Player plays for big club but doesn’t quite cut it.
So player moves to other big club.
Again, doesn’t quite cut it.
So player moves to another big club, albeit a lesser one.
The destination for Daniel Sturridge.
And now the destination for Mario Balotelli.
It’s remarkable how the careers of these two strikers both transpired to see them end up at Liverpool for their last chance saloon.
Both twenty three at the time.
Both with a lot to prove.
Both having failed to live up to expectations before.
Daniel will argue he wasn’t really given his chance at the Etihad.
In reality, he failed to make the grade at a top club who had a lot of talent at their disposal.
His time at the club will ultimately be looked upon as a failure.
Daniel will argue his wasn’t played in the right position at Stamford Bridge.
In reality, he failed to make the grade at a top club who despite having a lot of talent in the squad, actually struggled up front during his time there.
Again, his time at the club will ultimately be looked upon as a failure.
It was only when he took a step back to join Liverpool did he finally start to fulfill his potential.
He took his chance to light up a club that had finished mid-table three seasons in a row and helped catapult them up closer to where they belong.
Since joining Liverpool, Daniel has scored a quite remarkable 36 goals in 54 games.
He had only 38 goals before he signed and that was from 140 games.
Liverpool went from 8th to 2nd in just under two seasons.
Having only earned 1 cap in 6 and a half seasons at Manchester City and Chelsea, he then earned 15 caps and scored 5 goals in the past 18 months.
Played and scored in a World Cup.
Was selected in the PFA team of the season.
All signs that Daniel is finally ready to fulfill his potential.
All because he took his chance.
Had he not gone this way of course and gone the way he had of his days in blue, his next move would not have been a step forward.
A step back again.
Having already gone backward to a team finishing mid table, a step backward again would see Daniel well and truly out of the top drawer.
A long way back to the top from there.
Even a Champions League club is a long way from there in the Premier League.
And this is exactly the same situation that now faces Mario.
He came through the ranks at Internazionale.
The season they conquered all under Jose Mourinho, his chances were limited as he was continuously dropped from the squad for altercations.
Sold to Manchester City after a largely unsuccessful period in Italian football despite his team’s success.
A team on the up.
Soon to be Champions.
Soon to be too good for Mario to play a starring role.
Another step backward came as he returned to Milan.
This was his time to settle.
His big chance.
He was home.
A sleeping giant in need of waking up.
A giant who ended up happiest with Mario on the day he was sold.
From a £24 million player.
To a £20 million player.
To a £16 million player.
Mario has been missing his chances.
His next chance is to join forces with Daniel at Anfield.
To join Daniel on the same path he was on.
Join Daniel in the last chance saloon.
Mario now faces the same abyss that Daniel once faced.
His next move will be up to the level his new striking partner is hitting and a shot at fulfilling his potential.
Or a further step back to a team more suited to a good cup run and a shot at qualification for the Europa League if the season goes well.
Not much chance of him reaching his potential from there.
Not the same chance he has at Liverpool where after ten Premier League games he has yet to register a goal.
Not the start he would have wanted.
But far too early to make a call.
He hopes.
Brendan Rodgers needs him to start hitting the target.
And Mario needs to start hitting his targets.
His potential goal is being missed.
The same goal Daniel finally found at Anfield.
The same goal Mario must find soon...
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Monday, 13 October 2014
REPOST: Do us all a favour Robbie - Retire from international football, effective immediately.
After watching Ireland demolish Gibraltar this weekend, thanks in main to another man of the match performance from Robbie Keane, it reminded me of a post I wrote from November 14th, 2011. Almost 3 full years later, it seems even more relevant now than it did back under the Giovanni Trapattoni era - when a lot was been said about removing Robbie from the starting 11. Some even called for him to retire altogether. I could easily have written the exact piece this week with a few minor detail changes.
Do us all a favour Robbie - Retire from international football, effective immediately.
Thanks for everything Robbie.
You’ve done your best.
You really have.
But being honest - it just wasn’t quite good enough.
Now don’t you think it’s time you did us Irish a favour and retired from international football?
Preferably before the European Championships.
Preferably before Tuesday’s return leg against Estonia.
Let’s just say your performance in the first leg was the final straw.
Quite simply, you were muck.
I know you got 2 goals in an important match.
Again.
But 1 was a peno in fairness...
I know you set up Jon Walters with a brilliant cross.
As well as playing Stephen Hunt through to win the peno.
And you were also the player who drew the 2 fouls which saw 2 Estonians sent off.
But to be honest Robbie, I’m looking for more from an Irish striker these days than 2 goals, 1 and a half assists and getting 2 players sent off through your quickness of thought and speed of movement.
I want to see more to strikers in general than just goals and assists actually.
People will argue that you have 53 international goals.
More than Shearer, Owen, Lineker, Keegan or Charlton.
More than Rush, Hughes, Dalglish, Law or Best.
In fact, more than any British player.
Ever.
Even though most of them were playing for far superior teams than you at the time.
But I always just felt your goals came against lesser nations.
And while Ireland never had a player good enough to score against the lesser nations until you came along, it’s the big games that count.
Like a Play-Off for a major tournament.
People will say you played in 4 Play-Offs and scored in 4 Play-Offs.
But I see the fact that you only scored 5 goals from those 6 games as being the reason we didn’t qualify from more of them.
I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself that you scored 3 goals (plus 1 more in the shoot-out) in the World Cup in 2002 and they were big games.
But one of those was against Saudi Arabia.
I don’t even know where that is Robbie.
I’ll give you the goals against Germany and Spain.
You deserve some credit.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that you are only really capable of scoring at home.
Away games against Holland, Italy and France excluded of course.
Or that cracker you got against Holland when we won 1-0.
Cause that was only a friendly.
But now it’s time for change.
Kevin Doyle is a much better player anyway.
He is 28 now and although Mick McCarthy is the only manager to spend proper money on him, it was €7.5m well spent.
Unlike yourself, who has had Gordon Strachan, Marcello Lippi, Dave O’Leary, Glenn Hoddle, Rafa Benitez and Harry Redknapp spend over €90m on you.
Kevin could get a move to someone like Internazionale, it’s just Wolves won’t sell him, that’s all.
Then there’s Shane Long as well.
23 goals in the Championship and West Bromwich Albion immediately threw €5.2m at Reading for him.
Yes Robbie, West Bromwich Albion.
And now we also have Leon Best.
He’s scored in 2 separate games in the Premier League this season.
He must start.
Along with Jon Walters.
He is also 28 and despite the fact that when you were 28 you had 33 internationals to your name, this guy has scored 3 goals in the Premier League this season.
3 goals Robbie.
He has to start ahead of you.
So, I appreciate your commitment and loyalty to the Irish side over the past 14 seasons but really, we’re not looking for someone who will turn up for every game and give 100% commitment no matter what.
You have given more to this country on the football pitch than anyone could ever ask of a player and have never once complained - but it’s time to move on now Robbie.
So all the Irish supporters who aren’t ‘fans’ of yours can experience what it’s going to be like when we’re well and truly fucked without you...
Do us all a favour Robbie - Retire from international football, effective immediately.
Thanks for everything Robbie.
You’ve done your best.
You really have.
But being honest - it just wasn’t quite good enough.
Now don’t you think it’s time you did us Irish a favour and retired from international football?
Preferably before the European Championships.
Preferably before Tuesday’s return leg against Estonia.
Let’s just say your performance in the first leg was the final straw.
Quite simply, you were muck.
I know you got 2 goals in an important match.
Again.
But 1 was a peno in fairness...
I know you set up Jon Walters with a brilliant cross.
As well as playing Stephen Hunt through to win the peno.
And you were also the player who drew the 2 fouls which saw 2 Estonians sent off.
But to be honest Robbie, I’m looking for more from an Irish striker these days than 2 goals, 1 and a half assists and getting 2 players sent off through your quickness of thought and speed of movement.
I want to see more to strikers in general than just goals and assists actually.
People will argue that you have 53 international goals.
More than Shearer, Owen, Lineker, Keegan or Charlton.
More than Rush, Hughes, Dalglish, Law or Best.
In fact, more than any British player.
Ever.
Even though most of them were playing for far superior teams than you at the time.
But I always just felt your goals came against lesser nations.
And while Ireland never had a player good enough to score against the lesser nations until you came along, it’s the big games that count.
Like a Play-Off for a major tournament.
People will say you played in 4 Play-Offs and scored in 4 Play-Offs.
But I see the fact that you only scored 5 goals from those 6 games as being the reason we didn’t qualify from more of them.
I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself that you scored 3 goals (plus 1 more in the shoot-out) in the World Cup in 2002 and they were big games.
But one of those was against Saudi Arabia.
I don’t even know where that is Robbie.
I’ll give you the goals against Germany and Spain.
You deserve some credit.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that you are only really capable of scoring at home.
Away games against Holland, Italy and France excluded of course.
Or that cracker you got against Holland when we won 1-0.
Cause that was only a friendly.
But now it’s time for change.
Kevin Doyle is a much better player anyway.
He is 28 now and although Mick McCarthy is the only manager to spend proper money on him, it was €7.5m well spent.
Unlike yourself, who has had Gordon Strachan, Marcello Lippi, Dave O’Leary, Glenn Hoddle, Rafa Benitez and Harry Redknapp spend over €90m on you.
Kevin could get a move to someone like Internazionale, it’s just Wolves won’t sell him, that’s all.
Then there’s Shane Long as well.
23 goals in the Championship and West Bromwich Albion immediately threw €5.2m at Reading for him.
Yes Robbie, West Bromwich Albion.
And now we also have Leon Best.
He’s scored in 2 separate games in the Premier League this season.
He must start.
Along with Jon Walters.
He is also 28 and despite the fact that when you were 28 you had 33 internationals to your name, this guy has scored 3 goals in the Premier League this season.
3 goals Robbie.
He has to start ahead of you.
So, I appreciate your commitment and loyalty to the Irish side over the past 14 seasons but really, we’re not looking for someone who will turn up for every game and give 100% commitment no matter what.
You have given more to this country on the football pitch than anyone could ever ask of a player and have never once complained - but it’s time to move on now Robbie.
So all the Irish supporters who aren’t ‘fans’ of yours can experience what it’s going to be like when we’re well and truly fucked without you...
Monday, 6 October 2014
The Class of Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck.
Galatasary.
6 chances.
3 goals.
Man of the match.
Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea.
0 chances.
0 goals.
Non existent in the match.
The two sides of Danny Welbeck beautifully illustrated in the space of 4 days.
From the moment Danny joined Arsenal we have seen his career perform like a heart monitor.
Shot up after his two goal salvo for England against Switzerland.
Straight back down for his debut miss at Manchester City.
A hat trick in the Champions League.
Then absolutely nothing during the game with Chelsea.
Never more beautifully did he illustrate how he is such a class player - just not a world class player.
Danny can produce brilliantly like against Galatasary on Wednesday when he became only the sixth Englishman to score a Champions League hat-trick.
Then get completely nullified four days later on Sunday when he played against a top quality side.
Just like last month when he scored against last season’s fifteenth placed Aston Villa.
And was then completely shut-out when he played the champions Manchester City.
A lot has been said of one of the most surprising deals of transfer deadline day in recent weeks.
Mainly from Arsenal fans.
Who reacted on twitter with many feelings - bewilderment included.
Their team had just spent £16m on a player who often attracted derision from fans outside of the Old Trafford.
Derision from fans inside at times too.
They needed a striker, badly.
With Arsene Wenger off refereeing a charity match in Rome, the Gunners faithful feared the worse with just hours to go before the window closed.
No mention of a striker for weeks until suddenly Danny Welbeck’s name cropped up.
He was a striker alright.
Just not a very good one.
Or at least that’s what they had thought.
His record suggested he wasn’t what their team needed.
Games for Manchester United - 142.
Goals for Manchester United - 29.
Hardly figures to set even the most optimistic of supporter’s imagination alight.
The reaction of Manchester United’s fans suggested otherwise.
Respected pundits such as Gary Neville questioned the sale.
Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, David Beckham too.
Even Mike Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson’s right hand man came out against the decision of Louis Van Gaal.
A decision make entirely by Louis Van Gaal.
For Louis Van Gaal.
And for Manchester United.
Louis has come in to this massive club and now needs to stamp his authority.
He will have looked at the reactions of said former players and known every one of them came from the Sir Alex Ferguson school of thought.
And under the great Scotsman, Danny would not have been sold.
At least not yet.
But life is different now and Louis is not cut from the same cloth.
He has no sentimentality towards players who came through the ranks at the club having been there since the age of 10.
He is a lot more black and white than that.
He will have seen the stat of 29 goals in 142 games.
The problem for Danny is he will have looked at the stat of 155 goals in 200 games as well.
Radamel Falcao’s return since he came to Europe is astonishing.
He hasn’t stopped scoring since he arrived on the continent.
Lighting up the teams of Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco.
Costing the French side £51m last summer.
A return of 35 goals in his 41 games in European competition.
His two seasons in Europe’s best league saw a return of 24 and 28 league goals.
36 and 34 overall.
In every season he played in Europe bar the one season not finished due to his cruciate ligament injury, he has scored more goals than Danny has scored in his 6 years at Manchester United in total.
Every season.
34, 38, 36, 34.
Compared to an overall of 29.
Danny is just not in the same league.
Not even close.
Excuses can be made of how Danny has been forced to play out wide in far too many games before.
He has craved this central role that he will get at Arsenal.
But Falcao wasn’t played out wide to accommodate Diego Costa at Atletico Madrid.
The same Diego Costa who would go on to score 36 goals the following season.
That’s not what managers do with world class players.
