So, the transfer window has finally closed and we're comfortably into new season. One thing is for certain, it's going to be a very different Premier League journey now that Sir Alex has finally left the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Thankfully, Wayne Rooney remains there but the Special One is back at the Bridge and Manchester City have a new manager called Pelligrini analysing the feng shui of his new office too. Arsene Wenger has at last splashed some serious cash on a world class player and Gareth Bale finally plays for Real Madrid. Right, that's the short version. Let's elaborate.
Questions about how Manchester United will respond are bearing fruit, and the evidence is worrying. The bookies were villified for making United THIRD favourites, almost immediately but I think those odds were generous, I would have made them FOURTH behind Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City at a push and probably realistically fifth. David Moyes is only part of the reason, as the new boy unaccustomed to winning trophies and being a novice in the rarefied atmosphere of Champions League football. The greater problem as has been, since the closure of last night's transfer window, Ed Woodward the new chief executive that has replaced David Gill. He was already displaying naive traits with the amateurish handling of star player Wayne Rooney. His spectacular failure to research, identify and execute the art of deal-making in the superstore of global footballers has been a major embarrassment for a club like Manchester United. David Gill like Sir Alex had a strong outward image, and Woodward has been limp in all aspects of his brief. This period of ridiculous uncertainty has cost the champions the Premier League title and possibly undermined their Champions League prospects. The Glazers family will now be under more scrutiny than ever before and the glare of media analysis will be unbearable for this publicity shy family; it will be more than tea-cups being broken behind the scenes, trust me on that one! When the circus surrounding Luis Suarez started dictating Liverpool's agenda, John W Henry stepped up to the plate and quelled the fire with a statement of supreme authority. United have lost the two people who at a stroke could have killed the golden goose in Ferguson and Gill, and to make matters worse they lost last Sunday to Liverpool!
Over at Anfield, Liverpool have started the season superbly, and deservedly top the Premier League because despite the Suarez sideshow, they enjoyed a good and solid pre-season. In midweek, Brendan Rodgers' determination to win a trophy led him to field a strong team in the Capital One Cup and an awkward gritty Notts County were brushed aside...eventually. But these are the margins that define success and Rodgers is becoming a fast learner. Being drawn away to United in the next round is a tie they can genuinely win. Keeping Suarez was their greatest challenge during the summer and this match will be his first appearance; a fantastic game from which to unleash him! With their collective resolve, consistent determination as a club, Liverpool have stolen the initiative and momentum from their neighbours down the M56. I genuinely rate this team and the quality of the group of professionals at this club have a great opportunity to finally achieve some traction at last. The next three months will be the club's biggest period; and they know it.
Jose Mourinho reminds me of Donald Trump, he sounds so convincing that you'd believe he could turn water to wine, if he dared to claim it. The players at Chelsea have bought into him whole-heartedly, for me the final piece of his jigsaw was the Samuel Eto'o signing. He will be a success at the Bridge. I fully expect this Chelsea team to win the Premier League, the real prize though is the Champions League. Matches against FC Basel, Steaua Bucharest and Schalke 04 will teach us nothing, for Chelsea, after Christmas is the real business period for them and their elite performers. But for once, behind the scenes, it's very much 'as you were' and with tremendous financial power at the operational level and Mourinho playing the Media Briefings to the max for the press boys, it's a chilling sight for the rivals. I'm glad to see the 'Special One' back in England.
Manuel Pellegrini is a new face to all of us in England. We know he is a calm and a steadying influence who is very self-assured in public, but I am not convinced that Manchester City can challenge Chelsea as champions. Progress for Pellegrini will be getting out of the group stages and possibly beating Bayern Munich along the way, but further success in the knock-out stages will be a step too far. Manchester City will score lots of goals but the sadly the same weaknesses exist, namely the defence. Club captain Vincent Kompany is reminiscent of John Terry at Chelsea, with his verbal explosions and remonstrative style of leadership, but his fellow combatants without that presence as was shown against Cardiff, trips to vibrant outposts like these sides bristling with a cup-tie style atmosphere should be routine; last season, it was their undoing last season. With a team that has cost now close to £1 billion on the playing staff, these lessons should have been learned by now!. Pellegrini, to his credit has removed distracting influences, such as Tevez, but amazingly, this is still a work in progress, albeit a complicated one.
Arsenal have to be admired! Declarations of intent in June, frustration in early August and then ruthless assassination of Fenerbahce in Turkey, satisfying defeat of the local rivals and then Mesut Ozil is signed for £42.4 million. Only one question matters, is this team good enough to challenge for silverware? We know they will qualify for the Champions League second round again, but how Ozil fits with his new team-mates will be central to their success. I watched Ozil at Old Trafford at the Madrid game and rate him highly. His work isn't always spectacular but then again he is German; it's all about efficiency and he has that in abundance. I'm as excited about Arsenal as I am worried about Manchester United! If Olivier Giroud can continue to find that ruthless edge he lacked last season and keeps scoring goals, add the very brilliant Theo Walcott on the forward line and suddenly with a rejuvenated Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshire. Arsenal have a team that Chelsea need to be aware of! If the no-nonsense defending shown against Spurs to claim bragging rights, can become a more permanent feature of their game portfolio alongside their fluid passing game, who knows? Let's re-assess them again at Christmas, by then the real stiff tests will have happened plus a couple of encounters with Borussia Dortmund.
