twofootedtackle

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The twofootedtackle Football Podcast Episode 21

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

It's podcast time again, and episode 21 is yours for FREE!

This week, Gary and I are joined in Studio 31 by Liverpool supporter Sam Coare. On the agenda this week: the Premier League, Major League Soccer, Liverpool's ownership saga, Portsmouth, the UK government's latest attempt to reform the Football Association and Sol Campbell's departure from Notts County.

And just for good measure, Gary throws in a Champions League tester and puts us on the spot on matters of reform.

Blog Post of the Week comes from Paul Bestall at EPL Talk.

The latest episode of the show is available via iTunes, on the CSRN media player or by clicking through to this MP3.

Your feedback is more than welcome, as ever.

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Following Napoli's poor start to the Serie A season in a year in which they'd been hotly-tipped for an assault on the top four, there is a growing feeling that chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis' trigger finger has been getting itchy.

Roberto Donadoni's side has already lost to Palermo, Genoa and Inter and, while Genoa and Inter will prove to be formidable opponents for most teams this season, beating only Livorno and Siena does not represent the aggressive start De Laurentiis demanded following an active and impressive summer mercato.

Sure enough, the axe has fallen at the San Paolo, but it isn't Donadoni's head in the basket. Sporting director Pierpaolo Marino - the man responsible for Napoli's transfer activity and a character capable of matching even De Laurentiis in the bombast stakes - has been shown the door, a clear indication that the chairman is unhappy with the return on his investment.

But the sacking of Marino would appear to have come too late and in the eyes of many he had redeemed himself in this summer. Marino has signed plenty of duffers in his time at Napoli but I was buoyed (I'm a Napoli supporter when it comes to Italy) by his summer signings, which included Morgan De Sanctis, Hugo Campagnaro, Juan Camilo Zúñiga, Luca Cigarini and Fabio Quagliarella.

In short, Marino strengthened in goal, in defence, in midfield and up front with players from various international levels. Added to Ezequiel Lavezzi, Fabiano Santacroce, the under-performing Jesus Datolo and the incredible Marek Hamsik, the Partenopei have the beginnings of a team which could be the next big thing. Marino should arguably have been given another couple of transfer windows to improve further.

Looking at that team at the start of the season, myself and many others noted that there was one clear potential weakness at the San Paolo, and it wasn't on the pitch. Failed Italy manager Donadoni did little to suggest he'd stepped up his game after taking over from Edy Reja last season, unable even to achieve any kind of "new manager bounce". De Laurentiis has expressed his regret at removing Reja, further fuelling the surprise at Marino's departure.

Napoli's slow start to this campaign has hastened the end of Donadoni's tenure, even if the decision has been deferred. Mention has been made of Roberto Mancini being a possible replacement if (when) Donadoni is sacked during October's international break, and has - as he does with any job which is vaguely up for grabs in Italy or England - quietly reacted positively to the link.

Finding a replacement for Marino might be slightly more difficult. Queens Park Rangers director Gianluca Di Marzio has been the subject of rumour but has denied any contact from De Laurentiis. Finding someone to work with the eccentric chairman in a position which seemingly acts as a buffer between him and the manager will be something of a challenge.

Interesting times at Napoli - but then when are they not?

(Pic via Oltequotidiano.com)

Sunday, 27 September 2009

English football is bursting at the seams with goals at the moment, and even the notoriously negative and defensive top flight is making a valuable contribution, with 33 goals scored in the Premier League this weekend.

Premier League

On Saturday, Birmingham City went down to a 2-1 defeat at home to Bolton Wanderers, while Aston Villa went 1-0 up at Blackburn Rovers but lost 2-1 thanks to a late David Dunn penalty despite Rovers having a man sent off. Robin van Persie's goal was enough to secure an Arsenal win at Fulham.

Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick and Ryan Babel got two late on as Liverpool thrashed Hull City 6-1. If I didn't know better I'd say Phil Brown's days in charge at the KC were numbered. Liverpool's neighbours also won, Everton picking up a 1-0 win at Fratton Park. Dimitar Berbatov and John O'Shea scored the goals as Manchester United won 2-0 at Stoke City.

Robbie Keane went one better than Torres, scoring four of Tottenham Hotspur's five against Burnley. Jermaine Jenas got the other. The sending off of Petr Cech for bringing down Hugo Rodallega gave Wigan Athletic the chance to go 2-1 up against ten-man Chelsea. Rodallega scored the penalty and Paul Scharner added a third at the death to end England's only 100% record.

In today's game, Sunderland were pegged back to 2-2 by Wolverhampton Wanderers but ran out 5-2 winners. Kenywne Jones scored one of two Sunderland penalties before adding another. Michael Mancienne and John Mensah exchanged own goals.

Championship

Newcastle United lead the second division, overtaking West Bromwich Albion with a 4-0 win on an emotional evening at Ipswich Town, Kevin Nolan grabbing a hat-trick. Albion lost at home to Crystal Palace, and Preston North End move into third with a win at Leicester City. Middlesbrough dropped points again, drawing 2-2 with Coventry City thanks to a 95th minute goal for the Sky Blues.

Plymouth Argyle are bottom of the pile with two points, losing again at home to Nottingham Forest. Ipswich are 23rd, while 22nd placed Barnsley were thumped 5-2 by Queens Park Rangers. Reading drew at home with Watford, and catch Peterborough who were beaten by two early Blackpool goals.

Derby County beat Bristol City, Sheffield Wednesday beat ten-man Cardiff City, and nine-man Swansea City held on to beat Sheffield United. Scunthorpe United drew with Doncaster Rovers who also had two sent off.

League One

Leeds United stay in control of League One, beating ten-man MK Dons with a stoppage time winner. Charlton Athletic did enough to see off Exeter City and stay second. Bristol Rovers drew at home with Brighton & Hove Albion, also - and these are starting to rack up - down to ten men.

A stoppage time equaliser against Carlisle United drags Southampton to minus one. Tranmere Rovers also gained a point, drawing at home to Colchester United. Third-from-bottom Wycombe Wanderers also drew, picking up their sixth point at Swindon Town and leaving them three points behind a clutch of clubs on nine.

There were wins for Hartlepool Town against Walsall, Leyton Orient against Millwall, Oldham Athletic against Southend United and Yeovil Town and Brentford. Gillingham drew with Norwich City, and Huddersfield Town with Stockport County.

League Two

AFC Bournemouth are four points clear at the top of the bottom division, picking up yet another victory against Burton Albion. Dagenham & Redbridge and Rotherham are behind them on 20 points, after drawing with Morecambe and beating Barnet respectively. Last-placed Darlington drew at Grimsby Town with ten men before sacking their manager.

Torquay United are four points ahead despite losing at Macclesfield Town, and Northampton Town and Hereford United are five points off the bottom. The Cobblers were beaten at Shrewsbury and Hereford thrashed at Rochdale.

Aldershot beat Cheltenham Town, Bradford City defeated Chesterfield, Bury beat Lincoln City and Notts County won 3-1 against Port Vale, whose manager Micky Adams has placed the entire squad on the transfer list.

Non-League

Oxford United continue to run away with the Blue Square Premier with a win at Gateshead. Kettering are eight behind after thumping Ebbsfleet United, and sit one point ahead of Stevenage, who drew with Altrincham, and Mansfield Town, who beat Hayes & Yeading. Chester City's point at Wrexham gives them -14, while Grays Athletic join Hayes on seven after losing at Forest Green Rovers. Luton Town won an epic 4-3 match at Cambridge United.

In the Blue Square North, three teams are at the top with 21 points. Droylsden have been pegged back after drawing with Corby, and Southport after losing to Farsley Celtic who remain bottom but now have three points. Eastwood Town are third, drawing with AFC Telford. Vauxhall Motors are second-from-bottom with nine points, beaten on Saturday by fellow strugglers Solihull Moors.

In the South, Dover lead after beating Bath City. Newport County are just a point behind after victory at Woking. Thurrock are third, winning at third-from-bottom Worcester City. Below them, Weymouth are rock bottom after losing to St Albans and Lewes are level on six points with the Dorset club having been beaten by Maidenhead United.

Friday, 25 September 2009

Sol Campbell's decision to leave Notts County has brought to popular attention concerns many of us already had about the club's shady ownership situation. But what does the future hold for Campbell?

One of the finest central defenders of his generation, Campbell's decision making off the pitch has led to several occasions on which he's earned a large amount of criticism. Quite rightly, he doesn't like people questioning his mental health, but one or two choices he's made have been so bizarre that an over-emotional response from football supporters is inevitable.

That's not an accusation that Campbell needs professional help, but the background to those accusations is in his own amazing ability to do the wrong thing. Such a shame considering his undeniable quality on the pitch. Campbell's performances will be fondly remembered by fans of Arsenal, Portsmouth and England - and for good reason. But where does he go from here?

I won't go into too much detail in this post because I don't know Campbell and I haven't even researched his career. But some well-documented decisions have put his judgement under the microscope.

In itself, moving from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal is controversial. But when one takes into account the manner of that move and the fact that Campbell has - ever since - complained about abuse aimed at him by Spurs fans, it takes on an added edge. The martyr act is sickening and has contributed to a string of incidents over the last few years to further alienate supporters from players. That said, I don't condone the actions of any Spurs fans convicted as a result.

Towards the end of his time at Arsenal, Campbell took the odd decision to leave the stadium at half time during a game against West Ham United. Rumours of a career in acting subsided but his behaviour was strange in the extreme. Concerned supporters never received a satisfactory explanation and that only served to create resentment, though not necessarily from Arsenal fans.

And in the summer of 2009, Campbell's Portsmouth contract came to an end and he followed former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson to League Two club Notts County, a club with secretive but apparently wealthy ownership. A reported wage of £40,000 a week probably gives a hint as to his motivations. It has been accepted that he turned down Premier League clubs to move to County, one of which appears to have been Aston Villa.

