick in testing but that rarely translates into actual race pace. Again, this might be down to the 'Hamilton Effect' but then Nico Rosberg is looking quick as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the both of them were in the hunt towards the end of the season.
On another note, I hate team orders. I think they should be scrapped absolutely and any team caught up in them should be severely punished. They ruin races. Look at what happened in Malaysia. I doubt Webber will be able to stay at Red Bull if they don't punish Vettel for what he did. But then what did he do wrong? It was exciting, wheel to wheel racing. It was just what the fans tune in to watch. What they wanted to see was Rosberg having a go at Hamilton and then Hamilton coming back and him running out of fuel. Not some dreary end to an otherwise exciting race weekend. Do I think Vettel deserved the win? Yes, he did. He was driving quicker.Webber should have turned his engine back up and tried to get him back. Think of all the epic races between team mates. Prost and Senna at McLaren. Mansell and Piquet at Williams. Amazing races where they were allowed to race against each other in cars that were a lot less safe than they are now.
Where to now? China on the 14th April. The FIA needs to look at what happened in Malaysia and make a decision on team orders. I understand the teams' position. We pay you, you are our employee, you do what we say. Bollocks. The fans and sponsors give the teams the money to pay the drivers. You work for us, the fans. We want to see racing and we want to see it now. We enjoy the action, the racing and yes, the crashes. But we enjoy the crashes a lot more now because there's less of a likelihood anyone is going to be seriously injured. Look at Robert Kubica's crash in Canada a few years ago. It destroyed the car and yet he was back the following race. Then there was Felipe Massa's accident in 2009 when a piece of car came off his compatriot Barrichello's car and embedded itself in Massa's crash helmet. Were it not for the recent redesign of the crash helmet and the fact that it was 9 layers of carbon fibre thick, he would have died. We want racing!
Finally onto a point I have been trying to bang home for ages. Test cricket is the best form of the game. Simple as that. Americans won't get this because there has to be a winner with them. It's the principle that you can go and watch your team play for 5 straight days and then, right at the end, the best result for your team is a draw. And you celebrate that draw too. Take England over the past 5 days. Abysmal is how I would describe it. Right up until the final day at Eden Park. Chasing a total of 400+ runs, England came out and batted right up to the end of the day. This left no other option than for the match to be called a draw and for New Zealand to wonder where it all went wrong. With 16 balls remaining, England were down the their last wicket. And it was Monty Panesar, who faced 5 balls. Not really who you would like to see as your last man standing but an admirable two runs meant he finished the match with an envious run rate of 40. What a match!
With a rather humiliating series defeat in the sub-continent for Australia, who knows what the Ashes has in store for us this year? With England having the advantage of playing another test series against New Zealand, again, on home soil, it will be difficult to see how Australia will improve ahead of the Ashes but we will wait and see.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Sunday 10 March 2013
Grand Slam Still On?
I've got a bit of a dilemma. Watching the England v Italy match, I was thinking of how poor England were. Stupidly high possession percentage in the first half but went in at the break only 9 points up. Then Italy come out and dominate after the restart at Twickenham.
So here's my dilemma: I wouldn't have picked a different team. Give me that scenario over and over again and, knowing how poor they played, I would still pick the same team. Why? Because that's the best team we have at the moment.
So long as Owen Farrell is available next week, I'd put him back into the squad. I'd also have him play all 80 minutes. That's not to take anything away from Toby Flood who had an excellent game today though. I'd bring him on at 12 on the sixty minute mark. It would obviously depend on how well the other players were doing.
So what went wrong today then? I'm sure many people will point out that England won and that nothing did go wrong. Also, the old adage 'even though we played poorly we still won.' I agree, but it was so poor, we should be questioning how well we play. England have scored just one try in three games.
And that's where the problem lies, in our attitude. I get the impression that this England team are quite happy to sit back and wait for the other team to concede the penalties and try not to concede many themselves. A tactic only this team can pull off (England teams of old would concede more). There's no sting in attack. I don't know why though. In Barritt and Flood, they have a couple of great ball passers and in Ashton and Brown they have some excellent finishers. So why aren't they getting more tries on the board?