If only Tottenham Hotspur's players could perform on the pitch with the cutting edge displayed by Franco Baldini and Daniel Levy off it, then they will quite simply be playing Champions League Football next season at Manchester United's expense. If Ed Woodward, wanted a modern-day template on how to behave in the football transfer merry-go-round shop he should obsessively study those two. The business achieved has been a master class of preparation strategy, timing, psychology and execution. The fans may have lost their star player to Madrid but only noticed his absence around 5.45pm on Sunday when their new players could not unlock the Gunners' defence! But, those days will be few and far between, Levy and Villas-Boas have assembled a clever assortment of artful play-makers who will in time put down serious markers. The time is now for the young Portuguese manager to deliver and to the possible detriment of Manchester United he will show Chelsea what might have been.
For the remainder of the Premier League teams, a lot of money has been spent. Mark Hughes is now at Stoke City, this is a make or break appointment for him and a hugely significant season for the Potters. Many players there have much to prove, failure could be decisive. Hull City are another team skating on thin ice but in Steve Bruce they have a manager who knows the demanding terrain well. The question for Hull like all Premiership new boys, is do they possess enough guile and trickery on top of the standard requirement of organisation and concentration to win tight matches. The same applies to the other newbies Cardiff City and Crystal Palace. Many would love Ian Holloway to succeed but, a failure to sign Kevin Phillips could be that crucial detail that eludes a club like Palace may lack in breathlessly intense existence. Sunderland and Newcastle, up in the North East, are another pair of teams who need assemble a collateral points tally as a priority over glamorous playing styles. Despite surviving last season, I declared on these pages that Paolo di Canio is a gamble, and despite lots of highly visible rhetoric, my view hasn't changed. Alan Pardew is developing nicely as a seasoned warrior, which is the perfect DNA for a club like Newcastle that lurches from success to crisis at an alarming speed. For the sake of all my Geordie friends, his are a safe pair of hands despite the appointment of Joe Kinnear. Aston Villa is a huge club that nearly slipped through the trap door last season, with Christian Benteke leading the line with terrific ferocity, they need to build upon their smash and grab Emirates victory with a meaningful run of victories to build confidence; I can't help feeling that Paul Lambert needs a personality transplant to be truly loved by the Villa faithful. It feels like a marriage of convenience. Everton have emerged from the transfer window with some exciting acquisitions, particularly young Romelu Lukaku who is a fabulous forward with a lot to prove to his parent club Chelsea. Roberto Martinez is backed by an excellent chairman in Bill Kenwright and will build his new club steadily and successfully. Big Sam has quietly pulled in some excellent players and is poised for a great season with the Hammers; a good cup run would be a real tonic for the loyal East End faithful. Chris Hughton is another perfect fit at Norwich, who will deceptively embarrass one or two fancied teams over there in East Anglia during this campaign and finally Martin Jol, that ever-cheerful Dutchman who is hugely under-rated in his role at Fulham, the line-up may be rich in experience but amongst that squad are some very exciting players, I have earmarked a trip to the Cottage this season to watch them such is my admiration of this little club by the River Thames that I first visited during my Music College days. Southampton are a club about whom very little is said but Mauricio Pochettino who still gives his TV interviews in Spanish, is a very confident manager who knows that his youth set-up is responsible for the world's most expensive player, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxelade-Chamberlain are other successful Saints' export, but the real marker is the performance of the team, I feel that like most of the teams in this paragraph, consistency will be the challenge for this very young a vibrant squad. The rank and file clubs are collectively stronger this season than at any point in the history of the Premier League.
So why do I believe that Manchester United have slipped so far down the pecking order? It's simple, this team has been on the slide for a considerable time and this summer, the marquee players desperately needed to be in place. Last season, the other teams imploded leaving them a clear run at the title. A volatile Mancini had a divided dressing room, Chelsea's handling of managers undermined their momentum despite winning the Europa Cup, Arsenal and Liverpool had the strength of seaside wind-breakers when real fire-power was demanded. All those clubs have refined their engineering, wiring call it what you will and have emerged looking fitter and leaner on and off the pitch. In Europe, the revolving door has been working too and many of the biggest achievers have also rung the changes. Suddenly with tired and predictable players, United without the overpowering Ferguson breathing down on the referees, are being second to the ball, as was the case with Liverpool on Sunday, and other empowered opponents who have finally seen the Emperor's clothes! Arsene Wenger may be proved to be right after all, that HE has nothing to fear. This is an exciting era in Premier League football, the power has shifted, and with BT Sport challenging the status quo on the broadcasting front, a brave new world is emerging. Reputation is no longer a passport to success, the playing field has levelled out and EVERYONE has spent lots of money refining their playing artillery. I believe the league is, at last becoming a real contest, yes a corporate driven one, but a contest just the same.
