twofootedtackle

Match Report: Juventus 1-0 Napoli

Saturday, 28 February 2009

In the interests of full disclosure, SSC Napoli are my second team. Sadly, before tonight's Serie A visit to Juventus, the Azzurri's form had slipped terribly, sitting depressingly in 11th as Giornata 26 kicked off. Manuele Blasi stepped in for the injured Walter Gargano in midfield. Juventus were second, a huge nine points behind leaders Inter.

For Juventus, former Napoli striker Amauri again started on the bench after playing at Stamford Bridge in midweek. David Trezeguet began the match for the Old Lady, linking up with 11-year-old Sebastian Giovinco and Alex Del Piero.

In a first half dominated by the Bianconeri, Napoli's rearguard was ably led by stand-in goalkeeper Nicolás Navarro and Azzurrini defender Fabiano Santacroce, who made several vital interventions. At the other end, Gianluigi Buffon had nothing to do for the first 35 minutes but attend to his matching neckerchief and headband.

Alessandro Del Piero had the first meaningful shot after ten minutes. Clever work from Giovinco resulted in Del Piero beating his man on the edge of the box, but he could only bend his shot into the hands of Navarro.

Five minutes later Navarro had to be right at the top of his game to make a save with his feet from Trezeguet, who got on the end of a sweeping low cross. Giovinco blazed over from the rebound when he really should have scored.

By now, it was one-way traffic, and seconds later Navarro tipped over a Del Piero free kick. It was cleanly struck but slightly too central to be too much of a threat.

With half time approaching, Napoli put together the best move of the game and almost opened up a surprise lead. The ball was played through to German Denis who took a pair of defenders with him as he ran across Gigi Buffon before backheeling into the path of Marek Hamsik. Buffon made an excellent reaction save.

Juventus finally took a deserved but hugely fortunate lead in the 44th minute. A poorly struck long shot from Claudio Marchisio ricocheted off Blasi, leaving Navarro stranded in the middle of his goal, leaning in the wrong direction. That gave Juve a half time advantage.

Napoli had the first good chance of the second period on top of some decent possession following the introduction as a substitute of Jesus Datolo, the Partenopei's new signing from Boca Juniors. Buffon was equal to it yet again.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were eerily uneventful. Napoli found their feet, with Datolo playing out of his skin on the left and Ezequiel Lavezzi buzzing about in his inimitable way, but Del Piero led a Juventus attack that just seemed to have more teeth.

With Hasan Salihamidžic and Amauri already on for Juventus, Nicola Legrottaglie picked up a knock in an ugly mid-air clash with 'keeper Buffon, and was replaced by Olof Mellberg on 71 minutes.

Napoli began to build up the pressure on the Bianconeri in the final quarter but struggled to make it tell. During the same time Juventus offered little until Trezeguet broke the offside trap and had half the pitch to run into, but wasted the chance.

With just three minutes on the clock, Napoli had an equaliser disallowed. A free kick from deep found Paolo Cannavaro, wrongly judged offside. Buffon made an uncharacteristic handling error which allowed Lavezzi to sweep the ball into the net - unfortunately, the whistle had been blown.

Four fiery stoppage time minutes weren't enough for Napoli, fighting hard for an equaliser which wasn't to be.

Juventus keep at least a modicum of pressure on runaway leaders Inter, but Napoli are destined to drop further down the table after Sunday's games.

Goals: Marchisio 44 (Juventus)

twofootedtackle Man of the Match: Fabiano Santacroce, Napoli. Despite the result, the under-21 international right back made life difficult for Juventus, giving precious little freedom to Giovinco and Cristian Molinaro.

Manchester United XI v Tottenham Hotspur

I love the League Cup. Aston Villa fans used to feel some kind of irrational ownership over this pot, having won it five times since its inception. In 1994 and 1996, I had two amazing trips to Wembley thanks to the League Cup. It may not be the most important anymore, but I remain a fan.

Carling, the cup's sponsor, would have been pleased when Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur came through their semi-finals to set up a potentially exciting final.

Manchester United

Do United want to win the Carling Cup final at Wembley tomorrow? You bet your ass they do. The second leg in a potential historic quintuple, Sir Alex Ferguson will have his players right up for this one.

But don't expect to see too many first teamers. Ferguson will keep faith with the players who reached the final. I guess that means Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck and Carlos Tevez will start, along with Nani. Rafael has picked up an injury. The likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo should make the bench. You know, just in case.

Tottenham Hotspur

Again, it may not be a priority for Spurs but they'll be determined to win. Injury and ineligibility will force Harry Redknapp's hand too.

Jermain Defoe is injured (and cup-tied), while Robbie Keane, Carlo Cudicini, Pascal Chimbonda and Wilson Palacios are ineligible. So too is Fraizer Campbell, on loan from United. Ledley King faces a fitness test at the end of a week in which Redknapp compared his training regime to that of Paul McGrath.

The priority for Spurs is Premier League survival, but for this weekend I'm sure they'll be focusing on a place in Europe.

The Fans

Carling has lobbed a load of digital tech into Wembley in order to make the final more interactive. Normally I'd be cautious in supporting any articial noise encouragement, but hey...it's for charity. Carling will be measuring the sound level inside the stadium and regularly displaying the latest on advertising boards and a big screen.

The noise will raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, and the donation will rise with the volume level. Carling has pledged £10,000 but the figure will increase to £15,000 if the decibel level hits 100 dB and £20,000 if it exceeds 110 dB. Nice.

Prediction

I'd like United to win it because I despise Redknapp, but I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to have to listen to his smug, idiotic whitterings on the way home from the Villa tomorrow.

(Photo: Don't Stay In)

Thursday, 26 February 2009

In a cunning lunchtime news story, FIFA.com has reported that Sepp Blatter's proposed 6+5 rule should not be prevented by European Union law.

Blatter has long thrown his considerable sway behind the idea that clubs should be allowed to field only five players who are not eligible for the local national team in question, but has faced criticism from a large number of clubs. Many pointed out that the rule may contravene the European Union's freedom of worker movement legislation.

Not so, contends the Institute for European Union Affairs (INEA). FIFA says:

"This study, which was carried out at FIFA's request by five professors who are all experts on European law, concludes that the number of players who are not eligible for the national team of the country of their club can indeed be regulated and limited, as this does not breach European law."

That's a can of worms being opened right there. This time last year the debate was raging, but "the EU clause" seemed to have put it to bed slightly.

Blatter has been relentless in his support for this idea and will be delighted with the INEA verdict today. Not only does it re-open the conversation, it gives FIFA's lawyers a vital piece of legal weaponry when it eventually winds up in a face-to-face battle with the European Union.

So, with the debate now well and truly open once more, what do you guys think of 6+5? Is it legal, and is it good for the game in any case? Is it a backwards step?

You know what to do.

Everton midfield string-puller Mikel Arteta ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments at Newcastle United on Sunday and the football world instantly buried the Toffees' chances of finishing in the Premier League's top five. I think that's rather premature.

If Everton have shown anything this season it's that they're well-organised, resilient as hell and more than capable of overcoming adversity.

That Arteta is a one man band in the Toffees side is a myth, if you ask me. He's a great player, yes, but I don't think losing him automatically means Everton will drop like a hooker's pants.