I know you're all going to hate me for this but I think it's Tuilagi. Told you you'd hate me. The reason for this is because he doesn't do quick balls. He is most definitely a crash ball player. He won't ship the ball out to Brown or Ashton under normal conditions. But you wouldn't drop him. Or, at least, I wouldn't. Why not? Because he is a strong player, both in attack and in defence. The ball will be there for the wingers if they push their case and come more central. Look at Luke McLane and his break against England. Broke the English line between 12 and 13. Simply because he came off his wing. They should have scored.
So there's the dilemma. Who would you pick against Wales? Let me know.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
So here's my dilemma: I wouldn't have picked a different team. Give me that scenario over and over again and, knowing how poor they played, I would still pick the same team. Why? Because that's the best team we have at the moment.
So long as Owen Farrell is available next week, I'd put him back into the squad. I'd also have him play all 80 minutes. That's not to take anything away from Toby Flood who had an excellent game today though. I'd bring him on at 12 on the sixty minute mark. It would obviously depend on how well the other players were doing.
So what went wrong today then? I'm sure many people will point out that England won and that nothing did go wrong. Also, the old adage 'even though we played poorly we still won.' I agree, but it was so poor, we should be questioning how well we play. England have scored just one try in three games.
And that's where the problem lies, in our attitude. I get the impression that this England team are quite happy to sit back and wait for the other team to concede the penalties and try not to concede many themselves. A tactic only this team can pull off (England teams of old would concede more). There's no sting in attack. I don't know why though. In Barritt and Flood, they have a couple of great ball passers and in Ashton and Brown they have some excellent finishers. So why aren't they getting more tries on the board?
I know you're all going to hate me for this but I think it's Tuilagi. Told you you'd hate me. The reason for this is because he doesn't do quick balls. He is most definitely a crash ball player. He won't ship the ball out to Brown or Ashton under normal conditions. But you wouldn't drop him. Or, at least, I wouldn't. Why not? Because he is a strong player, both in attack and in defence. The ball will be there for the wingers if they push their case and come more central. Look at Luke McLane and his break against England. Broke the English line between 12 and 13. Simply because he came off his wing. They should have scored.
So there's the dilemma. Who would you pick against Wales? Let me know.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Friday 8 March 2013
Is The Chelsea Job Toxic?
I have just started a new job. I'm enjoying myself and I really like the people who I'm working alongside. Excuse me while I am a bit self-indulgent, but I do have a point. I wasn't actively looking for a job when I got offered it. I was offered 2 jobs in the same day. I was also offered quite a few more interviews on top of that. I turned a few interviews down. Why? Simply put, because I thought that if I had some of those companies on my CV, it would make it toxic.
They're bad companies to work for. I could have done well there and probably made more money than I am at the moment, but that's not the point. What if I get made redundant? With that company on my CV, no one will look twice at it.
That's the problem with the Chelsea manager's position. I would be surprised if Rafa Benitez got another job after this. I'm surprised that AVB got another job after Chelsea got rid of him (albeit, he has done well at Tottenham). Roberto di Matteo and Avram Grant are two names that spring to the top of the pile when you talk of Chelsea managers that have gone on to do next to nothing after they've left. Di Matteo is a Champion's League winning manager. There shouldn't be a team in Europe that doesn't want him to sign for them, but he's from Chelsea. He has been tarred with the same brush.
I think that's a shame, it really is. Outside of Spain, I've never really thought Benitez was a good manager. He did well at Valencia with a very young team, breaking the stranglehold Real and Barcelona had on La Liga. Then he moved to Liverpool and won the Champion's League in his first season. Yet you look at the squad he had back then and you think that there was no way he could fail to win it. It was a very talented group of individuals who played together as a team. Not to mention a younger Steven Gerrard and a vibrant Xabi Alonso. Then he floundered at Inter Milan and eventually got given the Chelsea job. He needs to go back to Spain. He ought to go back to Valencia and produce the next generation of David Silva's to challenge the top two over there again.
I think Di Matteo was lucky. The squad were in 'that season' where everything just comes together. Except in the league, where they came 6th. That's not the point though. When Arsenal reached the final of the Champion's League, they only just managed to scrape 4th place away from Tottenham. Even so, he should be employed elsewhere by now.
But he isn't. That's because he has Chelsea on his CV. No one wants him because he has, at some point in his career, taken up a position which he knows can only ever be a temporary assignment. Which makes him a temporary manager at best now. Even with the Champion's League behind him, he can't get away from that fact.
