Determination, passion, drive and honour are words I would use to describe what I saw on that pitch on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon, week in week out many years ago. Now the game that millions of people love seems to have been savaged by greedy, egotistical, selfish footballers who instead are just chasing a wage packet rather than gracefully going through their career making a positive impact on and off the pitch! Why did it all go so wrong?
Agents, Billionaire owners, the massive influx of foreign players and managers, or is it a case of if someone is going to offer me the money why should I turn it down? I think it is a massive clutter of all these elements which are all so rife in the beautiful game that millions of people spend their hard earned money to watch.
With the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea throwing money around like it’s going out of fashion, this trend does not seem to be hitting a wall anytime soon. I like many others thought with UEFA’s financial fair play policy that they have been working hard on for years things were about to change! Then we all got a reality check when Manchester City slap that ruling in the face with their newest sponsorship deal with Eithad Airways who is part owned by the club’s owners, In a deal worth 400 million over the next ten years. This allows the club to carry on with their astronomical transfer deals and contract offers which gives them a clear advantage. But UEFA seem to feel this is in order with their “financial fair play policy”
The Premier League has lost of grip of what is the most important thing and that is the football, football is the colossal worldwide brand. And if agents, managers, owners, board members and most of all players, keep acting in a selfish manner, this can only be the start of a swinging wrecking ball that will reduce to rubble the game that is much part of the culture in many people’s lives.
Is there a way back? Yes. A salary cap is a probable scenario. The scrutinizing debt that clubs manage to conger up through wages from top to bottom of their club is not a realistic business model to be running a football club from. So it is inevitable that more and more clubs will go into administration putting more strain on the reputation of people involved in football and football itself. Investment in youth is also something that would benefit clubs and equally important the national team.
Will the Premier League change? No. The amount of money involved seems to be a good enough motivation for everyone to carry on with their seemingly unmoral behaviour. We can only hope as true fans that our clubs that we take pride in, that we talk about on a daily basis, that we all have an opinion on and that we give a part of our short lives to, will not drag themselves into a pit of debt and desperation and that they are able to keep their heads held high and breath through the fundamentals of what started our club many years ago.
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In 1972, the FA Cup draw threw out one of those eagerly anticipated David V Goliath ties. Non-league Hereford did well enough to force the tie into a replay at their beloved Edgar Street but not even the most optimistic of fans would have thought they stood a chance of actually winning against much-fancied, first division side Newcastle.
The visitors seemed destined for the next round after going ahead through a late Malcolm Macdonald goal. But Ronnie Radford had other ideas. He scored one of the greatest ever FA cup 30 yard screamers to force the game into extra time.
Edgar Street exploded, but it was nothing like the way the fans celebrated after substitute Ricky George amazingly put the home side ahead. This really was a giant-killing
This game even became the launch-pad for the career of a certain commentator. It was John Motson’s first game since being hired by the BBC. What was only meant to be a five minute segment before the two main games, turned into the featured match. The nations favourite commentator had arrived.
Ronnie Radford and everyone associated with Hereford will regard this as an FA Cup all-time great. Once you watch the footage, who could blame them?
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Barcelona are ready to offer Chelsea centre forward Didier Drogba a two-year contract to move to Camp Nou this summer, according to The Sun.
The veteran striker is out of contract in the summer at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues have been reluctant to offer the African the two additional years that he desires.
With the Ivory Coast international knocking back the option of a one-year extension from the Premier League side, a big-money move to join former team-mate Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua has been speculated.
However, the latest inclination is that Barcelona will look to bring the forward to Spain on a free transfer and offer him a two-year contract worth up to £5 million a season in wages.
Barcelona have had first-hand experience of Drogba’s abilities this season, with the forward scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 Chelsea win in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
With Drogba expected to lead the line in Chelsea’s final against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, the player’s future is set to be resolved after the end-of-season clash.
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Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen has stated that Inter’s Wesley Sneijder would be a perfect signing for the Old Trafford club.
The Premier League champions are believed to be in the market for a creative midfielder following Paul Scholes’ retirement, and the Dutch trainer has stated he thinks his countryman would fit in at the English club.
“Wesley Sneijder would fit perfect here. He is the most ideal player for us that I can think of,” the 47-year-old told Voetbal International.
“I don’t say that because he is Dutch. I have been at Manchester United for a while, I know all the ins and outs of the team and I know that he would be a great reinforcement. The new Paul Scholes does not exist, just as there is not a new Roy Keane, but I cannot think of anyone more perfect for us than Sneijder,” he continued.
The former Real Madrid midfielder’s future at the San Siro is in doubt following the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as manager, who adopts a 3-4-3 formation and may not have room for the 27-year-old in his first team. If this is the case Meulensteen feels United should make a move.