Everton are currently sixth in the Premier League, and until Arteta's injury had Arsenal looking over their shoulders. They're only four points behind the Gunners, and removing one player - no matter how good - doesn't suddenly make that insurmountable.

For one thing, I think Everton have several good players. Tim Cahill and Leon Osman have long linked with Arteta to propel Everton into Europe, and there's no reason to suggest that they're not able to help Everton hold firm, and maybe even catch Arsenal.

Dan Gosling could be the vibrant inspiration which carries them through. Hell, they even have strikers now. Strikers!

Importantly, they also have an excellent manager who has turned that team into more than the sum of its parts. With determined players and a clever sod in the dugout, don't go betting against Everton making the UEFA Cup just yet.

(Photo: DCFC)

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

The Emirates Stadium symbolises the tightly-wound tension in modern football almost perfectly. The structure itself, and often the football played inside, is jaw-dropping. But it's a giant shrine to football corporatism - its middle tier empties faster than Club Wembley at half time and most of the time the stadium struggles to top the decibel level of a morgue.

But make no mistake, those Arsenal fans can still raise a din when the moment calls for it.

I've been to a few Arsenal home games this season thanks to a couple of mates kind enough to send their spares my way. The Porto and Cardiff City matches were a little quiet, but last night I went along to watch Arsenal's Champions League last 16 first leg match against AS Roma. Much more like it.

The game itself was more exciting than I'd expected. Roma came with a game plan and it nearly worked for them, though more by luck than judgement. A poor referee tried his hardest to spoil the evening with the usual anti-England bias very much in evidence. Someone should tell him Arsenal have no English players.

Arsenal looked far, far more dangerous in an end-to-end first half and broke the deadlock a few minutes before the break. Philippe Mexes took a few seconds out from his moaning at the referee and putting his arm up for mythical offsides to topple Robin Van Persie. Calm as you like, Van Persie found the net from the spot kick.

In truth, the penalty decision looked a bit soft. But the referee was giving absolutely everything and there was contact, so no complaints about the decision from me.

In both halves, Arsenal had lots of chances and were, as Arsene Wenger has said, pretty wasteful. Nicklas Bendtner in particular was really very poor, but he wasn't the only Arsenal player who could have done better in front of goal.

Roma were as wasteful in possession as Arsenal were with their chances, and despite getting forward more towards the end produced limited chances. Marco Motta had a thunderbolt saved by the fingertips of Manuel Almunia in the first period, and John Arne Riise fired a viciously swinging shot past the post in the second, for which a corner was ludicrously awarded.

Overall, I got the impression Roma were happy with the 1-0 scoreline at times. They obviously fancy themselves in the return leg. That might be a big mistake.

(Photo: BBC Sport)

twofootedtackle @ Soccerlens

I stood in for Gary Andrews and wrote his Soccerlens column this week. In a break from the column's normal subject matter, I had a look at the reactions generated by David Beckham's agitating for a move away from LA Galaxy, Landon Donovan's more transparent desire to further his career in Europe and Juan Pablo Angel's dedication to, and belief in, Major League Soccer.

You can find my article by clicking these blue words.

Top 5: Players I dislike for no apparent reason

In football, as in all walks of like, hatred is not reserved for those who have wronged you. Sometimes, someone's voice, face or smell is enough to give you a healthy distaste for everything they say or do.

Everyone hates Cristiano Ronaldo for being the poster boy for Football's Unpalatable Future, Steven Gerrard for being a whining diver and John Terry for being John Terry. But here are five I despise for no particular reason. Please add yours in the comments.

Kevin Kilbane. I don't know if it's the accent, the gap in the teeth or the fact that he's just a shit footballer living out my dreams, but for whatever unconscious reason I utterly dislike Zinedine Kilbane

Michael Ball. Pointless, boring scouser. What is there not to like?

James Beattie. The former Southampton, Blackburn and Everton striker is easy to hate, but I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it's his puffed-up nightclub strut

Andy Reid. Just one of those where I don't like his face, I'm afraid. And he's a one-trick pony

Michael Dawson. The Spurs centre back falls foul of my childish nature for no other reason than the fact he plays for Spurs and people wildly over-rate him

(Photo: BBC Sport)

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

...Internationals

It's the bane of the club manager but also somehow earthy and real. International football can bring out the best and worst in supporters, particularly in England. When a big tournament rolls around, the whole country gets behind the team, but the passion and party atmosphere is soured by a bizarre assumption that we're going to succeed.

Of course, every country has its own club/country dynamic, but many have a largely adversarial approach - the Club v Country debate. Should players play for their country at the expense of their clubs? Should clubs be compensated for players injured on international duty? It's a long-running debate and a conclusion is unlikely.

The nasty side of international football is that some teams continue to be followed by a nationalist (in the negative sense) element, and hooligans. But then so do some clubs, I guess.

The pinnacle of the international football cycle is the World Cup, followed by continental championships such as the European Championships, the Africa Cup of Nations and the Copa America.

...Italy

Italy is one of world football's powerhouse nations. The domestic league is very strong, and has been for years, and its club sides are massively decorated on the continent, bagging plenty of European Cups and UEFA Cups between them. The football has a reputation for being defensive, and while this is not always true it is slower than the Premier League and La Liga. However, the technique on show is very, very impressive.

The peninsular's biggest clubs are AC Milan and Juventus, but Inter Milan have had their share of success. Recently, Inter have dominated, but were given something of a leg up thanks to the Calciopoli scandal which temporarily hamstrung Juventus, fined and relegated, and AC Milan, themselves fined. Milan, however, are level with Boca Juniors on an amazing 18 international club competition titles.

The national team isn't bad either! The Azzurri have won four World Cups (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006), making them its second most successful team, and one European Championships, in 1968.

...Injuries

This entry was suggested by FootballOnTheTV, and I am eternally grateful. Bad injuries are big news in football. They're bound to happen, though, and it's always a shame when it does. It hits the newspapers, the player involved is smothered with sympathy and, often, the moment goes down in football folklore.

I was present for two such horror injuries, ankle injuries sustained by then-Villa right back Gary Charles and still-Villa left back Wilfred Bouma. Football fans know when those injuries occur.

The stadium becomes shrouded in an eerie silence. People's heads drop - it's a very, very strange moment, and I'll never forget seeing Bouma's leg bent out of shape, the only time I've ever had to look away from a pitch in disgust.

Coventry City's David Busst's compound fracture was the most widely remembered injury, disturbing everybody including the Manchester United players. They were visibly shaken by the incident in 1996. Now, Eduardo da Silva's terrible leg break against Birmingham City is seen in a similar light. It's good to see him back.

Don't forget - the twofootedtackle A to Z of Football is a weekly feature, and your contributions would be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like a football term discussed, feel free to leave a comment and I'll look into it.

Monday, 23 February 2009

Sometimes being a football fan is a painful experience, and nothing quite raises the ire like the football clubs and "authorities" which rely on our cash and passion giving us the middle finger and asking us to "kindly bugger orf, you oiks".

So if I were a Middlesbrough fan I'd be spitting blood today. Kristian and Gary shared the news that a section of the Middlesbrough support were handed letters on Saturday asking them to STFU, the noisy gits.