Don't get me wrong, if I were offered that role at Chelsea, I would grab it with both hands. Anyone in my position would. Then I have no long-term future to worry about. I would be happy to bank the wages, get a huge payoff at the end and know that I have left a club in no worse state than when I found it. Which Premiership manager now would take that job? None. They all know what it entails. Abramovich only wants one person to look after the players at Stamford Bridge, and that man's got his heart set on the Manchester United job.
On a completely unrelated note, I was at a charity dinner with Gianfranco Zola and Gus Poyet last night.
Until next time!
They're bad companies to work for. I could have done well there and probably made more money than I am at the moment, but that's not the point. What if I get made redundant? With that company on my CV, no one will look twice at it.
That's the problem with the Chelsea manager's position. I would be surprised if Rafa Benitez got another job after this. I'm surprised that AVB got another job after Chelsea got rid of him (albeit, he has done well at Tottenham). Roberto di Matteo and Avram Grant are two names that spring to the top of the pile when you talk of Chelsea managers that have gone on to do next to nothing after they've left. Di Matteo is a Champion's League winning manager. There shouldn't be a team in Europe that doesn't want him to sign for them, but he's from Chelsea. He has been tarred with the same brush.
I think that's a shame, it really is. Outside of Spain, I've never really thought Benitez was a good manager. He did well at Valencia with a very young team, breaking the stranglehold Real and Barcelona had on La Liga. Then he moved to Liverpool and won the Champion's League in his first season. Yet you look at the squad he had back then and you think that there was no way he could fail to win it. It was a very talented group of individuals who played together as a team. Not to mention a younger Steven Gerrard and a vibrant Xabi Alonso. Then he floundered at Inter Milan and eventually got given the Chelsea job. He needs to go back to Spain. He ought to go back to Valencia and produce the next generation of David Silva's to challenge the top two over there again.
I think Di Matteo was lucky. The squad were in 'that season' where everything just comes together. Except in the league, where they came 6th. That's not the point though. When Arsenal reached the final of the Champion's League, they only just managed to scrape 4th place away from Tottenham. Even so, he should be employed elsewhere by now.
But he isn't. That's because he has Chelsea on his CV. No one wants him because he has, at some point in his career, taken up a position which he knows can only ever be a temporary assignment. Which makes him a temporary manager at best now. Even with the Champion's League behind him, he can't get away from that fact.
Don't get me wrong, if I were offered that role at Chelsea, I would grab it with both hands. Anyone in my position would. Then I have no long-term future to worry about. I would be happy to bank the wages, get a huge payoff at the end and know that I have left a club in no worse state than when I found it. Which Premiership manager now would take that job? None. They all know what it entails. Abramovich only wants one person to look after the players at Stamford Bridge, and that man's got his heart set on the Manchester United job.
On a completely unrelated note, I was at a charity dinner with Gianfranco Zola and Gus Poyet last night.
Until next time!
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Right Or Wrong, A Referee's Decision Is Final
I've never been quick to criticise a referee. I know they do an extremely difficult job. That said, the standard of refereeing has gone downhill in recent years. There have been some truly awful decisions over the last 24 months but I'd rather not go into details here. Whether a referee has made a correct decision, the true test of a team and their fans is how they react to that decision.
I'll get to tonight's action in a bit but I'd like to draw your attention to Arsenal v Barcelona recently at the Nou Camp. Robin van Persie is on a yellow card. He is released down the right hand side of the pitch. A little late, the flag goes up for offside. RVP then kicks the ball, rather petulantly I'll admit, off the pitch. It wasn't malicious, it wasn't spiteful. It was not, in anyway, meant to change the course of play whatsoever. The referee gives him a second yellow card, followed by a red, and Barcelona go on to win the match.
Yes, I feel that was the wrong decision. Any decent ref would have given him a final warning. It was a decision that changed the game. It was an ambiguous decision and it could have gone either way. It happened, and I'm proud of the players and the way they responded. And I'm proud of the fans and the fact that the majority thought we were lucky to go to the Nou Camp with anything in the first place.
Moving on, or back actually, to Nigel De Jong. Now there can be no bones about it. Howard Webb should have sent him off in the World Cup Final. He didn't. He endangered the safety of another player by putting his foot through him.