And now, after just one game in County colours, Campbell has left the club - again paying no regard to supporters' desire for an explanation. If, as suggested, he has an eye on next year's World Cup, he really should seek help. If he didn't fancy League Two, he should never have signed in the first place. In fact, there really isn't a reason which would allow Campbell to retain any kind of credibility.

Having had County's permission to leave, he is likely to be ineligible to play for another club in January, so perhaps choosing to leave rather than take big wages from the club should be applauded. Or perhaps he knows something about Notts County's owners that the rest of us don't - yet.

What do you think of Sol Campbell? Why did he leave, and should he even have been there in the first place?

Most Premier League clubs were involved in Carling Cup action this week, but the weekend is upon us again, and that could only mean one thing, another round of fixtures in England's top league, as well as us predicting the results, badly. First off, here is a round-up of last weekend:

Results

Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
Arsenal bounce back from defeats to both Manchester clubs by beating the Latics, we all saw this one coming, so one point each.

Aston Villa 2-0 Portsmouth
6 games played 6 defeats for Pompey. Points across to board here also.

Bolton 1-1 Stoke
Bolton have yet to get going this season, but were lucky to get a draw. Tough game from both sides, one point to me, and one point to Gary.

Burnley 3-1 Sunderland
None of us saw this one coming, but on the plus side Burnley really are proving their critics wrong, 3 home wins out of 3 for Owen Coyle's men.

Hull 0-1 Birmingham
Phil Brown and co have gone back to losing, not a surprise, but we didn't think Birmingham would win this one.

West Ham 2-3 Liverpool
Liverpool have got to stop conceding goals, but at least they are winning games again, somewhat scrappily, we all envisaged a Kop win.

Chelsea 3-0 Spurs
Chelsea are setting the benchmark for this season, as they keep up their 100% record. We all saw this one coming.

Everton 3-0 Blackburn
The Toffees finally kick-start their season with a much needed win a Blackburn's expense, as Rovers fall to their 7th straight away defeat. Chris gets the points on this one.

Man United 4-3 Man City
I again pay the price for not going with my team, but I believe City should have won this one. The points once again go to Chris.

Wolves 2-1 Fulham
At the 22nd attempt Mick McCarthy finally manages to notch up a home win, having not won in 19 times with Sunderland and 3 with Wolves. It comes as no surprise we didn't see this one coming.

For the second week running there is no change in the Prediction League table:
1. Chris – 37 points
2. Ian – 28 points
3. Gary – 27 points

Round-up done. Let's move swiftly along to Week 7, but before I do that, as always we want your comments and predictions, so please do leave a comment on the blog.

Predictions

Birmingham vs Bolton
Chris: Draw
Ian: Bolton
Gary: Birmingham

Blackburn vs Aston Villa
Chris: Draw
Ian: Villa
Gary: Villa

Fulham vs Arsenal
Chris: Draw
Ian: Arsenal
Gary: Draw

Liverpool vs Hull
Chris: Liverpool
Ian: Liverpool
Gary: Liverpool

Portsmouth vs Everton
Chris: Everton
Ian: Everton
Gary: Everton

Stoke vs Man United
Chris: Man United
Ian: Man United
Gary: Man United

Spurs vs Burnley
Chris: Spurs
Ian: Spurs
Gary: Spurs

Wigan vs Chelsea
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Wigan

Sunderland vs Wolves
Chris: Draw
Ian: Sunderland
Gary: Sunderland

Man City vs West Ham
Chris: Draw
Ian: Man City
Gary: Man City

Thursday, 24 September 2009

Hello everybody, hope you've had a good week. The football world certainly has been entertaining hasn't it?

The main talking point for the majority of the week was the Manchester derby. In my opinion, City can have little complaint about the added time, mostly because of their woeful defending. They deserve credit for the way they kept battling back and they genuinely played well in the first half. For me it was all United in the second half and over the course of the game, it was the right result in the end. A lot has been said about the added time but even as we were watching, me and my Dad both said, "Well with the celebration and a substitute it's probably about right" so I find it all a bit assuming when you look at the drama surrounding it. Both teams seemed determined to help each other out judging by the amount of defensive mistakes, and I tell you what – looking at Citeh's defending off the corners and free-kicks, I reckon John Carew might get a hat-trick when they come to B6 a week on Monday!

The second game of last Sunday was not without its controversy either. Spurs had two nailed-on penalties not given, one of which was crucial when Robbie Keane was brought down. They also had another not given when Ashley Cole jumped into Peter Crouch but the game was pretty much done and dusted by then.

On the subject of Spurs, I was sad to see Ledley King injured again. He's the closest defender I've seen to Paul McGrath in style and I'd have him over Ferdinand or Terry. Unfortunately, the injuries have prevented him having the kind of career that he could have done. When I suggested the McGrath similarity on a Spurs fan website, one fan did say to me, "no offence but King is different class". Um...WHAT?

How many goals were conceded by teams not having men on the posts when defending set-pieces? Between that and the 'zonal marking' tactic, there were a fair few very preventable goals given away last weekend.

So just what was Sol Campbell thinking? To leave Notts County in that way, now without a club until January, Campbell's decision was bizarre to say the least. I found the rumour that he felt there had not been appropriate investment was really poor given how late he joined them, and I am not even convinced that he did say that purely because it is so very ridiculous! Part of me hopes it was all an evil master plan all along because it's pretty much soap opera villain bad; you can almost imagine JR Ewing waiting to pick him up from County's training ground!

I was thinking about the fact that Villa played Cardiff last night. There are three teams from Wales in the English league; does this happen anywhere else in the world?

I think a job as a Premiership substitute may be the best job on the planet. I know that being a regular starter is the more obvious answer but think about it, as a regular sub you don't face the pressures of a regular player; you still get a weekly wage somewhere in the region of the average national salary; and you go to warm up a few times a game and get a round of applause from a few thousand people! Not too shabby at all!

That is about all from me this week. While it was an entertaining week – and on a personal note, Villa won two more games – the real high point was Motty's moment of madness during his commentary on MOTD!

Carling Cup Roundup

Following my expression of love for the Carling Cup, it would be a little weird to not pay any attention to events on the pitch. This week has been third round week, and here's my roundup of all the action.

Tuesday

Ten-man West Bromwich Albion held on until the 68th minute, when Arsenal's Sanchez Watt broke the deadlock at the Emirates. Carlos Vela made it two eight minutes later with the easiest goal of all time. Possibly. Barnsley emerged victorious from an exciting encounter at Oakwell, beating Premier League Burnley 3-2.

Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United went to extra time. Goals from Herita Ilunga and Kevin Davies in normal time were followed by two from Bolton to win it, Gary Cahill cracking in a lovely goal from the edge of the area and Johan Elmander (remember him) getting off the mark for the season.

Portsmouth overcame an early scare at Carlisle United to win 3-1, and David Ngog scored the only goal for Liverpool as the ran out winners against Leeds United at Elland Road. Benni McCarthy's goal saw Blackburn Rovers through against Nottingham Forest.

Danny Guthrie was dismissed for Newcastle United as two first half goals from Peterborough sent them crashing out of the cup in limp fashion, while Scunthorpe United failed to break down Port Vale until two quickfire extra time goals got the job done.

In the game of the round, Blackpool took a 2-0 lead at the Britannia against Stoke City. Three goals in five minutes put Stoke ahead, but they led for just one minute before Blackpool made it 3-3. With the game heading for extra time, Andy Griffin scored late in injury time to make it 4-3.

Finally, two early goals at the Stadium of Light were enough to put Sunderland through at the expense of Birmingham City.

Wednesday

Wednesday's games all went the way we might have expected, though it was far from comfortable for one or two of the clubs which progressed.

Gabriel Agbonlahor flicked the ball in after John Carew ran more than 60 yards with the ball to give Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Cardiff City. James Milner hit the post with a penalty, and Jay Bothroyd had a stoppage time goal chalked off for offside. Saloman Kalou netted the only goal for Chelsea against Queens Park Rangers.

Goals from Yakubu, Jo, Dan Gosling and Leon Osman gave Everton an impressive 4-0 win over Hull City, who were 3-0 down inside 25 minutes. Manchester City needed an extra time Kolo Toure goal to knock out Fulham. Zoltan Gera and Gareth Barry scored in normal time.

Fabio da Silva was sent off after just 30 minutes for Manchester United, but the ten men triumphed thanks to the only goal of the game, scored by Danny Welbeck. And a Peter Crouch hat-trick guided Tottenham Hotspur to a 5-1 win at Preston North End, their goalscoring completed by Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane.

The draw for the fourth round will take place on Saturday on SKY Sports' Soccer Saturday show. Fingers crossed for Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea at home for the Villa!

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

We've done 20 shows! How time flies when you're having fun.

This week Gary and I were joined in the studio by my friend and colleague David "Eddie" Edwards, a Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter who claims to have scored their second goal against Fulham on Sunday.

On the agenda: the Premier League, Carling Cup, Europa League, UEFA's five officials, Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Manchester derby, Major League Soccer and post-apocalyptic regionalised football.

Blog Post of the Week comes from friend of the show Chris Oakley.

The latest episode of the show is available via iTunes, on the CSRN media player or by clicking through to this MP3.

Your feedback is more than welcome, as ever. We'd particularly like your views on Michel Platini's additional assistant referees trial (I've written about it on my "personal" blog, by the way) because it's a really fascinating topic which is sure to divide opinion.

If you like us, you can follow me, Gary and Eddie on Twitter and become a fan of the show on Facebook. You can also join in with our forum on the very amusing Winning Ugly boards.

In the words of the great Kevin Smith...have a week.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

It certainly hasn't gone unnoticed but Michel Platini's extra officials experiment hasn't received as much attention at launch as one might have expected.