Following complaints (complaints!) from their neighbours in the south-east corner of the Riverside, members of Red Faction - a supporters group which lobbied the club in order to be permitted a move to that corner to create a singing area - have been asked to keep schtum throughout the game:

"Fans in the Riverside Stadium’s south-east corner have been told “make as much noise as you like when we score, but this constant noise is driving fans mad”."

Have you ever read anything so ridiculous? The same points have been made on plenty of web forums and indeed in the Gazette's article, but I'll reiterate why this so dumb: Middlesbrough needs these fans and Middlesbrough needs vocal support, particularly in the relegation dogfight in which they find themselves.

Sadly, though, it's yet another example of English football bowing to commercial pressure from the prawn sandwich part-timers in our grounds, the corporate wannabe-fans who wield far more influence than their input justifies.

Don't want to hear football noise? Well then a football stadium probably isn't the place for you. Why don't you piss off to the croquet?

(Photo: Newsday)

Morning all. Here's what happened in the Premier League this weekend.

Nicolas Anelka dinked the ball over Brad Friedel to score the only goal in Chelsea's win at Aston Villa. The game was spoiled by Chelsea's constant dissent and time-wasting, and Mark Halsey's all-too-predictable willingness to allow it. He should be sacked, the cheat.

Arsenal and Sunderland played out a goalless draw, as did Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic. Lee Cattermole's tackle put Didier Digard in hospital.

At the Reebok, Bolton Wanderers raced into a 2-0 lead over West Ham United. Matty Taylor opened the scored with a corking free kick, and Kevin Davies added the second in just the 11th minute. Scott Parker pulled one back for the Hammers after 66 minutes, but the comeback wasn't to be.

Stoke City and Portsmouth drew 2-2 in a controversial game at the Britannia. Niko Kranjcar put Pompey ahead after 75 minutes, but the next five saw a double from James Beattie to put Stoke ahead. The first was a harsh penalty for a Glen Johnson handball, the second a header from an offside position. Portsmouth got what they deserved, though, thanks to a Ryan Shawcross own goal in stoppage time.

In the late game, Manchester United finally conceded a goal. Wayne Rooney had put them ahead against Blackburn Rovers, but Roque Santa Cruz breached a United defence missing Edwin Van Der Sar and Nemanja Vidic. The three points went United's way thanks to a lovely free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo on the hour.

Three games took place yesterday. Fulham defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-0 thanks to goals from Bobby Zamora, ending something of a drought and Andy "Andrew" Johnson.

Liverpool dropped yet more points at Anfield. It took a Dirk Kuyt goal with 12 on the clock to equalise after an Alvaro Arbeloa own goal (very harsh, but technically Craig Bellamy's shot took a hefty deflection).

And Everton struggled to break down Newcastle United despite Kevin Nolan picking up a first half red card for the worst tackle I've seen in years.

So, with Hull City hosting Tottenham Hotspur this evening, here's how the table looks. Manchester United are comfortably top from Liverpool, while Chelsea leapfrog Aston Villa into third. Villa are six points above fifth-placed Arsenal.

West Brom, Middlesbrough and Blackburn are beginning to look like regular fixtures at the bottom.

(Photo: BBC Sport)

Saturday, 21 February 2009

Davide Ballardini's side would have been looking forward to tonight's visit by Juventus, Amauri's first Serie A return to Stadio Renzo Barbera since leaving the Sicily club for the Old Lady last summer. Palermo sat in 9th before Giornata 25 got underway, while Juventus held second, a long way behind leaders Inter.

However, Amauri started on the bench tonight - Juventus were handed a real boost with a first start of the season for prolific French striker David Trezeguet, who captained the side. Alessandro Del Piero also sat out, suggesting both will feature against Chelsea in midweek.

After a delayed kick off, a blistering first five minutes saw near misses for both sides.

It took just two minutes for Palermo's Fabrizio Miccoli to bring the very best out of Gigi Buffon. The former Bianconero brilliantly pulled down a nice cross from Mark Bresciano, but was unable to poke the ball past the imperious goalkeeper.

In the fourth, Miccoli was - amazingly - even more unlucky. A neat pull-back gave him a chance for a first-time shot which rattled the bottom of Buffon's crossbar.

Rosanero stopper Marco Amelia was called into action just seconds later as Juve began to play their part in a frantic few minutes.

Palermo controlled the pace of the first quarter, but the Bianconeri countered well. For Palermo, Federico Balzaretti was having a superb game bombing up and down the left wing. Pavel Nedved and Momo Sissoko were tidy in possession for Juve but found Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta being wonderfully marshalled by Danish defender Simon Kjær.

With that in mind, Momo Sissoko took matters into his own hands in the 27th minute. He opened the scoring with a vicious strike past Amelia into the top corner from the edge of the box, after bursting from the half way line past two opponents.

Palermo again took the initiative, but it was Amelia who needed to be alert four minutes before half time. More deft dribbling by Sissoko gave Nedved a chance to run at the defence. Amelia was more than equal to his left-footed strike.

A minute later, the Italian goalkeeper was forced to save with his knee from an advancing Iaquinta, but Buffon was able to breathe a sigh of relief as he watched Edison Cavani's low drive squeeze wide of his left-hand post.

Palermo started the second period brightest and in the 52nd minute should have been awarded a penalty - though it took me a replay to see that Miccoli's cross was blocked by the hand of Nicola Legrottaglie. That said, the assistant referee was at a much better angle than I was. I'm in London.

Antonio Nocerino induced the first real save after the break. After 62 minutes, he sent an audacious volley from a tight angle towards Buffon's top corner. Gigi made light work of tipping it over.

Shortly afterwards, Miccoli's shot was palmed dangerously back into the six yard box by Buffon, but Zdenek Grygera was able to clear the ball away from the eager Rosanero.

Amelia kept Palermo in the game on 74 minutes, putting a strong, instinctive hand behind a close-range shot from Amauri. The recently-introduced substitute had been set up by a cut-back from Nedved on the left.

But with 12 minutes to go, Juve skipper David Trezeguet benefitted from some great work on the left wing by former Palermo striker Amauri. The Frenchman sealed the win for Juventus, tapping past Amelia with a little help from a deflection.

So Juventus go three points closer to Inter, but they had to work hard and probably didn't deserve it. Palermo were more impressive, but the Old Lady's quality in front of goal set them apart from the Sicilians.

Goals: Sissoko 27, Trezeguet 79 (Juventus)

twofootedtackle Man of the Match: Simon Kjær, Palermo. The Juventus attackers got precious little change out of the 24-year-old

Friday, 20 February 2009

The Carling Cup Final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur takes place at Wembley next Sunday (1st March), as Spurs look to take their only chance of European football next season and United aim to bag the first pot of some kind of crazy potential quintuple.

As is their way, my good friends at Carling have come up with a nice idea for the occasion and, as is also their way, were goodly enough to fire me an email to tell me all about it.

You know those flashy digital pitchside advertising boards? Carling is handing more than a third of its boards at Wembley over to supporter designs, which can be entered at www.carling.com/banners.

Cute, no? The top 100 entrants will appear pitchside in two minute bursts for 32 minutes of the match, with an advertising value of £60,000.