And, just to prove that I'm not biased, I've just seen a video of Emmanuel Eboué challenging for the ball against none other than Nani himself, studs up, and getting sent off. Correct decision. Absolutely correct. It was made at 3-0 down so did not change the game but it annoys me that he though he could do something like that. He's no longer at Arsenal.
So I'll finish with what you came here to read about. Yes, I thought it was a game-changing moment. A game-changing moment of madness that Nani cost his team, which I think is better than the 1999 club, of a shot at the treble. It cost Sir Alex Ferguson his chance of becoming the undisputed greatest manager of all time. And it showed just how petulant such a great club can be when they don't always get it their own way.
First of all, it was a red. No ifs, no buts. Studs up challenge, endangering the safety of another player. Red card. Let's not have any of this 'by the letter of the law' nonsense. Red card. Deal with it. And as such, would you consider the reactions of the United players to be of the standard expected if them? No. They lost and blamed the referee. Blame Nani, he's the one that got sent off!
I truly hope that Rio Ferdinand gets a chance to watch himself clap in the referee's face after the final whistle. I also hope that someone at UEFA sees it and bans him like they did to Drogba a few years ago. It was awful. And kids look up to this moron? Great role model you are.
Onto Sir Alex Ferguson and not attending the press conference. That's awful. In all my life I'd never thought I'd be describing him as a coward. But that's what he is. Just that. If that had been anyone else, the media would have kicked up a shitstorm. The club and it's fans really showed their true colours today and it's a shame for such a great club.
I would love to finish off with something like 'The Old Guard let the club down' but that would be detracting from Ryan Giggs who played in his 1,000th game for United. He looked every bit like he was playing in his 1st game. What a player he has been. Incredible. At least I can finish on a happier note.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
I'll get to tonight's action in a bit but I'd like to draw your attention to Arsenal v Barcelona recently at the Nou Camp. Robin van Persie is on a yellow card. He is released down the right hand side of the pitch. A little late, the flag goes up for offside. RVP then kicks the ball, rather petulantly I'll admit, off the pitch. It wasn't malicious, it wasn't spiteful. It was not, in anyway, meant to change the course of play whatsoever. The referee gives him a second yellow card, followed by a red, and Barcelona go on to win the match.
Yes, I feel that was the wrong decision. Any decent ref would have given him a final warning. It was a decision that changed the game. It was an ambiguous decision and it could have gone either way. It happened, and I'm proud of the players and the way they responded. And I'm proud of the fans and the fact that the majority thought we were lucky to go to the Nou Camp with anything in the first place.
Moving on, or back actually, to Nigel De Jong. Now there can be no bones about it. Howard Webb should have sent him off in the World Cup Final. He didn't. He endangered the safety of another player by putting his foot through him.
And, just to prove that I'm not biased, I've just seen a video of Emmanuel Eboué challenging for the ball against none other than Nani himself, studs up, and getting sent off. Correct decision. Absolutely correct. It was made at 3-0 down so did not change the game but it annoys me that he though he could do something like that. He's no longer at Arsenal.
So I'll finish with what you came here to read about. Yes, I thought it was a game-changing moment. A game-changing moment of madness that Nani cost his team, which I think is better than the 1999 club, of a shot at the treble. It cost Sir Alex Ferguson his chance of becoming the undisputed greatest manager of all time. And it showed just how petulant such a great club can be when they don't always get it their own way.
First of all, it was a red. No ifs, no buts. Studs up challenge, endangering the safety of another player. Red card. Let's not have any of this 'by the letter of the law' nonsense. Red card. Deal with it. And as such, would you consider the reactions of the United players to be of the standard expected if them? No. They lost and blamed the referee. Blame Nani, he's the one that got sent off!
I truly hope that Rio Ferdinand gets a chance to watch himself clap in the referee's face after the final whistle. I also hope that someone at UEFA sees it and bans him like they did to Drogba a few years ago. It was awful. And kids look up to this moron? Great role model you are.
Onto Sir Alex Ferguson and not attending the press conference. That's awful. In all my life I'd never thought I'd be describing him as a coward. But that's what he is. Just that. If that had been anyone else, the media would have kicked up a shitstorm. The club and it's fans really showed their true colours today and it's a shame for such a great club.
I would love to finish off with something like 'The Old Guard let the club down' but that would be detracting from Ryan Giggs who played in his 1,000th game for United. He looked every bit like he was playing in his 1st game. What a player he has been. Incredible. At least I can finish on a happier note.
