Man City have been given special permission to bring in Martin Fulop on loan until the end of the season to cover their goalkeeping injury crisis.  Why exactly has this been sanctioned?  They got themselves into a mess and they are now being bailed out with the chance to sign a keeper with Premier League experience just because they didn’t have anyone else in place.

No other teams have received this special treatment.  When Manchester United had no centre-backs earlier in the season, they played Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher in central defence against Fulham.  Chelsea had a goalkeeping crisis of their own and they went with Ross Turnbull and academy product Rhys Taylor on the bench.  City are still in with a shot of Europe so them getting a back-up keeper (irregardless of whether he is Sunderland’s 1st or 3rd choice) to cover the loss of Given is completely unfair.  It gives them an advantage over Tottenham, Aston Villa, and even Liverpool.

A further point to mention is Fulop’s previous association with Tottenham in regard to the London team’s impending fixture at Eastlands.  Handed the chance to shine against his former employers and deprive them of a spot in Europe’s elite competition, the Hungarian will doubtless relish the chance to prove himself.  If other teams have to use academy players when they suffer an injury crisis, why should things be any different for Mancini and City?

So The Best League in the World bar none (copyright Barclays, Sky, Mars etc) finally also seems to be turning into the most open league in the world.  Points have been dropped left right and centre.  Formerly porous defences have shipped goals against the most modest of attacks.  Even Darren Bent has transformed himself into the kind of striker capable of finding the back of the net on a more regular basis than Sandra R.

But some things don’t change.  Rafa and Sir Alex continue to whine, whinge and rant at every perceived injustice.  As their respective charges stumbled ignominiously out of the FA Cup to lower division opponents they faced questions about the states of their clubs coming into the new decade.  The questions themselves are nothing new and it’s true that both Benitez and Ferguson possess the pedigree to extract themselves from their respective messes.  However, are these recent defeats just a blip in a difficult season or are they harbingers of a more endemic demise?  Indeed which of these two proud clubs is in more dire straits?
On the face of it, the answer is straightforward.  5 points from a Champions League spot, out of the FA Cup and Champions League, with off-field issues rife, Liverpool are, to paraphrase Walter Sobchak, in a world of pain.  Benitez admits that.  His key players are either unfit or woefully below par.  Tactically and personnel-wise they look desperately out of sorts, with the kind of patchy form that doesn’t suggest they will be able to string together the run of results needed to push them up to the Champions League holy grail.

The loss of Alonso last summer clearly damaged the midfield badly at Anfield.  The anticipated loss of Mascherano in the near future, not to mention Jamie Carragher’s dip in form, leaves Benitez with mountains of work to get Liverpool back on track.  His recent transfer dealings have not inspired great confidence with 20 million man Alberto Aquilani injured for the first 3 months of his Premier League career, while unrest swells within the ranks as Ryan Babel’s Twitter account will attest.  All sorts of issues confront the Spaniard but only a year into a lucrative 5-year-contract, he has stated he has no intention of walking away and the only way he’ll leave is if he is pushed.

A mooted ground share with Everton continues to rear its head and could be a potential solution to the financial constraints thrust upon the club by their American owners.  With the squad needing strengthening all over the pitch, not least up front, an overhaul will be costly though.  Fans point to a rich history in the red half of Merseyside but 20 years and counting since their last league triumph and with Man Utd’s recent hat-trick of titles, Reds fans will be all too aware of what they have been missing.  Following the arrival of Roberto Mancini, Man City look a genuine threat for the top four while Martin O’Neill and Harry Redknapp at Aston Villa and Tottenham respectively are moulding squads of great potential.  Coming into the final 3rd of the season, Benitez finds himself in a very real fight for his job and his club’s future as a member of the Big Four.

Just up the road in Manchester Sir Alex and his Red Devils sit happily in 2ndin the league, a point behind leaders Chelsea, with all seemingly well.  But that lofty position is papering over increasingly large cracks at Old Trafford in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.  With Chelsea having a game in hand on Untied, that solitary point could soon become 4.  Dumped out of the FA Cup at home to bitter rivals Leeds and unconvincing so far in Europe, United are not the machine of last year.

Injuries to key players have hampered Sir Alex badly at a vital time of the season.  However, the replacements bought in to fill the holes left by Carlos Tevez and Ronaldo have been inadequate and the squad has looked jittery at times this season.  Michael Owen never represented a huge gamble, arriving on a free transfer as he did, but nevertheless, an injury time winner against City aside, he hasn’t looked the poacher of old and United are increasingly reliant on Rooney to provide goals.  Valencia was always going to have an impossible job to fill Ronaldo’s boots but even so he has only shone in fits and starts.  Quite what Obertan represents is anyone’s guess.  With Giggs and Scholes another year older, Ferdinand looking evermore vulnerable, Berbatov a shadow of the player he was at White Hart Lane, and Vidic having his head turned by a move to Spain, all is not well in the Man Utd ranks.  More worryingly, the youngsters to have been blooded showed against Leeds that they are a long way from stepping up to replace the likes of Scholes, Giggs and Neville.

Furthermore, even by his usual cantankerous standards, Sir Alex has been in argumentative form this year, singling out every perceived poor decision to moan about, making a total mockery of his previous backing for the Respect campaign.  Is this highlighting of each officiating mistake just the continued mind games of a canny old campaigner or is it the desperate gripings of a man frantically trying to cover the shortcomings of an increasingly susceptible squad?

The emergence of Manchester City as challengers to the top 4 if not the title, added to their audacious swiping of Carlos Tevez has clearly got under Ferguson’s skin.  Like Liverpool, United now operate under shaky financial conditions with the sale of Ronaldo revealed to have saved the club from running a deficit in the past financial year.  Fergie may profess to consider Man City ‘a small club with a small mentality’ but he surely cannot help but cast envious glances at their bottomless pits when it comes to transfers funds this month.
Ferguson has been around long enough and has reinvented his squad often enough to expect himself to prove the doubters wrong.  However, with Ancelotti’s calm exterior, Mancini’s cool persona and the admirable restraint shown by the likes of Tony Pulis in the face of poor officiating this season, Sir Alex is beginning to public lose sympathy over his wild rants, looking ever more like a man losing his grip who might well decide enough is enough.  And if that were to happen what could be expected to happen at Old Trafford?

