Whos stronger now than when it all begun?

I often wonder what the point is, why do we get so excited about ‘Transfer deadline day’. Sky have done very well in marketing it as a huge event for the football calendar. But is it really? Gone are the days where teams panic buy, chairman are fed up of gambling their money on players who move from club to club. After all which team is really that much stronger today than they were on December the 31^st?

Chelsea have swapped one winger for another, Man U have signed a backup keeper and Spurs brought in and then loaned back out a hot prospect. Even the usual big players in transfer deadline day did little to live up to their reputation. Redknapp went into meltdown as his only signing is an unfit striker who he then tried to send back and Liverpool didn’t budge.

Call me old fashioned but isn’t it time we stopped the hype and looked at the facts will this January transfer impact the end result that significantly, and if it doesn’t then what’s the point?

You could argue that City are stronger by bringing in a proven Premier League goal scorer, but he won’t be available till the middle of January and although he doesn’t have to settle into the pace of the league he will still have to adapt to the way City play. Arsenal finally bit the bullet and signed a centre half who let’s be frank half of us had never heard of, he has never played for Brazil (who’s defence is their weakest aspect) and he hardly comes across as the powerful dominating force they needed. Will he even play regularly?

At the other end of the table I must doth my cap to Pardew and the instant impact he has had at Palace but did he need to sign 2 strikers and 2 wingers plus central midfielders? Surly they can’t all play in the same team as well as the players he already has there. For instance I really like Lee Chung-yong but will he play in front of Zaha, Bolasie or Puncheon. Some of these are clearly panic buys.

Pulis will keep West Brom up and adding experience in Fletcher will help as well as the pacey winger McManaman. Then next season when they are clearly safe the naive Baggies will demand a more attractive style of football and off he will go to take over at Hull who sit 2^nd from bottom. Finally Sunderland beat off a lot of competition to sign Defoe who could help them avoid relegation, but they probably would have anyway.

So what I am saying is the January transfer window has shut once again but was it really worth opening? Will it really make any difference?

I doubt it. 

A Sad Day for Sport

It is my opinion that without trust there can be no belief. I trust my girlfriend and therefore believe she would not ‘cheat’ on me. I have always been brought up to trust sports men and women and believe that what they are doing is down to ability and an awful lot of dedication, that however amazing and unbelievable and individuals performance is you take it as fact and do not question it. I’m not sure that this can be said anymore and that’s what is so shocking about all these stories not the fact that the individual who has cheated will never be respected again but that the sports have been tarnished and people will inevitably question every good performance we see.

‘Everyone is doing it so actually by me taking drugs it means I am performing on a level playing field.’ These are the sort of quotes that someone who has been found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs instantly turn to. It is the go to sentence when you have run out of poor excuses. I’m not sure what is worse actually, the negative effect it has on a sport when an individual tests positive or the way a short sentence such as the one above can shape people’s opinions about every sports person performing in the world. It’s not just good sportsmen, such as Dwain Chambers, saying this but it has been legends of their field like the shamed Lannce Armstrong who turn to it. After many years and law suits denying the fact he ever took drugs, within months of the extent of his cheating becoming public knowledge he did an interview suggesting that he was just trying to be equal with all the other cyclists who took the drugs and that ‘it is impossible to win Le Tour De France without taking drugs.’ The negative effect this interview has on the way that cycling as a whole is viewed by fans around the world simply cannot be measured but I have no doubt that it has led to many people either losing interest or just not believing in the current crop of performers.

Michael Johnson was just before my time and as a child I loved watching Maurice Green but nothing would prepare the world for what we would see at Bejing in 2008 the greatest sprinter of all time burst onto the scene running world records to win the Olympic Golds all this whilst seemingly jogging over the line. A hero was born and the face to take athletics to a whole new level was found. He had to beat 2 other people that day that had previously held the world record, Gay of the USA and fellow countryman Powell. Bolt came in and smashed them out the park making it look easy, I never once thought this can’t be real he must be taking drugs, I don’t ever want to think that Bolt would do that and dread to thing how bad it would be if he did. It’s not in my nature to question such a talent but there were people who did and that scrutiny will only increase with the shocking day the world of athletics had on the 14^th July 2013. Powell and Gay both testing positive for banned substances would be big news if it happened in the same year let alone the same day. Two of the fastest men of all time forced to turn to drugs to try and perform at the very top, how can we trust any of them now?

