The PFA awards are a complete farce in my opinion and should be scrapped.
Ryan Giggs won the PFA player of the year for the first time, and although he probably should have won it many years ago -1998/99 or 2002/03 are two years where he certainly could have, it is so obviously an award of sentiment. However, this is not the only decision this year which has made the awards look a little silly.
During the months of January and February, Manchester United put a tremendous run of results together. This resulted in six of their players being included in the PFA team of the year. However, some of these players have lost form completely since the voting was compiled at the end of February.
Two important questions have to be asked. Firstly, why are the votes compiled three months before the season is completed? Secondly, why does it take so long for the votes to be counted?
To complain about Giggs being player of the year is not the main issue. After such a dazzling career, it is amazing he has never won either this award of the Proffessional Writers’ award before. Also, his fellow professionals make the decision, so it would be unfair and churlish to moan too much. I just think the timing is unfortunate.
Surely awards are based on a performance over a whole season, not five or six months, or in Giggs’ case, five or six games.
When the voting was carried out, Manchester United were on a such a hot streak, recording clean sheet after clean sheet. The nominations are, to some extent, understandable.
However, the awards then lose their kudos for not taking place for another two months. There lies the problem. Look at the team of the year?
Edwin Van de Sar has been poor since then, and has been occasionally dropped. Nemanja Vidic looks very shaky without Rio Ferdinand, and has made high profile errors in big games. These two are excellent together, but Ferdinand has missed several games this season, and has he really been as good, over the campaign, as Fulham’s Brede Hangeland?
It’s unfortunate, because all the players who were voted in the team of the season have looked shaky since the voting was carried out, but were excellent at the time of voting.
Patrice Evra has also looked inept defensively lately, again bringing into question, why are the nominations so early and presented so late?
Consequently, the reputation of the awards has suffered. The professional writers’ awards seem to have a lot more credence.
The timing of the awards has always an issue, but especially this year.
Giggs has been a great player, and has had some excellent‘patches’ of form this season. However, before the voting was done, Manchester United had played 27 games, of which the Welshman had started eight of them. He had scored two goals and had five assists. He still contains those statistics now.
Its’ not just about statistics, of course, but, Steven Gerrard has scored 21 goals, despite being injured slightly more frequently than usual. He has also assisted in nine goals.
The Liverpool skipper must surely be a more suitable footballer of the year, mainly due to the fact that for the first five months of the season, Liverpool was probably the best team. He was, as always, their talisman, especially with Torres being absent for long spells.
Maybe Gerrard's off field problems have affected his case.
It seems that the PFA awards are being based on a five to six week period this season, and that is, to put it bluntly, a complete joke. If this is the criteria for the writers’ award as well, then Yossi Benayoun, Fernando Torres and Michael Essien must be the only contenders. They have all had a wonderful last six weeks or so.
The other names in the PFA team also have to be questioned. Frank Lampard has had a terrific season, often carrying Chelsea on his own for much of the campaign, but he is not even in the team of the year. Unfortunately the voting coincided with Chelsea’s mid season slump, and Phil Scolari’s departure.
Ashley Young was certainly in the running for player of the year until February, but he has tailed off horribly in recent weeks, and his award now looks debatable. Throughout the season, Stephen Ireland and Aaron Lennon have been far more consistent. Lennon, for example, has just got better and better, whilst Ireland has remained Manchester City’s best player.
Gabriel Ablongahor had a great start to the season, but has scored once since January, and that too makes his selection look totally out of place. In 2009 the Villa striker has had a nightmare in front of goal and his team has collapsed in the league. His nomination looks floored, again bringing the timing of voting into question.
Fernando Torres is also a strange choice in the PFA team of the year. He has been fantastic in recent weeks, but by the time voting had been counted he had only played less than a dozen league games, all be it scoring nine league goals. Is that enough playing time for him to be considered for selection?
Of course, on sheer ability, Torres should be in the team, but over the season, how about Kevin Davies? Van Persie? Even Robinho (of course not now), but up to December he was terrific. Peter Crouch has also been a shining light at Portsmouth.
Torres’ selection illustrates the floors of the awards. It also shows how inconsistent and fragmented the selection process is. It looks like a shambles now, because Nicolas Anelka is in the team of the year. This was, at the time, a correct decision as the voting is done in February and he was the top scorer in the country. However, it looks a little left field. In recent weeks, under Guus Hiddink, the Frenchman has seldom played and has not scored since February.
Finally, why is Rafael da Silva in the young player of the year catorgery? He is a great talent, but he has started 11 league games. He had started about seven or eight league games when the voting was carried out. It is ridiculous, and it brings about a major question. Do the players really make good judges?
The conclusion that I make, is that the whole awards does, in a bizarre way, equal itself out. Some strange selections have been made in terms of players like Torres, who seems to be there purely on his name alone. By February, he had hardly played. However over the season he should probably be in the team.
Van de sar, Evra and Young look like strange selections if you take the season as a whole into account. However, before March, they had all been excellent, and if the voting takes place then, what can you do?
I would like to submit an alternative team of the season, based on the whole season and on a consistency basis.
Reina (Liverpool)
Jagielka (Everton)
Vidic (Manchester United)
Hangeland (Fulham)
Johnson (Portsmouth)
Gerrard (Liverpool)
Lampard (Chelsea)
Carrick (Manchester United)
Alonso (Liverpool)
Van Persie (Arsenal)
Crouch (Portsmouth)
There may be serious argument that this team lacks width, but its on paper, not on the pitch,
Sometimes I feel players are included just because they are the best option in that position, not because they have had a great season. Ronaldo is the prime example. No one can tell me that before February, he was one of the four best midfielders in the league. Only in the last month, has he produced anywhere near his top form.
It's easy to play well in an excellent side, and when the side is winning, but that doesn’t seem to always be taken into account.
Pepe Reina has, over the season, been the most consistent goalkeeper. Yes, in the last two weeks he has been rocky, but that’s only because he is usually so consistent. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Phil Jagielka – Has been brilliant this season, anywhere across the back four.
Brede Hangeland – What a steal by Hodgson! One of the success stories of the season, and probably the main reason the Cottagers are in seventh place.
Frank Lampard – The heartbeat of Chelsea’s great start, a shining light in the slump, and brilliant again in recent weeks. I’ve not always been his biggest fan, but he has had an exceptional season.
Michael Carrick – During the mid season run, Carrick, not Giggs, dictated everything Manchester United did. His passing is so deceptively accurate.
Xavi Alonso – Liverpool were top for three months, and Alonso was probably their best player. He is till playing well now, and scored a terrific goal at Hull. The Spaniard recovered brilliantly from the summer transfer speculation.
Robin Van Persie – The Dutchman has so much ability and he also has moments of madness. However, he re-ignited Arsenal’s flagging season at Chelsea and has been consistent all season, despite the odd suspension. He is maturing now and he is my choice, mainly because it hasn’t been a great season for strikers.
Peter Crouch – Along with Glen Johnson, remained consistent throughout the dark days under Tony Adams. Has had another great season, despite playing in a much weaker side.
Again, I haven’t always been his biggest fan, but he is an un-sung hero this year.
His goals will keep Pompey up.
The lanky striker is only in there due to Torres’ injury, but deserves his place, nevertheless.
Other players that are worth a mention are Matt Taylor and Kevin Davies at Bolton, Martin Lausen and Brad Friedel at Aston Villa, Yossi Benayoun and Alvaro Arbeloa at Liverpool and Mark Schwarzer and Clint Dempsey at Fulham.
Tim Cahill and Michael Arteta have also been excellent at Everton.
For the record, I do think Vidic should have just shaded the award from Gerrard, as the votes were cast in February.
My message to the PFA is please do the voting in April, or at the end of the season. It’s not a difficult concept Mr Gordon Taylor. These controversial awards are really not necessary or valid under the current process.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
ROY HODGSON - Does he get enough praise?
Roy Hodgson is the best English manager of his generation. In terms of longevity he is un-challenged, and his track record stands up against any of his other contemporaries.
Some of you reading this may think this is a crazy statement, but who are his main rivals? Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren are much younger, whilst Sir Bobby Robson is a fair bit older. Sam Allardyce perhaps? Kevin Keegan? Howard Kendall (excellent, briefly, but not really in the game long enough)? Howard Wilkinson (god forbid!) or… Harry Redknapp?
After winning four league titles in Sweden, Hodgson took Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup in America. This was their first World Cup finals since 1966. They finished above Italy (the 1994 finalists) in qualifying and reached the knockout stages. This huge achievement was mutely noted by the English press, but was he given enough credit?
There were no stars in that Swiss team, just a half decent, average group of players. They defeated Romania 4-1 in that tournament and the Romanian’s were hailed by many to be one of the best teams in the USA.
Switzerland beat some of the best teams in the world under Hodgson’s stewardship. They posed the attacking threat of Stephane Chapusait and Adrian Knup, but the majority of the players were hardworking journeymen.
The country also qualified for Euro 96 in Hodgson’s home country, and despite losing all three games, Hodgson will always remain a hero in Switzerland. He molded that team together and made them a genuine force. He did a terrific job.
His success with the Swiss took him to Italy and the prestigious job of Inter Milan boss. He did a solid job, but Inter were not the force then, that they are now. He signed Paul Ince and guided the team to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final. They lost on penalties, but he had made his mark.
The UEFA Cup was still a huge competition in those days, and Hodgson became a popular figure at the San Siro. The club also finished third in Serie A, but Juventus and Parma were particularly strong sides at that time. Hodgson was certainly not a failure though, and remains highly rated in Italy to this day.
He took over at Blackburn Rovers with the club bottom of the table in the winter of 1996. They had won the title only a year or so earlier, but had lost key players David Batty and Alan Shearer to Newcastle, and Graeme Le Saux to Chelsea. He guided the Lancashire club to 12th place by the end of the season.
The following season, his Blackburn side were well in title contention up to February, but injuries affected them towards the end of the season, They eventually finished sixth, but it was still enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
It would be easy to say that Blackburn still had the nucleus of the title side and Hodgson didn’t deliver there. However, they were bottom in November 1996, and the three players who departed were all England internationals. He deserves credit doesn’t he?
The following season, however, was a disaster and severely damaged his reputation. It took years for him to recover. He signed a very young Kevin Davies for huge money, but Davies fell ill early on and Hodgson’s team was bottom of the league after a dozen matches. He was sacked in November.
Whether it was just bad luck or bad judgment is anyone’s guess, but he paid a huge price and it certainly affected his career for a long while after.
