It has been a turbulent week in English football in more ways than one this week, one that has come as a reminder to us that players are human after all, and football clubs are not as invincible as we would like to think.
Of all the players to suffer a World Cup threatening injury in the past couple of weeks, it had to be Ashley Cole, the one player who would have prevented a potential flare up in the starting XI between former captain John Terry and Cole's understudy Wayne Bridge, whose ex Vanessa Perroncel is at the centre of the 'other' story.
Cole's injury left the door wide open for the Manchester City man, although he has, in my opinion sadly, let his heart rule over his head. In every walk of life, one has to work alongside colleagues they do not like or even respect, although it could be argued that professional football is not just another job. I would have fully understood his decision if it was to declare himself unavailable for England's friendly on Wednesday against Egypt - especially as Manchester City play Chelsea this weekend - but to do so indefinitely seems rash.
Speaking of Ashley Cole, we all hope he will be fit for South Africa, but it is of course his off-the-field form which has caught the eye. I don't have a great deal of sympathy for him, he has after all cheated more than once on one of the world's most desirable women, but plenty more people have thrown their two pennies in inside the front pages, so I'll stick to the football side here.
The financial crises in the leagues have reminded us that clubs cannot continue overspending beyond their means. Portsmouth's move into administration, and their soon to be confirmed nine-point penalty, certainly means the end of their immediate Premier League life, and probably any hope of returning there in the next two to three years. It is becoming a cliche to say look at Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Norwich and the other clubs who have plummeted through the leagues, but Pompey, its administrator and fans, will hope that their name is not added to the list. On the other hand, maybe the club's very existence is the ultimate goal, no matter which division they end up in.
Notts County have avoided administration after a very difficult few weeks, but the job that new chairman Ray Trew and manager Steve Cotterill have to stablise the club looks a far bigger one than even they thought. Of course, the club has one prized asset above any others, that being goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, but even his likely sale in the summer will probably be at a huge loss compared to the money that Munto Finance was throwing around, or should I say promising to throw around, at the start of the season. The dreams of becoming the next big force in English football sadly look a long way off as far as the supporters are concerned, even promotion to League One this season looks increasingly unlikely, although in Cotterill the club has a manager more than capable at that level of being a success.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
A new start
Hi guys
I am fully aware that I have neglected this Blog and its fans for too long, so I thought I would give it a bit of a makeover and a new title. Although 'Adam's Blog' was an understandable choice for a name origianlly, given it is a Blog written by Adam, it's not particularly imaginative. Hopefully the new name gets the page noticed more. That said, any new names you want to throw out there wil be considered.
Plenty of stuff to write about in the sporting world, so hopefully I'll be back soon with that and maybe an update or two from my world.
Adam
I am fully aware that I have neglected this Blog and its fans for too long, so I thought I would give it a bit of a makeover and a new title. Although 'Adam's Blog' was an understandable choice for a name origianlly, given it is a Blog written by Adam, it's not particularly imaginative. Hopefully the new name gets the page noticed more. That said, any new names you want to throw out there wil be considered.
Plenty of stuff to write about in the sporting world, so hopefully I'll be back soon with that and maybe an update or two from my world.
Adam
Monday, 23 November 2009
This week in football
A controversial night in Paris last Wednesday saw France reach the World Cup finals at the expense of the Republic of Ireland, but as we are all aware, that is not the half of it. Thierry Henry's handball allowed William Gallas to put the French 2-1 ahead on aggregate and condemn the Irish to a second successive failed World Cup qualifying campaign.
I don't think Henry would have set foot onto the pitch with the intention of cheating, but his helping hand in France's goal was just that. He certainly made sure that nobody would talk about Nicolas Anelka's dive in extra time, which the referee correctly waved away as no penalty.
If the French need such tactics to beat a dogged Irish performance, then I hope they are proud of themselves. I did think they could be one of the teams with a genuine chance of winning the World Cup. Although I am now not so sure about that, they still have a squad of real quality that can find a way to win, whether by fair means or foul.