Let me know what you think of this initiative. I think it's kinda cool. Oh, and anyone who gets twofootedtackle.com included in one wins a prize*.

* May be rubbish.

Thursday, 19 February 2009

(Click to enlarge)

For those that don't know me personally (so all of my American readers), it may be news to you that my day job is not wordsmith and all-round football guru, but social media planner at Porter Novelli, the global public relations agency.

Part of my role is identifying online influencers (well, identifying ways of identifying online influencers), and one method we use is our proprietary influencer mapping tool.

The results look like the map above which - as you'll know because you clicked to enlarge it - shows a statistical representation of the most linked-to and most conversationally-active Major League Soccer bloggers.

The tool's analysis is practically flawless. Any error is my human error, and it is possible that this crept in while I was building the seed list for this map.

The size of each node demonstrates the number of inlinks to each blog/site (from all sites within two degrees of separation from those in the seed list, not in total). That's interesting, but doesn't necessarily give a reliable picture of where those blogs belong in the online conversation.

The really interesting analysis is betweenness: a measure of the centrality of each node within the network shown.

Right, that's the boring stuff out of the way. What does it all mean?

So, from the map I created, the top five most influential blogs are (drumroll please):

3rd Degree

MLS Daily

Soccer By Ives

WV Hooligan

This Is American Soccer

These five are closely followed by No Short Corners, The Touchline and 100 Percent Soccer.

I'm pretty happy with those results. After all, I'm no expert on MLS and I've heard of all of the top five. My only concern is that 3rd Degree is an FC Dallas blog rather than a wider soccer blog. This surprises me.

So here's what I'm wondering: does the map fit your perception? Are there any glaring omissions? Your feedback would be fascinating as I try to refine the influencer mapping tool's football capabilities.

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

At the beginning of the year I put out a plea for guest writers. Jack Rich expressed an interest, and has today sent me his article. Luckily for me, it was something I wanted to cover. Enjoy.

Luton Town are rooted to the bottom of the Football League. Since day one, they have been odds-on for relegation after an unprecedented 30-point deduction was imposed on them by the powers that be. Now, with just 17 league games to play, Luton are still 21 points away from safety.

But last night the long-suffering Hatters fans were given some relief, as their young team secured a trip to Wembley after beating Brighton - of League One - in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.

I must be honest and admit I have a soft-spot for Luton. As a boy I was forced to be a Leeds fan despite growing up in Hertfordshire. Luton were the nearest league club and so I spent many a Saturday with my brother and my dad on the terraces of the Kenilworth End. In fact I've already seen Luton at Wembley, when they lost 2-0 to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final in 1994.

But this season's Wembley trip is totally different. They will be massive underdogs when they face Scunthorpe in the final of the JP Trophy, but the outcome isn't that important. By getting to Wembley, Luton are reminding the rest of the football that they are still there.

The club that beat Arsenal to win the League Cup as recently as 1988 will, most probably, be playing non-league football next season. But for the fans, a trip to Wembley in an otherwise depressing season is the least that they deserve.

I for one will be a Luton fan that day.

Me too.

(Photo: Luton Town)

Top 5: Premier League haircuts

My heartfelt thanks to large gentleman and fellow NFL fan (and Dingle) @TallEddie for this week's idea, and to the excellent Off The Post, whose Do Are Ya? feature reminded me of one of these barnets.

Jason Lee, Nottingham Forest (Virgin Media)

Tony Daley, Aston Villa (Gazeta)

Djibril Cisse's green number, Sunderland (BBC)

Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Tottenham Hotspur (4thegame)

David James, Porsmouth (BBC)

Clearly this is all a matter of taste, so get those comments in and tell me why these aren't the best five haircuts since the Dawn of Time (copyright SKY Sports) in 1992.

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

...Hooligans

Despite almost every football match in this country being as safe as safe can be, hooliganism remains a central part of football's image to outsiders. In reality, I think it's only a fluke of history that caused this. In a parallel dimension, it might have been rugby. Or bowls.

Football hooliganism reached its peak in the late 1970s and 1980s, dying out as casual culture's turn to ecstasy coincided with the plasticisation of the game following Italia '90. Okay, so that's a very simplistic view but you get the point.

But even in the 1970s, hooliganism wasn't a modern phenomenon. Sociologists Eric Dunning and Norbert Elias wrote 'The Quest for Excitement' which recalls incidents which prove that violence is as old as football itself.

...Hard Men

I grew up with Vinnie Jones and Roy Keane being portrayed as the archetypal football hard men, but somehow it seems that commonly-accepted 'hard men' in football all possess an element of cowardice. The only real hard man I've seen play football in the flesh was Shaun Teale, a man who never shirked a tackle and rarely put in a cowardly foul.

Of course, my football experience is relatively modern, so I missed out on the old-school hard men (though I saw plenty of Stuart Pearce) of the game: Tommy Smith, Johnny Giles, Paul Reaney and Dave Mackay, as listed by The Times.

If there are any of these players left in football, there won't be for long.

Hyperbole

Obvious and intentional exaggeration - a vital tool in the SKY Sports arsenal.

GRAND SLAM SUNDAY! Hyperbole has been a key weapon in convincing the weak-of-brain to follow football the SKY way, watching the so-called Big Four to the exclusion of all others, accepting the money-dominated state of the game because we get to watch "the best players in the world" (Kaka? Ibrahimovic? Messi? Fat Ronaldo? Nah, didn't think so).

It's not just SKY, sadly. They're the masters, and they do it to evil ends, but we're all at it. Bloggers are particularly bad for it, because we know it helps our traffic.

But it's also in the nature of the football fan generally. Because we all know that Aston Villa are the greatest team the world has ever seen, and Arsenal are shit. Oh, wait...

...Half time entertainment

Is it just me, or is half time entertainment not what it used to be? Over the years I've seen penalty competitions in the real goals, full-on five-a-sides, crossbar challenges and mascot sprint races.

These days we get nothing, usually, and occasionally some fat balding men missing penalties against schoolgirl goalkeepers between inflatable posts. Or, as West Ham managed last season, a pair of street footballers doing their thing. Cool, but dull.

So why is it that this art has declined? Is it because the fans are no longer important enough, or is it because top quality pitches can't take it? My money's on the latter.

What's the best half time entertainment you've seen at football? Who's the hardest player ever? Let me know.

Record-breaking goalscorer passes away

In 2004, Marc Burrows of Cowes Sports launched a wind-assisted shot towards Eastleigh's goal from the kick-off. His goal was clocked at just two seconds, and was later confirmed by the Football Association as the fastest goal of all time.

Burrows, a former Portsmouth trainee who later moved to Christchurch FC, died tragically at the end of last week, aged 30, following a short battle against pancreatic cancer. He passed away after collapsing at his home in Bournemouth.

In a football world where so much of our attention is dedicated to worshipping/slating prima-donnas, criticising authorities and treating defeat like the end of the world, such sadness should remind us all that what we're engaged in on a daily basis is essentially an occasionally politically and culturally important nonsense.

My thoughts go out to Marc's friends and family. His record will live forever, I'm certain of that.

Monday, 16 February 2009

Right now, for really the first time all season, AFC Bournemouth look capable of escaping relegation from the Football League.

