My previous article was hoping and preying for a great World Cup, lamenting the previous few tournaments and possibly an event in decline, a victim of global football media overkill.
Fear not, Brazil '14 to the rescue.
The first couple of weeks have provided a wonderful, heady mix of stylish attacking verve, established nations going out and no shortage of drama.
There have been a myriad of subplots, Brazil's nervous progress, Messi's magic, some wonderful South and Central American performances and some lamentable European ones.
So who looks like a likely winner?
Brazil the hosts were the first team in to the quarter finals but they look fragile. The defence is full of attacking panache but lacks solidity, Thiago Silva apart.
The midfield lacks energy although Fernandinho looked an improvement on Paulinho. My own Chelsea's Oscar looks a prime culprit for Brazil's toils however given the continuation of his listless recent club form. His place must come into question.
Brazil also have problems at centre forward with neither Fred nor Jo of the required calibre. Possibly pushing Neymar further forwards and bringing Willian in to the team would give Brazil more urgency and movement. It is time for Scolari to earn his salary.
Argentina, similarly look short of balance within their team. Lionel Messi has however shown up and how. Should he continue in this vein, echoes of Maradona and '86 will come to the fore. Could he drag them to the title almost single handed?
With the hugely attractive Chile and Uruguay now out of the tournament, South America's other great hope remains Colombia. They will certainly fancy their chances against Brazil and whilst they remain an outsider, they are certainly part of the discussion, especially if they go on to knockout the hosts.
The European challenge has proven very lopsided. Belgium and France have progressed unmolested but only really Holland and Germany have impressed in any great way.
For the Dutch, Arjen Robben is rivalling Neymar and Messi for individual feats and the Oranje will be preying he keeps his fragile body fit.
Germany possibly look the most complete team with strength in depth and quality in all departments.
Thomas Mueller is having a fine tournament and with the likes of Goetze and Kroos around to unlock defences, they are a major force. Khedira and the returning Schweinsteiger add solidity in front of the back four.
There was much talk of Belgium before the tournament and it is hard to gauge them properly so far as their group was so benign. Tough tests away this promising side with the acid test of a potential quarter final against Argentina should they progress.
The big disappointments so far.
Spain's instant and lamentable exit was the first big story of the tournament. Reminiscent of France's defence in '02, Spain crashed out after losing their first two games to admittedly good opposition in Holland and Chile.
For several players, Casillas, Xavi and even possibly Andres Iniesta, it looked a tournament too far. The team lacked energy, cohesion and ideas and with far too many individual mistakes.
Whilst this current 'tiki taka' generation has come to an end, Spain should not panic. The likes of Thiago Alcantara and Isco still offer a bright future for the deposed World Champions.
Italy's problems look possibly a little deeper as they exited the World Cup at the group stage for the second successive time. Whilst they reached the final of the last Euros, the mantra that 'Italy always find a way' seems to now be yet another stereotype.
For England, the reality is that other than through history, population size and the strength of the Premiership, they are no longer a world football power. Their problems are deep rooted in the youth system and the lack of numbers of top quality coaches at that level.
Their players lack the ability to compete technically at this level nowadays with the likes of Costa Rica looking far more comfortable with the ball at their feet. Throw in basic issues like an inability to defend simple high balls and it is a sorry tale.
It is too easy to simply blame the Premiership (yes it doesn't help) as the reality is that the majority of teenage players that are reaching the professional clubs are already not good enough.
Major changes are required are they to regain their place at the top table. Raheem Sterling was a single bright light but unless the issue of coaching at youth level in the UK is addressed then the status quo will remain.
Whilst we are talking about the negatives it is probably appropriate to mention the biggest individual story, that of Luis Suarez's actions and his subsequent ban.
The media in the UK has deemed his punishment appropriate or even lenient. There is clearly no place for biting in any walk of life and given that he is a serial offender then it is correct to throw the proverbial book at him.
However, having spoken to some South American friends who have a keen interest in football, it is clear that the incident is viewed very differently there and their opinion is not without merit.
In 1994, Mauro Tassotti broke Luis Enrique's nose, causing him to lose a pint of blood with a wildly violent elbow to the face. He was banned for eight games.
Now whilst Suarez as mentioned is a repeat offender, his vampire like actions result in little more than flesh wounds. It is quite simply 'weird' rather than especially violent or likely to result in serious injury.
Roy Keane admitted (in his book) to pre meditatively ending Alf Inge Halaand's career with a horrendous tackle. He received a three match ban for ending the career of a fellow professional.
Now whilst not excusing any crime on the basis that 'somebody else did something worse', it does seem that Suarez has received a punishment inconsistent with other players.
I personally don't like Luis Suarez (fine player that he is) and find his behaviour distasteful but this is a person with clear problems, someone who reverts to a pattern of behaviour during times of stress. Whether it is a childhood trauma that emerges or something else, only a professional could help.
Surely the offer of a reduced ban (possibly two months) in return for him entering some kind of counselling or therapy to modify his behaviour would have been a better and more humane solution.
It's a decision that will polarise opinion. There is clearly no place in football for biting but then surely we should be just as harsh on other acts of violence that do far more to threaten the careers of other players. The debate will rumble on, Suarez will sit things out in Montevideo.
Goals, goals, goals.
Back to the happier stuff and it's been a tournament for goals and some very good ones. Arjen Robben and Van Persie have provided some crackers. Lionel Messi has provided a one man video montage but for me, the best came from Tim Cahill with a sublime volley to reel the Dutch back in temporarily.
Messi's injury time winner against Iran for me encapsulated everything that the World Cup should represent.
A wonderful performance from an underdog against one of the tournament favourites, indeed for much of the second half, Iran looked the better team.
And then, in injury time, one of the all time great players stands up to be counted cutting inside and bending a winner into the corner, queue wild celebrations from the massed Argentine fans and despair from the Iranian contingent, it's the kind of drama that only a World Cup can truly provide.
Sitting here in Singapore, one point that should be addressed is the apparent lack of progress from the Asian nations. Both South Korea and Japan had in previous tournaments looked well poised to raise the bar for the Asian associations but their challenges have faltered badly at the first hurdle.
There is much to consider as to the reasons for this and how Asia harnesses the incredible passion and numbers that it possesses for the game.
At the time of writing, we have seen Brazil and Colombia progress and there is little doubt that we are now at the sharp end of the tournament.
The goals and free flowing football may well dry up to an extent from here but the drama will not as the pressure and tension rises. Brazil and Chile's shoot out last night was almost unbearable and that was for a neutral.
Given that the matches could come down to the finest of margins, one must hope that the likes of Robben, Neymar and Messi can step up and really make this a tournament to remember.
As far as who is my most likely winner, I am probably more confused than I was at the start. Take your pick and sit back and enjoy what has so far been the best World Cup in years - No Nonsense.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
So who should I support at the World Cup?
As mentioned in my previous World Cup post and as will be glaringly obvious to all, Scotland shall not be there. So now the burning question, who do I support?
There is of course nothing wrong with being a good old fashioned neutral and just enjoying the show but that kinda reduces the fun for me, so it's time to assess the runners and riders and reasons for finding a back up horse
.
I guess as a Scot, it's polite to start with the English. I'm a Chelsea fan myself having lived most of my younger adult life in London. I've always had a soft spot for benign harmless teams such as Crystal Palace and in that respect that could be a good reason to go for the Auld Enemy this time around.
Jokes aside, unlike many Scots, I like to see England do well (except at rugby, Will Carling anyone?) and many of my best friends are English.
For once this time there is far less of a circus and sense of entitlement surrounding the team, they even have some fresh young players. Would I actually want them to win it? No, but they won't so they are worth consideration.
As a kid, I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time in France. Back then, Platini was in his pomp (as opposed to just pompous). Good French teams have always been easy on the eye and they've been through a fairly tough few years since Zizou's headbutt, worth a shout? Possibly.
For some reason, wonderful though they are I simply haven't connected with this great Spain team. There is no doubt that they are a fantastic side but I've grown a little bored of the whole 'tiki taka' and 'false 9' gig.
A fourth straight tournament win would be staggering and whilst I would hold them in great adulation for doing so, it would be with a nod and not a cheer.
Teams in blue have always held sway with me, Scotland, Chelsea, Glasgow Rangers, France as mentioned above which brings us to the Azzurri.
Italy of course won my favourite World Cup back in 1982. Whilst they don't always have a reputation for the most exciting football, they have provided wonderful drama in my life time with the likes of Rossi, Tardelli, Schillaci, Baggio and even Marco Materazzi.
Italy are limping at the moment, shorn of their captain through injury and drawing just this week with Luxembourg. When the chips are down, sometimes that's when they are at their best?
For the Brits, the Germans have always been the bogeyman for stereotypical and historical reasons. For the Scots however there was always the exception of when they played the English.
Regardless of (petty) historical differences, German football was also always hard to like as it was also just so ruthlessly efficient, a bit like why so many people prefer Ferrari to Porsche.
The Porsche is far less likely to break down at the side of the road or kill you by going sideways through a corner but somehow just leaves you a little cold. Where's the fun?
Well the answer is in the current German team which plays a far more expansive brand of football and for me were head and shoulders the best team to watch at the last World Cup.
The Germans have been the perennial bad guys who everyone loves to lose but is it maybe time to break the preconceptions and cheer on a team that is genuinely trying to play exciting football?
The Dutch have always been an attractive team. The combination of the famous Oranje shirt, the production line of fabulous players (seemingly without end) and the wonderful technical football they play makes them in many ways, the European footballing aristocrats.
This Dutch team however doesn't quite seem to be of that ilk so maybe we'll pass on the Oranje this time around.
Is there an African team worth pinning my hopes on? Both the Ivory Coast (complete with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba) and Nigeria are in groups that they could qualify from. Ghana and Cameroon's groups do look a little tougher to me.
The African nations rarely play negative football and can often surprise even if 2010 was a slight let down in that respect. Definitely worth a thought.
Lastly of course the hosts, complete with four (soon to be three) players from my club Chelsea. Brazil are of course the undisputed kings of the World Cup with no less than five in their trophy room.
A sixth at home would go a long way to healing some of the wounds this vast country has endured simply building the stadia and infastructure for this tournament.
This is not a vintage Brazilian team in the vein that so many of us wish for and in that respect much of the burden falls on the young shoulders of Neymar, how they pray he will outshine Messi.
He does of course have a tidy support cast with the likes of Willian, Dani Alves, Oscar, Thiago Silva and a wiley old fox at the helm in the shape of Scolari. If they get some momentum and the Maracana is bouncing, they could be tough to stop.
Of course, finding a team to support is not about who is necessarily most likely to win. As mentioned above, everyone loves an underdog story and we all want to see good football along the way. It is indeed a very tough call.
So maybe I'll just stay neutral after all.............. No Nonsense.
There is of course nothing wrong with being a good old fashioned neutral and just enjoying the show but that kinda reduces the fun for me, so it's time to assess the runners and riders and reasons for finding a back up horse
.
I guess as a Scot, it's polite to start with the English. I'm a Chelsea fan myself having lived most of my younger adult life in London. I've always had a soft spot for benign harmless teams such as Crystal Palace and in that respect that could be a good reason to go for the Auld Enemy this time around.
Jokes aside, unlike many Scots, I like to see England do well (except at rugby, Will Carling anyone?) and many of my best friends are English.
For once this time there is far less of a circus and sense of entitlement surrounding the team, they even have some fresh young players. Would I actually want them to win it? No, but they won't so they are worth consideration.
As a kid, I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time in France. Back then, Platini was in his pomp (as opposed to just pompous). Good French teams have always been easy on the eye and they've been through a fairly tough few years since Zizou's headbutt, worth a shout? Possibly.
For some reason, wonderful though they are I simply haven't connected with this great Spain team. There is no doubt that they are a fantastic side but I've grown a little bored of the whole 'tiki taka' and 'false 9' gig.
A fourth straight tournament win would be staggering and whilst I would hold them in great adulation for doing so, it would be with a nod and not a cheer.
Teams in blue have always held sway with me, Scotland, Chelsea, Glasgow Rangers, France as mentioned above which brings us to the Azzurri.
