Congratulations…

I was going to write a piece tonight on an interesting question which I heard tonight whilst watching The West Wing (yes, I am playing catch-up a little as I missed the boat when it was on the TV. I am currently making my way through season 4). However, my own general fatigue coupled with my feeling of injustice mean I’m going to write briefly about something else. I will return to my West Wing musings at some other point.

Like  many people I suppose, I am a creature of habit. When it comes to the interweb I have certain websites I check daily, usually in the same order. I checked these sites tonight, and found this story on the BBC. Yes, it seems that the England Ladies have made it to the final of a major tournament in dramatic fashion (an extra time victory over the Dutch). This should be applauded. They have done well to get this far in a major tournament (whilst they were amongst the favourites, the Germans, Italians and Swedish were more fancied before the tournament commenced).

I then moved onto Skysports.com, the next website stop on my list. As a major sporting site, I was expecting some form of acknowledgment of the achievements of the Ladies on the site’s home page. I was disappointed to see that this wasn’t there. So I dug around for ten minutes, looking for a match report, a post-match interview, just something about this match, and the achievement. I searched the website for both “women’s football” and “england ladies”. Neither produced any relevant hits (although for the former there were a few pieces on the state of the womens game in the UK).

I am shocked that Sky Sports, a reputable, multi-national media outlet has nothing on its website to record the achievement of the England Ladies team. Now I know that womens sport is less well observed in this country than the mens forms, but for there to be nothing on the website is just appalling. I’m disappointed that there is no TV coverage this year of the Women’s Euros, as there was (I think) a few years ago on the Beeb. Women’s sport needs to be encouraged, to be watched, and the only way that this can happen is if it is in the mainstream, there for all to see. If this isn’t going to happen then the next best thing is internet exposure on mainstream websites. The BBC have done this, Sky Sports hasn’t. This is hugely frustrating, and perhaps is indicative of a larger problem within the sporting world relating to gender and various sports (witness the recent, and ongoing, athletics furore; the issues regarding women boxing at the Olympics; even the coverage of England Ladies’ cricketing successes this summer). The media have a huge role to play in the representation of women’s sport. Currently they are failing these sportswomen who strive to succeed, and, it seems, have much more international success than their male counterparts.

Ed: as a subscript, I have left some comments in the Sky Sports feedback form on the site, and await a reply. I will post the response as and when I get one.

Apologies…

Just a quick note to apologise for the lack of blogging activity recently. Apparently being under-employed is surprisingly busy. In between working, volunteering, and studying, I will try to find time to write something more substantial soon. I am hoping this will be tonight, but there is the small matter of the Champions League final that may get in the way. Anyway, here’s a couple of videos relating to the Champions League, about the two best finals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mf8SC_UASg

The Power of the Game…

I retain a belief that football is a great unifying force for good. Whilst I accept that there are footballing rivalries and hooliganism, football also does an emormous amount of good too. As if proof of the point of the force of the sport, I found this article which serves to indicate the influence of football. The upcoming elections are important ones, as is every election in a democratic society. That football is trying to encourage as many people as possible to vote can only be a good thing.

Accountability…

This weeks Champions League semi-finals, traditionally two of the most engaging matches in the season, have been overshadowed by two very poor referees performances which ruined the ties.

On Tuesday Manchester United overcame Arsenal with consumate ease at the Emirates stadium. Yet it could have been so different had the referee, Roberto Rosetti, not awarded a series of free-kicks for very small offences. Indeed, the cheap free-kick that Ronaldo won to score Manchester United’s second goal on the night, should not have been given. Through the course of the night he was poor and was not consistant in anything other than his own incompetence.

As if Tuesday wasn’t bad enough, Wednesday was worse. The scenes at the end of the Chelsea-Barcelona tie were disgraceful, yes, but understandable too. Now I dislike Chelsea and the way the club has destroyed football. That said, they had every right to be aggrieved as the referee, Norweigan Tom Ovrebo, missed at least three clear penalty claims for Chelsea.

The consequence of the lack of decisions have been depicted on the back pages of every newspaper across the country. The words of Didier Drogba have reverberated around sporting websites and sporting commentators. The anger of Michael Ballack, the frustration of Guus Hiddink and the disappointment of Frank Lampard have all been recited by the press. There is one person we haven’t heard from though. That of Ovrebo. Apparently he has been told by UEFA not to make any press comments, something which is sure to fan the flames more than it dampens them.

