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!

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!

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.

It's All Over Till Next Season...

Yep! Those that truly don't understand are saying "Thank God For That!" Those of us that think about NOTHING else are reading the sports pages right now to see who and what is being speculated about. It's the silly season! Most of what we will now read will be nothing more than nonsense at best and fantasy football at best but we'll read it and discuss it just the same...won't we! Let's deal with the facts:

Manchester United won the league but were given a footballing lesson, as we all were, by Barcelona in the Champions League Final. Chelsea gave an object lesson in how not to run a football club, Arsenal are still just plain naive, Manchester City have finally cottoned onto the art of behaving like a big club, Liverpool have regained some self-respect, Blackpool became everyone's second favourite team, Birmingham showed what happens when you don't sufficiently recover from great celebratory night out, and West Ham were just simply rotten to the core.

But before I talk about our domestic situation, I feel I must say a few words about Saturday. Because of wedding commitments, I managed to miss all the goals of England's match against Switzerland; but when I switched on the television, my jaw nearly dropped completely off my face. We were terrible, plain and simple. We can blame whoever and whatever we like, but the bottom line is that we are a very poor team. Switzerland's possession was superb but fortunately that's the only asset that they had; because if they had anything and I mean anything resembling a killer punch we would and should have been handsomely beaten. We conceded two of the softest goals I ever seen in my life; and that includes schoolboy football at the lowest level. And the Swiss STILL couldn't beat us! I can only conclude that they were too busy enjoying the new plush surroundings of Wembley to close out the match; it must be said that Ashley Young did create greater urgency, took his goal well and set up his Villa team-mate Darren Bent, only for the him to clear the bar when anyone's Granny would have found it easier to score! That miss confirmed to us all that if he is worth £20 million, then Rooney is worth £100 million and Messi £1 billion! Apart from Ashley Young and young Jack Willshire, the rest were abysmal. It felt was as though 7 days earlier, whilst watching Barcelona that we were dining in Madrid and eating the finest Paella, and now we were eating stale burger and chips in a lay-by off the dual carriageway!

Before we berate Fabio, we need some context here. We've been here before with these players with Kevin Keegan, Sven Goran-Eriksson and Steve McClaren. It cannot just be the manager, can it? We have the most exciting league in the world but it is bolstered by foreign players, the pace is furious, the intensity is passionate and physical, yet at International level, we cannot put teams to the sword. The last time we actually murdered decent opposition was September 2001 against Germany, and prior to that was against Holland at the memorable Euro 1996. What is the problem? Is it our Englishness, are we too arrogant, are our players really good enough? They certainly the best paid squad in World Football; I am reliably told that any English regular first teamer in the Premier League can retire at the end of his career with enough money to never have to work again, without needing to achieve success or play for his country; is that right? Is that the problem? It's certainly one to ponder. Now onto Fabio, is he the right man or has he been found out at this level. It has been suggested that had he lost on Saturday, he would have been sacked. I suspect the F.A. are privately regretting not relieving him of the job after the World Cup, but then again, who would have replaced him? I personally believe this job is tailor-made for Martin O'Neil, let's just forget for a moment that he's Irish. His qualifications are enless: He is smart enough to negotiate the Ambassadorial role of the job, he is eloquent, very strong mentally and a fine motivator of men at the scene of battle; AND he is available. But it all seems to comes down to money, and the F.A. are going to stick with the Italian until next summer; assuming that we do qualify.