An alternative future for football

FormulaFootball

As football becomes more about the money, and players have increasing power over where and when they play. Is it really that far fetched for me to suggest that in the not to distant future football could in fact take the same form as F1, where fans follow the teams for their playing staff rather than their geographic position. Globalisation is happening and the people running football will want to get as much out of it as possible. 

There has already been a major surge in overseas fandom with premier league and Spanish La Liga clubs exploiting this with increasing exposure in countries such as china, Abu dabi and the USA. Why is so wrong to suggest that in stead of having separate leagues that a world league could be formed that takes football to the fans. 

My idea is that the league be made up of 16 franchises (I shan't call them clubs) each playing each other twice in a season. What this will allow is 30 fixtures per team which in my vision means they will be played in 30 different countries. 8 fixtures to be played over the weekend each at different times but all in the same stadium. The rights will be sold for billions of pounds to companies such as sky. And to be shown around the whole world. 

Each year countries will bid for the right to host a weekend of fixtures. Eventually leading to money being invested in making the best stadium and infrastructure to keep winning the right to host this global event such as the race tracks in F1. 

The franchises first bid for a management team with the biggest named managers and all their own staff being in the auction. Once they are signed they decide on the players to bid for. 

The players will want to be part of this as the money they can earn will be extremely high. Each franchise will be allowed 20 players which at the beginning will be bid for in an auction and sign 2 year contracts. The players wage demands will be available for all teams to see. So for instant Messi could demand 300 thousand. Half way though season 1 will be a 2 week break and bid window. New players from national leagues can put themselves forward (money paid will go to original club) and franchises can list players to the auction if unwanted. If un sold must remain in the franchises names 20 man squad.   

The vision is clear football is becoming more global, there is already talk of and extra PL game to be played overseas and players already hold more power and are clearly going to lesser leagues for money, Eto'o to little know Russian club. Finally fans are already accepting that they must watch more football on tv with PL prizes soaring. The franchises can exploit the fans from around the world and large transnational companies will own their own such as coca cola. So why not give the world what they want! 

That is FormulaFootball! 

England under 21s playing badly, are we really surprised?

Has it really come as a shock to us that England under 21s have gone to Israel and come back a laughing stock? Stuart Pearce had to pick a squad from an ever shortening list and work quickly to try and get that group to bond and play organised football. Not even the best manager in the world could be expected to take a weakened group of players who have barley played together and get them to play the ‘beautiful’ football the media are loudly calling for. There are many issues with the under 21s, the FA (and Hodgson), the parent clubs, the players attitude and Pearce himself and put all that together are we really shocked that they came away with nil points.

Pearce has very publically stated that ‘the teams that bring their best player are the teams that win tournaments’ now it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out does it. This, however, is a luxury that hasn’t just harmed the under 21s at major tournaments but also the senior side, who often go to World Cups without some big names. Usually this is because of injuries or in some cases (Ferdinand) simply because players and clubs don’t want to risk injuries. But it’s different this time round, Pearce is only saying exactly what we are all thinking, why did players such as Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jones shuttled off to Brazil to play in a meaningless friendly when they could be getting invaluable tournament experience. Hodgson will have his readymade excuses but if we are ever going to move on as a country we must begin to take these opportunities seriously, the only way to implement a ‘footballing philosophy’ is to start at the bottom and work up. It won’t change overnight but with the well-publicised lack of first team opportunities for young Englishmen how does it make any sense to then select them as a sub for the senior England team when they could be playing a major role in a tournament?