“Sneijder is not a runner, but perfectly two-footed. He can run the game and puts the ball where ever he wants. To me, he seems a perfect addition to players like Hernandez, Rooney, Park, Young, Valencia, Nani and Giggs. Plus, Wesley has plenty of experience in top football, of course.
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“I don’t know how his future is at Inter, of course – whether he is allowed to leave and whether we can pay him. But purely on the basis of his ability, I would say “Get Sneijder”,” he concluded.
Aston Villa have a great wealth of youth in their squad at present, but it isn’t even this that’s so significant, it is rather the fact that they have been performing so utterly well. Gerard Houllier can be said to have had faith in playing these youngsters, but one look at the injury list at Villa suggests that one of his hands has been tied into testing such inexperienced players. In football one persons misfortune is another’s gain, and this is evident in this case, with the current players seizing the opportunity to make their marks and leave their calling cards for the future.
The players who are receiving treatment for one ailment or another are Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker, Emile Heskey, Fabian Delph, John Carew, Carlos Cuellar, Ciaran Clark, Habib Beye, Stephen Ireland, Steve Sidwell and most recently, Richard Dunne. This is a full eleven man squad that has been decimated, leaving Houllier frustrated at the lack of players he has had to choose from. But then Houllier must have breathed a large sigh of relief when the cavalry arrived in the form of Marc Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Jonathan Hogg and Nathan Delfouneso to all but claim what looked to be a memorable victory over Manchester United. To end up drawing with United was no failure, for youth by its very nature, tells of inexperience, yet it all goes some way towards Villa fans increasing their optimism concerning the future of their club.
These young players have all spent considerable time acquainting themselves with each other in the academy and the reserves; this familiarity amongst the players creates a bond that translates itself onto the pitch. They don’t play like individuals who want singular success; on the contrary, they work hard for each other and have a cohesion that is apparent to all onlookers. This is what Manchester United lived off for a number of years when Gary and Philip Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were all initiated into the first team with the help of senior squad members and additional signings that were kept to a minimum.
Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner can’t be said to have had such prescience as to have masterminded this outcome, it seems more like serendipity than meticulous planning years in advance. He did deny Martin O’Neill the transfer funds that he requested, which inevitably led to their mutual agreement to part ways, but I’m not sure that was safe in the knowledge of having a youth system that would produce what we now see before us.
If I was a Villa fan then the Beatle’s lyrics of ‘I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time…’, would be circling my thoughts and sung away too in jubilation at the thought of these young players who are more than capable of holding down the fort while the senior players recover. The quandary will pose itself when these senior players start to arrive back and demand their starting place, but then at least January transfer signings aren’t as imperative as first thought.
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With Leeds’ playoff hopes all but over, the fans can’t be blamed for turning their attention to next season, although few are looking forward with much optimism.
The club have recently made a new contract offer to Robert Snodgrass with Warnock personally asking him for one more season in which he hopes to get the club promoted, unsuprisingly, Snodgrass hasn’t exactly jumped at the chance.
Reports suggest that Snodgrass is waiting to see the calibre of player Warnock is allowed to bring in before signing on the dotted line, whilst Bates has stated that the contract offer made is the highest we can afford, a line that will sound eerily familiar to any Leeds fan. There has been a problem with negotiating contracts for a while now, too many players have failed to agree new terms and left the club for it to be mere coincidence and the clubs apparant lack of desire to tie players down before their final year leaves most fans ripping their hair out, season after season.
This, understandably, makes it hard to believe that any significant investment in the team will be on the horizon in the near future, despite the positive quotes from Warnock about the type of players he wants to bring in.
The next few weeks will give fans a real idea of what to expect from next season, you cant help but think that whatever decision Snodgrass makes will be an indication of whether any realistic investment will be fortcoming, it’ll also show just how much determination Ken Bates really has in ensuring Leeds return to the country’s elite. The decision by Snodgrass is clearly a massive one, if he signs it’ll renew a lot of optimism in the fans who might actually start looking forward to the summer, if he doesn’t it’d be hard to imagine anything other than a long, dissapointing one.
On a lighter note, for those that are eternally optimistic, Leeds could still theoretically make the playoffs, or at least be in with a shout. Quite simply, if we beat Blackpool on Tuesday and they then go on to lose their next game, Leeds could be two points off the playoffs on the final day. The same applies with Cardiff, if they lose their next game, then to Leeds, we could also only be 2 points away on the final day. This of course also requires almost every team above us to lose their last few games, but I did say this was for the eternally optimistic.
In short, the season isn’t quite over but the summer has already started for the fans, by the end of May we’ll know whether our captain wants to stay, whether any investment is on it’s way and ultimately, whether we’ll be putting up a challenge next season or preparing for another dissapointing year.
