Tuesday 27 December 2011

Christmas Fixtures - It's Getting Very Interesting!

Well, we've had those traitional Boxing day fixtures plus the Sky Sports add-ons and the Premier League is looking very interesting. I am convinced that the Championship will go to Manchester in May 2012. In recent weeks, Manchester United have emphatically done what they needed to do around this stage of the season; Fulham and Wigan have been put to the sword ruthlessly. It would be too easy to say, it's only Fulham and Wigan but you can only beat the team in front of you - ask Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal who all failed to win this week. We all know by now that Sir Alex fully understands that now, routinely, is NOT the time to fluff your lines. More importantly, his entire squad also know the script. Listening to Vincent Kompany's cheery post match interview after City's failure to beat West Brom on Boxing Day, you sense that Roberto Mancini has a lot of work to do in the dressing room. City have great individuals, but that team ethic, for me is still not quite there. The third round tie in the F.A. Cup on January 8th is now a huge game; if Manchester United manage to win that, in City's manor, the damage could be devastating. It proves to be a pivotal next few weeks. What can we say about Blackburn Rovers? It's a most extraordinary story. Blackburn were comprehensively defeated, as I predicted in the do-or-die clash against their Lancashire neighbours Bolton, then with ex-Cobbler Mark Bunn between the sticks they scrape a draw at Anfield. What is even more startling is the fact that Venky's Chairperson, Anuradha Desai, and Steve Kean, the Manager could even have the last laugh at our expense if Blackburn get ANYTHING at Old Trafford. Hands up if you REALLY thought that they could scrape a draw at Anfield! Before I go any further, I have got to say it, and you have got to agree with me, that Steve Kean has conducted himself with tremendous courage and dignity throughout this whole period. He has not ducked a single interview, given the circumstances, and I for one have to applaud him for giving us the public total access to him, at a time when he would have been justified in keeping a low profile. That said, I firmly believe that whether or not Venky's prove to be successful, they should, at the very least, have been visible at such a time as this - instead of allowing Steve Kean to be subjected alone to the hostility of the Blackburn public. That said, Blackburn did ride their luck against Liverpool and a rejuvinated Steven Gerrard, but more tellingly despite Yakubu's well taken goal against Bolton, they were a very poor side. Looking at the quality on offer in all the squads in the Premier League season, the league table is a true reflection of Blackburn's status alongside Bolton and Wigan, and they are the teams that, for me, will drop through the trap door. Warrior or no warrior, Steve Kean possesses some fine individuals at Ewood Park, and because of the situation has fostered a fabulous team spirit and work ethic; the problem is, for the sake of this campaign his playing staff, with or without new signings sadly will not work cohesively and effectively enough to survive. This experience is proving to be a real baptism of fire for Venky's whether or not they come up with the necessary cash injection in the January window; the real football business is unlike any other and the world-wide stage they craved for their business the VH Group may come at price that has further reaching consequences than any of them could have predicted...ask Gillett and Tom Hicks. The battle for Champions League places is harder to predict than I ever thought possible.I assumed that Liverpool would be comfortably in the groove and sitting in 3rd place but stutters against Fulham and Blackburn have created an uncertainty that must be bemusing Kenny Daglish. For me, Roy Carroll looks like he is taking an eternity to settle in at Anfield, and that is a worry. Elswhere, they are looking very sharp, but critical goals change matches and relieve pressure. Surely, Steven Gerrard does not have to shoulder the responsibility AGAIN! Having watched Harry Rednapp's Tottenham beat Norwich at Carrow Road, I have been asking: Can Spurs really win the Championship? the answer is emphatically no! I still think they lack that steely edge required to complete the arduous terrain of outright success. Arsenal and Spurs have swapped identities! Spurs are now seeking to score that perfect goal too often and Arsenal have got the fragile defence! Gareth Bale and Emanuel Adebayor need to regularly terrorise big-time defences like they did to Norwich this week and then the big prizes will start to slide in the direction of White Hart Lane. Dining at the top table is an acquired art and for this season, at least, learning to be a regular Champions League qualifier is the apprenticeship the club is still serving. For Arsenal, the more I see them stuttering against teams like Wolves this season, the more I believe that their season hinges on two dates Wednesday 15th February and Tuesday 6th March 2012; the matches against AC Milan in the Champions League. How they fare against that team, which will not feature Carlos Tevez, as he is cup-tied, could determine the dynamics of their season. Robert Van Persie is the main man, but is starting to feel the pressure of responsibilty for scoring goals. Theo Walcott, great winger that he is, is not as prolific as many of us hoped he would be and we seem to waiting for an eternity for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to fulfill the potential that we keep reading about. Arsenal's fire needs to burn brightly in these high profile fixtures or their last big box-office player will leave for foreign shores and then the team will enter a phase of not having stellar players; and that for anyone connected with Arsenal is unthinkable. Remember, they are still waiting to win their first trophy at the Emirates