They do that with players like Danny Welbeck.
They even sell players like Danny for sums as paltry as £16m.
A great price for Arsenal to pay.
A price that got them a great striker.
Just not one as good as Falcao...
Monday, 22 September 2014
Forget Manchester City and Chelsea - Manchester United are back.
Manchester United are back.
And back big time.
Not that they were really ever gone mind.
It’s just now the fears of them actually going away have been extinguished.
For anyone who ever had any doubt - Louis Van Gaal gave them one hundred and fifty four million reasons this summer.
Each single reason a pound.
A single currency that appears to be Manchester United’s new way of thinking.
Although very much their old one when you give it a moment’s thought.
A lot has been said about how United have become the new Manchester City.
Or the new Chelsea.
Even the new Real Madrid with the phrase ‘The Galáticos’ being replaced with ‘The Gaaláticos’.
Truth is, they were always that.
They just hadn’t flexed this muscle as often in the previous few seasons.
There were clubs who spent more than United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure, sure.
But United were invariably coming from a healthy position of talent.
When they had to spend big to address any discrepancies they may have had - they did.
Sir Alex Ferguson broke the British transfer record five times alone.
Five times.
The only reason it’s not six is because Robinho signed the same night as Dimitar Berbatov.
The Brazilian forward becoming the first major signing to symbolise Manchester City’s ‘buying success’ period.
He cost a mere £1.75 million more than what their city rivals had just paid.
The following summers saw an increase in City’s spending but only because they were starting from a distance back.
They needed to play catch-up first to obtain success before they could try sustain it.
A much more expensive game.
A game of heavy spending that inflation has a habit of distorting.
But just as Chelsea or Manchester City needed to do so of late - United needed to play catch up on Arsenal in the summer of 1998.
It was a huge summer.
A £27 million size summer.
Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam, Jasper Blomqvist all bought in.
Almost triple the amount spent by their nearest rivals.
An historic treble followed.
A treble funded by the largest outlay any English club had green lighted before.
Manchester City have been the most recent club accused of buying success.
But it’s been a long time since a team hasn’t.
The last of the non ‘big’ teams to win the league was Blackburn Rovers.
Bankrolled by the treasure chest of Jack Walker, they paid huge sums for various players at the time.
The British transfer record was broke to bring Alan Shearer to Ewood Park before they won the title.
Job done.
There’s even teams in the Premier League who have spent massive amounts to ‘buy success’ yet just haven’t achieved the desired results that go with this expression of intended derision.
Liverpool have spent more than Manchester United in the Premier League era.
Tottenham Hotspur have spent more than Arsenal.
The only difference between what they did and Manchester City or Chelsea did is the amount spent in the first few seasons of this ‘new’ money.
Playing catch-up meant they had to spend big to jump up to a level playing field with the established clubs.
But just as this season sees Manchester City spending only £50 million compared to their previous larger amounts - a plateau invariably occurs.
Resulting in spending now that equates little difference to the regular spends of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Tottenham of certain periods in the last 22 years.
£154 million was a huge outlay.
And one suspects there will be more money spent come January and next summer.
But it’s no different to breaking the British transfer record to bring Juan Sebastien Veron to the club for £28.1 million in 2001.
Nor is it any different to breaking the world transfer record for a defender when they brought in Rio Ferdinand for £29.1 million in 2002.
Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Ruud Van Nistelrooy the same.
All 5 times Sir Alex Ferguson broke the British transfer record was an example of a big club buying success.
It’s been that way for a long, long time.
Manchester United haven’t become the new Chelsea.
Haven’t become the new Manchester City either.
And they certainly haven’t sold their soul.
They’re just back to their traditional Manchester United selves.
The original big spenders of the Premier League.
Intent on buying success again...
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Mark's Noble Decision
Mark Noble is eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland.
He was born in England.
He has played for England.
He has even captained England.
But his Grandparents are Irish.
According to FIFA, this makes him eligible.
It’s that simple.
If Mark was to play for the Republic of Ireland in their next game against Gibraltar - nobody could have a problem.
Not the English FA.
Not the FA of Ireland.
Neither UEFA nor FIFA.
Nobody could have a problem at all.
Nobody except Mark that is.
After all is said and done, with rulebooks checked and applications processed, there remains only one simple hurdle in the path of the player playing for the birth country of his Grandparents.
Mark Noble does not want to play for the Republic of Ireland.
Or perhaps more pertinently, Mark Noble does not want to play for the Republic of Ireland, yet.
And it’s the use of the word ‘yet’ that has turned this story into a debate.
Dave Kitson was available to represent the Irish national side.
He made it clear from the beginning that he didn’t feel Irish and didn’t feel it would be right to play for Ireland.
He falls into the category of ‘not wanting to play for Ireland’.
So too, do Zat Knight, Anton Ferdinand and Curtis Davis.
All players eligible to play for Ireland.
All players who’d rather have represented their country of birth and were prepared to finish their careers uncapped than represent the birth country of a member of their family.
The difference between all of them and Mark of course, is the little word ‘yet’.
Mark has already told us he would rather play for England.
He has told us this for many years.
And for that he deserved respect.
He was biding his time for an opportunity.
But as the door opened with the retirement of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, it subsequently closed with the call-ups of Jack Colback and Fabian Delph.
This was the chance Mark had waited for.
Instead it went to two younger, fresher midfielders.
If Mark wants to play international football, he will most probably now have to switch allegiance.
A topic which is not unfamiliar.
The Republic of Ireland have benefited aplenty in the past.
Most nations have at some stage.
Only last year did a tug of war take place between Spain and Brazil for the services of Diego Costa.
The same Spain and Brazil who were favourites to lift the World Cup.
Diego had the opportunity to play for both and chose Spain.
He turned down the chance to play for Brazil in a World Cup in Brazil.
That’s how much he wanted to play for the Spanish national team.
Winners of the actual tournament Germany, had two Polish born players.
Runners-up Argentina had a Frenchman.
Third place Netherlands had players born in Portugal, Canada and Switzerland.
But for every Miroslav Klose, Lucas Podolski and Gonzalo Higuain - there is a Kevin Prince-Boateng.
Mercenary extraordinaire.
At the age of 27, he has amassed a grand total of fifteen caps for Ghana.
Seven of which came in World Cup tournaments.
Five in World Cup build up games.
And only three other ‘non World Cup related’ appearances.
You get the feeling if he was in Mark’s situation, he might wait until the Euro 2016 campaign starts to show more than just promise.
No show of national pride like in the case of Diego, who turned down the opportunity of playing for his country of birth at a World Cup in his country of birth.
You don’t get much more noble than that.
Not every switch of allegiance is as extreme a case of course.
For every Kevin-Prince, there is a Kevin Kilbane, a Clinton Morrison and a Paul Butler.
The question of Mark’s ability compared to these guys should be asked.
Not his ability on the football pitch mind.
His ability to affect the Irish squad.
Of which he can affect massively.
Just maybe not in a positive way.
Or just maybe not in a positive way, yet...
He was born in England.
He has played for England.
He has even captained England.
But his Grandparents are Irish.
According to FIFA, this makes him eligible.
It’s that simple.
If Mark was to play for the Republic of Ireland in their next game against Gibraltar - nobody could have a problem.
Not the English FA.
Not the FA of Ireland.
Neither UEFA nor FIFA.
Nobody could have a problem at all.
Nobody except Mark that is.
After all is said and done, with rulebooks checked and applications processed, there remains only one simple hurdle in the path of the player playing for the birth country of his Grandparents.
Mark Noble does not want to play for the Republic of Ireland.
Or perhaps more pertinently, Mark Noble does not want to play for the Republic of Ireland, yet.
And it’s the use of the word ‘yet’ that has turned this story into a debate.
Dave Kitson was available to represent the Irish national side.
He made it clear from the beginning that he didn’t feel Irish and didn’t feel it would be right to play for Ireland.
He falls into the category of ‘not wanting to play for Ireland’.
So too, do Zat Knight, Anton Ferdinand and Curtis Davis.
All players eligible to play for Ireland.
All players who’d rather have represented their country of birth and were prepared to finish their careers uncapped than represent the birth country of a member of their family.
The difference between all of them and Mark of course, is the little word ‘yet’.
Mark has already told us he would rather play for England.
He has told us this for many years.
And for that he deserved respect.
He was biding his time for an opportunity.
But as the door opened with the retirement of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, it subsequently closed with the call-ups of Jack Colback and Fabian Delph.
This was the chance Mark had waited for.
Instead it went to two younger, fresher midfielders.
If Mark wants to play international football, he will most probably now have to switch allegiance.
A topic which is not unfamiliar.
The Republic of Ireland have benefited aplenty in the past.
Most nations have at some stage.
Only last year did a tug of war take place between Spain and Brazil for the services of Diego Costa.
The same Spain and Brazil who were favourites to lift the World Cup.
Diego had the opportunity to play for both and chose Spain.
He turned down the chance to play for Brazil in a World Cup in Brazil.
That’s how much he wanted to play for the Spanish national team.
Winners of the actual tournament Germany, had two Polish born players.
Runners-up Argentina had a Frenchman.
Third place Netherlands had players born in Portugal, Canada and Switzerland.
But for every Miroslav Klose, Lucas Podolski and Gonzalo Higuain - there is a Kevin Prince-Boateng.
Mercenary extraordinaire.
At the age of 27, he has amassed a grand total of fifteen caps for Ghana.
Seven of which came in World Cup tournaments.
Five in World Cup build up games.
And only three other ‘non World Cup related’ appearances.
You get the feeling if he was in Mark’s situation, he might wait until the Euro 2016 campaign starts to show more than just promise.
No show of national pride like in the case of Diego, who turned down the opportunity of playing for his country of birth at a World Cup in his country of birth.
You don’t get much more noble than that.
Not every switch of allegiance is as extreme a case of course.
For every Kevin-Prince, there is a Kevin Kilbane, a Clinton Morrison and a Paul Butler.
The question of Mark’s ability compared to these guys should be asked.
Not his ability on the football pitch mind.
His ability to affect the Irish squad.
Of which he can affect massively.
Just maybe not in a positive way.
Or just maybe not in a positive way, yet...
Monday, 1 September 2014
Does England Have The Premier League?
The hyperbole machine is in full flow this month.
We’ve been told the best league in the world has returned.
We’ve been told the most entertaining league in the world has returned.
We’ve been told the most competitive league in the world has returned.
Problem is - We’re just not sure if it’s returned to England.
The Premier League hyperbole machine will tell us it has of course.
They’ll tell us just about anything about how eminent the league is.
But it continuously fails to mention the most pertinent description it can offer - the best branded league in the world.
The Premier League has an awful lot going for it.
Most fans.
Most watched.
Most money.
Off the pitch it’s unbeatable.
It’s on the pitch the problems lie.
Season after season the best the Premier League has to offer seems to be off to La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first major talent to leave in recent seasons.
Manchester United’s main man.
He was followed by Cesc Fabrages.
Arsenal’s main man.
Gareth Bale then picked up both player of the year awards.
Then promptly picked up and left.
The trend continued this summer when multiple player of the year award winner Luis Suarez landed in Barcelona.
Yet when we look at the reverse transfer dealings, it’s not the top players or star men of Spanish clubs that head for the shores of England.
As usual, Diego Costa aside, it was another summer of England’s finest picking off what Spain’s finest decided to cast off.
Barcelona decided Cesc Fabregas was surplus to requirements after they signed Suarez.
Alexis Sanchez too.
Much like when Bale arrived last summer and Mesut Ozil was allowed to leave, this year it was the turn of Angel DiMaria who was free to go.
Available for transfer only after Real Madrid had sufficiently bolstered their squad with the best there was to offer.
When it comes to individual awards, the English league’s top players rarely feature either.
Since 2010, only Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic have made the FIFPro team of the year.
Not that the Germans or Italians have featured prominently either.
It’s the Spanish who have dominated completely.
Of the 44 players chosen since the turn of the decade, 34 have come from the Spanish league.
32 players more than the ‘best league in the world’.
Of course, It’s not just the players who make the league.
The teams are primary.
And right now it’s hard to look past the elite of the Spanish and German leagues.
An all Spanish affair in the final of the Champions League last season.
An all German affair the season before.
In fact, if it wasn’t for Chelsea flying the flag for the Premier League, it would be pretty poor reading in the Champions League over the past three seasons.
Manchester City have gone out in the group stages twice and the last 16 once.
Manchester United have gone out in the group stages, the last 16 and the quarter finals.
While Arsenal have not made it past the last 16 any of the seasons.
Even Chelsea, with their triumph 3 seasons ago have exited the competition at the group stage too.
Hardly statistics to back up the title of best league in the world.
Hyperbole will argue that the Premier League is more competitive of course.
It’s only the big two in Spain and the big one in Germany.
A quick look back over the last 10 years reveal otherwise.
All three countries have had a dominant club in the league - Manchester United (5 times winners), Barcelona (6), Bayern Munich (6).
Followed by a secondary team - Chelsea (3), Real Madrid (3), Borussia Dortmund (2).
And some less successful clubs - Manchester City (2), Atletico Madrid (1), Wolfsburg (1) and Schalke (1).
Tough to argue it’s more competitive when only 3 teams have won the league in the last 1o years - the same as it’s La Liga counterparts and 1 less then the Bundesliga.
The battle for the Champions League places, or top four, is even less compelling reading.
Only 7 teams have qualified from England in the last 10 years.
The supposedly less competitive nation of Germany has had 9 qualifiers.
The supposedly even less competitive Spanish league has had 12.
Examining the top 4 of each league last season pours further cold water on the argument of competitiveness.
