Lincoln Noel - The Maestro Talks Football
A Football-mad Pianist/Piano Teacher who spends every spare waking hour watching, reading or arguing about football!
Sunday 29 September 2024
Erik Ten Hag; Is His Time Finally Done at Theatre of Dreams?
Sunday 14 July 2024
The Heartbreak of the Euro Final; Will Football Ever Come Home?
At the dawn of another challenging Monday morning, the realisation that our England fell short, in the final of the Euro Final in Berlin, is brutally painful. No amount of beautiful melodies from my delightful feathered friends can lift the gloom that has enveloped my heart, as I slump over the dining table. History will remind us that we lost 2-1 to the favourites who played the best football of the tournament but the reality is that this feels like another opportunity missed.
Despite their wonderful form going into this match, I sensed fear in the Spanish armoury mentally, for the first 45 minutes, and we failed to exploit it. On realising that we were not going to play on the front foot despite our embarassment of riches, Spain saw the soft underbelly and were ruthlessly urgent in the way they set about us to open the scoring; if Holland's forward line were more clinical, thre same would have happened on Wednesday. Having boldly made the decision to take both Ivan Toney and Olly Watkins, at the expense of proven international players like Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, I expected a more proactive approach with one of them in his starting line-up. Successful teams have a clear understanding of their philosophy, believe in it and deliver in the big moments; Harry Kane was a passenger with a season ticket in this tournament who, for his minutes on the pitch, should have been contributing more. His opposite number Alvaro Morata, who incidentally has also has lost a yard of pace, applied his experience to greater effect before giving way to the ruthless Mikel Oyarzabal who scored the winning goal. It is worth noting that Portugal manager Roberto Martinez had the same problem with Cristiano Ronaldo, a player he dared not remove, who in reality should never have been anywhere near the starting line-up either.
Goals change matches and in both the match against the Netherlands and in the final against Spain, our advantageous passage of play should have produced a decisive goal. It changes the narrative and plants seeds of doubt in the minds of the opposition. The collective frustration felt amongst the watching British public, is that we genuinely believed that this squad could and should have produced more when it mattered but were hampered by fear when freedom of expression and a willingness to attack would have served us better. In this tournament there has been a collective frustration from the English public, and I feel it is justified, that Gareth Southgate had a brilliant squad of players on this occasion that could have lifted the trophy, if he had dared to be brave but the wait goes on.
Gareth Southgate's time is done in my opinion, he has created a different vibe for all of us, by consistently progressing deeper in tournaments. As a leader he managed the England squad with an integrity that was a beacon for us as a nation when we needed it most. Sunday 14th July 2024 was a pivotal day because we had something to be excited about. He fostered a spirit amongst a group of young men that was beautiful to behold. We have, under his watch, learned to believe in and love following the England football team whether we truly love the game, or not. Football didn't come home this time but I simply want to say "Thank you!"
Tuesday 9 July 2024
Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland were Mock Exams; Playing Holland is the REAL Test!
I recall hearing all the declarations from the ladies and gentlemen of various well-heeled circles; the Rotarians, the Masons, the Hunting fraternity, the Tennis, Cricket and Bowls clubs, the members of the Madrigal Choir, numerous church goers, many of my piano students and so on; "We won't be watching England this time around, they're all overpaid prima donnas" But now, EVERYONE is taking an interest and are prepared to show a degree of patriotism.
The election is done and "the other lot got in," Our first Prime Minister of colour, a generally affable but obscenely wealthy chap, who screwed up spectacularly by choosing to leave the VE Day Celebrations early back in May, gave a lovely exit speech, and for once, his ever absent wife was actually beside him. We have our first female Chancellor of the Exchequer but once again, publicity-mad Nigel Farage found yet another cause to align himself with, and appear relevant for a few weeks on our TV screens. But, no-one cares now though, it's all about the football! Ladies of a certain vintage in the queue at the Co-op checkout are busily debating whether Gareth will ever drop Harry Kane to the bench, or will Cole Palmer start? Discussions are breaking out across dinner tables at all levels about England's best starting line-up. Despite the brilliance of Sky and TNT Sports, being on terrestrial TV changes the dynamic around any sport and right now football is definitely the hot topic, now that Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu will not be flying any sort of flag at Wimbledon.