After the summer of the Ashes series, Andy Murray and Mo Farrow firing up our excitement, the beautiful game is back. Another great season is rolling before our eyes. I hope that regardless of the winner that we have a fantastic season of football to take us into the World Cup, with England present? Ukraine and Moldova should be a breeze this week, cross everything folks, Come on England! And to all the kids back at school and kids like my Alice starting school, Enjoy, these are the best days of your lives! I'm off to start the new teaching term, the summer hols are finally over.
Monday 2 September 2013
Thursday 4 April 2013
Easter's Almost Gone and British Summer Time Has Begun...Already!!
I have wanted to write this blog on so many occasions but things get in the way and the life and times of a Maestro has been a busy one! I was fortunate, thanks to the generosity of the Hartley family to watch Manchester United play Real Madrid in the Champions League at Old Trafford a few weeks ago; being there was an education. Having watched England struggle to draw against Montenegro was illuminating. Observing so many managers being shown the door has been mind-boggling.
Let's start with the National team. England are, in world terms, a reasonable unit with one or two notable players but are developing a soft underbelly. Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard proved what great footballers they are, Danny Wellbeck, Michael Carrick and Joe Hart earned their growing reputation, the rest are a reasonable bunch of Premier League players who have learned how to exist at the top table. Tonight, one or two of them proved that when the pressure is truly on, they are found wanting. Joleon Lescott is generally a good honest defender, tonight was his opportunity to show the world that worrying about the absence of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry was a wasted emotion; he failed to achieve that but was good enough...just. Chris Smalling could one day be a top class defender, but right now he lacks enough nous to deal with nights like these at this level, and with Johnson giving away the ball more times than my late Sunday School teacher Uncle Jack handed out Jelly Babies, such was the charmed existence of the defence in the second half. In the first, Rooney silenced his harshest critics and scored a critical early first goal; his performance was exemplary and dispelled the myths that his form was on the wane; his team-mates, despite controlling the first half should have pursued a ruthless second but it didn't materialise. Television pictures showed Roy Hodgson, at times, looking more like a hopeful punter playing roulette than an assertive England manager prowling the technical area, during the intensity of the second half. He must now know he should have switched things before the equaliser came. His opposite number, who revelled in the full glare of media scrutiny during the build-up, by contrast sensed blood and made bold substitutions that both ignited the crowd and tellingly seized the initiative but thankfully, due to poor finishing, in the final analysis they were just like us...too reasonable to find that winner. In the ITV studio, Roy Keane pulled no punches and declared England to be far too toothless, given the true stature of the opposition; unlike the Madrid game he called it right! On reflection that underbelly has been with us since 1970 and will probably take more than a few abdominal crunches to tighten!
THAT eagerly awaited Champions League fixture at the beginning of March was a true spectacle and until Nani's sending-off, an evenly poised tie. But, where Hodgson failed with England, Jose Mourinho had that instinct to seize the moment and win the match. These are the moments that define great managers and he proved his worth in the match when Kaka and then Modric were introduced; two magicians who had the ability to unlock the tie and ultimately allow Cristiano Ronaldo to score a decisive winner. All 22 players on that pitch were World Class, the quality was truly that good. Wayne Rooney's selection on the bench was a tactical one, that nearly paid off - all the hysterical speculation that followed was nonsensical; both parties need one another. For me the F.A.Cup loss to Chelsea proved that decisively. BUT! Did Nani deserve to be sent off, when I watched it live in the stadium, I first thought the foul was being given the other way!! Having watched the replays, I think that the foot was high but at worst, it was a booking. We will never know whether Manchester United would have won the tie, but my gut feeling is that Real Madrid would have sneaked it, but don't tell my groom Ben Hartley, he's still moaning now!!
Elsewhere in the Champions League, I am excited about the remaining matches in this great competition. Despite the heroics, Arsenal were always destined to struggle against a strong Bayern Munich outfit packed with experience. Bayern and Juventus, for me is still the tie of the round although I expect Bayern to push through their two-nil advantage in the usual efficient German way. Watch out too for Borussia Dortmund, an under-rated German machine of chillingly ruthless quality that could embarrass one of the leading lights; they will cast lowly Malaga aside with a routine swagger; despite a tepid first leg stalemate this week. Paris Saint German are playground bullies in a weak French League, but the Champios League is another level; and after a well fought first leg avoid defeat, expect the fluent Catalan outfit to win the second leg easily. Galatasaray and their fans were mere passengers in an exhibition match of gentle torture with Real Madrid to lose three-nil in that first leg. Jose Mourinho wants to win this trophy very badly and will probably order his troops to destroy the Turkish Champions ruthlessly in Istanbul to put down a marker for evryone else to ponder. All the second leg ties will be mouth-watering fayre, but without any British involvement, for the first time in a while. That though really is not significant, because with a couple of transfer windows big names can dramatically migrate into our league and transform the wider spectrum. Who will win? I think the winning captain who lifts the trophy will be in Spanish colours, but cannot decide which of them it will be.