Stadium; who would have thought that all those years ago when they left Highbury. Think on... Chelsea are the latest team to concern me. I watch a Fulham forward glide past Ashley Cole this week as though he was standing still! Father time is very cruel, it just simmed up for me why despite a multitude of talents, they are not challenging for the title. Andre Villas-Boas now needs to be brave and discreetly ease out the dying wood from the team. Daniel Sturridge is now looking the part as the future, Torres sadly, it seems cannot find that rich vein of form to ignite his Chelsea existence but he does have Champions League football to focus upon, and they may just help him. Most of us belive that the Champions League title will return to Spain, but a victory over Napoli could give new belief to an ageing but very talented team. Apart from a fixture against Manchester United at the end of January 2012, Chelsea have a run of five fairly winnable games leading into the European fixture. They as a squad know the terrain well and could prove, like Arsenal to have a surprise or two in store for us football followers in the New Year. Alan Pardew has quietly done a fabulous job with Newcastle this season. I can't help thinking that had he managed to keep Andy Carroll, they might even be in the top four now. Bolton are not a great side right now, but their demolition of the Trotters on Boxing Day had the hallmark of a very confident and successful outfit. I may, commitments allowing, venture to St James' Park for their fixture with Manchester United on Wednesday January 3rd 2012 because that will be a real test of their collatoral progress and the visit of the champions is still the biggest fixture on every team's callendar. I'm just brushing up my singing of 'Blaydon Races' for the pre-match sing-a-long!! Of the others in the Premiership pack, I am thrilled to see Martin O'Neil back in the hot-seat at Sunderland. I met Tony Cottee, an ex-Everton, Leicester and England striker - now working for Sky Sports - at a dinner recently, and he genuinely beamed when I asked him about his time under O'Neil at Leicester. He was happy to bore me about Martin's special talent for man-management that will transform the Wearsiders; I just hope they back up the big man with a transfer fund. With my side Middlesbrough looking strong to return to the top flight, three flourishing North-East teams will revitalise a region that has suffered more than most during the recession. Aston Villa and Alex McLeish just cannot get started can they! Is it money? Should they have gone with Mark Hughes after all? I cannot fathom it, but not just Birmingham but the Midlands needs a successful club and Stoke City was not the team that sprang to mind but Tony Pulis has got the midas touch in the region. The Brittania Stadium in Stoke has the kind of atmosphere, most teams' fans can only dream about; it only holds 30,000 but when the away team walks out of the tunnel it feels like Galatasaray, the intensity of the noise feels like the Nou Camp at Barcelona. The Premier League needs communities like the Potteries to have successful clubs like this one; that's why the Blackburn situation saddens me so much. Another proper local club Q.P.R. are starting to feel the heat a little, and desperately need a victory. If Neil Warnock and the boys in West London do not scratch out a few wins, they could slip back down at Wigan's expense. Roberto Martinez is such a talented boss but the town of Wigan's soul is in Rugby League and geographically, they are surrounded by so many big-time neighbours within a one hour drive that I fear that they will drop never to return again, sooner than later. The Baggies have quickly stabilised well under Roy Hodgson, Everton will always be OK because David Moyes is a genius and Swansea have quickly cottoned onto the fact that winning points first and friends second is the route to Premiership stability. Brendan Rogers and Paul Lambert at Norwich are fine managers whose teams have also sustained an impressive big match discipline required for the stern test of this great league. Big Mick McCarthy's lads are wonderfully creative and fluid but lack that ruthless streak to turn the dominance of their scintillating pressing game into winning goals. I do sense that if Mick could entice Fernando Torres to the Black Country, then his team would fly up the table, but then I have always been a dreamer! The world is a harsher place these days. As a black person, I must speak up about the two race cases in the media. Suarez is rightly guilty; a precedent has now been set and all the players now know the score...move on! The John Terry situation bothers me because I think there is an hidden agenda regarding him; somebody highly placed has decided he needs to be humiliated and the Criminal Prosecution Service have decided to run with it! Do I think he is a racist, no! But, discretion is an art he needs to start learning, and fast! Beckham mis-behaved in Spain, but fortunately he was abroad at the time and had a Engalnd manager in Sven, who himself had a colourful CV in that department, but to his credit his PR ativities are slick in the ambassadorial sense. JT could learn a lot here. I hope that common sense will prevail and the case runs out of steam. Let's be honest here, of course Britain has Racism issues, but the footballers and sporting stars, of colour, that I have been fortunate to meet and converse with off the record would rather be here than anywhere else in the world on this one! That very definitely goes for the Maestro too!!! Subject closed. Well the presents are finally bought, the edible treats are being consumed, to tolerate the avalanche of visitors, the football has been a wonderful escape. There's nothing like the busy Christmas period to keep a football nut like me frothing at the mouth once again. Happy new Year for 2012, stay safe, keep following the Blog. Hold tight, it's gonna be another fascinatingly good one to be a football fan!