That said, the Irish probably should have closed the game out in the 90 minutes in Paris, and Roy Keane, as harsh as his press conference sounded, was just about right in his criticism of his nation's performance over the 210 minutes of the tie.
Everything Tottenham touched on Sunday turned to gold as they humiliated Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane in the Barclays Premier League. What was even worse for the visitors was that it was only 1-0 to the home side at half time before Spurs, and in particular Jermain Defoe, ran riot. He proved his reputation as one of the game's greatest finishers and in my opinion, it would be a travesty if he is not in the England squad to fly to South Africa next summer.
And with Liverpool and Manchester City stuttering of late - they played a 2-2 draw this weekend, City's sixth draw in a row - Harry Redknapp must be starting to believe that he can take his team into the Champions League places.
As good as Tottenham were, and indeed are, Wigan should be ashamed of themselves for their capitulation. A Premier League outfit should not be losing games 9-1. It wasn't the number of goals in Chris Kirkland's net that was the worst thing, but more the manner of the goals conceded. It was as if they had given up the fight and Spurs basically walked the ball in towards the end.
My team. Nottingham Forest, increased their unbeaten run to nine Coca-Cola Championship games, and are still the only unbeaten away side in the entire English league. They deserved a point at a poor Middlesbrough side, and it was another point earned after going 1-0 behind away.
By my reckoning Forest have fallen behind in each of the last five away games and not lost any of them. Reds sides of recent years would probably have lost all five games by large margins, so there is excitement about the improvement on that front. One concern for me though, is that it is now four successive draws in the league. Although I am very happy that Billy Davies is turning Forest into one of the most difficult teams to beat, does that prevent the players from going up the extra gear and winning games, especially away from home?
There are two home games coming up against Doncaster and Leicester, and I think Forest need to win both of them to boost their faint play-off hopes.
I don't think Henry would have set foot onto the pitch with the intention of cheating, but his helping hand in France's goal was just that. He certainly made sure that nobody would talk about Nicolas Anelka's dive in extra time, which the referee correctly waved away as no penalty.
If the French need such tactics to beat a dogged Irish performance, then I hope they are proud of themselves. I did think they could be one of the teams with a genuine chance of winning the World Cup. Although I am now not so sure about that, they still have a squad of real quality that can find a way to win, whether by fair means or foul.
That said, the Irish probably should have closed the game out in the 90 minutes in Paris, and Roy Keane, as harsh as his press conference sounded, was just about right in his criticism of his nation's performance over the 210 minutes of the tie.
Everything Tottenham touched on Sunday turned to gold as they humiliated Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane in the Barclays Premier League. What was even worse for the visitors was that it was only 1-0 to the home side at half time before Spurs, and in particular Jermain Defoe, ran riot. He proved his reputation as one of the game's greatest finishers and in my opinion, it would be a travesty if he is not in the England squad to fly to South Africa next summer.
And with Liverpool and Manchester City stuttering of late - they played a 2-2 draw this weekend, City's sixth draw in a row - Harry Redknapp must be starting to believe that he can take his team into the Champions League places.
As good as Tottenham were, and indeed are, Wigan should be ashamed of themselves for their capitulation. A Premier League outfit should not be losing games 9-1. It wasn't the number of goals in Chris Kirkland's net that was the worst thing, but more the manner of the goals conceded. It was as if they had given up the fight and Spurs basically walked the ball in towards the end.
My team. Nottingham Forest, increased their unbeaten run to nine Coca-Cola Championship games, and are still the only unbeaten away side in the entire English league. They deserved a point at a poor Middlesbrough side, and it was another point earned after going 1-0 behind away.
By my reckoning Forest have fallen behind in each of the last five away games and not lost any of them. Reds sides of recent years would probably have lost all five games by large margins, so there is excitement about the improvement on that front. One concern for me though, is that it is now four successive draws in the league. Although I am very happy that Billy Davies is turning Forest into one of the most difficult teams to beat, does that prevent the players from going up the extra gear and winning games, especially away from home?