Turning our attentions to our domestic league, who will be relegated from the Premier League? There are many serious contenders:
Despite having Harry 'Houdini' Redknapp, after watching Queens Park Rangers lose to Fulham, I had to agree whole-heartedly with Sky Television pundit Gary Neville when he surmised that the West London side are making too many defensive errors. Their forward line is excitng and full of goals, which any team chasing success needs in abundance but at the back, their lack of concentration will condemn them. For all the talk of endeavor and honest grit, Reading are just a little too short on top end excellence to survive this season, despite appointing Nigel Adkins this week as their manager to succeed Brian McDermott. There is a widely held argument that many of the remaining fixtures are winable, but my observation of this league is that tight matches such as these are won by moments of brilliance; Reading do not have those individuals. Everyone was shocked when the news emerged about Brian McDermott sacking but on closer examination of the Adkins media briefing it emerged that funds were available in the transfer window for McDermott according to Reading owner Anton Zingarevich. One senses that he was irked by the suggestion in the press that a system of austerity was hanging over the manager like a cloud. I think that decision makers at football clubs need to come clean and face the full glare of the media so that we, the fans cannot appreciate the full facts. Whilst Adkins' former club Southampton baffled us all by removing him so swiftly just before Christmas, a frank explanation in person from Nicola Cortese would have gained him greater respect from us the fans but, it must be said that in Mauricio Pochettino they have a bright new manager who, given time, could make a huge impact; the only question about this young Argentinian, is an ability to win enough Bread and Butter matches consistently. For the big fixtures, he has despatched the high marquee opposition with relative ease, but has stumbled in less glamorous company. That is the DNA of a great cup winning side, but these days despite the continuing romance of the 'Capital One' and 'F.A. Cup' the Premier League is everything, ask Birmingham City!! Martin O'Neil has been widely acknowledged as a talented man-manager but somehow at Sunderland with significant investment, his apparent midas touch desserted him very dramatically. My feeling is that the operational aspect of coaching and managing elite footballers has maybe passed him by. His sacking at the weekend was an indication that an obsessive desire to retain Premier League status is a chillingly harsh reality for all Premiership chairmen. The stats, sadly for Martin O'Neil, did not lie, they were bottom of the form league for a considerable time before plummeting down the table over time. Ellis Short has probably been contemplating the axe for sometime, and despite upbeat words in Saturday's match programme against Manchester United, the manner of defeat was probably a step too far. espite all the debates about his alleged political stance, it is widely considered that appointing Paolo Di Canio is a huge risk at this level. When I quizzed the current Cobblers boss recently about his ill-fated stint as manager of Watford in the Premier League; he was at pains to point out that the wider spectrum of media scrutiny was near impossible to deal with on top of the portfolio of the job itself. Paolo Di Canio may have enjoyed being centre stage as Swindon's emigmatic boss, but being pursued by the Fleet Street hacks is a different ball game to those friendly awe-struck folks at the Wiltshire Gazette and the Swindon Advertiser. I expect for all his passion and good intentions for the whole thing to end in tears; I hope to be proved wrong because watching him holding court will be compulsive viewing! But, for all the talk of being entertaining, only one thing matters and that is results. Then, there is Wigan who are currently winning those defining 50-50 matches and fighting this campaign with familiar strength, technique and desire; but could this be, despite some big performances, a step too far. They could be saved by the fact that Manchester City and Chelsea remain in the F.A. Cup, so realistically they won't be expected to win it, which could work in their favour; just ask Everton! Once again Roberto Martinez knows his position is safe; once again that simple knowledge that your chairman REALLY backs you is a huge boost and THAT my friends gives him the greatest advantage of all. Also in the mix is Aston Villa! Paul Lambert, a man who is in danger of taking one of the biggest clubs down to the Championship in Premier League history. How and why the Villa are in this predicament, is a mystery. I cannot yet decide whether the catalyst is Randy Lerner himself, the over-spending of past managers or Paul Lambert believing that a Brendan Rogers-type ethos of nurturing young talent to manage the finances will suffice to 'tread water for a season or two' before the youngsters 'grasp the script' with a few older heads sprinkled in. If the latter is true then Villa really do have a problem. Darren Bent is a proven goalscorer who has England pedigree, but somehow Lambert doesn't fancy him; which has left everyone bemused. The truth will emerge one way or the other, and I for one will be intrigued to hear the facts of the piece. But for the present, Villa need to win games and amass points. Relegation will not be a disaster but humiliation as a word does not even touch the sides! I am concerned for them, because the other teams, Reading and Q.P.R. apart have hit their stride and will do just enough to escape the drop. The critical character is the new Sunderland manager, he will either explode the team into life or implode, the latter, could be Villa's saviour. Despite a few wobbles, I am expecting Alan Pardew to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of despair but, next season he needs to address the backbone of his team as a matter of urgency or he WILL be playing Middlesbrough regularly in the Championship once more!