In 2001 Hodgson was one of three serious candidates for the England job, but Sven- Goran Eriksson was chosen. You get the feeling that if it had been three years earlier, Hodgson may well have been selected. He was certainly the best English born choice at that time, and possibly along with Harry Redknapp, still is.. His age may well now have got the better of him, although he is still younger than Fabio Capello, so there is still hope.
He won the Danish title with F.C Copenhagen, but that could be the said to be the equivalent of winning the Premier League with Manchester United in Denmark. He also spent six unhappy months in Serie A with Udinese.
The Croydon born coach did, unfortunately, slip off the radar, despite so much earlier success. However, it could be said that he was ever high on the radar in the first place in most football critics’ minds.
His reputation and confidence were restored when he took over Finland’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. They were not a potent attacking force, a little like his current Fulham side, but they still gained 24 points, one more point than England managed, but finished fourth in a very tight group. They had five 0-0 draws, but still had the chance to qualify in their last match in Portugal.
Countries like Finland very rarely have a chance of qualification going into the last game of qualifying. Hodgson’s love affair with International football and un-fancied nations is there for all to see. His record is outstanding.
There is no hiding the fact that Hodgson has done an astonishing job with Fulham. They dramatically escaped relegation last season, and he has re-built the team in such a short time. I watched the game with Middlesbrough on Saturday and they are so difficult to break down.
Hodgson’s current side are very efficient. Mark Schwarzer is an excellent last line of defence and Brede Hangerland has been one of the players of the season at centre-half. Konchesky, always a good attacking outlet, has improved defensively under Hodgson, whilst John Pantsil is a tough, uncompromising full back.
Aaron Hughes, meanwhile, is a shadow of the nervous, fidgety player he was at Newcastle. He is commanding and solid on the ball, and looks so comfortable playing under the London born coach.
The midfield is full of tidy, hard working, but gifted players. He has revitalised Danny Murphy, who is playing his best football since 2003.
Clint Dempsey, meanwhile, is developing into a fine attacking wide midfielder, and I think many clubs will be looking at him in the summer. Hodgson lost Jimmy Bullard, but it doesn’t seem to have affected the side. In fact they look even better.
Bobby Zamora doesn’t score enough goals, but Hodgson has acknowledged his excellent hold up play. Andy Johnson is always a threat, but should score more. However, the front two are very busy and seemed to have rediscovered their confidence. Hodgson deserves praise for this too.
Fulham don’t score enough goals, but don’t have to with a defence as solid as their’s.
Hodgson knows he can’t compete with the attacking flair of the top clubs so he plays to his team’s strengths - organisation and counter attacking.
The Cottagers have beaten Arsenal and Manchester United and have drawn against Chelsea, Liverpool and Villa this season. They are one point off a UEFA Cup spot and have an excellent chance of snatching it. They have a hugely experienced manager who deserves respect and is unlikely to fall out with his players. He also is a very dignified man.
Hodgson has been successful at big clubs, small clubs and at international level. As well as this, he is incredibly humble, and just let’s his record to his talking.
So why doesn’t he get the respect he truly deserves?
I think it is his persona. He is not out-spoken, cocky or, indeed, aloof. He is just like the guy next door, a family man, who just happens to know a lot about football.
He is multi-lingual too, almost unheard of for an English football coach, and has that ‘middle class gentlemen’ feel about him. Does he appeal to the average football fan?
Is it because he was out of the English football scene so long, that people feel he is, somehow, not really ‘English’? He certainly still sounds it!
When you compare his record to Martin O’Neil, for example, it matches up favourably. O’Neil is so highly rated and rightly so. However, apart from the signing of Andy Johnson, Hodgson has not had the money or time that O’Neil has had at Villa, a much bigger club. However there is currently not that much between the two teams.
Fulham will do well to hold onto Hodgson. Recent press reports suggest that their financial position is such that they may have to lose players in the summer. Although, subsequently, this has been refuted by the chairman.
Hodgson has built that team in super-fast time, and if this is the case, would he be prepared to build another one? Or is it time to move on again?
He is without doubt, a great manager. It’s a travesty he has never had the England job.
Some of you reading this may think this is a crazy statement, but who are his main rivals? Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren are much younger, whilst Sir Bobby Robson is a fair bit older. Sam Allardyce perhaps? Kevin Keegan? Howard Kendall (excellent, briefly, but not really in the game long enough)? Howard Wilkinson (god forbid!) or… Harry Redknapp?
After winning four league titles in Sweden, Hodgson took Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup in America. This was their first World Cup finals since 1966. They finished above Italy (the 1994 finalists) in qualifying and reached the knockout stages. This huge achievement was mutely noted by the English press, but was he given enough credit?
There were no stars in that Swiss team, just a half decent, average group of players. They defeated Romania 4-1 in that tournament and the Romanian’s were hailed by many to be one of the best teams in the USA.
Switzerland beat some of the best teams in the world under Hodgson’s stewardship. They posed the attacking threat of Stephane Chapusait and Adrian Knup, but the majority of the players were hardworking journeymen.
The country also qualified for Euro 96 in Hodgson’s home country, and despite losing all three games, Hodgson will always remain a hero in Switzerland. He molded that team together and made them a genuine force. He did a terrific job.
His success with the Swiss took him to Italy and the prestigious job of Inter Milan boss. He did a solid job, but Inter were not the force then, that they are now. He signed Paul Ince and guided the team to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final. They lost on penalties, but he had made his mark.
The UEFA Cup was still a huge competition in those days, and Hodgson became a popular figure at the San Siro. The club also finished third in Serie A, but Juventus and Parma were particularly strong sides at that time. Hodgson was certainly not a failure though, and remains highly rated in Italy to this day.
He took over at Blackburn Rovers with the club bottom of the table in the winter of 1996. They had won the title only a year or so earlier, but had lost key players David Batty and Alan Shearer to Newcastle, and Graeme Le Saux to Chelsea. He guided the Lancashire club to 12th place by the end of the season.
The following season, his Blackburn side were well in title contention up to February, but injuries affected them towards the end of the season, They eventually finished sixth, but it was still enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
It would be easy to say that Blackburn still had the nucleus of the title side and Hodgson didn’t deliver there. However, they were bottom in November 1996, and the three players who departed were all England internationals. He deserves credit doesn’t he?
The following season, however, was a disaster and severely damaged his reputation. It took years for him to recover. He signed a very young Kevin Davies for huge money, but Davies fell ill early on and Hodgson’s team was bottom of the league after a dozen matches. He was sacked in November.
Whether it was just bad luck or bad judgment is anyone’s guess, but he paid a huge price and it certainly affected his career for a long while after.
In 2001 Hodgson was one of three serious candidates for the England job, but Sven- Goran Eriksson was chosen. You get the feeling that if it had been three years earlier, Hodgson may well have been selected. He was certainly the best English born choice at that time, and possibly along with Harry Redknapp, still is.. His age may well now have got the better of him, although he is still younger than Fabio Capello, so there is still hope.
He won the Danish title with F.C Copenhagen, but that could be the said to be the equivalent of winning the Premier League with Manchester United in Denmark. He also spent six unhappy months in Serie A with Udinese.
The Croydon born coach did, unfortunately, slip off the radar, despite so much earlier success. However, it could be said that he was ever high on the radar in the first place in most football critics’ minds.
His reputation and confidence were restored when he took over Finland’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. They were not a potent attacking force, a little like his current Fulham side, but they still gained 24 points, one more point than England managed, but finished fourth in a very tight group. They had five 0-0 draws, but still had the chance to qualify in their last match in Portugal.
Countries like Finland very rarely have a chance of qualification going into the last game of qualifying. Hodgson’s love affair with International football and un-fancied nations is there for all to see. His record is outstanding.
There is no hiding the fact that Hodgson has done an astonishing job with Fulham. They dramatically escaped relegation last season, and he has re-built the team in such a short time. I watched the game with Middlesbrough on Saturday and they are so difficult to break down.
Hodgson’s current side are very efficient. Mark Schwarzer is an excellent last line of defence and Brede Hangerland has been one of the players of the season at centre-half. Konchesky, always a good attacking outlet, has improved defensively under Hodgson, whilst John Pantsil is a tough, uncompromising full back.
Aaron Hughes, meanwhile, is a shadow of the nervous, fidgety player he was at Newcastle. He is commanding and solid on the ball, and looks so comfortable playing under the London born coach.
The midfield is full of tidy, hard working, but gifted players. He has revitalised Danny Murphy, who is playing his best football since 2003.
Clint Dempsey, meanwhile, is developing into a fine attacking wide midfielder, and I think many clubs will be looking at him in the summer. Hodgson lost Jimmy Bullard, but it doesn’t seem to have affected the side. In fact they look even better.
Bobby Zamora doesn’t score enough goals, but Hodgson has acknowledged his excellent hold up play. Andy Johnson is always a threat, but should score more. However, the front two are very busy and seemed to have rediscovered their confidence. Hodgson deserves praise for this too.
Fulham don’t score enough goals, but don’t have to with a defence as solid as their’s.
Hodgson knows he can’t compete with the attacking flair of the top clubs so he plays to his team’s strengths - organisation and counter attacking.
The Cottagers have beaten Arsenal and Manchester United and have drawn against Chelsea, Liverpool and Villa this season. They are one point off a UEFA Cup spot and have an excellent chance of snatching it. They have a hugely experienced manager who deserves respect and is unlikely to fall out with his players. He also is a very dignified man.
Hodgson has been successful at big clubs, small clubs and at international level. As well as this, he is incredibly humble, and just let’s his record to his talking.
So why doesn’t he get the respect he truly deserves?
I think it is his persona. He is not out-spoken, cocky or, indeed, aloof. He is just like the guy next door, a family man, who just happens to know a lot about football.
He is multi-lingual too, almost unheard of for an English football coach, and has that ‘middle class gentlemen’ feel about him. Does he appeal to the average football fan?
Is it because he was out of the English football scene so long, that people feel he is, somehow, not really ‘English’? He certainly still sounds it!
When you compare his record to Martin O’Neil, for example, it matches up favourably. O’Neil is so highly rated and rightly so. However, apart from the signing of Andy Johnson, Hodgson has not had the money or time that O’Neil has had at Villa, a much bigger club. However there is currently not that much between the two teams.
Fulham will do well to hold onto Hodgson. Recent press reports suggest that their financial position is such that they may have to lose players in the summer. Although, subsequently, this has been refuted by the chairman.
Hodgson has built that team in super-fast time, and if this is the case, would he be prepared to build another one? Or is it time to move on again?
He is without doubt, a great manager. It’s a travesty he has never had the England job.
Friday, April 10, 2009
THE RELEGATION BATTLE - Which teams are heading for the Championship...?