Domestically, I am devastated that Blackpool were relegated. They were a great footballing side with a poor defence; pain and simple. I feel that as romantic as the notion is that Swansea play great football, the Premier League is a huge step in class and they will struggle to compete equally with many of the heavyweights of the top league. QPR are slightly different, but whilst I admire Neil Warnock, he reminds me of a bully in a Primary School playground. He gives the press great copy when he's in the Championship, but managers in the Premier League like David Moyes, Tony Pulis, and even Alan Pardew have harder inner shells and then he'll have to deal with the real Maestros like Roberto Mancini, Arsene Wenger, Kenny Daglish and Alex Ferguson. It really is a baptism of fire; even second time around. One thing he will have in his favour is big hitters in the board room; they are the kind of businessmen who understand the real murky business in the rarified atmosphere of big time pressure. Paul Lambert, for me, is great manager and I feel that he will thrive in the Premier League. Norwich is a well supported club that understands how to conduct it's football business in the melting pot of the Premier League. Delia Smith is savvy, knows the media well and will play a great straight bat; she has learned from her rantings on the pitch in the past. Her presence has been considered lately, it will be fascinating to observe.

I still to this day cannot understand why Chelsea sacked Ray Wilkins, and the manner in which it was done. It stank from whichever angle you chose to assess it. I recall that the team were winning games and rolling over teams regularly, the whole thing was ticking well; Ancelotti was in control and success seemed assured, even in September. Footballers are like Musicians who perform for a living, the important reference to note is 'perform' not 'play' for a living. To be a player at a top club requires a certain type of mindset, Frank Lampard has it, John Terry has learned it, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have it; my colleagues tell me I have it! It's that indefinable quality that enables you to create something special when others can't. Ray Wilkins, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, was an integral part of that winning formula. It's the reason why successful managers work alongside a certain assistant or group of chosen personnel. That rapport takes years to nurture develop and progress, I have it with my Jazz trio, whenever we hit the road, I always have my trusted lieutenants beside me, and no-one else. When Ray Wilkins was removed, a vital wall was removed the building collapsed. Also, the sacking happened in the middle of preparations for a match; the following game, Chelsea were comfortably defeated at the Bridge by Sunderland. They never recovered from that situation, and the equalibrium was destroyed. Signing Fernando Torres made a bad situation worse. When Ray Wilkins was analysing for Sky Sports, that comprehensive humiliation in the 2nd Leg Champions League Quarter-Final defeat at Old Trafford, I couldn't help thinking that had he been still at the club, that settling in Torres would have been his brief, and the transition would have been smooth. But instead, he diplomatically tried to assure us that "Carlo was in charge of his team selection." None of us were fooled; and one senses that deep down he knew it too.

The way West Ham conducted their business from the beginning of the season right through to the conclusion was on a par with Chelsea. The two Davids Sullivan and Gold, are at best two snug little weasels who have made a handsome fortune from (let's be honest here) the sex industry. I don't know them personally, and have no desire to either, but I honestly felt that they would be good for West Ham. Let's not forget that the Hammers' finances were dire straights and along with Ms Brady, they worked tirelessly to turn things around successfully. Their public mutterings about players' contracts and latterly Avram Grant's role has been nothing short of disgraceful. They really should hang their heads in shame. Let's not pretend that the atmosphere of Premier League football business is on a par with a village church fete with cream teas - and Tinkling Lincoln at the Piano! It ain't, but footballers, as I suggested in the previous paragraph are a peculiar breed, they expect to be treated with kid gloves and left to do their business without interference. If the suits in the boardroom start getting more column inches, the business on the pitch NEVER gets done properly. Manchester United's form suffered in the 2005/6 season because of a little dispute over a racehorse. Liverpool couldn't get started earl last sesason and allowed the Mighty Cobblers to play them off the pitch and then beat them on penalties. The boardrooms must learn to stay behind the scenes, pay the bills and SHUT UP! If the two Davids can stick to what they do best, and keep the delightful Ms Brady away from that ridiculous column, Big Sam might just get lucky and bring them straight back up, with or without the over-rated Scott Parker.

Manchester City are going to be an interesting proposition next season. I am not convinced that Mancini has got the entire dressing room singing from his song sheet, but there is real belief in the blue half of Manchester, now that they have finally won a trophy. Champions League football is a totally different proposition, but at least they are there at last! I still think that Manchester United lost that semi-final, as opposed to Manchester City winning it; thanks to Bulgaria's answer to Darren Bent - Dimitar Berbatov. I believe that City can become a top four club at Arsenal's expense, but anything else is a step too far.