Liverpool’s situation is dire enough but we don’t need to look too far back to recall Gerard Houllier’s 5-trophy season when Michael Owen was the kind of player Fergie can only wish he were now.  Managers have come and gone and back room staff been changed and reinvented in the not too distant past at Anfield.  For United on the other hand, Ferguson represents everything.  But at the age of 68, retirement can’t be too far away from his thoughts, and what then?  With two proud clubs entering choppy waters, it seems change is in the air and tough times may be ahead.

According to the official F.A website over 7000 referees quit football every year because of the abuse they receive from players and from the sideline.  The Respect campaign was launched in an attempt to provide a safe and positive environment for players and referees to enjoy the game from grassroots to elite football.  What, then, are we to make of Sir Alex Ferguson’s latest outburst in the aftermath of his side’s 2-2 draw last weekend with Sunderland?

For those who haven’t heard his comments, Ferguson accused referee Alan Wiley of being unfit.  He said: “I was disappointed with the referee. He was not fit enough for a game of that standard.  The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher’s dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn’t fit. He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.”

Ferguson has frequently aroused controversy for his attacks on referees.  In 2007 he was handed a £5000 fine and a two match touchline ban for an outburst at Mark Clattenburg at halftime during Manchester United’s defeat against Bolton.  Last season he received another two match ban and a £10000 fine following a finger pointing flare-up with Mike Dean at Old Trafford after United’s 4-3 win over Hull. He was further warned about his conduct in 2008 after criticising referee Martin Atkinson for failing to give United a penalty in an FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Portsmouth. Then in March 2009 he questioned Phil Dowd’s competence after the referee sent off Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney in a 2-0 defeat at Fulham

However, this time Ferguson has attracted far more criticism for his scathing personal attack.  Former referee Jeff Winter called Ferguson “a bully” and “a coward” while Alan Leighton of referees union Prospect said the FA should consider suspending Ferguson from all direct activity at Old Trafford following his latest eruption.

Ferguson is not alone in disrespecting referees this season.  Both Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp have questioned the competence of Premier League referees following controversial decisions.  Allardyce was incensed that Peter Walton missed an apparent trip by Thomas Vermalen on David Dunn in Arsenal 6-2 victory while Redknapp was annoyed that Howard Webb failed to award Tottenham a clear penalty in their 3-0 defeat at Chelsea last month.  However, these grievances followed on from legitimate controversies.  Ferguson’s comments followed on from a poor performance by his team and appeared to be a personal attack to deflect attention from his team’s inadequacies.

It’s unlikely that Ferguson will escape censure for his attack on Wiley.  The real issue is why he should be allowed to show disrespect so routinely and receive what amounts to a slap on the wrist.  Leighton believes that a fine or touchline ban would be “like water off a duck’s back” for Ferguson and that it is time for the FA to get tough.  Whether the FA will stand up to him or not remains to be seen.

Amongst the furore, critics seem to have missed the fact that Ferguson managed to retain his famed dry sense of humour, claiming with a straight face that Wiley, “didn’t add on any time for the goal”.  Quite how he can come out and say that after the amount of times he has benefitted from added minutes and then go on to criticise the referee’s fitness is amazing.  But then Ferguson has always been a difficult customer (as the BBC will attest to).  Let’s hope the FA have the backbone to deal with him properly this time and show that Respect means Respect.

Just over half a dozen games in and the Premier League is beginning to take shape.  There have already been some heavyweight clashes with the newly oil rich Man City upsetting Big 4 stalwarts Arsenal while Spurs’ flying start was kept in check by Manchester United and Chelsea.  With the electric Fernando Torres leading the line Liverpool have steadied the ship after a nervy start and last year’s pretenders, Aston Villa, have picked up useful points despite not fully hitting top form yet.

At the wrong end of the table things are looking far less rosy for a number of teams.  It is about this time that chairmen begin to get itchy trigger fingers and there will be a number of managers who are enduring one or two sleepless nights at the moment.

This time last year both Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan had resigned from West Ham and Newcastle respectively while Juande Ramos was less than a month away from getting the chop at Tottenham.  In that sense it has been a fairly sedate start to managerial proceedings in the top flight.  However, with points being dropped and every game being as crucial as the next it won’t be long before an axe is wielded in earnest.

Current bookies favourite to win the sack race is Paul Hart.  Statistically Hart has overseen the worst start to a top flight season ever.  7 defeats from 7 has thrust the spotlight on the softly spoken former Leeds man but while his team languish 4 points adrift at the foot of the table there seems to be a groundswell of support following the recent turmoil that Pompey have endured.  With a whole raft of quality players shipped out since he took over from the hapless Tony Adams, Hart has done well to put together any sort of side.  Recent performances against Villa and Everton suggest that a first point or even victory might not be too far away but time is not on Hart’s side.

One rung above Hart in the table is headset fan and tanning salon favourite Phil Brown.  A revelation in the first half of last season Brown has overseen a downturn in fortunes of almost biblical proportions since he publically castigated his troops on the Eastland’s pitch at half time last December.  Rumours of dressing room unrest allied to Brown’s habit of continually berating his players in the media paint an unhappy picture at the KC stadium.  Throw in the sale of his best defender to Premiership rivals Sunderland and it might not be too long before the Tigers go in search of fresh blood.