This year’s relegation battle is reaching boiling point and it has brought back memories of the great relegation battles of years gone by. In all probability, West Bromwich Albion are already down. Tony Mowbray deserves to be applauded for the way they have kept on playing football this season, but do they have the players to play football at the highest level? It is hard to believe they are the same team who won the Championship quite emphatically last season.
Stoke City, who were runners-up to West Brom, are, in my opinion, virtually safe. Tony Pullis has done a terrific job there. They are not pretty to watch, and earlier in the season they relied heavily on the long throw input of Rory Delap. However, they have a great home record and have won the majority of their games at the Britannia Stadium. They have beaten Arsenal and Aston Villa at home, and also drawn home and away to Liverpool. They also only lost out to late goals when they played Manchester United and Chelsea, so, full credit to them.
Signing James Beattie in the transfer market was also an inspired choice by Pullis, and the former Southampton star has more than repaid his transfer fee. He has always been a decent goalscorer in the Premiership and during the recent England striker ‘crisis’ he could well have been called up.
I would say Stoke need one more win to be safe, and they will probably get it, most likely at home. They have passionate support there and this weekend’s game against Newcastle will be crucial. If Stoke don’t get beaten, they will create a lot of breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season?
Middlesbrough are an interesting team. They have an exceptionally young squad and a young manager. I’m a fan of Gareth Southgate and in his first two seasons at the Riverside his sides finished 12th and 13th respectively. Those are solid league finishes. He has also taken Boro to three successive FA Cup quarter finals, so what’s gone wrong this year? Actually, I remember the North-East club being in a similar position two seasons ago, around March time, and eventually finishing twelfth. However, with only one win in 18 league games (strangely against Liverpool) and a 4-1 beating last week at Bolton still fresh in their minds, confidence can hardly be any lower could it?
The current situation at Middlesbrough reminds me of the end of Bryan Robson’s reign. The North East club were bottom in December 2000, but he appointed Terry Venables to help him manage the team and they ended up finishing 14th. Maybe Southgate should have done something similar, but it may well be too late now. Stranger things have happened, but I can’t see them staying up. The goal that Gary O’Neil scored at the Reebok last weekend was a terrific team goal, but Afonso Alves has not been a good signing and they lack goals, despite the team creating lots of chances. I wouldn’t say it’s a formality, but they look doomed at this stage.
Then we come to Newcastle. I think that Alan Shearer is the right choice as manager. He is a ‘legend’ of the club, an intelligent guy, and, at his peak, was a player respected around the world. Of course many great players have not made successful managers, but many also have been. Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard and Franz Beckenbauer were/are great managers. Kenny Daglish (although not at Newcastle) and Kevin Keegan (domestically) were successful managers too. The Geordies do have a tough run in, but the players will respect him and he is a strong personality.
I must admit, against Chelsea I expected Newcastle to play better and be more fired up. Much still depends on Michael Owen, and one thing’s for sure, Shearer will play him in every game, as long as he is fit. I for one, believe Owen still has a lot to offer and he is still the best English finisher there is. Although he may have lost a lot a yard of pace, he is still a lethal box player and he may just be the difference. It has to be said, the other dozen or so teams in the relegation picture do not have Newcastle’s firepower, so I think they will survive, just…
Portsmouth, meanwhile, have looked impressive in recent weeks and I think Paul Hart has done a decent job. I liked him as a manager at Nottingham Forest and he was also the youth team coach at Leeds in the days of Kewell, Smith and Woodgate, so he has always had potential. They also have the goals of Peter Crouch, whilst David Nugent has looked impressive recently. They have attacking flair on both flanks and generally have some really fine players both young and experienced. I can see them comfortably staying up, although if Tony Adams was still there, I wouldn’t be so sure...
Sunderland are in big trouble. Ricky Sbragia lacks experience, and despite a good start as boss, they appear to be in free fall. It will be interesting to see how they play against a struggling Manchester United team on Saturday, but Djibril Cisse’s recent off field problems won’t have helped the cause. However, they still have players who can win games on their own, such as Kenwyne Jones and Keiran Richardson, so I think they will stay up.
A lot depends on how Sunderland performs on Saturday. If they are beaten comprehensively, confidence will be very low going into the final weeks of the season. That game is crucial, to both teams, of course.
For me, Sam Allardyce is an excellent manager with vast experience in this situation, and the Ewood Park club have the goals of Benny McCarthy to keep them up.
Gary Megson, meanwhile, has done a great job at Bolton, and doesn’t get enough credit, in my opinion. They actually play some really pretty football these days, and in Matt Taylor, they have one of the best players outside the top four. They will stay up too, no doubt about it.
One team that may still be dragged down are Hull City. They have only taken six points since November, and Phil Brown does seem to be making some odd decisions lately. Hull, like West Brom, play attractive football and were a pleasure to watch earlier in the season. They drew at Liverpool and Chelsea and won at Arsenal, and were in the top six until December. Their home form, however, is horrendous and they still have to play both Manchester United and Liverpool at the KC Stadium. I think they may be the third team to go.
I am predicting a total of 38 points will be good enough for survival, but things could all change dramatically of the course of one weekend. Struggling teams can suddenly discover some form and confidence from nowhere. Oldham Athletic, for example were nine points behind Crystal Palace with three games left in 1992-93, but they won those games (including beating Liverpool), whilst Palace lost their last three. Oldham dramatically 'pipped' them on goal difference on the final day of the season.
West Brom were five points adrift at Christmas 2004, but ended up escaping relegation on the last day of the season, going from the bottom to 17th place. That was a very unexpected finale, although the points totals were very low that year.
West Ham United finished on 43 points in 2002-2003, but went down on the last day. This amount of points would have finished 12th last year, and it just goes to show that no team is too good to go down. It is a famous cliché, but West Ham had Joe Cole, Carrick, Di Canio, Kanute, Defoe, David James and Trevor Sinclair in that team.
The Upton Park club also had a dramatic, but, controversial relegation battle two seasons ago. They were eight points from safety in March, but, inspired by Carlos Tevez they scrambled out of the relegation zone on the last day, winning at Old Trafford to guarantee their survival.
I will stick my neck out with six weeks of the season still to go. I predict that West Brom and Middlesbrough will go down, and so will Hull City. I think the ‘Shearer effect’ will do the trick at Newcastle, and the individual players of Sunderland and Portsmouth will keep them up.
Relegation battles are thrilling and I can honestly see the last day being a monumental battle between three or four teams. The appointment of Alan Shearer has only added to the excitement. It is still possible for any three of nine teams to be relegated.
Both the top and bottom of the Premiership are heading for blanket finishes. Long live the Premiership..!!
Stoke City, who were runners-up to West Brom, are, in my opinion, virtually safe. Tony Pullis has done a terrific job there. They are not pretty to watch, and earlier in the season they relied heavily on the long throw input of Rory Delap. However, they have a great home record and have won the majority of their games at the Britannia Stadium. They have beaten Arsenal and Aston Villa at home, and also drawn home and away to Liverpool. They also only lost out to late goals when they played Manchester United and Chelsea, so, full credit to them.
Signing James Beattie in the transfer market was also an inspired choice by Pullis, and the former Southampton star has more than repaid his transfer fee. He has always been a decent goalscorer in the Premiership and during the recent England striker ‘crisis’ he could well have been called up.
I would say Stoke need one more win to be safe, and they will probably get it, most likely at home. They have passionate support there and this weekend’s game against Newcastle will be crucial. If Stoke don’t get beaten, they will create a lot of breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season?
Middlesbrough are an interesting team. They have an exceptionally young squad and a young manager. I’m a fan of Gareth Southgate and in his first two seasons at the Riverside his sides finished 12th and 13th respectively. Those are solid league finishes. He has also taken Boro to three successive FA Cup quarter finals, so what’s gone wrong this year? Actually, I remember the North-East club being in a similar position two seasons ago, around March time, and eventually finishing twelfth. However, with only one win in 18 league games (strangely against Liverpool) and a 4-1 beating last week at Bolton still fresh in their minds, confidence can hardly be any lower could it?
The current situation at Middlesbrough reminds me of the end of Bryan Robson’s reign. The North East club were bottom in December 2000, but he appointed Terry Venables to help him manage the team and they ended up finishing 14th. Maybe Southgate should have done something similar, but it may well be too late now. Stranger things have happened, but I can’t see them staying up. The goal that Gary O’Neil scored at the Reebok last weekend was a terrific team goal, but Afonso Alves has not been a good signing and they lack goals, despite the team creating lots of chances. I wouldn’t say it’s a formality, but they look doomed at this stage.
Then we come to Newcastle. I think that Alan Shearer is the right choice as manager. He is a ‘legend’ of the club, an intelligent guy, and, at his peak, was a player respected around the world. Of course many great players have not made successful managers, but many also have been. Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard and Franz Beckenbauer were/are great managers. Kenny Daglish (although not at Newcastle) and Kevin Keegan (domestically) were successful managers too. The Geordies do have a tough run in, but the players will respect him and he is a strong personality.
I must admit, against Chelsea I expected Newcastle to play better and be more fired up. Much still depends on Michael Owen, and one thing’s for sure, Shearer will play him in every game, as long as he is fit. I for one, believe Owen still has a lot to offer and he is still the best English finisher there is. Although he may have lost a lot a yard of pace, he is still a lethal box player and he may just be the difference. It has to be said, the other dozen or so teams in the relegation picture do not have Newcastle’s firepower, so I think they will survive, just…
Portsmouth, meanwhile, have looked impressive in recent weeks and I think Paul Hart has done a decent job. I liked him as a manager at Nottingham Forest and he was also the youth team coach at Leeds in the days of Kewell, Smith and Woodgate, so he has always had potential. They also have the goals of Peter Crouch, whilst David Nugent has looked impressive recently. They have attacking flair on both flanks and generally have some really fine players both young and experienced. I can see them comfortably staying up, although if Tony Adams was still there, I wouldn’t be so sure...
Sunderland are in big trouble. Ricky Sbragia lacks experience, and despite a good start as boss, they appear to be in free fall. It will be interesting to see how they play against a struggling Manchester United team on Saturday, but Djibril Cisse’s recent off field problems won’t have helped the cause. However, they still have players who can win games on their own, such as Kenwyne Jones and Keiran Richardson, so I think they will stay up.
A lot depends on how Sunderland performs on Saturday. If they are beaten comprehensively, confidence will be very low going into the final weeks of the season. That game is crucial, to both teams, of course.
For me, Sam Allardyce is an excellent manager with vast experience in this situation, and the Ewood Park club have the goals of Benny McCarthy to keep them up.