That reflects badly on Platini's laboratory of choice, the UEFA Europa League, but shouldn't take away from a defining moment in football's development.

Europa League matches this season will see two additional assistant referees employed to police the penalty areas from behind the goal. Such a dramatic change in the rules often means the man in charge has a pet project, and UEFA chief Platini's is to rid the game of diving.

If this season's trial is successful, football is heading for a fearsome debate. Traditionalists will oppose the proposal, while others will argue that a technological approach would be more effective. The great technology debate will rage on regardless, but the potential presence of extra officials playing the "additional assistant referees" role will fundamentally alter the arguments.

Thanks to Platini's lobbying of his colleagues at UEFA, FIFA and IFAB, Europe's secondary continental tournament is providing us with a sneak preview of a conversation which will be headline news when it comes to be applied to the Champions League - and it's not as simple as it sounds. With the feedback positive after initial testing at the European Under-19 Championship, this idea looks to be progressing well, if a little stealthily.

Confirming the long-rumoured trial in June, Platini cited the changing nature of football as an important reason for adapting the structure of refereeing: "Everyone agrees on the need to help referees. With football getting ever faster and the players ever fitter, it sometimes seems the men in black face a mission impossible."

Cheap movie gags aside, Platini is right to acknowledge that football has evolved. Furthermore, the way we watch the game has changed too - with endless replays available and referees under increasing scrutiny, it's only logical that the governing bodies address their error-making potential.

In the aftermath of Eduardo da Silva's infamous dive to win a Champions League penalty for Arsenal against Celtic, Platini argued that extra officials would become the most important weapon in the fight against simulation, football's crime du jour.

"We have had years of cheating as the referee sees nothing," he said. "With an extra referee you would see better what is going on. I have been battling for ten years to put in place more referees rather than add procedures following a mistake after it has been seen on the television."

It is true that any measure which even loosens diving's stranglehold on the game is worthwhile. The introduction of technology into the discussion is interesting here - Platini's preference for real-time human influence means that the new approach could be applied from the very highest level of the game to the lowest, though our trouble finding even three officials for games in England has been developing publicity of its own.

Naturally there are opponents, one of the most vocal being Tony Mowbray, whose Celtic side will encounter the additional assistants in the Europa League this season. Mowbray agrees with those who hold the understandable belief that using the tournament as a guinea pig only serves to demean it further, but also has many concerns about the proposal in practice.

The additional assistants, says Mowbray, are there to look out for incidents in the penalty area and will flag for many more fouls - particularly from set pieces - than do assistant referees currently. There is also the question of consensus, and whether the referees will choose to overpower the new penalty area officials in matters relating to the goal mouth. It's the classic "too many cooks" argument, but it has definite value.

The quality of officials still remains a crucial issue. Trusting two more humans to not be conned by cheating footballers is hardly foolproof and, as Mowbray suggests, we'd "like to think the ref can see 99 per cent of any contact" anyway.

And therein lies another problem: the perceived growth in diving results not from having too few officials, but from those officials not being of a high enough quality or integrity - but that's not to say fourth and fifth referees won't be useful device for tackling it.

"When you get in the final third," suggests the Celtic boss, "the ball is flying around. Why would he have a better angle? He'll have a different angle." The question of perspective is worth raising. The additional assistants will be closer to the action, but will they have a better view? Looking at pinball-speed action through a crowd and a net is not always the truest view. Then again, with the goalmouth scramble slowly disappearing from the game, perhaps this issue is merely one of splitting hairs.

Teething problems - both during the trial and after the new rules' probable ratification - are inevitable, but if additional officials do deter players and prevent the various misdemeanours of the penalty area it will be worth the wait.

Why I still love the League Cup

Every year, usually around the second and third rounds, we all revisit the debate about the present and future worth of the Football League Cup. It's definitely the third trophy in terms of prestige, but I believe it remains relevant.

In fact, I'm a huge fan of the League Cup, currently sponsored by my friends at Carling. On Wednesday I'll be at Aston Villa's third round tie at home to Cardiff City, hoping that Martin O'Neill treats the tournament with the respect it deserves, having succumbed to QPR and Leicester City in recent attempts.

On both occasions O'Neill sent out under-strength teams which should still have beaten the opposition, but it was the lacklustre demeanour of the side which cost Villa the matches and highlighted the attitude of many clubs towards the Carling Cup.

But I think it's under-appreciated. It is, after all, a piece of silverware which most clubs are unlikely to win elsewhere - clubs like Villa have a better chance here because Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, despite giving their all in the matches themselves, rest most first team players.

For many fans, the prospect of a final at Wembley and a cup in the cabinet is more important than their clubs seem to realise. In 1994, Villa gave me the best pair of football afternoons of my life, turning around a 3-1 deficit against Tranmere to set up a phenomenal final victory over Manchested United. Two years later, I was at Wembley again as Villa beat Leeds United in the final.

To me, that matters. Villa, like many other clubs, will probably never win the league again. An FA Cup win is also unlikely given the fact that we haven't won it since 1957. So unless we want to live in a world where coming fourth is the only target, the League Cup should retain more importance.

The winners also qualify for the Europa League and, while Villa treat that with contempt too, that is still a success of which to be proud for most teams. Of course the Europa League is suffering from dwindling prestige too, but that's another post altogether.

Sunday, 20 September 2009

We've had another ferocious weekend of football, with some stunning goals in the Football League and no shortage of controversy in the top flight. What a season this is turning out to be!

Premier League

Thomas Vermaelen scored twice, one a cracker, as Arsenal beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 on Saturday. A James Milner penalty and a lovely strike from Gabriel Agbonlahor were enough for Aston Villa to see off woeful Portsmouth.

A late Matt Taylor penalty equalised for Bolton Wanderers at home to Stoke City did little to appease home supporters who are beginning to turn on Gary Megson again. David Nugent, on loan from Portsmouth, scored two great goals for Burnley in their 3-1 win over Sunderland.

Gary O'Connor scored the only goal of the game as Birmingham City beat Hull City, while Liverpool took three points home after a breathless 3-2 thriller at West Ham United. Two goals from Fernando Torres helped their cause no end.

On Sunday, the Manchester derby dominated the pre- and post-match headlines. Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher (2) three times put United ahead, and Gareth Barry and Craig Bellamy (2) equalised for City every time. But six minutes into four minutes (that's right, SIX of FOUR) of ~~Fergie~~ stoppage time, Michael Owen won it for ~~English football~~ United. Match of the Day reckon the referee allowed only one second too long.

Imperious Chelsea took a little while to break down Tottenham Hotspur, but once they had they were in control for most of the game despite the occasional scare. Ashley Cole got the first, stooping to head past Carlo Cudicini. Robbie Keane was clipped by Ricardo Carvalho but chose to dive and was not given a penalty, and Michael Ballack soon had Chelsea 2-0 up.

Didier Drogba made it three in a game which saw Spurs lose Ledley King and Sebastian Bassong to injury, Bassong's particularly nasty. Hope he's okay, and the same goes for Drogba who was carried of with a painful-looking problem.

Everton made short work of Blackburn Rovers, winning 3-0 thanks to goals from Louis Saha (2) and Joseph Yobo, and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Fulham, holding on for a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Kevin Doyle and David Edwards (not this week's podcast guest). Danny Murphy pulled one back from the penalty spot.

Championship

Game of the day in the second division took place between two of the high-flyers. West Bromwich Albion tore Middlesbrough apart at the Riverside, Chris Brunt scoring a brilliant instinctive strike as part of a brace which helped the Baggies to a 5-0 win. Now between the two are second-placed Newcastle United, 3-1 winners over Plymouth Argyle at the weekend after a midweek defeat in Blackpool.

Friday night's game was a dramatic Steel City derby, where Sheffield United were 3-0 up at half time against Sheffield Wednesday only to almost throw their lead away. They escaped with the three points, halting the comeback at 3-2 in a fiery second period.

Argyle are rock bottom with two points, behind Ipswich Town who drew 3-3 at Doncaster Rovers. Barnsley complete the bottom three, drawing 0-0 at home to Swansea City. Reading are also struggling, and were beaten by a stoppage time goal at Peterborough.

Queens Park Rangers won at Cardiff City, Crystal Palace beat Derby County, Blackpool beat Nottingham Forest, and Preston North End beat Coventry City, while there were draws between Bristol City and Scunthorpe United, and Watford and Leicester City.

League One

Leeds United lead League One after beating Gillingham 4-1. Charlton are second having dropped points in stoppage time, Norwich City making it 2-2 in the 93rd minute. Bristol Rovers, in third, beat Brentford away, while MK Dons won at Wycombe Wanderers.

Wycombe are joined in the bottom four by Tranmere Rovers, beaten at Exeter City, and Leyton Orient who were beaten at Stockport County. Southampton's win at home to Yeovil Town raises them to -2.

Southend United won at Brighton & Hove Albion, Colchester United beat Hartlepool United in a game of many penalties, Millwall defeated Huddersfield Town, and Oldham Athletic beat Carlisle United. Swindon Town drew 1-1 away at Walsall.

League Two

In the bottom division, AFC Bournemouth are tearing away at the top under the frankly wonderful Eddie Howe. Brett Pitman scored twice to give the Cherries a 2-0 win over Darlington, who continue to prop up the table. Dagenham & Redbridge are still in touch, winning at Burton Albion. Rotherham slip to two points behind the Daggers, conceding a late equaliser at Cheltenham Town.

Chesterfield thrashed Macclesfield Town to leave them second from bottom, Torquay United also have six points after being beaten at home by Grimsby Town. Hereford United beat Accrington Stanley and jump above Northampton Town, who were beaten at home by Rochdale.

