Fußball Wanderlust

Remembrance

2011-11-09T18:59:00.000Z

So, this little debate about poppies eh?

Firstly, let me say that I have quite close links to the military. My grandfather was a Coldstream Guard, my sister recently passed selection and I'm a member of the Army Coaches Association (I myself am not in the Army, I'm far too soft).

Remembrance Day is a solemn occasion, one that should be observed with a quiet dignity. What has gone on in the media this week has been far from dignified.

FIFA's original ruling that no poppy could be worn on the shirt was fair and just. Allowing black armbands, a wreath to be laid and a minutes silence was enough. People just couldn't accept that though and felt the need to go on a righteous crusade against the game's evil overlords to try and bully them in to allowing a poppy on the shirt. From David Cameron to Prince William and even the EDL storming FIFA's headquarters, England is once again reinforcing why the rest of the world sees us as a bunch of arrogant arseholes.

As some people have rightly pointed out, England have played quite a few matches in early November down the years without ever feeling the need for a poppy on their shirt, why is it such a big deal now? These days, it seems people buy them in order to seem a good person or even because they feel obliged to. Dare I say it, they're even a fashion accesory, much like those yellow 'Livestrong' bands that everyone felt the need to sport a few years ago. Originally in the name of charity but somewhere along the line people stopped caring or understanding why they were wearing them. This view is reinforced by the fact that you can now buy sparkly poppy jewellery.

People should witness The Last Post at Ypres, gaze over the rows upon rows of gravestones at Tyne Cot Cemetery or stand on the beaches of Normandy and try to comprehend what happened there. When you've been to those places, you can then understand why the whole heated debates this week have been purely trivial.

My late Grandfather would be turning in his grave. Not because FIFA wouldn't allow poppies on shirts, but because people felt the need to hijack a solemn and dignified cause with their own agendas.

Atmosphere is created by people, not bricks and mortar......

2011-07-25T22:04:00.001+01:00

As we approach another new season, it's more and more frequent now that teams are leaving behind their historic (or temporary in Brighton's case) grounds and heading for shiny, new homes.

You'll often hear people referring to modern stadia in this country as "soulless" or "identikit", citing a lack of character as the reason why people don't make any noise. Having attended games the length and breadth of the country, along with various games around Europe, I feel obliged to write this view off as lazy.

As a Saints fan I've been to some drab games at our 'identikit' St. Mary's stadium, but I've also been to some games there with a white-hot atmosphere, including (but not limited to) local derbies. These games are proof that it's the occasion and attitude of the fans that creates the atmosphere, not where the game is being played.

Stoke have the loudest fans in the Premier League, yet play in a fairly run-of-the-mill modern ground. People say Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is completely devoid of any atmosphere, but the Highbury 'Library' wasn't exactly rocking week in, week out, was it?

The culture and attitude of the fans at 'quiet' clubs is what needs to change and that is something which has to be partly facilitated by the clubs, making the fans feel more part of the club, so that they go to all games (not just local derbies or important matches) feeling a sense of duty to act as the 12th man and play their part in stirring an extra 10% out of the guys wearing their team's shirt.

Blaming a poor atmosphere on bricks and mortar is a lot easier though isn't it?

Misconception

2011-06-05T21:05:00.001+01:00

I almost wish international football didn't exist sometimes, as it's almost impossible to avoid all the tripe that follows the games. England's limp showing in South Africa, culminating in the resounding defeat to Germany, was met with a post-mortem from fans, journalists and pundits alike that rained down criticism on this country's approach to youth football.

If the attacks were aimed at how we went about things historically, then perhaps fair enough, but to hold the failings of an ageing team's performance in a World Cup against how youth football is currently ran, where's the logic in that? It's also a great big slap in the face to some very forward-thinking coaches who do a great job at academies all across the country.

The emergence of a very special group of players at Barcelona (and it's subsequent effect on the Spanish national side) over the last few years has only increased the scorn that is poured on our apparent "prehistoric" take on youth football.

Currently our Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 sides are all performing pretty well, the U17s won the 2010 Euro tournament (beating Spain 2-1 in the final, I might add). Sadly these victories are not really reported in the press and some just write the victories off by reeling off the old line that our lads must be bigger, stronger and have bullied their way to the trophy, despite some pretty nice football being played.

Yesterday's England vs Switzerland game led to the same old comments being recycled by the usual offenders. Let me ask you, was the reason that Walcott and Milner's 2 man wall parted like the Red Sea down to the fact that they weren't educated at La Masia? Would Xavi and Iniesta have prevented Barnetta's first free-kick from finding it's way through to the net? Of course not!

We played against a well-organised Swiss side, who although they deserved a point, got lucky as a result of a couple of set-piece flukes. England's goals were as a result of a lovely bit of work by Jack Wilshere to win the penalty and a great team goal finished with aplomb by Ashley Young. The second goal in particular didn't look like that of a nation that struggles to produce technically sound players. Individual mistakes happen, that's football.