Italy of course won my favourite World Cup back in 1982. Whilst they don't always have a reputation for the most exciting football, they have provided wonderful drama in my life time with the likes of Rossi, Tardelli, Schillaci, Baggio and even Marco Materazzi.
Italy are limping at the moment, shorn of their captain through injury and drawing just this week with Luxembourg. When the chips are down, sometimes that's when they are at their best?
For the Brits, the Germans have always been the bogeyman for stereotypical and historical reasons. For the Scots however there was always the exception of when they played the English.
Regardless of (petty) historical differences, German football was also always hard to like as it was also just so ruthlessly efficient, a bit like why so many people prefer Ferrari to Porsche.
The Porsche is far less likely to break down at the side of the road or kill you by going sideways through a corner but somehow just leaves you a little cold. Where's the fun?
Well the answer is in the current German team which plays a far more expansive brand of football and for me were head and shoulders the best team to watch at the last World Cup.
The Germans have been the perennial bad guys who everyone loves to lose but is it maybe time to break the preconceptions and cheer on a team that is genuinely trying to play exciting football?
The Dutch have always been an attractive team. The combination of the famous Oranje shirt, the production line of fabulous players (seemingly without end) and the wonderful technical football they play makes them in many ways, the European footballing aristocrats.
This Dutch team however doesn't quite seem to be of that ilk so maybe we'll pass on the Oranje this time around.
Is there an African team worth pinning my hopes on? Both the Ivory Coast (complete with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba) and Nigeria are in groups that they could qualify from. Ghana and Cameroon's groups do look a little tougher to me.
The African nations rarely play negative football and can often surprise even if 2010 was a slight let down in that respect. Definitely worth a thought.
Lastly of course the hosts, complete with four (soon to be three) players from my club Chelsea. Brazil are of course the undisputed kings of the World Cup with no less than five in their trophy room.
A sixth at home would go a long way to healing some of the wounds this vast country has endured simply building the stadia and infastructure for this tournament.
This is not a vintage Brazilian team in the vein that so many of us wish for and in that respect much of the burden falls on the young shoulders of Neymar, how they pray he will outshine Messi.
He does of course have a tidy support cast with the likes of Willian, Dani Alves, Oscar, Thiago Silva and a wiley old fox at the helm in the shape of Scolari. If they get some momentum and the Maracana is bouncing, they could be tough to stop.
Of course, finding a team to support is not about who is necessarily most likely to win. As mentioned above, everyone loves an underdog story and we all want to see good football along the way. It is indeed a very tough call.
So maybe I'll just stay neutral after all.............. No Nonsense.
Monday, June 2, 2014
The World Cup - please be a good 'un......
For a Scotland supporter the requirements for a World Cup are pretty simple nowadays, a good tournament with great games and moments.
Now I'm probably already sounding like a grumpy old man. but for me the World Cup has been in decline as an event for a while now.
There are of course many things in life that change as you get older and your perception of things is a large part of that.
I do however feel that there are many other factors at play meaning that recently for me, the anticipation has been far better than the actual event.
My first dim memories of the World Cup were in 1978 where as a 5 year old I recalled my father and older cousin in some kind of paralysis of belief as Scotland were beaten by Peru - I can still recall the white strips with the red diagonal stripe on the TV.
I then had my most basic introduction to supporting Scotland, that of the concept of glorious defeat as everyone went barmy when Archie Gemmill scored one of the great World Cup goals to defeat the Dutch 3-2. It of course meant nothing and we went out.
1982 for me was the best World Cup of my lifetime but again, it may be something to do with your memories as a nine year old. Everything was magnified to such a huge degree.
In those days, unless you went along to matches - I was lucky enough to get taken often to see Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen team - you basically got two thirty minute sections of football highlights every weekend on TV and the occasional thirty minutes on a Wednesday night if I was allowed to stay up late.
The vast majority of my TV football was Scottish with a few snippets from England's Division 1 and very infrequent European games.
So when 1982 came along and Scotland were drawn to play Brazil, the names Socrates, Falcao, Zico, Eder, Junior, well you can imagine what that meant to a 9 year old football daft boy.
Scotland did their usual, got stuffed by Brazil, beat New Zealand and then bowed out with a credible draw with the USSR.
We cared not, Espana '82 looked wonderfully glamorous and there were still the Brazilians, Italy, the French (under the spell of Platini, Tigana and Giresse) and Argentina had some chap called Maradona who looked a bit handy. West Germany weren't half bad either and Poland even had Zbigniew Boniek.
The tournament threw up some fantastic games, the 3-2 Italy v Brazil remains for me the greatest match I have ever seen and the semi final between France and Germany was simply epic ending in French tears after being on the wrong end of both penalties and Harold Schumacher's assault on Patrick Battiston.
Marco Tardelli's celebration in the final after scoring will remain in the memories of all who saw it. A truely timeless World Cup moment that you can play over and over.
On to 1986 and back on a more parochial note, more Scottish failure, beaten by West Germany (Gordon Strachan couldn't even hurdle an advertising hoarding) and Denmark before drawing with Uruguay to send us on the first plane home yet again, ho hum.
But Mexico was of course another fine tournament which belonged simply to Diego Maradona who scored two of the greatest goals ever in the World Cup - both against England - and a not half bad effort against Belgium in the round that followed.
The quarter final between Brazil and France was another fine match ultimately decided on penalties but the tournament was ruled and won by Maradona who came the closest ever to turning a team sport into an individual one other than Sir Don Bradman - who had a far better support cast.
1990 was a pivotal year for me (if you'll indulge me for a moment) as at the age of 17 I left home, school and Scotland and moved to and started working in London.
That Summer was a slightly odd one in that respect and may be the reason I have such vivid memories, or maybe it's the fact that Scotland reached new lows by losing to Costa Rica, both left imprints on the character.
Anyone watching in Scotland will remember the TV presenters' expression as he turned to the pundits after we returned from the adverts post mach, it was priceless. Of course we then beat Sweden and then lost out to Brazil (yet again) and went home (yet again).
For me, other than the classic BBC intro sequence featuring Nessun Dorma (worth a look on youtube), Italia '90 was far from a classic tournament.
There was of course high drama with Gazza's tears and England's defeat on penalties to Germany in the semi final.
There were also moments of pure inspiration from Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci illuminated the tournament with both bulging nets and eyes.
Dragan Stojkovic enjoyed a wonderful cameo against Spain whilst Maradona tried to drag a less than great Argentina to another unlikely triumph. A poor final finished off a fairly mediocre tournament - at least for me.
Germany led by Lothar Matheus were worthy winners but they weren't a team that inspired me despite having many great players.
1994 saw me start off in very grumpy form. First of all, for the first time in 16 years, Scotland had failed to qualify and now as a fully fledged adult with a responsible job, the kick off times in the States were highly inconvenient, indeed downright inconsiderate.
Scotland were not the only footballing powerhouse not to be represented as both England and France also missed out.
It was however a marvelous tournament and was the story of some great mavericks starting with the greatest of them all yet again, Diego Maradona.
Enjoying a wonderful renaissance, Maradona seemed reborn and performed a goal celebration against the Greeks that would scare most young children.
Unfortunately it emerged that Diego was enjoying himself a little too much off the pitch and he was banned for drug use. He would sadly never grace another World Cup match.
On a more positive note, four other great individual performances lit up the tournament, those of Roberto Baggio, Hristo Stojkovic, Georghe Hagi and Romario.
Baggio took Italy nearly all the way with a series of excellent performances and five goals after the shock of losing to Ireland in their opening game and scraping through their group.
Stojkovic inspired Bulgaria through a wonderful tournament seeing off Germany in the process and Hagi marshaled a hugely attractive Romania team that played some glittering football. Their second round match against Argentina was a true World Cup epic.
Romario however stole the show with a wonderful goal scoring display as Brazil won the trophy for the first time in 24 years. It wasn't a vintage Brazil team but it had been a great tournament.
The final itself was dreadful as Italy and Brazil cancelled each other out. But as ever with World Cups they never fail to provide drama and one felt terribly for the great Franco Baresi (who had played despite having knee surgery during the tournament) and Baggio who both missed in the shoot out, one felt they both deserved better.
Brazil were worthy winners however even if we've had to sit through Bebeto's baby rocking celebration for the ensuing twenty years after the tournament. It was great the first time lads.......
France '98 was for me the last World Cup I can say I really enjoyed in a footballing sense. It had a wonderful French team which grew as the tournament went on. A rampant Brazil spearheaded by Ronaldo through the early rounds as well as strong challenges from fine Dutch and Argentina teams.
It was also the first World Cup I attended in person and indeed for the opening match as Scotland lost (yet again) to Brazil. We cared not and had a wonderful day and many beers in the Paris sunshine, life was certainly good that day.
We also drew with Norway before losing heavily to Morocco in what would prove to be our last match in a major final to date. (Yet again) on the first plane home, but at least this time we could take the train.
There were other great stories at '98 such as the supremely talented Croatia team of Suker, Prosinecki and Boban. Jamaica provided some light relief also in the early stages.
Argentina were on the receiving end of a World Cup wonder goal from Michael Owen before finally beating England on penalties in a yet another English night of high drama with David Beckham being sent off.
Dennis Bergkamp then bettered Michael Owen's effort in the next round against Argentina again with a goal of sheer artistry assisted by a wonderful Frank De Boer pass, it was classic stuff. They would eventually be unlucky to go out to Brazil.
France of course provided the perfect end in Paris as they swept to a 3-0 win in what was a hugely compelling yet ultimately anti climax of a final. The circumstances that led to Ronaldo sleep walking through the final are still not known but the game provided Zidane with his coronation.
From there, the World Cup has gone downhill for me. I had moved to Asia by the time Japan and Korea '02 came around so I was perfectly placed time wise to watch the matches, the stars should have been aligned.
It was fantastic to see the joy that a World Cup brought to countries and to a continent outside of Europe or South America for the first time. The only problem for me was that many of the big teams and players appeared as if they have stayed on their own continents.
South Korea as co hosts provided a huge story as they rode their luck to make the semi finals. Senegal also provided huge romance by beating France in the opening match and making the quarter finals before being knocked out by the other big story, that of Turkey who also made the semis.
But here was the rub, these great stories of giant slaying were not actually what I wanted to watch. I wanted to see Zidane, Figo, Batistuta, Totti and co at the peak of their powers. A tough European season appeared to have shorn the tournament of many of its' leading lights.
Brazil of course did show up and won the tournament with an irresistible forward line of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo. A hugely talented Michael Ballack had also arrived for Germany and they were the two best teams in a tournament that other than for pure shock value, failed to catch fire.
2006 remains fuzzy for me for some reason, maybe too many beers watching late night games is the reason but again many of the big teams and players flattered to deceive and despite it being one of the most recent, it remains one of the most distant in my memory.
Argentina had one astounding performance against Serbia and Montenegro, Germany looked hopeful and bright but not much else, Brazil were lousy (by their standards), the Dutch were out early and Portugal left you somehow unfulfilled even with the burgeoning talents of Cristiano Ronaldo.
So it was left to France and the old war horse of Italy to provide the eventual drama. The scene was of course set for Zinedine Zidane to bow out from football on the highest of highs as the 34 year old played his final game in another World Cup Final.
Marco Materazzi however had other plans for Zizou and the resulting headbutt from Zidane led to one of those live TV moments when you turn to the person next to you and ask 'did that just actually happen?'
Zidane was duly sent off, Italy won the shootout and the rest as they say is history. Somehow however that moment in some way didn't seem to diminish Zidane's legend and even made it greater.
And so to the last carnival of football and Africa's first with South Africa 2010 complete with vuvuzelas, a novelty that soon wore off for me but then again I wasn't there in person.
Italy provided the story of the opening round by being simply appalling and in the process allowing New Zealand to return home undefeated.
The eventual champions Spain lost in their opening match to Switzerland before gaining momentum and winning every match apart from their next against Honduras by the odd goal, the last four matches being won 1-0.
If Spain were efficient, then in a complete about turn, Germany were wonderful to watch as they swept away England and Argentina before falling to the metronomic men in red.