Elsewhere there were wins for Aldershot at Crewe Alexandra, Shrewsbury Town and Lincoln City, Morecambe over a Campbell-wielding Notts County and Bury at Port Vale. Barnet drew with Bradford City.

Non-League

Chris Wilder criticised the attitude of his Oxford United side despite picking up a 4-0 win over Eastbourne Borough which leaves them eight points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier. Second-placed Stevenage Borough won at basement boys Chester City, who remained on -16. Tamworth are third after beating Salisbury, also in the bottom four.

Level on points with Salisbury are Forest Green, who drew with Barrow, and Grays Athletic remain on six points after losing 3-0 at home to Altrincham.

In the Blue Square North, Droylsden lead from Southport and Eastwood Town, all on 21 points. Corby beat Droylsden to move within a point, and Fleetwood Town are also on 20 after losing at Hyde when a win would have sent them top. Farsley won to take them to three points, six points behind second-bottom Vauxhall Motors. Stalybridge won 5-3 away at Alfreton.

In the South, Dover lead after a win over Bath City. Newport County beat Woking to stay in touch with them and Thurrock are four off the top after defeating lowly Worcester. Weymouth and Lewes are keeping City off the bottom, losing at home to St Albans and Maidenhead United respectively.

Friday, 18 September 2009

Some very nice pairings this weekend, with a Manchester derby and a London derby top of the list. Lets get down to our predictions for this week:

Predictions

Arsenal vs Wigan
Chris: Arsenal
Ian: Arsenal
Gary: Arsenal

Aston Villa vs Portsmouth
Chris: Aston Villa
Ian: Aston Villa
Gary: Aston Villa

Bolton vs Stoke
Chris: Bolton
Ian: Draw
Gary: Draw

Burnley vs Sunderland
Chris: Draw
Ian: Sunderland
Gary: Draw

Hull vs Birmingham
Chris: Draw
Ian: Hull
Gary: Hull

West Ham vs Liverpool
Chris: Liverpool
Ian: Liverpool
Gary: Liverpool

Chelsea vs Spurs
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Chelsea

Everton vs Blackburn
Chris: Everton
Ian: Blackburn
Gary: Draw

Man United vs Man City
Chris: United
Ian: City
Gary: Draw

Wolves vs Fulham
Chris: Draw
Ian: Fulham
Gary: Fulham

As always let us know your predictions, or comments.

Sheriff Kimbo's Thursday Thoughts #4

Hello all. Yes, it's Friday not Thursday. Just drop it, okay!

It's been a good week, as the week after a derby win always is. Birmingham certainly managed to drag us down to their level for 70 minutes, but the last 20 minutes or so saw a shift in the play that lead to mostly Villa dominance. Of course, when you're watching it, the game always seems more nerve-wracking than it should be, but in hindsight it was pretty much a cruise control victory in the end. Not that my heart thought that at the time!

Emmanuel Adebayor was a naughty boy wasn't he? Silly lad. The celebration was undeniably a silly thing to do. However it will be applauded by 99% of the Citeh fans and probably understandably so; if a Villa player did it I would not be able to not feel a sense of smug satisfaction, even if I cringed as I did so. At the same time, if I was an Arsenal fan I'd be furious and if Gareth Barry tries anything like that I will be furious! Of course, I don't think he would for one second – obviously I hope he never gets the chance to prove me right or wrong! The stamp though, was disgusting. Don't get me wrong, Van Persie is a vile piece of work and if anyone deserved that he would probably be on my shortlist! But the stamp could have blinded him and this is definitely one of those two-wrongs-do-not-make-a-right scenarios. I'm not surprised at all at the three-match ban...I just hope he gets a one-match ban for the celebration because the fourth game is the Villa! Whatever I think of Adebayor, he is most definitely one talented son-of-a-gun!

Um, how pointless are the new Premier League rules? I like the idea in principle, but when you look at it in theory, it's not really going to affect anyone – apart from hopefully Chelsea, who will not be able to buy to amend the situation either! Arsenal, for example, will still be full of foreign players because the age of the 'home-grown' players is 21. Sorry, but at 18, you are pretty much grown, aren't you? I'm not saying 18 year olds are ready to be thrust into Premiership action every week, but surely that kind of age should be where the cap is, and not 21? The other thing is...the national team does not provide the buzz and interest it once did, so consequently, how many people will really care?!

Does anyone actually like the text message segment on 'The Football League Show'? I usually Sky+ it just so I can fast forward through them parts. Sometimes keeping it simple – in the format that the BBC actually designed and, IMO, are still the best at – is the best thing to do. I mean, does anyone remember that short-lived Channel 5 show on a Friday night where they were all standing up throughout the show? Very poor!

Speaking of TV coverage and poor – Chris Waddle is an idiot! Honestly, he is clueless. He was a very good player but I hate watching games with him commentating. I'll give you an example – when Man U beat Spurs, Spurs took the leas early on. Despite this, Man U were still in control of the game and it was no surprise when they equalised. However, while Spurs were 1-0 up, Waddle was saying that Spurs were the better side and that their movement was causing Man U problems. Once Man U equalised, he was going on about all the movement they were making, the space that they had and all of a sudden, once Man U went 2-1 up, he decided that the Spurs formation wasn't working! Honestly, it was like listening to something out of a sketch show!

Speaking of that game, it was a mistake for Spurs to play the way they did against United. Even the best teams know not to empty their midfield against, well anyone, let alone United! Yes, having a go at them can reap rewards but I think the good run went to 'Arry's 'ead, because them tactics were an absolute joke! Paul Scholes had so much time it was difficult to believe what I was seeing. It was a pleasure to watch though – Paul Scholes is probably my favourite non-Villa player of all time. I also thought his sending-off was a bit harsh; he tried to pull out of the challenge and didn't actually touch Huddlestone. That didn't stop Huddlestone reacting like he'd just being shot, though. Dear oh dear.

Oh and no, my kind words for Paul Scholes is not just a ginger thing! Not that I wasn't pleased to see James Collins join Steve Sidwell and (the admittedly clean-shaven headed) Brad Guzan in the Villa ranks! Ha!

Have a good week everyone, I will be back on Thursday next week!

Thursday, 17 September 2009

What to make of the Premier League's £1 million pound donation to the Conference, to provide a financial boost to the non-league teams.

On one hand, the cash will be very welcome to all Conference clubs. Cliched as it is, times are tight and non-league is no exception. Following the collapse of Setanta, Conference clubs will be missing out on £70,000 a year from TV rights.

A deal with ESPN fell through earlier this week, so the gift from the Premier League will be unexpectedly welcome. Even distributed evenly among the 24 teams, it'll still give them a welcome cash injection that can be spend on getting their house in order or perhaps finding extra wages for one more player.

But on the flipside, £1m is small change to the Premier League. The cynic could easily say they can easily afford to pass on that amount and get some good PR into the bargain. The even more cynical man could say if they really wanted to make a difference, they could donate a few more million and you'd solve a lot of problems in the league.

That said, it's hard to be too critical of the Premier League. One million is still one million and will seriously help clubs like Salisbury, who are struggling badly for cash.

It's also £1m they didn't have to donate. The Premier League are under no obligation to sort out the problems of badly-run Conference clubs, and nor should they be, and, other than good PR and goodwill from the Conference teams, there's not a great deal in it for them.

The Premier League's Chief Executive Richard Scudamore has said the donation was "the right thing to do" and non-league is "important to fans and communities".

It's a rare and welcome acknowledgement of the game's roots from a league that has hitherto paid lip service to its less well off counterparts. The test will be if the Premier League continues to keep tabs on and support the Conference and other grassroot cash-strapped leagues.

It's easy to be cynical about the donation but it's a welcome step in the right direction from a league not known for its generosity. Here's hoping these are words we're able to write many more times.

Follow all TFT blogs in one

A little bit of network news for you this morning. First, I'm delighted to announce that The Oracle Speaks, an excellent satirical news site written and edited by Jon Brigden, has joined the network. It's something of a departure for twofootedtackle in that it's only occasionally about football, but it's well worth subscribing to if you like a giggle.

You can check it out here. Welcome on board to Jon.

We also have a new network homepage at TFTBlogNetwork.com. It doesn't do much, just links to all our blogs and provides a useful gateway if you're a fan of more than one blog on the network. Please bookmark it for all your bloggy needs.

And if you're on Twitter, you can subscribe to @tftbn which will feed new posts from all the blogs directly to your very own Twitter page.

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

By now, the Premier League's new squad restriction rules have been seen, chewed over and spat out by a large section of the football press and its corresponding blogging community. I have made my view clear both here and on the podcast, but there are a couple of points I'd like to add.

I noted in my last post about the new rules that it is a shame they're so toothless - intentionally, in my opinion - because they might just have been a step in the right direction had they done what they were apparently intended to do.

In this post, I'll present a couple of ways in which the agreed rules could be tweaked to actually make strides towards bringing English football, and more specifically the domination of the select few, back down to earth. In truth, the big clubs will cope the best with any changes, but we must start somewhere.

Redefine "home grown"

Despite the huge criticism of the Premier League and Richard Scudamore in the last couple of days, the idea of encouraging investment in the development of young, local talent is one which should be applauded. It's a shame, then, that the Premier League is encouraging no such thing.

The term "home grown" is used completely inappropriately, but properly and accurately defined it would be a good addition to the rules. Eight home grown players, which is the minimum required under the new framework, would be revolutionary and yet realistic. But home grown must mean home grown, or it would remain pointless.

For me, that means English or British. I'm not against foreign footballers in any way, but let's not pretend the new rules in any way benefit the real home grown talents.

Move the age watershed to 18

The other clear flaw in the new rules is that the age restriction is placed at 21, which is simply too old. Arsenal's potential home grown team demonstrates that requiring only that a player has been in England or Wales for three years between the ages of 16 and 21 is barely a restriction at all.