The Netherlands have NEVER won a World Cup, but yet are lauded as having some of the finest youth coaches around. The Clairefontaine academy in France is also a revered institution, but the French national side has been pretty poor of late. Have the French been clamouring for a radical overhaul in their youth setup? Brazil were knocked out the 2010 World Cup at the quarter final stage, were they suddenly shutting down kids Futsal facilities and looking for a new way of doing things? Does this mean that there isn't a direct correlation between whether you win a World Cup and how good your youth system is? Well, yes and no, but you get the point. Tournaments are won with skill but also a lot of luck on the way too.

The theory that we in this country push all the big, athletic lads to the forefront can be partially true, but really not to the extent that some will have you believe. It's a very easy view to have when you see Messi, Xavi and Iniesta weaving their magic at Barcelona and then looking at our national side and seeing no 5'7" attacking marvels, when in reality it's not that simple. Players do not play in the academies of our top clubs unless they are technically proficient, if they are athletes too, then all the better. Are you trying to tell me that an academy side at Manchester United wouldn't have the ability to pass someone to death if they wanted?

The Bundesliga is another model that is currently held aloft as a shining example of academy success, but people forget that the German side that took us apart in the World Cup wasn't just the mercurial, young talents of Mesut Özil and Thomas Müller, they also had players like Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose and Arne Friedrich. Hardly the sort of small, technical players that are all the rage right now (not that each of those players, Klose in particular, aren't very effective in their own right, but that's my argument).

I'm not knocking German clubs, far from it, as those that know me will testify that I'm a huge fan of German football and visit the country to watch matches regularly. There is a reason why their players have come on so well and that is the amount that get fed through to the first team.

We can produce players with technical ability and we do produce players with technical ability, but most of the big clubs in the Premier League would rather sign a cheap foreign import to plug a gap, or sign a proven international player for a large fee to please the fans than give a talented 18 year old a fair run of games in the first team. Such players usually end up on loan in the lower divisions and then released to such clubs with everyone assuming that it must be their level.

There is currently a brilliant crop of young English players emerging, but whether they go on to become World Class players or have their path blocked is entirely down to their clubs. Josh McEachran at Chelsea has undoubted ability, but whether he gets more than a fleeting chance to impress in their first team remains to be seen. Jack Wilshere is a shining example of what can happen when a talented young player is given a chance.

As a nation, our all-weather facilities are brilliant, we have kids playing Futsal nowadays and coaches are being educated the right way. Yet, because of a special handful of players in Spain, we ignore all this and spout fashionable views that we are so far behind the rest of the world.

Yes, Spain won a World Cup and Barcelona are currently outplaying every side put infront of them, but is the overall picture in Spain that rosy? Barca are head and shoulders above every other side, Real Madrid are talented (but their most influential players are pretty much all foreigners) and then the rest of the sides are a helluva way off. Also, when you look at who is preparing to step up and take the goalscoring mantle when David Villa's talents begin to wane, is there a carbon copy in the wings? No, they have Fernando Llorente, who, although he is a good player, is hardly a diminutive wizard. Yes, the Spanish academies produce athletic, strong players too, shock horror.

To slag off the entire youth setup here whenever we get knocked out of the World Cup or lose/draw an international match is not that different from Roman Abramovich sacking a manager when they don't bring him either the Premier or Champions League trophy. It's incredibly short-sighted and a wee bit stupid.

Before I ramble on further, let me just say that we cannot judge the current youth setup in this country on the current national side, it's the sort of thing where you can only truly assess it's impact retrospectively. So let's leave the tedious Barca/Spain obsession to one side, yes they are good, I went to the Champions League Final and saw it first-hand, but we can't compare everything to them and say that there is only one way to produce players, one way to play and everything else is wrong, wrong, wrong. There are variables involved and slick, passing football doesn't always bring trophies, ask Arsenal fans. The problem in this country lies with the first team setups, not the academies. Rant over.

10 Defining Moments

2011-05-02T19:17:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd share 10 moments, in no particular order, that have really stuck in the memory in my time as a football fan. Moments where I was astounded or elated and all moments where I realised just how much I love this game.

1. - Southampton 3-2 Sheffield United - 4th May 2008 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXJYBM-9Lrc

As a Southampton supporter, I'd watched many of our "great escapes" in the Premier League, avoiding relegation season after season. But all of those were viewed from my sofa as a child. This time, we were looking at relegation from The Championship into League One, the 3rd tier of English football.

As I took my seat in the stands, I'd never felt so nervous watching a match, I'd obviously felt nerves watching matches before, but this had a lot riding on it and it was all about to unfold infront of me. The club was already in a precarious financial state, the previous season was spent chasing promotion, but we lost in a playoff semi-final to Derby and had spent way to much money, on the assumption that it would lead to promotion. If this match resulted in relegation, total financial meltdown would be sure to follow.

