Football Orphan: Shamrock Rovers’ most successful season ever, finally comes to a close.
Leading the way in Irish domestic football.
On a freezing cold winters night in Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers‘ staggering season finally came to a close with defeat to Spurs. In their wildest dreams Rovers could never have imagined how this season would have panned out. Having finally returned to title-winning ways last season, a repeat of this feat was considered the minimum standard. What unfolded throughout 2011 is something that will only truly be recognised as the years roll by. The adventure that followed through qualification for the Europa League in Belgrade was a miricle of biblical proportions.
Michael O Neill’s men will either be viewed as the team that first made a breakthrough for others to follow, or the only Irish club to burst the bubble of the monopoly of the bigger European clubs. It remains to be seen where O Neill will find himself come the beginning of next season. One thing is for sure, he will go down in the history of Shamrock Rovers for his incredible achievements.
As for the club, names like former Ireland and Faroe islands manager Brian Kerr and vastly experienced manager Mark McGee have been mentioned as possible successors to the Ulsterman. One thing is for certain, Shamrock Rovers went from being the most famous club in Irish football, to being the most famous Irish club outside of Ireland. A big congratulations to all involved at Rovers, it is a proud moment in Irish football, let’s all hope the adventure doesn’t stop here.
Football Orphan: Michael O Neill set to bid farwell to Shamrock Rovers.
Image courtesy of independent.co.uk
Michael O Neill it has been announced, will leave Shamrock Rovers at the end of December when his current contract expires. It will no doubt be a bitter-sweet moment as he departs Tallaght Stadium for the last time. The former Northern Ireland international has returned the glory days back to a club that was far from being a sleeping giant, more like a comatose one. Qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history will be indelibly marked in the fabric of the most successful club in Irish football.
His last game in charge will be against Tottenham in the Europa League tomorrow evening. With nothing but pride to play for at Tallaght Stadium, it will be a fitting end to a wonderful period in O Neill’s tenure as manager of the Hoops. He leaves the club on the back of two league titles also, which will also act as a flashing beacon on a pristine CV as he now enters the interview process for the vacant Northern Ireland job. I personally think it would be a pity to see him go into International management so soon. I feel he would be better equipt to go straight into an English or Scottish league club, and prove himself a success in the UK also. If a fine Irish manager such as Pat Fenlon is considered hot property for the Hibs job, I’m convinced Michael O Neill should be aiming a little higher than the Northern Ireland job.
Football Orphan: Who will cross the Bridge over troubled water as Chelsea entertain City?
AVB will be praying his luck doesn't run out tonight.
The weekend’s action saw Manchester United record a comfortable win over Wolves with Rooney and Nani grabbing a brace each. No headlines of note to be found, as it just looked like business as usual at Old Trafford. Stoke were the biggest winners with a turn up for the books at the Britannia, sending Spurs to their first defeat in eleven games with two first half goals from Matthew Etherington. Not much else to raise any eyebrows over the weekend, as it was all a little predictable elsewhere as most of us lay in wait for tonight’s big heavyweight clash at the Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester City.
This could be a turning point of both clubs seasons. City suffered the indignity of exiting the Champions League at the first hurdle last week, while Chelsea stuck two fingers up to all of the doubters to progress as group winners. A draw tonight plays directly into the hands of the clubs clambering to be in the chasing pack, but defeat for either will see a considerable dent in the confidence of the moral just before the fixtures start coming thick and fast. First talking point of this game is the team line up. Who will be trusted to be drafted into the first eleven? How offensive will either manager set their respective teams up? Most importantly, which coach will be smiling after 90 minutes?
Football Orphan predicts: Chelsea to start the game looking solid, with Manchester City finishing the stronger. A well fought draw is the most likely result here.
Football Orphan: Between the Devil & the deep Blue sea, Manchester clubs pay the price of Europa League on Thursdays.
Who will be playing on Thursdays after Christmas Roberto?
Who could have possibly guessed that both Manchester clubs would have made an early exit from the Champions League before christmas? Certainly not me. Even though looking back at the warning signs, while it’s easy to be clever after the fact, Manchester United were 1/100 on to qualify to the knockout stages from the group with the bookies. Manchester City on the other hand had quite a tricky group from the word go. Villarreal who eventually finished the group without as much as 1 point have had a decent amount of success in this competition the past.
The result of the Manchester failure is that both clubs must face the task of Europa League football on Thursdays, while rarely playing Premier League on Saturdays. This is something that all top clubs wish to avoid at all costs. The big wigs at Sky and the premier League must be pulling their hair out with these two clubs being a priority in their Tv scheduling. While City have been installed as Europa League favourites with the bookies, I can’t see United treating this tournament with anything other than contempt, fielding weakened teams in every other fixture.
It looks to me as if this could well be Fergie‘s swan song. He is now further away from getting his hands back on the holy grail of the Champions League trophy. United are out of the Carling Cup, and realistically don’t look capable of making a sustained challenge to City’s title aspirations. If they were to get the FA Cup back in the trophy cabinet, would that be enough? I personally don’t think so. The signs are ominous, but if they somehow aren’t obvious, they really should be.
Football Orphan will return on Monday with a round up of the weekends action.