Again, in a complete change around, Holland who are usually Europe's answer to Brazil's style of play offered football of the most pragmatic nature.
Only the wonderfully talented Wesley Sneijder seemed to break the shackles as they made their way mundanely to the final disposing of another sub par Brazilian team on the way.
The tournament was light on romance with Messi managed by the dishevelled Maradona failing to shine.
Whilst Uruguay were a great underdog tale, Luis Suarez's handball against Ghana hardly endeared them to many neutrals.
It was a wonderful occasion for Africa and refreshing in that respect but it was hardly a World Cup to remember otherwise.
Right now I am currently experiencing my usual state of growing agitation and excitement as we grow near to the tournament. I will even be in the European time zone for much of the group stages meaning my evenings will be wondrous.
My advancing years and the reality of the modern day media mean that the excitement cannot however reach the fever pitch of previous tournaments.
We all get to see Messi and Ronaldo week in week out if we so choose rather than clamoring to catch a glimpse of Zico or Maradona in 1982. In that respect there are fewer surprises or shocks and I am no longer 9 years old. There are however many sub plots.
Can Lionel Messi finally do for Argentina what he has done for Barcelona? Could Cristiano Ronaldo drag Portugal singled handed to an unlikely win? Could Spain win a remarkable fourth major tournament in a row? Could Wayne Rooney score a goal?
And of course the hosts Brazil with Neymar and co. Brazil for many will always be the team we want to watch other than our own and there is no doubt that a home win would be a popular one.
Preparing for the World Cup has been hugely divisive for this footballing powerhouse of a country so a Scolari galvanised triumph would be a hugely welcome one.
Scotland shall of course not be there and our prospects for future tournaments look bleak. So for me, all I want is for the great players to play to the peak of their powers, for some fantastic goals and matches and for not all the excitement and drama to come from penalty shootouts.
That for me would be a great World Cup.......... No Nonsense.
Now I'm probably already sounding like a grumpy old man. but for me the World Cup has been in decline as an event for a while now.
There are of course many things in life that change as you get older and your perception of things is a large part of that.
I do however feel that there are many other factors at play meaning that recently for me, the anticipation has been far better than the actual event.
My first dim memories of the World Cup were in 1978 where as a 5 year old I recalled my father and older cousin in some kind of paralysis of belief as Scotland were beaten by Peru - I can still recall the white strips with the red diagonal stripe on the TV.
I then had my most basic introduction to supporting Scotland, that of the concept of glorious defeat as everyone went barmy when Archie Gemmill scored one of the great World Cup goals to defeat the Dutch 3-2. It of course meant nothing and we went out.
1982 for me was the best World Cup of my lifetime but again, it may be something to do with your memories as a nine year old. Everything was magnified to such a huge degree.
In those days, unless you went along to matches - I was lucky enough to get taken often to see Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen team - you basically got two thirty minute sections of football highlights every weekend on TV and the occasional thirty minutes on a Wednesday night if I was allowed to stay up late.
The vast majority of my TV football was Scottish with a few snippets from England's Division 1 and very infrequent European games.
So when 1982 came along and Scotland were drawn to play Brazil, the names Socrates, Falcao, Zico, Eder, Junior, well you can imagine what that meant to a 9 year old football daft boy.
Scotland did their usual, got stuffed by Brazil, beat New Zealand and then bowed out with a credible draw with the USSR.
We cared not, Espana '82 looked wonderfully glamorous and there were still the Brazilians, Italy, the French (under the spell of Platini, Tigana and Giresse) and Argentina had some chap called Maradona who looked a bit handy. West Germany weren't half bad either and Poland even had Zbigniew Boniek.
The tournament threw up some fantastic games, the 3-2 Italy v Brazil remains for me the greatest match I have ever seen and the semi final between France and Germany was simply epic ending in French tears after being on the wrong end of both penalties and Harold Schumacher's assault on Patrick Battiston.
Marco Tardelli's celebration in the final after scoring will remain in the memories of all who saw it. A truely timeless World Cup moment that you can play over and over.
On to 1986 and back on a more parochial note, more Scottish failure, beaten by West Germany (Gordon Strachan couldn't even hurdle an advertising hoarding) and Denmark before drawing with Uruguay to send us on the first plane home yet again, ho hum.
But Mexico was of course another fine tournament which belonged simply to Diego Maradona who scored two of the greatest goals ever in the World Cup - both against England - and a not half bad effort against Belgium in the round that followed.
The quarter final between Brazil and France was another fine match ultimately decided on penalties but the tournament was ruled and won by Maradona who came the closest ever to turning a team sport into an individual one other than Sir Don Bradman - who had a far better support cast.
1990 was a pivotal year for me (if you'll indulge me for a moment) as at the age of 17 I left home, school and Scotland and moved to and started working in London.
That Summer was a slightly odd one in that respect and may be the reason I have such vivid memories, or maybe it's the fact that Scotland reached new lows by losing to Costa Rica, both left imprints on the character.
Anyone watching in Scotland will remember the TV presenters' expression as he turned to the pundits after we returned from the adverts post mach, it was priceless. Of course we then beat Sweden and then lost out to Brazil (yet again) and went home (yet again).
For me, other than the classic BBC intro sequence featuring Nessun Dorma (worth a look on youtube), Italia '90 was far from a classic tournament.
There was of course high drama with Gazza's tears and England's defeat on penalties to Germany in the semi final.
There were also moments of pure inspiration from Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci illuminated the tournament with both bulging nets and eyes.
Dragan Stojkovic enjoyed a wonderful cameo against Spain whilst Maradona tried to drag a less than great Argentina to another unlikely triumph. A poor final finished off a fairly mediocre tournament - at least for me.
Germany led by Lothar Matheus were worthy winners but they weren't a team that inspired me despite having many great players.
1994 saw me start off in very grumpy form. First of all, for the first time in 16 years, Scotland had failed to qualify and now as a fully fledged adult with a responsible job, the kick off times in the States were highly inconvenient, indeed downright inconsiderate.
Scotland were not the only footballing powerhouse not to be represented as both England and France also missed out.
It was however a marvelous tournament and was the story of some great mavericks starting with the greatest of them all yet again, Diego Maradona.
Enjoying a wonderful renaissance, Maradona seemed reborn and performed a goal celebration against the Greeks that would scare most young children.
Unfortunately it emerged that Diego was enjoying himself a little too much off the pitch and he was banned for drug use. He would sadly never grace another World Cup match.
On a more positive note, four other great individual performances lit up the tournament, those of Roberto Baggio, Hristo Stojkovic, Georghe Hagi and Romario.
Baggio took Italy nearly all the way with a series of excellent performances and five goals after the shock of losing to Ireland in their opening game and scraping through their group.
Stojkovic inspired Bulgaria through a wonderful tournament seeing off Germany in the process and Hagi marshaled a hugely attractive Romania team that played some glittering football. Their second round match against Argentina was a true World Cup epic.
Romario however stole the show with a wonderful goal scoring display as Brazil won the trophy for the first time in 24 years. It wasn't a vintage Brazil team but it had been a great tournament.
The final itself was dreadful as Italy and Brazil cancelled each other out. But as ever with World Cups they never fail to provide drama and one felt terribly for the great Franco Baresi (who had played despite having knee surgery during the tournament) and Baggio who both missed in the shoot out, one felt they both deserved better.
Brazil were worthy winners however even if we've had to sit through Bebeto's baby rocking celebration for the ensuing twenty years after the tournament. It was great the first time lads.......
France '98 was for me the last World Cup I can say I really enjoyed in a footballing sense. It had a wonderful French team which grew as the tournament went on. A rampant Brazil spearheaded by Ronaldo through the early rounds as well as strong challenges from fine Dutch and Argentina teams.
It was also the first World Cup I attended in person and indeed for the opening match as Scotland lost (yet again) to Brazil. We cared not and had a wonderful day and many beers in the Paris sunshine, life was certainly good that day.
We also drew with Norway before losing heavily to Morocco in what would prove to be our last match in a major final to date. (Yet again) on the first plane home, but at least this time we could take the train.
There were other great stories at '98 such as the supremely talented Croatia team of Suker, Prosinecki and Boban. Jamaica provided some light relief also in the early stages.
Argentina were on the receiving end of a World Cup wonder goal from Michael Owen before finally beating England on penalties in a yet another English night of high drama with David Beckham being sent off.
Dennis Bergkamp then bettered Michael Owen's effort in the next round against Argentina again with a goal of sheer artistry assisted by a wonderful Frank De Boer pass, it was classic stuff. They would eventually be unlucky to go out to Brazil.
France of course provided the perfect end in Paris as they swept to a 3-0 win in what was a hugely compelling yet ultimately anti climax of a final. The circumstances that led to Ronaldo sleep walking through the final are still not known but the game provided Zidane with his coronation.
From there, the World Cup has gone downhill for me. I had moved to Asia by the time Japan and Korea '02 came around so I was perfectly placed time wise to watch the matches, the stars should have been aligned.
It was fantastic to see the joy that a World Cup brought to countries and to a continent outside of Europe or South America for the first time. The only problem for me was that many of the big teams and players appeared as if they have stayed on their own continents.
South Korea as co hosts provided a huge story as they rode their luck to make the semi finals. Senegal also provided huge romance by beating France in the opening match and making the quarter finals before being knocked out by the other big story, that of Turkey who also made the semis.
But here was the rub, these great stories of giant slaying were not actually what I wanted to watch. I wanted to see Zidane, Figo, Batistuta, Totti and co at the peak of their powers. A tough European season appeared to have shorn the tournament of many of its' leading lights.
Brazil of course did show up and won the tournament with an irresistible forward line of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo. A hugely talented Michael Ballack had also arrived for Germany and they were the two best teams in a tournament that other than for pure shock value, failed to catch fire.
2006 remains fuzzy for me for some reason, maybe too many beers watching late night games is the reason but again many of the big teams and players flattered to deceive and despite it being one of the most recent, it remains one of the most distant in my memory.
Argentina had one astounding performance against Serbia and Montenegro, Germany looked hopeful and bright but not much else, Brazil were lousy (by their standards), the Dutch were out early and Portugal left you somehow unfulfilled even with the burgeoning talents of Cristiano Ronaldo.
So it was left to France and the old war horse of Italy to provide the eventual drama. The scene was of course set for Zinedine Zidane to bow out from football on the highest of highs as the 34 year old played his final game in another World Cup Final.
Marco Materazzi however had other plans for Zizou and the resulting headbutt from Zidane led to one of those live TV moments when you turn to the person next to you and ask 'did that just actually happen?'
Zidane was duly sent off, Italy won the shootout and the rest as they say is history. Somehow however that moment in some way didn't seem to diminish Zidane's legend and even made it greater.
And so to the last carnival of football and Africa's first with South Africa 2010 complete with vuvuzelas, a novelty that soon wore off for me but then again I wasn't there in person.
Italy provided the story of the opening round by being simply appalling and in the process allowing New Zealand to return home undefeated.
The eventual champions Spain lost in their opening match to Switzerland before gaining momentum and winning every match apart from their next against Honduras by the odd goal, the last four matches being won 1-0.
If Spain were efficient, then in a complete about turn, Germany were wonderful to watch as they swept away England and Argentina before falling to the metronomic men in red.
Again, in a complete change around, Holland who are usually Europe's answer to Brazil's style of play offered football of the most pragmatic nature.
Only the wonderfully talented Wesley Sneijder seemed to break the shackles as they made their way mundanely to the final disposing of another sub par Brazilian team on the way.
The tournament was light on romance with Messi managed by the dishevelled Maradona failing to shine.
Whilst Uruguay were a great underdog tale, Luis Suarez's handball against Ghana hardly endeared them to many neutrals.
It was a wonderful occasion for Africa and refreshing in that respect but it was hardly a World Cup to remember otherwise.
Right now I am currently experiencing my usual state of growing agitation and excitement as we grow near to the tournament. I will even be in the European time zone for much of the group stages meaning my evenings will be wondrous.
My advancing years and the reality of the modern day media mean that the excitement cannot however reach the fever pitch of previous tournaments.