Are Liverpool making progress? Yes, but could do a lot better. Steven Gerrard has for too long been the talisman in a club that has been in desperate need of a manager that knows how to fight battles and win major honours. Re-building Liverpool Football Club is a simple job, competing with the Gladiators of world club football is an immense task. The world has changed immeasurably since Liverpool dominated the domestic scene; in football terms. It currently resembles a mini-market compared to the gargantuan hyper-market brands a stone's throw away down the M56 that exist as their opponents. The words 'This is Anfield' do not match the tingling feeling I felt when uttering the words 'The Theatre of Dreams' when I performed at Old Trafford last week on Good Friday for the Hartley/Course wedding. And that is the type of ascent Liverpool need to be making. It is a complete package that is needed and the club needs to make major signings who can dictate the Marketing Campaigns of the Corporate and Merchandising Departments off the pitch as well as attracting more marquee names onto it. I have already stated on other media forums that Manchester United is a smart organisation from top to bottom that leaves everyone else standing. Having Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge leading the line next season is an absolute must for the reds, and Brendan Rogers needs to fight to keep those two players and then sign a top quality central defender and a charismatic midfield general with something to prove. There is much more work to do...
I cannot write an Easter blog without mentioning the mixed fortunes of my two clubs; Middlesbrough and Northampton Town. Aidy Boothroyd has nurtured a winning team and despite losing at Cheltenham on Easter Monday, should have enough gas to achieve automatic promotion to League 1. On the other hand, the 'Boro have fluffed their lines time and time again, like Liverpool, that real cutting edge has deserted them at critical times; Wolves should have been put to the sword on Saturday long before Half-Time, yet they managed to lose that game as well. An exasperated Tony Mowbray needs a win to get the Teeside engines firing again and build a winning run in the business end of the season. Reading emerged victorious last season from a very tight league, and will, as discussed above, sadly return to the Championship but any team with a late burst can make the cut; let's hope that we can those goals and instigate a few shut-outs! Come on 'Boro!!!
So much to debate, discuss, dispute! The clocks are forward, British Summer Time is here, The wedding season is underway and the conclusion is nigh! Dust down those Barbeques, the weather will improve...eventually!
Let's start with the National team. England are, in world terms, a reasonable unit with one or two notable players but are developing a soft underbelly. Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard proved what great footballers they are, Danny Wellbeck, Michael Carrick and Joe Hart earned their growing reputation, the rest are a reasonable bunch of Premier League players who have learned how to exist at the top table. Tonight, one or two of them proved that when the pressure is truly on, they are found wanting. Joleon Lescott is generally a good honest defender, tonight was his opportunity to show the world that worrying about the absence of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry was a wasted emotion; he failed to achieve that but was good enough...just. Chris Smalling could one day be a top class defender, but right now he lacks enough nous to deal with nights like these at this level, and with Johnson giving away the ball more times than my late Sunday School teacher Uncle Jack handed out Jelly Babies, such was the charmed existence of the defence in the second half. In the first, Rooney silenced his harshest critics and scored a critical early first goal; his performance was exemplary and dispelled the myths that his form was on the wane; his team-mates, despite controlling the first half should have pursued a ruthless second but it didn't materialise. Television pictures showed Roy Hodgson, at times, looking more like a hopeful punter playing roulette than an assertive England manager prowling the technical area, during the intensity of the second half. He must now know he should have switched things before the equaliser came. His opposite number, who revelled in the full glare of media scrutiny during the build-up, by contrast sensed blood and made bold substitutions that both ignited the crowd and tellingly seized the initiative but thankfully, due to poor finishing, in the final analysis they were just like us...too reasonable to find that winner. In the ITV studio, Roy Keane pulled no punches and declared England to be far too toothless, given the true stature of the opposition; unlike the Madrid game he called it right! On reflection that underbelly has been with us since 1970 and will probably take more than a few abdominal crunches to tighten!
THAT eagerly awaited Champions League fixture at the beginning of March was a true spectacle and until Nani's sending-off, an evenly poised tie. But, where Hodgson failed with England, Jose Mourinho had that instinct to seize the moment and win the match. These are the moments that define great managers and he proved his worth in the match when Kaka and then Modric were introduced; two magicians who had the ability to unlock the tie and ultimately allow Cristiano Ronaldo to score a decisive winner. All 22 players on that pitch were World Class, the quality was truly that good. Wayne Rooney's selection on the bench was a tactical one, that nearly paid off - all the hysterical speculation that followed was nonsensical; both parties need one another. For me the F.A.Cup loss to Chelsea proved that decisively. BUT! Did Nani deserve to be sent off, when I watched it live in the stadium, I first thought the foul was being given the other way!! Having watched the replays, I think that the foot was high but at worst, it was a booking. We will never know whether Manchester United would have won the tie, but my gut feeling is that Real Madrid would have sneaked it, but don't tell my groom Ben Hartley, he's still moaning now!!