However, moving that age to 18 is a subtle alteration which would fundamentally change the look of these rules. It would genuinely encourage the nurturing of young domestic players, redefine "home grown" and still allow for the scouting of foreign youngsters which, like it or not, is a reality of the modern game.

Of course, this is all theoretical and assumes wrongly that the powers-that-be have the best interests of football and the wishes of supporters at heart. Regardless, please leave a comment and let me know what you think of these suggestions.

The twofootedtackle Football Podcast Episode 19

It's podcast time again, and this week Gary and I were joined in Studio 31, the in-house TV and radio studio at the London office of Porter Novelli (where I work) by Graham Sibley, of The Onion Bag and Some People Are On The Pitch fame.

With the big news of new Premier League rules breaking during the day, it would've been stupido to ignore it - so we didn't. We also talked about the Champions League, Emmanuel Adebayor, Serie A (in particular Juventus, Napoli and Inter) and Major League Soccer.

Blog Post of the Week came from last week's guest, Jonathan, who wrote a fantastic post about Sheffield FC v FC United of Manchester in the FA Cup. And, because we can, we discussed Croydon Athletic and Tooting & Mitcham United's FA Cup exploits too.

Episode 19 is now available via iTunes, or by clicking through to this MP3. You can also listen on the CSRN media player.

Rock and roll.

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

The football media are buzzing today with an all-too-rare juicy story, the introduction of the Premier League's latest scheme in the shape of new rules restricting the size and composition of Premier League squads. At face value, the idea of restricting squads based on age and nationality (more on that piece of misdirection later) sounds like a progressive step. But the devil's in the detail, and in this case the devil is the mirage of change.

My understanding of the new rules - set to come into being in time for the 2010/11 season - is that by August 31st, all Premier League clubs will have to submit a squad list of no more than 25 players over the age of 21. Of those, eight must be home grown (more on that piece of misdirection later too). As far as I can tell from my reading on the topic, which has so far been limited, teams can register as many under-21s as they like, home grown or otherwise.

According to the Premier League's chief Crazy Ideas Machine operator Richard Scudamore, the England team will benefit from this move and buying home grown players will become more attractive to the Premier League's clubs. Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has welcomed the restrictions, saying that they "will encourage clubs to develop and bring through young talent and help ensure clubs are financially stable."

Quite what the Premier League's motivation behind this might be is beyond my powers of imagination, but I'm already beginning to see some holes in Scudamore and Sutcliffe's arguments. I don't think this will have any tangible effect on the national team and I certainly don't believe that the "young talent" in question will be English (or Welsh). If anything, the rules will further dilute the number of young Englishmen in our academies. Yet more misdirection, yet more on that later.

But what does this actually restrict? From my reading of the situation, very little. In practice the new rules will mean that clubs will be able to register only 17 foreign players over the age of 21 and only 25 over-21s in total. It's hardly ground-breaking, and the only dramatic change here is that some of the bigger clubs might have to think about getting a few more English or Welsh players in for the short-term before their "home grown" youngsters hit the age mark and begin to count against the Magic 8.

And it is the definition of "home grown" which is most problematic here. The Premier League's statement reveals that "[t]he definition of home grown is trained for three years under the age of 21 by somebody in the English and Welsh professional system". So, if clubs sign up young foreign players before the age of 18, they become home grown.

I'm not sure how exactly this benefits the England team, for which those players would rightly remain ineligible, or young English players. It's difficult to see what will change for the better. English players will still be squeezed out, just at a younger age. The transfer market for English players will still suffer from exaggerated prices if - and that's a big if - the well-resourced clubs at the top end of the table try to get good quality home grown players into their 25. No doubt some will simply tick the box.

In short, this new framework is so full of large and obvious loopholes that it can be considered a total non-story. Yes, it will make life more difficult for Chelsea as they remain under a transfer embargo for their dealings with(out) Lens in their bid to sign Gael Kakuta, but surely these new rules explain why clubs have been going after foreign kids and makes it likely to happen more often - and at a younger age - in the future? In many countries it is impossible for clubs to sign players until the age of 18, so the situation is already difficult. By adding further incentive for English clubs to poach them, the Premier League is only making things worse.

It's a shame that this will have little effect on the game - I believe even Arsenal currently meet the criteria, which just goes to show how little will change - because a squad cap sounds promising if enforced properly without this huge "home grown" safety net underneath it. I personally don't necessarily think the nationality restrictions would need to be strict, but a straight limit on the number of players in a squad would help bring a little parity to the division, even if it were 30 or 35 per club.

Nice try, Mr Scudamore. But this one is as easy to pick holes in as Game 39. What's next, trampolines for goalkeepers?

Don't you just love international breaks? Yes? No? Well I do. Things are beginning to look up for me after this weekend's results. Sadly I can't celebrate yet, but when I can there will be more objects thrown at me than Emmanuel Adebayor celebrating in front of Arsenal fans.

Here are the results:

Blackburn 3-1 Wolves
Three conflicting predictions on this tie, so the only winner here is Chris.

Liverpool 4-0 Burnley
No shock win for Burnley means a routine point for everyone.

Man City 4-2 Arsenal
Great win for Citeh, duly predicted by myself and Mr. twofootedtackle.

Portsmouth 2-3 Bolton
Another game with three different predictions, this time it was Gary correctly choosing Bolton to win.

Stoke 1-2 Chelsea
I wanted to change my prediction before the game started, but luckily I couldn't. An unconvincing win from Chelsea, still got them 3 points though, along with myself and Chris gaining a point each.

Sunderland 4-1 Hull
The Black Cats are either very impressive or Hull are really bad? I'll leave that up to you, we all envisaged a Sunderland win, and they delivered for us.

Spurs 1-3 Man United
Like Chris and Villa I need to start having faith in United, I didn't, so sadly I gained no points and neither did Chris or Gary.

Wigan 1-0 West Ham
The forgotten game of the weekend for most people, however, not for me, I predicted a win for the Latics, and that's what they did.

Birmingham 0-1 Aston Villa
Another point for me, as Chris hangs his head in shame for predicting are Birmingham win.

Fulham 2-1 Everton
Chris did make up for not predicting Villa, by gaining a point in the second Sunday game.

I can now tell you standings have changed in the league table, but before I tell you that here is how many we predicted correctly this week – Chris and I got 6/10, while Gary got 3/10.

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for the League table:

1. Chris – 31 points
2. Ian – 23 points
3. Gary – 22 points

All I can say is I'm happy, can't say I will be come this time next week. As always we want to hear your thoughts, so please don't hesitate to comment on the blog and tell us how rubbish we are!

I'll be back on Friday with our predictions for week 6.

Monday, 14 September 2009

There were no shortage of headlines from the weekend's English football - just the way we like it. It's probably not long until I start paying attention to the tables. Here's your handy guide.

Premier League

Saturday saw an abundance of goals in the top flight. Blackburn Rovers had the game tied up at 3-0 before Wolverhampton Wanderers' late consolation goal at Ewood Park. Yossi Benayoun scored three times as Liverpool thumped Burnley 4-0. Dirk Kuyt got the second.

The bulk of the controversy took place at Eastlands. Manchester City beat Arsenal 4-2, but the predictable Emmanuel Adebayor goal resulted in the Togo striker running the length of the pitch for a celebratory taunt of his old supporters. He also kicked Robin van Persie in the face, and the authorities are looking at both incidents. Tomas Rosicky found the net on his return to league action.

Gary Cahill's last-gasp winner condemned Portsmouth to another defeat, this time to fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers. It was a decent enough game at Fratton Park, and Bolton eventually triumphed 3-2.

At the Britannia, Chelsea got the predictable stoppage time winner against Stoke City. Stoke took the lead thanks to yet more awkward goalkeeping from Petr Cech, but an equaliser in first half injury time from Didier Drogba took the wind out of their sails and Florent Malouda turned one point to three at the death.

Kamil Zayatte scored at both ends as his Hull City side slumped to a 4-1 defeat in a dismal second half for them at Sunderland. Darren Bent notched twice, one a penalty, and Andy Reid was Sunderland's other goalscorer. Wigan Athletic needed just one goal to see off West Ham United at the DW.

Jermain Defoe's wonderful overhead kick was a rare high point for Tottenham Hotspur in the Saturday evening game. Manchester United took them apart for large periods of the match, and Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Wayne Rooney scored as United ran out winners despite Paul Scholes' sending off.

On Sunday, late drama lit up a right old war of attrition in Birmingham. Gabriel Agbonlahor scored with just a few minutes left to give Aston Villa another derby win against Birmingham City. Birmingham were more composed, generally, but Villa created all the real chances and eventually that was the difference.

And at Craven Cottage, goals from Paul Konchesky and Damien Duff completed Fulham's comeback to secure three points against Everton. Tim Cahill had put the Toffees ahead, though there were suspicions of offside. Everton are in the bottom three.

Championship

Newcastle United are top of the Championship, bagging their fifth victory out of six by beating Cardiff City on Sunday. Alan Smith was sent off at the end. West Bromwich Albion lead the chasing pack after a 3-1 home win against Plymouth Argyle. Middlesbrough are third (sounds like a familiar trio, no?) having defeated Ipswich Town.

Barnsley still have only one point and are stranded at the bottom having been beaten by Watford. On two points are the aforementioned Plymouth and Ipswich, while Peterborough picked up their third with a 1-1 draw at Queens Park Rangers.

Elsewhere, Scunthorpe United demolished Crystal Palace, Sheffield United won at Derby County, Leicester City beat Blackpool and Preston North End beat Swansea City. There were draws for Coventry City and Bristol City, Reading and Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest.

League One

Two 100% records came to an end in the third division. Leeds United drew 0-0 with Southend United on Friday night, and Charlton Athletic drew with Southampton who now have minus five. Bristol Rovers are third after a home win against Oldham Athletic and fourth-placed Huddersfield Town could only draw with Brentford.