I have written about this before, but referees need to be made accountable. At the moment the thing that frustrates the fans and players more than the decisions made is that the referees do not seem to be accountable for the decisions? Any punishment that comes the referee’s way is negligable and out of the view of the public. Referee’s get away with poor performances as they do not have to publically account for their decisions. Yes, UEFA will probably stop him refereeing any further matches in the Champions League, but that is too little to cover the loss of the match on which so much rested.

Drogba himself will undoubtedly be punished for his words, and it is likely that Ballack will also face UEFA scrutiny. The players are not allowed to speak about the referees without fear of punishment, and this is wrong. If other players can be criticised by opposing players and managers, why can referees not? It causes so many problems, and many could be aided should referees simply be made accountable for their decisions. If they were to give interviews after the match as managers do, perhaps many of their decisions can be explained in public, rather than the private report they submit to the respective authority.

The Great Big Drop…

With the end of the Premier League season approaching, three teams naturally find themselves struggling to stay afloat. West Brom look certainties to go down, and although Mowbray’s attacking instincts are commendable, I’m still not sure whether they are realisitic for a newly promoted side in the division. However, I hold no fear for West  Brom, one of a few yo-yo clubs at the moment, and I think that, providing that they hold onto their better players, they will bounce back again pretty quickly.

Instead it is Newcastle for whom I fear the most. I think now they will go down, as I cannot see them picking up the requisite number of points to keep them up.  If they are relegated, the club will sink in the manner of Leeds, Charlton and Southampton (all recently Premier League clubs who find themselves either in League One, or joining it next season). Newcastle are club prone to turmoil, it seems poorly run from the top down, and there is nothing Alan Shearer could realistically have done to prevent the collapse. It is a longer term problem within the club than simply a season full of bad results indicates. They will continue to struggle I think, over the course of the next two or three seasons, and may very well be rubbing shoulders with the teams in League One sooner than they will be back in the Premier League.

Of course, there are two teams already heading to the Premier League to replace West Brom and probably Newcastle. Birmingham City, who, if I’m honest, have not impressed me much this season in footballing terms, have secured second spot in the Championship and make an immediate return to the Premier League. It is however Wolves who have finally pulled clear of the chasing pack, finishing seven points clear of Birmingham as the top scorers in the league. It has truly been a roller-coaster season for Wolves fans, the thrills of last autumn were followed by the pains of early spring. Even as recently as April 6, when the team lost to Birmingham, the fans were still muttering that automatic promotion would not be achieved. However, for the team which had remained top since October, avoiding defeat in the final five games meant that the other clubs simply could not stand the pace and fell away (Cardiff in spectacular fashion). Wolves deserve to win the Championship, there is little question about that. For the team though, the hard work starts now.

Football Thoughts…

It’s been a busy week for football this week. As I’m now sat watching the second FA Cup semi-final instead of finishing an essay, I thought I would do at least some writing.

Yesterday’s semi-final between Arsenal and Chelsea was an interesting tie. Won late on by Didier Drogba, the tie was played in the shadow of the Hillsborough tragedy (of which I have previously written), with presentations made to members of the Hillsborough families. The teams were meant to play wearing black armbands as a sign of respect. Yet Arsenal played the first half armband-less. Which was a point of criticism undoubtedly. Until Chelsea came out in the second half, without their armbands. They did, it appears, somehow jump onto the Arsenal players arms at half-time. This seems both bizarre, and slightly disrespectful. Was there only one set of black armbands at Wembley yesterday? I had always thought that the armbands were little more than black tape, so why would there need to be ‘proper’ bands? Did the FA simply forget the second set of bands? Whatever way you look at it, only having one set of armbands is distinctly unprofessional from the FA, and two teams could have simply made do with the traditional tape, as opposed to apparently sharing the armbands.

Secondly, briefly, I’m becoming more and more convinced that the next Manchester United manager will be David Moyes, who, to my mind, has many of the same traits as Sir Alex Ferguson, and who has proven himself consistantly with hardly any money at a high standard.

Finally, I cannot finish a football related blog on this day without mentioning the success of my own team. Wolverhampton Wanderers have been promoted to the Premier League two games before the season ends. Barring any freak results, they will go up as Championship Champions too. It has been a roller-coaster season, our autumn was brilliant, our winter less so. Our spring has been necessarily strong, and our summer will be exciting. Sitting atop the league since October, Wolves have proven themselves to be the best team, scoring the most goals and having the league’s top scorer in our ranks. Congratulations to Wolves, and here’s hoping for a solid season next term!