Until next time!
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Sunday 10 February 2013
Six Nations Buzz
So this year's Six Nations is well and truly underway. And what an excellent set of games we've had so far! France, beaten away in Rome and then at home to Wales. Italy, displaying courage to defeat France and then timidity in the face of Scotland. Wales, reeling from 8 back to back losses cutting up the turf at the Stade de France on their way to an historic victory. Scotland, cut open by a rampant England and then ruining Italian hearts at Murrayfield.
That brings us on to the two teams that face each other today, Ireland and England. The only two teams left who can complete the Grand Slam. Ireland looked masterful last weekend. They controlled large parts of the game and prevented Wales from getting quick balls at the breakdown. England were equally brilliant against Scotland, but then it's difficult not to be when you're playing for the oldest trophy in rugby.
So, how will they fare this afternoon? Who will triumph? Well, I can certainly say one thing. Neither team will complete the Grand Slam. Previously, when there have been contenders, the 'Grand Slam' match comes towards the end. Either the penultimate game or the final match. The pressure on whoever wins today will be tremendous. Usually by this point you'd see the top three teams winning their first two matches and vying for the crown. This time, Italy is well in the mix and France has lost twice!
Going back to the match today, it will be an interesting one. Stuart Lancaster has got this England team playing a brand of rugby I haven't seen in a white and red shirt for about 6 years. Simple, efficient and effortless is how you'd describe it. The ball doesn't spent nearly as much time in the air as it used to. I alway got the feeling that Martin Johnson never trusted his backs, which was why you would always see them kicking the ball, unnecessarily wasting possession.
I like this new/old England. But not as much as I enjoy watching the Irish on their day. Owen Farrell is starting to come into his own as England's number 10, but Johnny Sexton has a few years under his belt at fly-half and looks like keeping that shirt for quite a few more. His intelligence in setting up his backs, the speed at which he throws himself into tackles and the attack and his combined kicking ability remind me of another number 10, also called Johnny.
He's also had the luxury of playing alongside D'Arcy and O'Driscoll, two of the best centres to ever grace the international stage. Farrell hasn't had that opportunity. Don't get me wrong, Brad Barritt will grow into a fine centre and Twelvetrees looked immense on his debut against Scotland, but they don't have the experience. This England back line is learning together and we're yet to see whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. What we do know, however, is that this game this afternoon is going to be one of the all-time greats.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
That brings us on to the two teams that face each other today, Ireland and England. The only two teams left who can complete the Grand Slam. Ireland looked masterful last weekend. They controlled large parts of the game and prevented Wales from getting quick balls at the breakdown. England were equally brilliant against Scotland, but then it's difficult not to be when you're playing for the oldest trophy in rugby.
So, how will they fare this afternoon? Who will triumph? Well, I can certainly say one thing. Neither team will complete the Grand Slam. Previously, when there have been contenders, the 'Grand Slam' match comes towards the end. Either the penultimate game or the final match. The pressure on whoever wins today will be tremendous. Usually by this point you'd see the top three teams winning their first two matches and vying for the crown. This time, Italy is well in the mix and France has lost twice!
Going back to the match today, it will be an interesting one. Stuart Lancaster has got this England team playing a brand of rugby I haven't seen in a white and red shirt for about 6 years. Simple, efficient and effortless is how you'd describe it. The ball doesn't spent nearly as much time in the air as it used to. I alway got the feeling that Martin Johnson never trusted his backs, which was why you would always see them kicking the ball, unnecessarily wasting possession.
I like this new/old England. But not as much as I enjoy watching the Irish on their day. Owen Farrell is starting to come into his own as England's number 10, but Johnny Sexton has a few years under his belt at fly-half and looks like keeping that shirt for quite a few more. His intelligence in setting up his backs, the speed at which he throws himself into tackles and the attack and his combined kicking ability remind me of another number 10, also called Johnny.
He's also had the luxury of playing alongside D'Arcy and O'Driscoll, two of the best centres to ever grace the international stage. Farrell hasn't had that opportunity. Don't get me wrong, Brad Barritt will grow into a fine centre and Twelvetrees looked immense on his debut against Scotland, but they don't have the experience. This England back line is learning together and we're yet to see whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. What we do know, however, is that this game this afternoon is going to be one of the all-time greats.