After a long hard slog where clubs have played up to 69 competitive games the last thing they want to see if their young prized possessions boarding a plane to play 3 tournament games in quick succession. Having said that they hardly need to fly their whole squad out to the USA to play some money spinning friendlies days after the PL has finished (Chelsea and City). This surly has to be an English thing ‘Club v Country’ as you only have to look at the Spanish, Dutch and German squads to see some very big names (more talented that any English player) participating in this tournament. I would also like to draw your attention to Juan Mata who finishes the 2011-12 season by winning a Champions League medal, he then was in the Spanish squad for the Euros, followed by coming to London to play in the Olympics and finally started the longest season in Chelsea’s history. I would argue performing as one of the top 4 players in the league. This would not have happened if he was English and yet he plays for an English club. Is it all just a myth that clubs don’t want to play for the national team or is it more that the players themselves use any slight knock to pull out?

That moves me nicely on to the players themselves. Many older pros have come out and blasted the young players suggesting that once they sign a pro deal they think they have made it and perhaps this is true. As long as they are picking up a nice wage there not as worried about playing football they just want the lifestyle. If this is the case then the thought of having to go to Israel, when you could be sunning yourself with lovely looking ladies, probably doesn’t appeal much. The ones who did make the trip looked like their minds where already on the beach. However when you look at the squad who mainly consisted of Championship players or reserves did we really think we stood a chance anyway? Nathan Clyne and Daniel Rose were only ones who you could consider as Premier League regulars and they both missed games.

There has been problems with English players breaking into PL teams for a number of years but is that the clubs fault, or is it the players who lack the drive and passion to work hard every day to prove that they are good enough to be first team regulars. Many players come and are hotly tipped to be the next ‘superstar’ but then seem to disappear off the radar, that can’t all be down to the clubs. There are many examples of clubs paying big money and the players failing to fulfil their promise. Carroll, Sinclair, Bentley, Wickham have all been handed big contracts and then it seems to go to their head and they fail to kick on. What have they got to work for when they can sit on the bench and still get paid tens of thousands of pounds? It now takes a special individual to ignore all the temptations that come with being a PL star and just focus on becoming a world class footballer. 

A squad thrown together playing under a manager who is more interested in moaning about the people who aren’t there is hardly the atmosphere for them to thrive under. Pearce was of course just pointing out how he hadn’t been helped by people above him, but as a player I imagine it is not the nicest thing to keep hearing that your manager would much rather have other ‘better’ players to choose from.  I’m still confused what qualified Pearce to get the job in the first place, a rather average spell at (financially poor) Man City is his only other experience. He is not renowned for having a specific philosophy or a man who wants to implement the passing creative game. He did well at first taking quite strong teams to the semi and finals of tournaments and always qualifies strongly but that’s needs to come alongside really building something that can continue into the senior side.

England need to come up with a long term plan and they need to do that quickly I personally don’t see where Pearce fits into this and I wouldn’t be happy if they replaced him with Southgate. The under 21s need an experienced manager who has a style of play that compliments the senior side but also has a voice that can be heard within the FA. Clubs aren’t going to change their mind-set, especially the successful ones, so it is up to the FA to adapt and be strong. We live in a modern globalised society that wants evrything now but that is not realistic when it comes to changing the fortunes of the national side. England needs a plan and they need change otherwise it won’t come as a shock if in 2 or 4 years’ time we finish the tournament in exactly the same position. That’s sad.

Wasteful Wenger

There are many reasons why Koscielny’s goal against a stubborn Newcastle could be the catalyst for much needed changed at Arsenal Football Club. There can be no denying that during Wenger’s 16 years in charge he has had some fantastic sides who have played beautiful football, but that is no longer the case. Even the most hardened of Arsenal fans would struggle to argue the fact that coming 4^th and going 8 years without a trophy is not course for concern and as for beautiful football some of what we have had to watch this season has resembled the style Chelsea used to employ with long balls up to Giroud and quick wingers around him. They no longer play beautiful football regularly and they no longer dominate sides and frankly too many of their players couldn’t play beautiful football if they tried.