Football Orphan: Farewell to CL football until February, when the real tournament begins
Well I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to see a rejuvenated Chelsea team last night. With a strong Didier Drogba and a rock solid back four, they looked impenetrable against Valencia. Things also took a unexpectant turn for the better for AVB, as Genk held Bayer Leverkusen to a draw to ensure that Chelsea topped the group. It was a breath of fresh air as the Chelsea manager had a right old go at the TV and written media for being doubters and making him a scape goat. The Portuguese feels that it has been a witch hunt against him. In my opinion, he took a job that has more pressure than most, it comes with the territory. On the other hand, I believe he handled the retort with good grace and a cheeky sense of humour.
Tonight, one must make a choice of watching Manchester City attempt a Houdini-esqe escape from their group or Manchester United secure the win to guarantee progress to the knock out stages. City must beat Bayern Munich and hope that Villarreal take points from Napoli. I cannot express my pleasure enough that we have finally reached the point in the Champions League where we can get a little excited at the prospect of a decent competitive game. I have said all to often, that the group stages of this competition is just to top up the major clubs’ bank accounts. I challenge anyone who has followed this tournament this season to point out a really thrilling game from match day one through five?
With all that said, I think it is most likely to be a routine evening ahead of us. City are most likely to slip into the dreaded Europa League , while I don’t see United making hard work of Basel like they did in the first meeting at Old Trafford. I was well wide of the mark in my prediction for last night’s game, but I have every confidence that I will redeem myself this time around.
Football Orphan predicts: Manchester United to beat Basel 3-1 to progress. Manchester City to beat Bayern Munich but Napoli will qualify with a win in El Madrigal against Villarreal.
Football Orphan: Make or break for Chelsea in Champions League.
If Valencia progress, they will most likely have this man to thank.
Tonight’s action for me will be centred around what looks to be the standout fixture in this season’s Champions League so far, Chelsea verses Valencia at Stamford Bridge. If AVB thought the pressure was mounting previously, wait until he see’s the wrath of the supporters and media if his team come up short after 90 minutes this evening. In my opinion, Chelsea go into this game like a boxer who has been stunned by a knockout blow, while thinking he can survive until the bell rings. The bell is a long way off for Chelsea and Valencia possess more than one fatal knockout punch.
The tiring legs of John Terry and arguably Chelsea’s biggest liability David Luiz, will struggle to contain one of La Liga’s in form strikers in Roberto Soldado. Valencia are a well organised, well-balanced team who currently sit 3rd behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. Like so many have pointed out, if you place the two super powers of Real Madrid and Barcelona in any league they would occupy the number one and two spot every time. This game truly is a watershed moment in the West Londoners recent history. Fail to progress to the knockout stages and it will surely be curtains for AVB. If they overcome the Spaniards he may just have bought himself a January shopping spree to shape his shaky revolution.
Football Orphan predicts: Valencia to win with Roberto Soldado hammering the final nail in the AVB coffin.
Football Orphan: Ireland to face current, and former World champions in Euro 2012 group.
Only now that the Euro 2012 draw is done can we let the real excitement begin. We’ve been drawn to play Croatia, Spain and lastly Italy in what looks like a fairly tough group whichever way you look at it. Technically we are lagging way behind compared to the others, but from the opposition side, they won’t be too pleased to draw Ireland. As pointed out by some Irish pundits covering the draw, Spain not only have a bad game in them at tournament level, they also have heavy expectancy as they attempt to be the first nation to win three majors in a row.
Italy also known for being slow starters at this level will be under more pressure facing a national treasure in Giovanni Trapattoni. With a team that has been rolling down hill for a number of years despite winning the World Cup. The Italians are well past their sell by date, and should not anticipate celebrating a glorious summer. Croatia on the other hand in my opinion throw up the most curious challenge. They always convey a togetherness similar to Ireland. They have technical ability to burn, and fight shoulder to shoulder until the very end every time. In my view it is they who hold the key to this group.
Spain and Italy have everything to lose, Ireland and Croatia have everything to gain. As we have often seen in the past, expectation and pressure on a nation going to a major tournament can do peculiar things. France imploded in South Africa in 2010, Netherlands have also had a history of in fighting, while Spain have only just arrested their failure to bond, as they lifted the European and World Cup in 2008 and 2010 respectively. If you’d like to see what kind of harmony runs through the Spanish set up currently, watch the Classico next weekend between Barcelona and Real Madrid. It will be more than evident that only close friends Xavi of Barcelona and Casillas of Real Madrid manage to hold things together. Should one or the other lose their grip, major cracks begin to appear in the national set up. For now all we can do is speculate and drool over the prospects of our first major tournament in ten years, our first European tournament in twenty-four. It promises to at very least, stop us talking about the bad weather come next summer.
Football Orphan: Premier League sack race begins with Steve Bruce first past the post.
Steve Bruce ran out of time to turn things around.
It took until the 30th of November, but we finally have our first managerial casualty in the Premier League. I hold my hands up, I was wrong. My first choice was Steve Kean before a ball was kicked, but somehow this bulletproof man still has a job. The winner of this season’s sack race is Steve Bruce. He has had some lengthy injury lists in his two and a half years in charge since taking over from Ricky Sbragia, but he ultimately leaves the Black Cats exactly where he began his reign, hovering just above the trap door.