The top 4 in the Premier League dropped a combined total of 125 points last season.
Only 3 points more than the combined total of the top 4 in both Spain and Germany - equal on 122.
Hardly convincing evidence that the other leagues are dominated by just the elite.
A look further down the league tables suggests the strength lies in the other two leagues as well.
In the last 3 seasons 5 teams from Spain have made the semi-finals of the Europa League, winning it twice.
Just the 1 English representative here - Chelsea again.
In the week that Hull City crashed out before the group stages even begun, it was another reminder of what little success English clubs have had of late compared to their Spanish counterparts.
It’s not all grim reading of course.
The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal are still up there with the best in the world.
Likewise players such as Angel DiMaria, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez.
Even the clubs that have competed in the Europa League from England are good clubs who have had success in the past.
All pointing to England’s elite competition being one of the best in the world.
But that’s not being questioned.
The English League is no doubt up there with the best in the world.
It may be that it’s just not the premier league...
We’ve been told the best league in the world has returned.
We’ve been told the most entertaining league in the world has returned.
We’ve been told the most competitive league in the world has returned.
Problem is - We’re just not sure if it’s returned to England.
The Premier League hyperbole machine will tell us it has of course.
They’ll tell us just about anything about how eminent the league is.
But it continuously fails to mention the most pertinent description it can offer - the best branded league in the world.
The Premier League has an awful lot going for it.
Most fans.
Most watched.
Most money.
Off the pitch it’s unbeatable.
It’s on the pitch the problems lie.
Season after season the best the Premier League has to offer seems to be off to La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first major talent to leave in recent seasons.
Manchester United’s main man.
He was followed by Cesc Fabrages.
Arsenal’s main man.
Gareth Bale then picked up both player of the year awards.
Then promptly picked up and left.
The trend continued this summer when multiple player of the year award winner Luis Suarez landed in Barcelona.
Yet when we look at the reverse transfer dealings, it’s not the top players or star men of Spanish clubs that head for the shores of England.
As usual, Diego Costa aside, it was another summer of England’s finest picking off what Spain’s finest decided to cast off.
Barcelona decided Cesc Fabregas was surplus to requirements after they signed Suarez.
Alexis Sanchez too.
Much like when Bale arrived last summer and Mesut Ozil was allowed to leave, this year it was the turn of Angel DiMaria who was free to go.
Available for transfer only after Real Madrid had sufficiently bolstered their squad with the best there was to offer.
When it comes to individual awards, the English league’s top players rarely feature either.
Since 2010, only Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic have made the FIFPro team of the year.
Not that the Germans or Italians have featured prominently either.
It’s the Spanish who have dominated completely.
Of the 44 players chosen since the turn of the decade, 34 have come from the Spanish league.
32 players more than the ‘best league in the world’.
Of course, It’s not just the players who make the league.
The teams are primary.
And right now it’s hard to look past the elite of the Spanish and German leagues.
An all Spanish affair in the final of the Champions League last season.
An all German affair the season before.
In fact, if it wasn’t for Chelsea flying the flag for the Premier League, it would be pretty poor reading in the Champions League over the past three seasons.
Manchester City have gone out in the group stages twice and the last 16 once.
Manchester United have gone out in the group stages, the last 16 and the quarter finals.
While Arsenal have not made it past the last 16 any of the seasons.
Even Chelsea, with their triumph 3 seasons ago have exited the competition at the group stage too.
Hardly statistics to back up the title of best league in the world.
Hyperbole will argue that the Premier League is more competitive of course.
It’s only the big two in Spain and the big one in Germany.
A quick look back over the last 10 years reveal otherwise.
All three countries have had a dominant club in the league - Manchester United (5 times winners), Barcelona (6), Bayern Munich (6).
Followed by a secondary team - Chelsea (3), Real Madrid (3), Borussia Dortmund (2).
And some less successful clubs - Manchester City (2), Atletico Madrid (1), Wolfsburg (1) and Schalke (1).
Tough to argue it’s more competitive when only 3 teams have won the league in the last 1o years - the same as it’s La Liga counterparts and 1 less then the Bundesliga.
The battle for the Champions League places, or top four, is even less compelling reading.
Only 7 teams have qualified from England in the last 10 years.
The supposedly less competitive nation of Germany has had 9 qualifiers.
The supposedly even less competitive Spanish league has had 12.
Examining the top 4 of each league last season pours further cold water on the argument of competitiveness.
The top 4 in the Premier League dropped a combined total of 125 points last season.
Only 3 points more than the combined total of the top 4 in both Spain and Germany - equal on 122.
Hardly convincing evidence that the other leagues are dominated by just the elite.
A look further down the league tables suggests the strength lies in the other two leagues as well.
In the last 3 seasons 5 teams from Spain have made the semi-finals of the Europa League, winning it twice.
Just the 1 English representative here - Chelsea again.
In the week that Hull City crashed out before the group stages even begun, it was another reminder of what little success English clubs have had of late compared to their Spanish counterparts.
It’s not all grim reading of course.
The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal are still up there with the best in the world.
Likewise players such as Angel DiMaria, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez.
Even the clubs that have competed in the Europa League from England are good clubs who have had success in the past.
All pointing to England’s elite competition being one of the best in the world.
But that’s not being questioned.
The English League is no doubt up there with the best in the world.
It may be that it’s just not the premier league...
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Mourinho could manage Manchester United’s expectations
Nigel Adkins was relieved of his managerial duties last week following a noteworthy tenure.
Southampton had just completed back-to-back promotions and at the first time of asking, have given themselves a real chance of staying up as they reached the midway point of the Premier League.
Give this option to any Southampton supporter two seasons ago and they would have snapped your hand off.
He didn’t need years to lay foundations and build from the ground up.
He didn’t have substantial backing.
He didn’t even have much time.
Yet Nigel could not have achieved much more.
Not so long ago, Tottenham Hotspur were struggling in the relegation zone when they moved for Harry Redknapp.
In four seasons at the club, Harry finished 4th, 5th, 4th and even managed to take the club to the quarter finals of the Champions League.
No lengthy regime.
No extensive rebuilding project.
No complaint from Spurs fans.
As for David Moyes, he is highly regarded for his achievements at Everton.
Ten seasons of stability is all he has really achieved though.
Despite being in the Premier League for his entire reign, selling numerous players for vast sums, David has never won a major honour for them.
This during a period where clubs like Blackburn, Portsmouth, Birmingham and even Middlesborough have won silverware of some sort.
All of whom have had various candidates at their helm.
Then there’s Jose Mourinho.
It’s been nine seasons since Roman Abramovich took over at Chelsea.
In that time, Roman has hired or fired nine different managers.
His first appointment was Jose.
While his treatment of a selection of these managers, namely the special one, has sparked vociferous debate in the stands - his methods have proved massively successful.
Chelsea hadn’t won the league in fifty years.
The only time they’d won it.
Three times they’ve won it under Roman now.
Last season they went one better.
Adding their first ever Champions League to the trophy cabinet.
In fact, they’ve qualified for the tournament every season Roman has overseen proceedings.
Coupled with four FA cups, two league cups and on numerous occasions reached the final four of Europe’s elite competition.
Jose was responsible for five of those major honours.
Not a bad period at all.
And no comparison with their former rivals Arsenal - the epitome of stability in the modern era.
Arsene Wenger has governed every single aspect of Arsenal football club for sixteen straight seasons now.
He has full control in decisions made yet hasn’t managed a major honour in his previous eight campaigns.
No contest when it comes to finance.
And no contest when it comes to success.
The idea that a manager must embody longevity is a distinctly British one - throughout the major European leagues anyway.
Since Sir Alex took over at Old Trafford, Bayern Munich have had twenty managers.
Ajax Amsterdam eighteen.
FC Porto the same.
All clubs dominating their domestic leagues as well as conquering Europe throughout this period.
A similar picture in Italy too.
Juventus fourteen.
AC Milan sixteen.
Internazionale as much as twenty seven.
All hugely successful in Serie ‘A’.
All winners of the Champions League during Fergie time.
Then comes the biggest club of all.
Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho’s home right now.
The Spanish giants have had twenty five managers since Sir Alex took up his reigns.
Won eleven La Liga titles.
Three Champions Leagues.
Plus numerous World Club Cups, European Super Cups and Copa Del Reys.
Never one to have a problem with moving on a manager at seasons end - no matter how successful.
Fabio Capello won the league yet didn’t do it stylishly enough.
Jupp Heynckes won the Champions League in his only season in charge.
Vicente Del Bosque won two and it still wasn’t enough for him to retain his job.
Yet despite all this, Real Madrid remain the most successful club in the world.
Even more remarkable is that by the end of this season, Jose should be their third longest serving manager in their one hundred and ten year history.
He has had two and a half campaigns so far.
Brought in to end Josep Guardiola’s Barcelona dominance - labelled the greatest club side of all time.
It took Jose just one season before he started to overturn the Catalan giants.
No better manager in the world to undertake such a massive challenge.
And it will be a similar challenge that faces the next Manchester United manager - taking over from a man who has been in charge for almost thirty years.
How to find the next Alex Ferguson is the question people keep asking.
Not a job that Jose seems made for.
But what they should really be asking - is who will manage Manchester United next?
And expect Jose to be able to manage that...
Southampton had just completed back-to-back promotions and at the first time of asking, have given themselves a real chance of staying up as they reached the midway point of the Premier League.
Give this option to any Southampton supporter two seasons ago and they would have snapped your hand off.
He didn’t need years to lay foundations and build from the ground up.
He didn’t have substantial backing.
He didn’t even have much time.
Yet Nigel could not have achieved much more.
Not so long ago, Tottenham Hotspur were struggling in the relegation zone when they moved for Harry Redknapp.
In four seasons at the club, Harry finished 4th, 5th, 4th and even managed to take the club to the quarter finals of the Champions League.
No lengthy regime.
No extensive rebuilding project.
No complaint from Spurs fans.
As for David Moyes, he is highly regarded for his achievements at Everton.
Ten seasons of stability is all he has really achieved though.
Despite being in the Premier League for his entire reign, selling numerous players for vast sums, David has never won a major honour for them.
This during a period where clubs like Blackburn, Portsmouth, Birmingham and even Middlesborough have won silverware of some sort.
All of whom have had various candidates at their helm.
Then there’s Jose Mourinho.
It’s been nine seasons since Roman Abramovich took over at Chelsea.
In that time, Roman has hired or fired nine different managers.
His first appointment was Jose.
While his treatment of a selection of these managers, namely the special one, has sparked vociferous debate in the stands - his methods have proved massively successful.
Chelsea hadn’t won the league in fifty years.
The only time they’d won it.
Three times they’ve won it under Roman now.
Last season they went one better.
Adding their first ever Champions League to the trophy cabinet.
In fact, they’ve qualified for the tournament every season Roman has overseen proceedings.
Coupled with four FA cups, two league cups and on numerous occasions reached the final four of Europe’s elite competition.
Jose was responsible for five of those major honours.
Not a bad period at all.
And no comparison with their former rivals Arsenal - the epitome of stability in the modern era.
Arsene Wenger has governed every single aspect of Arsenal football club for sixteen straight seasons now.
He has full control in decisions made yet hasn’t managed a major honour in his previous eight campaigns.
No contest when it comes to finance.
And no contest when it comes to success.
The idea that a manager must embody longevity is a distinctly British one - throughout the major European leagues anyway.
Since Sir Alex took over at Old Trafford, Bayern Munich have had twenty managers.
Ajax Amsterdam eighteen.
FC Porto the same.
All clubs dominating their domestic leagues as well as conquering Europe throughout this period.
A similar picture in Italy too.
Juventus fourteen.
AC Milan sixteen.
Internazionale as much as twenty seven.
All hugely successful in Serie ‘A’.
All winners of the Champions League during Fergie time.
Then comes the biggest club of all.
Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho’s home right now.
The Spanish giants have had twenty five managers since Sir Alex took up his reigns.
Won eleven La Liga titles.
Three Champions Leagues.
Plus numerous World Club Cups, European Super Cups and Copa Del Reys.
Never one to have a problem with moving on a manager at seasons end - no matter how successful.
Fabio Capello won the league yet didn’t do it stylishly enough.
Jupp Heynckes won the Champions League in his only season in charge.
Vicente Del Bosque won two and it still wasn’t enough for him to retain his job.
Yet despite all this, Real Madrid remain the most successful club in the world.
Even more remarkable is that by the end of this season, Jose should be their third longest serving manager in their one hundred and ten year history.
He has had two and a half campaigns so far.
Brought in to end Josep Guardiola’s Barcelona dominance - labelled the greatest club side of all time.
It took Jose just one season before he started to overturn the Catalan giants.
No better manager in the world to undertake such a massive challenge.
And it will be a similar challenge that faces the next Manchester United manager - taking over from a man who has been in charge for almost thirty years.
How to find the next Alex Ferguson is the question people keep asking.
Not a job that Jose seems made for.
But what they should really be asking - is who will manage Manchester United next?
And expect Jose to be able to manage that...
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Daniel Sturridge is the New Andy Carroll
Daniel Sturridge opened his Premier League account for Liverpool on Sunday.
He did so by scoring against their biggest rivals.
Which means he’s now scored as many league goals for Liverpool this season as Andy Carroll has for West Ham United.
It was his league debut.
Liverpool dipped into the January transfer window to sign Daniel last week.
Two years on from signing Andy Carroll at the same stage.
Both attackers.
Both unproven.
Both moving for big money.
The main difference being that Daniel cost almost three times less.
When Andy had signed for Liverpool, he was relatively unproven.
Despite it being his fourth season in the first team, he had only managed eleven goals in the top flight.