Elsewhere in the Champions League, I am excited about the remaining matches in this great competition. Despite the heroics, Arsenal were always destined to struggle against a strong Bayern Munich outfit packed with experience. Bayern and Juventus, for me is still the tie of the round although I expect Bayern to push through their two-nil advantage in the usual efficient German way. Watch out too for Borussia Dortmund, an under-rated German machine of chillingly ruthless quality that could embarrass one of the leading lights; they will cast lowly Malaga aside with a routine swagger; despite a tepid first leg stalemate this week. Paris Saint German are playground bullies in a weak French League, but the Champios League is another level; and after a well fought first leg avoid defeat, expect the fluent Catalan outfit to win the second leg easily. Galatasaray and their fans were mere passengers in an exhibition match of gentle torture with Real Madrid to lose three-nil in that first leg. Jose Mourinho wants to win this trophy very badly and will probably order his troops to destroy the Turkish Champions ruthlessly in Istanbul to put down a marker for evryone else to ponder. All the second leg ties will be mouth-watering fayre, but without any British involvement, for the first time in a while. That though really is not significant, because with a couple of transfer windows big names can dramatically migrate into our league and transform the wider spectrum. Who will win? I think the winning captain who lifts the trophy will be in Spanish colours, but cannot decide which of them it will be.
Turning our attentions to our domestic league, who will be relegated from the Premier League? There are many serious contenders:
Despite having Harry 'Houdini' Redknapp, after watching Queens Park Rangers lose to Fulham, I had to agree whole-heartedly with Sky Television pundit Gary Neville when he surmised that the West London side are making too many defensive errors. Their forward line is excitng and full of goals, which any team chasing success needs in abundance but at the back, their lack of concentration will condemn them. For all the talk of endeavor and honest grit, Reading are just a little too short on top end excellence to survive this season, despite appointing Nigel Adkins this week as their manager to succeed Brian McDermott. There is a widely held argument that many of the remaining fixtures are winable, but my observation of this league is that tight matches such as these are won by moments of brilliance; Reading do not have those individuals. Everyone was shocked when the news emerged about Brian McDermott sacking but on closer examination of the Adkins media briefing it emerged that funds were available in the transfer window for McDermott according to Reading owner Anton Zingarevich. One senses that he was irked by the suggestion in the press that a system of austerity was hanging over the manager like a cloud. I think that decision makers at football clubs need to come clean and face the full glare of the media so that we, the fans cannot appreciate the full facts. Whilst Adkins' former club Southampton baffled us all by removing him so swiftly just before Christmas, a frank explanation in person from Nicola Cortese would have gained him greater respect from us the fans but, it must be said that in Mauricio Pochettino they have a bright new manager who, given time, could make a huge impact; the only question about this young Argentinian, is an ability to win enough Bread and Butter matches consistently. For the big fixtures, he has despatched the high marquee opposition with relative ease, but has stumbled in less glamorous company. That is the DNA of a great cup winning side, but these days despite the continuing romance of the 'Capital One' and 'F.A. Cup' the Premier League is everything, ask Birmingham City!! Martin O'Neil has been widely acknowledged as a talented man-manager but somehow at Sunderland with significant investment, his apparent midas touch desserted him very dramatically. My feeling is that the operational aspect of coaching and managing elite footballers has maybe passed him by. His sacking at the weekend was an indication that an obsessive desire to retain Premier League status is a chillingly harsh reality for all Premiership chairmen. The stats, sadly for Martin O'Neil, did not lie, they were bottom of the form league for a considerable time before plummeting down the table over time. Ellis Short has probably been contemplating the axe for sometime, and despite upbeat words in Saturday's match programme against Manchester United, the manner of defeat was probably a step too far. espite all the debates about his alleged political stance, it is widely considered that appointing Paolo Di Canio is a huge risk at this level. When I quizzed the current Cobblers boss recently about his ill-fated stint as manager of Watford in the Premier League; he was at pains to point out that the wider spectrum of media scrutiny was near impossible to deal with on top of the portfolio of the job itself. Paolo Di Canio may have enjoyed being centre stage as Swindon's emigmatic boss, but being pursued by the Fleet Street hacks is a different ball game to those friendly awe-struck folks at the Wiltshire Gazette and the Swindon Advertiser. I expect for all his passion and good intentions for the whole thing to end in tears; I hope to be proved wrong because watching him holding court will be compulsive viewing! But, for all the talk of being entertaining, only one thing matters and that is results. Then, there is Wigan who are currently winning those defining 50-50 matches and fighting this campaign with familiar strength, technique and desire; but could this be, despite some big performances, a step too far. They could be saved by the fact that Manchester City and Chelsea remain in the F.A. Cup, so realistically they won't be expected to win it, which could work in their favour; just ask Everton! Once again Roberto Martinez knows his position is safe; once again that simple knowledge that your chairman REALLY backs you is a huge boost and THAT my friends gives him the greatest advantage of all. Also in the mix is Aston Villa! Paul Lambert, a man who is in danger of taking one of the biggest clubs down to the Championship in Premier League history. How and why the Villa are in this predicament, is a mystery. I cannot yet decide whether the catalyst is Randy Lerner himself, the over-spending of past managers or Paul Lambert believing that a Brendan Rogers-type ethos of nurturing young talent to manage the finances will suffice to 'tread water for a season or two' before the youngsters 'grasp the script' with a few older heads sprinkled in. If the latter is true then Villa really do have a problem. Darren Bent is a proven goalscorer who has England pedigree, but somehow Lambert doesn't fancy him; which has left everyone bemused. The truth will emerge one way or the other, and I for one will be intrigued to hear the facts of the piece. But for the present, Villa need to win games and amass points. Relegation will not be a disaster but humiliation as a word does not even touch the sides! I am concerned for them, because the other teams, Reading and Q.P.R. apart have hit their stride and will do just enough to escape the drop. The critical character is the new Sunderland manager, he will either explode the team into life or implode, the latter, could be Villa's saviour. Despite a few wobbles, I am expecting Alan Pardew to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of despair but, next season he needs to address the backbone of his team as a matter of urgency or he WILL be playing Middlesbrough regularly in the Championship once more!