The writing was on the wall as soon as his ally Niall Quinn moved from his position as chairman only for Ellis Short to take up the mantle to keep a closer eye on things. In truth, Sunderland have been pretty uninspiring all season. There are no redeeming factors for fans to attach themselves to. Despite Bruce walking out or a number of clubs in his management career, including my beloved Crystal Palace, I really thought that this was the perfect job for the Geordie. It looks like a complete mystery as to where he’ll surface again, given that so few opportunities in management are dispensed to British coaches in the Premier League.
The bookies current favourites are Martin O Neill and Mark Hughes. Both of which have mutiny on their CV’s from O Neill’s resignation at Celtic and Aston Villa to Hughes’ bizarre exit from Fulham amongst others. For a club the size of Sunderland, boasting a 50,000 stadium and potentially the support to fill it, surely Ellis Short will be looking for a leader who is taking over for the good of the club instead of using them as a stepping stone? All will indeed become clear within a ten-day period.
What’s most important for the new man whoever it may be, will be the chance to bring in some of his own signings in the January transfer window. It will be of utmost importance that Sunderland don’t get suckered into some panic buys such as Gerard Houllier’s “Bent Transfer” of last January. Sunderland travel to Molineux to take on Wolves for the late kick off on Sunday in what will be an early season six pointer which will be shown live on Sky tv.
Football Orphan: Chelsea still singing the Blues.
Chelsea now face an anxious do or die game against Valencia to save an otherwise dismal season. Last night’s poor showing at home to Liverpool in the Carling Cup gave AVB no relief whatsoever. The Portuguese rested some first team players while freshening up his team with some much needed youth. Still no dice. Chelsea were pedestrian at best. When the game was scoreless, Liverpool were even able to afford a missed penalty in the first half by Andy Carroll. When Chelsea finally went one down, it looked as though a difibrillator wouldn’t have resuscitated the west London club. I have staunchly defended the Chelsea manager while things have been less than favourable for him, but it’s hard to see how he can turn it around now.
I can only see one winner coming from the showdown with Valencia at the Bridge next week, followed by a less than favourable reference and his P45 being dispensed. Where on earth do Chelsea go from there you may ask? Guus Hiddink? Jose Mourinho? In short the answer is simply, no. When a club is desperate for success, the owner is insistent on “Sexy football”. The answer is so glaringly obvious that it could be easily missed. The man most capable of turning Chelsea’s fortunes around is Harry Redknapp. Not only will he anglicise the club and return a decent spine to the team, he is a master of the “Reversal of fortune”. He also has the invaluable experience of Champions League football with Tottenham. The only obstacle that will stand in the way of the man who refuses to be tagged a “Wheeler Dealer” is the upcoming opportunity to be the England national coach when Fabio Capello vacates the position after next summer’s Euro’s.
IF Roman Abramovich is sharpening the axe, he may just be about to able to hijack the move before the FA can get out of the blocks for negotiations. In my humble opinion, this may be potentially the best appointment the Russian will have ever made at the club. I know Mr Abramovich is an avid reader of footballorphan.com so I hope I am not directly held responsible for the heaping of pressure on AVB. I genuinely wish him a lucky break or two, and would love him to turn things around, but from where I’m standing it looks like we are fast approaching the point of no return.
Football Orphan: Time to take things seriously in the Carling Cup?
Tonights Carling Cup ties throw up an unusual conundrum for the top teams involved. Liverpool take on Chelsea, while Manchester City will take on Arsenal. Given that it’s at the quarter-final stage do all managers in charge just go for it with a full team selection? Or do they take the conservative route and plot for greater things in the Premier League. The coach in the most difficult position must be AVB given his teams dismal recent run. In effect, if it goes badly wrong for his team tonight, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility it could be his last game at the helm.
Arsene Wenger and Kenny Dalglish are under a softer kind of pressure. Regardless of the sticky patches they encounter, they will always have the backing of the supporters. It is impossible to think of a difficult scenario emerging from either exiting the Carling Cup at this stage, even with the heartbreak suffered by the Gunners in this competition last season at the final hurdle.
Roberto Mancini faces a perplexing decision though, it is abundantly clear that the Premier League is top priority, but facing elimination from the Champions League might turn the Carling Cup into a realistic chance at a domestic double. It can also represent a clubs over ambition with the failure to claim any trophies given the quantity of games, as has happened to other teams in the past.
We must have a winner from each tie this evening, including extra time and penalties if necessary. It appears to be down to the players selected to seize the opportunity rather than the coaches selection in my opinion. If a coach waters down the team to give peripheral players a game, it can simply become a question of a player trying to catch his managers eye, or a player not caring too much on a cold winters night competing in the League Cup. I am a traditionalist, I love to see a cup game with no expectations, this is exactly what this tournament offers. In essence, if you are a betting person these games are virtually unbackable. I say, let the lottery begin…..
Football Orphan: Football mourns Gary Speed.