What differences does finishing 4th this season, and gaining a place in the Champions League, has to the previous 16 years of doing exactly the same? Of course just like any other Champions League side you expect to attract better players, something a side like Liverpool have struggled to do since losing out on the top 4 places (Suarez aside), but it’s not like Arsenal haven’t always qualified for the Champions League and yet in recent times they haven’t managed to bring in top players. If reports are to be believed this year could be different, with sums such as ’70 million to spend’ being bandied about Wenger might finally dig into his pocket and make some significant signings.

I’m not writing this to suggest Wenger isn’t a great manager, he built a fantastic side ‘The Invincibles’, that should have been a foundation to continue to develop and bring in some world class players. He failed to do that and the club has suffered, with teams such as Chelsea and City spending millions of pounds and United always looking to progress Arsenal now find themselves exactly where they belong, fighting for 4^th place. Every year it seems he suggest his ‘young’ side need time to develop, well Wenger you have had 8 years to develop that young side and they did develop nicely for other clubs. He has been manager of Arsenal for 16 years and exactly half of them where fantastic the second half however has been pretty forgetful. The scenes on the final game where almost cringe worthy and although I tend not to agree with him to often Piers Morgan was bang on with his views that a club like Arsenal should not get the Champaign out just for coming 4^th in the Premier League. This once great footballing side have to resort to the last day to get in the Champions League not to win the Premier League.

Wenger was wasteful because he didn’t build on his success and he has been more wasteful with the money he has spent in the transfer market. He has done wonderful things bringing through some very talented youth players and making them into world class footballers, he has a keen eye for a bargain that has never changed. Players like Henry, Viera and in the current squad Arteta have all come in for relatively small prices and have performed amazingly and of course there are many other examples of bargain players. You could also argue that players he has invested in often are sold on for profit, especially with Man City’s obsession with buying Arsenal players Toure, Adebayor, Clichy and Nasri have all gone north for good profits. This is all very good but when it comes down to it and Wenger in pushed into spending top money he never seems to deliver the right players.

As far back as Reyes (20 millions), Arshavin (16.5 million) to Chamakh, Podolski and Gervinho. All of these players cost a lot of money came with a lot of expectation and as far as I can see failed to deliver. He has never properly replaced Seaman in goal, the famous back line is no longer that famous and the powerful midfield of Viera and Gilberto is much more lightweight. Henry went Van Persie stepped up he soon went to try and challenge for titles (similar to many other who went) and Wenger opted to buy a relatively cheap replacement more in hope than expectation. Imagine now an Arsenal side with the players who he has let go in their starting line-up, we wouldn’t be having a discussion about 4^th we would surely be talking about titles.

So he has let very good players leave and never really replaced them, often gambling on a bargain buy that doesn’t quite work or investing heavily in a player that performs well as and when he feels like it. If I owned Arsenal and I had 70 million pounds to spend I would hold onto that money, wait a year until Wenger leaves and then allow the new manager the chance to build a team he wants. There is no point allowing Wenger to invest in overpriced average players (such as Podolski) only for a new manager to have to attempt to offload them. You never know perhaps they will get a man in with a better track record in the transfer market!

Wenger is Wasteful because he wasted the chance to build on some amazing teams, he wasted the talent he and nurtured by allowing them to leave and more poignantly he wastes money when he does attempt to spend big. From where I’m sat that makes him a very wasteful man. 

The return of the ‘Special One’

My worry is everyone loves their first car, in your mind it is perfect and is all you dreamed of. Eventually it breaks down or you decide to move on to a new car and if, like I once did, you get a chance to drive that special first car again all those memories are dashed and the realisation sets in that actually the car you once loved is nothing more than a rusting piece of junk. The same could be said about your first girlfriend but I’ll leave you to fill those gaps in.