There are two home games coming up against Doncaster and Leicester, and I think Forest need to win both of them to boost their faint play-off hopes.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Kop let down as title challenge runs out of puff
Another action packed weekend in the Barclays Premier League brought us what will be remembered as one of the most bizarre goals of recent history. Darren Bent's goal for Sunderland against Liverpool, which ricocheted off a beach ball thrown on to the pitch, was the catalyst for another poor result. The 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light was Liverpool's 4th already of a league season which even at this stage, looks to consign them to a 20th year without the title.
Rafael Benitez may have left the North East feeling deflated, but it is he that is letting Liverpool fans down with his team selections and transfer policy. He is beginning to find out the hard way what many followers of English football have thought for years; that without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, the Reds are a shadow of the team they need to be to challenge not only Manchester United and Chelsea, but increasingly everybody else in the division.
Their upcoming games would have been huge anyway, but with Torres out for another week, and Gerrard short of full fitness, their upcoming Anfield dates with Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester United are now even more crucial in proving the critics wrong. They are already pivotal to their season and, possibly even the manager's future. It is said that championships cannot be won before Christmas, only lost. That looks set to be true again for Liverpool.
Rafael Benitez may have left the North East feeling deflated, but it is he that is letting Liverpool fans down with his team selections and transfer policy. He is beginning to find out the hard way what many followers of English football have thought for years; that without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, the Reds are a shadow of the team they need to be to challenge not only Manchester United and Chelsea, but increasingly everybody else in the division.
Their upcoming games would have been huge anyway, but with Torres out for another week, and Gerrard short of full fitness, their upcoming Anfield dates with Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester United are now even more crucial in proving the critics wrong. They are already pivotal to their season and, possibly even the manager's future. It is said that championships cannot be won before Christmas, only lost. That looks set to be true again for Liverpool.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Contador rides to greatness
After three weeks, 21 stages, visiting six countries, a compelling Tour de France is in the books. There may have been many questions leading up to the race regarding Astana and the identity of its team leader, but those were emphatically answered by a man considered to be the greatest climber of his generation, Alberto Contador.
The Spaniard, despite perhaps lacking the tactical knowledge of his team-mate and rival Lance Armstrong, knew exactly when and how to attack his rivals and put them under pressure. The first sign of his position as Astana's leader came during his ascent in Andorra on Stage 7 which put him ahead of Armstrong in the General Classification, and his fantastic display up to Verbier on Stage 15, which put him in the yellow jersey by 1:37, meant that it became his Tour to lose.
Previous years had seen Contador falter in time trials, but his 2nd place finish in the Stage 1 event in Monaco suggested that he could not only limit his losses against Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins and his other GC rivals on Stage 18 in Annecy, but actually make gains. He did just that, producing an amazing display to win the stage and, to all intents and purposes, the Tour.
All he had to do was maintain his 4:11 lead into Paris, which he did with comfort, and despite the embarrassment over standing on the podium and being played the Danish national anthem instead of the Spanish, he proudly took the final yellow jersey and the plaudits, and a place among the greats of the sport.
The Spaniard, despite perhaps lacking the tactical knowledge of his team-mate and rival Lance Armstrong, knew exactly when and how to attack his rivals and put them under pressure. The first sign of his position as Astana's leader came during his ascent in Andorra on Stage 7 which put him ahead of Armstrong in the General Classification, and his fantastic display up to Verbier on Stage 15, which put him in the yellow jersey by 1:37, meant that it became his Tour to lose.
Previous years had seen Contador falter in time trials, but his 2nd place finish in the Stage 1 event in Monaco suggested that he could not only limit his losses against Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins and his other GC rivals on Stage 18 in Annecy, but actually make gains. He did just that, producing an amazing display to win the stage and, to all intents and purposes, the Tour.
All he had to do was maintain his 4:11 lead into Paris, which he did with comfort, and despite the embarrassment over standing on the podium and being played the Danish national anthem instead of the Spanish, he proudly took the final yellow jersey and the plaudits, and a place among the greats of the sport.