Alongside Hart and Brown in the sack race sits Championship doyen/Premier League deadbeat Mick McCarthy, bumbling along nicely at Wolves.  If ever a man were suited to a level it seems that it is he with Championship football.  Not satisfied with bringing Sunderland up a few years back with a record points haul he followed that by making Wolves into second tier champions as well.  However, once in the top division he seems to freeze like a gruff Northern rabbit in the headlights as his players flail helplessly while the goals fly in around them.   With last years stars Sylvain Ebanks Blake and Michael Kightly in the squad there is always hope but with the big man at the helm it could be that a McCarthy-style witch hunt might be Wolves best chance of survival.

Of the other candidates, Owen Coyle must feel relatively untouchable at pre-season drop favourites Burnley.  An inspired victory over Man United was followed by a solid win against Everton.  Home form will be crucial if Coyle is to have a successful first year as a Premiership manager but if early indications are anything to go by he will adapt nicely.  Alex McCleish’s squad at Birmingham and Gary Megson’s at Bolton look awfully thin on quality and they will struggle on their travels.  West Ham’s early form will be a slight concern to Gianfranco Zola but there is enough talent within the squad to pick up points and climb the table.  Sam Allardyce has crafted a squad in his burly image at Blackburn and while they won’t play very attractive football they should bully enough physically smaller teams to stick around for another year.  And while Roy Hodgson at Fulham has not started too brightly, he has bags of experience that will come in to play should Fulham continue to occupy a spot near the wrong end of the table.

So the race is on to become the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season.  While it doesn’t quite engender the same thrill of a neck and neck title chase it should be remembered that with any casualty a fresh replacement comes into the fold.  And with such past visionaries as the aforementioned Adams stepping up to (and then down from) the plate, surly that’s something to get excited about?  And if that’s not enough then a mere mention of one of the names mooted to be in line to replace Hart should get the blood pumping – the one and only David O’Leary.  Bring on the axe!

It doesn’t take much to wind up the average football fan these days.  The average football fan (a long suffering male who enjoys beer and has delusions of grandeur for his team of overpaid primadonnas) is drawn to controversial issues like a moth to the proverbial flame.  There is little doubt then that the events of the weekend past will have left a lot of fans more than a little wound up.

First off Old Trafford.  Following on from Arsene Wenger’s quite reasonable assessment of the ‘Old Traffordish’ penalty given against his side two weeks ago, there was the reappearance of OTT.  No, not ‘Over The Top’ but in fact ‘Old Trafford Time’.  Quite simply it requires officials to add on as much time as needed for United to score a winner.  Occasionally it gets ignored so ‘shock’ results such as happened at Burnley recently lend an air of legitimacy to ‘the greatest league in the world’.  However, over a season it crops up a few times and it also extends to awarding/denying non-existent/tied-on penalties to United/visiting teams.

Those who saw the game will know what went on.  Mark Hughes quite rightly questioned where the extra time came from.  While Lineker and Co attempted to gloss it over on MOTD 2, many fans were left wondering how 90+4 became 90+6.  Substitutions account for 30 seconds extra and Carrick came on for Anderson during injury time.  That adds an additional 30 seconds extra.  The time it took Manchester City to celebrate their 90th minute equaliser however should not have been added.  If that were the case then there would have 4 added minutes at Upton Park prior to half time to allow for goal celebrations in the first half.  And that most certainly did not happen.

The fact that United outplayed City for almost the entire 2nd half is inconsequential.  Rio Ferdinand made a schoolboy error which was duly punished and Ferguson was facing points dropped followed by a lot of egg on his face after his pre-match sleights at City.  But that reckoned without OTT and the special interpretation of refs in United games.  Law 7 of the referee’s rules states that added on time (officially ‘Allowance for time lost’) can be allowed for substitutions, injuries and treatment, time wasting and ‘any other cause’.  Crucially though it also states that allowance for time lost is ‘at the discretion of the official’.  Whether that discretion is entirely impartial is now very much open to debate.

Not all referees lack the ability to be punctual though.  Carlton Cole had a perfectly good goal struck off a couple of weeks ago because Alan Wiley blew for half time as he was striking the ball and not after it entered the net.  That was on the stroke of half time.  He didn’t allow one second more to elapse or the phase of play to be concluded before he whistled for halftime thereby ruling out a perfectly good goal.  But that was West Ham and that was at Wigan.  And they aren’t ‘big’ clubs so who really cares?

So on to Stamford Bridge and the other big controversy of the weekend.  Spurs were a goal down.  King had just hobbled off.  They were not, however, out of the game.  Lennon dinked a ball into Defoe which was cleverly turned on to Keane who raced toward goal.  As he shaped to pull the trigger his heel was clipped by Carvalho.  All eyes turned to Webb who steadfastly stonewalled all appeals and waved play on.  But Keane, livid at the injustice, raced after Webb imploring him to book him.  After all if it wasn’t a penalty then it must have been a dive.  And of course if it was a dive then it was booking.  But Webb opted to do nothing at all and predictably Chelsea went on to punish the exasperated and increasingly threadbare Spurs defence.  It’s not to say that Spurs would’ve drawn or even gone on to win the game, but goals do change games and momentum is a strange thing.  But of course it wouldn’t do for the Premier League hierarchy to be upset.  So Chelsea and Man Utd exit the weekend in first and 2nd, Spurs are back where they should be, out of the top 4, while Ferguson gets to classlessly mock City and balance is restored.

It is not as if these events are unique though.  United’s first title under Ferguson was secured in dubious circumstances when a 96th minute Steve Bruce header finally broke Sheffield Wednesday back in 1994.  Of course then it was a novelty and no-one could guess it would become a recurring theme.  However, a 95th Carlos Tevez goal rescued a point at Tottenham two seasons ago proving that OTT is not just limited to Old Trafford.  Just last season Spurs were 2-0 and effectively cruising at Old Trafford before a hilariously bad penalty was awarded against them.  They folded horribly afterwards but the penalty was the catalyst United needed and they got.  The ref that day?  None other than that bastian of impartiality Howard Webb.  And then of course there was an incident involving a Pedro Mendes shot that may or may not have crossed the line but that’s a whole other matter.