You’ll Never Walk…

Yesterday was an extremely emotional day for football fans across the country. Wednesday promises to even more emotional. It is 20 years since the Hillsborough tragedy killed 96 Liverpool fans, and forced the Football Association into taking decisive action in regards to stadium safety.

As I sat watching Match of the Day last night, it was painfully apparent that the scars are still raw for those who were there. Alan Hansen, Liverpool’s captain twenty years ago, talked about how he had been affected by the event, and what it still meant to him. Mark Lawrenson sat beside him and could add nothing more.

Hillsborough was a national tragedy which still holds significance today. People who do not necessarily follow football know about Hillsborough and the significance of it. The event should not, and never will be, forgotten.

Stamford Surprise…

The surprising dismissal of Luis Felipe Scolari from Chesea this afternoon has revealed much about the nature of the beast. Having courted the Brazillian for so long, it seems counter-logical for Chelsea to sack him at the point the going gets tough. Yet they did. Or rather Abramovich did. Yes, it is true, the Russian owner of Chelsea has had his final, definitive say in the matter.

For Abramovich, sitting fourth in the league is simply not good enough, especially as Chelsea seem so far off the boil they are practically frozen. The fortress that was Stamford Bridge is now little more than a hiderance to players already suffering from a crisis in confidence. So many key players are not performing to the same standard they were a couple of years ago. Drogba is unhappy, Deco is wayward, Terry looks less than composed, Joe Cole is off colour, and try as he might, Frank Lampard cannot continue to carry the team as he has done in recent times. And the reason for all this, is, according to Abramovich, Scolari. The big Brazillian’s first attempt at club management for a long time has imploded spectacularly, despite it being easy to suggest that he was not given a fair stab at things.

For Abramovich, Chelsea remains his plaything. It is true that he does care about the club, and wants success, but he feels that, as owner, it is his call on the major decisions. He forced Mourinho out last season, in what was probably his biggest mistake to date. He sacked Grant and Scolari for little more than a few poor results (Grant had only lost in the Champions League final and finished second to Manchester United). Neither were given a fair crack of the whip. Chelsea were the first rich-mans-plaything in this era of increased wealth from foreign climes. They are still considered the blueprint for league success, and have upped the stakes for other clubs. Suddenly it became hard to compete with them in financial terms, so teams had to find other ways of gaining the upper hand. United succeeded, and there are signs Liverpool have done too. Chelsea’s transfer policy of signing the big-name older players has done for Scolari. Youth is the way forward, yet it was a factor ignored by the previous three managers. Sir Alex Ferguson has often talked about his current team playing together for another ten years at the highest level. That is a sign of his youth policy working. Most of Chelsea’s first team are 30 or over, and it shows. Aston Villa, another team who have invested largely in youth players, have claimed third ahead of the Blues.

Scolari, then, was sacked for two reasons. Firstly, most of his key players are alarmingly off-form. As manager it is his job to correct this element. But, more importantly, I would suggest Scolari has paid the price for a transfer policy which is clearly not of his own making. In this regard I feel sorry for him.

Window of Opportunity…

The continual debate over the nature of the transfer window is one which will continue to raise its head throughout January’s in the future. There are many arguments both for and against the window.

From a fan’s point of view, the window provides excitment, discussion and gets people talking. The evidence is there in full for anyone to read on the BBC 606 fans forums. The window is something to look forward to half way through a season when the trials and tribulations of following a football team are becoming apparent.

Yet many players and managers dislike it. The window has the potential to tear apart their season. Wigan, I think, will be this years prime example. With the departure of  Wilson Palacios and (likely departure) Emile Heskey, not even the signing of Stephen Hunt could ensure that Wigan continue to do as well as they have in the first part of the season. Yes, their funds will have been swelled by the departures, but this money isn’t running out onto the pitch every week playing football.

For those clubs in financial difficulty, the window provides an opportunity to sell players to help the club survive.  But there is the painful catch-22 of selling your best players for larger prices and then falling further down the leagues. Luton Town are a good example, as are Leeds United. It is here that the window could be said to be a good thing. It serves to grossly inflate the prices of players, knowing that if the buying club really need a player in this month, they must agree. The market is a sellers one. Craig Bellamy, as good a player as he is, is never really worth the £14million that Manchester City paid for him. Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth-Real Madrid) is not £20million worth of player, and never has been. Roque Santa Cruz is not worth £40million, the fee that Sam Allardyce put on his head. The window makes good players very expensive, and average players just expensive. For those clubs who need the cash, this is a good thing. For everyone else, it isn’t. Somewhere along the line, the money must be generated. It invariably comes from the pockets of the fans. Subtle increases in ticket prices, or official shirt prices help the club chase those players more expensive. Someone has to pay somewhere, and it generally has to be the fans, and whilst we could think about other sources of income (sponsors for example), they are usually not putting as much in as the fans (season ticket, shirts, matchday food, programme- all told could be upwards of £700 a season, per person). It is the fans, undoubtedly, who pay.