Sunday, 5 July 2009
This week in sport
A few weeks ago Michael Owen was facing an uncertain future. The speculation over where he would begin the new season was widespread following his exit from Newcastle. Although there were a number of teams in for his signature, the general consensus had been that his days at the very top were in the past and he would struggle to find a club which would challenge for honours. Of course, Manchester United came calling on the first day of his free agency, the 1st July. Had it been three months ago, we would have given it the April Fool treatment, but this was no hoax, Sir Alex Ferguson was for real. Many expressed their disappointment at the deal, but I for one believe that United have secured a fantastic acquisition, bringing in a player that is desperate to prove that he is still great. After the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, maybe United have to do the same. The World Cup is looming large; hopefully this can give England an option up front that they thought they had lost.
An enjoyable Wimbledon fortnight culminated in a fantastic Mens' Singles final on Sunday afternoon. I was worried that the occasion may be an anti-climax; surely it wouldn't live up to the drama of last year's final, and perhaps Andy Roddick had reached his peak in defeating Andy Murray on Friday. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to seeing Roger Federer reach a record 15 Grand Slam titles, and despite my expectation of a comfortable win for the Swiss, I still looked forward to the match. Thankfully my worries of a blowout were soon cast aside, and the two exchanged blows in a terrific four-hour contest. The match lasted a record 77 games, and the final set (16-14) was longer in terms of games played than most matches, including Saturday's Ladies Singles final (7-6, 6-2). Excuse the cliche, but it really was a shame there had to be a loser. It was fantastic drama, and surely was evidence of my opinion that the ladies should only recieve equal prize money to the men when they start playing five set matches.
One of my favourite sporting events of the year, the Tour de France, began in Monaco on Saturday. Of course there is widespread coverage of Lance Armstrong's return, but while some believe he can reach the Champs-Elysees in the yellow jersey for his 8th victory, I think his age and years away from the sport will prevent him from being a genuine contender. Cycling however, especially at the Tour de France, is as much a team game - if not more so - as individual, and Armstrong's presence in the Astana line-up will be a massive help for Alberto Contador, winner in 2007, and probable winner last year had the team been allowed to race. Contador should win the yellow jersey, but from a British viewpoint, I hope Mark Cavendish can bring the green jersey home. He won Sunday's Stage 2 easily following a fantastic leadout from his Columbia team, and with a team assembled for this one goal, I expect Cavendish to more than make up for his Olympic disappointment of last year.
An enjoyable Wimbledon fortnight culminated in a fantastic Mens' Singles final on Sunday afternoon. I was worried that the occasion may be an anti-climax; surely it wouldn't live up to the drama of last year's final, and perhaps Andy Roddick had reached his peak in defeating Andy Murray on Friday. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to seeing Roger Federer reach a record 15 Grand Slam titles, and despite my expectation of a comfortable win for the Swiss, I still looked forward to the match. Thankfully my worries of a blowout were soon cast aside, and the two exchanged blows in a terrific four-hour contest. The match lasted a record 77 games, and the final set (16-14) was longer in terms of games played than most matches, including Saturday's Ladies Singles final (7-6, 6-2). Excuse the cliche, but it really was a shame there had to be a loser. It was fantastic drama, and surely was evidence of my opinion that the ladies should only recieve equal prize money to the men when they start playing five set matches.
One of my favourite sporting events of the year, the Tour de France, began in Monaco on Saturday. Of course there is widespread coverage of Lance Armstrong's return, but while some believe he can reach the Champs-Elysees in the yellow jersey for his 8th victory, I think his age and years away from the sport will prevent him from being a genuine contender. Cycling however, especially at the Tour de France, is as much a team game - if not more so - as individual, and Armstrong's presence in the Astana line-up will be a massive help for Alberto Contador, winner in 2007, and probable winner last year had the team been allowed to race. Contador should win the yellow jersey, but from a British viewpoint, I hope Mark Cavendish can bring the green jersey home. He won Sunday's Stage 2 easily following a fantastic leadout from his Columbia team, and with a team assembled for this one goal, I expect Cavendish to more than make up for his Olympic disappointment of last year.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
It all comes down to this...Survival Sunday.
Manchester United might have sealed their 11th Barclays Premier League title last week, but before they aim to complete the treble with victory in Rome against Barcelona, they just might have the final say domestically - at the bottom of the table.