With all due respect to Luton Town, Barnet, Grimsby Town, Chester City and Accrington Stanley, Bournemouth staying up would make my season. In the interests of transparency, I should point out that I grew up in Bournemouth and have attended something in the region of a hell of a lot of matches.

What with Bournemouth being a big part of my life, it dismays me to see their supporters' constant and vehement defence of Harry Redknapp. Think about it. Bournemouth: financial trouble. West Ham: financial trouble. Southampton: financial trouble. Portsmouth: financial trouble. That's all I'll say.

It is something of a miracle that Bournemouth are in even this position. Way back in 1994/95, the Cherries avoided relegation to the bottom division with an amazing run of results at the end of the season. Then, in 1997, the town's Winter Gardens venue played host as supporters chucked tenners into buckets to save the club at the eleventh hour.

Thing is, you can't necessarily sustain that position. Despite some highs, particularly under Sean O'Driscoll, AFC Bournemouth have struggled for survival ever since. Last summer, the club broke the league's financial rules and was slapped with a very harsh 17-point penalty, along with Rotherham. Luton, ludicrously, were docked 30 points.

With the boardroom situation at Dean Court being such an absolute car crash, and Jimmy Quinn failing to make any kind of impact after replacing Kevin Bond as manager, Bournemouth looked down and out. And I really do struggle to see any way of the club staying in business if relegation beckons.

Now, though, there just might be light at the end of the tunnel. 23rd placed Bournemouth are just five points from Barnet and Grimsby in the positions above, and new boss Eddie Howe has begun to bring in points.

The Cherries haven't lost since 17th January, picking up two vital home wins in their last two games. They were both 1-0, and youngster Brett Pitman scored both crucial goals. He also netted twice in a 3-3 at Lincoln, and once in Bournemouth's surprise defeat of Wycombe, the first game of their impressive run.

Start believing, folks. The Great Escape II is on. And this time it's even more important.

(Photo: TeamTalk)

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Don't ask me why, but I got to thinking in the shower this morning about Major League Soccer's development and how it might be helped or hindered by its structure and financial restrictions. Thankfully, Don Garber's mug didn't enter my thoughts.

Being a bit wet behind the ears in MLS terms - and economically retarded - I don't really know the ins and outs of the league's financial rules, but the basics are enough for this discussion: salary capping and designated players.

In the pub last night, I was chatting about MLS and my little 'soccerball' project with friend and colleague Briggy Smalls, a cynical bloke who spent a year living in New York as Major League Soccer began to grow.

In my opinion, the biggest problem facing MLS is that it is behind the NFL, NBA, NHL and, probably, NASCAR (only joking) in the American consciousness. That's some pretty stiff competition, but shouldn't necessarily impinge on the developing quality of what is still a very young football league.

And yet it's poor quality which Briggy credits with his ability to go six months in the US without seeing a game, and then leaving after 15 minutes when he did. Briggy is an Arsenal supporter.

With Phill Jupitus and Gab Marcotti discussing the European Club Association's whisperings about transfer outlay restrictions tied to a percentage of turnover (essentially salary capping) in this week's The Game podcast, I'm wondering whether clubs being allowed to spend over and above their means might be what pushes a league forward.

Here's the idea: clubs like Manchester United, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and so on spend ludicrous money, thereby improving their own quality. Then the next clubs down have to improve too. It's paradoxical, but financial freedom improves the league's quality. But it's absolutely not commercially wise, and it damages competition.

In the MLS, the restrictions, aimed at keeping the league and its franchises afloat and maintaining competition, do not just cap salaries. They cap quality.

So I guess what I'm essentially saying is that if you want competition, all the models to date mean you must trade-off against the quality of your league.

There are probably models out there which enable quality to thrive while maintaining competition. If you know of one, let me know.

Your comments are welcome, as always. How can the MLS improve its quality? Is it worth jettisoning the salary cap or is it more important that, say, Houston Dynamo don't run away with the league year after year? What's the solution?

(Photo: Sports Business Daily)

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Micah Richards, Steven Gerrard and Robinho are each in a spot of bother regarding alleged incidents in and around nightclubs, but they're far from the first batch of footballers to have been "pwopa nawty", as Danny Dyer might say.

Here's a selection of the footballers whose dieticians could advise only bread and water. The idea, and the top dog, came from Jon Russell. I'd like to point out that I don't find their conduct amusing in any way, and those involved in fatal incidents should not be glorified.

Ashley Sestanovich. Sestanovich threw away his talent by helping to plan the robbery of a Streatham roofing firm in 2005. The Farnborough player had previously been an FA Cup Player of the Round, and Thierry Henry's body double. He had also played for Grimsby and Sheffield United. The robbers shot and killed Thomas Fahey, 42. Sestanovich was jailed for eight years

Lee Hughes. Former West Bromwich Albion striker Hughes was convicted in 2004 after a fatal hit-and-run and was jailed for six years. He began negotiating with Oldham Athletic, his current club, while he was still behind bars

Luke McCormick. The former Plymouth goalkeeper was sent down for seven years in October 2008 after causing the tragic death of two young brothers. He was twice the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash. He was driving home from the wedding of Ipswich Town's David Norris, later fined for dedicating a 'handcuffs' celebration to McCormick

Gary Charles. Former Villa and Forest full-back Gary Charles looks like the meekest little man imaginable. But he likes a drink, and he's got a vicious temper. He was given a suspended sentence for assaulting a woman, then triggered his sentence by drunkenly threatening a bouncer. Mr Charles, I sentence you to 12 months in the slammer

Mark Ward. Ward was jailed in October 2005 after admitting to possession of cocaine with intent to supply. The former Everton, Manchester City and West Ham United player - predictably also an alumnus of Birmingham City, being criminal scum - was sentenced to eight years

So, thank god for the good guys, eh?

(Photo: BBC News)

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

As the new Major League Soccer season draws closer, the departure of David Beckham appears imminent. The Los Angeles Galaxy and England midfielder is currently on loan at AC Milan, and is agitating for a permanent move to Serie A.

The opinion in Milan is, of course, pretty positive by the sound of things. The press in England seem to be behind a permanent switch to Italy too. But our reporting of the situation, and the situation itself, is hitting more cynicism Stateside.

Here are the views of some top MLS bloggers:

100 Percent Soccer: "Beckham's remarks are the culmination of weeks of speculation over AC Milan's intentions, with club officials from the president down virtually to the janitor (well, O.K. it was the AC Milan lawyer, but you get the idea) saying over and over again they want Beckham to stay. The Galaxy's response? Almost total silence."

MLS Daily: "AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke, the man credited with bringing Beckham to the United States back in 2007, has rejected the general media sentiment that Beckham is long-gone, vowing that the English midfielder will return to the Galaxy in March unless a substantially higher offer is presented to them by AC Milan."

MLS Offside: "The last two years, Beckham has played more or less half-heartedly with a bunch of scrubs — at least when you compare him to his AC Milan teammates — and has proved he is still capable of success on the level. The point is, if you are the MLS, sell high. And there is no better time to sell then right now, when a huge club will splash out huge dollars for your aging superstar."