Gary Megson, meanwhile, has done a great job at Bolton, and doesn’t get enough credit, in my opinion. They actually play some really pretty football these days, and in Matt Taylor, they have one of the best players outside the top four. They will stay up too, no doubt about it.
One team that may still be dragged down are Hull City. They have only taken six points since November, and Phil Brown does seem to be making some odd decisions lately. Hull, like West Brom, play attractive football and were a pleasure to watch earlier in the season. They drew at Liverpool and Chelsea and won at Arsenal, and were in the top six until December. Their home form, however, is horrendous and they still have to play both Manchester United and Liverpool at the KC Stadium. I think they may be the third team to go.
I am predicting a total of 38 points will be good enough for survival, but things could all change dramatically of the course of one weekend. Struggling teams can suddenly discover some form and confidence from nowhere. Oldham Athletic, for example were nine points behind Crystal Palace with three games left in 1992-93, but they won those games (including beating Liverpool), whilst Palace lost their last three. Oldham dramatically 'pipped' them on goal difference on the final day of the season.
West Brom were five points adrift at Christmas 2004, but ended up escaping relegation on the last day of the season, going from the bottom to 17th place. That was a very unexpected finale, although the points totals were very low that year.
West Ham United finished on 43 points in 2002-2003, but went down on the last day. This amount of points would have finished 12th last year, and it just goes to show that no team is too good to go down. It is a famous cliché, but West Ham had Joe Cole, Carrick, Di Canio, Kanute, Defoe, David James and Trevor Sinclair in that team.
The Upton Park club also had a dramatic, but, controversial relegation battle two seasons ago. They were eight points from safety in March, but, inspired by Carlos Tevez they scrambled out of the relegation zone on the last day, winning at Old Trafford to guarantee their survival.
I will stick my neck out with six weeks of the season still to go. I predict that West Brom and Middlesbrough will go down, and so will Hull City. I think the ‘Shearer effect’ will do the trick at Newcastle, and the individual players of Sunderland and Portsmouth will keep them up.
Relegation battles are thrilling and I can honestly see the last day being a monumental battle between three or four teams. The appointment of Alan Shearer has only added to the excitement. It is still possible for any three of nine teams to be relegated.
Both the top and bottom of the Premiership are heading for blanket finishes. Long live the Premiership..!!
Friday, April 3, 2009
RONALDO - Where's the spark gone?
Christiano Ronaldo was head and shoulders above any other player last year, but in this campaign, something is clearly missing. What is it?
Last season, he was quite rightly named double footballer of the year in England and followed that up by winning the World and European footballer of the year awards at the end of the year. They were richly deserved, but even prior to last season many critics had placed question marks over his record against the so-called ‘bigger teams’. The Portuguese star soon put that theory to bed by scoring in the Champions League quarter final and the final, as well as scoring goals against Arsenal and Liverpool in the domestic campaign.
The winger had a sensational season in 2007-2008, scoring 42 goals (although this included many penalties, and free kicks), and that was not even playing as an out and out centre forward. However, he was deeply disappointing in Euro 2008, and the on-going ‘is he’ or ‘is he not’ transfer saga with Real Madrid became the stuff of legend, almost like a scene from Footballers ' Wives.
This season he has not been the same player of the last two (he scored 23 goals in 2006-2007, and won the PFA and Football writers' awards the previous season too). This could be put down to a whole host of factors, but I have a few different ideas I’d like to suggest.
Firstly, does he feel he’s achieved everything he needs to achieve? Despite still only being 24 years old, maybe the Portuguese star’s hunger has faded slightly. He is, by all accounts, a very individual player, and perhaps winning those four awards all in one year have gone to his head. This may be consciously or subconsciously, but this season, the appetite doesn’t seem to be there. Last season, for example, he got kicked all over the place by defenders game after game, and often just got up and got on with it. This season, however, he seems back to his old tricks of complaining to referees, rolling around on the floor, not to mention play-acting.
I do have sympathy with him, of course. He is a skilful player who obviously gets pinpointed as a target by full-backs and does get rough treatment from opposing players. However, he should be used to this by now, and he dealt with it brilliantly last season. Even Liverpool fans begrudgingly respected him.
Have referees grown tired of him and his reputation? Ronaldo has certainly, in the past, not covered himself in glory due to his constant diving and perceived lack of sportsmanship (World Cup 2006 is the notorious example). He is a winner, and that is to be applauded, but it seems to me that more referees have latched onto to his petulant attitude this season, and started to show less sympathy for the man. If any of you watched the Fulham game recently or the Manchester derby in December, you will know what I am getting at. He can lose control when things don't go his own way.
In my opinion, the most important reason, is the Manchester United team selection. Last season, the boy from Madeira had Rooney and Tevez scuttling around doing most of his donkey work and creating the space he needed. They pulled so many players out of position, that Ronaldo would so often find himself in a one-on-one scenario with the opposing full-back. With his pace and skill, of course, there was usually only one outcome. Now, Dimitar Berbatov, an incredibly gifted, but annoyingly lazy player, is not prepared to do that donkey work. Therefore, Ronaldo is asked to do more on his own, and create the space by himself. Maybe he is not capable of doing this game after game, and his creative ability is hence, being restricted. It is certainly something I have noticed, and hasn’t been addressed. Manchester United though, are still winning most of the time, and that’s all that matters. Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t got time to focus on one player, however good he is.
Is he possibly just low on confidence? It may sound ridiculous to say that such a 'confident player' like Ronaldo is actually lacking confidence, but I think it is a possibility. He went to Austria and Switzerland last summer hailed by most, as the best player in the world, and correctly too, based on his stunning performances both in the Premiership and in Europe. However, both he and his team were a huge disappointment. He scored against the Czechs in the group stages, but that was pretty much all he did. His team crashed out to Germany in the quarter finals with Ronaldo aggressively shut out and doubled-up on by the Germans. He also constantly delivered poor cross after poor cross, but it seemed to escape the media attention just how bad he was, due to the Madrid transfer fiasco. He may have been feeling the affects of a hard season, but big players perform on the biggest stages don’t they? Did this shatter his confidence? Did he expect to dominate the tournament? Instead, Portugal’s Iberian neighbours, Spain, stole all the headlines, and Ronaldo was sent packing on an early plane back to Manchester, or Madeira, or Madrid, or, who knows…??
Is his mind elsewhere? This is possibly the reason most people will point to. He has stated on many occasions that he wants to join Real Madrid. He could just be sulking and doesn’t want to play in Manchester anymore. He knows the fans can’t feel the same way about him and he knows his popularity in England (not Scotland) was always low anyway. Now, even his own fans dislike him. He has lost that devastating edge, it’s clear for everyone to see. He is a fantastic dribbler and gets the crowd on their feet with his pace and sensational close ball control. However, maybe the Old Trafford faithful don’t want to jump on their feet anymore. They won’t jeer him, but maybe they are sick of what they perceive to be Ronaldo’s sulking and arrogant attitude. It is, after-all, the club that have made him into the star he is today, and currently the Premiership's most marketable player. Real Madrid are hardly setting the world alight either, as Liverpool’s demolition of the ‘Galactico’s’ demonstrated. It must be very puzzling for the Manchester United supporters.
Finally, there is the injury. He had an operation on his ankle at the beginning of the season. He may well be still recovering from this. However, that would rule out any excuse of tiredness, following on from a hectic 2007-08 season and Euro 2008, because he’s had an extended break. He did though, came back in October, so you would expect him to firing on all cylinders by now. He is not.
So what conclusion can we draw from all this? Maybe Ronaldo is not as good as we all thought, or maybe he’s just going through a blip in form. He still has 17 goals this season, and has scored more goals in recent weeks, perhaps suggesting a return to form. He is a fantastic player who is as good as anyone in the world when on song. Players do have dips in form, and he is only 24. It would also be very difficult for him to reproduce last year’s form ever again. Last season was a one-off.
On the other hand, it’s not just about the goals, it's his whole demean-our. He’s lost that spark, and it has to be said, there is proof that some players peak early in their careers. The other Ronaldo, Raul, Michael Owen, Alessandro Del Piero, Robbie Fowler are to name a few. Even players like Lee Sharpe and Andrei Kanchelskis at Manchester United did. Has the great Christiano Ronaldo peaked? Last season, he was being talked up in some quarters as the world’s greatest ever player. Perhaps this was a little premature.
Time will tell, but if Portugal’s current position in their World Cup qualifying group is a fair reflection of their form, then Ronaldo will not even be in South Africa next year. Such a consistent performer in recent qualifying campaigns for his country, it seems he has been under-performing at international level too.
After saying all that, he’ll probably score a hat-rick against Aston Villa on Sunday now. Watch this space….
Last season, he was quite rightly named double footballer of the year in England and followed that up by winning the World and European footballer of the year awards at the end of the year. They were richly deserved, but even prior to last season many critics had placed question marks over his record against the so-called ‘bigger teams’. The Portuguese star soon put that theory to bed by scoring in the Champions League quarter final and the final, as well as scoring goals against Arsenal and Liverpool in the domestic campaign.
The winger had a sensational season in 2007-2008, scoring 42 goals (although this included many penalties, and free kicks), and that was not even playing as an out and out centre forward. However, he was deeply disappointing in Euro 2008, and the on-going ‘is he’ or ‘is he not’ transfer saga with Real Madrid became the stuff of legend, almost like a scene from Footballers ' Wives.
This season he has not been the same player of the last two (he scored 23 goals in 2006-2007, and won the PFA and Football writers' awards the previous season too). This could be put down to a whole host of factors, but I have a few different ideas I’d like to suggest.
Firstly, does he feel he’s achieved everything he needs to achieve? Despite still only being 24 years old, maybe the Portuguese star’s hunger has faded slightly. He is, by all accounts, a very individual player, and perhaps winning those four awards all in one year have gone to his head. This may be consciously or subconsciously, but this season, the appetite doesn’t seem to be there. Last season, for example, he got kicked all over the place by defenders game after game, and often just got up and got on with it. This season, however, he seems back to his old tricks of complaining to referees, rolling around on the floor, not to mention play-acting.
I do have sympathy with him, of course. He is a skilful player who obviously gets pinpointed as a target by full-backs and does get rough treatment from opposing players. However, he should be used to this by now, and he dealt with it brilliantly last season. Even Liverpool fans begrudgingly respected him.
Have referees grown tired of him and his reputation? Ronaldo has certainly, in the past, not covered himself in glory due to his constant diving and perceived lack of sportsmanship (World Cup 2006 is the notorious example). He is a winner, and that is to be applauded, but it seems to me that more referees have latched onto to his petulant attitude this season, and started to show less sympathy for the man. If any of you watched the Fulham game recently or the Manchester derby in December, you will know what I am getting at. He can lose control when things don't go his own way.