Tranmere Rovers would be bottom were it not for Saints' points deduction, stranded on three by a home defeat at the hands of Walsall. Wycombe Wanderers got their fifth with a draw at Hartlepool United, and Oldham are bottom of a whole clutch of clubs on six.

Brighton & Hove Albion won at Carlisle United and Gillingham at home to Millwall. There were lots of draws: Exeter City at Leyton Orient, Colchester United at Swindon Town, and Stockport County at ten-man Yeovil Town completed the set.

League Two

Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourself for my wide, wide smile: AFC Bournemouth are top of the division! The Cherries have 18 points from a possible 21, winning at home to Lincoln City on Saturday. On 16, Dagenham & Redbridge beat Chesterfield and Rotherham drew at home to third-from-bottom Morecambe.

Fourth-placed Barnet drew with Macclesfield Town to keep themselves above Notts County, who beat Northampton 5-2 thanks to another hat-trick from Lee Hughes. At the bottom, Darlington lost to Accrington Stanley on Friday and Hereford United were beaten by fourth-from-bottom Grimsby Town.

Aldershot drew with Port Vale, Bradford City drew with Burton Albion, Cheltenham won with a late goal at Bury, Rochdale beat Torquay United and Shrewsbury defeated Crewe Alexandra.

Non-League

Oxford United have a seven-point lead at the top of the Blue Square Premier winning at Wrexham to move onto 26. Luton Town beat Barrow and lead the chasing pack, with Stevenage (who beat Mansfield Town), York City and Kettering. York beat Kettering on Saturday.

Chester City's point at Eastbourne Borough takes them to minus 19, while Forest Green Rovers and Ebbsfleet United (who drew with each other on Saturday) sandwich Grays Athletic who lost out to a stoppage time winner in a 5-4 defeat to Rushden & Diamonds.

Droylsden lead the Blue Square North on goal difference from Southport, who made up ground with a win at Gainsborough Trinity while the leaders could only draw. Fleetwood Town and Eastwood Town picked up three points and one point respectively, and are in hot pursuit. Farsley Celtic stay bottom with zero points after defeat to Hinckley United. Solihull Moors, Redditch and Northwich have seven.

In the South, Dover are top of the table following a home win over Hampton & Richmond. Newport County thrashed Eastleigh and are second, while Woking's draw drops them into third on goal difference. Braintree Town and Thurrock are within touching distance. Weymouth are propping up the table with a little help from Lewes and Worcester City.

Sunday, 13 September 2009

Introducing football's most hated man, Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

He has spent much of the last week bemoaning his treatment by fans of Arsenal during his last season at the club, whipping up a storm which needed little encouragement. Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott showed their true colours by signing for City, but Adebayor stepped down from a Champions League club - no wonder Arsenal fans believe he's all about the money.

Adebayor has created in his mind an exaggeration of the abuse he supposedly received from the fans last season. To listen to his moaning, you'd think he was booed with every touch and had his boot bag pissed in by the fans every week.

It simply wasn't the case. I've been to the Emirates several times since Adebayor chose to disrespect Arsenal by trying to engineer a move away, and I've heard no such abuse. As far as I am aware, it died down fairly quickly. There are other players in the Arsenal side who receive worse treatment and none of them will behave like Adebayor if they ever leave and score against their old side.

That behaviour consisted of kicking Robin van Persie in the face and celebrating his goal by running 90 yards to taunt the visiting fans. It was stupid, disrespectful and provocative. And despite Mark Hughes' comments in the aftermath, can in no way be justified or considered "understandable".

The FA will be looking at Adebayor's conduct and I have little doubt a ban will follow. Once again Manchester City demonstrate a lack of class and it's sad that Hughes has taken on those characteristics. Adebayor's behaviour is not understandable, because he invented the mythical abuse himself.

But then City and Hughes have too much money to need to avoid making enemies, so why bother?

(Pic via BBC Sport/PA)

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Italian football returned from the international break today, and the Saturday evening game took place in Rome, where Lazio hosted Juventus. Both had won their first two games and were looking to preserve their perfect starts.

Juventus made most of the early running but the Biancocelesti started to find their feet halfway through the first half. Gianluigi Buffon had to be at his best to parry Aleksandar Kolarov's drive after a glittering run from the Serb.

On the half hour Roberto Baronio hit a low, curling free kick from the edge of the area which again had the Juventus goalkeeper scrambling, but Buffon managed to cover the angle as the ball was about to strike the post.

Juventus continued to enjoy a good deal of possession but the creative edge was with Lazio for much of the first half.

They thought they'd opened the scoring in first half stoppage time when a goalmouth scramble resulted in Stefano Mauri slamming the ball home. But the goal was disallowed for an apparent foul on Nicola Legrottaglie.

Juventus almost took the lead seven minutes into the second half. Sebastian Giovinco, on at the end of the first period for the injured Diego, took a quick free kick to Fabio Grosso. Grosso flashed the ball right across the face of goal and striker Amauri's headlong dive was just inches away from the ball.

But Lazio picked up the second half where they'd left the first, producing the more incisive attacks while the Bianconeri struggled to find the killer pass.

Julio Cruz missed a great chance for Lazio with a little over 20 minutes remaining, getting himself ahead of his marker but unable to apply the right touch to lift the ball over the advancing Buffon.

And just as you started to get the impression Juventus might fluke it (and I have the tweets to prove it), Martin Cáceres, the Uruguayan debutant on loan from Barcelona, pounced on a loose ball in the 71st minute and thumped a lovely volley into the bottom corner to put them ahead.

The Bianconeri's lead was somewhat undeserved, but Lazio's failure to capitalise on their chances invited heartbreak.

And all of a sudden, Lazio were toothless. Only a Cruz shot troubled Buffon's gloves as the clock wound down and the Biancocelesti never looked like scoring an equaliser. Predictably it was Juventus who earned a second goal. A cross from Giovinco to Amauri in stoppage time went loose and David Trézéguet fired home off stricken Lazio stopper Fernando Muslera.

Defeat was a little harsh on Lazio, who had much the better of the first half and contributed to an even second. But Juventus created few clear chances and found the net with two of them, and failure to do the same means Lazio didn't deserve to win any more than they deserved to lose.

Friday, 11 September 2009

After a two-week break normal service has resumed, well, not normal considering we're back but its close enough. And what a way to be back, with some mouth watering and juicy Premier League encounters.

The question is can Manchester Citeh beat Arsenal and really sheikh up the top four? Will Tottenham spurn Manchester United's title hopes to show they are the real deal, and not some fake Rolex's 'Arry bought out of the back of a van?

It's early days yet, but this is a crucial weekend for these pretenders to top four, if they win they could be genuine title contenders. There are also other ties, like Chelsea at the fortress of the Britannia Stadium, Liverpool will feel the heat of Burnley, so on and so forth. I will stop waffling now, so, here are our predictions:

Blackburn v Wolves
Chris: Blackburn
Ian: Wolves
Gary: Draw

Liverpool v Burnley
Chris: Liverpool
Ian: Liverpool
Gary: Liverpool

Man City v Arsenal
Chris: Man City
Ian: Man City
Gary: Draw

Portsmouth v Bolton
Chris: Draw
Ian: Portsmouth
Gary: Bolton

Stoke v Chelsea
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Draw

Sunderland v Hull
Chris: Sunderland
Ian: Sunderland
Gary: Sunderland

Tottenham v Man Utd
Chris: Draw
Ian: Tottenham
Gary: Tottenham

Wigan v West Ham
Chris: West Ham
Ian: Wigan
Gary: West Ham

Birmingham v Aston Villa
Chris: Birmingham
Ian: Aston Villa
Gary: Draw

Fulham vs Everton
Chris: Fulham
Ian: Draw
Gary: Everton

Thursday, 10 September 2009

Once again, England's name is on the World Cup. Ordinarily, this is where I'd be advising you to make the most of today, for it'll be a high point - only this time, I think there is better to come.

But let's not compromise this moment with cheap optimism about the future, much more appropriately regarded these days through a lens of understated confidence. Last night's 5-1 England victory over Croatia, the nemesis du jour, was a wonderful exercise in clinical, ruthless efficiency.

Croatia were punished: first, for their own defensive capitulation and second, emphatically, for teaching England a lesson they sorely needed. No wally with a brolly here, just a Mister who commands respect and discipline. 5-1 flattered the visitors to Wembley on a night which was truly one-sided.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard chipped in with a couple of goals each before Eduardo's consolation and a gift unwrapped in style by Wayne Rooney. The big players are beginning to justify their billing and the timing couldn't be better. Just to top things off, Aaron Lennon demonstrated the all-important end product.

If Steve McClaren was a wally, then Capello is an impressive managerial brain. He has been tactically successful in most of his games in charge of the national team, but his greatest achievement has been to bring under his control a group of players which is made up of great footballers distracted by court cases, hip-hop, movie production and that scourge of football (and paradoxical acronym), the WAG.

The England team is, for the first time in a long time, exactly that. Are we on the same level as Spain and Brazil, both of whom also won last night? Doubtful - Brazil aren't as entertaining as teams of the past but they're a machine, and I would still be terrified to come up against the irresistible Spanish in South Africa.

Qualification is now secured, 24 points banked from a possible 24 and our place among the favourites next summer assured. And who knows, maybe we'll do ourselves proud with the mighty Italian Mister at the helm.

(Pic via Daily Telegraph)

Leeds Fans Remembrance

On April 5th 2000, Leeds United supporters Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were in Istanbul for United's match against Galatasaray. They never came home.

It's a crime we all remember, one which shocked football despite heated relations in general between English and Turkish fans at the time. I learned this week that my dad works with Chris' brother, who has been working with members of both families on a series of events to mark the 10th anniversary of Chris and Kevin's tragic deaths.