Match Fit USA: "If The People is right, this looks like some kind of hybrid transfer agreement; on the face of it, I'm not sure why Milan would agree to something like this. If they lose Beckham after 2010, why would they pay the Galaxy $22.2 million? I guess it's possible that the Italian giants recognize Beckham's value as a "shirt-seller", especially if he is in the England squad in South Africa."

MLS Talk: "I firmly believe Beckham’s main interest in coming to Major League Soccer was to chase the almighty dollar and grow his personal advertising to benefit himself, anything more than that like getting the Galaxy to the playoffs would be a bonus. Now that his personal soccer career has improved far from what he thought it would be at this time, he now acknowledges he needs to stay at AC Milan so that he can still be under consideration for the English national team."

It's a fascinating situation, bringing in comment from three footballing nations. I think people generally accept Beckham is better suited to Milan, and deserves to pursue that move if they want him. However, over the pond they're not best pleased about Beckham's conduct in forcing Major League Soccer's hand.

(Photo: Mind Over Sports)

...Germany

Ah, the old enemy. Not all Englishmen have the kind of hatred of Germany displayed by some of our more antagonistic newspapers, but there is plenty of history between England and our most bitter of European rivals.

Sadly, there probably is still a hangover from the Second World War in that, but I like to think it's more to do with the epic matches the two nations have played out over the years. In my world, the World Cup final in 1966, the semi-final in 1990 and the European Championships in 1996 all fuelled the friendly fun-poking.

Of course, 1-5 in Munich probably helped too. It certainly put a smile on my face.

The Germans have a more than healthy six major titles under their belt. In one guise or another, the country won World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990, and European Championships in 1972, 1980 and, in England, 1996.

Domestically, the league system is headed up by the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich are by far its most successful team, but they are currently being torn a new one by league leaders TSG Hoffenheim, a minnow converted into a powerhouse by the cold hard cash of a passionate former player.

...Gazza

Paul Gascoigne, a midfielder from Gateshead, graduated from Newcastle United trainee to flawed genius. Throughout a brilliant but controversial career, 'Gazza' took in Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio in Italy, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton, before winding his career down at some odd locations.

Sadly for Gazza, his career will be defined by an infamous knee injury, tears in Italy and a bunch of pranks as much as by his wonderful ability. Even more sadly, alcohol and tragedy rule his life these days more than ever before.

Thank god for his stunning goal against Scotland in 1996, the goal which will always be strong in the memory.

...Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers are the gloved, uniquely-attired guardians of the football net, the evil troll blocking the way to glory (I'm a striker). Generally a little bit nutty, goalkeepers require a different skill set and mindset to their colleagues.

In short, they're a bit mental. Whether it's the goalscoring exploits of Rogerio Ceni and Jose Luis Chilavert, the crazy antics of Rene Higuita, Jorge Campos' self-designed shirt or Peter Shilton playing on until the age of 92, they're often said to have sawdust for brains.

Still, where would we be without them? My all-time favourite would have to be Mark Bosnich, a truly world-class goalkeeper in his heyday (i.e. at the Villa). How about you?

...Goal Line Technology

This one was suggested by the good folk over at the sadly now-defunct Inside Left.

The issue of technology in football is a topic of much discussion. There are several facets to the argument, but most centre on the question of technology in and around the goal. Since England's controversial was it/wasn't it goal in the 1966 World Cup final, we've been trying to work out how to tell whether the ball has crossed the line.

Possible technologies in this department include a chipped ball and goalmouth sensors, goal line cameras, and ice hockey klaxons (okay I made that last one up).

It is, of course, a very controversial subject, with implications for the tradition of football, refereeing responsibility and pub conversation everywhere. What do you think?

Monday, 9 February 2009

Coming home from Cardiff yesterday I was very bored on the train. With nothing else to do I decided I'd have a quick catch-up with myself and jot down my dream team. You can see it below - you can tell I watch mostly Premier League and Serie A.

Anyway, I'm not really sure football bloggers go in for the whole meme thing, but just in case they do, I've tagged a bunch of them down at the bottom. Pass it on folks. Even if you're not tagged, post your World XI and link back to me so I can read it. I'm kinda fascinated by how different people view the game in their own way.

So, the twofootedtackle version:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas, Real Madrid
Right back: Maicon, Inter Milan
Left back: Patrice Evra, Manchester United
Centre back: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
Centre back: Ricardo Carvalho, Chelsea
Defensive midfielder: Esteban Cambiasso, Inter
Winger: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
Central midfielder: Steven Gerrard, Liverpool
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Inter
Striker: Alexandre Pato, AC Milan
Wide midfield: Leo Messi, Barcelona

That's the starting eleven. I've got reasons in my head to justify them all. Just ask if you disagree with any of them. Football's all about debate. Now for the substitutes:

Rafael, Manchester United
Gigi Buffon, Juventus
Tomas Ujfalusi, Atletico Madrid
Marek Hamsik, Napoli
Kaka, AC Milan
Alex Del Piero, Juventus
David Villa, Valencia

Here are the bloggers I'm tagging:

Gary Andrews
Off The Post
On The Pitch
Dirty Tackle
Unprofessional Foul
Some People Are On The Pitch
twohundredpercent
Aston Villa Blog
Il Mondo di Calcio
Match Fit USA

Day of the Damned: Scolari and Adams axed

Today is not a good day to be a Premier League manager, particularly if you're one of the one-in-ten that's been called into the chairman's office today and told to pack your things and leave.

Following defeat to Liverpool, taking the club to just two wins in 16, Portsmouth's sacking of Tony Adams was widely reported last night and confirmed this morning.

I've posted to this blog before that I think Adams has grown since his problems in the early 1990s into a fine football man, a wise coach and a nice guy. But he's not a manager, and that was always a worry.

I'd like to take this opportunity to blame Harry Redknapp for Adams' come-uppance, because the fall-out from his outings at AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United and Southampton suggest that Redknapp has a habit of leaving clubs up shit creek wiv'aht a paddle.

Lo and behold, Redknapp jumps ship and Portsmouth have no cash. Out go Diarra and Defoe, and Adams follows. Hmmm.

Slightly more unexpected news is this afternoon's dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari by Chelsea. Scolari had own been in charge at Stamford Bridge since June, but appears to have taken the club from title contenders to Champions League hopefuls in the matter of half a season.

I'm sure the tight nature of the Premier League table has done little to help Scolari's cause, but Chelsea's lack of penetration in front of goal has led to a very poor home record and cost them the title.

Still, one would hope a club with a little more class would give Big Phil, clearly a good manager a little more time to turn things round. But then when you're run by Roman Abramovich, Peter Kenyon and Bruce Buck, class doesn't feature in your vocabulary.

It can hardly have helped having John Terry strutting around the training ground either, I'm sure Avram Grant would agree with that.

All in all, I'm gutted for Adams but I think Pompey have cut their losses at the right time. However, Chelsea have made a big mistake. I hope Scolari stays in England to prove that to them.

(Photo: Nacopa)

After a few turgid seasons in the Premier League it finally looks as if this one will live up to its mid-season promise. It really is fascinating. Here's the latest:

Saturday saw Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa side pick up a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. Goals from James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Villa a club record-smashing seventh consecutive away win, the tenth of the season.