If these things happen once or twice they can just about be written off as freakish mistakes by incompetent morons.  However, the regularity with which they occur (and the examples cited above are merely the tip of the iceberg – makes me think otherwise.  I think everyone with an ounce of knowledge about football recognises that the game is a bit bent towards the big sides, either intentionally or simply through spineless inadequacy, but this weekend saw the most blatant examples of it to date and it makes me question whether it’s even worth watching at all.

It is the responsibility of the Great British Press to hype up England’s chances before any major tournament.  Expectation must be raised beyond anything remotely reasonable.  The country must be gripped with fervor and an unswerving certainty that the trophy will be come back to where it belongs.  However, with a little under a year to go until the tournament kicks off and with 7 wins from 7 in qualifying games it seems that the media have been a bit slow on the uptake.  I therefore feel it is my solemn duty to kick start the campaign here and now by highlighting the myriad of reasons why England shall win the World Cup at a stroll and make us all proud…

…Except I couldn’t come up with a myriad.  In fact I couldn’t even come up with 10.  Or 8.  Or even 6 or 7.  So I decided on a more balanced view.  Five reasons why they might win and five reasons why they probably won’t.  Surely I’d be able to do that without scraping the barrel wouldn’t I?

The Top Five Reason Why England Might Win The 2010 World Cup

1) Fabio Capello

The man is a winner.  He has won trophies in Italy.  He has won trophies in Spain.  He has won Leagues.  He has won Cups.  He has won the Champions League.  He knows how to get the job done.  It might not always be pretty but for Fabio it is ultimately the end that justifies the means.

2) We have match winners

Teams that win World Cups have match winners.  Argentina had Maradona, Brazil had Pele, France had Zidane.  You need players who can change games in an instant and on their own.  We have three such examples with Rooney, Gerrard and Walcott – players who have the talent and increasingly the temperament with which to seize big games and make them their own.

3) The back four

If Glen Johnson’s expected move to either Liverpool or Chelsea goes through, by the time the World Cup rolls round he will have had a season of Champions League football under his belt.  Alongside seasoned Big Cup campaigners Cashley, Rio and JT, the back four will have a very solid look to it and great teams are build on great defences.

4) Psycho

Footballers are simple creatures and are able to take inspiration from even the most obvious of sources.  Stuart Pearce may not have had the smooth managerial ride that many hoped for but the current squad will have grown up on his chest thumping, ‘I’m going to explode with pride’ celebration in Euro ’96.  Furthermore, he seems to be grooming a very good Under-21 team and having been to a World Cup semi final himself, his steady influence on the bench alongside Capello could be vital in instilling a spirit and belief that this squad of players can fulfill their potential.

5) Who else is going to do it?

Without being too disparaging and setting myself up for a mighty fall, there’s not a huge amount else out there to be worried about.  Brazil have become functional and defensive under Dunga.  Argentina are faltering badly under Diego after a positive start.  France look shaky and are paying the price for sticking with Domenech.  We’ve already beaten Germany in their own back yard.  Holland are bound to in-fight their way out the tournament at some stage.  Portugal’s mercurial talents don’t have the temperament to take them all the way to the title.  Russia blow hotter and colder than Gareth Barry’s Champions League ambitions while Italy are a bunch of aging hipsters.  As far as one can see there’s not too much to trouble England on their glorious march to glory….

The Top Five Reason Why England Probably Won’t Win The World Cup And Will Make Grown Men Cry (And Fight)

1) Spain

…except the Spanish.  Four teams made the Champions League semi finals.  Three of them were English.  The other was Barca, and we all know what happened there.  The national team taught us a lesson at their place not so long ago and the way Xavi and Iniesta pass and move the ball is light years ahead of any other midfield pairing on the planet.  Add to that a strikeforce of Villa and Torres and an unbeaten record stretching back 34 matches, the last 14 of which have been wins, and it becomes quite clear that they will be the team to beat next summer.

2) We don’t have a decent keeper

A solid back four is only a strength if you have a reliable keeper behind it.  Sadly we don’t and unless someone makes a miraculous run over the coming season it seems this will be our Achilles heel once again.  Carson’s chance came and went.  Robbo has shown his frailties on numerous occasions.  Rob Green was barely tested in the last two qualifiers but has been known to flap at crosses for West Ham.  As for David James, if he goes as first choice then we might as well all book our holidays for after the group stages.

3) WAGS

Surely Fabio won’t stand for any of this rubbish will he?  But then they’re used to the highlife, they wear the trousers and more often than not they get their own way.  It was a distraction last time out and if it’s not nipped in the bud at source then the demon WAG circus could rear its ugly head again.  For someone supposedly shy and retiring, Theo Walcott’s better half Melanie Slade gets a lot of column inches and crops up in saucy photo shoots.  Also Rooney will be a dad by this time next year and who can rule out Colleen launching a ‘Baby Shrek’ clothing range or something equally hideous?

4) Strength in depth

Our first eleven on paper can be very good.  The power of Rooney upfront.  Ferdinand’s pace and outstanding reading of the game at the back.  Even bringing Beckham to the party for his range of passing wouldn’t be a terrible idea.  The balance on the left notwithstanding, there are world class players throughout the line-up.  However, dig deeper and things become a bit thin.  Stuart Downing off the bench?  Matthew Upson marshalling Leo Messi?  Doesn’t fill you with confidence if we pick up a few knocks and have to rely on ‘lesser’ squad members.

5) Penalties

Even the most blindly optimistic of England followers must surely concede that the thought of facing anyone on penalties fills them with dread.  It could be in a semi final against Germany or against Ghana in the last 16.  Hell it could even be a charity game against Whipsnade Under 12s.  Whatever the opposition you just expect England to crumble in the face of penalties.  No doubt we’ll have battled against the odds through 120 minutes of blood and sweat and will almost certainly be the more deserving of the two teams to go through.  But we won’t.  Hargreaves will pop off the bench and nonchalantly slot his opening kick in the top corner but then the following four will be shanked against the post, slashed wildly over the bar, slapped tamely against the keeper’s legs, and tragically rolled wide as the keeper dives the wrong way.  It was just not meant to be.