Monday 19 December 2011

Blackburn Rovers - A Desperately Sorry Tale!

Despite enjoying some fantastic Christmas engagements over the last 14 days on the Piano; one thing has really been bothering me, even more than the recession itself: Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Every REAL football follower, and I mean those weather-beaten foot soldiers of middle England who trawl up and down the highways and suffer the fare of 'Welcome Breaks' and over-zealous power hungry ground stewards on Windy Saturdays, or dark freezing Tuesday nights, will be aching for the fans of Blackburn Rovers. We have all experienced those horrible periods when uncertainty surrounds your team. Middlesbrough were hours away from a winding up order at Ayresome Park and at the Cobblers, we had the Michael McRitchie phase in the 1990s; it is times like these when you realize how much your football club REALLY means to you. Even Manchester United have been there! Remember the zany Michael Knighton 'cabaret' moment, with his juggling ball skills; that was him doing a PR stint for the fans! Thankfully for the Red Devils Martin Edwards saw sense at the eleventh hour, showed him the door, persevered with Ferguson BUT that Glazer concern just won't go away, will it! After the golden period of the late Jack Walker, Ewood Park is now at best a shambles. Let's discuss: It is almost a year ago today give or take a few days that Sam Allardyce was sacked as manager of Blackburn Rovers. I personally remember watching the breaking news on Sky Sports as the bulletin informed us that the new regime had 'wider and more ambitious plans for the club'. We're talking Blackburn Rovers here folks! By February, John Williams had resigned from his post, his parting words on the club website were diplomatic but Mr Williams, like Phil Gartside at Bolton, is a man who understands the true bass-line of the Lancastrian soul, and he wasn't digging the vibe coming from Venky's; he got out! For me the alarm bells were ringing non-stop. The men in white coats should have been sent in without a moment's hesitation! Enter Steve Kean, a dour but likeable and approachable Scotsman. He was put in temporary charge, and following a trip to India, was appointed permanently. Had he turned the team into a fluid Barcelona-type team? No! I can imagine he, and Mrs Kean wowed the owners in India with his football stories over dinner, ate and complimented them on the exquisite taste of their curry, the chicken empire and probably likened them to the Trump Organization. Maybe he even presented some shirts to the local street children too. But no real solid discussions about the strategy of running Blackburn Rovers were had at all. It has felt like 'Championship Manager' from the first utterings of the owner's spokewoman Anuradha Desai and the press briefings with Kean. He has no experience, and managing in the Premiership is no place for chancers. Rovers only survived last season because of many helpful factors: Allardyce had already amassed a few points on the board, the teams below were actually worse than they were, Blackpool had meagre resources, West Ham's hiearchy behaved like gangsters with Avram Grant in charge bungling the whole affair at Upton Park, Roy Hodgson's last game was THAT defeat to Blackburn and Birmingham's players spent the latter part of last season basking in their one-off Carling Cup win against Arsenal. So, on paper they were good enough...just. Manchester United also won the league by default, remember the Ray Wilkins sacking at Chelsea? Think on... Those chickens are coming home to roost!! The harsh reality of today is there is absolutely no stability within the side right now, every Rovers fan can see it. Upfront, new signing Yakubu has single-handedly beaten teams like his awesome four goal demolition of Swansea, but those performances cannot be expected to happen every week; the Premiership is too tight and ruthless a league for that. But, even if the Yak he does produce a sackful of goals, the defence is still far too porous for the team to survive. Blackburn remind me of the Tottenham side of the mid 1990s that boasted Jurgen Klinsmann, superfluous going forward but Ossie failed to strengthen the defence. Hoping to be like Barcelona is wonderfully aspiration but Venky's and Kean should also learn that in Catalonia they strategically graft tirelessly as a working unit when they don't have the ball. It's a mess I'm sorry to say. 13 miles up the A666 is another struggling team - Bolton. They are Blackburn Rovers opponents tomorrow at Ewood Park and they too are looking worryingly fragile. Tomorrow's match is being billed as a make or break one. I actually feel that both teams could plunge from the Premier League which will be particularly hard for the people of Bolton who I feel have re-energised the town with the impressive Reebok Stadium, great infrastructure surrounding it in Horwich. The teams at the bottom are so much stronger this season and boast greater experience and acumen in their management units. For the purposes of the actual game though, I expect Bolton to win because they have better players but like West Ham last season have lost their way a little. For Blackburn, it will be the day that Steve Kean has to accept that he is ill-equipped for this particular job and walk away before he loses all respect. But my greater fear is what will happen next, because Blackburn could easily do a Leeds United and keep falling back to the position they once occupied before Sir Jack's millions came calling. I hope that I am wrong but it's hard to see beyond a disaster looming. Time for hard hats, tough under-garments and a lot of festive liquid. I am just relieved it's not my club!