In my opinion, the most important reason, is the Manchester United team selection. Last season, the boy from Madeira had Rooney and Tevez scuttling around doing most of his donkey work and creating the space he needed. They pulled so many players out of position, that Ronaldo would so often find himself in a one-on-one scenario with the opposing full-back. With his pace and skill, of course, there was usually only one outcome. Now, Dimitar Berbatov, an incredibly gifted, but annoyingly lazy player, is not prepared to do that donkey work. Therefore, Ronaldo is asked to do more on his own, and create the space by himself. Maybe he is not capable of doing this game after game, and his creative ability is hence, being restricted. It is certainly something I have noticed, and hasn’t been addressed. Manchester United though, are still winning most of the time, and that’s all that matters. Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t got time to focus on one player, however good he is.
Is he possibly just low on confidence? It may sound ridiculous to say that such a 'confident player' like Ronaldo is actually lacking confidence, but I think it is a possibility. He went to Austria and Switzerland last summer hailed by most, as the best player in the world, and correctly too, based on his stunning performances both in the Premiership and in Europe. However, both he and his team were a huge disappointment. He scored against the Czechs in the group stages, but that was pretty much all he did. His team crashed out to Germany in the quarter finals with Ronaldo aggressively shut out and doubled-up on by the Germans. He also constantly delivered poor cross after poor cross, but it seemed to escape the media attention just how bad he was, due to the Madrid transfer fiasco. He may have been feeling the affects of a hard season, but big players perform on the biggest stages don’t they? Did this shatter his confidence? Did he expect to dominate the tournament? Instead, Portugal’s Iberian neighbours, Spain, stole all the headlines, and Ronaldo was sent packing on an early plane back to Manchester, or Madeira, or Madrid, or, who knows…??
Is his mind elsewhere? This is possibly the reason most people will point to. He has stated on many occasions that he wants to join Real Madrid. He could just be sulking and doesn’t want to play in Manchester anymore. He knows the fans can’t feel the same way about him and he knows his popularity in England (not Scotland) was always low anyway. Now, even his own fans dislike him. He has lost that devastating edge, it’s clear for everyone to see. He is a fantastic dribbler and gets the crowd on their feet with his pace and sensational close ball control. However, maybe the Old Trafford faithful don’t want to jump on their feet anymore. They won’t jeer him, but maybe they are sick of what they perceive to be Ronaldo’s sulking and arrogant attitude. It is, after-all, the club that have made him into the star he is today, and currently the Premiership's most marketable player. Real Madrid are hardly setting the world alight either, as Liverpool’s demolition of the ‘Galactico’s’ demonstrated. It must be very puzzling for the Manchester United supporters.
Finally, there is the injury. He had an operation on his ankle at the beginning of the season. He may well be still recovering from this. However, that would rule out any excuse of tiredness, following on from a hectic 2007-08 season and Euro 2008, because he’s had an extended break. He did though, came back in October, so you would expect him to firing on all cylinders by now. He is not.
So what conclusion can we draw from all this? Maybe Ronaldo is not as good as we all thought, or maybe he’s just going through a blip in form. He still has 17 goals this season, and has scored more goals in recent weeks, perhaps suggesting a return to form. He is a fantastic player who is as good as anyone in the world when on song. Players do have dips in form, and he is only 24. It would also be very difficult for him to reproduce last year’s form ever again. Last season was a one-off.
On the other hand, it’s not just about the goals, it's his whole demean-our. He’s lost that spark, and it has to be said, there is proof that some players peak early in their careers. The other Ronaldo, Raul, Michael Owen, Alessandro Del Piero, Robbie Fowler are to name a few. Even players like Lee Sharpe and Andrei Kanchelskis at Manchester United did. Has the great Christiano Ronaldo peaked? Last season, he was being talked up in some quarters as the world’s greatest ever player. Perhaps this was a little premature.
Time will tell, but if Portugal’s current position in their World Cup qualifying group is a fair reflection of their form, then Ronaldo will not even be in South Africa next year. Such a consistent performer in recent qualifying campaigns for his country, it seems he has been under-performing at international level too.
After saying all that, he’ll probably score a hat-rick against Aston Villa on Sunday now. Watch this space….
Friday, March 20, 2009
RAFA DESERVES HIS NEW DEAL
Rafael Benitez has many critics, but I feel the five year extension to his contract is well deserved. There are times when he can appear aloof and stubborn, while his pragmatism (frequent rotation) can be exasperating. However, his record at the top level, which includes winning two Spanish Championships and a UEFA Cup (in three years) at Valencia, cannot be overlooked. Liverpool fans can look back to the glory days (domestically anyway) all they want, but lets be honest, that was 20 years ago, and football has changed dramatically since then.
Of course, it‘s easy to say that football has changed and use this as an excuse, but since the days when Liverpool were ruling the roost, the standard of the top teams has improved to un-precedented levels. The points total’s of the top teams are a lot higher these days, and, excluding the outrageous 95 points that Chelsea amassed in 2004-2005, the League in recent years, has normally been won between 85 and 90 points.
In 2002, Arsenal won the league with 87 points, while in 2003, Manchester United captured the title with 83 points (the lowest total of recent years). In 2004, the unbeaten Arsenal team drew 12 games (Liverpool have been heavily criticized in some quarters for drawing too many games this season) but still ended up with 90 points. In 2006, Chelsea lost five games, but also ended up with 90 points, whilst in the last two years, Manchester United have won the Premiership with final points totals of 89 and 87 points respectively. These figures may not be particulary fascinating, but they are important to illustrate when summarising the job Benitez is facing.
During the 1980s (including 1989-90) Liverpool won the title seven times, but the figures make for some interesting reading. In the 38 game 1989-90 season, they won the title with 79 points, whilst second placed Aston Villa finished with 70 points, a total that both Liverpool and Chelsea will probably reach within the next four games. In the 1980s, there were also usually 42 games, and Liverpool’s highest points total was 88 points, the equivalent now, of 79 points. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have raised the bar much higher, and the last time a team won the title with a points total below 80, was Manchester United, ten years ago. This could be due to a number of reasons. Perhaps, the fact that more teams now play in the Champions League (compared to the old European Cup), has increased the standard of the very top teams. It could also be suggested, that the standards of the other teams further down the league has dropped. This is however, probably an argument for another day.
Gerard Houllier was Benitez’s predecessor and in 2002, Liverpool finished second with 80 points, above Manchester United. However, between October and March that season, Houllier was recovering from heart surgery, so that season is difficult to judge in terms of the impact of the Frenchman. His assistant, Phil Thompson was the caretaker boss for most of the season. Excluding that season, Houllier’s points total’s as manager between 1999 and 2004, varied somewhere between 60 and 69 points, and the team never finished higher than third in the league. His reign featured more than one false dawn. The clearest example being the 2002-2003 season, when his team took 30 points from their first 12 games. They eventually only finished with 64 points (in 5th place) and in mid-season went on an incredible slump of 12 games without a win, picking up only 9 points in that period. He amazingly, kept his job for another 18 months, but the damage was done.
Rafael Benitez’s first season was a tough one domestically. Liverpool lost 14 games and finished with 58 points, finishing 5th below Everton. This was, however, papered over by the stunning Champions League success, so it could be forgiven. In 2005-2006, his second season, Liverpool finished with 82 points, winning their last nine league games and winning the FA Cup. The team finished only one point behind Manchester United, and their points total would have won the league every year between 1995 and 2001. In 2006-2007, they finished 3rd with 68 points, but this was offset by reaching another Champions League final, defeating Chelsea in the semi final, as they did in 2005. Last season meanwhile, bought a final points total of 76 points. This would have been enough to win the league three times during the 1980s (on a 38 game basis). The team also reached another Champions League semi final, and were probably only prevented from reaching another final, due to John Arne Rise’s freak last minute own goal in the first leg at Anfield.
The argument I am trying to put forward is, that under the stewardship of Houllier, Liverpool were so often also-rans in the title race, but, the 2001 UEFA Cup win apart, were also never really serious challengers in Europe, and especially the Champions League. Sometimes they struggled to qualify, or didn’t even qualify for the competition. Benitez, however, has made Liverpool into one of the most feared sides in Europe, and the recent, impressive, back to back victories over Real Madrid and Manchester United have highlighted just how far Liverpool have come since the gloomy days of the late Houllier period.
It would be easy to say Benitez has not delivered the Premiership title to Anfield and that he should be judged by that. He has though, made the club into one of the top teams in Europe, and, over the last five years, the number one ranked team in Europe. If you had told a Liverpool fan in 2004, that their team would reach two Champions League finals (winning one), another semi final and a quarter final in the next five years, they probably would have laughed in your face. On the other hand, with the history and tradition of the club, this should be expected regularly, but to say the Spaniard is a failure would be a massive insult to him, although some pundits have suggested this on many occassions.
This season, Liverpool are title contenders, and if they win their last nine games (as they did in 2006), they will finish with 88 points. Judging by recent history, this will be there or thereabouts for the league title. People are talking about Manchester United having to lose three games, but actually, they only need to lose one game, and draw two games, which is not unrealistic. Of course it is a ‘big if’ for Liverpool to catch Manchester United and in all probability it won’t happen. However, under Benitez, Liverpool have certainly come a long way. They probably do draw too many games by today’s standards, but they are only perceived to draw too many games because the other top teams win so many. This is clearly illustrated by Manchester United’s recent run of 12 successive wins. It is therefore important, for the current Liverpool team to not be compared with the teams of the 1970s and 1980s. The game has moved on.
The Liverpool vintage of 1987-1988 is judged by many to be the greatest of all Liverpool’s 18 title winning teams. The flair of John Barnes, combined with the wonderful dribbling and awareness of Peter Beardsley, the goal-poaching of John Aldridge and the versatility of the vastly under-rated Steve Nicol, mustered 90 points from 40 games that season, the equivalent of 86 points in a 38 game season. Liverpool may come very close to that this year, and this, again, demonstrates the fine job the man from Madrid is doing.
Benitez’s team has only lost three league games since January 2008. They are incredibly difficult to beat and have completed League doubles over both Manchester United and Chelsea. Their current points total is their highest at this stage of the season since 1991, and this is the highest amount of points they have gained (after 29 games) since the Premier League was formed 17 years ago. They are also managing to combine a good league campaign with an excellent Champions League run. This is something they have not always managed under the Spaniard’s reign and have been widely criticised for.