Leeds Fans Remembrance is hoping to hold one event per month between now and 3rd April, when the campaign will culminate in a fundraising event at Elland Road. The proceeds from the events will go to Candlelighters, a Leeds-based children's cancer charity.

If you can spare a few quid, please visit the site and give a donation in Chris and Kevin's memory. We all want to be safe at football, but two guys in 2000 were robbed of that right in heartbreaking circumstances.

Support Your Local Team

Aston Villa are away at Birmingham City this weekend. I won't be attending, partly because of City's disgraceful, blatant and repeated ripping off of Villa supporters and partly because I cannot - despite my love of the Villa - be arsed to watch football's ugly side manifest itself before my very eyes.

Whether or not I were making the trip to Birmingham's run-down cowshed and paying fifty quid for the privilege, my Saturday is, thankfully, Villa free. So, I'll be heading to Imperial Fields, Mitcham, to get a nice big fix of another great football passion of mind, Tooting & Mitcham United.

Tooting are currently riding high in the Ryman Premier League, shrugging off pre-season concerns and romping to second with a string of superb results. But this week it's time to focus on the FA Cup with the visit of Horsham, with whom I have a personal but very friendly rivalry because my hetero-lifemate is a Lardy Boy.

And so I'll once again be sampling the many delights of non-league football, and if you have a local non-league team you should get involved. The clubs need your support, but in turn they can offer you a value-for-money, restorative afternoon at the very heart of the English game. For the disillusioned supporter, it's a welcome opportunity to support your community while getting back in touch with football.

Where else can you take a seat of your choice and mix with opposing supporters, providing a style of banter and a shared identity impossible higher up the ladder? Where else can you stand behind a different goal in each half, swapping at the break to ensure a good view of your team's winner? And above all, where else can you meet a supporter who attends matches barefoot for no apparent reason?

That's what non-league football is all about. But don't kid yourself that you're doing it a favour, because if anything it's better for you than you are in return. Just give it a chance.

And if you ever do, let me know.

Uppers for goalposts

If it weren't potentially so serious, this would be one for Danny Baker's excellent new Saturday morning show on Radio 5 Live. BBC News is reporting that a bag containing "dangerous drugs" has been stolen from a park in Bournemouth.

The park in question is Kings Park in Boscombe, where I played most of my Sunday League football as a youngster and also the home of AFC Bournemouth. The mystery surrounding the case - the bag was reported stolen by the owner, so we can probably rule out Class A fundrugs - is a little bizarre, but this, dear readers, is a football blog.

And this bag o' drugs was stolen while being used as...a goalpost. Not only is that completely insane but it speaks volumes about the beautiful game.

Football: the universal language. And if you don't have a jumper handy in the park, you can always use a sack full of undisclosed narcotics. Just keep an eye on it.

Sheriff Kimbo's Thursday Thoughts #3

Well, England have qualified for the World Cup. That's great. It really is, and credit to Capello and everybody involved for winning every qualifying game so far – that really takes some doing. I suppose all I can really hope for is that at some point, my past enthusiasm at the World Cups of '90, '98 and '02 can return.

Why has my enthusiasm waned, I hear you ask? Well, when Gary Neville threatened that he and the England team would go on strike at the non-selection of the suspended Rio Ferdinand, I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't get enthusiastic about a team that had the likes of Gary Neville and Ashley 'I was so angry at their £55k a week offer I had to stop driving because I was shaking' Cole in it. Where were the days of Stuart Pearce and Terry Butcher? But hey, that's just how football is these days I suppose.

Getting back to tonight and you can't help but feel that Capello is the right leader. Whether or not we can win it is another matter. For instance, Glen Johnson is pretty dodgy defensively. Another weak link is up top. I think there is universal agreement that Emile Heskey isn't the man to fire England to World Cup glory. But is Jermaine Defoe? Really? Sure, he's great when he is scoring goals. But apart from that he contributes nothing, meaning that when he is not scoring goals, he is a non-entity in the team. After all, that is why none of the top 4 will touch him. There aren't many other options, are there? Maybe Michael Owen will go on a glorious run of form at the back end of the season...

Hearing Eduardo getting booed tonight made me cringe a little. This bloke really does not deserve what has happened. For one thing, it wasn't even that conclusive that he dived; I for one thought it was a penalty when I saw it in 'real time'. Why he has been victimised (other than the anti-English and slightly pro-Scottish agenda of UEFA) is beyond me. In order for this to be slightly less farcical, there needs to be a proper explanation given and a proper plan of action for the future given. Otherwise it is absolutely nothing other than a witch-hunt.

On the subject of an Arsenal player getting done for diving – how stupid was Eboue to dive in their next game? I mean, seriously, if it wasn't for Rugbys 'bloodgate' incident then it would have been the most ridiculous decision that I have seen on a sporting field in recent times!

Continuing on the Arsenal theme, I said in my first column that I was not convinced that their early season form would really hold up against a good side (not that Everton are not a good side but I think the Lescott debacle affected them, plus the result was a bit of a freak) and sure enough, they lost to Manchester United. In all honesty, I think the same of their opponents this weekend, Manchester City. They could easily have conceded goals that would have cost them points against quite frankly three sides that you would expect them to beat. In all fairness, they DID beat them, but I think the Arsenal v City clash is a fascinating one. Two teams that the likes of Villa, Everton and Spurs will be looking to finish above, although both are generally expected to make the top 5 with Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Both sides good going forward but with defensive naiveties, and the added spice of the presence of Adebayor/Toure… I am genuinely looking forward to this one.

So, it's the second city derby on Sunday. While I am absolutely up for it because it's the local rivals and bragging rights etc, I really think this game is not the big event for us that some (mostly younger) Villa fans make out it is. That is not to say it is not big – of COURSE it is. But for me, I would take losing to them twice if meant we were guaranteed Champions League football next season. On the flip side, I think they would take getting relegated as long as they got six points off the Villa. Therein lies the difference between the two clubs.

As for the result, I'm not convinced that we'll win, although I'd be surprised (and horrified!) if we lost. But we have won three on the trot, how often do we win four in a row? In addition, we have won four consecutive games against them, and our all-time record is five in a row – as is theirs against us. It would be nice to do the double over them and get the record. My head is saying draw, but my heart absolutely says a win.

Dwight Yorke retired this week – oh that made me feel old! I remember him at the Villa around two whole decades ago! Whatever my opinion of him is, as a footballer he was absolutely wonderful. Genuinely world class, he was the best striker I've seen and may ever see at Aston Villa. In addition, he was a genuinely superb midfielder. When he played there for Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup, people were talking like it was some amazing transition… nonsense! Anyone that had seen him play there for the Villa could have told you that. It was similar when he made the move to Man U, he only started to get the credit he deserved for how good he was – well as far as I am concerned, apart from his first season there, his best years were at Villa Park. No woman ever broke my heart the way Dwight Yorke did, I can tell you that for nothing!

Another week has passed. I am delighted that we are back to domestic action this week. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad England have qualified but compared to Aston Villa, the national team means almost nothing to me! Roll on Sunday, eh...

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

England's goalkeeping spot is the subject of much discussion at the moment, with Robert Green apparently being in control of the number one shirt for this week's double-header against Slovenia and Croatia.

There is no doubt that Fabio Capello lacks a world class player in this position, but I will admit to being a little surprised at the level of buzz around it at the moment. For my money, Green is comfortably the best goalkeeper available to the England manager and I hope Capello has settled on him as first choice.

For me, the best alternative is one for the future rather than 2009. Manchester City 'keeper Joe Hart is on loan at dutty Birmingham City and while he's far from ready, his potential gives me confidence in our future between the pipes. Hart will grow quickly to command his penalty area and cut out the few mistakes he makes and will become a valuable asset for whichever club Al-Citeh are complacent enough to sell him to.

The other options really aren't of a high enough standard for a team harbouring hopes of a serious assault on the World Cup, no matter how ambitious. David James has, after a couple of excellent seasons at Portsmouth, been reprising his error-strewn form of old. He's not the Calamity James we all know and love, but I believe Green and Hart have now surpassed him when taking into account their ages.

It seems that Ben Foster is the pundits' choice to be James' natural successor, but I'm not convinced. He may (occasionally) play for Manchester United, but that doesn't hide the fact that he is yet to grow into the dominant goalkeeper we were all expecting him to. Don't get me wrong, Foster has all the right attributes. But the Old Trafford bench is no place to hone his skills.

Chris Kirkland is the man most often referred to as the goalie that got away, a man so injury prone that he has missed crucial international opportunities and had every good rub of form interrupted. Sad though it is, Kirkland's development has been hindered and in comparison to Green he lacks reliability.

Finally, we have the forgotten men of English goalkeeping, Paul Robinson and Scott Carson. Both have suffered from high-profile international errors, but while Robinson's career has recovered somewhat, Carson is lucky to be allowed anywhere near a goal. When a goalkeeper can be relied upon to concede from free kicks as regularly as Carson, it should be game over.

If I were Fabio Capello - and I'm not, despite being just as handsome - my England squads between now and June would include Green, Hart and Robinson, though there is plenty of value in having James around the camp and available in case of emergency.

What do you think? Which goalkeepers should Capello take to South Africa?

The twofootedtackle Football Podcast Episode 18

Happy Wednesday, ladies and gentlemen. I'm delighted to announce that Episode 18 of the podcast is now available via iTunes, this here link and the CSRN media player.

Our guest for the evening was Just-Football editor-in-chief Jonathan, who joined us to talk about Chelsea, Portsmouth, the World Cup Qualifiers in Europe and South America, and Major League Soccer.

As requested by Gary, you can read the official Tooting & Mitcham United match report from Saturday's draw with Billericay Town here.