He had yet to play for England.
As Daniel signs for Liverpool this week, he too is relatively unproven.
After unsuccessful spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, he comes with nothing more than promise.
It’s only on loan at Bolton that he managed nine goals to bring his top flight tally to sixteen.
Four caps for England.
But both players had potential.
It was never a problem for Liverpool fans that Kenny had bought potential when he signed Andy in 2011.
It was just the thirty five million pound price tag.
The egregious figure that must still haunt every Liverpool supporter the world over.
The corridors of Anfield still reverberating with questions as to why Kenny was supported with a war chest that size when the permanently appointed Roy Hodgson wasn’t.
How Brendan Rodgers could do with that money now as he rebuilds their great and famous club.
A club too great and famous for Andy.
Whereas Daniel didn’t come from a small club like Newcastle who were spending time in the Championship.
He came from the European Champions.
And should thrive with the less pressure on him at Anfield.
He struggled to cope with the responsibilities of playing in a side with aspirations of winning the league and conquering Europe every season.
He knows Liverpool are at least a few years away from that now.
And will hopefully have matured into the side by the time it comes around again.
Andy went from a small club with a big fan base who had just spent time in the Championship.
The step up to a much bigger club under Kenny proved too much for the man who had never experienced that before.
He was used to being the main man at a small club where everything was focused around his strengths.
Liverpool had enough good players to not have to rely on this one dimension.
Daniel will have played with much better players.
The step down will only serve to make it easier.
This all makes him the new Andy Carroll.
The answer to Liverpool’s attacking problems.
The main difference of course, being the price tag.
Andy came as a thirty five million pound player.
That came with all the pressures of being the eight most expensive player of all time.
More expensive than Rooney, Van Persie, even Luis Suarez.
12 million pound more than Luis in fact.
The pressure was too much.
They are both attackers.
Both unproven at Premier league level.
Both signed for their potential.
But luckily for Daniel, both not costing the same...
He did so by scoring against their biggest rivals.
Which means he’s now scored as many league goals for Liverpool this season as Andy Carroll has for West Ham United.
It was his league debut.
Liverpool dipped into the January transfer window to sign Daniel last week.
Two years on from signing Andy Carroll at the same stage.
Both attackers.
Both unproven.
Both moving for big money.
The main difference being that Daniel cost almost three times less.
When Andy had signed for Liverpool, he was relatively unproven.
Despite it being his fourth season in the first team, he had only managed eleven goals in the top flight.
He had yet to play for England.
As Daniel signs for Liverpool this week, he too is relatively unproven.
After unsuccessful spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, he comes with nothing more than promise.
It’s only on loan at Bolton that he managed nine goals to bring his top flight tally to sixteen.
Four caps for England.
But both players had potential.
It was never a problem for Liverpool fans that Kenny had bought potential when he signed Andy in 2011.
It was just the thirty five million pound price tag.
The egregious figure that must still haunt every Liverpool supporter the world over.
The corridors of Anfield still reverberating with questions as to why Kenny was supported with a war chest that size when the permanently appointed Roy Hodgson wasn’t.
How Brendan Rodgers could do with that money now as he rebuilds their great and famous club.
A club too great and famous for Andy.
Whereas Daniel didn’t come from a small club like Newcastle who were spending time in the Championship.
He came from the European Champions.
And should thrive with the less pressure on him at Anfield.
He struggled to cope with the responsibilities of playing in a side with aspirations of winning the league and conquering Europe every season.
He knows Liverpool are at least a few years away from that now.
And will hopefully have matured into the side by the time it comes around again.
Andy went from a small club with a big fan base who had just spent time in the Championship.
The step up to a much bigger club under Kenny proved too much for the man who had never experienced that before.
He was used to being the main man at a small club where everything was focused around his strengths.
Liverpool had enough good players to not have to rely on this one dimension.
Daniel will have played with much better players.
The step down will only serve to make it easier.
This all makes him the new Andy Carroll.
The answer to Liverpool’s attacking problems.
The main difference of course, being the price tag.
Andy came as a thirty five million pound player.
That came with all the pressures of being the eight most expensive player of all time.
More expensive than Rooney, Van Persie, even Luis Suarez.
12 million pound more than Luis in fact.
The pressure was too much.
They are both attackers.
Both unproven at Premier league level.
Both signed for their potential.
But luckily for Daniel, both not costing the same...
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Too Easily Hurt
Ireland 1.
Germany 6.
The type of score line the Vidiprinter had to write in brackets to confirm it wasn’t a mistake.
Ireland 1.
Germany 6 (Six).
That hurt.
That really hurt.
No matter what way you look at it.
Even if the team was severely depleted.
Missing the big four of Shay, Richard, Damien and Robbie was always going to be tough to cope with.
Not to mention the withdrawals of James McClean, Sean St. Ledger, Glen Whelan, Darron Gibson and Kevin Doyle.
That’s nine players who would have all felt they could start had Giovanni been able to choose from a fully fit squad.
But that hurt.
It still hurt knowing that goal difference actually counts for little in this group.
And defeat to Germany was mathematically at least, just 3 points dropped against the team everybody expects to win the group.
It was unlikely we were ever going to challenge Germany for top spot anyway.
So the result for once, actually does sound worse than it is.
That still hurt.
But it also hurt to think that we have a world class manager and this was the best he could do.
I always felt Giovanni might have a problem utilising the players at his disposal.
He was extremely successful when the players executing his orders were Totti, Brady or Mattheus.
With Ireland he has only ever been able to call on players from the lower half of the Premier League and beyond.
Not World Players of the year like before.
Instead, hard grafters and honest professionals.
Gifted to a certain extent but not in the same league as Michel Platini for instance.
Giovanni was able to build successful team after successful team around some of the world’s greats.
Now he must rely on players from L.A. Galaxy, West Bromich Albion or Stoke City to form his focal point.
Meaning Irish players are extremely restricted when it comes to world class talent.
And this was never more evident then when faced against a giant like Germany.
But it is Giovanni’s job to make sure these players play above themselves.
Give more than they are capable of as a team than they are as individual parts.
Yet even lowly Premier League players have more than what we saw on Friday night.
Championship players too.
Even Toronto FC.
But none of this was evident at the Aviva.
And it hurt.
Teams like that shouldn’t lose so heavily.
But they do.
The Germans thumped a full strength England side 4-1 at the last World Cup.
Only this summer, Spain handed out a 4 goal drubbing to Italy.
As for losing 6-1 at home - that’s the same score line that occurred when both Manchester teams met at Old Trafford last season.
England, Italy and Manchester United can all boast far superior playing squads than Ireland.
Yet all succumbed to heavy defeats.
Just like Ireland.
Losing to Germany is not a travesty.
Losing to Germany 6-1 isn’t either.
But the way that Ireland lost was.
And that’s what hurt the most.
They may not have the level of ability of their opponents.
But they can match them for heart.
Match their fight and spirit - so synonymous with Irish teams of the past.
Not the spirit that underpinned so many moral victories.
But the spirit that let the supporters know they were giving it their all.
Playing above themselves.
The sort that has been sadly lacking from Giovanni’s team for some months now.
Whether or not he can find it again is a serious question.
And all this is making it hard to defend Giovanni of late.
But defend him we must.
He took us to a first major championships in 10 years.
He deserves the chance to take us to the next...
Germany 6.
The type of score line the Vidiprinter had to write in brackets to confirm it wasn’t a mistake.
Ireland 1.
Germany 6 (Six).
That hurt.
That really hurt.
No matter what way you look at it.
Even if the team was severely depleted.
Missing the big four of Shay, Richard, Damien and Robbie was always going to be tough to cope with.
Not to mention the withdrawals of James McClean, Sean St. Ledger, Glen Whelan, Darron Gibson and Kevin Doyle.
That’s nine players who would have all felt they could start had Giovanni been able to choose from a fully fit squad.
But that hurt.
It still hurt knowing that goal difference actually counts for little in this group.
And defeat to Germany was mathematically at least, just 3 points dropped against the team everybody expects to win the group.
It was unlikely we were ever going to challenge Germany for top spot anyway.
So the result for once, actually does sound worse than it is.
That still hurt.
But it also hurt to think that we have a world class manager and this was the best he could do.
I always felt Giovanni might have a problem utilising the players at his disposal.
He was extremely successful when the players executing his orders were Totti, Brady or Mattheus.
With Ireland he has only ever been able to call on players from the lower half of the Premier League and beyond.
Not World Players of the year like before.
Instead, hard grafters and honest professionals.
Gifted to a certain extent but not in the same league as Michel Platini for instance.
Giovanni was able to build successful team after successful team around some of the world’s greats.
Now he must rely on players from L.A. Galaxy, West Bromich Albion or Stoke City to form his focal point.
Meaning Irish players are extremely restricted when it comes to world class talent.
And this was never more evident then when faced against a giant like Germany.
But it is Giovanni’s job to make sure these players play above themselves.
Give more than they are capable of as a team than they are as individual parts.
Yet even lowly Premier League players have more than what we saw on Friday night.
Championship players too.
Even Toronto FC.
But none of this was evident at the Aviva.
And it hurt.
Teams like that shouldn’t lose so heavily.
But they do.
The Germans thumped a full strength England side 4-1 at the last World Cup.
Only this summer, Spain handed out a 4 goal drubbing to Italy.
As for losing 6-1 at home - that’s the same score line that occurred when both Manchester teams met at Old Trafford last season.
England, Italy and Manchester United can all boast far superior playing squads than Ireland.
Yet all succumbed to heavy defeats.
Just like Ireland.
Losing to Germany is not a travesty.
Losing to Germany 6-1 isn’t either.
But the way that Ireland lost was.
And that’s what hurt the most.
They may not have the level of ability of their opponents.
But they can match them for heart.
Match their fight and spirit - so synonymous with Irish teams of the past.
Not the spirit that underpinned so many moral victories.
But the spirit that let the supporters know they were giving it their all.
Playing above themselves.
The sort that has been sadly lacking from Giovanni’s team for some months now.
Whether or not he can find it again is a serious question.
And all this is making it hard to defend Giovanni of late.
But defend him we must.
He took us to a first major championships in 10 years.
He deserves the chance to take us to the next...
Friday, 12 October 2012
Same Pitch. Different Playing Fields.
Ireland.
Germany.
Aviva Stadium.
The road to World Cup qualification has begun.
And tonight’s fixture will go a long way to deciding who qualifies from Group C.
Ireland have just come off the back of qualification for their first major tournament in 10 years.
Germany have failed to qualify for a major tournament just once.
Ever.
In all 29 tournaments they've entered.
Failed just once.
At this summers European Championships, Ireland of course, failed to win a single point.
Germany won every game in a group containing Holland, Portugal and Denmark before being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Their loss to Italy ending a run of 14 straight competitive victories.
Meaning in their last qualification campaign, the Germans won 10 out of 10.
In fact, Germany can boast such an impressive qualification record that they come to Dublin having never lost a World Cup qualification game away from home.
Let me repeat myself.
Since 1932, Germany have never lost an away game during qualification for the World Cup.
Ireland’s last notable away victory came in 1987.
And it was Scotland who won it for them.
They also go into this match without their 4 most influential players of the last decade.
They will start a competitive match without one of Shay Given, Richard Dunne, Damien Duff or Robbie Keane for the first time in 13 seasons.
In fact, their squad has been so decimated with injuries and retirement that it contains only 3 players from the top half of the Premier League.
It has a grand total of 1 player from this seasons Champions League.
15 less than their counterparts.
Ireland will start the match with Sunderland’s reserve team goalkeeper.
Germany will have the second most expensive keeper of all time between the posts.
The home sides defence will be made up from Everton, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Toronto FC.
The away side will include players from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
Midfield will pith Bolton Wanderers against Real Madrid.
Birmingham City against Bayern Munich.
And Nottingham Forest against even more Real Madrid.
In attack, one notable absentee will be a L.A. Galaxy centre forward.
No such worries on the other side with options from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal to choose from.
The type of clubs that Germany usually pick their players from.
The type of clubs that has allowed Germany finish at least 3rd in the last 3 World Cups.
The type that has them ranked as the second best team in the world.
Second only to Spain.
The team that punished the Irish so severely when Ireland had their full strength side out.
A team that will line up tonight against a nation who are on a different playing field.
But this game doesn’t take place on a playing field.
It takes place on a pitch.
A pitch where strange things occur.
A pitch where anything can happen.
Where teams ranked 28th defeat teams ranked much higher.
Where 1 goal is all it takes.
A deflection.
An own goal.
A set-piece.
Where one team can completely dominate a game and fail to score.
The same sort of pitch that Greece prevailed on.
Same sort that saw Switzerland put 5 past Germany just a couple of months ago.
The sort that has seen Ireland defeat Italians and Dutch and English and Spanish.
Defeat Germans even.
We may not be on the same playing field tonight.
But we are on the same pitch.
It’s time to believe...
Germany.
Aviva Stadium.
The road to World Cup qualification has begun.
And tonight’s fixture will go a long way to deciding who qualifies from Group C.
Ireland have just come off the back of qualification for their first major tournament in 10 years.
Germany have failed to qualify for a major tournament just once.
Ever.
In all 29 tournaments they've entered.
Failed just once.
At this summers European Championships, Ireland of course, failed to win a single point.
Germany won every game in a group containing Holland, Portugal and Denmark before being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Their loss to Italy ending a run of 14 straight competitive victories.
Meaning in their last qualification campaign, the Germans won 10 out of 10.
In fact, Germany can boast such an impressive qualification record that they come to Dublin having never lost a World Cup qualification game away from home.
Let me repeat myself.