On Sunday afternoon I was walking off chatting to the referee after the final whistle of the local game I was covering for a newspaper, when a man approached us to tell us of the death of Gary Speed. At first I thought this was a person who he had in common with the referee. He then confirmed it was the Wales national manager. At only 42 years of age with so much to live for, his death is tragic. Further news would unfold later in the afternoon. This is what stopped me in my tracks. Without being to specific, most of the men I know have had enough things to worry about, and deal with. I’m certain that all who will read this will know someone who has needed, or will need a friendly face to confide in at some point.
For whatever reason, us men are not good at sharing our worries and problems. We all have something to get off our chest from time to time. Hopefully plenty of men will read this article and will think “Well thank goodness I don’t have much to worry about”. Thank goodness indeed, but a time will certainly come, when all of us have something to deal with, and it is vital that issues are shared. This activity is mostly looked upon as “The soft way out” for a lot of people, or it compromises a person’s character, if it’s not dealt with internally. Absolute rubbish. It’s a foolish mind-set that will result in the issues manifesting and resurfacing at a point further down the road.
In these troubled times when we all wish that we could be a little more comfortable in life in one way or another, it appeared that Gary Speed was an ambitious man with a tremendous playing career behind him and a bright future as a coach to come. For all football supporters he was someone to admire and look up to. I saw all of his playing career unfold as I grew up, but can’t remember a single opposing supporter having anything negative to say about a guy who was the perfect example of a professional footballer. It is only now that we know that something as simple as someone to talk to for a while, could have saved his life.
I implore any men out there who think they can solve their own problems by keeping things to themselves, you are WRONG. I personally know this for a number of reasons. It is not soft, weak or feminine to discuss your problems however trivial with someone. It is how we overcome obstacles. A problem shared IS a problem halved. Whether it’s depression, or something as simple as just being in someone’s company to brighten a friend’s spirits, it is enough to ease a person’s burden. If you are lucky enough to have avoided any kind of darkness in your life, you can guarantee someone you know, or are even quite close to has, or will need a confidant.
Sunday afternoon will remain a black day in the history of British football. The passing of Gary Speed, a Premier League legend, has shocked and upset people inside and out of football. He was a tough but fair player. He was a mentor to many young players and will be remembered in the highest regard by all football fans. Football will pay its respects to him for a long time to come. I am certain the first man to reach 500 Premier League appearances will be held in the highest esteem for generations to come. I like many, hope that the Premier League will mark his passing with a gesture that will be fitting of his fine career and achievements in football.
Gary Speed Rip.
Football Orphan: The pressure is building in the Premier League…
This weekends Premier League fixtures throw up a few intriguing match up’s. The centre piece of the action will be served up at Anfield, where Manchester City take on Liverpool. City will be fresh from their midweek disappointment in Naples, and will be either a “wounded animal” or wallowing in self-pity come Sunday afternoon. Dalglish’s men on the other hand will be buzzing after a fine performance at Stamford Bridge to send Roman Abramovich scampering for the location of AVB’s P45, just in case. The league leaders have only dropped 2 points so far this season and the law of averages will favour City dropping more points in the coming games. I don’t see City taking all the shares from Merseyside in the circumstances, I’ll stick my neck out and say that Liverpool will enjoy upsetting another one of the big boys and end Mancini’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Fresh from losing their own unbeaten record, Newcastle face a daunting trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. If United fail to overcome the Geordies, serious questions will be asked of Fergie’s men having leaked so many goals this season, whilst stuttering their way through their Champions League campaign. Alan Pardew has been a revelation in the North East this season so much so that, in sections of the english media he has been touted as a possible successor to Fabio Cappello. For me, this smacks of flavour of the month in a similar vein to when Steve Mcclaren was appointed. It would be impossible to see a defeat for United at home, in fact Ferguson’s team are at their most dangerous when they’ve had a shaky result such as the calamity of the 2-2 against Benfica on Wednesday. I’ll plump for a comfortable home win on this one.
At the other end of the table I fear for certain clubs this weekend as we might see one or two being cut adrift so early in the season. In previous years we’ve witnessed the likes of Sunderland, Derby County stare relegation in the face from the starters’ pistol. This time around I believe it’s Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers who will entertain this notion untill the last whistle of the season. Both will in my opinion be on the other end of an away day hiding as both Stoke and Sunderland are certain to steady the ship after a little early season turbulence.
Other games don’t look so clear-cut, so gamblers beware of the likes of Swansea entertaining Villa, Everton at the Reebok to face Bolton, Norwich at home to QPR and Champions League chasing Tottenham away to West Brom. If the majority of these games don’t end in stalemate, they’ll only be won by the odd goal. Last but not least, the late kick off on Saturday see’s a Fulham team lacking any sort of continuity, travel to the Emirates to attempt to upset Arsenal. This is potentially the trickiest fixture of the weekend to call. While Wenger’s men have qualified for the knock out stages of the Champions League with a game to spare, Fulham tend to blow a little hot and cold against The Gunners. Arsenal supporters will be hoping that this the former of the two come Saturday evening.
Football Orphan: Barcelona triumph over Milan in heavyweight clash at San Siro.