On the subject of Berbatov, he will be sold in the summer. He is not a Manchester United player, Manchester United players score important goals in crucial periods of big games. Berbatov is a luxury player, yes he HAS scored goals that have won matches, but definitive matches are won and lost in special moments. The recently retired Paul Scholes scored many of those types of goal, as does Wayne Rooney, Hernandez, and Ryan Giggs. Although, in my view Ryan Giggs should also retire; scandals aside, I think that the Champions League Final last week passed him by in a way that would never have happened 3 years ago. I think re-signing Michael Owen was a smart move, but his utterances on Twitter were not. My trips to the North-East have taught me one thing if nothing else, those lovely people always greet their visitors warmly and Michael Owen received a lavish welcome party, but if you treat them with disdain, as they perceive he did, they will NEVER forgive you; unsold Michael Owen merchandise cluttering the shelves in the club shop whilst Alan Shearer's is flying out the door, is a sight I will never forget at St James' Park!

I am desperately sorry that Gerard Houllier's reign ended the way it did. I think that he is a fine man and a great football manager; but was clearly struggling at Aston Villa. Football has changed dramatically since he last managed Liverpool and the pressure to succeed from the fans was too much for him. Randy Lerner appears to be a very measured individual, and if what is being reported about Mark Hughes is true, he should be respected for his integrity for rejecting a manager that cannot be taken at his word. Football in 2011 is a turbulent affair, but even so, Fulham fans are right to not be impressed by the way he left their club or the tone of his parting comments. Every real football fan honestly knows the potential of their club, to hear that your manager wants to leave because he is ambitious begs the question, was he not trying to achieve something whilst he was there or was he merely using the place like a finishing school for football management. Football, like life is far too unpredictable to use clubs like stepping stones in such a clinical way but alas if Abramovich can sack a manager who has won the league in the previous season and comes second in the next, then one could argue that Mark Hughes is well within his rights to walk away when it suits him to do so.

But, such complaints are mere pin-pricks on a landscape of huge excitement that constitutes the great game that we call football. I can at long last concentrate on my repertoire for the Northampton Philharmonic Choir at the end of the month, focus on the numerous weddings and other events and go to bed at a decent time instead of thinking about what will dominate the blog. Its summer and the birds are already singing, have I really been sat here THAT long?! I hope that the England test team gives us lots to cheer. Andy Murray and the other British Tennis players will frustrate us for yet another year, so I'm waiting for August. I'm hopeful for the Cobblers and the 'Boro; keep your eyes on them next season, and don't forget to remind me that I told you so. Have fun and enjoy the Barbeque summer!

We're approaching the Real Business Now...

Kate (or should we like the Broadcast Media call her Catherine!) has married William. The nation learned how to be a community once more; most of us enjoyed something akin to the Christmas period...without the family politics. It's been a great weekend!

Since I last entered my distinguished thoughts on the blog, a great many unusual things have happened in the great game we call Football. What the hell is happening to Tottenham? How did Arsenal suddenly become a great side, now that they cannot win a thing! Where did Liverpool come from to be in 5th place? Why have Manchester City started to become a team? And how did Berbatov miss THAT chance at Wembley? Did Middlesbrough really just spank Cardiff City in their own backyard? Could Chelsea really pip United to the Premier League title? Who will really be relegated from the top league? Let's discuss:

Tottenham! Has that first leg defeat in Madrid really shown them how far behind the true power-brokers they honestly are. Until THAT match, everyone I seemed to speak to was suggesting that 'Arry's got the midas touch. Not anymore! Swimming with the sharks is an acquired skill; cast your minds back, Manchester United took six years to win the Champions League finally in 1999 and have only won it once since; and if we're truly honest both victories were fortuitous. And if we're brutally honest, they may beat Schalke on Wednesday but when I hopefully take my seat at Wembley for that end of May final, it will surely be Barcelona lifting the trophy that night, or will it? I fear that Tottenham have been naive, they have enjoyed the run so much that they have forgotten that they needed to leave something in the tank to qualify for next season. Sadly, they may not even make the Europa Cup which is a shame. Harry, for me, on that evidence has not proven himself to be ready for any meeting of the greatest minds in International Football.