We all get to see Messi and Ronaldo week in week out if we so choose rather than clamoring to catch a glimpse of Zico or Maradona in 1982. In that respect there are fewer surprises or shocks and I am no longer 9 years old. There are however many sub plots.
Can Lionel Messi finally do for Argentina what he has done for Barcelona? Could Cristiano Ronaldo drag Portugal singled handed to an unlikely win? Could Spain win a remarkable fourth major tournament in a row? Could Wayne Rooney score a goal?
And of course the hosts Brazil with Neymar and co. Brazil for many will always be the team we want to watch other than our own and there is no doubt that a home win would be a popular one.
Preparing for the World Cup has been hugely divisive for this footballing powerhouse of a country so a Scolari galvanised triumph would be a hugely welcome one.
Scotland shall of course not be there and our prospects for future tournaments look bleak. So for me, all I want is for the great players to play to the peak of their powers, for some fantastic goals and matches and for not all the excitement and drama to come from penalty shootouts.
That for me would be a great World Cup.......... No Nonsense.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Can Spain do the unimaginable?
Spain's achievements in winning back to back European Championships with a World Cup sandwiched in between beggars belief in the modern era.
Such are the margins these days that sustained periods of dominance are few and far between as shown in the constant failure by the best teams to retain the Champions League.
At International level it is even harder given that these major tournaments only come around once every two years (overlapping four year cycles) for those in Europe and South America.
Spain have won titles in '08, '10 and '12 surpassing France's recent back to back victories in '98 and '00 to become the outstanding team in Europe and probably the World in recent history.
The question is, could they do the unthinkable and win a second World Cup on the spin to cap it all?
The bookies are inclined to think not given that they only have the reigning champions as fourth favourites. The two South American powerhouses of Brazil and Argentina and the always dangerous Germany are ahead of them in the odds.
There are of course several reasons to suggest that Spain, as fine a team as they remain will not prosper for a fourth straight tournament.
The fact that the tournament is being held in South America is seen as a huge factor for the European teams. The fact that some bookies are offering better prices on Italy than on Colombia would bear this out.
Conditions are expected to be tough in many venues and with a couple of Spain's key players starting to slowly get on in years, it may be considered that Spain's high tempo possession game will be hard going for the team.
The other considerations are that nearly every football team completes a cycle and that Spain's current cycle has already lasted far longer than most.
Certainly, stalwarts such as Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, David Villa and even Andres Iniesta have seen better days. There are of course many plus factors for the Spanish also.
Spain have huge midfield talent to choose from with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Javi Martinez and David Silva all available. This gives Spain huge capacity to rotate even allowing for the sad withdrawl of Thiago Alcantara
The fact that Isco hasn't even made the provisional squad and that there are questions regarding Juan Mata making the final squad show the incredible depth that they have.
There are also fresher faces coming in up front. Diego Costa and Alvaro Negredo add a different option with considerably more brawn to go with the goals.
Fernando Torres has been a fading force for some time now but he remains an experienced tournament player if he manages to sneak on to the plane. David Villa also offers an old head and the Barca forward Pedro is always a reliable option.
At the back, if Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos remain fit and free of suspension they are formidable centre back paring.
Should Iker Casillas continue in goal after a season mainly on the sidelines they have a fine tournament hardened keeper with two excellent back up options. There are plenty of options at full back also with the likes of Jordi Alba and Carjaval.
Possibly more of a concern in people's minds is not Spain's personnel but more their style of play. The famed 'tiki taka' had previously seen all fall before it with the opposition dizzying themselves into submission following the ball helplessly as it pinballed around them.
However, in the past couple of seasons we have seen several results at the sharp end of things that have begun to imply that tactics are evolving further and that a solution to tiki taka has been found.
In this season's Champions League and last, we we have seen two teams playing this way systematically dismantled.
Firstly in 2013 Bayern Munich thrashed Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate simply blowing the Catalans away with a blend of pace, power and no little skill.
Pep Guardiola's arrival at Bayern duly saw them adopt this possession based method and they in turn were ironed out 5-0 on aggregate by a vastly superior Real Madrid who played a wonderful blend of stylish counter attacking football.
In addition to these two humblings, Brazil comfortably beat Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup Final. Now whilst the Conf Cup is nothing more than a glorified end of season World Cup warm up, it was indicative again that the system can now be combated effectively.
None of this is to say however that a canny operator such as Del Bosque cannot tweak Spain's tactics effectively. One of the problems with the tiki taka approach has been the lack of a plan B.
If both Diego Costa and Negredo are on the plane then there is a plan B right there and with players such as Busquets and Ramos in the squad, they are able to mix it with the best of them. They also have huge tournament nous.
Spain remain one of the class acts in the field but they are in a tough group and their face off against the Dutch in their opening clash will be key as even finishing second in the group (Chile will be tough opposition also) could mean a tough route through the tournament.
A fourth straight tournament win is probably a big ask for what has been one of the greatest teams in history but it will hopefully be fun and easy on the eye to watch them try - No Nonsense.
@DuffnGuff
Such are the margins these days that sustained periods of dominance are few and far between as shown in the constant failure by the best teams to retain the Champions League.
At International level it is even harder given that these major tournaments only come around once every two years (overlapping four year cycles) for those in Europe and South America.
Spain have won titles in '08, '10 and '12 surpassing France's recent back to back victories in '98 and '00 to become the outstanding team in Europe and probably the World in recent history.
The question is, could they do the unthinkable and win a second World Cup on the spin to cap it all?
The bookies are inclined to think not given that they only have the reigning champions as fourth favourites. The two South American powerhouses of Brazil and Argentina and the always dangerous Germany are ahead of them in the odds.
There are of course several reasons to suggest that Spain, as fine a team as they remain will not prosper for a fourth straight tournament.
The fact that the tournament is being held in South America is seen as a huge factor for the European teams. The fact that some bookies are offering better prices on Italy than on Colombia would bear this out.
Conditions are expected to be tough in many venues and with a couple of Spain's key players starting to slowly get on in years, it may be considered that Spain's high tempo possession game will be hard going for the team.
The other considerations are that nearly every football team completes a cycle and that Spain's current cycle has already lasted far longer than most.
Certainly, stalwarts such as Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, David Villa and even Andres Iniesta have seen better days. There are of course many plus factors for the Spanish also.
Spain have huge midfield talent to choose from with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Javi Martinez and David Silva all available. This gives Spain huge capacity to rotate even allowing for the sad withdrawl of Thiago Alcantara
The fact that Isco hasn't even made the provisional squad and that there are questions regarding Juan Mata making the final squad show the incredible depth that they have.
There are also fresher faces coming in up front. Diego Costa and Alvaro Negredo add a different option with considerably more brawn to go with the goals.
Fernando Torres has been a fading force for some time now but he remains an experienced tournament player if he manages to sneak on to the plane. David Villa also offers an old head and the Barca forward Pedro is always a reliable option.
At the back, if Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos remain fit and free of suspension they are formidable centre back paring.
Should Iker Casillas continue in goal after a season mainly on the sidelines they have a fine tournament hardened keeper with two excellent back up options. There are plenty of options at full back also with the likes of Jordi Alba and Carjaval.
Possibly more of a concern in people's minds is not Spain's personnel but more their style of play. The famed 'tiki taka' had previously seen all fall before it with the opposition dizzying themselves into submission following the ball helplessly as it pinballed around them.
However, in the past couple of seasons we have seen several results at the sharp end of things that have begun to imply that tactics are evolving further and that a solution to tiki taka has been found.
In this season's Champions League and last, we we have seen two teams playing this way systematically dismantled.
Firstly in 2013 Bayern Munich thrashed Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate simply blowing the Catalans away with a blend of pace, power and no little skill.
Pep Guardiola's arrival at Bayern duly saw them adopt this possession based method and they in turn were ironed out 5-0 on aggregate by a vastly superior Real Madrid who played a wonderful blend of stylish counter attacking football.
In addition to these two humblings, Brazil comfortably beat Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup Final. Now whilst the Conf Cup is nothing more than a glorified end of season World Cup warm up, it was indicative again that the system can now be combated effectively.
None of this is to say however that a canny operator such as Del Bosque cannot tweak Spain's tactics effectively. One of the problems with the tiki taka approach has been the lack of a plan B.
If both Diego Costa and Negredo are on the plane then there is a plan B right there and with players such as Busquets and Ramos in the squad, they are able to mix it with the best of them. They also have huge tournament nous.
Spain remain one of the class acts in the field but they are in a tough group and their face off against the Dutch in their opening clash will be key as even finishing second in the group (Chile will be tough opposition also) could mean a tough route through the tournament.
A fourth straight tournament win is probably a big ask for what has been one of the greatest teams in history but it will hopefully be fun and easy on the eye to watch them try - No Nonsense.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Premiership Report Card
The season is finally over, it's time to mark the end of term report cards for the clubs (based on Premiership performance only).
Manchester City, A
Hard to give anything less to the Champions. Yes they made it harder for themselves than they needed to but the trophy is what counts. They have scored a hatful of goals and played some excellent football to boot.
City need to find a way to stamp their authority better in the big games but they remain a force simply too good for the vast majority. A successful first season for Pellegrini, we're just waiting now for Mancini to try to take the credit.
Liverpool, A
So nearly for the Reds only to stumble at the final few hurdles. This season was probably their best chance as next season will be far tougher. There will be the Champions League to deal with, higher expectations and no 'element of surprise' - you certainly won't see Chelsea loaning them players next season.
Regardless, Liverpool have done fantastically well and deserve many of the plaudits that have come their way even if the press became sickening in their fawning over them in the last weeks turning many neutrals off.
It is hard not to feel sorry for Steven Gerrard but Liverpool must look to the future and continue to build and strengthen primarily at the back. Raheem Sterling looks a fabulous talent, keeping Luis Suarez is a must. A fine season.
Chelsea, C+
Possibly a little harsh on my own club given that they mounted a legitimate challenge but Chelsea missed a huge opportunity to win the league. Home wins against Norwich and Sunderland would have seen Chelsea going into the final day in charge.
Ponderous performances and some overly cautious tactics ultimately cost them the league and some legitimate striking options must be a priority over the Summer. Not a bad season but there is much work for Mourinho to do.
Arsenal, C-
We keep hearing about Wenger's 'top four trophy' but the reality is that Arsenal are going nowhere. Lots of pretty football and title talk around the turn of the year followed by the inevitable implosion in the Spring.
Whilst Ozil gave the Arsenal fans a huge filip in the Summer, he ultimately flattered to deceive and Arsenal need steel, quality and numbers to be recruited this Summer (haven't we said this before?) if they are to be anything else other than Champions League qualifying also rans.
Everton, B+
Whilst I don't believe that Everton have made the sparkling progress under Martinez that many believe they have, there is no doubt that keeping Everton in 5th place is a fantastic achievement, it's just one that Davie Moyes managed several times also we shouldn't forget.
Both Everton's football and ambition have improved but they were found wanting towards the end of the season when CL qualification became a realistic proposition.
How Everton replicate their success in the loan market this Summer will dictate whether they can continue to occupy such a lofty position, regardless a fine season for the men from Goodison.
Spurs, C
It's hard to mark Spurs with any real conviction. They remain a top six club with lofty ambitions but little else. Regardless of their transfer outlay in the Summer, their net spend was neglible resulting in a bloated squad of similiar quality and the loss of their one true match winner.
Managerial issues have also hindered the men from White Hart Lane and their near perrenial glass ceiling of the Europa League looks to be their lot in life.
ManUtd, F
Rubbish, awful, terrible, where to start for the previous seasons' Champions? Following Ferguson was always going to be the impossible job but Moyes' effort was still poor.
Only De Gea, Jones (potentially), Mata, RVP, Rooney and Januzaj (potentially) look like players of the standard required to win titles. Much rebuilding required although it is hard to believe they will be worse next season.
Like Liverpool this season, they may benefit in the league from having no European football.
Southampton, B+
Whilst Southampton faded after their wonderful start, they finished the season a highly creditable eight place. They have rightly won plaudits for their fine football and should be very proud of their season.
The paradox of such success however is that the vultures are circling over both their prize playing assets and their manager. How Southampton conduct their business this Summer will give us a good indication as to their level of ambition and prospects from here.