Tuesday, 8 September 2009

In my first 'swanning about with footballers' experience since the Junior Cherries Christmas do when I was five, I met three ex-pros last night thanks to an invite to the launch of Samsung's new football website.

As a Villa fan, meeting Paul Merson and Alan McInally (and Chris Kamara, who I didn't speak to at all) was a real pleasure. The launch took the form of a table football tournament in which Merson was sick-makingly successful, but I managed to briefly grab a word and a photo opportunity (that's it above). Merse was one of the most naturally gifted footballers I've ever seen in the flesh, so it was an honour.

But I had a good long chat with Big Al and his eyes lit up when I told him I was a Villa fan. Talking about the club closest to my heart with a player I wish I'd seen more of was a brilliant way to pass a few minutes and he even gave me a quick rendition of the (cleaner parts of) a still popular Villa chant which bears his name.

Samsung was launching Samsung Football, its new footy website. It's a pretty cool idea, which centres on an interactive Google Map which lets users find out where the local football pubs are and how to find out if they're showing a certain game.

There's also a very comprehensive TV guide for those of us who can't be bothered to get off our arses.

My thanks to Samsung for a cracking evening.

Monday, 7 September 2009

With the international teams strutting their stuff over the weekend, the English league programme was a little shorter than usual. Here's what happened on English soil over the last few days.

England v Slovenia

Fabio Capello's side picked up a fairly routine friendly win, but it wasn't without its problems. Frank Lampard put England 1-0 up from the spot after Wayne Rooney was ridiculously awarded a first half penalty, and Jermain Defoe doubled the lead with a lovely finish after coming on as a substitute.

The concerns were mostly defensive (Rooney's finishing was awry but that happens sometimes). England conceded late and Joleon Lescott's (kerching!) performance was unimpressive. I'm also beginning to question the role of tricky little wingers in international football, but that's a conversation for another time.

The big question in the media at the moment is whether Defoe will replace Emile Heskey in the starting eleven against Croatia on Wednesday. His blistering form suggests he should, but Capello has hinted that Heskey's value - and Defoe's as an impact player - means that won't happen.

League One

Charlton Athletic continued their 100% record at the start of the season in League One, defeating Brentford 2-0 at the Valley. They lead on goal difference from Leeds United who also made it six out of six with a 2-0 home win over Stockport County. Huddersfield's 3-2 win at MK Dons puts them in third on 13 points, and Bristol Rovers beat Millwall to reach 12 points.

At the bottom, Southampton's goalless draw at home to ten-man Colchester United raises them to -6 points. Tranmere Rovers were beaten 3-0 at Carlisle United having had a man sent off at the end of the first half, and have just three points. Wycombe Wanderers remain on four points after defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, who leapfrog them onto five points.

Joining Brighton on five are Exeter City (beaten by Gillingham), Leyton Orient (beaten by Southend United), Stockport and Yeovil Town (beaten by Swindon Town).

Elsewhere, Norwich City drew with Walsall and Hartlepool United picked up a 3-0 away win at Oldham Athletic.

League Two

Rotherham United and AFC Bournemouth lead League Two, both having five wins from six matches. The Millers defeated Chesterfield 3-1, while the Cherries won 2-1 at Torquay United. Dagenham & Redbridge drew with Cheltenham Town, and Barnet won 3-1 at Northampton Town to take both to 13 points. Crewe Alexandra beat Macclesfield Town to reach 12.

Darlington lost 3-0 at Lincoln City and prop up the league with just one point. Grimsby Town remain on three after a thrashing at Port Vale. Morecambe and Hereford United have four points each after drawing with Rochdale and Aldershot respectively.

In the other matches, a late double earned Accrington Stanley victory at Bury, Notts County drew with Burton Albion and Bradford City beat Shrewsbury.

Non-League

There was massive controversy in the Blue Square Premier on Saturday. With Gateshead and Hayes & Yeading at 0-0 after 75 minutes, the game was delayed for half an hour while Gateshead's Martin Brittain was treated for a suspected broken leg. The game was then abandoned, but Hayes boss Gary Haylock is demanding the points from the match on the grounds of forfeiture.

Haylock claims the game was not abandoned due to the delay, but because of the refusal of Gateshead's players to return to the pitch.

Oxford United's excellent start continued with a win at Ebbsfleet United, while Mansfield Town's draw with Grays Athletic and Luton Town's draw at Salisbury give Oxford the upper hand. At the bottom, Chester City beat Histon to reach -20 points.

Some big scores to report too: Rushden & Diamonds won 6-1 away at Barrow and 23rd place Forest Green Rovers remain on one point after a 7-0 demolition by Cambridge United.

Eastwood Town lead the Blue Square North with 19 points after victory over Blyth Spartans. Droylsden beat Stafford Rangers 7-1 to stay second, with Corby beating Northwich Victoria to remain third. Farsley Celtic are rock bottom with zero points after defeat by Stalybridge, while Alfreton Town impressed with a 5-1 away win over Hyde.

Newport County and Basingstoke have 18 points each from a possible 24 in the Blue Square South. Newport beat Welling at the weekend to catch Basingstoke, who could only draw with lowly Lewes. Dover, Braintree, Woking and Havant & Waterlooville are just a point behind the leaders.

Welling, Lewes, Dorchester and Weymouth have five points so far, edging ahead of Weston-Super-Mare and Maidenhead United with four each.

Friday, 4 September 2009

The FA's getting pretty good at this video thing. Ray Winstone features again, following his appearance in the excellent Two Rays video, and this one again focuses on grassroots football.

Winstone's first appearance dealt with respecting the referee, and the more recent Whatever Your Level, (sort of) starring yours truly, addressed the staggeringly high drop-off rate in participation between the ages of 16 and 18.

This time, the Football Association is tackling the attitude of problematic touchline parents. It's quite a hard hitting film and has been distributed to 15,000 clubs along with the Respect Parent Guide. You can read more about the ongoing campaign here.

Socrates

At the end of one week, it's time to look forward to the next. I have a particularly exciting invite from my friends at Samsung for Monday and then on Wednesday, the big day arrives.

For a few months, twofootedtackle, The Onion Bag and Some People Are On The Pitch have been working to put together a football bloggers' meetup, and next Wednesday we'll be hosting the first ever Socrates

It's in Vauxhall and y'all are most welcome if you can make it into London Town. Click here to have a read, get the details and see the current guest list.

If you're already on it, I'm looking forward to seeing you again or meeting you for the first time.

Thursday, 3 September 2009

Hello all, did you have a good week? The transfer window closed, so that can only be a good thing. But then it is the week of an England game, and therefore we are in Dullsville!

Speaking of the transfer window, I don't believe that Chelsea will be doing much business for the next twelve months… Now, if they did what they have been accused of, I can not help but think it is the right thing to do. The 'big boys' in the game are developing more and more of a bullying attitude and anything that can be done to nullify that is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

Chelsea will be fine this season of course, the window is closed and unless they have lots of injuries then they have a squad good enough to win the Premier League, let alone 'cope' with the situation. Next summer though, an aging squad will be twelve months older and will want to add to the squad so if they are unable to do so, well next season could be a bit more difficult for them, especially as everyone else will be looking to do business in order to improve themselves. They certainly need to keep everyone fit and happy, but to be honest I think that it could have been a lot harder had it happened to a mid-table Premier League side, for example.

As for the window, it appears we (Villa) were the big spenders on the final day; partly because, according to Richard Dunne, Citeh 'needed the money'. If there is any truth in that – and why would Dunne lie? – then it makes you wonder what their financial planning will be like for the future. There are certainly noises being made that they will not be having another window like this one.

I went to watch Villa reserves on Tuesday night, where they defeated West Ham reserves. Andrea Zola was in central midfield. He's the son of Gianfranco Zola, but I assure you, he does not play like his old man! I have no idea how good he is on the ball as he didn't get much chance to show that, but he did plenty of kicking! At one point our young Aussie midfielder Chris Herd was unlucky not to go off injured after a particularly nasty Zola challenge (is it just me or does that sound weird?). There was perhaps some poetic justice served when not long after he went up for a headed challenge with Isaiah Osborne, and promptly left the game with an ice-pack on his face!

Speaking of Gianfranco Zola, I said last week that I would have rather have had him – amongst others – in my team than Eric Cantona. I took a little bit of stick (mostly from Manchester United, ahem, 'fans') for saying that Cantona was 'the most overrated player in the history of football'! First of all, I stand by that. Secondly, overrated does not mean rubbish. I think Frank Lampard is overrated, doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see him at the Villa. I think Radiohead are overrated, doesn't mean I don't like some of their music. I think KFC is overrated, doesn't mean I don't enjoy eating it. I think Jordan is overrated, doesn't mean I wouldn't… Anyway the point is that I still think Eric Cantona was a very good player. But in the big scheme of things, he was nowhere near as good as people remember him. He isn't the best foreign player of all-time, as Ossie Ardiles suggested, which is what started this. He isn't the best Manchester United player of all-time, as he was voted a few years ago. The people that voted probably never saw a game prior to the existence of the Premier League. Heck, he isn't even the best Manchester United player of my generation – in fact, he wasn't even the best Manchester United player in that team! For one thing I would take Ryan Giggs over Eric Cantona every day of the week!

Anyway, all this stupid pointless ranting over a player that retired over a decade ago is the fault of Ossie Ardiles and Soccer AM! Damn them! Hope you all have a good week, speak to you next Thursday.

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Wednesday, 30 September 2009

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Friday, 25 September 2009

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Thursday, 24 September 2009

Tuesday

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Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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Friday, 18 September 2009

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Thursday, 17 September 2009

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Sunday, 13 September 2009

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Wednesday, 9 September 2009

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Monday, 7 September 2009

England v Slovenia

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Friday, 4 September 2009

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