Image courtesy of bleacherreport.com
The game that stood out like a flashing beacon in last night’s Champions League clashes was AC Milan v Barcelona. Both clubs had already qualified for the knock out stages. With only top spot to fight for, one could have been forgiven for dismissing this one as just another game, and turned over to one of the other matches. This quite frankly would have been a mistake. This was a most enjoyable, no holds barred, win at all costs for both teams match. A Van Bommel own goal set Barcelona on their way before Ibrahimovic leveled things up. Lionel Messi had to bizarrely retake a penalty after he came to a complete stop, as he progressed towards the ball. The retaken penalty inevitably sent the Catalans into a two one lead. Kevin Prince Boateng scored a delightful equalizer which will leave his former clubs Tottenham and Portsmouth scratching their heads, having never witnessed such finesse when the Ghanaian was employed in England.
The final goal always looked as if it would come from Guardiola’s side. Just past the hour mark it was Xavi who provided it. Some slick passing resulted in an inch perfect through ball which the Barcelona vice captain despatched with more pin point accuracy. The 3-2 success means that Barca have now won the group stage of the competition for a record tenth time, which was set by Real Madrid just 24 hours earlier, when they beat Dynamo Zagreb 6-2 to top their group. The usual quotes will be rolled out about Milan being too old, but the performance was one which pushed the current Champions League Champions all the way, in a game they quite obviously were all out to win. There’s no doubt that this is a terrific generation for Barcelona, but as Milan showed last night, they won’t have it all their own way.
Football Orphan: Manchester clubs struggle in CL Matchday 5
Image courtesy of mirrorfootball.co.uk
Manchester United and Manchester City were left stunned last night as both dropped vital points with their Champions League group campaigns now going down to the final game. United are in a fairly straight forward position of having to go to Basel needing a point to progress having struggled to earn a 2-2 draw with Benfica at Old Trafford. If they fail to pick up the point required in Switzerland United will surely look back to Basel’s superb result in Manchester as the killer blow. Basel are a point behind United, but will go into the game full of confidence as they’ve gone from strength to strength in the group, and are within 90 minutes from the Knock out stages.
City are in a torturous position of needing to beat Bayern Munich at the Etihad, while hoping that Villarreal, who are currently pointless in the group can do them a favour against Napoli at the Madrigal. City looked anything but the world beaters we’ve grown accustomed to in the Premier League, as they shipped two sloppy goals due to poor marking. Edinson Cavani punished Roberto Mancini‘s men severely, making no mistake from close range on both occasions.
Should both Manchester clubs be eliminated from the competition only to drop into the Europa League, it could well provide a logistical nightmare not only for television broadcasters, but it could also stretch the resources of the Manchester police, having both clubs vying for the same trophies on the same days. The likes of Sky Sports and ESPN would also prefer to have the option of having either Saturday or Sunday games to choose from instead of instead of having their hands tied when it comes to scheduling. Roberto Mancini has confessed that the odds are against his City side making the knock out stages of this seasons Champions League, while Alex Ferguson remains confident that his team will be in the draw for the business end of the tournament.
Football Orphan: City desperate to prove their worth in Europe.
Sergio Aguero scores a late winner against Villarreal at the Etihad.
Manchester City face what looks to be a daunting trip to the San Paulo stadium to face Napoli later this evening. City could qualify for the knock out stages with a win, or conversely if it goes wrong the result could plunge their champions league campaign into serious doubt with Bayern to face in the final group game. If City continue the marvelous form they dazzled us with in the Premier League they should have little difficulty casting Napoli aside. On the other hand, should they carry any nerves into one the most spectacular stadiums in world football, tonight’s game has the potential to be the stuff of nightmares.
I believe it’s games like this that players such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Mario Balotelli were signed to shine in. While Edin Dzeko may get the nod over Balotelli, I can’t help having a certain amount of sentimentality in hoping the Italian gets a starring role his form deserves in his homeland. Napoli may be living the dream as they continue a golden period in their history, this is a decisive stepping stone along the way of Sheik Mansour’s lavishly expensive project at Manchester City.
It seems almost absurd to think that since Roberto Mancini‘s employment began at City, he continued to have his doubters. Such is the huge swing in the consensus, fans and pundits alike believe it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Manchester City could win both the Premier League title, and the Champions League in what would prove to be a momentous season for the blue half of Manchester. If a double winning season is to be City’s fate, tonight’s game will go a long way to revealing the temperament of the most richly assembled squad ever in English, if not world football.
Football Orphan: The New Invincibles?
Lee Clark is well on his way to becoming a top manager.
Last weekends action saw vital wins for Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal as they are desperately trying to keep the red-hot pace at the top of the Premier League. Blackburn, Wigan and Sunderland, and Fulham all threading water at the other end, picked up heartening points also. None of the above even came even close to the relief, delight and deserved celebration of Huddersfield Town as they beat Notts County 2-1 to surpass Nottingham Forest’s 42 game unbeaten run. The record remained untouched until the 2004 as “Arsenal Invincibles” claimed it for themselves, until they were toppled at the 49 game mark by bitter rivals Manchester United.