So, after enduring 5 tedious matches fom behind the sofa or in my case via the bottle of yet another glass of scotch whiskey, we find ourselves in the Semi-Finals, a place which even the Germans could not manage! Can we bore our way through this one and then deliver 5 crisp penalties to secure a berth in the final? The simple answer is No! For the uninformed, the Dutch are a huge step up from opposition we have faced so far. Marshalled by Ronald Koeman, a general who understands the dark arts of achieving victory on the pitch and in the dug-out. For all the beautiful eloquent statements about brotherhood, fabulous friendships and a cocoon mentality in the camp; this needs to be a proper football with an execution of fluid, objective winning football at the highest level. If we fluff our lines on Wednesday, the boys will be back at Luton Airport before you can sing VINDALOO!!! The Dutch have won the Euros themselves with their own golden generation back in 1988 and before that in 1974 and 1978 were losing World Cup finalists with the golden Ajax generation including the late great Johann Cruyff.
I actually believe that we CAN beat the Dutch because we have a fantastic squad of players, who possess a level of technical brilliance we haven't seen from an England team in this life-time. Knowing how to cross the winning line when you are face to face with an opponent who is highly experienced in this elite space will be Gareth's greatest test by a country mile. I personally believe in Mr Southgate, simply because he has got us here and deserves to be respected. The white noise around his suitability and tactical nous has been ridiculous. In sport, the greatest currency is victory. He has delivered at a stage consistently where many have failed spectacularly. Wednesday will be his greatest and hardest step yet.
I wrote in my previous blog about Arsenal facing Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, and Manchester City against Real Madrid in their respective Champions League second leg ties. The experience and resilience of their opponents proved too great in both cases. But, note that we have a collection of winning warriors. John Stones, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are individuals who have learned, over time about the energy required to succeed in journeys like this, their knowledge is key. Bukayo Saka is a smart little wizard with a devastating end product, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon are like two caged canine snipers growling in anticipation of thge chance to slice open anyone in their way. Not forgetting the sublime sophisticated dribbling skills of Eze who finally gave us a glimpse on the big stage. If we are to win the tournament, Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney, will be pivotal. Both have the mental strength to deliver under intense pressure; Bowen did it for West Ham United to win that Conference League Trophy and in bringing Brentford to the Premier League our Northamptonian star Toney, announced himself and has just grown and grown. We have the toolbox for this.
I am excited and nervous in equal measure about both semi-finals. Any of the four teams have the pedigree and superstar players to seize the trophy, I hope and pray that from now, we set the narrative, electrify the pitch on Wednesday and then go again on Sunday. Everything is crossed, another bottle whiskey is on standby with a mountain of ice-cubes and a reservoire of coca-cola, my knees are sore from praying. Come on England! Bring it home...
Thursday 11 April 2024
With The Exam Season Soon Upon Us, How Did The Leading Teams Fare In Their Own Champions League Interrogation? Part One
Many of you who follow my existence will have noticed that my eldest daughter, Lucy, hit the significant milestone of her 18th Birthday. She has and continues to have great fun. When school resumes next week, the intensity ramps up and the pathway to those important examinations start in earnest. Watching the British teams competing in Europe this week, in their first leg fixtures, had the same feel; it has been absorbing to observe.