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Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o admits he is questioning his future with the Serie A club.Eto’o, who finished last season as the league’s third leading goalscorer with 21 goals in 35 games, has refused to rule out trying his luck in the English Premier League.
The Cameroon international had committed himself to the Italian club towards the end of the season, but it looks now like he has had a change of heart about leaving the San Siro.
“It is true that I have a few offers,” the former Barcelona player said.
“I have a month off now to evaluate all of them and decide what to do.”
“I’m 30, I’m close to my final big contract and we’ll have to see whether I should stay or go.”
“My eventual departure is not to try to earn 100,000 or 200,000 euros more. What matters in my career is being happy in a city, playing for a big club where I can enjoy myself.”
Eto’o was a key player for Inter this term where he enjoyed his most prolific campaign since joining the club from Barca in 2009.
But with several Premier League clubs expressing interest in the marksman’s services, he admits he has thought about playing his football in England.
“It’s an idea that I have had in my head for a while, it all depends on finding the right club. I’ve had offers from good teams,” he said.
But Eto’o will not be heading back to the Nou Camp.
“A return to Barcelona would seem impractical, something impossible.”
Losing Eto’o would be a massive blow for Inter and their president Massimo Moratti.
“I don’t think any of the others will get offended if I say Eto’o has been our best player this season,” Moratti said in May.
“He’s played at such a high level all year.”
“In comparison it would be like taking Messi out of the Barcelona team – without him they may not have achieved everything they did.”
Wolves boss Mick McCarty played down the clash between Stephen Ward and Cesc Fabregas during his side's 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal.
Fabregas was shown a yellow card for a late lunge on the home defender, with some pundits feeling that a red card would have been more appropriate.
However, McCarthy was content that the matter was closed, with Fabregas apologising to Ward after the final whistle at Molineux.
He told reporters:"Fabregas has gone for the ball. It is one of those when two blokes are running at full tilt and you slide in and he has got a cut on his leg.
"Fabregas has been in to apologise and Wardy has accepted it like a man and I wish everyone would stop whingeing about tackling and complaining.
"It wasn't a bad tackle. I've no problem with it at all. It happens. I said to Arsene Wenger I've no problem with the tackle and I really appreciate the apology."
Wenger himself added:"I think it was an accidental tackle, that's what Cesc told me.
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"He went to the dressing room and apologised to the player and he is all right.
"I have not seen the tackle yet, but I have just apologised to Mick McCarthy if the player is injured because I didn't know exactly what had happened."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The Champions League Group Stage has rarely delivered as much excitement and drama as the brain-melting hype may have implied, due to the usual suspects virtually always progressing to the knock-out stages. And the usual suspects almost always include the English participants. Even when Spurs debuted last season, they progressed in style.
An even stronger Premier League this season suggested business as usual in Europe. But that’s not quite how it has panned out. The two Manchester clubs never made it out of the group stage. And as of next week, it would be perfectly plausible if there are no English representatives in the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in over fifteen years.
Of course it is par for the course that debates will start about the strength of the Premiership, if there is a power-shift, if Italian football is resurgent, and so on. But the more probable explanation, as is often the case, is one of circumstance, a consequence of short-term events at individual clubs.Chelsea appears to be the current “club in crisis”. There always has to be a “big” club in crisis, and Arsenal have passed over the mantle, having themselves taken it off Manchester City, due to their never-ending crises (if you believe what you read, which I’m confident you don’t).
Chelsea’s struggles in Europe have mirrored a slump in league form, so the explanation seems quite straight forward. A new, inexperienced manager dedicated to a distinct change in tactics to what went before has led to a bumpy ride that Villas-Boas, recalling the track record of the club’s owner, could not survive. It is of course far too early to predict a wane in fortunes for the London club, especially with such a wealthy owner behind them, who will not stop in his desire to capture Europe’s biggest club prize. But with many of their key players reaching the twilight years of their career, and with a £50m white elephant in the room, it is little surprise everything hasn’t gone according to plan.
As for Manchester City, their debut season in the competition has been an education for all concerned. Only in one of their first five games, away to Villareal, can City be credited with a good, professional performance. Otherwise, it has been a struggle. Changes in playing personnel have cost City dear. Playing Kolo Toure in Munich cost them dear, apart from Carlos Tevez super-gluing himself to the bench, wrecking Mancini’s attempts to turn the game. Playing two back-up full-backs away to Napoli brought similar results.