To conclude the argument, it does have to be remembered that it took Sir Alex Ferguson seven years to deliver the title to Old Trafford. In 1989 and 1990, Manchester United finished 12th and 14th respectively. Benitez has always qualified for the Champions League and in his fifth season is putting together a title charge. He probably won’t win it this season, but people need to be more objective and not harp on about the glorious ‘distant past’. It is not about how far Benitez has taken Liverpool from 1988, it’s about how far Benitez has taken Liverpool from the point he took over in 2004. Liverpool currently have 61 points from 29 games, one more point than they achieved from 38 games in Houller’s last season at the helm. Doesn’t that tell us everything we need to know?
I believe, without any hesitation, that he thoroughly deserves his new contract, and it will be interesting to see if they can make that final push. Maybe then, we can stop hearing about the glory days (ex players are often the main culprits) and hear more praise for a man who has transformed his club. Like it or not, Rafa is here to stay, so be ready for more rotation of Fernando Torres, more midfield clumsiness from Lucas Leiva and more industry from the ‘un-droppable’ Dirk Kuyt. Pragmatic? Dogmatic? We would miss if he went though, wouldn’t we?
Of course, it‘s easy to say that football has changed and use this as an excuse, but since the days when Liverpool were ruling the roost, the standard of the top teams has improved to un-precedented levels. The points total’s of the top teams are a lot higher these days, and, excluding the outrageous 95 points that Chelsea amassed in 2004-2005, the League in recent years, has normally been won between 85 and 90 points.
In 2002, Arsenal won the league with 87 points, while in 2003, Manchester United captured the title with 83 points (the lowest total of recent years). In 2004, the unbeaten Arsenal team drew 12 games (Liverpool have been heavily criticized in some quarters for drawing too many games this season) but still ended up with 90 points. In 2006, Chelsea lost five games, but also ended up with 90 points, whilst in the last two years, Manchester United have won the Premiership with final points totals of 89 and 87 points respectively. These figures may not be particulary fascinating, but they are important to illustrate when summarising the job Benitez is facing.
During the 1980s (including 1989-90) Liverpool won the title seven times, but the figures make for some interesting reading. In the 38 game 1989-90 season, they won the title with 79 points, whilst second placed Aston Villa finished with 70 points, a total that both Liverpool and Chelsea will probably reach within the next four games. In the 1980s, there were also usually 42 games, and Liverpool’s highest points total was 88 points, the equivalent now, of 79 points. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have raised the bar much higher, and the last time a team won the title with a points total below 80, was Manchester United, ten years ago. This could be due to a number of reasons. Perhaps, the fact that more teams now play in the Champions League (compared to the old European Cup), has increased the standard of the very top teams. It could also be suggested, that the standards of the other teams further down the league has dropped. This is however, probably an argument for another day.
Gerard Houllier was Benitez’s predecessor and in 2002, Liverpool finished second with 80 points, above Manchester United. However, between October and March that season, Houllier was recovering from heart surgery, so that season is difficult to judge in terms of the impact of the Frenchman. His assistant, Phil Thompson was the caretaker boss for most of the season. Excluding that season, Houllier’s points total’s as manager between 1999 and 2004, varied somewhere between 60 and 69 points, and the team never finished higher than third in the league. His reign featured more than one false dawn. The clearest example being the 2002-2003 season, when his team took 30 points from their first 12 games. They eventually only finished with 64 points (in 5th place) and in mid-season went on an incredible slump of 12 games without a win, picking up only 9 points in that period. He amazingly, kept his job for another 18 months, but the damage was done.
Rafael Benitez’s first season was a tough one domestically. Liverpool lost 14 games and finished with 58 points, finishing 5th below Everton. This was, however, papered over by the stunning Champions League success, so it could be forgiven. In 2005-2006, his second season, Liverpool finished with 82 points, winning their last nine league games and winning the FA Cup. The team finished only one point behind Manchester United, and their points total would have won the league every year between 1995 and 2001. In 2006-2007, they finished 3rd with 68 points, but this was offset by reaching another Champions League final, defeating Chelsea in the semi final, as they did in 2005. Last season meanwhile, bought a final points total of 76 points. This would have been enough to win the league three times during the 1980s (on a 38 game basis). The team also reached another Champions League semi final, and were probably only prevented from reaching another final, due to John Arne Rise’s freak last minute own goal in the first leg at Anfield.
The argument I am trying to put forward is, that under the stewardship of Houllier, Liverpool were so often also-rans in the title race, but, the 2001 UEFA Cup win apart, were also never really serious challengers in Europe, and especially the Champions League. Sometimes they struggled to qualify, or didn’t even qualify for the competition. Benitez, however, has made Liverpool into one of the most feared sides in Europe, and the recent, impressive, back to back victories over Real Madrid and Manchester United have highlighted just how far Liverpool have come since the gloomy days of the late Houllier period.
It would be easy to say Benitez has not delivered the Premiership title to Anfield and that he should be judged by that. He has though, made the club into one of the top teams in Europe, and, over the last five years, the number one ranked team in Europe. If you had told a Liverpool fan in 2004, that their team would reach two Champions League finals (winning one), another semi final and a quarter final in the next five years, they probably would have laughed in your face. On the other hand, with the history and tradition of the club, this should be expected regularly, but to say the Spaniard is a failure would be a massive insult to him, although some pundits have suggested this on many occassions.
This season, Liverpool are title contenders, and if they win their last nine games (as they did in 2006), they will finish with 88 points. Judging by recent history, this will be there or thereabouts for the league title. People are talking about Manchester United having to lose three games, but actually, they only need to lose one game, and draw two games, which is not unrealistic. Of course it is a ‘big if’ for Liverpool to catch Manchester United and in all probability it won’t happen. However, under Benitez, Liverpool have certainly come a long way. They probably do draw too many games by today’s standards, but they are only perceived to draw too many games because the other top teams win so many. This is clearly illustrated by Manchester United’s recent run of 12 successive wins. It is therefore important, for the current Liverpool team to not be compared with the teams of the 1970s and 1980s. The game has moved on.
The Liverpool vintage of 1987-1988 is judged by many to be the greatest of all Liverpool’s 18 title winning teams. The flair of John Barnes, combined with the wonderful dribbling and awareness of Peter Beardsley, the goal-poaching of John Aldridge and the versatility of the vastly under-rated Steve Nicol, mustered 90 points from 40 games that season, the equivalent of 86 points in a 38 game season. Liverpool may come very close to that this year, and this, again, demonstrates the fine job the man from Madrid is doing.
Benitez’s team has only lost three league games since January 2008. They are incredibly difficult to beat and have completed League doubles over both Manchester United and Chelsea. Their current points total is their highest at this stage of the season since 1991, and this is the highest amount of points they have gained (after 29 games) since the Premier League was formed 17 years ago. They are also managing to combine a good league campaign with an excellent Champions League run. This is something they have not always managed under the Spaniard’s reign and have been widely criticised for.
To conclude the argument, it does have to be remembered that it took Sir Alex Ferguson seven years to deliver the title to Old Trafford. In 1989 and 1990, Manchester United finished 12th and 14th respectively. Benitez has always qualified for the Champions League and in his fifth season is putting together a title charge. He probably won’t win it this season, but people need to be more objective and not harp on about the glorious ‘distant past’. It is not about how far Benitez has taken Liverpool from 1988, it’s about how far Benitez has taken Liverpool from the point he took over in 2004. Liverpool currently have 61 points from 29 games, one more point than they achieved from 38 games in Houller’s last season at the helm. Doesn’t that tell us everything we need to know?
I believe, without any hesitation, that he thoroughly deserves his new contract, and it will be interesting to see if they can make that final push. Maybe then, we can stop hearing about the glory days (ex players are often the main culprits) and hear more praise for a man who has transformed his club. Like it or not, Rafa is here to stay, so be ready for more rotation of Fernando Torres, more midfield clumsiness from Lucas Leiva and more industry from the ‘un-droppable’ Dirk Kuyt. Pragmatic? Dogmatic? We would miss if he went though, wouldn’t we?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
CHINESE FOOTBALL - Why is it so weak? Or is it on the up?
China is a phenomenal country, but the football team is far from phenomenal. It is, in fact, bordering on a catastrophe.
I went to see Beijing Guoan in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday night. This is the Asian Champions League, a competition full of terrific, modern stadia and skilful, hard working footballers. It was an interesting experience, but an experience which left me pondering many unanswered questions. The state of the Chinese national team is at an all time low. They crashed out of the World Cup qualifiers in the preliminary stages, not even making it through to the final stages of qualifying. Despite drawing away to the reigning Asian Champions, Iraq, and beating Australia, they were twice beaten by Bahrain, a country of 670 000 people, compared to the 1.3 billion population of the People’s Republic. Football is a popular sport in China, and millions of people tune in to CCTV5 (the main domestic sports channel) and Beijing yun dong TV (the Beijing sports channel) on Saturday and Sunday nights. However, they are watching European Football. German, Spanish and Italian football, are extremely popular here, and the Premiership, although not shown live on regular terrestrial channels, is also massively popular, and can be seen on Pay TV. It is also, of course, screened live over the internet.
People here love Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter Milan, but they can’t truly relate to any of these teams. There are no Chinese players. Sun Jihai was a regular at right back for Manchester City between 2002 and 2006, whilst Li Tie was an Everton player for a couple of seasons during the middle of the decade. In fact, in December 2003, Everton and Manchester City played out a goalless draw in front of one of the biggest ever live TV audiences to watch football. It was the only time two Chinese players have faced each other in the Premiership for opposition teams. Just for the record it was a dreadful 0-0 draw, but it the huge TV audience demonstrated the passion that the Chinese have for football if they have just a little something to shout for. It just needs that extra edge.
Football here was on the up during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The women’s team were one of the best in the world, and the men qualified for their first ever World Cup finals in 2002. However, it does have to be stated that Japan and South Korea were co-hosts, therefore pre-qualifying and leaving a far easier path to qualification for the Chinese. Hopes were high for probably the first time in history, but they crashed out in the group stages, and most disappointingly of all, failed to score. Optimism was severely dampened. Despite reaching the Asian Cup Final in 2004, losing to Japan in Beijing (not popular here), China has been on a downward spiral ever since.
So why is Chinese football so weak? How can a country of 1.3 billion people not produce 11 very good footballers? Speaking to some Chinese football fans, they state, openly and honestly, a number of reasons, although some may contradict each other a little. A popular conclusion was that ‘cultural habits’ are an issue. They believe that China has become a very individualistic society and an almost obsessive and yuppie-ish (similar to 80s Britain under Thatcher) attitude towards money has developed. This has transmitted itself onto the football pitch and perhaps answers a few questions about the possible lack of team ethos in China.