The game was played at a frantic pace, with Sheffield United pushing for a playoff spot and they took a 1-0 lead, I felt sick. 20 minutes later and we'd pulled one back, 1-1, but a draw wasn't going to be enough. Stern John made it 2-1 Saints not long into the 2nd half and the place went nuts, only to be pegged back to 2-2 by a Stead goal roughly 10 minutes after. In the 69th minute a ball was helped on into the box to Stern John, who with his back to goal, took a touch, turned and rolled the ball past Paddy Kenny into the bottom corner, 3-2!!!

For the remainder of the game, my heart was in my mouth, especially after Stern John was sent off 10 minutes from time for a real striker's tackle. As the ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the game, we realised that results elsewhere had also gone in our favour, we were saved! I was at the game with my brother and we joined the thousands of others running onto the pitch, I knelt and kissed the turf!

Sadly, the season after, we had to cut our cloth accordingly and were relegated with a team largely made up of inexperienced youngsters. The anticipated financial meltdown ensued and only today have we managed to secure promotion back to The Championship with a 3-0 win over Plymouth.

2. - Dennis Bergkamp vs Argentina - 4th July 1998 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs

A goal that forever marked Dennis Bergkamp as a legend in my eyes. A great clip forward from Ronald de Boer, but then the touch, composure and technique from Bergkamp just took my breath away. The way he plucked the ball out of the sky with that cushioned touch, knocked it past Ayala and then lashed it beyond Carlos Roa was sheer footballing poetry. I was only 12 when I was sat in my living room watching it, but I knew I'd witnessed something truly special.

If you watch the link to it that I've posted above, the Dutch commentator's pure, unbridled joy makes it even better!!!

3. - Peter Schmeichel vs Rapid Vienna - 4th December 1996 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZvJ8GT73rM and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5TPfQ30Sos

I'm a goalkeeper and one of the main reasons I'm a goalkeeper is Peter Schmeichel. I never liked Manchester United, but I would always watch their games, in order to see the "Great Dane" in action. I still rank it as the best save I've seen, there's a few which run it close, but for me it had everything. For a big guy he manages to get down to it so quickly and then has the agility and strength to turn it up and away.

These days keepers get lauded for quite routine saves, because they look good, but in reality they are usually at a nice height, but Schmeichel's vs Rapid Vienna is just amazing.

4. - Zinedine Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen - 15th May 2002 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaQhF-523As

Again, like the Bergkamp goal vs Argentina, this was a fantastic goal from a truly legendary player. Roberto Carlos' hopefull hook into the area seemed to hang in the sky for an eternity, but Zidane waited for it to drop and unleashed an unstoppable volley with amazing technique. Merci Zizou!

5. - England vs Germany - 26th June 1996 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwZB6CEU_1k

Euro '96 was the first tournament I followed properly. I was only 4 years old when Italia '90 took place and USA '94 also passed me by due to nobody around me really taking an interest in it, due to England's failure to qualify.

We all know what happened that night and for me, it set the tone for a succession of subsequent failures by our national team.

6. - Manchester United vs Bayern Munich - 26th May 1999 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mf8SC_UASg

I had to take my hat off to United here, a true demonstration that you keep plugging away until the final whistle. 1-0 down going into the 90th minute and then 2 quickfire goals from a combined distance of about 7 yards!!!

As stated before, I don't particularly like Manchester United, but I do love Peter Schmeichel, so it was pleasing to see him lift club football's most prestigious trophy.

7. - Trevor Sinclair vs Barnsley - 25th January 1997 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2KeX7nhZRY

One of the first overhead kick goals I can remember seeing, it was an act of gravity-defying genius from the QPR man.

It was all anyone talked about at my junior match the next day, with every high ball into the box met with a failed attempt to copy Sinclair's acrobatics!!!

8. - Karel Poborsky vs Portugal - 23rd June 1996 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s_OOfI_FA4

Another goal that had me and my mates all trying to replicate it down the local parks. The first time that anyone had really seen such a technique used, it was as baffling as it was wonderful!

The shaggy-haired Czech midfielder burst into the area and performed an amazing lob over Vitor Baia in the Portugal goal. The goal earnt him a move to Manchester United, where he never really shined.

9. - Rene Higuita vs England - 6th September 1995 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCxe4r6SjH0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56m5aARbNPo

As I said about Poborsky's finish above, this was also as baffling as it was wonderful! I remember watching in my living room and turning to those present and asking, "did that just happen?!"

For me it was an introduction to the fact that there are some wonderfully colourful characters in South American football. To have the nerve to pull that off in an international match, albeit a friendly, wow!