]]> http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/06/why-england-will-win-the-2010-world-cup/feed/ 28 http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/06/england%e2%80%99s-best-xi/ http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/06/england%e2%80%99s-best-xi/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:00:00 +0000 Patrick Curry http://blog.ukfootballfinder.co.uk/?p=1232

The easiest and quickest way to choose this team would be to go with the boys of ’66.  After all they are the only players to have represented England and won a major trophy.  They had a strong spine running through the team – Banks, Moore, Bobby Charlton and Hunt – and the right blend of flair and grit (the creativity and style of Peters and Ball ably backed up by the bark and bite of Jackie Charlton and Stiles).

However, to go with this option would be like picking a French all-time XI and including Stephane Guivarc’h whilst omitting Michel Platini.  Sure, Hurst hit that hat-trick at Wembley to seal his place in English footballing folklore but was he really a better centre forward than Gary Lineker?

A further hurdle posed with this kind of selection is that of the formation – pre-Ramsey coaches favoured the classic WM formation whereas Sir Alf won the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966 with his famous wingless wonders.  To avoid too many disputes I’ve tried to keep to a classic English 4-4-2 system and played players in what would have been their natural positions according to this.  However, I haven’t gone with players I’ve only seen in my lifetime (as someone suggested I should) as that would be to omit the majority of England’s finest talent.   This selection has already caused major debate, some of it heated, so please feel free to pull me up on any of the choices below…

GK – Gordon Banks

From the World Cup winning team but better remembered for the save that Pele described as the greatest he’d ever seen, Gordon Banks was the best custodian England have had bar none.  Banks possessed a safe air of hands and an instinctive reading of a striker’s intentions, amassing 73 caps for England in an international career that spanned 9 years.  Amazingly he was moved on by Leicester City a year after the ’66 victory when a 17 year old Peter Shilton said he would not sign a professional contract unless he was guaranteed the spot of first choice ‘keeper.  Though Shilts went on to play for his country, Banks will be remembered as number one.

LB – Ray Wilson

England don’t seem to produce full backs these days.  In the early 60s it was different.  Ray Wilson came from an amateur football background but after signing professional forms with Huddersfield soon gained a reputation as a nippy left back with good overlapping skills.  After appearing in the ’62 World Cup he transferred to Everton in 1964 and was an ever present in Alf Ramsey’s World Cup winning team in ’66 as well as winning the F.A Cup with Everton that season.  Altogether he represented England 63 times and while he may have lacked Stuart Pearce’s chest thumping hardness, he was surely the better footballer.

CB – Bobby Moore

A classy ball playing centre-half Moore captained his country a record 90 times (a record shared with Billy Wright) and led England to its greatest triumph on home turf in 1966.  He was famed for his gentlemanly conduct both on and off the pitch and for his reading of the game.  He executed what many see as the perfect tackle on Jairzinho in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and amongst the numerous iconic images from the World Cup win, Moore hoisted aloft on the shoulders of his teammates is one that is most recognizable.

CB – Billy Wright

Wright could play either left wing-half or centre-half and was the first player in the world to reach 100 caps.  He holds the joint captaincy with Moore and played in 70 consecutive internationals between 1951 and 1959.  More solid and competitive than flashy he described his own style as follows; “I only had two things on my mind as a player: to win the ball and then to give the simplest pass I could to the nearest team-mate.”  The Times were a little more forthcoming when in 1959 they described Wright as ‘a national treasure’.

RB – Alf Ramsey

Prior to managing his country Ramsey represented England 32 times at right back, captaining the team 3 times and also scoring 3 times.  He possessed excellent positional sense and was a great reader of the game.  While lacking pace he was known for his distribution and his cool head which saw him become a specialist penalty taker, earning the nickname ‘The General’.

LM – Duncan Edwards

Duncan Edwards was a giant of a player.  He was terrorizing opposition players under the nickname Big Dunc long before Everton’s Ferguson brought his own unique brand of sportsmanship to the Premier League.  Edwards was roundly regarding as one of the greatest players to play the game before his career was tragically cut short at 21 years of age following the Munich air crash.  He was able to play all over the park but his imposing frame was best used as a marauding left half where his aerial ability and assuredness on the ball were instrumental in taking United to back to back titles in the 50s and helping England qualify for the 1958 World Cup.

CM – Bobby Charlton

England’s record goal scorer and an attacking midfielder with a vicious shot, Charlton is a must for any England XI.  An integral part of Ramsey’s team throughout the ’66 tournament he scored both goals in the semi-final victory over Portugal and went on to represent England alongside Moore, Charlton, Ball and Banks in Mexico in 1970.  He also won numerous titles with Manchester United including the 1968 European Cup  ten years after surviving the Munich air disaster.

CM – Bryan Robson

Bryan Robson’s international career spanned 11 years, 90 caps (65 times as captain), 26 goals and 4 tournaments.  He was seen by successive England managers as an integral part of the England team and was given the nickname Captain Marvel for his bravery and leadership while on England duty.  For 20 years he was in the record books for having scored the fastest World Cup Goal and while his managerial ‘achievements’ have seen his high standards slip somewhat he should surely be remembered as an excellent leader and captain and the ideal foil for Sir Bobby in an England all time XI.

RM – Stanley Matthews

The only player ever to have been knighted while still playing, Stanley Matthews has long been held as one of the greats of the English game.   His career stretched from a pre-war debut in 1934 through 23 years to 1957 where as a 42 year old he became the oldest player ever to represent England.  Known for his trickery on the wing Matthews scored 11 times for England in 54 games appearing in the 1950 and 1954 World Cups.