Another common explanation was the perception of footballers in China. Young people are so often judged on their ability in the classroom and wanna-be footballers are looked down upon as dreamy and lazy. This may of course, be different if the Chinese football team was successful, but its not, and a footballer is not seen as a good career move.
Another issue that was mentioned was a lack of discipline. It is thought by many, that the decent wages footballers earn (not anywhere near European salaries, but substantial in China) convince them to lead ‘party’ lifestyles and they lose their focus at a young age. It is noticeable that the China Under 17 to Under 21 age groups are traditionally quite successful, do well in major tournaments, and often create false expectations. However, the early promise they demonstrate doesn’t materialize as they shift through their 20s.
I left the game on Wednesday raving about a young Beijing Guoan player, 21 years old called Huang Bowen. He was good in possession, could hit accurate long and short passes, executed beautiful delivery on set pieces and could strike a ball beautifully. He ran the game, and the Australian team, the Newcastle Jets, couldn’t get near him. I mentioned this to more than one Chinese football fan, and they all had the same answer. They grumbled that he is still young and hungry, but he will not develop. They argued that in few years time, he will be just another average, run of the mill player who didn’t live up to his potential.
The hugely successful Beijing Olympics have shown that Chinese sport, in general, is right at the top of the world ladder. However, team sports remain an issue. Basketball is the more popular team sport for teenagers and university students right now. Yao Ming playing in the NBA for the Houston Rockets has elevated the sport’s status to massive heights. They all tune into the NBA, and football (a love of the 90s generation) has taken a back seat. Basketball, despite being a team sport is more individualistic. You can produce moment of individual skill a lot more frequently in basketball and youngsters like this as it has the ‘aethstetically pleasing’ factor attached to it. Football requires more discipline and team work, and this is just not the current trend.
The Chinese football team has unfortunately, become the butt of many jokes. It is not taken seriously, and now people just expect them to lose. This is probably a de-motivating factor to want to become a footballer and the Chinese basketball team, although far from outstanding is competitive at least. They reached the quarter finals at the Beijing Olympics and the country went mad with excitement.
Actually watching the game in Gongti (the People’s Workers Stadium) on Tuesday, I did notice a lack of passion and interest among the crowd. People seemed to be at the game just because they wanted to have a good time and to socialize, more than support their local team. Of course they are welcome to enjoy the game, but coming from the UK, I could never imagine supporters of a team clinging onto a 1-0 lead in the Champions League so relaxed and blasé. It is of course, just a game, and as long as the people watching are enjoying themselves, that’s fine, but maybe that’s where the problem lies. Football in China is not a serious business, and if it isn’t taken seriously, it will probably not improve.
Beijing Guoan won the game 2-0, and Shanghai Shenhua also won their Champions League game this week. There is room for optimism, despite the national team currently down at 100th in the world rankings. Many of the better players were Chinese, and as well as Bowen, I was also very impressed the pace and close control of the right winger, Wang Chang qing and Lu Jiang, the tidy midfield player. I thought to myself, if Wang Chang qing cannot get in the Chinese team, they must be pretty good. The ranking and results however, suggest otherwise.
I am not claiming to be an expert on Chinese football, but having lived in China for many years, I feel I am somewhat familiar with the psyche of the Chinese people. Beijing Guoan impressed me more than I expected, and China, unlike maybe Japan, due to its vast population, should have players who are physically strong as well as skilful. It remains a mystery why the national team under-performs so much, and are not even ranked in Asia’s top 10. However, if the public can just show a little more belief and optimism in the football team, I believe they have they personnel capable of achieving a a lot more.
They are as we are say in England ‘a sleeping giant’ of the beautiful game.
I went to see Beijing Guoan in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday night. This is the Asian Champions League, a competition full of terrific, modern stadia and skilful, hard working footballers. It was an interesting experience, but an experience which left me pondering many unanswered questions. The state of the Chinese national team is at an all time low. They crashed out of the World Cup qualifiers in the preliminary stages, not even making it through to the final stages of qualifying. Despite drawing away to the reigning Asian Champions, Iraq, and beating Australia, they were twice beaten by Bahrain, a country of 670 000 people, compared to the 1.3 billion population of the People’s Republic. Football is a popular sport in China, and millions of people tune in to CCTV5 (the main domestic sports channel) and Beijing yun dong TV (the Beijing sports channel) on Saturday and Sunday nights. However, they are watching European Football. German, Spanish and Italian football, are extremely popular here, and the Premiership, although not shown live on regular terrestrial channels, is also massively popular, and can be seen on Pay TV. It is also, of course, screened live over the internet.
People here love Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter Milan, but they can’t truly relate to any of these teams. There are no Chinese players. Sun Jihai was a regular at right back for Manchester City between 2002 and 2006, whilst Li Tie was an Everton player for a couple of seasons during the middle of the decade. In fact, in December 2003, Everton and Manchester City played out a goalless draw in front of one of the biggest ever live TV audiences to watch football. It was the only time two Chinese players have faced each other in the Premiership for opposition teams. Just for the record it was a dreadful 0-0 draw, but it the huge TV audience demonstrated the passion that the Chinese have for football if they have just a little something to shout for. It just needs that extra edge.
Football here was on the up during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The women’s team were one of the best in the world, and the men qualified for their first ever World Cup finals in 2002. However, it does have to be stated that Japan and South Korea were co-hosts, therefore pre-qualifying and leaving a far easier path to qualification for the Chinese. Hopes were high for probably the first time in history, but they crashed out in the group stages, and most disappointingly of all, failed to score. Optimism was severely dampened. Despite reaching the Asian Cup Final in 2004, losing to Japan in Beijing (not popular here), China has been on a downward spiral ever since.
So why is Chinese football so weak? How can a country of 1.3 billion people not produce 11 very good footballers? Speaking to some Chinese football fans, they state, openly and honestly, a number of reasons, although some may contradict each other a little. A popular conclusion was that ‘cultural habits’ are an issue. They believe that China has become a very individualistic society and an almost obsessive and yuppie-ish (similar to 80s Britain under Thatcher) attitude towards money has developed. This has transmitted itself onto the football pitch and perhaps answers a few questions about the possible lack of team ethos in China.
Another common explanation was the perception of footballers in China. Young people are so often judged on their ability in the classroom and wanna-be footballers are looked down upon as dreamy and lazy. This may of course, be different if the Chinese football team was successful, but its not, and a footballer is not seen as a good career move.
Another issue that was mentioned was a lack of discipline. It is thought by many, that the decent wages footballers earn (not anywhere near European salaries, but substantial in China) convince them to lead ‘party’ lifestyles and they lose their focus at a young age. It is noticeable that the China Under 17 to Under 21 age groups are traditionally quite successful, do well in major tournaments, and often create false expectations. However, the early promise they demonstrate doesn’t materialize as they shift through their 20s.
I left the game on Wednesday raving about a young Beijing Guoan player, 21 years old called Huang Bowen. He was good in possession, could hit accurate long and short passes, executed beautiful delivery on set pieces and could strike a ball beautifully. He ran the game, and the Australian team, the Newcastle Jets, couldn’t get near him. I mentioned this to more than one Chinese football fan, and they all had the same answer. They grumbled that he is still young and hungry, but he will not develop. They argued that in few years time, he will be just another average, run of the mill player who didn’t live up to his potential.
The hugely successful Beijing Olympics have shown that Chinese sport, in general, is right at the top of the world ladder. However, team sports remain an issue. Basketball is the more popular team sport for teenagers and university students right now. Yao Ming playing in the NBA for the Houston Rockets has elevated the sport’s status to massive heights. They all tune into the NBA, and football (a love of the 90s generation) has taken a back seat. Basketball, despite being a team sport is more individualistic. You can produce moment of individual skill a lot more frequently in basketball and youngsters like this as it has the ‘aethstetically pleasing’ factor attached to it. Football requires more discipline and team work, and this is just not the current trend.
The Chinese football team has unfortunately, become the butt of many jokes. It is not taken seriously, and now people just expect them to lose. This is probably a de-motivating factor to want to become a footballer and the Chinese basketball team, although far from outstanding is competitive at least. They reached the quarter finals at the Beijing Olympics and the country went mad with excitement.
Actually watching the game in Gongti (the People’s Workers Stadium) on Tuesday, I did notice a lack of passion and interest among the crowd. People seemed to be at the game just because they wanted to have a good time and to socialize, more than support their local team. Of course they are welcome to enjoy the game, but coming from the UK, I could never imagine supporters of a team clinging onto a 1-0 lead in the Champions League so relaxed and blasé. It is of course, just a game, and as long as the people watching are enjoying themselves, that’s fine, but maybe that’s where the problem lies. Football in China is not a serious business, and if it isn’t taken seriously, it will probably not improve.
Beijing Guoan won the game 2-0, and Shanghai Shenhua also won their Champions League game this week. There is room for optimism, despite the national team currently down at 100th in the world rankings. Many of the better players were Chinese, and as well as Bowen, I was also very impressed the pace and close control of the right winger, Wang Chang qing and Lu Jiang, the tidy midfield player. I thought to myself, if Wang Chang qing cannot get in the Chinese team, they must be pretty good. The ranking and results however, suggest otherwise.
I am not claiming to be an expert on Chinese football, but having lived in China for many years, I feel I am somewhat familiar with the psyche of the Chinese people. Beijing Guoan impressed me more than I expected, and China, unlike maybe Japan, due to its vast population, should have players who are physically strong as well as skilful. It remains a mystery why the national team under-performs so much, and are not even ranked in Asia’s top 10. However, if the public can just show a little more belief and optimism in the football team, I believe they have they personnel capable of achieving a a lot more.
They are as we are say in England ‘a sleeping giant’ of the beautiful game.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
WAYNE ROONEY - Living up to expectation?
If you live in the UK and like football, it is difficult not to remember the moment Wayne Rooney exploded onto our TV screens. The cries of ‘remember the name’ from the mouth of Clive Tyldesley was a truly symbolic moment. Or was it? Has the boy from Croxteth achieved his full potential?
The dipping drive which clattered in off David Seaman’s crossbar to end Arsenal’s long unbeaten run in 2002 was a moment of sheer brilliance. It prompted Arsene Wenger to say he was ‘the best English player I have seen in my time here’. For a 16 year old to do that against the best team in England was truly something to remember, but has Wayne Rooney really delivered?
After that unbelievable entrance onto the domestic scene and an exhilarating debut for England against Turkey, Rooney went extremely quiet for more than a year, perhaps not unexpected for a teenager. In his defence, he was playing for a very poor Everton team during 2003-04 which eventually finished a lowly 17th, so, it would be fair to let that period slide. However, was it a sign of things to come?