Since 1932, Germany have never lost an away game during qualification for the World Cup.
Ireland’s last notable away victory came in 1987.
And it was Scotland who won it for them.
They also go into this match without their 4 most influential players of the last decade.
They will start a competitive match without one of Shay Given, Richard Dunne, Damien Duff or Robbie Keane for the first time in 13 seasons.
In fact, their squad has been so decimated with injuries and retirement that it contains only 3 players from the top half of the Premier League.
It has a grand total of 1 player from this seasons Champions League.
15 less than their counterparts.
Ireland will start the match with Sunderland’s reserve team goalkeeper.
Germany will have the second most expensive keeper of all time between the posts.
The home sides defence will be made up from Everton, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Toronto FC.
The away side will include players from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
Midfield will pith Bolton Wanderers against Real Madrid.
Birmingham City against Bayern Munich.
And Nottingham Forest against even more Real Madrid.
In attack, one notable absentee will be a L.A. Galaxy centre forward.
No such worries on the other side with options from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal to choose from.
The type of clubs that Germany usually pick their players from.
The type of clubs that has allowed Germany finish at least 3rd in the last 3 World Cups.
The type that has them ranked as the second best team in the world.
Second only to Spain.
The team that punished the Irish so severely when Ireland had their full strength side out.
A team that will line up tonight against a nation who are on a different playing field.
But this game doesn’t take place on a playing field.
It takes place on a pitch.
A pitch where strange things occur.
A pitch where anything can happen.
Where teams ranked 28th defeat teams ranked much higher.
Where 1 goal is all it takes.
A deflection.
An own goal.
A set-piece.
Where one team can completely dominate a game and fail to score.
The same sort of pitch that Greece prevailed on.
Same sort that saw Switzerland put 5 past Germany just a couple of months ago.
The sort that has seen Ireland defeat Italians and Dutch and English and Spanish.
Defeat Germans even.
We may not be on the same playing field tonight.
But we are on the same pitch.
It’s time to believe...
Monday, 10 September 2012
Good Memories Were Had In Kazakhstan
World Cup qualification begun on Friday for Ireland.
A boost was needed to erase the memories of the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
A resounding victory over the lowly ranked Kazakhstan and we could all start to move on from those 3 heavy defeats from the summer.
A resounding victory and we may all start to believe again.
Not only believe in Brazil.
But believe in Giovanni once more.
Cut to the 89th minute in Astana on Friday night and calls for Giovanni’s head could be heard all the way back to Ireland.
What transpired over the next 2 minutes had a big effect on our qualification hopes.
But no doubt, it also had major consequences on the next 2 years of Irish football.
Lost, and we may already have had to give up the chase for qualification.
Worse still - lost, and we may have had to find a new manager.
The pressure Giovanni would have brought upon himself following a 1-0 defeat to Kazakhstan, coupled with the memory of the summer, may have proved too much even for the greatest of Italian managers to survive.
So although appreciative Robbie and Kevin’s double got us 3 points, it’s the ramifications they’ve had on Giovanni that we should be most thankful for.
You see, memory in football these days is shorter than it’s ever been.
Calls for Giovanni’s head, despite 3 points in Astana, is no greater proof of this.
Irish supporters seem to forget, that although the performance in both the Euros and on the astro pitch on Friday night were poor - they were a far cry from where we were before Giovanni’s appointment.
Being placed in a tough group containing the 2 finalists in Euro 2012 has been discussed before.
With our squad of players it was very difficult to see us with Giovanni, or any other manager for that matter, getting out of the group.
As for Kazakhstan, the supporters need to realise this was something of a new beginning.
Missing through retirement or suspension was Shay Given, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne.
That’s 201 caps that would usually have been there.
That’s a lot of memories for the Irish supporters.
Keith Andrews was also suspended meaning James McCarthy was starting his first competitive game.
Our defense had 2 players from the Championship, 1 from the MLS and a reserve goalkeeper.
Add to this an astro pitch, a 6,000 km journey and the fact it was the start of the season, meant a 2-1 victory, no matter how we got it, was actually a terrific result.
A bad performance alright.
But a much better result.
A much better result than the 5-2 drubbing received at the hands of Cyprus.
A result which should live long in the memory.
A result which occurred under the reign of the last manager before Giovanni.
The sort of manager we could expect to attract had the FAI decided to rid our nation of this trophy laden Italian.
It’s one thing ridding us of Giovanni after a few bad results.
It’s another finding a manager to replace him.
With us being in somewhat of a decline, it will be tough to attract a manager as successful as Giovanni again.
Losing players such as Damien and Shay coupled with father time catching up on John, Robbie and Richard means this position is hardly the most attractive of propositions.
Not for a manager as successful as Giovanni anyway.
More like a Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton or caretaker Don Givens.
All of who failed to even make a play-off.
Not once.
In 6 long years.
Giovanni of course got us to within extra time of the World Cup in 2010.
Giovanni of course got us to the European Championships in 2012.
The man that could have been out of a job had Robbie and Kevin not intervened late on in a disappointing performance.
Not a memorable performance.
But a memorable result.
As memory in football is very short alright.
Just short of being a disaster this time...
A boost was needed to erase the memories of the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
A resounding victory over the lowly ranked Kazakhstan and we could all start to move on from those 3 heavy defeats from the summer.
A resounding victory and we may all start to believe again.
Not only believe in Brazil.
But believe in Giovanni once more.
Cut to the 89th minute in Astana on Friday night and calls for Giovanni’s head could be heard all the way back to Ireland.
What transpired over the next 2 minutes had a big effect on our qualification hopes.
But no doubt, it also had major consequences on the next 2 years of Irish football.
Lost, and we may already have had to give up the chase for qualification.
Worse still - lost, and we may have had to find a new manager.
The pressure Giovanni would have brought upon himself following a 1-0 defeat to Kazakhstan, coupled with the memory of the summer, may have proved too much even for the greatest of Italian managers to survive.
So although appreciative Robbie and Kevin’s double got us 3 points, it’s the ramifications they’ve had on Giovanni that we should be most thankful for.
You see, memory in football these days is shorter than it’s ever been.
Calls for Giovanni’s head, despite 3 points in Astana, is no greater proof of this.
Irish supporters seem to forget, that although the performance in both the Euros and on the astro pitch on Friday night were poor - they were a far cry from where we were before Giovanni’s appointment.
Being placed in a tough group containing the 2 finalists in Euro 2012 has been discussed before.
With our squad of players it was very difficult to see us with Giovanni, or any other manager for that matter, getting out of the group.
As for Kazakhstan, the supporters need to realise this was something of a new beginning.
Missing through retirement or suspension was Shay Given, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne.
That’s 201 caps that would usually have been there.
That’s a lot of memories for the Irish supporters.
Keith Andrews was also suspended meaning James McCarthy was starting his first competitive game.
Our defense had 2 players from the Championship, 1 from the MLS and a reserve goalkeeper.
Add to this an astro pitch, a 6,000 km journey and the fact it was the start of the season, meant a 2-1 victory, no matter how we got it, was actually a terrific result.
A bad performance alright.
But a much better result.
A much better result than the 5-2 drubbing received at the hands of Cyprus.
A result which should live long in the memory.
A result which occurred under the reign of the last manager before Giovanni.
The sort of manager we could expect to attract had the FAI decided to rid our nation of this trophy laden Italian.
It’s one thing ridding us of Giovanni after a few bad results.
It’s another finding a manager to replace him.
With us being in somewhat of a decline, it will be tough to attract a manager as successful as Giovanni again.
Losing players such as Damien and Shay coupled with father time catching up on John, Robbie and Richard means this position is hardly the most attractive of propositions.
Not for a manager as successful as Giovanni anyway.
More like a Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton or caretaker Don Givens.
All of who failed to even make a play-off.
Not once.
In 6 long years.
Giovanni of course got us to within extra time of the World Cup in 2010.
Giovanni of course got us to the European Championships in 2012.
The man that could have been out of a job had Robbie and Kevin not intervened late on in a disappointing performance.
Not a memorable performance.
But a memorable result.
As memory in football is very short alright.
Just short of being a disaster this time...
Monday, 23 July 2012
Players Only Loyalty is to the Game
Loyalty does not exist in football.
And nor should it.
Yet the topic of players and disloyalty rears it’s ugly head in the transfer window as frequently as players move club.
The problem with loyalty is simple.
The subject matter is always broached from a supporters point of view.
But supporters aren’t in football.
They are always only the support that allows football to live.
Football supporters can be the embodiment of loyalty.
Some will tell you they haven’t missed a games in 30 years.
Others have tattoos of crests twice the size of their heart.
But it is because of this almost blind loyalty that supporters believe their players will feel the same way about their club.
After all, these players are getting to live the dream of so many of these supporters.
They must love the club to do so.
They must therefore be loyal.
After all, every supporter would be - if given the chance to play for their club.
Or so some supporters would believe.
Wayne Rooney grew up joining his boyhood heros Everton.
They gave him Premier League football.
Yet Wayne wanted more.
As loyal as he was to the blue half of Merseyside, he wanted to win major honours.
He joined Manchester United.
He won major honours.
Jamie Carragher has now spent his entire career at Liverpool.
The biggest rival to Everton, whom like Wayne, he also supported.
Jamie would never have won the Champions League with the Toffees.
‘Loyal’ to the reds.
Yet I use the word loyal loosely.
True, Jamie and also Steven Gerard have stayed at the one club their entire careers.
Through thick an thin, supporters might argue.
But the reality is, they both stayed because they were getting something in return.
Their careers were benefitting from playing for a club who regularly qualified for the Champions League.
Who won the Champions league.
Along with numerous other cups.
But even after capturing the biggest club prize of all, Steven’s head was being turned by another team.
Liverpool supporters will say he was loyal in the end when he opted against the switch.
But if winning the Champions League was almost not enough to keep the player who joined them at the age of 10 - imagine what finishing mid-table would have done?
Or getting relegated?
Like the Leeds United team of 2003.
A great team that had taken a gamble on Champions League glory and when success on the pitch wasn’t achieved - the wheels came off rapidly.
A player exodus commenced.
Amongst them was a young Alan Smith.
A Leeds man through and through.
Made up of equal measures of love for his club and hatred for his rivals.
No bigger rival to his team of course was Manchester United.
The team he joined 3 weeks after Leeds left the Premier League.
No championship for Alan.
No, straight to the Champions League for this loyal supporters favourite.
Even those who stayed with the sunken ship cannot claim loyalty.
Gary Kelly hung around for 3 more seasons in the Championship.
Unlikely he could have found another big club at his age.
And he was the third highest paid full back in England after all.
Manchester United have their loyal bunch too.
Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs to name a few.
All loyal one club men.
All achieving every ambition imaginable in the game at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
No sign of the championship for them.
There are of course players who remain ‘loyal’ to their smaller clubs.
Matt Le Tissier perhaps the most overt.
Regularly coveted by larger, more successful clubs.
It would have been easy for him to move on.
But he was the star man at Southampton.
The center of everything.
And he was guaranteed Premier league football.
Finishing his career at Southampton was great to see.
Loyal to the team that gave him his break.
Yet Matt grew up in Guernsey - hardly a haven for Southampton supporters.
Supporters adorn some of the aforementioned players.
They see them as ‘loyal’ servants to the cause as they have remained at their beloved club.
The truth is, the ‘loyal’ ones always made sure it suited them to stay.
This was their career after all.
They don’t support their clubs.
Their clubs support them.
‘There’s no loyalty in the game anymore’ is heard up and down every terrace come transfer window season.
Could it just be that is heard during the period since the Bosman ruling came to fruition?
No longer could the clubs decide where and when the player would go.
Instead the player inherited the power.
The power to remain loyal.
Loyal to the club.
Or loyal to their career...
And nor should it.
Yet the topic of players and disloyalty rears it’s ugly head in the transfer window as frequently as players move club.
The problem with loyalty is simple.
The subject matter is always broached from a supporters point of view.
But supporters aren’t in football.
They are always only the support that allows football to live.
Football supporters can be the embodiment of loyalty.
Some will tell you they haven’t missed a games in 30 years.
Others have tattoos of crests twice the size of their heart.
But it is because of this almost blind loyalty that supporters believe their players will feel the same way about their club.
After all, these players are getting to live the dream of so many of these supporters.
They must love the club to do so.
They must therefore be loyal.
After all, every supporter would be - if given the chance to play for their club.
Or so some supporters would believe.
Wayne Rooney grew up joining his boyhood heros Everton.
They gave him Premier League football.
Yet Wayne wanted more.
As loyal as he was to the blue half of Merseyside, he wanted to win major honours.
He joined Manchester United.
He won major honours.
Jamie Carragher has now spent his entire career at Liverpool.
The biggest rival to Everton, whom like Wayne, he also supported.
Jamie would never have won the Champions League with the Toffees.
‘Loyal’ to the reds.
Yet I use the word loyal loosely.
True, Jamie and also Steven Gerard have stayed at the one club their entire careers.
Through thick an thin, supporters might argue.
But the reality is, they both stayed because they were getting something in return.
Their careers were benefitting from playing for a club who regularly qualified for the Champions League.
Who won the Champions league.
Along with numerous other cups.
But even after capturing the biggest club prize of all, Steven’s head was being turned by another team.
Liverpool supporters will say he was loyal in the end when he opted against the switch.
But if winning the Champions League was almost not enough to keep the player who joined them at the age of 10 - imagine what finishing mid-table would have done?
Or getting relegated?
Like the Leeds United team of 2003.
A great team that had taken a gamble on Champions League glory and when success on the pitch wasn’t achieved - the wheels came off rapidly.