Ironically the man who stopped Forest’s unbeaten charge was the man currently assisting Huddersfield manager Lee Clark, Terry McDermott. Liverpool overcame Brian Clough’s men 2-0 at Anfield. Given that the Lee Clark’s team’s exceptional 43 game unbeaten run stretches over two seasons, taking in the bitter disappointment of play off heart-break is phenomenal. Manager Lee Clark who himself had two spells at hometown club Newcastle United where he worked under the tutelage of assistant McDermott, has produced a squad of players the envy of all of League 1 and most of the Championship.
Players such as Jordan Rhodes who gained his first international cap for Scotland last week has had scouts clambering over each other for a peek. Rhodes currently on a white-hot goal scoring streak for club and country, is certainly capable of mixing it at a higher level. The question is, who will be first to show their hand with an offer? It’s only a matter of time before the sharks start circling the water for the Huddersfield manager as the “Sack race” has yet to really gain any momentum. I hope for the sake of this small South Yorkshire club, who once won the old First Division title three times in a row, they can hold onto their prized assets for long enough succeed in promotion this season where they failed last campaign.
Football Orphan: Premier League review. Will the real Fernando Torres please stand up?
Which Torres will we see on Sunday? The unhappy Liverpool one, or the miserable Chelsea one?
The most obvious fixture of the weekend can only be the visit of Liverpool to Stamford Bridge. While Chelsea are not without their troubles, Liverpool are carrying a rather expensive Geordie at the moment. This coupled with the Luis Suarez racism case will eventually weigh down on the team very heavily, and could halt any progression in a pivotal season. While the Sky cameras are delighted to drink up the action in east london, for me the one to look out for is at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City take on an unbeaten Newcastle United. Now that the international football is taken care of, the honeymoon stage of the season is over. One, or both of these teams will wake up on Sunday with a slight hangover having dropped vital points, although clearly a point would suffice for Newcastle.
Arsenal face a tricky trip to Carrow Road in attempt to continue their recent good form. While Arsene Wenger has no new major injuries to concern him, this game will be far from being a pushover against a plucky Norwich team. At the other end, an early season six pointer between Wigan and Blackburn at the DW stadium should offer us some good old-fashioned Premier League drama. Unsackable Steve Kean will be his usual bulletproof self, regardless of the result. He always somehow manages to piece together a determined post match interview to paper over the cracks.
The almost forgotten Monday night slot goes to White hart Lane, as Spurs take on an unispiring Aston Villa. Spurs will hope to make another stride towards Champions league qualification, while Villa will surely be content with slipping under the radar to secure safety this season. Champions Manchester United face a straight forward trip to Swansea and West Brom host a struggling Bolton. The games likely to be squeezed in towards the end of Match of the day are Wolves trip to Everton, Stoke against QPR and Fulham’s excursion to the Stadium of Light to face an under pressure Sunderland.
Football Orphan will return on Monday to round-up the highlights of the weekends action.
Enjoy your weekend!
Football Orphan: Blatter would rather listen to his Ipod, than any sensible suggestions.
Blater would rather listen to his Ipod, than any sensible suggestions.
Well, well, well. Septic Blatter is at it again. He believes that there is no racism in football. There’s also no homophobia either I suppose Sepp? This is the man who told homosexual people to just avoid, or else sneak to the World Cup in Qatar given that it is illegal there. When asked about the ladies game he once responded that it’s a little boring, they should wear tighter kits. Just a quick reminder, this is the man at the very top of football. There is no more senior person than him.
Other sports must either cringe or crack up laughing at the ridiculous nature of the governing body of football. It just goes from one embarrassing calamity to the next. Where will it all end? Most national football associations have one problem or another with the way things are run at the very top. I’m sure all of you reading this will be thinking of an example. In my opinion there many ways to disolve this horrendous regime. The most ghastly solution would be for all heavyweights involved in FIFA , England, Germany, Spain, Italy and Brasil etc, to form a breakaway and reform all the obvious rules that require it. A little less extreme, call a union meeting a threaten a strike until the man at the top who is incapable of continuing his position steps down.
Today, Gordon Taylor the head of the PFA, has called for Blatter to offer his resignation. Only those bold enough to stand up for what they believe is correct will do the same. This is a sport that we love, I personally have been completely in love with football for over twenty-five years. There is nothing more evident after these recent preposterous statements by Blatter, is that football desperately needs to be cleaned up and have pride restored by someone truly capable of nurturing it back to full health.
Football Orphan: A-viva la vida, Ireland secure qualification for Euro 2012.
Who the man? You the man!
After all of the complaints, the whining, and the downright disenchantment of the tactics deployed by Giovanni Trapattoni we finally made it to the finals of a major tournament. I am just as guilty as anybody else for any negative comments directed at the supremely experienced Italian coach. The simple fact of the matter is that, it is nigh on impossible for a nation like ours to qualify for these tournaments and the wily old fox pulled it off. He may have had luck on his side at times, he may even have pulled a rabbit out of the hat once or twice. The ultimate crowning glory that he has brought to the team is solidity and consistency.
Throughout both qualifying campaigns we always looked, for the most part pretty comfortable. Even if it was backs to the wall at times, we had discipline and a team togetherness that was not always evident under other Ireland managers. Trapattoni quite obviously inherited a complete shambles from the previous regime led by Steve Staunton. What he moulded with our squad is miraculous. This achievement in my opinion should never be underestimated.