Survival Sunday sees the champions travel to the KC Stadium to face a Hull City side who are just one win away from an unlikely escape from relegation. Of course, with the Champions League final to follow three days later, Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to ring the changes, with Darren Fletcher - suspended for Wednesday - the only high-profile name likely to feature.
The North-East sides involved are all likely to question such a selection, yet sides are relegated over a 38-game performance, not because their rivals are lucky enough to come up against a so-called weakened outfit when it matters most. Even then, with all due respect to Hull, any eleven players that wear a Manchester United shirt, whether first team or youth team, are going to fancy their chances against a first-choice Tigers XI; that is what Manchester United is all about.
Sir Alex will surely face criticism if Hull do manage a result, but in my opinion, by winning the league with a week to spare, he has earned the right to field any side he wishes, and should be under no pressure to put out his big guns. I'm sure those queuing up to get on his back will be changing their tune and saying what a genius he is if he then wins another European Cup. You can't have it both ways.
For the record, I think Phil Brown will pull one out of the fire and pick up a result, irrespective of the opposition's personnel.
As for the other contenders, I think Sunderland may just have done enough to get out of it, although Ricky Sbragia will be taking nothing for granted at home to a Chelsea team likely to be full of players looking for a place in Guus Hiddink's final starting XI, at Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even a Sunderland defeat should be enough due to their rivals' being in even worse predicaments, but 16th place wasn't in the script a year ago.
Middlesbrough already need snookers, and will not get much change out of West Ham. Teams have turned around a five-goal deficit in goal difference before, but not teams with just 27 to their name all season. Their sorry campaign will finish with a whimper at Upton Park.
As for Newcastle, all the hope that came with victory at home to Middlesbrough soon evaporated once Fulham left St James' Park with a win on Saturday. The Toon Army found out the hard way that Roy Hodgson's side are not the pushovers away from home they once were. Michael Owen missed that game, and he looks unlikely to play at Villa Park. As a result, they may struggle for goals, as they have all season, and I think the game is up for them.
Survival Sunday sees the champions travel to the KC Stadium to face a Hull City side who are just one win away from an unlikely escape from relegation. Of course, with the Champions League final to follow three days later, Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to ring the changes, with Darren Fletcher - suspended for Wednesday - the only high-profile name likely to feature.
The North-East sides involved are all likely to question such a selection, yet sides are relegated over a 38-game performance, not because their rivals are lucky enough to come up against a so-called weakened outfit when it matters most. Even then, with all due respect to Hull, any eleven players that wear a Manchester United shirt, whether first team or youth team, are going to fancy their chances against a first-choice Tigers XI; that is what Manchester United is all about.
Sir Alex will surely face criticism if Hull do manage a result, but in my opinion, by winning the league with a week to spare, he has earned the right to field any side he wishes, and should be under no pressure to put out his big guns. I'm sure those queuing up to get on his back will be changing their tune and saying what a genius he is if he then wins another European Cup. You can't have it both ways.
For the record, I think Phil Brown will pull one out of the fire and pick up a result, irrespective of the opposition's personnel.
As for the other contenders, I think Sunderland may just have done enough to get out of it, although Ricky Sbragia will be taking nothing for granted at home to a Chelsea team likely to be full of players looking for a place in Guus Hiddink's final starting XI, at Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even a Sunderland defeat should be enough due to their rivals' being in even worse predicaments, but 16th place wasn't in the script a year ago.
Middlesbrough already need snookers, and will not get much change out of West Ham. Teams have turned around a five-goal deficit in goal difference before, but not teams with just 27 to their name all season. Their sorry campaign will finish with a whimper at Upton Park.
As for Newcastle, all the hope that came with victory at home to Middlesbrough soon evaporated once Fulham left St James' Park with a win on Saturday. The Toon Army found out the hard way that Roy Hodgson's side are not the pushovers away from home they once were. Michael Owen missed that game, and he looks unlikely to play at Villa Park. As a result, they may struggle for goals, as they have all season, and I think the game is up for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)