Arsenal! Come on Mr Wenger! I can hear the fans moaning...under their breath. They dare not say it out loud because we all know how fab the Emirates is on a first visit and how the football is as lyrical as a Rossini Aria. But we real fans, that pound the motorways and have stood in dreary uncovered away ends on freezing nights of driving rain with no more that the stadium king-size burger and chips for respite, not to mention over-zealous stewards, that when your team wins the match: Everything was worth it. When I look at Arsenal fans, I think of lads on the pull who at the end of the night have loads of new numbers in their mobiles but no conquest about which to blag on Facebook. Arsene, come on man, you know the script by now, pay the money get the fans an ugly hero that terrorises the opposition and gives the Gunners' fans a new chant to learn.

King Kenny is quietly restoring consistent respect to Merseyside. On quiet reflection, Liverpool look frighteningly good (as good as the 'Boro did this evening when they played Cardiff off the park!). A Liverpool team back in September would have struggled to despatch this Newcastle team that are led so honestly by Alan Pardew; he'll never be more than a sandwich filling, nothing personal but the Geordies need an icon, but that's for another blog! Watching Torres floundering and Andy Carroll flourishing, Daglish conducted the right piece of business at the right time. Keep your eyes on Liverpool next season; they will win at least one trophy.

I am genuinely pleased for Roberto Mancini, that he finally defeated Manchester United in a high-profile Semi-Final. As he himself acknowledged, The Red Devils and their followers know the Filling Stations on route to places like Wembley without the use of Google Maps, but for City, it WAS a big deal. That belief is evident everywhere now, even the fans' voices on the Radio Phone-in shows have more presence, they feel that they belong now; more importantly, I strongly believe that they will defeat a good Stoke City team and lift the F.A. Cup and win their first trophy on top of that 4th Champions League spot.

Fernando Torres will justify his £50 million fee instantly, if he scores on Sunday against Manchester United and Chelsea win the match; it's that simple. I am not convinced that he is the same player he was prior to his injury last season. I believe that he will score goals, but unless Chelsea completely overhaul the playing staff to suit his playing style, his existence at Stamford Bridge will be a frustrating experience similar to Andy Schevchenko. I hope that I am proved wrong because I think that the Premier League currently lacks real Box Office stars and Torres has the pedigree to be one.

Manchester United could very easily end this season without a trophy. Like Chelsea and Arsenal before them, they are in a most definitive 8 day period of their season, and have already lost the first match, to Arsenal, which has increased the pressure. We will learn just how good a manager Sir Alex Ferguson truly is in the month of May. Assuming that United can negotiate Schalke, he will be pitting his wits against a talented young manager in Pepe Guardiola or the Master Psychologist Jose Mourinho in the Champions League. To add to that burden, he has to outfox the battle-hardened Carlo Ancelotti this Sunday in a must-win battle at the Theatre of Dreams and motivate, freshen and inspire an experienced, alert and innovative squad that in all honesty is depleted of great depths of energy. To achieve one trophy will be a great success, to add the Champions League he would deserve Sainthood. Let's wait and see if he and the Late John Paul become equals.

Despite the fact that we are entering the silly season of Weddings, Concerts, Events and seemingly a million other things, be rest assured that I will not be far away from the concluding business of our great football season. I have one wish, and that is for Blackpool to survive for another season in the top flight because in the absence of numerous true football stars, we need that romance. I honestly think that West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers will depart from the Premier League. Apart from that, I will accept any outcome with open arms, whoever wins will have deserved it, and really, we are all winners because it's been the most compelling football season most of us have enjoyed for some considerable time.