Saturday 3 December 2011

The Maestro Observes...

Since my literary ramblings back in June, observing the football season has been both absorbing and fascinating. The real world has been a very testing arena for all of us, but the football has once again been anything but predictable. With the brutally honest Gary Neville at Sky Sports as a new pundit and Match of the Day and Football Focus on the BBC now based in the North West with a swanky new studio, the coverage is refreshingly exciting. But let's talk about the real business: In my last blog in the middle of summer I said that Manchester City, after winning the F.A. Cup, were starting to look like and behave like a big club. They are right now top of the league; titles are not won in early December, ask Kevin Keegan and Carlo Ancelotti. It's hard to argue against the blues, given the way they are steaming through their league opponents. But, their poor Champions League results and probable demotion to the Europa League could potentially create big problems for them at the business end of the season. Those Thursday evening fixures, in my view, could have a damaging effect on critical weekend fixtures; look at Stoke City, they are struggled to beat teams that they routinely bullied last season. That said, their destruction of Manchester United in late October at Old Trafford was particularly pleasing for the neutral. If I was a Manchester City fan, the long term futures of Tevez, Adebayor and Bellamy would bother me. Despite the apparently deep pockets of the club, the money being spent on those three alone could probably solve the Pension crisis, our public sector workers were striking over. Had Mancini sent those three to Australia, all expenses paid to appear in ITV Television's "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here," he could solved all his pastoral problems in a short space of time; is it not the case that the celebrity partcipants re-emerge into the real world full of contrition declaring proudly about their new-found cleansing and therapeutic outlook on the wider world. We could have watched them nightly and, with Ant and Dec's witty narrative, learned to love and truly understand and forgive them. Joking aside, I have watched all of the said players close-up, and can earnestly attest for their superior quality on the field of play. However, the sooner City can permanently offload them, one way or the other, the sooner long-term success can be sought and achieved. Across the city, I'm pretty sure that whilst Alex Ferguson will not be losing too much sleep about Man Utd's Carling Cup exit to Crystal Palace this week, he will now know beyond any doubt that some of his so-called quality players can no longer be relied upon to do a shift for him at the Theatre of Dreams. The Crystal Palace side that defeated his team was a proud, well organised but dour mid-table unit of aspirational Championship players that grafted hard and rode their luck positively. Players like Dimitar Berbatov, Darron Gibson, Federico Macheda and Antonio Valencia should have put them to the sword and put the cup-tie clinically out of sight. That's what Sir Alex was expecting, it was their job to register a performance of superior excellence. I sense, their achievement will be employment elsewhere in January, or next summer. For Berbatov, particularly it was a spectacular disappointment, yes his appearances have been limited but Wednesday night should have been his opportunity to step from behind the shadow of Michael Owen and grab the headlines. Aside from the Carling Cup, Manchester United have had an eventful season so far; the highs have been dizzy and the low points have been seemingly devastating but Alex Ferguson has good sea legs and understands the roll of the waves beeter than most. More significantly, his two super-powers Rooney and Hernandez are still ticking along and the team are winning matches. I am still backing United to lift the Premier League despite Man City's form because as I said earlier the terrain of the Europa League, coupled with the intensity of the latter part of the season may prove to be too hot for them. That's my view. Harry Rednapp's Tottenham are behaving like a rampant Championship winning side; they must now be taken seriously as title contenders, period. But, I cannot stop wondering about what happens when Adebayor loses interest because we all know that history dictates that he will at some point go off the boil. Add Luca Modric to the mix, another of life's interesting characters. But, I'm being cynical! Let's live for the moment! Spurs, right now, are playing the type of irresistible, great flowing passing football with a great end-product. This is a huge season for Harry Rednapp, he is on the verge of creating another great football team, but this time the stakes and the stage are greater and more tangibly significant. In years to come, Spurs could eventually win the Premier League, if Harry can resist the temptation to succeed Fabio Capello. The clamour from the nation for him to lead the Engalnd team could be his greatest challenge. Chelsea are, for