CF – Jimmy Greaves

Though his less than enthusiastic reaction from the bench following Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick goal in the ’66 final was well documented, it should be remembered that Greaves had a phenomenal goal scoring record for his country.  In 57 games he netted 44 times putting him 3rd in the all time scorer’s chart (behind Lineker and Charlton) and he scored more hat-tricks for his country than any other player (6).  Though his England career was pretty much over following the World Cup win his strike rate and nose for goal cement his place in my England Best XI.

CF – Gary Lineker

Before the Match of the Day perma tan and the smug Walkers crisps adverts Gary Winston Lineker was a terrific centre forward.  Famed for never being booked in his career he also had a deadly eye for goal in the box and scored 48 goals in 80 appearances.   In 1986 he became the only Englishman ever to win the Golden Shoe as top scorer at the Mexico World Cup and though his career came to an unsatisfactory end (he was infamously subbed by Graham Taylor for Alan Smith vs. Sweden in Euro ’92) he is one of the few modern day representatives to make many people’s England XI.  Currently he is engaged to lingerie model Danielle Bux.

Now the dust has settled and Tom Henning Ovrebo has escaped Britain without being lynched, one thing has become abundantly clear after last Wednesday Champions League semi-final; neutral football fans, almost to a man, were desperate to see Barcelona go through.  Chelsea fans aside, no one has been that bothered by the referee’s woeful performance.  This may have been because Barca play sublime football.  It might have also been because people wanted the ‘Hollywood Final’ of Man Utd vs Barca.  They may not have wanted a repeat of last years final.  But it also could be down to what seems to be an almost universal hatred of Chelsea.  So what are the reasons why people hate Chelsea so much?  Here’s my top 10.

1 – Didier Drogba

The swearing, the diving, the constant tantrums and protestations that he feels unloved and underappreciated, Drogba scores great goals but he is essentially a flat track bully who falls over like a little girl in a playground at the slightest touch of a defender’s arm.  With any luck he’ll finally leave this summer and we won’t have to put up with his antics week in week out.

2 – Roman’s Billions

Since his arrival at Chelsea in 2003 he has grossly distorted the British transfer market bringing players in seemingly at will and making an already uneven playing field almost unplayable.  Broke the then British transfer record when he signed Shevchenko in May 2006 for 30 million pounds and as of May 2009 has spent well over 600 million pounds on the club.

3 – Fat Fwank and JT

From a Chelsea POV, ‘Lamps’ is England’s most talented midfielder, a constant goal threat from midfield and a player who bosses games in the centre of the park.  JT is an inspirational leader who dominates strike-forces and is not afraid to put his head in where it hurts.  To all other fans Fwank is massively overrated, lives off the hard work of Essien and specializes in deflected goals.  JT is a ref baiting chav who has to make last ditch tackles and put his head in where it hurts because he constantly gets caught out of position.

4 – Big Team Reputation

Chelsea fans like to think of themselves as one Europe’s biggest clubs but the fact is that 20 years ago Chelsea weren’t even in the top division.  In 1982-83 they were almost relegated to the old 3rd division.  They weren’t part of the traditional big five of Man Utd, Everton, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham and they don’t have a rich history of playing good football.  The arrival of Gullit in the mid 90s changed their fortunes and subsequently Abramovich has transformed them but bought success will never compete with earned greatness and deep down Chelsea fans know that it could all crumble if the Russian gets bored of his play thing.

5 – Peter Kenyon and Brand Chelsea

Representing the odious side of modern football, Kenyon comes from a marketing background and deals with all the commercial activities at Chelsea.  He is responsible for promoting Chelsea as a brand to Asia and the rest of the world and is intent on making them a super club.  However, his smug visage and slimy conduct are not conducive to promoting a trustworthy image.  Likewise his involvement in the tapping up of Erikkson and Ashely Cole makes him distinctly unpalatable and he seems like a perfect fit for a club so easy to hate.

6 – Cashley Cole

Judged on footballing ability alone Cole is top notch.  Judged on other attributes he is less likeable.  He was famously derisory of a 55’000k per week contract offer from Arsenal.  He abused Mike Riley (not too bad in itself) and turned his back on the official after a late lunge on Alan Hutton at White Hart Lane.  He met with Kenyon and Mourinho while still an Arsenal player.  He released an autobiography (My Defence) at just 25 years old.  Hilariously this sold just 4000 copies in its first 6 weeks.  Inexplicably he cheated on Cheryl Cole.  He advertised the National Lottery dressed in a white suit and a medallion.  Need I go on?

7 – Cuddly Ken Bates

Bought the club for 1 pound back in 1982 and stayed for 24 controversial years.  He once suggested that the club install electric fences to keep its fans from the pitch and was involved in disputes with, amongst others, Matthew Harding, Peter Osgood and Martin O’Neill, even going so far as to call Harding an ‘evil man’ a year after Harding had died in a helicopter crash.  Now chairman of Leeds, Bates went someway to redeeming himself in the eyes of Chelsea detractors by describing Abramovich and the Chelsea board as ‘a bunch of shysters from Siberia’.

8 – Celebrity Fans

Strange as it may sound, you can tell a lot about a club by its celebrity fans.  Where Spurs followers include Peter Cook, Bob Marley, Warren Mitchell and Ray Liotta, some of Chelsea’s more famous fans are John Major, David Mellor and Tim Lovejoy.  Incidentally Arsenal’s celebrity fan club numbers Jeremy Beadle, Rory McGrath and Dale Winton amongst its members while Man Utd have Terry Christian, Angus Deayton and Eamonn Holmes in their fan club.

9 – The Headhunters

Not seen so often these days, Chelsea have a rich history in one area of their club, that of fan violence.  In the 1970s the infamous Headhunters had running battles with Leeds United fans and widespread racism was present within the group.  A 1999 BBC documentary on them uncovered links to various white supremacist organizations such as the National Front.  This is one part of Chelsea that won’t be included in any of Kenyon’s ‘Brand Chelsea’ material.