How Life Changes!

It is nearly 3 months since I last waded in and committed my football views on a blog; looking at the landscape, so much has changed! England failed in their bid to host the World Cup, Chelsea have frittered away a huge advantage, a significant number of Premier League managers are seeking work elsewhere, Andy Gray has left Sky Sports and Manchester United are on top of the league and behaving ominously like Premier League champions and it's only February. Where on earth do we start?

I honestly believe that after all the nonsense that played out in 2010, Liverpool are finally conducting themselves with integrity, taking tangibly big strides and most significantly discarding Fernando Torres...for £50 million. Chelsea fans may have been laughing very loud this week, but I sense that laughter is feeling very hollow now. Towards the end of last season, Torres had cut a disconsolate figure at Anfield and everyone knows he wanted to leave. The global shop window of the World Cup did not happen for him because of bad form and injury, and so he consoled himself with the fact that £110k a week at Liverpool was not so bad after all. But, as I said in a previous blog, there's only so much you can do with a lot of money, and masking genuine frustration is NOT one of them. Enter Roy Hodgson, an honourable football man, but one who was out of his depth at Liverpool, Torres needed an immense personality at the controls; Kenny Daglish came too late. He has now achieved his move to Chelsea for a hefty sum, in his place Liverpool have acquired a young terrier that they know is naive, but bursting with energetic enthusiasm and a desire to be inspired and moulded by an old master like Daglish. Yes, we all know the price is inflated but remember they did receive £50 million for Torres, who if he had gone anywhere in Europe except Real Madrid would have struggled to raise a price of £20 million based on his current performances. Chelsea, are an illogical organisation, run by a whimsical gangster called Ambramovich who is daft enough to write such a cheque and Newcastle are run by an equally debatable clown called Ashley who was bamboozled by the £35 million cash to twist and let his major asset depart. So, yes Liverpool have in 72 hours put their house back in order...and just to cap it all, have beaten a Chelsea team containing Torres in their own backyard 1 - nil. Very sweet! Torres will be discovering a new English proverb: a bird in the hand is worth... Mr Ferguson chose to refer to fields and cows!

Talking of clowns, let's start with Mike Ashley. All my new Facebook friends in Middlesbrough must be laughing their heads off! Firstly he, and that other fool Chief Executive Derek Llambus, push out Chris Hughton, who's achievements were acknowledged with the award of BBC North East and Cumbria Sports Personality of the Year, lost to lowly Stevenage in the FA Cup when the WHOLE world was watching, then they sold Andy Carroll after assuring everyone that he was not for sale. But Newcastle completed an amazing comeback to draw 4-4 after trailing 4-0, demonstrating the spirit of the fans and the team that was truly fostered by Hughton; but missed by the hierarchy. As a result, it will take the Geordie public a long time to accept Pardew as their own, but I think he could be successful, if allowed to get on with his job, but I suspect they'll mess it up for him one way or the other. We seem to be in a world of meddlers.

On the subject of meddlers, Sam Allardyce is another manager whose unemployment baffles me, even now. I am sure that new owner Anuradha Desai is, like Roy Hodgson, a lovely person, but she knows very little about the nuts and bolts of football. I have said before and I'll say it again that football is like music, magical sometimes beautiful often illogical and impossible to quantify. Desai will, if she is truly smart enough, learn very quickly like Liverpool owner John W Henry that football decisions need to be taken by football people and that she cannot make an uninformed decision like the nonsensical one to sack Allardyce or worse to assume that a marquee signing like Ronaldinho would consider coming to Ewood Park just because he's been offered more sacks of money than anywhere else. The football world is a tough one and although I hope for the sake of all my dear Lancastrian friends that Blackburn remain prosperous, when solid servants like their Chief Executive John Williams resign you know that the club is heading for trouble. Until last week she had never been to a football match, and as for Jerome Anderson who is advising the club, please fella there's the door. I wonder if either of them know what Lancashire Hotpot is or Chips and Gravy? It's embarrassing and on reflection Sam Allardyce must be wishing he'd stayed at Bolton!