Are Liverpool making progress? Yes, but could do a lot better. Steven Gerrard has for too long been the talisman in a club that has been in desperate need of a manager that knows how to fight battles and win major honours. Re-building Liverpool Football Club is a simple job, competing with the Gladiators of world club football is an immense task. The world has changed immeasurably since Liverpool dominated the domestic scene; in football terms. It currently resembles a mini-market compared to the gargantuan hyper-market brands a stone's throw away down the M56 that exist as their opponents. The words 'This is Anfield' do not match the tingling feeling I felt when uttering the words 'The Theatre of Dreams' when I performed at Old Trafford last week on Good Friday for the Hartley/Course wedding. And that is the type of ascent Liverpool need to be making. It is a complete package that is needed and the club needs to make major signings who can dictate the Marketing Campaigns of the Corporate and Merchandising Departments off the pitch as well as attracting more marquee names onto it. I have already stated on other media forums that Manchester United is a smart organisation from top to bottom that leaves everyone else standing. Having Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge leading the line next season is an absolute must for the reds, and Brendan Rogers needs to fight to keep those two players and then sign a top quality central defender and a charismatic midfield general with something to prove. There is much more work to do...
I cannot write an Easter blog without mentioning the mixed fortunes of my two clubs; Middlesbrough and Northampton Town. Aidy Boothroyd has nurtured a winning team and despite losing at Cheltenham on Easter Monday, should have enough gas to achieve automatic promotion to League 1. On the other hand, the 'Boro have fluffed their lines time and time again, like Liverpool, that real cutting edge has deserted them at critical times; Wolves should have been put to the sword on Saturday long before Half-Time, yet they managed to lose that game as well. An exasperated Tony Mowbray needs a win to get the Teeside engines firing again and build a winning run in the business end of the season. Reading emerged victorious last season from a very tight league, and will, as discussed above, sadly return to the Championship but any team with a late burst can make the cut; let's hope that we can those goals and instigate a few shut-outs! Come on 'Boro!!!
So much to debate, discuss, dispute! The clocks are forward, British Summer Time is here, The wedding season is underway and the conclusion is nigh! Dust down those Barbeques, the weather will improve...eventually!
Sunday 13 January 2013
My football blogs have a great many followers, and my travels have revealed that my football views have been sorely missed since my last contribution last May 2012.
In late April, my wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, but I am pleased to say that after a challenging period of ongoing treatment, she is on the road to recovery. Thank you friends for your support, prayers and messages, it has been truly uplifting.
The fact that 2012 was such a fantastic year for sport helped make a difficult personal year a little less painful. European Football Championships, The Olympics and Paralympics, The Champions League, Wimbledon, The Ryder Cup, The Men's Tennis US Open, The golf US Open, the Tour de France, and the climax of the Football Premier League Title...I could go on! It's been amazing to tick off the landmarks through the year.
But, let's get down to the real business, the football. I'll leave the International stuff and Roy Hodgson for another day, let's talk Premier League:
When Chelsea lifted the Champions League, I immediately knew that Roman Abramovich was facing his worst nightmare. Robert Di Matteo was like many a son who craves affection without ever enjoying the words of reassurance and praise from his father. And so to that unforgettable scene last May in Munich where Di Matteo passes the main man, as he walks up to collect the trophy, is etched on my mind. He wags his finger defiantly at the Oligarch as if he has proved his point once and for all, and of course almost with tears in his eyes, and the whole world watching, Abramovich cannot disguise his joy at winning the prize he badly wanted! Fast forward to the Autumn of the current season, it was always a case of when and not if he would be fired. After all, Ambramovich is a playground bully, a rich one, but a bully just the same. This is after all HIS own personal version of 'Championship Manager,' and when he's had enough, that's it! Where does that leave Chelsea? It's a mess, one with a cabinet of trophies, but a mess. Only Blackburn Rovers can claim to be in a worst state! Then there's the whole Frank Lampard situation; no-one is saying anything, least of all the hierarchy, and what makes matters worse is the boy Frank keeps scoring goals. Not just any goals, decisive ones! Then there's Rafa Benitez, a man that the fans can't bring themselves to love despite his pedigree as a coach in elevated company. Is he in the job long-term or not? Even Benitez is talking in code at his interviews. It's a very strange way to carry on. Meanwhile the supposed target Pepe Guardiola is out in the States chilling out until HE decides he wants to return to a job, and even Abramovich has got to wait. I hope he publicly spurns Chelsea and announces ethically that he is becoming Lobby Host at McDonalds!!! Demba Ba could just save all their faces, he is so so hungry, so so sharp, so so brilliant. I hope that knee does become an issue...