The Italian is never shy to make a decision or two with regard to discipline as Andy Reid found out. I have no sympathy for Andy Reid and his exclusion. When we all heard tales of late night drinking at major tournaments previously, most thought it should have been dealt with. It really made us look like amateurs among professionals. This where I believe he bound his players together. To be a professional footballer is a privilege, any fool can go on the lash down the pub. When a coach gives players black and white rules and guidelines coupled with his trust, the entire squad give everything for their leader. James McCarthy was cold shouldered for a little while too, for a misdemeanor. . James McCarthy’s error will be forgiven once, any more “No shows” and I feel his International career is over before it gets started.
There will be more casualties in the group before the final selection is made for the finals in the summer. I wouldn’t expect any sentiment from Trapattoni. His CV is jam-packed with success from wherever he’s worked, and you don’t earn success through sentiment. The team will hardly deviate from what we’ve already seen, with the exception of injuries and suspensions. It will be interesting to see how well we pit our wits against the cream of European football having never had an experienced coach of his calibre guiding us through a tournament. We will be a minnow amongst some heavyweights, therefore we won’t be expected to be the offensive team. That will suit our coaching staff nicely. Dare I said it….. We may have reason to be optimistic going into a major tournament…..
Friday December the 2nd is the next date to mark in your diary. The draw will take place with Ireland in pot 4. Meaning we are unable to draw France, Czech Republic and Denmark. I personally have a sneaky feeling that we may either draw Italy, with some extra spice for the manager, or the old foe across the water, England. This is potentially a nightmare waiting to happen for the English. While getting to the finals is a victory for us, failure leads to humiliation for them. Being drawn against bigger teams has always worked out a little better for England in the past, with two Italian coaches and neighbouring countries it would be the ultimate international derby game.
Pele: The most famous player in the world, definitely not the greatest?
Image courtesy of uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
It was very interesting to read some quotes yesterday that Pele doesn’t believe Lionel Messi is the greatest ever player. The Brazilian who is ranked up there as the best ever, claims the Argentine is nowhere near as good as himself….. Maradona was also overrated in his opinion. I DID check the date of the newspaper and it was dated as Monday the 14th and not April the 1st. In his defence, he did champion the likes of Cruyff and Zidane as his favourites, but I’m still not buying this self promotion that the Brazilian insists upon. By dismissing what is widely regarded as, at very least, his equals out of hand, it only leaves one player left to consider. Pele.
Is this clever or bitter? His whiter than white image projects him as the favourite of the masses, but having never played at the top-level over a long season in Europe, this leaves a major blot in his copybook. When his “expert ” eye watches over the likes Messi and Maradona he is fiercely critical of them. These are players who have reached the very top of their profession in the most competitive leagues in the world. Pele stayed in Brasil until an offer he could not refuse in the USA was on the table.
I find it more than a little odd that his misguided judgement doesn’t even consider legends such as Di Stefano or Puskas. These recent comments are of little surprise to me, as I’ve read such similar tripe from the three times world champion. Isn’t it about time that we stop wheeling out the same old rubbish from great ex players promoting a product? Ah, and there lies the answer. A little Controversy to sell a product perhaps? Either way, in my opinion the self-proclaimed “best player in the world……. ever” is lagging behind both Maradona and Messi. I still struggle with the order of the top two though.
Football Orphan at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
What better way to cure the Vicente Calderon hangover than to dust myself off, and make my way to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu at lunchtime the very next day. On a gloriously sunny day in Madrid, I emerged from the Metro station very aptly named, Santiago Bernabeu, only to be greeted with a fairly busy intersection. This however couldn’t distract me from the all too important first glance, as this monumental colossus of a building that presented itself in impeccable style. I have visited some very impressive stadia previously but I had an inkling that this was going to stand out a little more than the others. The first point of note was the panoramic view from the seats over seventy meters above pitch level. This truly was the first time I was left open-mouthed as I stood motionless, memorised at what lay before me.
A tsunami of information surged through my conscious all at once. This was the arena where the home fans had apparently given Ronaldinho a standing ovation when Barcelona humbled Los Blancos a few years before, Marco Tardelli scored the final goal in the 1982 World Cup Final and infamously exploded with emotion as the enormity of the goal was realised, THIS is where greats such as Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo (The Real One) Butragueno, Puskas, Di Stefano all became legends for the mighty Real Madrid. It was like nothing I have ever encountered before when visiting stadia. I can remember watching television and seeing Hugo Sanchez reeling away to a corner flag flinging himself into a summer salt, or in later years Zidane orchestrate games with such grace, but the cameras never quite revealed the grandeur of the stage that they performed on.
As I walked through the museum absorbing the club history I found it was easy to understand why any player would gravitate to an institution such as Real Madrid. It all seemed so romantic in the most ideal football terms when I was abruptly reminded of the reality of the situation, I was asked to pose with an imaginary figure of a “Current Madrid Legend” and told if I so wished I could purchase the photo on my way out. I was then asked to pose for two photos with the Champions League trophy, with the same financial repercussions. While I had no problem parting with the entrance fee this was a little bit of a sobering moment in an otherwise memorable experience.