If you truly love football the way I do, with the emphasis on technique, strategy, execution, decision-making, timing and true brilliance, the Champions League is the place to be. If you can watch it live, as I have, on numerous occasions, you appreciate that only the very best can succeed. This is not a place for chancers, mavericks or the ill-disciplined. It's like a great test series for cricketers; for all the bluster about "Baz-Ball" if the bowlers cannot bowl line and length, or the batsmen sorted out their footwork, no amount of courage or swagger will fool anyone. Arsenal and Manchester City were exhaustively tested this week by two teams with an unmatched pedigree in European football; Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Until Tuesday night, Arsenal were, in my opinion, easing towards the Premier League title. Their performances had been superior in every department, particularly their defending. Unlike last year everything was on message, thorough, unflustered and at times ruthless. Then came Bayern Munich, masters of top-drawer ringcraft, connoisseurs of the big occasion cantering through North London with all the imperious pomp and majesty of European royalty. As Handel's "Zadok the Priest" blasted through the speakers at the Emirates Stadium, this felt like the equivalent of an intense Oxbridge Viva-Voce, or the final interview for a life-changing corporate position in a world-leading financial bank. We held our breath, and the eternally fidgety Mikel Arteta employed his substitutes to great effect, and Arsenal competed superby throughout. To many uninformed onlookers, 3-3 at home may feel like a setback but the reality that Arsenal are still be "in the tie" demonstrates how far they have progressed from the 5-1 drubbing they suffered the last time they faced the Germans in London. Next week, the Allianz Stadium will provide yet another thoroughly authentic and distinctly uncomfortable inquisition but unlike Manchester United back in September, the Gunners understand their narrative and have acquired the ability to dig deep and believe. I have cleared my diary...
Regarding Manchester City, I overheard conversations about how many they would win by; Really?! And then the game started and the reality of facing Vinicius Junior, our very own Jude Bellingham and the magic feet of Federico Valverde alongside the wily old-stagers of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos with Antonio Rudiger bullying Erling Haaland like an lippy underage drinker in a city nightclub. With their own expensively assembled line-up of stars, this was a perfect match-up that ebbed and flowed. What was most captivating was that City for significant periods didn't command the ball; an experience that manager Pep Guardiola explained would have emotionally destroyed them in past match-ups. The art of competing and succeeding regularly in this environment, was something Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson never truly mastered, as Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane and Gary Neville alluded to in an edition of the brilliant YouTube series of "The Overlap." For all the collective brilliance of their squad, they lacked the DNA to become serial winners in these situations; succumbing mentally far too often to Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Like Arsenal's tie, this game is there to be won but this is a contest that will hinge on the smallest of details.
As the clocks move forward, Spring is emerging and countless students are preparing for the brutal procession of academic examinations. Next week, when the final whistles are blown in Munich and Manchester, we will be better informed about the integrity of the unforgiving journey in the pursuit of excellence for both these superb teams. As I already said, the diary is cleared!
Sunday 22 October 2023
The Subject of Ownership at Manchester United is a Fascinating One...
Saturday 4 September 2021
Lay Off Raheem Sterling!
Thursday 19 August 2021
Hasn't He Gone Yet? The Saga of Harry Kane...
Everyone knows that Harry Kane wants to move to Manchester City, and everyone also knows that Manchester City want to sign Harry Kane. So, why is the whole thing taking so long?
This whole circus reminds me of my junior school days. Remember those days when for several days a gang of boys are whispering on one side of the playground and a gang of girls are on the other doing exactly the same thing; Both discussing the speculation that a certain boy and a certain girl have declared an interest in one another. The word is that he is going to ask her out at the school disco at the end of the week. Everyone has an opinion about how he should approach her, what he should say first, when he will say it, what he might be wearing, whether she actually "went up town" last weekend with her besties to buy something special instead of going to her nan's? Heaven forbid, what if she says "No" when he asks? At times, it all becomes unbearable to think about anything else, it feels critical. And then at the big event when the DJ plays the last dance, finally they melt into one another's arms and EVERYONE breathes a sigh of relief!