10 – Dennis Wise

Perhaps the man who kicked started the current generation of Chelsea haters, Alex Ferguson once said of Wise that ‘he could start a fight in an empty house’.  Spent his formative years at Wimbledon but came into his own during his 11 years at Chelsea.  He had disciplinary problems both on and off the field not least a 1995 conviction for assaulting a taxi driver.  This resulted in being given a 3 month jail sentence which was later overturned but for many his nastiness personified Chelsea.

]]> http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/05/the-things-i-hate-about-blue/feed/ 17 http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/05/premier-league-anti-xi-2008-09/ http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/05/premier-league-anti-xi-2008-09/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 06:30:10 +0000 Patrick Curry http://blog.ukfootballfinder.co.uk/?p=921

With the Premier League drawing to a close it’s time for a look back at the season. Ryan Giggs has somehow already picked up the PFA player of the season, despite playing a mere 1313 of a possible 3150 Premier League minutes. The title was all but decided by Howard Webb’s errant whistle and a meek Spurs capitulation at Old Trafford a few weeks back. The FA Cup offers Everton the chance of gloriously dull failure against Chelsea on a dodgy Wembley pitch. The Champions League still has genuine excitement to offer as this week showed. However, where the real glory lies is in the Duds XI for 2008-09.

Criteria for selection was as wide ranging as the line-up itself. To qualify some kind of disappointment or a let down was needed. Not exactly an X-factor, more of a ‘Why?’ factor. Calamitous mistakes, thuggish brutality, unfulfilled promise, piles of wasted cash and plain bad luck have all played a part in the following players’ seasons. The only rigid judgment was that the events had to have taken place during the past 9 months.

GK – Craig Gordon

Sunderland

The tag of Britain’s most expensive goalkeeper is tough enough to live up to on the pitch. Doing it from the bench is nigh on impossible. After a satisfactory first season with the Black Cats, Gordon has played just 11 times this campaign, only 4 of them since October 18th. He has suffered from a knee injury but his form has been patchy when he has played. Ricky Sbragia simply seems to have more faith in Martin Fulop. As expensive flops go, the Scotland international has some way to go to convince supporters that chairman Niall Quinn did not waste an awful lot of cash.

LB – Nicky Shorey

Aston Villa

When Wilfred Bouma’s ankle twisted beneath him in an Intertoto Cup against Odense back in July, Villa manager Martin O’Neill knew he would need to get long term cover for the injured left back. Unfortunately his judgment was slightly out when he plumped for Shorey. The ex-Reading full back had shown promise in his two seasons in the Premier League under Steve Coppell. However, so bad has he been since arriving in the Midlands that O’Neill has preferred to use the right footed Luke Young at left back rather than risk playing Shorey. A truly dreadful season that will surely see him shipped out in the summer.

CB – Richard Dunne

Man City

Season on season Richard Dunne commits the kind of defensive errors that would makes Titus Bramble blush and this year he has not disappointed. While Titus has (by his standards at least) had a revelation of a season at Wigan alongside Mario Melchiot, Dunne has been amusing MOTD viewers with shockers on a regular basis. Own goals against both Bolton and Newcastle plus a red card against Tottenham have had the City faithful disgruntled and the Irish international’s form, coupled with terrible dip in form from Micah Richards have turned City’s pre-season dreams of champagne football and Champions League prospects in to mid-table mediocrity once again.

CB – Fabrizio Coloccini

Newcastle

As if Newcastle weren’t enough of a comedy club already, the signing of the wild haired Argentine from Deportivo last summer raised the bar to an altogether new level. Arriving with a solid reputation as a rugged stopper it has taken a mere 9 months to reduce that viewpoint to dust. Coloccini has shown himself to be woefully unable to adapt to the pace of the Premiership. Positionally he has been caught out time and time again and his ineptitude in controlling a back line alongside Steve Taylor has led to a mammoth 54 goals being shipped when he has played, the third worst record in the Premiership. It wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t been so feted but with big reputations come big falls and Coloccini’s looks like taking his through the Premier League trapdoor.

RB – Paul McShane

Hull City

Just pipping Micah Richards to the right-back slot is Dunne’s fellow countryman and Manchester United youth graduate ‘Big’ Paul McShane. A combative player with all the instincts of a Sunday league slogger, McShane has benefitted massively from the Fergie Midas touch and the misguided belief amongst football’s inner circle that a stint at United, however short, blesses a player eternally (see Danny Higgenbotham and Phil Bardsley). Starting the season Sunderland, McShane was loaned to Hull at the end of August and even went as far as scoring a goal at Anfield. Tragically that only served to paper over the cracks of a player who is simply punching above his weight and who when faced with genuine class and pace is cruelly exposed.

LM – Damien Duff

Newcastle

Epitomising all that is wrong with the modern footballer is Newcastle’s third entry, left sided midfielder Damien Duff. In a team of players who have not performed anywhere near the level expected of them, he stands out. Possessing of great natural balance and fantastic pace he also has a searing laziness that only comes from knowing you will pocket 70k at the end of the week regardless of how you perform. He has not been the only culprit amongst the Newcastle playing staff this year but his season has typified a team who have miserably failed to add up to the sum of their parts. If Newcastle get relegated he will be one of the first to jump ship. However, his contribution to their downfall should not be forgotten amongst the Geordie faithful who’d do well to look at tapes of his Blackburn days and wonder just who the imposter on their left wing has been this season.

CM – Geovanni

Hull City

An odd choice at first glance as Geovanni has undoubtedly been responsible for some sublime moments in Hull’s inaugural Premier League season. Winners at the Emirates and White Hart Lane sent Tigers fans in to raptures as nine games in Hull sat joint top of the Premier League. However, seasons run over 9 months not 9 games and dips in form can be as costly as a great run of performances can be beneficial. In hindsight Phil Brown’s on pitch halftime team-talk on Boxing Day at Eastlands ultimately looks like it could be a deciding factor in shaping City’s season. Just as crucially though you need star players to come to the fore and maintain form and it is here where Geovanni has let Hull down.