A player exodus commenced.
Amongst them was a young Alan Smith.
A Leeds man through and through.
Made up of equal measures of love for his club and hatred for his rivals.
No bigger rival to his team of course was Manchester United.
The team he joined 3 weeks after Leeds left the Premier League.
No championship for Alan.
No, straight to the Champions League for this loyal supporters favourite.
Even those who stayed with the sunken ship cannot claim loyalty.
Gary Kelly hung around for 3 more seasons in the Championship.
Unlikely he could have found another big club at his age.
And he was the third highest paid full back in England after all.
Manchester United have their loyal bunch too.
Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs to name a few.
All loyal one club men.
All achieving every ambition imaginable in the game at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
No sign of the championship for them.
There are of course players who remain ‘loyal’ to their smaller clubs.
Matt Le Tissier perhaps the most overt.
Regularly coveted by larger, more successful clubs.
It would have been easy for him to move on.
But he was the star man at Southampton.
The center of everything.
And he was guaranteed Premier league football.
Finishing his career at Southampton was great to see.
Loyal to the team that gave him his break.
Yet Matt grew up in Guernsey - hardly a haven for Southampton supporters.
Supporters adorn some of the aforementioned players.
They see them as ‘loyal’ servants to the cause as they have remained at their beloved club.
The truth is, the ‘loyal’ ones always made sure it suited them to stay.
This was their career after all.
They don’t support their clubs.
Their clubs support them.
‘There’s no loyalty in the game anymore’ is heard up and down every terrace come transfer window season.
Could it just be that is heard during the period since the Bosman ruling came to fruition?
No longer could the clubs decide where and when the player would go.
Instead the player inherited the power.
The power to remain loyal.
Loyal to the club.
Or loyal to their career...
Monday, 9 July 2012
Ireland’s Performances Are Not the Peak of the Problem
Ireland’s performance at the European Championships in Poland was a harsh reality.
But a review of the players decline in the squad brings forth a reality even harsher.
Talk of retirements usually surface after era ending markers such as this.
The big 5 getting a constant mention at the moment.
Shay Given in goal had an extremely poor tournament by his own highest of standards.
Always considered one of the top keepers in the English Premier League, if never the top, his decline in form has coincided with father time and his inability to recover sufficiently from ever increasing injuries.
The first signs came when Shay finally landed himself at a big club only to find after 1 season, he was demoted to the reserves to allow the returning Joe Hart claim first choice.
His decline cemented when he sealed his transfer to Aston Villa a year later.
While Manchester City were being crowned champions of England last month - Shay had to look back on a season that saw his new team finish 16th.
The same team of course, in which Richard Dunne played.
Similar to Shay, when Man City started getting big, they realised they could afford to bring in whoever they wanted.
Despite 4 player of the season awards at the Ethiad in a row, it wasn’t long before Richard was replaced with players the calibre of Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure.
Much like Ireland in Poland - he never stood a chance.
Damian Duff was once a diamond in Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea dynasty.
Valued as high as €17 at one stage - it wasn’t long before he took a step down too.
The dizzying heights of Champions League football and Premier League titles were replaced with relegation involving Newcastle and his current spell at the never threatening Fulham.
John O’Shea spent 12 seasons at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
11 major honours in total - including the Champions League.
Only 3 Irish players have ever won more.
Yet last summer it was pastures new for John and the not so dizzying heights of the Stadium of Light.
And of course, our Captain and talisman, Robbie Keane.
After finding his home at White Hart Lane, one last big money move looked on the cards when Liverpool came calling.
But after only 4 months at Anfield, it was back to Tottenham and soon a drop further to West Ham on loan in double quick time.
For the amount of goals Robbie has got in the Premier League over the years, it’s tough to think our greatest goal threat is spending his early 30’s in the less than impressive Major League.
Outside the senior 5 there are plenty of examples of decline in the Irish squad too.
With the exception of Aiden McGeady, most of the squad are in worse shape than they were when Giovanni took over.
Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and Stephen Ward will all begin next season in the Championship with Wolves.
Kevin had been linked with Arsenal not so long ago.
Sean St. Ledger has gone from promising young defender on the cusp of the Premier League to a Championship regular.
Keith Andrews has had a lot of ups and downs in the past 3 seasons culminating in him currently being without a club.
And the reserves don’t fare off much better either.
Kieron Westwood has gone from being in the Championship team of the year 2 seasons in a row to warming the bench of Sunderland.
Paul McShane has dropped out of the top flight.
Darren O’Dea and Paul Green are both unattached.
And Darron Gibson followed John out the Old Trafford door.
It could be argued that Shane Long, Glen Whelan and Jon Walters have improved.
But in truth, their talents have - their club status has remained the same.
That just leaves us with the young James McClean, who could do nothing but rise if he was to make the squad.
And it is with this youth that the next campaign may lye.
So many of this squads are no longer heading skyward - with this summers Championships seen as one of their peaks.
2 years from now when Brazil comes around, it’s hard to see many of the squad being in a better position.
But perhaps it is this reason alone that Giovanni should look for new blood.
The next generation are already looking better off than they were when Giovanni took over.
James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark to name a few.
Indeed Brazil in 2014 might be a peak for some of these players.
Let’s just hope it’s not their highest peak...
But a review of the players decline in the squad brings forth a reality even harsher.
Talk of retirements usually surface after era ending markers such as this.
The big 5 getting a constant mention at the moment.
Shay Given in goal had an extremely poor tournament by his own highest of standards.
Always considered one of the top keepers in the English Premier League, if never the top, his decline in form has coincided with father time and his inability to recover sufficiently from ever increasing injuries.
The first signs came when Shay finally landed himself at a big club only to find after 1 season, he was demoted to the reserves to allow the returning Joe Hart claim first choice.
His decline cemented when he sealed his transfer to Aston Villa a year later.
While Manchester City were being crowned champions of England last month - Shay had to look back on a season that saw his new team finish 16th.
The same team of course, in which Richard Dunne played.
Similar to Shay, when Man City started getting big, they realised they could afford to bring in whoever they wanted.
Despite 4 player of the season awards at the Ethiad in a row, it wasn’t long before Richard was replaced with players the calibre of Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure.
Much like Ireland in Poland - he never stood a chance.
Damian Duff was once a diamond in Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea dynasty.
Valued as high as €17 at one stage - it wasn’t long before he took a step down too.
The dizzying heights of Champions League football and Premier League titles were replaced with relegation involving Newcastle and his current spell at the never threatening Fulham.
John O’Shea spent 12 seasons at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
11 major honours in total - including the Champions League.
Only 3 Irish players have ever won more.
Yet last summer it was pastures new for John and the not so dizzying heights of the Stadium of Light.
And of course, our Captain and talisman, Robbie Keane.
After finding his home at White Hart Lane, one last big money move looked on the cards when Liverpool came calling.
But after only 4 months at Anfield, it was back to Tottenham and soon a drop further to West Ham on loan in double quick time.
For the amount of goals Robbie has got in the Premier League over the years, it’s tough to think our greatest goal threat is spending his early 30’s in the less than impressive Major League.
Outside the senior 5 there are plenty of examples of decline in the Irish squad too.
With the exception of Aiden McGeady, most of the squad are in worse shape than they were when Giovanni took over.
Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and Stephen Ward will all begin next season in the Championship with Wolves.
Kevin had been linked with Arsenal not so long ago.
Sean St. Ledger has gone from promising young defender on the cusp of the Premier League to a Championship regular.
Keith Andrews has had a lot of ups and downs in the past 3 seasons culminating in him currently being without a club.
And the reserves don’t fare off much better either.
Kieron Westwood has gone from being in the Championship team of the year 2 seasons in a row to warming the bench of Sunderland.
Paul McShane has dropped out of the top flight.
Darren O’Dea and Paul Green are both unattached.
And Darron Gibson followed John out the Old Trafford door.
It could be argued that Shane Long, Glen Whelan and Jon Walters have improved.
But in truth, their talents have - their club status has remained the same.
That just leaves us with the young James McClean, who could do nothing but rise if he was to make the squad.
And it is with this youth that the next campaign may lye.
So many of this squads are no longer heading skyward - with this summers Championships seen as one of their peaks.
2 years from now when Brazil comes around, it’s hard to see many of the squad being in a better position.
But perhaps it is this reason alone that Giovanni should look for new blood.
The next generation are already looking better off than they were when Giovanni took over.
James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark to name a few.
Indeed Brazil in 2014 might be a peak for some of these players.
Let’s just hope it’s not their highest peak...
Friday, 29 June 2012
Caught in a Trapp
3 games.
3 defeats.
And a goal difference of minus 8.
Pretty conclusive reading.
A dream to get to the European Championships.
A nightmare at it.
However, Ireland were in a much worse place when Giovanni Trapattoni first took over.
Embarrassing defeats like the 5-2 hammering by Cyprus meant Steve Staunton didn’t last long.
And while the FAI chased Paul Jewell to become the man to lead Ireland back to where the nation craved - a wily old Italian was having ideas of his own.
With 26 major honours to his name, ‘Il Trap’ was about to step in and lead the nation forward.
Never in our history had this nation been managed by a man so successful.
Indeed, an FA cup was all that had been won by all previous Ireland managers combined.
And after 3 campaigns in which Ireland had failed to even make the play-offs - Giovanni’s task was simple.
So too was his plan.
At least it was simple on the eye.
Make ourselves as defensively tight as possible and adopt his 'Italian' approach.
Cyprus would not be scoring 5 goals against us again anytime soon.
In fact most teams would not be scoring against us at all.
Giovanni’s system has been in place 37 years now.
It’s not the same in 2012 as it was in 1975.
It has been tinkered with plus thought about and adjusted accordingly over the years to allow for all the gradual changes that occur over what is now 5 decades that the Italian has been managing in.
It is a system that has brought him Italian titles.
German titles.
Portuguese titles.
Even every major European title that was on offer.
It was a system intended to bring qualification to a major tournament to a squad of players who so desperately craved it.
And it worked.
After 2 years in charge, the Irish came within extra time of qualifying for a World Cup.
A far cry from that night in Nicosia.
Defence was tight.
The team remained undefeated in a group that contained Italy and Bulgaria.
And a limited squad of players had come to the brink.
Failure to qualify for the fourth campaign in a row was suddenly not as ghastly as before.
This time we came close.
Very close.
The system was working.
Fast forward 2 years and with largely the same squad of players, Giovanni had masterminded his team through the play-offs and straight to the promised land.
The system, with 2 more years of adjustments and a squad well rehearsed at it - had qualified.
It wasn’t very attacking.
But it was very effective.
Ireland had gone 14 games undefeated.
Conceding only 1 goal in 12 games.
The system behind it all, of course.
Until suddenly Croatia played us.
Then Spain.
Then Italy.
And the system crashed around our feet.
4 years hard work under the highly decorated Italian had suddenly gone to waste.
And the system was to blame.
What else could it be?
What had been good enough to get us to Euro 2012 was actually not good enough to allow us compete at it.
The tight defence on which it was built had collapsed.
It was Cyprus all over again.
Ireland were leaking goals at almost every attack.
And not even threatening the oppositions goal.
Giovanni had perfected his system after managing in so many of the top league teams around.
But there in may lye his problem.
Ireland are no top side.
In fact, Ireland are a very limited side.
Whereas he could call upon Michel Platini or Lothar Matthaus or Francisco Totti in the past, he was now relying on players who were playing for Stoke City, Wolves and West Brom.
Honest, hard working professionals.
But not world players of the year as before.
The system is only as good as the sum of it parts.
And while it may be world class - the players unfortunately, are not.
The system is great if you can rely on Francisco in the final third to get you the goal.
Or Lothar running from midfield putting the opposition on the back foot.
Ireland unfortunately, are reliant on players like Keith Andrews and Kevin Doyle to do this.
The team made up of the lower half of the Premier league and beyond had found themselves able to turn over the likes of Armenia, Montenegro and Estonia in this system.
3 defeats.
And a goal difference of minus 8.
Pretty conclusive reading.
A dream to get to the European Championships.
A nightmare at it.
However, Ireland were in a much worse place when Giovanni Trapattoni first took over.
Embarrassing defeats like the 5-2 hammering by Cyprus meant Steve Staunton didn’t last long.
And while the FAI chased Paul Jewell to become the man to lead Ireland back to where the nation craved - a wily old Italian was having ideas of his own.
With 26 major honours to his name, ‘Il Trap’ was about to step in and lead the nation forward.
Never in our history had this nation been managed by a man so successful.
Indeed, an FA cup was all that had been won by all previous Ireland managers combined.
And after 3 campaigns in which Ireland had failed to even make the play-offs - Giovanni’s task was simple.
So too was his plan.
At least it was simple on the eye.
Make ourselves as defensively tight as possible and adopt his 'Italian' approach.
Cyprus would not be scoring 5 goals against us again anytime soon.
In fact most teams would not be scoring against us at all.
Giovanni’s system has been in place 37 years now.
It’s not the same in 2012 as it was in 1975.
It has been tinkered with plus thought about and adjusted accordingly over the years to allow for all the gradual changes that occur over what is now 5 decades that the Italian has been managing in.
It is a system that has brought him Italian titles.
German titles.
Portuguese titles.
Even every major European title that was on offer.
It was a system intended to bring qualification to a major tournament to a squad of players who so desperately craved it.
And it worked.
After 2 years in charge, the Irish came within extra time of qualifying for a World Cup.
A far cry from that night in Nicosia.
Defence was tight.
The team remained undefeated in a group that contained Italy and Bulgaria.
And a limited squad of players had come to the brink.
Failure to qualify for the fourth campaign in a row was suddenly not as ghastly as before.