me, in transition. They need to keep their manager, back him, clear out the old guard John Terry, Frank Lampard and the other familiar faces and build a new team for the future. I like the look of the new manager, Andre Villas-Boas, he understands the requirements for the job, knows the politics and is brilliant in front of the media. But, somehow with a man like Ambramovich, he has to win football matches too. The world of football is, like the wider world, an unforgiving place; I like many footballl fans fear for him because he is trying to survive in a melting pot with vastly improved teams. Arsenal are looking less fragile, Liverpool are finding their feet, Man City and Tottenham, as discussed earlier, have gate-crashed the exclusive top end club. These are challenging times for the Chelsea as a whole, and I am intrigued to see how they will negotiate their way through this season. The match on Tuesday at home to Valencia is their Cup-Final, defeat is unthinkable. Earlier in the season, some of the copy I was reading about Arsene Wenger was becoming hysterical. Thankfully, unlike other clubs, he is backed by his board and allowed to do his job with interference. But, as I keep saying, the climate has changed, and his rivals have bulked up their resources and are providing stern opposition. Losing Cesc Fabregas was a major blow, but in truth, he had to move on because the balance of Arsenal's transfers has shifted. In the past, players who were drifting out of their prime were sold; Patrick Vierra, Thierry Henry and Paul Merson were players who were sold on when their best days were behind them. That dynamic has changed, since Ashley Cole left for Chelsea, I feel that any Arsenal player is now a realistic possible target for any of the major clubs; that has made the playing staff appear vulnerable. Failure to win the Carling Cup last season was a major blow because since moving to the Emirates, the trophy cabinet is remained bare and as long as that continues, keeping a player like Robin Van Persie never mind signing any marquee names will be a major challenge, especially if the wage bill remains as stingy. The F.A. Cup is a must win for Arsenal, this season. Kenny Daglish has transformed Liverpool by returning them into a team that are hard to beat. Victories at Chelsea, in the league and the Carling Cup are significant and I believe that Liverpool will lift that trophy. I expect the reds to defeat Man City in the semi-finals and destroy ruthlessly whichever Championship side they meet at Wembley. Kenny is a winner, and understands the journey to success. His greatest challenge is to develop Andy Carroll into a great all-round footballer in the Liverpool way, and dissuade him from nights out and pints of beer. If he succeeds, then expect Liverpool to be a major force in all competitions next season. The bottom of the table is proving to be another fascinating area to observe as the season progresses. I just cannot see how Blackburn Rovers can survive. They are a badly run club with absent owners, a manager who is fire-fighting and a porous defence. Bolton just seem to be in free-fall; they are an excellent footballing side who have just lost that special 'je ne sais crois' belief that Sam Allardyce is now instilling into West Ham United in the Championship. After that, any of the bottom 10 could slip through the trap door. Despite their lowly position, I still believe that Roberto Martinez and Wigan will survive because they, as a club, have real stability. Out of the others, Fulham and Wolves are looking very shaky, but on their day, all of those teams can put together a run that will lift them rapidly. We now know that the England team will play the host nation Ukraine, France and Sweden at the Euro 2012 tournament next summer. Following the shameful performance of the England Rugby Squad at the World Cup, I am hoping that the Football team take this opportunity to make the nation very proud and conduct themselves in an honourable way. I will speculate on the tournament and who we might select closer to June 2012. Closer to home, I am happy to report that my team Middlesbrough are sitting comfortably near the top of the Championship table and are at last displaying the type of solid performances that could return us back to the heady heights of Premiership Football. But I won't get ahead of myself, Manager Tony Mowbray has been here before with the Baggies (West Bromwich Albion) and is the perfect man in the box seat to weather this storm. Even closer to home, the Cobblers (Northampton Town) have appointed a new manager Aidy Boothroyd this week. For the Cobblers, it has been a disastrous period with the previous manager Gary Johnson and then the Caretakers, who suffuered heavy defeats. I pray for an upturn in fortunes for both my teams during the challenging months of December and January. The sudden death of Gary Speed has been a shock to all of us; whether we follow the game of football or not. My thoughts go out to his family and friends; we have lost a great and faithful servant of the great game we call football, they have lost so much more.