CM – Joey Barton

Newcastle

No introduction needed for the Premier League’s Mickey Knox. The raw aggression of his tackling sadly masks the genuine footballing talents of a player who at Man City was once looked upon as a future England prospect. If it weren’t for the idiotic lunges and the frequent descents into red mist territory he could well have helped Newcastle avoid their current predicament. As it is the man signed for Newcastle by (who else but) Sam Allardyce ended his season and that of Xavi Alonso with another crude assault and a red card at Anfield.

RM – David Bentley

Spurs

Bad seasons often seem so bad because of what went before. Bentley stood out at Blackburn alongside Roque Santa Cruz as one of the premier performers in England’s top league in 2007-08. Those performances coupled with a pricey move to Tottenham raised expectations but unfortunately any pre-season promise failed to materialize once the serious business got underway. An absolute screamer at the Emirates aside, it has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the former Arsenal man. However, Bentley certainly hasn’t become a bad footballer overnight and two crackers in a reserve game against Arsenal recently showed that where form is temporary, hopefully for Bentley and Tottenham, class is permanent.

F – Dimitar Berbatov

Man Utd

Big money moves breed big expectation which fans demand be met. Berbatov’s laidback style was never really going to hide the fact that he doesn’t enjoy the grafting part of the game but for 30 million you expect a bit more. Flashes of genius against West Ham and a nonchalantly flicked poach against Bolton let everyone know his mercurial brilliance remains but when Fergie feels the need to start defending you a la Veron, you know you haven’t lived up to the hype. Could end up with Premier League and Champions League medals but that would not disguise the fact that to all intents and purposes his sulk induced big money move has so far been a failure.

F – Robinho

Man City

Thought he would be playing alongside Ronaldo and Rooney until he realized it was City and not United he had signed for, Robinho has undoubtedly shown moments of excellence during a turbulent first season with City’s oil rich slickers. The fact is though that he has also gone missing for entire games, spent altogether too much time out partying, engaged in rumblings of discontent with his fellow Brazilian contingent and locked horns with his manager throughout the season. Inklings of partnerships with Stephen Ireland and Daniel Sturridge have shown potential but frustrations at other teammates’ inabilities and a lack of effort have culminated in an overall disappointing campaign. It’s not a lack of talent that qualifies him for this XI it is having the talent and not fulfilling it.

Subs

Ricardo Quaresma

Chelsea

Style over substance in its ultimate form here with the one player who could rightly be described as a bigger show pony than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Giovani Dos Santos

Spurs on loan at Ipswich

17th May 2008, hat-trick for Barca alongside Messi, Eto’o and Ronahldinho. 3rd May 2009, solitary goal for Ipswich alongside Jon Stead, Kevin Lisbie and Alex Bruce.

Gareth Bale

Spurs

21 starts for Spurs in the League, 0 wins. Some Tottenham fans are beginning to believe the curse of the Bale.

]]> http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/05/premier-league-anti-xi-2008-09/feed/ 26 http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/04/do-good-players-make-good-managers/ http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2009/04/do-good-players-make-good-managers/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:00:49 +0000 Patrick Curry http://blog.ukfootballfinder.co.uk/?p=587

Making a successful transition

Alan Shearer returned to St James Park to a hero’s welcome on Saturday.  Not since Kevin Keegan rode back in to town has anyone received such a reception from the Geordie faithful.  But with 7 games remaining and what is generally considered to be the toughest run-in amongst the clubs in the relegation dogfight, is Big Al on a hiding to nothing by going back to rescue his former club?

Shearer opened his account with a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.  After that it doesn’t get a lot easier with away fixtures against Stoke and Tottenham.  His love of the club is well documented but is heart and desire enough when taking the reigns at your former club?  He’s not the first player to go back for a crack at management at his old club.  Hundreds of players have returned to their old clubs, some successful, many not.

When it comes to club success as player and manager in the modern era two names spring to mind.  Kenny Dalglish made a seamless and stylish transition from playing to management.  He brought huge success to Liverpool in the 1980s while George Graham strolled into Highbury and bored his way to a healthy amount of silverware in the late 80s and early 90s courtesy of Tony Adams’ high-armed backline.

Others have fared less well and some have had to swallow the bitter pill of relegation.  Gordon Strachan went back to Coventry in 1996 as player manager where he stayed until taking them down from the Premiership 2001.  Joe Royle represented Manchester City in nearly 100 games as a player but managed them to relegation also in 2001.  However, for relegating two of the three clubs he represented during his career, the worse former player appointed as manager must be Bryan Robson.  After beginning his career at West Brom he came back to manage them in 2004 and by 2006 they were down.  Unfortunately for the Baggies it was not as if they were not warned for Robson had previous form where relegation was concerned.  He took a Middlesborough team containing Juninho, Ravanelli and Emerson to the 2nd tier in 1997 after losing two cup finals in the same season.  Factor in his relegation with Bradford in 2003 and it’s a wonder that Sheffield United appointed him in 2007.

In between the success stories and failures there have been many competent showings.  Kevin Keegan’s first spell at Newcastle, while often considered a failure for chucking away the 1996 title, was notable for stylish football.  Harry Redknapp enjoyed 7 fruitful seasons at West Ham finishing an impressive 5th in 1998 on a limited budget.  Graeme Souness at Rangers had success north of the border while David Moyes at Preston and Stuart McCall at Bradford have had decent returns in the lower leagues.

But for every Howard Kendall at Everton there is a Souness at Liverpool or a Hoddle at Spurs, a returnee proving that a deep love for your club is no guarantee of success.  The northeast is already in danger of having one former employee relegate his club but will Southgate at ‘Boro be joined by Al at Newcastle?