This time we came close.
Very close.
The system was working.
Fast forward 2 years and with largely the same squad of players, Giovanni had masterminded his team through the play-offs and straight to the promised land.
The system, with 2 more years of adjustments and a squad well rehearsed at it - had qualified.
It wasn’t very attacking.
But it was very effective.
Ireland had gone 14 games undefeated.
Conceding only 1 goal in 12 games.
The system behind it all, of course.
Until suddenly Croatia played us.
Then Spain.
Then Italy.
And the system crashed around our feet.
4 years hard work under the highly decorated Italian had suddenly gone to waste.
And the system was to blame.
What else could it be?
What had been good enough to get us to Euro 2012 was actually not good enough to allow us compete at it.
The tight defence on which it was built had collapsed.
It was Cyprus all over again.
Ireland were leaking goals at almost every attack.
And not even threatening the oppositions goal.
Giovanni had perfected his system after managing in so many of the top league teams around.
But there in may lye his problem.
Ireland are no top side.
In fact, Ireland are a very limited side.
Whereas he could call upon Michel Platini or Lothar Matthaus or Francisco Totti in the past, he was now relying on players who were playing for Stoke City, Wolves and West Brom.
Honest, hard working professionals.
But not world players of the year as before.
The system is only as good as the sum of it parts.
And while it may be world class - the players unfortunately, are not.
The system is great if you can rely on Francisco in the final third to get you the goal.
Or Lothar running from midfield putting the opposition on the back foot.
Ireland unfortunately, are reliant on players like Keith Andrews and Kevin Doyle to do this.
The team made up of the lower half of the Premier league and beyond had found themselves able to turn over the likes of Armenia, Montenegro and Estonia in this system.
Something they'd struggled with before.
But when they faced real competition like both games against Russia and the 3 group games in the tournament - it was a different story.
It appeared the system had failed.
But when they faced real competition like both games against Russia and the 3 group games in the tournament - it was a different story.
It appeared the system had failed.
In some ways it had.
Not because it couldn't work against other teams.
But perhaps because the players weren't good enough to make it work...
Friday, 22 June 2012
Best Fans in the World Maybe, But Not the Best Supporters
I took a considered moment out for myself as the fields of Athenry billowed around Arena Gdansk.
After due deliberation, I too, joined in for a chorus of one of Ireland’s most renowned football anthems.
I was gutted that we had just been thumped so convincingly.
But I felt the Irish players deserved something back for all the effort they’d put in over the previous 2 seasons.
If they had of performed as inadequately as they had against the Croats - it would have been a different story.
When outclassed by superior opponents yet willing to give their all, I decided to support them.
I was there as a supporter after all.
And they needed me.
Support can change a game.
Fortress Anfield became synonymous with their successful football club due to the vociferous crowd.
Roy Keane himself spoke of the respect he had for the Liverpool atmosphere.
How intelligent they were about football, respectfully applauding when the opposition had done something worthy of ardent praise.
However, this week was also the week in which Roy questioned the expectations of the Irish support.
In an opinion subjected mainly towards the players of the Irish squad, it was the supporters who took offence.
Or at this point, I’ll switch the expression to ‘fans’.
The supporters knew what he meant.
They know enough about football and enough about what they’d seen unfold in front of them in Poland to interpret Roy correctly.
Roy was right.
Ireland weren’t good enough.
And the supporters should demand more.
In fact, they deserved more.
Roy has no problem with fans and supporters singing throughout the build-up and throughout the match itself.
He’d already gone on record as saying how great the Irish support is.
He even went as far as clarifying his comments in his column the following Sunday to avoid confusion.
Yet come kick off in the next game, the ‘fans’ of Ireland had already created a song all for the great man himself.
“F**k you Roy Keane, we’ll sing when we want”
Roy had won his potential debate with the Irish fans, without a need for retort.
4 nil down and heading for our heaviest competitive defeat in over 50 years.
“We’ll sing when we want”
Heading out of the European Championships after only 4 days?
“We’ll sing when we want”
Losing to Italy on the way to equalling the worst ever record at a European Championship?
Well, you get the picture.
If that’s all that’s needed to get the fans singing - there clearly is no requisite for expectation.
Not from the fans anyway.
The supporters, well that’s a different matter.
For them, this hurt.
And hurt badly.
10 years is a long time not to feature at a major tournament.
To come and see our dreams turn quickly to nightmares was not a singing affair.
The supporters were too crestfallen to keep the songs going.
And they were too knowing about football to join in with the “F**k yous” directed at the greatest player ever to don the green jersey.
Roy had done too much for Ireland to warrant abuse like this.
Let alone warrant abuse for a justified attack on our underachieving players.
Yet it was the fans who took exception to these home truths.
These same fans who had the audacity to hurl abuse at their captain and record goalscorer when deployed in the thankless task of chasing down the possession obsessed Spanish defence - outnumbered 5 to 1.
If they got frustrated at a player not giving 100%, behaving selfishly, even arrogantly - they could be forgiven.
But when their team is quite simply outclassed by potentially one of the most successful sides ever seen, support was the answer.
Not jeers.
Or cheers.
But encouragement to push them on.
Give them the support to chase down one more lost cause.
Force one more corner.
Score one more goal.
But no, the same fans who had just jeered Aiden McGeady to stay off the pitch after his momentum had taken him over the touchline, had turned their backs to the action to ‘do the Poznan’ by the time he had returned to play.
The Poznan, reserved only for goals by Manchester City supporters, was been exercised whilst 1 down to the Italians.
What was Mario Balotelli figuring as he watched on from the bench?
Had his beloved Italian support all wore green that day or did this Irish crowd just not ‘get’ his club’s goal celebration?
Manchester United supporters didn’t do the Poznan when 1 nil down at the Etihad.
They expected more from their team.
As did Roy.
The Irish fans had different ideas though.
They were there to party.
The atmosphere they created was unbelievable.
Build-up to every game commenced hours before any ball was kicked.
And it was world class to experience.
Unless you were a supporter.
It just made it all the more difficult knowing the only time the Aviva had sold out since it opened was against Estonia.
Not when the team needed support.
They were already 4 nil up.
No, the return leg was going to be a party.
Armenia at home was when support was needed.
But the fans weren’t there.
Slovakia didn’t sell out either.
Not even Russia could.
When the team really needed support.
It was when 4 nil up against Estonia.
When the fans could party.
And they did.
Unsure as to whether they were so jubilant for the group of players who had finally qualified after so many years of heartbreak.
Or because they’d secured the biggest two week party of the year for themselves.
The fans will remember the European Championship for the sing songs, the beers and the ‘craic’ that occurred on every night.
And who can blame them?
The supporters however, will all meet up in a few months at the Kazakhstan game.
In hope.
Eternal optimism for Ireland’s next campaign.
Their dreams may having turned to nightmares.
But in Kazakhstan, at least they’ll be able to support each other...
After due deliberation, I too, joined in for a chorus of one of Ireland’s most renowned football anthems.
I was gutted that we had just been thumped so convincingly.
But I felt the Irish players deserved something back for all the effort they’d put in over the previous 2 seasons.
If they had of performed as inadequately as they had against the Croats - it would have been a different story.
When outclassed by superior opponents yet willing to give their all, I decided to support them.
I was there as a supporter after all.
And they needed me.
Support can change a game.
Fortress Anfield became synonymous with their successful football club due to the vociferous crowd.
Roy Keane himself spoke of the respect he had for the Liverpool atmosphere.
How intelligent they were about football, respectfully applauding when the opposition had done something worthy of ardent praise.
However, this week was also the week in which Roy questioned the expectations of the Irish support.
In an opinion subjected mainly towards the players of the Irish squad, it was the supporters who took offence.
Or at this point, I’ll switch the expression to ‘fans’.
The supporters knew what he meant.
They know enough about football and enough about what they’d seen unfold in front of them in Poland to interpret Roy correctly.
Roy was right.
Ireland weren’t good enough.
And the supporters should demand more.
In fact, they deserved more.
Roy has no problem with fans and supporters singing throughout the build-up and throughout the match itself.
He’d already gone on record as saying how great the Irish support is.
He even went as far as clarifying his comments in his column the following Sunday to avoid confusion.
Yet come kick off in the next game, the ‘fans’ of Ireland had already created a song all for the great man himself.
“F**k you Roy Keane, we’ll sing when we want”
Roy had won his potential debate with the Irish fans, without a need for retort.
4 nil down and heading for our heaviest competitive defeat in over 50 years.
“We’ll sing when we want”
Heading out of the European Championships after only 4 days?
“We’ll sing when we want”
Losing to Italy on the way to equalling the worst ever record at a European Championship?
Well, you get the picture.
If that’s all that’s needed to get the fans singing - there clearly is no requisite for expectation.
Not from the fans anyway.
The supporters, well that’s a different matter.
For them, this hurt.
And hurt badly.
10 years is a long time not to feature at a major tournament.
To come and see our dreams turn quickly to nightmares was not a singing affair.
The supporters were too crestfallen to keep the songs going.
And they were too knowing about football to join in with the “F**k yous” directed at the greatest player ever to don the green jersey.
Roy had done too much for Ireland to warrant abuse like this.
Let alone warrant abuse for a justified attack on our underachieving players.
Yet it was the fans who took exception to these home truths.
These same fans who had the audacity to hurl abuse at their captain and record goalscorer when deployed in the thankless task of chasing down the possession obsessed Spanish defence - outnumbered 5 to 1.
If they got frustrated at a player not giving 100%, behaving selfishly, even arrogantly - they could be forgiven.
But when their team is quite simply outclassed by potentially one of the most successful sides ever seen, support was the answer.
Not jeers.
Or cheers.
But encouragement to push them on.
Give them the support to chase down one more lost cause.
Force one more corner.
Score one more goal.
But no, the same fans who had just jeered Aiden McGeady to stay off the pitch after his momentum had taken him over the touchline, had turned their backs to the action to ‘do the Poznan’ by the time he had returned to play.
The Poznan, reserved only for goals by Manchester City supporters, was been exercised whilst 1 down to the Italians.
What was Mario Balotelli figuring as he watched on from the bench?
Had his beloved Italian support all wore green that day or did this Irish crowd just not ‘get’ his club’s goal celebration?
Manchester United supporters didn’t do the Poznan when 1 nil down at the Etihad.
They expected more from their team.
As did Roy.
The Irish fans had different ideas though.
They were there to party.
The atmosphere they created was unbelievable.
Build-up to every game commenced hours before any ball was kicked.
And it was world class to experience.
Unless you were a supporter.
It just made it all the more difficult knowing the only time the Aviva had sold out since it opened was against Estonia.
Not when the team needed support.
They were already 4 nil up.
No, the return leg was going to be a party.
Armenia at home was when support was needed.
But the fans weren’t there.
Slovakia didn’t sell out either.
Not even Russia could.
When the team really needed support.
It was when 4 nil up against Estonia.
When the fans could party.
And they did.
Unsure as to whether they were so jubilant for the group of players who had finally qualified after so many years of heartbreak.
Or because they’d secured the biggest two week party of the year for themselves.
The fans will remember the European Championship for the sing songs, the beers and the ‘craic’ that occurred on every night.
And who can blame them?
The supporters however, will all meet up in a few months at the Kazakhstan game.
In hope.
Eternal optimism for Ireland’s next campaign.
Their dreams may having turned to nightmares.
But in Kazakhstan, at least they’ll be able to support each other...
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Ireland Insured that it was Fully Comprehensive
The great adventure is over.
What started with a 1-0 win over Armenia almost 2 years ago - ended in defeat this week.
Not the heroic kind synonymous with Irish football over the years.
No, not at all.
No handballs from Frenchmen.
No last minute Macedonian headers.
No missed penalties.
Just defeat.
Comprehensive defeat.
The hopes and dreams of so many Irish fans were in full flow coming into the tournament.
14 games without loss.
Only 1 goal conceded in 10 games.
We had a manager who had given us a game plan.
Made us really tough to score against.
Even tougher to beat.
Oh how we had improved since the embarrassment of our last management team.
Heck, we were world beaters.
In the last 4 years we had done one on the French in Paris.
Until that ‘heroic defeat’ entered the fray again.
We had played Italy 3 times since they won the World Cup.
Masterminding 2 draws and a victory.
And the last competitive tie we played before our trip to Poland, saw us destroy Estonia in the Play-offs.
Destroy.
The belief was back.
And we were taking it to the Euros with us.
The fans sang songs.
Invaded the square.
Belief all over the stadium.
That is, until the officials kicked things off.
3 games later and Ireland had equalled the all time worst record of any team in a European Championship.
Our undefeated record was smashed with 3 straight losses.
Our defence caved in and conceded 9 goals.
Our attack replied with just the 1.
Our greatest ever goalkeeper, so long a hero, had proved culpable on more than 1 occasion.
That was more than 1 occasion in every game mind.
The leader of our defence, so masterful in Moscow, was playing desperately below his own high standards.
Our all time leading goalscorer, and Captain, had little or no impact.
The list goes on.
And on.
Each of our heros defeated.
Each so comprehensively.
Of course, effort was not an issue.
It never is with this squad.
It was just the harsh reality that this time, defeat came about because we were not good enough.
Outplayed.
Outfought.
Outclassed.
The belief that had returned to Ireland since the change in management had evaporated after just 3 minutes.
Replaced with this cold harsh reality.
The Ireland team were simply not good enough.
And unlike the heroic defeats, we now had nothing to hold on to this time.
The emptiness of being outclassed was a lot harder to stomach.
No Frenchman to direct our anger at.
No referee to curse through the next campaign.