Follow me on Twitter: @obmij1
Tuesday 5 February 2013
F1 - 40 Days To Go
I am really excited about the upcoming Formula 1 season. It promises to be one of the most unpredictable seasons we've had for a long time.
Hamilton has now moved from McLaren to Mercedes which now means that the fastest driver on the grid is no longer in the fastest car. I think he will do well there, but eventually move on. Mercedes aren't that competitive. The new partnership at McLaren sure looks interesting. I doubt Perez will push Button as much as Hamilton did, but then he wasn't really pressurised by Barrichello in 2009 was he? I rate Perez. Some of his races last season for Sauber were impressive. He's a man who knows his car and his tyres and can set it up and race a different race than the other drivers. Imagine that in a car that can actually challenge for championships.
Now onto Ferrari, who have an unchanged lineup from last year. That's great, it really is. Alonso is a superb driver, as is Massa. He really started to recover the form he had in 2008 towards the end of last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see both drivers in the hunt this year. The question is, if Massa is ahead of Alonso come Hungary, will Ferrari still favour Fernando?
And finally Red Bull, who have yet to unveil the car they hope will deliver them their fourth championship in a row. Again, an unchanged driver lineup but don't be surprised to hear rumours of drivers replacing Webber towards the end of the season. It happens. He should stay and retire with them rather than be ousted and not have the opportunity to retire gracefully. Rubens Barrichello never got that chance, which was a shame for such a record breaker.
So, will it be four for Vettel? Will Hamilton win a Grand Prix? Or will Alonso finally win with Ferrari? The season begins in 40 days time.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hamilton has now moved from McLaren to Mercedes which now means that the fastest driver on the grid is no longer in the fastest car. I think he will do well there, but eventually move on. Mercedes aren't that competitive. The new partnership at McLaren sure looks interesting. I doubt Perez will push Button as much as Hamilton did, but then he wasn't really pressurised by Barrichello in 2009 was he? I rate Perez. Some of his races last season for Sauber were impressive. He's a man who knows his car and his tyres and can set it up and race a different race than the other drivers. Imagine that in a car that can actually challenge for championships.
Now onto Ferrari, who have an unchanged lineup from last year. That's great, it really is. Alonso is a superb driver, as is Massa. He really started to recover the form he had in 2008 towards the end of last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see both drivers in the hunt this year. The question is, if Massa is ahead of Alonso come Hungary, will Ferrari still favour Fernando?
And finally Red Bull, who have yet to unveil the car they hope will deliver them their fourth championship in a row. Again, an unchanged driver lineup but don't be surprised to hear rumours of drivers replacing Webber towards the end of the season. It happens. He should stay and retire with them rather than be ousted and not have the opportunity to retire gracefully. Rubens Barrichello never got that chance, which was a shame for such a record breaker.
So, will it be four for Vettel? Will Hamilton win a Grand Prix? Or will Alonso finally win with Ferrari? The season begins in 40 days time.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday 4 February 2013
The Season So Far
So we've just had the Super Bowl. That can only mean one thing: we are well over halfway through the regular, associated, football season.
Manchester Uniter are currently sitting 9 points clear at the top of the table, Pep Guardiola will shortly be making his way to Munich and Arsenal have managed to sign a delicious sharing starter for 2.
So what should be made of all this? What did the January transfer window spell for each individual club? More to the point, now that Mario Balotelli has upped sticks and moved back home, is it safe to walk the streets of Manchester without being shot at with a BB gun or have a firework thrown at us?
I feel that United deserve to be where they are. If they can find a decent keeper then there's no reason why they can't win the Treble again. With a strike force capable of levelling small towns and a midfield to which small doses of bull testosterone is given in the form of ever-presents Giggs and Scholes, it's not a surprise at all to see them where they are. Van Persie is a maestro, £24m well spent. Rooney, a pit bull with no elegance, no finesse but he scores, and that's what he's paid to do.
Guardiola, I wish you the best of luck. You are inheriting a very talented squad. To which, I am sure, you will add your own inimitable touches. However, I doubt you will be as successful. But what does it matter? For £10m a year, I'll happily manage Bayern. Hell, I'd shave body parts for that money. Whatever you do, how much money you spend, you will never have a squad that even touches what you had at Barcelona. Which is a shame, because I feel you're a great coach. Most coaches work their whole lives to bring together a squad like Barça's. it was handed to you.