Stoke, B+
The time honoured 'be careful what you wish for' was wheeled out when Stoke parted company with Tony Pulis. Analogies to when Charlton parted company with the long serving Alan Curbishley were offered up and Stoke were expected to struggle.
After a sticky start, Mark Hughes steered Stoke to their best ever Premiership finish. Whilst it's hard to see where Stoke can go from here they have again confounded the critics and are well deserving of their mid table stability.
Newcastle, D
It's hard to feel anything less than pity for the Toon Army who in many ways resemble a faithful puppy constantly kicked by their owner.
Brief glimpses of a bright future are continually dashed by the hierarchy presiding over St James Park (we shall not call it anything else). The sale of Johan Cabaye caused Newcastle's season to implode and should they begin the season in anything like the form they have showed since February then they are in deep trouble already.
Alan Pardew's antics have become increasingly erratic and with his relationship with Mike Ashley the subject of much speculation, it could be another Summer of discontent for the Toon.
Crystal Palace, A+
Arguably the most incredible turnaround since the inception of the Premiership. Ian Holloway's madcap Summer supermarket sweep had left Palace with one of the biggest squads in Europe's top leagues but also one of the worst.
Tony Pulis required a large degree of persuading to take the reins but once doing so he has done a phenomenal job scoring points for the Eagles at near Europa League pace.
An outstanding job giving Palace the opportunity to cease their yo-yo habit.
Swansea, C
The fact that mid table obscurity is marked so low shows how far the Welsh club have come. It was however a season where managerial upheaval and an inability to cope with the rigours of European football badly affected their league form.
Swansea badly need to regroup this Summer and get back to being the tidy well run club they were previously.
West Ham, C
Many Hammers fans would probably argue for an 'F' but the reality is that West Ham's history dictates that mid table safety is not a bad outcome.
The natives are highly restless however with Allardyce's tactics and team selections and it is unlikely that he will last the Summer. The squad looks sub standard and a tricky period awaits the club.
Sunderland, D
It is probably more appropriate to mark three quarters of the season as an 'F' followed by an 'A+' but the reality is that it has been a poor season for the Wearsiders mainly of their own doing.
Di Canio was never the right appointment and there are rumours that Gus Poyet is also unhappy. The club badly needs some stability if they are not to flirt with disaster again.
Aston Villa, D
Very nearly an 'F' for the Villians but they live to fight another day. It is hard to establish whether Lambert's lack of progress is solely down to Randy Lerner closing the cheque book or whether the Glaswegian is also going in the wrong direction.
A new owner may or not help but it could be another tough season at Villa Park if matters are not sorted out quickly and we suspect they won't be.
Hull, B-
37 points is hardly anything to get excited about but merely staying up is a cracking result for Hull. They have at times played some good football and look to be building a capable squad slowly but surely.
Second season syndrome will have to be avoided if they wish to build on this term but there are reasons to be cheerful for the City fans.
West Brom, D
The Baggies were seriously threatening to lose their tag as a yo yo club but it has been a poor season at the Hawthorns. Unable to replace Lukaku's goals, Steve Clarke was prematurely jettisoned only for the slightly bizarre appointment of Pepe Mel seen as the answer.
With Shane Long also moved on, West Brom continued to struggle. A sound managerial appointment this Summer is a must if they are to have a better season next time around.
Norwich, F
The Canaries appeared to almost autopilot towards relegation this season. Poor transfer signings and an inability by Chris Hughton to find a tactical solution that worked saw them dragged remorselessly into the relegation mire.
Ricky Van Wolfswinkel must rival for the poorest signing of the season and wages in the Championship will now be a burden for the team.
Fulham, F
Mohammed Fayed was an often eccentric owner but he gave Fulham remarkable stability. Shahid Khan has shown little understanding of football since he has taken over.
The sacking of Martin Jol was party understandable but the appointment of Rene Meulensteen and allowing him to break the bank for Kostas Mitroglou was far more questionable. Having then backed him in the transfer market, Khan then dispensed with him swiftly.
The 'emergency break glass' solution of Felix Magath failed to save the Cottagers and Mitroglou must be left wondering how he has gone in six months from scoring Champions League hat tricks to playing in the Championship and pushing Van Wolfswinkel for the worst signing of the season.
Cardiff, F
Like a bad soap opera, Cardiff's very public implosion has been painful to watch. Vincent Tan appears to be yet another owner with not the faintest idea how to run a football club. Whilst there are no doubt two sides to the Malky MacKay story, sacking him clearly did the club no favours.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's acceptance of the job seems a slightly bizarre one given how highly rated he was but the lure of the Premiership is great.
Unfortunately he is now in the Championship and what he requires is an owner to leave him to work without interference if they are to have any hope of returning to the top tier.
No Nonsense.
Manchester City, A
Hard to give anything less to the Champions. Yes they made it harder for themselves than they needed to but the trophy is what counts. They have scored a hatful of goals and played some excellent football to boot.
City need to find a way to stamp their authority better in the big games but they remain a force simply too good for the vast majority. A successful first season for Pellegrini, we're just waiting now for Mancini to try to take the credit.
Liverpool, A
So nearly for the Reds only to stumble at the final few hurdles. This season was probably their best chance as next season will be far tougher. There will be the Champions League to deal with, higher expectations and no 'element of surprise' - you certainly won't see Chelsea loaning them players next season.
Regardless, Liverpool have done fantastically well and deserve many of the plaudits that have come their way even if the press became sickening in their fawning over them in the last weeks turning many neutrals off.
It is hard not to feel sorry for Steven Gerrard but Liverpool must look to the future and continue to build and strengthen primarily at the back. Raheem Sterling looks a fabulous talent, keeping Luis Suarez is a must. A fine season.
Chelsea, C+
Possibly a little harsh on my own club given that they mounted a legitimate challenge but Chelsea missed a huge opportunity to win the league. Home wins against Norwich and Sunderland would have seen Chelsea going into the final day in charge.
Ponderous performances and some overly cautious tactics ultimately cost them the league and some legitimate striking options must be a priority over the Summer. Not a bad season but there is much work for Mourinho to do.
Arsenal, C-
We keep hearing about Wenger's 'top four trophy' but the reality is that Arsenal are going nowhere. Lots of pretty football and title talk around the turn of the year followed by the inevitable implosion in the Spring.
Whilst Ozil gave the Arsenal fans a huge filip in the Summer, he ultimately flattered to deceive and Arsenal need steel, quality and numbers to be recruited this Summer (haven't we said this before?) if they are to be anything else other than Champions League qualifying also rans.
Everton, B+
Whilst I don't believe that Everton have made the sparkling progress under Martinez that many believe they have, there is no doubt that keeping Everton in 5th place is a fantastic achievement, it's just one that Davie Moyes managed several times also we shouldn't forget.
Both Everton's football and ambition have improved but they were found wanting towards the end of the season when CL qualification became a realistic proposition.
How Everton replicate their success in the loan market this Summer will dictate whether they can continue to occupy such a lofty position, regardless a fine season for the men from Goodison.
Spurs, C
It's hard to mark Spurs with any real conviction. They remain a top six club with lofty ambitions but little else. Regardless of their transfer outlay in the Summer, their net spend was neglible resulting in a bloated squad of similiar quality and the loss of their one true match winner.
Managerial issues have also hindered the men from White Hart Lane and their near perrenial glass ceiling of the Europa League looks to be their lot in life.
ManUtd, F
Rubbish, awful, terrible, where to start for the previous seasons' Champions? Following Ferguson was always going to be the impossible job but Moyes' effort was still poor.
Only De Gea, Jones (potentially), Mata, RVP, Rooney and Januzaj (potentially) look like players of the standard required to win titles. Much rebuilding required although it is hard to believe they will be worse next season.
Like Liverpool this season, they may benefit in the league from having no European football.
Southampton, B+
Whilst Southampton faded after their wonderful start, they finished the season a highly creditable eight place. They have rightly won plaudits for their fine football and should be very proud of their season.
The paradox of such success however is that the vultures are circling over both their prize playing assets and their manager. How Southampton conduct their business this Summer will give us a good indication as to their level of ambition and prospects from here.
Stoke, B+
The time honoured 'be careful what you wish for' was wheeled out when Stoke parted company with Tony Pulis. Analogies to when Charlton parted company with the long serving Alan Curbishley were offered up and Stoke were expected to struggle.
After a sticky start, Mark Hughes steered Stoke to their best ever Premiership finish. Whilst it's hard to see where Stoke can go from here they have again confounded the critics and are well deserving of their mid table stability.
Newcastle, D
It's hard to feel anything less than pity for the Toon Army who in many ways resemble a faithful puppy constantly kicked by their owner.
Brief glimpses of a bright future are continually dashed by the hierarchy presiding over St James Park (we shall not call it anything else). The sale of Johan Cabaye caused Newcastle's season to implode and should they begin the season in anything like the form they have showed since February then they are in deep trouble already.
Alan Pardew's antics have become increasingly erratic and with his relationship with Mike Ashley the subject of much speculation, it could be another Summer of discontent for the Toon.
Crystal Palace, A+
Arguably the most incredible turnaround since the inception of the Premiership. Ian Holloway's madcap Summer supermarket sweep had left Palace with one of the biggest squads in Europe's top leagues but also one of the worst.
Tony Pulis required a large degree of persuading to take the reins but once doing so he has done a phenomenal job scoring points for the Eagles at near Europa League pace.
An outstanding job giving Palace the opportunity to cease their yo-yo habit.
Swansea, C
The fact that mid table obscurity is marked so low shows how far the Welsh club have come. It was however a season where managerial upheaval and an inability to cope with the rigours of European football badly affected their league form.
Swansea badly need to regroup this Summer and get back to being the tidy well run club they were previously.
West Ham, C
Many Hammers fans would probably argue for an 'F' but the reality is that West Ham's history dictates that mid table safety is not a bad outcome.
The natives are highly restless however with Allardyce's tactics and team selections and it is unlikely that he will last the Summer. The squad looks sub standard and a tricky period awaits the club.
Sunderland, D
It is probably more appropriate to mark three quarters of the season as an 'F' followed by an 'A+' but the reality is that it has been a poor season for the Wearsiders mainly of their own doing.
Di Canio was never the right appointment and there are rumours that Gus Poyet is also unhappy. The club badly needs some stability if they are not to flirt with disaster again.
Aston Villa, D
Very nearly an 'F' for the Villians but they live to fight another day. It is hard to establish whether Lambert's lack of progress is solely down to Randy Lerner closing the cheque book or whether the Glaswegian is also going in the wrong direction.
A new owner may or not help but it could be another tough season at Villa Park if matters are not sorted out quickly and we suspect they won't be.
Hull, B-
37 points is hardly anything to get excited about but merely staying up is a cracking result for Hull. They have at times played some good football and look to be building a capable squad slowly but surely.
Second season syndrome will have to be avoided if they wish to build on this term but there are reasons to be cheerful for the City fans.
West Brom, D
The Baggies were seriously threatening to lose their tag as a yo yo club but it has been a poor season at the Hawthorns. Unable to replace Lukaku's goals, Steve Clarke was prematurely jettisoned only for the slightly bizarre appointment of Pepe Mel seen as the answer.
With Shane Long also moved on, West Brom continued to struggle. A sound managerial appointment this Summer is a must if they are to have a better season next time around.
Norwich, F
The Canaries appeared to almost autopilot towards relegation this season. Poor transfer signings and an inability by Chris Hughton to find a tactical solution that worked saw them dragged remorselessly into the relegation mire.
Ricky Van Wolfswinkel must rival for the poorest signing of the season and wages in the Championship will now be a burden for the team.
Fulham, F
Mohammed Fayed was an often eccentric owner but he gave Fulham remarkable stability. Shahid Khan has shown little understanding of football since he has taken over.
The sacking of Martin Jol was party understandable but the appointment of Rene Meulensteen and allowing him to break the bank for Kostas Mitroglou was far more questionable. Having then backed him in the transfer market, Khan then dispensed with him swiftly.
The 'emergency break glass' solution of Felix Magath failed to save the Cottagers and Mitroglou must be left wondering how he has gone in six months from scoring Champions League hat tricks to playing in the Championship and pushing Van Wolfswinkel for the worst signing of the season.