City can had no excuses for not qualifying irrelevant of the difficult nature of the group, because of the money they have spent. But we can see in how the crucial game in Napoli was approached by the two teams some clues that explain the end result. Whilst Napoli’s league form had tailed off and the goals dried up, they were fully focused, as were their fans, on playing City and getting the necessary victory. Mancini and City found themselves at the time five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and perhaps their focus has shifted in that direction for many a month now. Either way, Mancini probably thought he could get away with changes and still qualify, but there is nowhere to hide in the Champions League, as he discovered at Inter Milan, and the competition may prove to be his Achilles heel – it’s rather early to be drawing such conclusions though. Since demotion to the Europa League Porto have been despatched 6-1 on aggregate, but only last night they once more struggled – they remain favourites for the trophy however.
Manchester United last finished as group runners-up in 2004-05 and were duly beaten home and away by Milan to crash out in the knockout stages. In 2005-06, they finished bottom of their group. Apart from that, their progress to at least the quarter-finals has been consistent. And the statistics show their start to the Premier League season to be one of their best.And yet the murmurings continue about the quality of the side, or at least of their performances. United are used to this – such noises accompanied them to a league title throughout last season and all the way to a Champions League final.
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Their Champions League group was considered one of the easier ones, especially for a club with United’s experience. Their struggles have been easy to explain, though no one expected them to struggle this much. Alex Ferguson has to rebuild another team. Much of the old guard has gone, or is going. A new batch of young players have arrived, but despite the ridiculous levels of media hype, are not fit to lace the shoes of some that have gone before them just yet. Their time may come, but they are having to learn on the job, the hard way. Throw in a few injuries and the odd player out of form, and the team certainly is not firing on all cylinders. Again, this is most likely a short-term problem. As much as many would like to see United diminish as a force, they won’t be going anywhere in the foreseeable future – but their current struggles lie in the simple fact that they are not quite as good as they used to be. There has been money to spend, but United no longer seem to have the capability to buy big, and smash transfer records, to compliment the squad’s potential.
What’s more, the fear factor seems to have gone. Ajax turned up and won at Old Trafford, and then there was Athletic Bilbao. For those who knew the Spanish outfit, last night will not have been that big a surprise – an excellently assembled side that is well organised, speedy and comfortable on the ball under the guise of a manager who devotes every waking hour to studying the opposition and how to improve his own team. In a world obsessed with two Spanish teams, there is plenty of exciting talent bubbling below the surface.
As for Arsenal, well they performed pretty much as expected for a team without any honours for seven years in 4th place in their domestic league. They qualified with ease, but were ultimately undone by one horror night. But to really challenge the best, Wenger has to soften his ideals, and buy established talent.
The Spanish League may or may not be stronger, but Real Madrid just thrashed Espanyol 5-0 on Sunday night without any trouble whatsoever. It was a victory against one of the many teams fighting for the very open fourth Champions League spot in la Primera and the 14th time in 25 league games that Madrid have knocked four or more goals against their opponents this season. So clearly there is a lack of depth in all the major divisions – and there are also big teams horribly out of form, as Inter Milan have shown recently. Even Bayern Munich have stuttered recently, especially away from home, and have already conceded the league title.
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Arguments over who has the best league are tedious anyway, but the point is that teams like Manchester City and Manchester United will be back, along with the other big teams, next season and pose a strong challenge in the Champions League. Let’s nor write off the league because of a small period of struggles against foreign teams. Better instead to simply credit some of the “outsiders” for quietly building brilliant and entertaining sides – be it Napoli and their magnificent front line or the scintillating Athletic Bilbao team, and the fairytale progression of Apoel Nicosia. Rather than bemoan a “boring” quarter-final line up devoid of many of the traditional big names, let’s celebrate a more eclectic mix of teams, and some exciting emerging players. The traditional big boys are no longer having it their own way, and this should be applauded.
But there is an easier solution to eradicate the struggles faced by English sides in recent times. Every tie completed so far in the current knockout stage of the Champions League has been won by the southernmost team (a trend Napoli should continue next week). So the answer is obvious – tow Britain to somewhere off the North African coast – then we’ll conquer Europe once more.
Barcelona have been give a hero’s welcome on their return to the Spain following victory in the UEFA Champions League final.Pep Guardiola’s team have been roundly praised after their 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday.
Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa saw Barca crowned European champions for the fourth time in their history, at the same stadium where the secured their maiden Champions League success under Johan Cruyff in 1992.
Many pundits have described the current Barcelona side as the best of all time.
The team flew home from London the morning after their victory, with thousands lining the streets of Barcelona.
Speculation persists, however, about the future of Guardiola, who has suggested he may take up another challenge in the near future, although he has said he will stay for one more year before assessing the situation.
If the 40-year-old is looking for another goal to aim for, it could be to help Barca become the first ever team to defend the Champions League trophy since its inception in 1992.
For Barca’s Spanish internationals such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Villa it has been an incredible year, having helped their country to World Cup glory in South Africa last July.
And for Argentine virtuoso Messi, his name is sure to be listed amongst the greats of world football in years to come.