Yet what about those clubs who need the players? Arsene Wenger has today said that the inability to sign players in January would be good punishment for those teams who failed to strengthen during the summer months. This view is interesting, but fails to take into account the variables in a football season, especially injuries. If a team had, for example, injuries to a certain number of key players, is it right that they then cannot reinforce their squads as best they can during one month? I think that removing the window would penalise such teams through no fault of their own. Wenger himself has a long list of injuries (Eduardo, Walcott, Rosicky plus others) and naturally, the chase of Andrei Arshavin is a different case to everyone else trying to sign players this month.

Those richer clubs, can, of course, afford to pay the prices, and here is the next counter-argument to the window. The poorer clubs are priced out of the market by the teams around them who can pay just that bit more. The poorer club then has to look at other players, cheaper, worse players if they want to strengthen their team, which is something of a paradox. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good, cheap players to be had, but generally, the poorer clubs are hustled out of the market. Is this just some warped version of the Darwinian survival of the fittest theory? Possibly. Is it fair? Certainly not. Should it change? I hope not.

The window has its faults, of course it does. There are many reasons to not like it, it contributes to the obscene amounts of money in the game, it makes average players seem good, it hinders smaller teams. These are all valid arguments, but I still like it. The drama, the debates and discussions, the potential of a new player to reinvigorate your team, these are reasons to love the window, and, lets face it, it isn’t going to disappear any time soon.

£91million…

That’s how much Manchester City are offering AC Milan for Kaka, former world player of the year. The fee is obscene, of course it is, but that’s not the point of this post. Instead, I want to say how sorry I feel for Mark Hughes. Reading his comments today that try to justify such a fee, it seems he is floundering amid the pressure of being manager of the richest club in the world, and not liking it one jot. It doesn’t make business sense at all. £91million is quite a lot of money for one player. Then you have various fees, wages and the rest. It will cost City’s owners a lot in the long term.

Nor does it make footballing sense. Manchester City are not floundering near the foot of the Premier League due to their inability to score goals, they have outscored everyone at home so far this season (with the exception of Manchester United). Their problems lie in their defence. The once impressive Micah Richards and Richard Dunne look bereft of confidence and, at the moment, ability. Vincent Kompany is not looking like the sort of player that fans of Football Manager know. Wayne Bridge has been bought to help the problems, but from left-back, it is hard to make a really telling impact in the centre of defence. Manchester City need world-class defenders, not attackers. If they sort out this problem, then they could begin to look at climbing the table, with the possibilty of considering a European place next season. Until then they will be top heavy, and will lose football matches.

I seem to remember Real Madrid making the same mistake. As they built a team of Galacticos at the start of this decade, they bought the likes of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo and Beckham, which had the effect of making them great going forward, but lacking in defence (despite the ever impressive Iker Casillas in goal). Yes, it did win them the Champions League in 2000 and 2002, and La Liga in 00-01 and 02-03, but then they won nothing for four more years, as the stars waned and got older. Their defence was always considered their weakest link (as evidenced by the importance to them of Makelele), but they had enough good players to win them games. Manchester City do not have that yet, and regardless of whether they add Kaka this month, this will remain the case.

Nor is it clever to assume the player will find top form straight away. Robinho has been good, but has hardly set the league alight in the same way as Van Nistelrooy or Torres have done previously. For a £32million player, you would be inclined to expect a little more. The same could happen to Kaka. Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of Kaka, and have been for years (whilst he was still relatively unknown), but moving to a new country, a new club, a new climate, a new culture and a new league can impact upon players. Morientes was a great player in Spain, Shevchenko was great at AC Milan, but when both came to England, they struggled, and looked shadows of their former selves.

I genuinely hope Kaka doesn’t come to Manchester City this month. I think that he is too good a player to be found at a club like City (or indeed a club like Chelsea). I would much rather see him in a side that plays the game in the same manner as he does, exciting, flowing football, scoring goals for fun, that hint of genius running through the side. In the Premier League there is only one club I would like to see him at, and that’s Arsenal, but that Sylvan Wiltord is still Arsenal’s record signing tells you all you need to know about Wenger’s transfer policy. Money may well talk, but I really hope it doesn’t.