No excuses.
Just comprehension.
That Ireland simply were not good enough...
What started with a 1-0 win over Armenia almost 2 years ago - ended in defeat this week.
Not the heroic kind synonymous with Irish football over the years.
No, not at all.
No handballs from Frenchmen.
No last minute Macedonian headers.
No missed penalties.
Just defeat.
Comprehensive defeat.
The hopes and dreams of so many Irish fans were in full flow coming into the tournament.
14 games without loss.
Only 1 goal conceded in 10 games.
We had a manager who had given us a game plan.
Made us really tough to score against.
Even tougher to beat.
Oh how we had improved since the embarrassment of our last management team.
Heck, we were world beaters.
In the last 4 years we had done one on the French in Paris.
Until that ‘heroic defeat’ entered the fray again.
We had played Italy 3 times since they won the World Cup.
Masterminding 2 draws and a victory.
And the last competitive tie we played before our trip to Poland, saw us destroy Estonia in the Play-offs.
Destroy.
The belief was back.
And we were taking it to the Euros with us.
The fans sang songs.
Invaded the square.
Belief all over the stadium.
That is, until the officials kicked things off.
3 games later and Ireland had equalled the all time worst record of any team in a European Championship.
Our undefeated record was smashed with 3 straight losses.
Our defence caved in and conceded 9 goals.
Our attack replied with just the 1.
Our greatest ever goalkeeper, so long a hero, had proved culpable on more than 1 occasion.
That was more than 1 occasion in every game mind.
The leader of our defence, so masterful in Moscow, was playing desperately below his own high standards.
Our all time leading goalscorer, and Captain, had little or no impact.
The list goes on.
And on.
Each of our heros defeated.
Each so comprehensively.
Of course, effort was not an issue.
It never is with this squad.
It was just the harsh reality that this time, defeat came about because we were not good enough.
Outplayed.
Outfought.
Outclassed.
The belief that had returned to Ireland since the change in management had evaporated after just 3 minutes.
Replaced with this cold harsh reality.
The Ireland team were simply not good enough.
And unlike the heroic defeats, we now had nothing to hold on to this time.
The emptiness of being outclassed was a lot harder to stomach.
No Frenchman to direct our anger at.
No referee to curse through the next campaign.
No excuses.
Just comprehension.
That Ireland simply were not good enough...
Friday, 1 June 2012
Leagues of Opportunity
23 players will board the plane for Ireland’s first involvement in a major tournament in 10 years.
A squad with players plying their trade in England, Scotland, US of A and Russia.
A squad with Premiership experience - Champions League too.
And a squad with 610 games in the League of Ireland between them.
A squad with players plying their trade in England, Scotland, US of A and Russia.
A squad with Premiership experience - Champions League too.
And a squad with 610 games in the League of Ireland between them.
Of the group still in with a chance of starting the tournament, there are no fewer than 7 players who have strutted their stuff in this islands own League.
An absolute testament to how the standard of talent in the League of Ireland has risen in the last ten years.
Stephen Ward, James McClean, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, David Forde, Keith Fahey and Seamus Coleman.
All stand a chance of being in the final squad for Euro 2012.
All played in the League of Ireland at some stage in their career.
And the list doesn’t stop there.
Calls for Wes Hoolahan of Norwich have been loud.
Daryl Murphy at Celtic, Conor Sammon at Wigan, Noel Hunt at Reading, David Meyler at Sunderland and Brian Murphy at QPR were all on the periphery of the squad over the last season.
All together making 457 appearances in the League at home.
A League that has risen in stock.
And keeps rising.
Having knocked on the door of the group stages of Europe for a few years, it was Shamrock Rovers who finally made the break though only last season.
Aston Villa were the first to identify the talent from that pool of players.
And with our options at left back in the senior team limited - how long before we see Enda Stevens gain international recognition?
The standard of the English Premier League has of course risen in this time as well.
Pushing Ireland’s best - lower down the ranks.
The lower they fall, the more the League of Ireland presents it’s appeal.
In search of either redemption or simply a continuation of their craft, the option to return home is far more enticing of late compared to even the early ‘00’s.
Any young Irish player contemplating a return home need look no further than the success story of Keith Fahey.
Having spent 2 seasons at Arsenal and a further 2 at Aston Villa, Keith found himself playing for Bluebell United at the age of 20.
9 years on and he’s heading to Poland for a major championship.
Roy O’Donovan, Gary Deegan, Karl Sheppard to name but a few have all come home for a period and headed back over after very successful spells.
The League of Ireland also has great offerings on the pictch too, for players outside the Premier League.
Shamrock Rovers’ squad got to play in 12 European games this season.
Against some quality opposition.
Even lesser teams like St. Pats made it through 4 rounds of European competition when Keith was their talisman.
Sligo, Derry, Cork, Bohemians and Shelbourne have all had great success in Europe too.
An unlikely occurrence for those plying their trade in the Championship or lower.
It can provide opportunities for players who can look beyond the Premier League bubble as well.
Padraig Amond, Dominic Foley and Shane Robinson all earned rewards to the top divisions of Portugal, Belgium and Finland respectively, after being spotted while playing in European competition.
Managers too.
Brian Kerr went from managing St. Pats to landing the biggest job in Ireland.
Lawrie Sanchez went from Sligo to the Premier League to the biggest job in Northern Ireland.
Michael O’Neill has that hotseat now.
And there was Sam Allardyce at Limerick too.
Stephen Kenny, Jim Gannon and now Pat Fenlon have all engineered moves to bigger clubs after successful periods managing at home.
But of course for every success story of players going back across to bigger clubs - there are those who ended up in League 1, 2 or lower.
Roy O’Donovan, Joe Gamble, Dave Mooney and Alan Bennett were star players for Cork around the same time as Kevin and Shane.
But they couldn’t match the success they found.
Instead they found their level.
The league still granted them the opportunity to go higher, they just couldn’t find the path.
But it is giving the opportunities to these players.
No many had heard of James McClean at the start of the season.
But that’s because attendances are low in the league.
For those of us who did see him for the candystripes - we knew how good he was.
Good enough to have the whole nation demand he gets an opportunity against Spain.
Good enough to ensure a Derry City player gets the opportunity to finish a season at a European Championships.
Good enough to take his opportunity...
Monday, 21 May 2012
The Marginal Victory that is Winning The Champions League
Roman took over Chelsea in the summer of 2003.
Transforming a modest team into one of the top sides in the world.
Traditionalists will cite that what took place over the course of the next nine years was a club buying their success.
Realists will know that this is how football works these days.
Chelsea are no different to Blackburn, Liverpool, Manchester City or Manchester United.
Arsenal would have seen the same success but spent their money on a stadium instead of players.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are funded by Spanish banks and the Government.
And money has dictated the Italian championship a lot longer than it’s European counterparts.
Yet even those who have spent big have still only managed limited success in Europe’s top competition.
No team has ever retained the competition.
No team has ever dominated it.
Sir Alex Ferguson has had 17 attempts at winning the competition yet has only yielded 2 titles.
By his own accord that has not been good enough - but he is still the most successful manager in the competitions history.
Arsene Wenger has had 14 attempts with just 1 runner-ups spot.
Roman has tried and failed with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Avram Grant, even Jose Mourinho.
Nothing.
We have witnessed one of the greatest sides to ever come out of England continuously miss out on Champions League glory.
And by the smallest of margins.
John’s slip in the final.
Luis’ goal that never crossed the line.
Eidur’s miss in the last minute.
The penalties at Anfield.
Barcelona-gate.
This squad, more than most, have proved what little margins there are between coming first - or coming last.
For to win the Champions League - everything must go your way.
Everything over the course of the season.
Liverpool were 4 minutes away from elimination in the group stage in 2005.
Not to mention what happened in Istanbul.
Manchester United were losing 1-0 in injury time in 1999.
The same club of course, who benefitted from John’s slip.
And then we had Chelsea in 2012.
How many times had they looked dead and buried in this seasons competition?
Napoli defeating them 3-1 in the first leg.
Then scoring an away goal at the Bridge.
Losing both centre backs in Camp Nou.
Barcelona going 2-0 up.
Lionel stepping up to take a penalty to give Barcelona the lead.
Their opponents in the final playing with home advantage.
Bayern scoring in the 84th minute of the final.
Arjen looked to seal it from 12 yards in extra time.
Juan missing his kick.
Before finally Bastian tipped the competition in Chelsea’s favour.
They were down and out on so many occasions yet they would not die.
Neutrals may not like some of these Chelsea players but they have to have been impressed with their mentality.
They have earned the respect of everyone who really knows about this sport.
Their ‘not knowing when to quit’ attitude was exceptional.
Desire unquestionable.
Every time they looked out, they somehow found something extra special to keep them in the fight.
This is what makes great teams great.
What made Chelsea great.
And Chelsea have been exactly that this century.
It’s just now, they’ve finally got what they deserve - a marginal victory...
Transforming a modest team into one of the top sides in the world.
Traditionalists will cite that what took place over the course of the next nine years was a club buying their success.
Realists will know that this is how football works these days.
Chelsea are no different to Blackburn, Liverpool, Manchester City or Manchester United.
Arsenal would have seen the same success but spent their money on a stadium instead of players.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are funded by Spanish banks and the Government.
And money has dictated the Italian championship a lot longer than it’s European counterparts.
Yet even those who have spent big have still only managed limited success in Europe’s top competition.
No team has ever retained the competition.
No team has ever dominated it.
Sir Alex Ferguson has had 17 attempts at winning the competition yet has only yielded 2 titles.
By his own accord that has not been good enough - but he is still the most successful manager in the competitions history.
Arsene Wenger has had 14 attempts with just 1 runner-ups spot.
Roman has tried and failed with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Avram Grant, even Jose Mourinho.
Nothing.
We have witnessed one of the greatest sides to ever come out of England continuously miss out on Champions League glory.
And by the smallest of margins.
John’s slip in the final.
Luis’ goal that never crossed the line.
Eidur’s miss in the last minute.
The penalties at Anfield.
Barcelona-gate.
This squad, more than most, have proved what little margins there are between coming first - or coming last.
For to win the Champions League - everything must go your way.
Everything over the course of the season.
Liverpool were 4 minutes away from elimination in the group stage in 2005.
Not to mention what happened in Istanbul.
Manchester United were losing 1-0 in injury time in 1999.
The same club of course, who benefitted from John’s slip.
And then we had Chelsea in 2012.
How many times had they looked dead and buried in this seasons competition?
Napoli defeating them 3-1 in the first leg.
Then scoring an away goal at the Bridge.
Losing both centre backs in Camp Nou.
Barcelona going 2-0 up.
Lionel stepping up to take a penalty to give Barcelona the lead.
Their opponents in the final playing with home advantage.
Bayern scoring in the 84th minute of the final.
Arjen looked to seal it from 12 yards in extra time.
Juan missing his kick.
Before finally Bastian tipped the competition in Chelsea’s favour.
They were down and out on so many occasions yet they would not die.
Neutrals may not like some of these Chelsea players but they have to have been impressed with their mentality.
They have earned the respect of everyone who really knows about this sport.
Their ‘not knowing when to quit’ attitude was exceptional.
Desire unquestionable.
Every time they looked out, they somehow found something extra special to keep them in the fight.
This is what makes great teams great.
What made Chelsea great.
And Chelsea have been exactly that this century.
It’s just now, they’ve finally got what they deserve - a marginal victory...
Monday, 14 May 2012
End of Season Awards
Player of the Season:
(1) Vincent Kompany
(2) Robin Van Persie
(3) Yaya Toure
(2) Robin Van Persie
(3) Yaya Toure
Young Player of the Season:
(1) Sergio Aguero
(2) Gareth Bale
(3) James McClean
Manager of the Season:
(1) Alan Pardew
(2) Roberto Martinez
(3) Roberto Mancini
Goal of the Season:
(1) Peter Crouch vs. Man City
(1) Peter Crouch vs. Man City
(2) Papiss Cisse vs. Chelsea (2nd)
(3) Hatem Ben Arfa vs. Bolton
Game of the Season:
(1) Man City 3-2 QPR
Game of the Season:
(1) Man City 3-2 QPR
(2) Man Utd 1-6 Man City
(3) Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal
(4) Man Utd 4-4 Everton
(5) Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal
(5) Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal
Moment of the Season:
(1) Sergio Aguero vs. QPR
(1) Sergio Aguero vs. QPR
(2) Eden Dzeko vs. Man United
(3) Steven Pienaar vs. Man United
Gripe of the Season:
(1) Luis Suarez vs. Man United
Gripe of the Season:
(1) Luis Suarez vs. Man United
(2) John Terry vs. QPR
(3) Roy Hodgsons’ Media Treatment
Reality check of the Season:
(1) Gary Speed
(2) Fabrice Muamba
(3) Stylian Petrov(1) Gary Speed
(2) Fabrice Muamba
Best signing of the Season:
(1) Sergio Aguero
(1) Sergio Aguero
(2) Paul Scholes
(3) Papiss Cissé
Worst signing of the Season:
(1) Stewart Downing
Worst signing of the Season:
(1) Stewart Downing
(2) Charlie Adam
(3) Roger Johnson
Team of the Season:
Joe Hart
Kyle Walker
Vincent Kompany
Johnny Evans
Leighton Baines
Antonio Valencia
Yaya Toure
Clint Dempsey
Wayne Rooney
Robin Van Persie
Sergio Aguero
Joe Hart
Kyle Walker
Vincent Kompany
Johnny Evans
Leighton Baines
Antonio Valencia
Yaya Toure
Clint Dempsey
Wayne Rooney
Robin Van Persie
Sergio Aguero
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