It would not be an exaggeration to suggest an entire day to take in this enormous piece of football history. The trophy cabinet alone is staggering, then on to the display of shirts worn by opposing players who have graced the stadium. Personally, I found it intriguing to visit the press room and get up close to pitch side and slide into a seat on the bench. The view from the president’s executive area is what every football fans dreams of when he or she purchases a ticket for a game for any football ground.
As I spilled out of the almost self guided tour through this famous stadium I felt inspired to learn of a club’s once humble beginnings only to conquer all. This is the football club in which to measure your own club on the world stage. Success is attained in many ways throughout the football fraternity, I had just witnessed the most productive football club of them all. If Donald Trump and Don King got together to found a football club, it would be Real Madrid. Just for good measure, the tour spat me out in an enormous Real Madrid megastore.
Football Orphan at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
Good morning folks, it’s great to be back again! Fresh from a week-long break in Madrid with not one, but two major european stadia visited and checked off the list. First up came the visit to the Vicente Calderon to see Atletico Madrid take on Real Zaragoza. As per usual when visiting a stadium for the first time, I went pretty close by public transport then just followed the home fans the rest of the way. On approach to the stadium, having exited the Piramides Metro station, just before that first glimpse of the stadium, it was almost impossible to disguise the childlike excitement bubbling under the surface. The prospect of seeing my first La Liga game in person, was within touching distance. Before I knew it, there it was in all of its glory, Estadio Vicente Calderon. Possibly the most modest stadium facade I have encountered in all of my travels.
Having evaded almost all of the street vendors, most of which are selling the traditional in-game snack, sunflower seeds, I realised that all modesty was kept for the perimeter of the stadium. Once inside Vicente Calderon, it becomes grossly apparent that this is a club of major stature, only second in the Spanish capital to arguably the world’s most supported teams. In a season in which Atletico have struggled to match expectation, it was no surprise to find the stadium at little less than capacity. This mattered not to the home supporters in attendance as they sang, chanted and cajoled at every given opportunity. Even the ladies present, of all ages I might add, weren’t shy about expressing their emotions and “pointed” words.
The game itself was highly technical, possibly one of the most technical I have ever attended. There was no room for complacency as a strictly disciplined Real Zaragoza were stretched by a probing Atleti team short on confidence. When the home side took the lead on 19 minutes with a magnificent header from Adrian after a superb cross on the right-wing all nerves were extinguished. The lead was further stretched when shambolic marking was punished by Dominguez as he headed home from close range on 31 minutes. As the game looked totally out of Zaragoza’s reach, they were finally put to bed by a superb move with 15 minutes left, as Adrian scored his second as his effort cannoned in off the crossbar. Former Tottenham striker Helder Postiga pulled one back for Zaragoza just minutes later, but it was never going to be anything other than a consolation goal.
As the final whistle brought the game to a close and the Atletico fans disappeared into the night, I couldn’t resist staying behind to drink in this wonderful stadium for a while longer. With the Olympic stadium due to house Atletico Madrid in a couple of seasons, this was my only chance to take in this good old-fashioned “Don’t make ’em like this anymore” stadium. Many great players have passed over the immaculate Vicente Calderon pitch over the years, for me it was a great honour and privilege to witness a game in such a tremendous environment for football. As I made my way through the thousands of discarded sunflower seed shells and out into the night, I realised that as much as I love my own club, I will have a sneaky look at the results with the hope that this great club will begin to prosper once again.
Football Orphan: United delighted to claim hollow victory.
Photo courtesy of independent.co.uk
After last nights victory over Aldershot Alex Ferguson spoke of his delight of the goal scoring ratio of Michael Owen and his pleasure of seeing Dimitar Berbatov score. Am I possibly missing something here? Berbatov, who cost the club close to £30 million scores against Aldershot, and this is what pleases Ferguson? He doesn’t trust either Michael Owen or Dimitar Berbatov to put them anywhere near the first team squad but when they play against lower league and destroy them, he has high praise for them. His comments about Owen were laughable, “Every time he plays, he scores”. He has only played against lower league opposition this season. This is a player who is still only 31 and has 89 caps for England scoring 40 goals. Last night’s exploits were hardly worth a pat on the back in my opinion. As for Berbatov, this type of thing should be a little more embarrassing given the transfer fee that he commanded from Spurs just a few seasons ago. Ferguson’s comments are little more than propaganda to massage these players egos.
Alex Ferguson could be forgiven for being shell-shocked at the result suffered at Old Trafford on Sunday, but the post match interview could have had a little more humility about it. It closely resembled the school yard game with kids who pick fair teams when some older lads come along (Vidic, Valencia, Park, Owen and Berbatov) and one team claims all of them. Once the inevitable result has been established, the winning team has the audacity to puff their chest out and boast about the victory. There has been more than enough written about the wrong turn in both Owen and Berbatov’s career, but I personally just can’t understand the mentality of players sitting out top games and collecting medals by defacto victory. When they look back on their career, I’m sure they’ll both have stout bank balances to justify the gaps in suffered in vital game time.
Football Orphan 