So my beautiful club bought Nacho Monreal. Who? Exactly. After two months of 'will he, won't he' David Villa stayed at Barcelona and we sneakily bought another left back. I can see why though. Walcott, Giroud and Podolski are scary on their day so Villa would struggle to get game time right now. Coupled with that the fact that every time Andre Santos comes onto the pitch there's a collective groan from the Arsenal fans and Monreal seems like the most sensible but of the two. He was plunged straight into the Stoke game. A baptism of fire seeing as Stoke haven't played a game of associated football in 15 years. Monreal might as well have signed up for the Six Nations. A good buy, well done Arsene.
So, he's gone. Packed up his bags and, for the princely sum of £19m, moved to AC Milan where he scored twice, on his debut. So where does this leave Manchester City? Well, a major bonus is 11 men on the pitch. But, he has left big boots to fill. He might be a nutter but he's a nutter who scores goals. And sets them up, and is involved as much as possible. Dzeko and Agüero are not like that. They are both fantastic strikers but they're lazy. Agüero isn't scoring right now anyway. They needed him in the last minutes at Anfield the other day, they can't rely on him all the time. From a team made of nothing but strikers, City now have 3. An that's not enough to win you the premiership. Sir Alex starts 3 strikers. That's why United are top. Strength in depth.
Finally, no. You will be shot at in Manchester. It's Manchester. There are parts of it even Brixton boys don't go to. And I might be moving there!
Thanks all, see you next time!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Manchester Uniter are currently sitting 9 points clear at the top of the table, Pep Guardiola will shortly be making his way to Munich and Arsenal have managed to sign a delicious sharing starter for 2.
So what should be made of all this? What did the January transfer window spell for each individual club? More to the point, now that Mario Balotelli has upped sticks and moved back home, is it safe to walk the streets of Manchester without being shot at with a BB gun or have a firework thrown at us?
I feel that United deserve to be where they are. If they can find a decent keeper then there's no reason why they can't win the Treble again. With a strike force capable of levelling small towns and a midfield to which small doses of bull testosterone is given in the form of ever-presents Giggs and Scholes, it's not a surprise at all to see them where they are. Van Persie is a maestro, £24m well spent. Rooney, a pit bull with no elegance, no finesse but he scores, and that's what he's paid to do.
Guardiola, I wish you the best of luck. You are inheriting a very talented squad. To which, I am sure, you will add your own inimitable touches. However, I doubt you will be as successful. But what does it matter? For £10m a year, I'll happily manage Bayern. Hell, I'd shave body parts for that money. Whatever you do, how much money you spend, you will never have a squad that even touches what you had at Barcelona. Which is a shame, because I feel you're a great coach. Most coaches work their whole lives to bring together a squad like Barça's. it was handed to you.
So my beautiful club bought Nacho Monreal. Who? Exactly. After two months of 'will he, won't he' David Villa stayed at Barcelona and we sneakily bought another left back. I can see why though. Walcott, Giroud and Podolski are scary on their day so Villa would struggle to get game time right now. Coupled with that the fact that every time Andre Santos comes onto the pitch there's a collective groan from the Arsenal fans and Monreal seems like the most sensible but of the two. He was plunged straight into the Stoke game. A baptism of fire seeing as Stoke haven't played a game of associated football in 15 years. Monreal might as well have signed up for the Six Nations. A good buy, well done Arsene.
So, he's gone. Packed up his bags and, for the princely sum of £19m, moved to AC Milan where he scored twice, on his debut. So where does this leave Manchester City? Well, a major bonus is 11 men on the pitch. But, he has left big boots to fill. He might be a nutter but he's a nutter who scores goals. And sets them up, and is involved as much as possible. Dzeko and Agüero are not like that. They are both fantastic strikers but they're lazy. Agüero isn't scoring right now anyway. They needed him in the last minutes at Anfield the other day, they can't rely on him all the time. From a team made of nothing but strikers, City now have 3. An that's not enough to win you the premiership. Sir Alex starts 3 strikers. That's why United are top. Strength in depth.
Finally, no. You will be shot at in Manchester. It's Manchester. There are parts of it even Brixton boys don't go to. And I might be moving there!
Thanks all, see you next time!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)