Cardiff, F
Like a bad soap opera, Cardiff's very public implosion has been painful to watch. Vincent Tan appears to be yet another owner with not the faintest idea how to run a football club. Whilst there are no doubt two sides to the Malky MacKay story, sacking him clearly did the club no favours.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's acceptance of the job seems a slightly bizarre one given how highly rated he was but the lure of the Premiership is great.
Unfortunately he is now in the Championship and what he requires is an owner to leave him to work without interference if they are to have any hope of returning to the top tier.
No Nonsense.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Chelsea end of season report
In previous weeks, two excellent defensive displays in Madrid and at Anfield gave Chelsea renewed hope in both the Champions League and Premiership.
However, Chelsea's season was ultimately meekly extinguished over the next two home games with Mourinho's early season proclamations that the team was not at the correct level proving accurate.
Chelsea were soundly beaten at home by a very good Atletico team before any lingering Championship hopes were snuffed out by a woeful performance against Norwich. So where do their achievements sit this season?
Season aspirations, achievements and reality
Mourinho's assertions of course that Chelsea were not title challengers was purely for the press and everyone knew it. With the league lacking an outstanding team there was always a chance.
The Premiership has been an odd place the last two seasons. Last year United simply put their hand up and took the title whilst everyone else looked on.
This season again, there has been a door ajar for anyone who wanted it and only Liverpool have mounted the kind of run that has shown the hunger to win it even if they ultimately fail as their evening at Selhurst suggests.
Chelsea have taken 16 of 18 points from the other top four teams this season so the reason for their not winning the title is a plethora of dropped points against teams from the bottom half of the table.
Results such as those at home to Sunderland and results at Villa and Stoke have killed momentum and lost vital points at crucial times.
Barring goal scoring feats of biblical proportions, Chelsea have secured automatic entry to the group stage of the CL again next season by finishing at least 3rd. That was probably the absolute minimum required.
Winning or challenging for the CL this season was to anyone's mind probably several steps too far. Not one of the English sides looks like a genuine contender in Europe right now. That Chelsea again proved the most capable was commendable and another semi final is a great return for the club.
The squad
Chelsea' squad is a little bizarre right now, The slightly eccentric hue it has taken on is probably a result of poor planning over the past few seasons with zero continuity in the managerial chair.
Different managers with different plans, philosophies and wishes and an owner dreaming of the promised land of Guardiola had led to a hodgepodge of square pegs in round holes and Mourinho attempting to find a tactical solution to the entirely unbalanced smorgasbord of talent he was presented with.
The defensive unit looks ultimately sound as they have shown in several tough away fixtures but the midfield looks very unbalanced.
Matic, Oscar, Hazard and Willian all look fine players who fit with the profile but the likes of the box to box Ramires and the slightly lost looking Schurrle don't seem to gel with the current tactics.
Other than fine tuning the defence, Mourinho's tactics have reflected this jumble this season resulting in too many ponderous performances such as against Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea. He needs to fix on a formation he believes will work and decide which players fit with that system.
It is quite possible that none of the three strikers at the club will be there come August and the recruitment of new talent and what to do with Romelu Lukaku will take up a lot of column inches this Summer.
Whilst I remain a huge David Luiz fan, he doesn't seem to fit with Mourinho's strongest team or indeed his style of player and it may well be that given FFP considerations that he is sold to help to fund the new talent required upfront.
I for one would be sorry to see him go. Tomas Kalas however looks like he is more than ready for more game time at the back.
What to do with the old guard?
Terry, Lampard and Ashley Cole all looked a bit teary eyed after the Norwich game. If both the aspirations of salaries and performance are measured, both Terry and Lampard are worth keeping for another season.
If Chelsea do go and buy a new left back then it may be time for Ashley Cole to move on. He was a favoured son of Mourinho the first time around but the Arsenal players' Christmas party put paid to that this time around. He remains a highly capable left back however.
Possibly more controversially, I would be prepared to sell Petr Cech. He remains a loyal lieutenant to Mourinho and for that reason I don't think it will happen this season.
I do think however that Thibot Courtois is already a better goalkeeper - Cech has never been quite the same since his head injury - and Chelsea risk losing the player permanently unless he is taken into the fold. He has been performing magnificently for Atletico for 3 seasons now.
Cech would still fetch a good transfer sum and in the days of FFP this should be considered. Petr Cech, Fernando Torres and a cash top up for Diego Costa with Courtois coming to the Bridge would make perfect sense to me. It would also give the squad a fresher complexion
Transfer targets
Firstly, as mentioned above, I would bring both Lukaku and Courtois into the first team squad, they are both good enough and ready. I firmly believe Chelsea would have more Premiership points this season had they retained Lukaku.
Conversly there are strong rumours that rather than integrate him into the squad, that Lukaku will be sold. We will wait and see.
I'm a little bit 50/50 on Diego Costa I have to say. Up until this season, his record is patchy at best and Chelsea can ill afford to make another mistake of Schevchenko or Torres proportions.
In terms of striking options, it is of course highly complex to secure the right players given that the big teams are mainly unwilling to sell players and also with wages a big consideration in these times of FFP
Edison Cavani remains a wonderful player but his availability may depend on Chelsea's willingness to sell Eden Hazard.
I firmly believe Mourinho's admonishing of the player this week was a form of pep talk and I don't believe that Abramovich would countenance selling what is exactly the type of player he has so craved.
Mourinho after all has also been quite brisk when discussing Oscar's last few months and I can't think for a minute that they wish to sell him either having already dispensed with Juan Mata.
It is clear that in the same way that United need to replace Scholes and Liverpool will have to replace Gerrard that Chelsea need to replace Lampard.
Whilst not an exact like for like, I do believe that Oscar's work rate and defensive abilities mean he could play deeper for Chelsea especially with the man mountain of Matic alongside him. Luca Modric is excelling in that very role for Real Madrid right now.
Ross Barkley continues to get rave reviews and Chelsea will also effectively have a new player next season with the fit again Van Ginkel.
Luke Shaw looks a prized asset at left back and Chelsea will have a tough time fighting off Manchester United for his signature if the papers are to be believed.
Filipe Luis at Atletico is also rumoured to be a target at left back but he is already 28. Chelsea have seemingly moved on from their previous transfer bungles of buying mature players with little or no resale value but again, we shall have to wait and see.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Mourinho's tactics (as always) have come into focus this season. I for one will take far greater notice next season when the team will be 'his' rather than he working with a squad he is not completely happy with.
There have been occasions when they have looked like the Chelsea of old such as the wonderful 0-1 win at the Etihad this season, that was classic Mourinho.
There have been other excellent performances such as the home leg against PSG.
Wins such as the one at Liverpool were for me perfectly acceptable as the end justifies the means but I can understand the frustrations of others at the tactics employed.
There have been occasions when I too have felt frustrated at a lack of ambition such as at Old Trafford - granted it was early in the season and most had not grasped just how bad United actually were - and at the Emirates.
Recent performances in particular against Norwich, Swansea and Sunderland have shown Chelsea to be badly lacking in ideas and solutions when playing against teams employing tactics similar to their own.
New strikers will hopefully put an end to these types of displays and these are the games where my point about us having more points had the Plan B option (quite possibly plan A by now) of Lukaku been available.
The Mourinho effect
It is always said never go back and I for one experienced much trepidation about the return of a guy I unashamedly idolise.
Whilst the initial months of his return were relatively low key, he has slowly but surely upped the ante and we are now routinely treated to FA hearings and his unbridled assaults on all whom he deems to have wronged either he or his players.
He divides opinion like almost no other but there is no doubting that he is box office gold for the Premiership media train.
So what does Roman think?
The biggest problem with Chelsea's non speaking benefactor is that no one outside of a handful of people actually know. The rest of us are left to wait for the back page headlines after another manager is jettisoned.
Mourinho's exit the last time around was a fairly undignified affair but it was also widely telegraphed from that Summer with his discontent at a lack of transfer funds made abundantly clear.
The schism between the two men had been ever widening since the arrival of Andriy Shevchenko the year before.
Having returned to Mourinho, it must be assumed that Abramovich was prepared to compromise to some degree but one would also most certainly resume that Jose would have to do the same and possibly more, he remains the subordinate after all.
One must presume that in return for some kind of free rein on transfers and footballing matters there would have been a commitment to playing the type of football that Abramovich so craves.
Chelsea's football has over the course of the season become increasingly pragmatic (detractors would say negative). That is of course oft the way with Mourinho but it usually accompanied by silverware.
There have not been the slightest murmurs of discontent emanating from Stamford Bridge so one must assume that Jose had a free pass this season as long as minimum criteria such as CL qualification were met.
If however Mourinho gets the players he wants this Summer and Chelsea fail to develop next season and the football is at the same time shall we say, 'less than expansive' then one wonders whether Abramovich may be on the phone to Bayern asking whether they are bored with Pep yet.
Summing up, a season of progress or failure?
Overall, Chelsea fans should be happy but there is definitely a case for saying this was an opportunity missed.
The squad has a lot of promise with Hazard, Oscar and Willian in particular all capable of improving. Nemanda Matic has added balance to the midfield and with defensive stability still there, the adding of firepower upfront should make Chelsea a formidable prospect next season.
Compared to Bayern or the top 3 in Spain (although they look set to raid one of them) Chelsea look a level off in European terms but if Mourinho has not lost his touch and builds on this season then expectations next season should rightly be higher - No Nonsense.
However, Chelsea's season was ultimately meekly extinguished over the next two home games with Mourinho's early season proclamations that the team was not at the correct level proving accurate.
Chelsea were soundly beaten at home by a very good Atletico team before any lingering Championship hopes were snuffed out by a woeful performance against Norwich. So where do their achievements sit this season?
Season aspirations, achievements and reality
Mourinho's assertions of course that Chelsea were not title challengers was purely for the press and everyone knew it. With the league lacking an outstanding team there was always a chance.
The Premiership has been an odd place the last two seasons. Last year United simply put their hand up and took the title whilst everyone else looked on.
This season again, there has been a door ajar for anyone who wanted it and only Liverpool have mounted the kind of run that has shown the hunger to win it even if they ultimately fail as their evening at Selhurst suggests.
Chelsea have taken 16 of 18 points from the other top four teams this season so the reason for their not winning the title is a plethora of dropped points against teams from the bottom half of the table.
Results such as those at home to Sunderland and results at Villa and Stoke have killed momentum and lost vital points at crucial times.
Barring goal scoring feats of biblical proportions, Chelsea have secured automatic entry to the group stage of the CL again next season by finishing at least 3rd. That was probably the absolute minimum required.
Winning or challenging for the CL this season was to anyone's mind probably several steps too far. Not one of the English sides looks like a genuine contender in Europe right now. That Chelsea again proved the most capable was commendable and another semi final is a great return for the club.
The squad
Chelsea' squad is a little bizarre right now, The slightly eccentric hue it has taken on is probably a result of poor planning over the past few seasons with zero continuity in the managerial chair.
Different managers with different plans, philosophies and wishes and an owner dreaming of the promised land of Guardiola had led to a hodgepodge of square pegs in round holes and Mourinho attempting to find a tactical solution to the entirely unbalanced smorgasbord of talent he was presented with.
The defensive unit looks ultimately sound as they have shown in several tough away fixtures but the midfield looks very unbalanced.
Matic, Oscar, Hazard and Willian all look fine players who fit with the profile but the likes of the box to box Ramires and the slightly lost looking Schurrle don't seem to gel with the current tactics.
Other than fine tuning the defence, Mourinho's tactics have reflected this jumble this season resulting in too many ponderous performances such as against Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea. He needs to fix on a formation he believes will work and decide which players fit with that system.
It is quite possible that none of the three strikers at the club will be there come August and the recruitment of new talent and what to do with Romelu Lukaku will take up a lot of column inches this Summer.
Whilst I remain a huge David Luiz fan, he doesn't seem to fit with Mourinho's strongest team or indeed his style of player and it may well be that given FFP considerations that he is sold to help to fund the new talent required upfront.
I for one would be sorry to see him go. Tomas Kalas however looks like he is more than ready for more game time at the back.