Chelsea failed to break down Hull City and in truth could just as easily have lost. John Terry should have netted for Chelsea but flicked his unnecessarily arrogant shot over the bar. Luiz Felipe Scolari could be on the brink.

Loan signing Jo scored a superb second goal for Everton as they swept aside Bolton Wanderers. The Brazilian also scored from the spot for 3-0. Mikel Arteta had opened the scoring in similar fashion.

Craig Bellamy scored his second Manchester City goal as they defeated struggling Middlesbrough 1-0 at Eastlands. Gareth Southgate looks like he's lost control of the situation.

Matthew Etherington's silly red card may have cost Stoke City, who made all three substitutions in the first half against Sunderland. The Black Cats finished strongly, with Kenwyne Jones and David Healy sealing the three points.

Damien Duff and Peter Lovenkrands scored in a blistering start for Newcastle United in a blistering first ten minutes at the Hawthorns. In between, Marc-Antoine Fortune scored for West Bromwich Albion. Steven Taylor grabbed a third for Newcastle, but Fortune made the last ten minutes nervous for Newcastle, who's manager Joe Kinnear spent the weekend in hospital. Best wishes to him.

Wigan Athletic and Fulham cancelled each other out at the JJB in the nearest thing the Premier League has to a mid-table game currently.

In the evening kick off, Fat Mad Rafa opted to leave Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres on the bench for Liverpool against Portsmouth. David Nugent and Hermann Hreidarsson netted for Portsmouth, with a Fabio Aurelio indirect free kick sandwiched between. Kuyt and Torres led a late rally for 3-2.

On Sunday, Emmanuel Eboue's first half red card made things difficult for Arsenal as they fired a blank against arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

In the later game, a Ryan Giggs goal earned three points for Manchester United against West Ham United.

As a Villa fan, the league table makes amazing reading. Manchester United are top from Liverpool, with Villa third (seven points ahead of fifth placed Arsenal) and Chelsea fourth.

With the bottom five all slumping to defeats, West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough remain below the dreaded dashed line.

(Photos: BBC Sport)

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Oh, the fake!

On March 19th, Major League Soccer's latest season kicks off with brand spanking new ~~team~~ franchise Seattle Sounders hosting New York Red Bulls.

In seasons past such an event would slip me by with little attention spent, but I've been giving the MLS a lot of thought - with the help of wonder-journo Mr Sean Wheelock's cracking contributions to BBC Radio 5 Live's World Football Phone-In, my absolute number one favourite podcast - and have decided to give it a chance this coming season.

Against my better judgement, I'm going to find out what professional soccerball in the United States is all about.

Why?

You know, it might not be all bad. I often make the distinction between the Premier League's Game 39 concept and the NFL International Series.

The central argument I make is that the NFL is what it is. It's a big, brash, American juggernaut with a focus on cash and merch. The Premier League is interfering in a game rooted in working class traditions. Different kettle of fish.

Despite being played with a ball-shaped ball, Major League Soccer is big, brash and American, and developing from a base of that ethos. It doesn't operate in a free market, it has central ownership and sits in a country with other major sports. So the commercial aspect is somehow less abhorrent.

One thing I've learned from a couple of years of listening to Wheelock (that's The Big Wheel to you) and a few months of chatting footy with my American Twitter followers is that they know their stuff, and they seem to want the game itself - that's everything that happens within the white lines - to be the same as it is everywhere: 90 minutes, draws allowed, no points for a corner.

As that filters into the MLS hierarchy (largely, I believe, thanks to new Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis), it's become obvious that footy fans in the States are, by and large, just like the rest of us.

I'm also fascinated by the league as it develops, expands and matures. Voyeuristic, perhaps, but I think it's really interesting how MLS has grown so fast and yet still gets played - on occasion - with a visible endzone.

I like a stat, too.

If any of my readers in the US have any advice or recommendations, comments or criticisms, just shout.

(Pic: Say Soccer)

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Being a football supporter, I'm an emotional beast (grrr). I hate players for irrational reasons and love others. Sometimes, those players are hated by most football fans, and - occasionally - I end up rather liking them. Here's my top five:

Kevin Davies. After years of thinking of this bloke as nothing more than an occasionally useful clogger, I realised last season that he is fantastic at what he does. He's brilliant in the air, sweats blood for his team and has a neat little finish on him when he gets a chance to use some skill. Top man, though he could do with keeping his elbows to himself

Frank Lampard. We all know he's a great goalscoring midfielder, but I've disliked the little git for a long time and thought he was a tiny bit shitter than portrayed. He's not - he's absolutely world class. I've also developed the opinion that just one thing makes Lampard a bit of a twat: John Terry

Craig Bellamy. Okay, so he's a nasty piece of work in every way. But over the years I've come to like the cut of Bellamy's jib on the field of play. The guy is a very clever player, fast as hell and on his day he's got a killer finish

Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Zlatan is a bit of an odd one out here. I actually think it's him that's changed, not my opinion. He's been known to sulk and be a bit lazy, but in the last 12 months or so the man has been the world's best in my opinion

Jimmy Bullard. As good as Bullard was at Wigan, I thought he might be a flash in the pan. Never hated him, mind. Always liked him as a funny sod. But I've seen him a few times for Fulham and he pulled all the strings. Could be a great piece of business for Hull, and he's a cracking lad too

(Photo: Sportal)

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

...France

French football, currently dominated by Olympique Lyonnais, is one of Europe's big five (along with England, Italy, Germany and Spain). It is considered to be more physical than Italian and Spanish football and therefore a good breeding ground for Premier League football.

France has given the world many great footballers, notably Michel Platini (now head honcho at UEFA) and Zinedine Zidane. Zizou, a player of Algerian descent, is one of many examples of players with African blood starring for Les Bleus, though he was French-born.

Defender Lilian Thuram is France's most-capped player, and Thierry Henry its highest goalscorer. Both played a part in consecutive and dominant World Cup and Euro 2000 wins, while Platini led the French to European Championships victory in 1984.

The national team has been in a state of disrepair under Raymond Domenech, who amazingly proposed to his girlfriend in the aftermath of a shocking Euro 2008 campaign.

...FA Cup

Though I freely admit I'm quickly going off it, the FA Cup is the greatest cup competition in world football.

It began in 1871, with the final being played as a Wembley showpiece since 1923 (except a period of finals in Cardiff during this decade for Wembley's demolition and rebuilding). Manchester United are the Cup's most successful club with 11 wins.

The FA Cup, also known as the Holy Grail, is a romantic affair, pitting non-league part-time "minnows" against the big boys of the Premier League. It does result in the occasional shock, Sutton's win over Coventry being the last non-league victory over a top flight club.

From Wanderers' 1872 win to Portsmouth's victory last season, the FA Cup has a special place in the heart of every English football fan - but it's in serious danger of becoming devalued.

...Football Manager

Football Manager, the worthwhile half of the spawn of the Championship Manager dynasty, is simultaneously a perfect piece of football computerdom and the thorn in the side of many a marriage.

It's also the weapon of choice of the football idiot, a naive but vocal keyboard warrior who learns a ridiculous amount about world football through the game in lieu of a) a life and b) actually watching football.