These are the facts, Harry Kane gave an interview to Gary Neville on one of the Sky Sports Television platforms, before the end of the season, when he openly declared an admiration for Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City. Everyone who follows football clearly understands that the modern-day professional footballer knows the power of his quotes in the public domain; it is the reason why so many live post match interviews are so bland. The script is clearly defined and so are the predictable responses. Football clubs are brands and comments made in front of the media have to be "on point!" No-one dares to upset the narrative and watch closely, as we saw with Brentford last Friday, a club learning to live with the high visibility of the Premier League machinery when players and managers give those supposedly "in the moment" reactions, the club media man is never far away. Kane had something to get off his chest and naively he blurted out that he wanted to win trophies, we heard him loud and clear, then he slid off to the Euros lead the National side in an almost perfect campaign, scored goals, most importantly one against the Germans (something that might have gained him a knighthood, had they won the thing) and was largely still the golden boy...until his car took him to Florida instead of Enfield for his football training.
Daniel Levy is a savvy operator, or likes to think he is. He has enough clout to delay big transfers; it's his signature move. The transfers of Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale, and Luca Modric to name a few were agonisingly drawn out affairs that financially did not benefit the Spurs cause. But, that's his way of exerting control like a cantankarous primary school caretaker refusing to unlock the gates before the alloted time as the schoolchildren are getting soaked in a brutal downpour. Misplaced power is not clever and despite a few good seasons in the past, it is abundantly clear that Spurs right now are nowhere near being an elite club demanding respect, in the fashion of a similar project like say Leicester City. The team is has stars clearly, but is STILL unbalanced a little like like Arsenal down the road, and the thinking is not yet joining up. That said, Levy alone should not be made a scapegoat for this charade.
Top footballers (and the not so elite ones) delegate much of their dirty work to other people such as agents, social media agencies, financial advisors and so on. But it is in moments like these that one truly realises how ineffective some of these personnel are or more succinctly how poorly they advise their clients. Harry should have appointed the best representatives money can buy; people who know the terrain of dirty deal-making; it is a brutal business. His elementary mistake was to be surrounded by well-meaning but naive advisors, when he signed the long-term contract that Daniel Levy is holding him to...without that release clause. I genuinely believe that Daniel and Harry did have a pleasant conversation during which the player was given the impression that he could leave, if Spurs failed to land silverware. The problem is, that conversation wasn't put in writing, and is open to variable interpretation. Viewers of the ITV1 daytime show "Judge Rinder" will be familiar with the level of creativity, when it comes to interpreting a past conversation, and of course the biggest piece of advice Robert Rinder gives to all those, who are morally wronged, in every dispute, is "get it in writing!" Remember that Harry has been at Spurs for a long while and should have remembered that history might repeat itself, when he signed that contract. Modric, Bale and Berbatov, I am sure, are still scarred from their protracted experiences.
Up in Manchester, meanwhile, the other protagonists are also toying with Harry like a cat with a half dead bird. Surely this could have been avoided had they written the correct cheque at the first time of asking and allowed Harry to bed in, find Mrs Kane a nice house in Cheshire and enble the quest for further domination to begin with ernest. Look at Jaidon Sancho, he is so settled at Carrington with Manchester United that he and his new team-mates have probably already created a tik-tok account with 10 million followers whilst this nonsense rumbles on. Or, maybe, just maybe those supposedly deep pockets are not so deep after all! Maybe, quite simply they cannot afford the fee, unless they offload a few valuable palyers themselves. Are they playing the double-bluff? If so, that back-fired when they lost to Spurs last weekend.
This business of a false number 9, for a team like City, does not wash, for me. Sergio Aguero was a pivotal player for them, and should have played a greater part in that Champions League final back in May. That crucial goal against QPR that clinched that first title, is worth a billion pounds to Manchester City. Kevin Keegan and Newcastle were so so close and faltered at the last hurdle, never to reach those heights again. If Harry is the best option available, and most of us believe that he is. Not only will he improve his own game, he could push them to that immortal place they desperately crave; lifting the Champions League trophy.
For the sake of the fans who will pay significant money for the privilege of their live football fix, it's time to move on with the football story, get the damn thing done and allow Spurs and City fans to know their fate; and know whether Harry will wear their colours or not. With so much uncertainty in the world, let's get this deal done one way or the other so this blogger and the rolling news channels can move on. Harry! What about PSG? Keep your options open kid, Messi can pick a pass...just putting it out there.