What to do with the old guard?
Terry, Lampard and Ashley Cole all looked a bit teary eyed after the Norwich game. If both the aspirations of salaries and performance are measured, both Terry and Lampard are worth keeping for another season.
If Chelsea do go and buy a new left back then it may be time for Ashley Cole to move on. He was a favoured son of Mourinho the first time around but the Arsenal players' Christmas party put paid to that this time around. He remains a highly capable left back however.
Possibly more controversially, I would be prepared to sell Petr Cech. He remains a loyal lieutenant to Mourinho and for that reason I don't think it will happen this season.
I do think however that Thibot Courtois is already a better goalkeeper - Cech has never been quite the same since his head injury - and Chelsea risk losing the player permanently unless he is taken into the fold. He has been performing magnificently for Atletico for 3 seasons now.
Cech would still fetch a good transfer sum and in the days of FFP this should be considered. Petr Cech, Fernando Torres and a cash top up for Diego Costa with Courtois coming to the Bridge would make perfect sense to me. It would also give the squad a fresher complexion
Transfer targets
Firstly, as mentioned above, I would bring both Lukaku and Courtois into the first team squad, they are both good enough and ready. I firmly believe Chelsea would have more Premiership points this season had they retained Lukaku.
Conversly there are strong rumours that rather than integrate him into the squad, that Lukaku will be sold. We will wait and see.
I'm a little bit 50/50 on Diego Costa I have to say. Up until this season, his record is patchy at best and Chelsea can ill afford to make another mistake of Schevchenko or Torres proportions.
In terms of striking options, it is of course highly complex to secure the right players given that the big teams are mainly unwilling to sell players and also with wages a big consideration in these times of FFP
Edison Cavani remains a wonderful player but his availability may depend on Chelsea's willingness to sell Eden Hazard.
I firmly believe Mourinho's admonishing of the player this week was a form of pep talk and I don't believe that Abramovich would countenance selling what is exactly the type of player he has so craved.
Mourinho after all has also been quite brisk when discussing Oscar's last few months and I can't think for a minute that they wish to sell him either having already dispensed with Juan Mata.
It is clear that in the same way that United need to replace Scholes and Liverpool will have to replace Gerrard that Chelsea need to replace Lampard.
Whilst not an exact like for like, I do believe that Oscar's work rate and defensive abilities mean he could play deeper for Chelsea especially with the man mountain of Matic alongside him. Luca Modric is excelling in that very role for Real Madrid right now.
Ross Barkley continues to get rave reviews and Chelsea will also effectively have a new player next season with the fit again Van Ginkel.
Luke Shaw looks a prized asset at left back and Chelsea will have a tough time fighting off Manchester United for his signature if the papers are to be believed.
Filipe Luis at Atletico is also rumoured to be a target at left back but he is already 28. Chelsea have seemingly moved on from their previous transfer bungles of buying mature players with little or no resale value but again, we shall have to wait and see.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Mourinho's tactics (as always) have come into focus this season. I for one will take far greater notice next season when the team will be 'his' rather than he working with a squad he is not completely happy with.
There have been occasions when they have looked like the Chelsea of old such as the wonderful 0-1 win at the Etihad this season, that was classic Mourinho.
There have been other excellent performances such as the home leg against PSG.
Wins such as the one at Liverpool were for me perfectly acceptable as the end justifies the means but I can understand the frustrations of others at the tactics employed.
There have been occasions when I too have felt frustrated at a lack of ambition such as at Old Trafford - granted it was early in the season and most had not grasped just how bad United actually were - and at the Emirates.
Recent performances in particular against Norwich, Swansea and Sunderland have shown Chelsea to be badly lacking in ideas and solutions when playing against teams employing tactics similar to their own.
New strikers will hopefully put an end to these types of displays and these are the games where my point about us having more points had the Plan B option (quite possibly plan A by now) of Lukaku been available.
The Mourinho effect
It is always said never go back and I for one experienced much trepidation about the return of a guy I unashamedly idolise.
Whilst the initial months of his return were relatively low key, he has slowly but surely upped the ante and we are now routinely treated to FA hearings and his unbridled assaults on all whom he deems to have wronged either he or his players.
He divides opinion like almost no other but there is no doubting that he is box office gold for the Premiership media train.
So what does Roman think?
The biggest problem with Chelsea's non speaking benefactor is that no one outside of a handful of people actually know. The rest of us are left to wait for the back page headlines after another manager is jettisoned.
Mourinho's exit the last time around was a fairly undignified affair but it was also widely telegraphed from that Summer with his discontent at a lack of transfer funds made abundantly clear.
The schism between the two men had been ever widening since the arrival of Andriy Shevchenko the year before.
Having returned to Mourinho, it must be assumed that Abramovich was prepared to compromise to some degree but one would also most certainly resume that Jose would have to do the same and possibly more, he remains the subordinate after all.
One must presume that in return for some kind of free rein on transfers and footballing matters there would have been a commitment to playing the type of football that Abramovich so craves.
Chelsea's football has over the course of the season become increasingly pragmatic (detractors would say negative). That is of course oft the way with Mourinho but it usually accompanied by silverware.
There have not been the slightest murmurs of discontent emanating from Stamford Bridge so one must assume that Jose had a free pass this season as long as minimum criteria such as CL qualification were met.
If however Mourinho gets the players he wants this Summer and Chelsea fail to develop next season and the football is at the same time shall we say, 'less than expansive' then one wonders whether Abramovich may be on the phone to Bayern asking whether they are bored with Pep yet.
Summing up, a season of progress or failure?
Overall, Chelsea fans should be happy but there is definitely a case for saying this was an opportunity missed.
The squad has a lot of promise with Hazard, Oscar and Willian in particular all capable of improving. Nemanda Matic has added balance to the midfield and with defensive stability still there, the adding of firepower upfront should make Chelsea a formidable prospect next season.
Compared to Bayern or the top 3 in Spain (although they look set to raid one of them) Chelsea look a level off in European terms but if Mourinho has not lost his touch and builds on this season then expectations next season should rightly be higher - No Nonsense.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Moyes debacle is the end product of a far wider United story.
Whilst professional football has always been at the least a costly hobby for the wealthy and a vehicle to get rich quick for many, it is really since the Sky era was ushered in that the unquenchable thirst for riches was truly unleashed.
Now what does all of that have to do with poor Davie Moyes you may ask? Because it is Manchester United's finances that have brought the club to where it is currently. It is a story that has played out over more than a decade but crystalised only in this season horribilus.
It is also worth noting that whilst Ferguson's legacy on the pitch for United is without parallel, his legacy off it is far from bullet proof.
After the Monopolies and Mergers committee had blocked Sky's takeover at the turn of the century, the majority owners at United were the Irish duo of JP McManus and John Magnier.
Ferguson entered into a private dispute with Magnier over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. This in turn led to a bitter boardroom battle with the other members seeking a party to buy out the duo who now intended to have Ferguson removed.
This of course led to the introduction of the Glazers and the leveraged buyout that followed and the large debt that the club accordingly assumed - so unpalatable to a huge number of United fans.
When the Glazers took control of the club, United were in rude health. They had a young Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand in his pomp and a still highly capable core group of Scholes, Keane, Neville and Giggs.
The Glazers also had an ally in a manager who had been more than tacit in ushering them in. It would seem unlikely the banks would have offered up the money had Ferguson not guaranteed his continued role and it also suited him hugely to have Magnier and McManus gone.
Now it clearly hasn't all been bad at United since the Glazers arrived with multiple Premiership titles and another Champions League trophy on the shelf.
During this period however, United have been a team in a slow but steady decline. Around the turn of the century, United's squad was truly fearsome and they routinely added players of the calibre of Jaap Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastien Veron (yes he flunked), Rio Ferdinand and the teenage prodigies of Rooney and Ronaldo.
They scoured Europe for the best players and paid huge fees to secure them. Few could compete.
There have been countless articles on the cost of financing United's debt since the Glazers took over by people far more qualified and informed than myself.
What is without question is that the structure of the Glazer's ownership has cost United an inordinate amount of money which could otherwise have been spent on players. The evaporation of the 80M for Ronaldo being a prime example.
In very basic terms, since the Glazers came in, there have been few players added to the squad who have been better than the ones they have replaced.
Since the beginning of their stewardship, United have lost Ronaldo (as mentioned above), Van Nistelrooy, Gary Neville and Roy Keane. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were both encouraged to play on into their dotage as there was simply not a better alternative.
Ferdinand and Vidic are set to leave now (they have both been in decline for some time already also) and the replacements again are not of their standard in their pomp.
Whilst David De Gea is steadily proving himself a worthy successor to Van Der Sar, few current players stand up to the burgeoning list of retirees and players moved on.
United are by various reports, one of the top three richest clubs in the world in terms of revenue and possibly the largest by valuation so what is the reason for the transfer policy that has brought us here?
Ferguson has constantly stated his support for the Glazers and that if he has asked for money, he has received it. One must come to the conclusion then that Ferguson's judgement has been poor for some time in the transfer market.
Or, the other explanation is that it has been a marriage of convenience where the club has patched its' team up for as long as it could keep winning given Ferguson's truly exceptional management skills.
In return for his coaxing the very best out of a declining squad, he was left with complete autonomy and could name his own retirment date and successor.
Of course it is true that Ferguson won the league last season with a team that has only since lost an already ineffective Paul Scholes and had since added Fellaini, Mata and Januzaj.
Ferguson's purchase of Van Persie for 24M looks more and more a short term selfish measure simply to ensure he went out on a high with little interest in what happened next.
Last season it would seem was a slightly bizarre one with Arsenal, City (in particular) and Chelsea all waiving United through to win the title without the remotest challenge.
Van Persie had an incredible first six months and it was a team highly capable of knowing how much to do to win. Had it been the Premiership of this season however it seems unlikely they would have won anything. Still they did and should be congratulated for doing so.
There were a huge amount of column inches written about how it was was one of the poorest United teams in many a year. Ferguson's assertion in his farewell speech that he was leaving the squad in the strongest of positions sounded laughable.
Everyone could see the cracks that were now becoming gaping holes.
Moyes' appointment outwardly seemed a sound enough one. United needed to rebuild to some degree and were looking for continuity whilst they did so. Here was another tough no nonsense Glaswegian who would be in it for the long run.
It made sense for the Glazers and Ferguson too. At Everton, Moyes had done a good job working on a budget and for the Glazers this was important.
United is not run like Real Madrid where everything is pumped back into the team smashing transfer records season after season, United is run nowadays for the share price, financial prudence is required.
For Ferguson too, whilst I'm sure he honestly believed Moyes to be a good candidate, he also offered up a solution that would probably not best his achievements in the short term.
That possibly sounds a bit egotistical even for Ferguson but one shouldn't underestimate how important that legacy is to a man such as he who has held dominion over all those around him for so long unchallenged.
Jose Mourinho was available and coveted the job. Mourinho however usually wants a sizeable transfer budget and is prone to winning trophies and lots of them which possibly suited neither the Glazers on the first part and Ferguson on the second.
Whilst the outward similarities between Moyes and Ferguson are obvious, the character differences appear to be marked.
Whilst at Aberdeen, Ferguson took the fight directly to the West of Scotland, roughing up Rangers and Celtic and in the process rocking the very establishment and winning trophies by the dozen.
Moyes at Everton simply couldn't cope with the teams that were above him.
Comparisons between the start of Ferguson's tenure at United and Moyes' own are also entirely irrelevant. Whilst results were mixed in both cases, Ferguson was steadily stamping his own authority all over the club as he rooted out the drinking culture. United were also coming from a far lower base.
Moyes by comparison seemed in limbo, he had neither disposed with nor managed to harness the existing talent that had provided Ferguson's backbone.
His own signings Fellaini and Mata had done nothing to improve things either. He was in no man's land.
I have to say I'm on the fence as to whether sacking Moyes right now was the right thing to do. Personally I'd have given him one more season but such is the nature of the Summer that faces United in the transfer market, could the Glazers really trust him with such a big job? Again however, that situation is not of Moyes' doing.