That said, the game's scouting network and game engine are a remarkable achievement.

I played Championship Manager 2 and Championship Manager 1997/98 to the point of obsession, but couldn't get into FM2007. Still, I hear the game is still incredible. But beware "he's great on FM". It (possibly) signifies a plastic fan.

...Following foreign teams

It's frustrating, exciting and educational. Following foreign teams comes highly recommended.

Regular readers of twofootedtackle will be aware that I follow SSC Napoli and Club Atletico Boca Juniors. I think it's really valuable watching football from abroad, and getting at least a passing knowledge in other football cultures.

World football is a beautiful thing, folks. Get immersed.

Anyone else have any foreign allegiances?

Don't forget - the twofootedtackle A to Z of Football is a weekly feature, and your contributions would be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like a football term discussed, feel free to leave a comment and I'll look into it.

Monday, 2 February 2009

After a day of snow, I finally gave up and arrived home from work at 4.45pm, just in time to catch Sky Sports News dribbling about the "sensational" deals in the offing. Here are the biggest losers and winners of White Deadline Day:

Winners

Fulham have done a cracking piece of business in signing Olivier Dacourt on loan from Inter Milan. Inter have also done well in ridding themselves temporarily of wing flop Ricardo Quaresma, who seems destined for a loan spell at Chelsea.

Stoke City have brought in Henri Camara, who could well be a decent foil for James Beattie. Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic and Charles N'Zogbia have all, I think, done very well out of the deal taking the winger to the JJB.

Blackburn Rovers kept hold of Roque Santa Cruz in the face of Mark Hughes and Manchester City, who reportedly weren't willing to pay more than Santa Cruz's market value. That could be a vital piece of business for Sam Allardyce.

Losers

The biggest loser of any deadline day is, of course, Andy Burton - aka The Sky Sports News Deadline Gimp. This f*cker sits in the studio on deadline day pretending to talk to agents on his phone, furthering Sky's hyperbolic bullshit. This time, he came out with this cracker: "That's an agent...I'll call him back." What a twat.

Jermain Defoe isn't far behind. With Robbie Keane heading back to Spurs as Harry Redknapp aims to reunite the team of two years ago, Defoe finds himself in the exact same position which caused him to leave White Hart Lane in the first place.

Ryan Taylor's move to Newcastle doesn't look too bad, but it does mean he'll never score again. He only ever scores against the Magpies.

All in all I guess it was a fairly tame window. I think Andrei Arshavin's move to Arsenal will be fairly meaningless. He'll do a job for them, but they're full of skill and guile already - it's not what they needed. Apart from that, there's been little of interest.

I'm writing this on Sunday night (it's all smoke and mirrors, this blogging lark) but I can safely assume that I'm communicating from snowy London. Here's the best of the Premier League's weekend action.

Stoke City pulled off an almighty 1-0 win over Manchester City, James Beattie's stonking headed goal celebrated nationwide following a refereeing injustice which bordered on cheating bias. Rory Delap can't complain about his red card, but Shaun Wright-Phillips should've gone twice in the same incident. Not even a booking.

Arsenal and West Ham United, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers, and Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic played out goalless draws in the fight for fourth.

Game of the weekend took place at the Reebok. Sebastien Puygrenier and Kevin Davies fired Bolton Wanderers into a 2-0 lead before Darren Bent his a quick-fire double to pull Tottenham Hotspur level. But it wasn't to be for Spurs, and Davies grabbed a second to bag all three points.

Fulham celebrated their first game at Craven Cottage in 2009 by romping into a 3-0 lead over struggling Portsmouth. Andy "Andrew" Johnson and Erik Nevland (2) netted for Fulham, David Nugent grabbed a consolation for Pompey.

Hull City twice led against West Bromwich Albion, but eventually drew 2-2. Bernard Mendy, Craig Fagan, Jay Simpson and Chris Brunt (pen) got the goals.

In the late kick off, a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty earned Manchester United all three points against Everton.

Plenty of excitement on Sunday too. Djibril Cisse's goal was cancelled out by a controversial Shola Ameobi penalty as Sunderland shared the spoils at Newcastle United.

Liverpool grabbed a vital but controversial win over Chelsea. Frank Lampard saw red for the Blues (not seen it, but it was apparently wrong - while Jose Bosingwa should certainly have gone) before Fernando Torres netted a late brace.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa make up the top four, with Arsenal just behind. West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers are leading the race to the Fizzy Pop League.

(Photos: BBC Sport)

Future Quick Hits

Morning all. I'm not sure how many of my readers actually make use of my Quick Hits feature, but I've finally caved in and opted for a lazier approach.

From now on, I'm simply going to post interesting stuff up to twofootedtumblr as and when I read it.

You can do so too. Simply tag your stories "tft001" on Delicious.

Sunday, 1 February 2009

I'm a close follower of SSC Napoli, and a big fan of left winger/wing back Daniele Mannini. So it's been an intriguing week reading about events from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mannini has been banned from playing competitive football for one year following a missed drugs test in December 2007.

Mannini missed the test along with colleague Davide Possanzini while playing for Brescia. Both were initially banned for 15 days by the Italian Olympic Committee, but the CAS inflicted a one-year ban on the pair on Thursday.

There was reportedly an argument between the players and the test officials which, somehow, led to the pair not being tested.

The ban has gone down badly in Italy, where this weekend's Serie A and Serie B games have all been delayed for 15 minutes because the players have been arriving late in an organised protest.

The protest has the full support of Associazione Italiana Calciatori (calcio's version of the PFA). The Italian FA has also backed the players, having cleared them of any wrongdoing, according to Serie A Talk.

In the same post, George Metellus explains how the ban became increased:

"Mannini & Possanzini were originally given 15 day bans by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI - Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano) for coming late to the drug test even though the Italian Football Association, (FGIC - Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio), cleared the duo of any wrongdoing. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stepped in and appealed to CAS for tougher sentences and got them."

So what are the rights and wrongs of this situation?

Mannini and Possanzini are clearly in the wrong. But so, in my view, are WADA and CAS. I'd be interested in knowing why they felt the need to get involved and arbitrate a situation that did not need arbitrating.

In any case, a year seems like a very long time considering the eight months meted out to Rio Ferdinand when he compounded the same offence with repeated lying.

On one hand, it is clearly important to ban drugs cheats, and missing tests is a very serious problem. However, does the fact that the pair's fellow professionals support them count for nothing?

In his statement, Mannini expresses his gratitude for the support he's received:

"I appreciate all the support I've received from the FIGC, Lega Calcio, Napoli, the chairman, president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis, and the Italian Footballer's Association. I am convinced it will help in the pursuit of this matter."

What do you think, folks? Should the CAS be interfering in this way, or is it right to ignore the wishes of the professional calcio fraternity?

(Photo: Just Napoli)

Linkbar

TFT Podcast

Archive

Premier League Blogs

MLS Blogs

Other Football Links

Saturday, 28 February 2009

Thursday, 26 February 2009

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Monday, 23 February 2009

Saturday, 21 February 2009

Friday, 20 February 2009

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Monday, 16 February 2009

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Monday, 9 February 2009

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Monday, 2 February 2009

Sunday, 1 February 2009

About

twofootedtackle Blog Network