Jose Mourinhos first reign at Chelsea was all that the fans dreamed of for the whole of their lives, finally we had a man who would deliver that illusive Premier League title, the supporters instantly fell in love with this charming, charismatic man who had brought them so much hope. There can be absolutely no denying the quality he has as a football manager but we must be realistic about this. He took over a club with a very good core of players and then set about spending hundreds of millions of pounds to take that team to a whole new level. It worked and he delivered 2 league titles, an FA and 2 league cups and went close to getting the Champions League. However is it that unrealistic for me to suggest that give any good manager that sort of money and they could deliver something similar.

Not only did he bring success in his period but there has been a clear legacy left from his time at the club. That legacy has, even with change after change, still delivered trophy after trophy over the past 6 seasons. He brought in a mentality to the whole club, a toughness and togetherness that new that winning was everything. There was no resting on what you have achieved but a focus on the next trophy they could win. This attitude can be attributed to one man ‘The Special One’. What we must also remember is when he was famously sacked the football that the team where playing was poor, there was no free flowing, attacking football that the owner insists upon. The team were no longer champions and he had just watched a home draw against Rosenberg in the Champions League group stages. It was not all going swimmingly, the in club arguments had begun to escalate, just like at Madrid currently, and the owner decided to dispose of the fans hero without giving him a chance to put things right it must be said. 

What Chelsea will be getting is, without doubt, a world class successful manager. He has proved at Inter Millan and to a lesser extent Madrid that he can win things with different clubs. His attention to detail and strong bonds with players could turn a talented young Chelsea team into the next European force. He is a champion and this group of Chelsea players need that experience to go to the next level.

There has always been a question mark about Mourinho and that is, is he a manager for the long term or does he just bring success quickly then move on. In recent interviews he has suggested that at his age he is looking to find a club to settle down and build something 'similar to Ferguson' and where better to do it than at a club where he is already worshiped! If he is serious about building a club he must do something he is not renowned for and that is begin to introduce youthprospects into first team football. Again though Chelsea is a perfect place to do this with players such as Lukaku, Courtoisand Chalobah coming up he can begin to build a team that can dominate for a long time. Chelsea is a club that, after much turmoil, need some stability. The comings and goings haveseemingly not had an adverse effect on the results and their ability to challenge for major competitions, but imagine what they could have won with a stable management team who can implement their ideas throughout the whole club.

Perhaps Abramovich needs him more than Mourinho needs the club, with the fans uproar at the appointment of Benitez and the lack of alternatives of the same standard, this may in fact be the catalyst for change in the way the club is run. Mourinho may gain the control he craves and the owner may take a step back and allow the people who know about football to run the football side of the business. But many managers have so publicly come and gone from Chelsea in the years since Mourinho and the vast majority have managed to bring some sort of success to the club with Abramovichhaving his say. Even Benitez who has to work against all the anger surrounding his appointment managed to win a trophy.Mourinho has looked unstable at Madrid where he claims he in unloved. The fans at Chelsea will of course love him, but what if it starts to go wrong and how long before him andAbramovich begin to disagree? Im not sure he would even be in discussion if there was another viable option, but there’s not and Abramovich must concede and bring him back.

Don’t get me wrong I love the man, he is a hero and of course I want him back, I’m just simply worried that it might not work out and then where does the club go?

Follow me on Twitter for more opinions and thoughts @bobbietay 

Congratulations Manchester United

Manchester United was finally crowned official Champions last night and they did it in some style. It has been clear for some weeks that they would regain their grip on the English Premier League and win an unprecedented twentieth league title, thirteen of which have come in the Premier League era. There can be no denying that they are worthy champions of the 12-13 seasons, having topped the league for some time. They have also this term played more creative and attractive football with Carrick being the link pin keeping the side ticking over with his superb passing ability.

This season has seen their reliance on Wayne Rooney decrease which has been well publicised. Of course Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t afraid of making big decisions. One of the best he has made in his whole time at Manchester United was to phone Wenger and persuade him to part with Arsenals prised asset Robin Van Persie. When you look back at pivotal signing there will now forever be a place of the list of RVP, he has made the difference when it really counts and wasn’t it fitting that his hat trick would seal the title against Aston Villa. So this short piece was just my way of saying congratulations on a well-deserved thirteenth EPL title.