Rooney was 18 when he travelled with England to Euro 2004. There was muted expectation after a two goal cameo against Iceland just before the tournament. However, the performances he produced in Portugal were well and beyond anything we expected. He ran France (the pre-tournament favourites) ragged in the opening group game. The highlight was Rooney running from his own half, past five bewildered French players before being hacked down in the French area. The run was full of strength, pace, determination and frightening close control. David Beckham missed the subsequent penalty, but Rooney had arrived on the global stage. In an interview after, Thierry Henry (who himself was at his peak) praised Rooney. ‘Rooney, what a player’ were his words. The Merseyside teenager then went on to score two terrific goals against Switzerland, and then two even better strikes against a talented Croatia team. The first, a 25 yard thunderbolt, the second, a wonderfully executed side foot finish after some exquisite approach play.
This was England’s finest chance to win a major tournament for a long time, and they had the tournament’s form player. I don’t think I am alone in thinking, that had Rooney not hobbled off after half an hour in the quarter final against Portugal (England were 1-0 up through Michael Owen, and in firm control), England would have won that tournament. It’s all hindsight now of course, but Rooney was unstoppable that year in Portugal. He had emphatically announced himself as a world class talent and the best young player in the world.
He signed for Manchester United at the start of the following season, and, in his first game back after three months out with a metatarsal injury, he scored a stunning hat-rick. It was a majestic debut performance, capped by a wonderful free kick. He had now arrived on the European club stage. Since then however, his performances for both United and England have been patchy and inconsistent. Injuries have disrupted his progress, of that there is no doubt, and, although it’s difficult to criticize Sir Alex Ferguson, has he restricted Rooney’s progress?
In recent seasons, especially last season, Rooney has been asked to play on the flanks on frequent occasions. He has become more of a work-horse, and last season, in some games, along with Carlos Tevez, it appeared the two were there solely to create space for Cristiano Ronaldo, somewhat devaluing their own unique skills and potential contributions. History will tell us that it did all end in glory, but at this stage of his career Wayne Rooney should be the main man, but, he’s not, Ronaldo is the main man. The Portuguese star is nine months older than Englishmen, but at Euro 2004, although impressive in patches, he did not approach anywhere near the level of Rooney. So how did Ronaldo develop so much more? Did he just develop slower initially? He is not as physically strong as Rooney, so maybe this is the reason. There could be many reasons. They are all down to interpretation, but I feel Rooney’s progress has been stifled to a certain extent.
In his first season at Old Trafford, Rooney impressed. Stunning goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle were notable highlights, and he was man of the match in the FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal. His form dipped during the following season, like any young player’s can, but his England performances remained steady and he often carried the main threat. In fact, the national mourning that occurred after he broke his metatarsal seven weeks before the World Cup finals was a sign of the high regard he was (is) held in, or his perceived importance anyway.
Rooney wasn’t fit at the World Cup and it showed, but, following that tournament, up until Fabio Capello came into the job as England boss, his form for England was inconsistent. He has had long spells without scoring and games where he would often grow frustrated with his team mates. This is also a common feature during his games at Old Trafford. Ronaldo has become the golden boy of world football and has, to be blunt, overtaken Rooney.
The Englishman may still be more popular at Old Trafford, but is it about popularity? Does Rooney want popularity or does he want to be the best? He is a team player, that is plain to see, but he is also always demanding the ball and likes to be centre of attention. Sometimes he tries too hard, for example, the costly penalty he conceded in Moscow aided England’s exit from the Euro 2008 qualifiers. This was the same game in which Rooney also scored a spectacular volley. I feel that this is Wayne Rooney in a nutshell.
Wayne Rooney is still capable of astonishing moments of inspiration and skill on the football pitch, but is he really achieving his potential? Fellow Englishmen Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are arguably more recognized on the world stage. Gerrard, for example, nearly always appears in the UEFA Champions League teams of the year, as does John Terry, whilst Lampard has finished runner up in the World Player and European Footballer of the year lists. Rooney, of course, is younger, but has his unbelievable entrance onto the scene five years ago created false expectations?
Rooney, by now, should clearly be England’s star player, but is he? He should be one of the best five players in the world, but is he? His progress is not what it should be. He picks up silly suspensions, both home and abroad and get injured very regularly (whether his fault or not). He is often in the media spotlight and does this affect his performance?
The Merseysider has won two league titles, and will probably win another this season. He has a Champions League winner’s medal, and he has a League Cup winner’s medal. He is 23 years old, plays for one of the world’s greatest clubs and can still achieve everything he should do. Hopefully, this will include another special performance in a global championship. He may go on to win individual honours on the World or European stage, but is he at the level we expected at this stage of his career? Is he at the very, very top of the football ladder, on a par with Messi, Ronaldo, even Gerrard, to an extent? The Liverpool captain has rightly pointed out that Rooney’s talent is unequalled in the England camp, and whilst modestly playing down his own unique match-winning qualities, he is probably right. However, Rooney needs to prove this more often.
This argument is not about talent, because Rooney has that in abundance. The argument is actually what he is capable of. I personally think that he is capable of so much more.
The dipping drive which clattered in off David Seaman’s crossbar to end Arsenal’s long unbeaten run in 2002 was a moment of sheer brilliance. It prompted Arsene Wenger to say he was ‘the best English player I have seen in my time here’. For a 16 year old to do that against the best team in England was truly something to remember, but has Wayne Rooney really delivered?
After that unbelievable entrance onto the domestic scene and an exhilarating debut for England against Turkey, Rooney went extremely quiet for more than a year, perhaps not unexpected for a teenager. In his defence, he was playing for a very poor Everton team during 2003-04 which eventually finished a lowly 17th, so, it would be fair to let that period slide. However, was it a sign of things to come?
Rooney was 18 when he travelled with England to Euro 2004. There was muted expectation after a two goal cameo against Iceland just before the tournament. However, the performances he produced in Portugal were well and beyond anything we expected. He ran France (the pre-tournament favourites) ragged in the opening group game. The highlight was Rooney running from his own half, past five bewildered French players before being hacked down in the French area. The run was full of strength, pace, determination and frightening close control. David Beckham missed the subsequent penalty, but Rooney had arrived on the global stage. In an interview after, Thierry Henry (who himself was at his peak) praised Rooney. ‘Rooney, what a player’ were his words. The Merseyside teenager then went on to score two terrific goals against Switzerland, and then two even better strikes against a talented Croatia team. The first, a 25 yard thunderbolt, the second, a wonderfully executed side foot finish after some exquisite approach play.
This was England’s finest chance to win a major tournament for a long time, and they had the tournament’s form player. I don’t think I am alone in thinking, that had Rooney not hobbled off after half an hour in the quarter final against Portugal (England were 1-0 up through Michael Owen, and in firm control), England would have won that tournament. It’s all hindsight now of course, but Rooney was unstoppable that year in Portugal. He had emphatically announced himself as a world class talent and the best young player in the world.
He signed for Manchester United at the start of the following season, and, in his first game back after three months out with a metatarsal injury, he scored a stunning hat-rick. It was a majestic debut performance, capped by a wonderful free kick. He had now arrived on the European club stage. Since then however, his performances for both United and England have been patchy and inconsistent. Injuries have disrupted his progress, of that there is no doubt, and, although it’s difficult to criticize Sir Alex Ferguson, has he restricted Rooney’s progress?
In recent seasons, especially last season, Rooney has been asked to play on the flanks on frequent occasions. He has become more of a work-horse, and last season, in some games, along with Carlos Tevez, it appeared the two were there solely to create space for Cristiano Ronaldo, somewhat devaluing their own unique skills and potential contributions. History will tell us that it did all end in glory, but at this stage of his career Wayne Rooney should be the main man, but, he’s not, Ronaldo is the main man. The Portuguese star is nine months older than Englishmen, but at Euro 2004, although impressive in patches, he did not approach anywhere near the level of Rooney. So how did Ronaldo develop so much more? Did he just develop slower initially? He is not as physically strong as Rooney, so maybe this is the reason. There could be many reasons. They are all down to interpretation, but I feel Rooney’s progress has been stifled to a certain extent.
In his first season at Old Trafford, Rooney impressed. Stunning goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle were notable highlights, and he was man of the match in the FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal. His form dipped during the following season, like any young player’s can, but his England performances remained steady and he often carried the main threat. In fact, the national mourning that occurred after he broke his metatarsal seven weeks before the World Cup finals was a sign of the high regard he was (is) held in, or his perceived importance anyway.
Rooney wasn’t fit at the World Cup and it showed, but, following that tournament, up until Fabio Capello came into the job as England boss, his form for England was inconsistent. He has had long spells without scoring and games where he would often grow frustrated with his team mates. This is also a common feature during his games at Old Trafford. Ronaldo has become the golden boy of world football and has, to be blunt, overtaken Rooney.
The Englishman may still be more popular at Old Trafford, but is it about popularity? Does Rooney want popularity or does he want to be the best? He is a team player, that is plain to see, but he is also always demanding the ball and likes to be centre of attention. Sometimes he tries too hard, for example, the costly penalty he conceded in Moscow aided England’s exit from the Euro 2008 qualifiers. This was the same game in which Rooney also scored a spectacular volley. I feel that this is Wayne Rooney in a nutshell.
Wayne Rooney is still capable of astonishing moments of inspiration and skill on the football pitch, but is he really achieving his potential? Fellow Englishmen Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are arguably more recognized on the world stage. Gerrard, for example, nearly always appears in the UEFA Champions League teams of the year, as does John Terry, whilst Lampard has finished runner up in the World Player and European Footballer of the year lists. Rooney, of course, is younger, but has his unbelievable entrance onto the scene five years ago created false expectations?
Rooney, by now, should clearly be England’s star player, but is he? He should be one of the best five players in the world, but is he? His progress is not what it should be. He picks up silly suspensions, both home and abroad and get injured very regularly (whether his fault or not). He is often in the media spotlight and does this affect his performance?
The Merseysider has won two league titles, and will probably win another this season. He has a Champions League winner’s medal, and he has a League Cup winner’s medal. He is 23 years old, plays for one of the world’s greatest clubs and can still achieve everything he should do. Hopefully, this will include another special performance in a global championship. He may go on to win individual honours on the World or European stage, but is he at the level we expected at this stage of his career? Is he at the very, very top of the football ladder, on a par with Messi, Ronaldo, even Gerrard, to an extent? The Liverpool captain has rightly pointed out that Rooney’s talent is unequalled in the England camp, and whilst modestly playing down his own unique match-winning qualities, he is probably right. However, Rooney needs to prove this more often.
This argument is not about talent, because Rooney has that in abundance. The argument is actually what he is capable of. I personally think that he is capable of so much more.
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