What the hell is going on with West Ham United? Of all the managers out of work in the Premier League, two have lasted longer than most, the first was Roy Hodgson, although once he lost at Blackburn, everyone knew he had to go, and he was dispatched gracefully, but Avram Grant has survived! How? I have watched Karren Brady on the Apprentice and admired the way she has replaced Margaret Mountford as Lord Sugar's aide but her dealings with Avram Grant have been anything but slick. Ms Brady, Messrs Gold and Sullivan are first class business operators, they have clinically and ruthlessly done the dirty job of sorting out West Ham's finances but whilst the club is now profitable and relieved of it's dead wood, Avram Grant is a weed they have struggled to shift. He is genuinely not good enough, at least Gianfranco Zola survived last season but Avram Grant's team are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table and I am pretty sure that with the exception of occasional bursts of brilliance, they will stay there. Sadly Robbie Keane is no miracle worker, great grafter that he is, Scott Parker is a clear thinking midfield general with oozes class and should be an England regular but he is playing in a team that needs a battle hardened and clinical Brigadier, Grant is more Boys Brigade. I sense that the owners are preparing an exit strategy for him and are preparing for an arduous season in the Championship. They've been there before and they'll be successful because they know the route well but don't expect them to romanticize in the process or make any friends, for them business is business - they just messed up this time but be reassured Hammers fans that it will be fine...eventually, but we'll NEVER love those guys.

Richard Keys and Andy Gray left Sky Sports after being set-up by the new management who did not quite know how best to remove them because they had been there too long; that's my view. I, like many of you, have grown used to the coverage of Super Sunday with Richard Keys presenting, Martin Tyler commentating, and Andy Gray firstly in the commentary box and then his "Last Word" combing through the goals, the talking points and offering his own personal insights. I have over many years loved those insights and felt thoroughly satisfied that my hunger for proper football coverage and chit-chat is comprehensively covered. I am not going to enter a debate about Sexism and whether they should have been sacked, it has happened and we should all move on. I want to say thank you to those two for their contribution to football by their contribution to its coverage. That is a huge legacy, and as a result BBC and ITV and to a lesser extent ESPN have been forced to raise their game for the benefit of all of us that love the beautiful game.

Finally, talking of legacies, I was devastated when I watched Sepp Blatter live on TV reveal that England had failed to host the World Cup. The realization that I will probably never see a World Cup in my lifetime in my country is a huge disappointment. I believe that we only have ourselves to blame. We entered the bidding war with our eyes open, squabbled amongst ourselves for a long time, made a PR gaffe with Triesmann and "The Mail On Sunday" with a claim about referees and bribes and then tried to claim the moral high ground with Panorama; it was always asking for trouble. Losing was a huge embarrassment, especially given that we had the best box office bid with David Beckham and Prince William present. The real power within FIFA lies with individuals from smaller nations, I suspect a little bit of imperialistic revenge was also exacted here and that too is desperately disappointing but they ultimately held the ace cards, and we upset them. So, in order to sample the World Cup at close quarters, I will need to board an aeroplane and spend significant amounts of cash or befriend some big sponsors; either way it's not a convenient arrangement! But since I love football so much, it's my only option.

It is constantly said that football is a funny old game! I pray that Blackpool, with Charlie Adam still at the club, and managed by Ian Holloway can still defy the odds and stay up, and hope that regardless of whoever wins the Premiership or is eventually relegated in May that this exciting season of ups and downs continues to excite and surprise us. This season will take some beating, roll on!