The Premier League title will simply be staying in Manchester. Whether it is United or City depends for me on Roberto Mancini's nerve. He reminds me of Kevin Keegan, with his ultra sensitive nature, constantly mumbling his complaints to the media. To have any chance of beating Ferguson, he needs to stop giving chapter and verse to all and sundry and keep his rantings private. Sir Alex is equally volatile but has learned to keep his thunderous temper behind closed doors and uses the voracious media hacks to wind up his opponents with clever sound-bites. Keegan fell for it many years ago when he had an excellent Newcastle team and Mancini has a superior squad that can overhaul United, in my view. But, the whole club has to acquire the DNA of success that United enjoys. For me, it's as simple as that. Even the Harvard Business School have been tapping the great man for inspiration!
The chasing pack are an interesting bunch. Only one team stands out apart from Chelsea, and that's Arsenal. Arsene Wenger is everything that Mancini is not; he has his own philosophy, he protects his players, refuses to criticise his club in any wave, shape or form and concentrates on producing an effective unit that will hit the top four every season comfortably. If he retains the services and trust of Theo Walcott, in the form of a new contract, the cluster of English players including Jack Wilshere will grow as a unit in a similar fashion to Giggs, Beckham, Scholes and the Neville brothers at Manchester United. For me, there isn't a lot wrong with Arsenal, they just lack that ruthless goalscorer to partner Theo; but I think they will find him and then challenge for domestic trophies. Watching the way Manchester United bullied Liverpool this weekend is poignant reminder of the gargantuan task the Anfield club has to retrieve greatness. Daniel Sturridge already looks a great signing, he now needs to be consistent and then with Gerrard, and Suarez Liverpool put down significant markers. Brendon Rodgers needs to win a trophy to learn how to be a winning manager, once that's achieved he could gain great traction; provided that he truly knows how to surf the waves of big time pressure. I love his theories and philosophies, but success is about doing the nuts and bolts, and striding meaningfully up the table. Andreas Villas-Boas is another one who reminds me of many of my contemporaries at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Possesses a great mind that has analysed a great many processes, quotes and historical facts but can't gain the real affection of the punter with a simplistic desire to follow a winning team. I believe that Harry Redknapp gave Spurs a real chance but was too strong a character for Chairman Daniel Levy and his tightly held purse-strings. Watching artists such as Rafael van der Vaart and Luca Modric leaving London filled me with deep sadness, those two 'artful dodgers' could pickpocket stubborn defences and create sublime possibilities. I may be wrong but Tottenham, in that moment ceased to be a team possessing the sublime and subtle brilliance that could truly win marginal football matches against meaningful opposition teams.
At the other end of the table I am desperately sad to see that a team of the stature of Aston Villa is in the bottom three. Something is drastically wrong and needs to be addressed quickly. The thought of Aston Villa playing Leeds United in the Championship next season with both teams struggling below my team Middlesbrough in the table is a scenario that I never dreamed I would or could imagine. This now is a real possibility, Wigan will scratch out enough results to survive, Harry will attempt to graft or weave his magic at QPR but this time around I can only see a return to the Championship, Reading too are woefully short despite brimming with desire and spirit, and Southampton too; but they at least have the hard-bitten Ricky Lambert. Sunderland do have genuine quality throughout the team and, of course Martin O'Neil, Newcastle having lost Demba Ba are in danger of free-falling after their capitulation against Brighton in the F.A. Cup and a toothless display against a below par Norwich side. The Geordies deserve much better, but have been feasting for too long this season on inadequate fare. Alan Pardew like Rafa Benitez is a straightforward honest man but he is backed by invisible men upstairs, Mike Ashley and Derek Llambas are two people who need to address their hard-core fans and show some presence but I fear that back-bone isn't there. I'll say it again, the North East deserves better.
As I've been asked to do a wedding at Old Trafford at Easter, in the name of research, I'll be watching Ronaldo's return to the Theatre of Dreams in a Real Madrid shirt. Can United win that one? Probably, but I think that if they progress, they will be the only English team who do but I suspect that whilst they can manage the Premier League until Manchester City stop fluffing their lines, sell Balotelli or both, the squad still lacks enough depth. The Galacticos with the Special One are looking good for the Champions League. Don't put it past Mourinho to win it again and then become the manager in the Premier League next season, after a controversial win in Manchester! Where will he go? Now that's a good question!
The decorations are down, the phone is red hot with Wedding enquiries, the snow flurries are on their way, Pamela Anderson has disappeared back to USA after one episode of 'Dancing On Ice,' and I've done my first blog for 2013! It's all set for an exciting time for us football fans; hold tight folks, the twists and intrigues are only beginning.
Thanks for the jolt Nigel Ord-Smith...Happy New Year my friends.
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