It is Ferguson and the Glazers that over time reduced the United squad to what it is today, substandard for the level that they wish to be at. It was also not David Moyes that allowed Ferguson and David Gill to both leave in tandem.
Ushering in a manager to replace the most successful of all time and giving him a rookie football CEO to assist him was folly to say the least. Whilst Gill is not and never has been involved in team matters, it seems unlikely that United would have fallen so quickly had he stayed on another season.
Certainly United's nonsensical Summer transfer woes would have transpired far differently had Gill still been around. Whilst there does seem to be some recurring noise surrounding the Fabregas deal, the majority of the deals mooted seemed unlikely at best.
United also backed themselves into a huge corner over the Wayne Rooney contract and have made an enormous financial commitment to a player fast approaching his thirties.
Whilst the Glazers may not wish to spend big, they simply are going to have to as success on the pitch is the cornerstone for the continued success of their investment regardless of United's size. Jose Mourinho seems more and more like a missed open goal.
Moyes' other failing was in his handling of the media. Ferguson was almost tyrannical in his dominance of the press, treating journalists with venom and scorn in equal measure.
Respected commentators such as Alan Green have felt the full force and Ferguson famously wouldn't speak to the BBC for the longest of times due to a documentary on his son's activities as an agent.
Moyes by contrast would appear entirely clueless offering no explanation for poor performances. Mourinho or Ferguson or even Benitez or Wenger would go on the attack, deflecting criticism often on to the officials or anyone else they could think of, often each other.
To hear Moyes suggest that Liverpool were favourites when they came to Old Trafford and that City 'were where United wanted to be' was simple media suicide.
Of course none of this is to say that United cannot recover and recover quickly. A season outside of the Champions League is far from a disaster for such an institution and even with the huge debt, the club's revenues are absurdly big.
Only Barca, Real, Bayern (and possibly AC Milan and Juve if Italian football recovers) can really hope to match them in that respect (although a newly crowned Liverpool with a bigger stadium on the way will have something to say about that too).
United's next appointment is clearly key. The two leading candidates - given that Klopp has ruled himself out - are very different people and managers.
Louis Van Gaal is the obvious choice given his freedom of contract from July and his track record. He is a huge presence, plays attacking football, is a serial winner but he can also be a divisive character. It would also be unlikely he would enjoy Ferguson's continued presence at Old Trafford.
This is of course another elephant in the room that few have really grappled with given Ferguson's lengthy shadow being cast often over Moyes at games. It clearly did Moyes no favours whatsoever.
Carlo Ancelotti offers a more middle of the road option. He is hugely popular wherever he goes and has a good record of coaxing performances from ageing players - he did so both at AC Milan and at Chelsea.
He offers stability, good football and great know how in the Champions League once United can find their way back to the top four.
Davie Moyes' reign at United will not be remembered fondly, indeed it will be oft mocked and his reputation will take time to rebuild, indeed going abroad as Bobby Robson and Steve McLaren did may be a good option.
It would however be churlish to place all of the blame at Moyes' door and not recognise the more than a decade process at United that inevitably led us here.
Whilst United's performances on the pitch reside solely with the players and the manager, Ferguson and his relationship with the Glazers did much to lead Moyes into what rapidly became the impossible job - No Nonsense.
Now what does all of that have to do with poor Davie Moyes you may ask? Because it is Manchester United's finances that have brought the club to where it is currently. It is a story that has played out over more than a decade but crystalised only in this season horribilus.
It is also worth noting that whilst Ferguson's legacy on the pitch for United is without parallel, his legacy off it is far from bullet proof.
After the Monopolies and Mergers committee had blocked Sky's takeover at the turn of the century, the majority owners at United were the Irish duo of JP McManus and John Magnier.
Ferguson entered into a private dispute with Magnier over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. This in turn led to a bitter boardroom battle with the other members seeking a party to buy out the duo who now intended to have Ferguson removed.
This of course led to the introduction of the Glazers and the leveraged buyout that followed and the large debt that the club accordingly assumed - so unpalatable to a huge number of United fans.
When the Glazers took control of the club, United were in rude health. They had a young Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand in his pomp and a still highly capable core group of Scholes, Keane, Neville and Giggs.
The Glazers also had an ally in a manager who had been more than tacit in ushering them in. It would seem unlikely the banks would have offered up the money had Ferguson not guaranteed his continued role and it also suited him hugely to have Magnier and McManus gone.
Now it clearly hasn't all been bad at United since the Glazers arrived with multiple Premiership titles and another Champions League trophy on the shelf.
During this period however, United have been a team in a slow but steady decline. Around the turn of the century, United's squad was truly fearsome and they routinely added players of the calibre of Jaap Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastien Veron (yes he flunked), Rio Ferdinand and the teenage prodigies of Rooney and Ronaldo.
They scoured Europe for the best players and paid huge fees to secure them. Few could compete.
There have been countless articles on the cost of financing United's debt since the Glazers took over by people far more qualified and informed than myself.
What is without question is that the structure of the Glazer's ownership has cost United an inordinate amount of money which could otherwise have been spent on players. The evaporation of the 80M for Ronaldo being a prime example.
In very basic terms, since the Glazers came in, there have been few players added to the squad who have been better than the ones they have replaced.
Since the beginning of their stewardship, United have lost Ronaldo (as mentioned above), Van Nistelrooy, Gary Neville and Roy Keane. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were both encouraged to play on into their dotage as there was simply not a better alternative.
Ferdinand and Vidic are set to leave now (they have both been in decline for some time already also) and the replacements again are not of their standard in their pomp.
Whilst David De Gea is steadily proving himself a worthy successor to Van Der Sar, few current players stand up to the burgeoning list of retirees and players moved on.
United are by various reports, one of the top three richest clubs in the world in terms of revenue and possibly the largest by valuation so what is the reason for the transfer policy that has brought us here?
Ferguson has constantly stated his support for the Glazers and that if he has asked for money, he has received it. One must come to the conclusion then that Ferguson's judgement has been poor for some time in the transfer market.
Or, the other explanation is that it has been a marriage of convenience where the club has patched its' team up for as long as it could keep winning given Ferguson's truly exceptional management skills.
In return for his coaxing the very best out of a declining squad, he was left with complete autonomy and could name his own retirment date and successor.
Of course it is true that Ferguson won the league last season with a team that has only since lost an already ineffective Paul Scholes and had since added Fellaini, Mata and Januzaj.
Ferguson's purchase of Van Persie for 24M looks more and more a short term selfish measure simply to ensure he went out on a high with little interest in what happened next.
Last season it would seem was a slightly bizarre one with Arsenal, City (in particular) and Chelsea all waiving United through to win the title without the remotest challenge.
Van Persie had an incredible first six months and it was a team highly capable of knowing how much to do to win. Had it been the Premiership of this season however it seems unlikely they would have won anything. Still they did and should be congratulated for doing so.
There were a huge amount of column inches written about how it was was one of the poorest United teams in many a year. Ferguson's assertion in his farewell speech that he was leaving the squad in the strongest of positions sounded laughable.
Everyone could see the cracks that were now becoming gaping holes.
Moyes' appointment outwardly seemed a sound enough one. United needed to rebuild to some degree and were looking for continuity whilst they did so. Here was another tough no nonsense Glaswegian who would be in it for the long run.
It made sense for the Glazers and Ferguson too. At Everton, Moyes had done a good job working on a budget and for the Glazers this was important.
United is not run like Real Madrid where everything is pumped back into the team smashing transfer records season after season, United is run nowadays for the share price, financial prudence is required.
For Ferguson too, whilst I'm sure he honestly believed Moyes to be a good candidate, he also offered up a solution that would probably not best his achievements in the short term.
That possibly sounds a bit egotistical even for Ferguson but one shouldn't underestimate how important that legacy is to a man such as he who has held dominion over all those around him for so long unchallenged.
Jose Mourinho was available and coveted the job. Mourinho however usually wants a sizeable transfer budget and is prone to winning trophies and lots of them which possibly suited neither the Glazers on the first part and Ferguson on the second.
Whilst the outward similarities between Moyes and Ferguson are obvious, the character differences appear to be marked.
Whilst at Aberdeen, Ferguson took the fight directly to the West of Scotland, roughing up Rangers and Celtic and in the process rocking the very establishment and winning trophies by the dozen.
Moyes at Everton simply couldn't cope with the teams that were above him.
Comparisons between the start of Ferguson's tenure at United and Moyes' own are also entirely irrelevant. Whilst results were mixed in both cases, Ferguson was steadily stamping his own authority all over the club as he rooted out the drinking culture. United were also coming from a far lower base.
Moyes by comparison seemed in limbo, he had neither disposed with nor managed to harness the existing talent that had provided Ferguson's backbone.
His own signings Fellaini and Mata had done nothing to improve things either. He was in no man's land.
I have to say I'm on the fence as to whether sacking Moyes right now was the right thing to do. Personally I'd have given him one more season but such is the nature of the Summer that faces United in the transfer market, could the Glazers really trust him with such a big job? Again however, that situation is not of Moyes' doing.
It is Ferguson and the Glazers that over time reduced the United squad to what it is today, substandard for the level that they wish to be at. It was also not David Moyes that allowed Ferguson and David Gill to both leave in tandem.
Ushering in a manager to replace the most successful of all time and giving him a rookie football CEO to assist him was folly to say the least. Whilst Gill is not and never has been involved in team matters, it seems unlikely that United would have fallen so quickly had he stayed on another season.
Certainly United's nonsensical Summer transfer woes would have transpired far differently had Gill still been around. Whilst there does seem to be some recurring noise surrounding the Fabregas deal, the majority of the deals mooted seemed unlikely at best.
United also backed themselves into a huge corner over the Wayne Rooney contract and have made an enormous financial commitment to a player fast approaching his thirties.
Whilst the Glazers may not wish to spend big, they simply are going to have to as success on the pitch is the cornerstone for the continued success of their investment regardless of United's size. Jose Mourinho seems more and more like a missed open goal.
Moyes' other failing was in his handling of the media. Ferguson was almost tyrannical in his dominance of the press, treating journalists with venom and scorn in equal measure.
Respected commentators such as Alan Green have felt the full force and Ferguson famously wouldn't speak to the BBC for the longest of times due to a documentary on his son's activities as an agent.
Moyes by contrast would appear entirely clueless offering no explanation for poor performances. Mourinho or Ferguson or even Benitez or Wenger would go on the attack, deflecting criticism often on to the officials or anyone else they could think of, often each other.
To hear Moyes suggest that Liverpool were favourites when they came to Old Trafford and that City 'were where United wanted to be' was simple media suicide.
Of course none of this is to say that United cannot recover and recover quickly. A season outside of the Champions League is far from a disaster for such an institution and even with the huge debt, the club's revenues are absurdly big.
Only Barca, Real, Bayern (and possibly AC Milan and Juve if Italian football recovers) can really hope to match them in that respect (although a newly crowned Liverpool with a bigger stadium on the way will have something to say about that too).
United's next appointment is clearly key. The two leading candidates - given that Klopp has ruled himself out - are very different people and managers.
Louis Van Gaal is the obvious choice given his freedom of contract from July and his track record. He is a huge presence, plays attacking football, is a serial winner but he can also be a divisive character. It would also be unlikely he would enjoy Ferguson's continued presence at Old Trafford.
This is of course another elephant in the room that few have really grappled with given Ferguson's lengthy shadow being cast often over Moyes at games. It clearly did Moyes no favours whatsoever.
Carlo Ancelotti offers a more middle of the road option. He is hugely popular wherever he goes and has a good record of coaxing performances from ageing players - he did so both at AC Milan and at Chelsea.
He offers stability, good football and great know how in the Champions League once United can find their way back to the top four.
Davie Moyes' reign at United will not be remembered fondly, indeed it will be oft mocked and his reputation will take time to rebuild, indeed going abroad as Bobby Robson and Steve McLaren did may be a good option.
It would however be churlish to place all of the blame at Moyes' door and not recognise the more than a decade process at United that inevitably led us here.
Whilst United's performances on the pitch reside solely with the players and the manager, Ferguson and his relationship with the Glazers did much to lead Moyes into what rapidly became the impossible job - No Nonsense.
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