10. - Matt Le Tissier vs Arsenal - 19th May 2001 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX9EurbX-W8

I started with something Saints related, so it's only fitting that I end with something of the same ilk! Sadly I only ever saw one game at The Dell, due partly to it's size and also the fact that I was a child up until it was demolished, so Premiership football was a little outside of the realms of my pocket money!

I would've given anything to have been there on that day, but had to settle with listening in on the radio. I was jumping round like a loon when Le Tiss scored in the most fitting way, with only a minute left of the clock. Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better.

It's been a while..........

2011-03-28T00:26:00.001+01:00

When I started this blog, I was quite keen to keep it regularly updated, constantly abuzz with whatever the latest goings on in world football were. Sadly, work, social-life and my own semi-pro football career have prevented this! I wanted to do at least 1 post a week, but it has ended up being more like 1 post per month! Hopefully I can find time to do more, but for now I have a couple of musings from the past month.....

Snoods
Back at the start of March, FIFA decided to ban snoods, about bloody time! They were merely a fashion statement and served no real purpose. I know from experience that even in winter, after a few minutes of running around, you get warm. If a pro footballer is so cold they need to wear a chunky neckwarmer, they're not working hard enough, man-up! I could forgive some of the players who ply their trade in places like Ukraine, Russia or Finland, where it is actually cold enough to warrant some form of protection against the elements, but there's no excuse on these shores.

On the subject of football fashion, it's well known that you can't wear an under-top or cycling shorts that don't match the kit colour. I believe this is slightly petty, but it's fair enough. I've always wondered when the governing bodies will clamp down on stupid amounts of white ankle crap? Pioneered by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, it could easily be done in the same colour as the sock, but seems to be some sort of ridiculous fashion trend that I've seen taken to some stupid lengths, almost to the point where it looks like they are wearing white socks when their team plays in blue or red. I think it should be done-away with, am I being harsh? Some examples, so that you know what I'm on about......

Terracing
The debate regarding safe standing areas in the top 2 tiers of English football has been stoked up again recently. The Sports Minister, Hugh Robertson, has advised that the government will be looking into whether terracing could be safely implemented. Terracing was done away with in 1994 after the Taylor-Report, which followed the tragedy at Hillsborough in 1989 where 96 people lost their lives.

Since those dark days football has made major advances and is nowhere near the lawless days of the 80's. I've enjoyed many matches in the Bundesliga where pretty much every club has a large terraced area for home fans. It helps create a brilliant atmosphere and never once did I feel unsafe. The Südtribüne at Dortmund can fit 24,454 standing fans, a true testament to how things could and should be done here, imagine scenes like the image below in an English ground:

In my experience, a lot of grounds in the top 2 divisions have sections where most fans choose to stand, despite it being outlawed, often being constantly asked to sit down by stewards. This in itself is probably more dangerous than an actual terrace, so there's definitely reasons to push for it.

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be seeing terracing any time soon though. Despite the safer environment at football stadia these days, you still get the feeling that the occasional incidents of fan misbehaviour means that there is no trust from the government or the FA in the general football-going public.

Such a shame.......

Adebayor to prove his worth?

2011-02-10T23:23:00.001Z

After constantly blowing hot and cold at Arsenal and then warming the bench at Manchester City, has Emmanuel Adebayor finally woken up to the fact that his Real loan spell is probably his last chance to prove himself at an elite club?

Before the Real move fell into place, he was linked with a move back to his former team, Monaco. The principality club currently lie 2nd bottom in Ligue 1 and are a shadow of the team that Henry, Trezeguet and Barthez used to turn out for. Had Adebayor returned, he may have slipped off the radar and into the obscurity of the lower reaches of Ligue 1 for good, happy to take a tax-friendly wage on the Mediterranean coast.

Instead, he's found himself at one of the world's greatest clubs, under the tutelage of the genius that is Jose Mourinho. When Mourinho took Didier Drogba from Marseille to Chelsea, Drogba was raw. A real powerhouse in presence, but without the refinement his game was crying out for. Mourinho helped turn him into one of world football's most feared strikers, could he do the same for Adebayor?

He certainly posseses the same attributes, with Real's medical chief Carlos Diez labelling him a "physical marvel". He should know by now that Mourinho won't allow any unsettling presence in the Bernabeu dressing room, so with Mourinho's expert coaching and discipline, plus the likes of Ozil, Kaka, Alonso, Di Maria and Ronaldo (when he chooses to pass) feeding him, I really do think Adebayor can finally step up to the plate and become a truly great striker.

If Mourinho can harness the ability in the clips below, Adebayor will certainly be adding to the 2 goals he's already bagged for Los Blancos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39L2Sj0Cwb0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ_eQnnUHGQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEajmX8U-Uk

Giving youth a chance

2011-01-17T21:14:00.001Z

You might have seen a fair few articles over the last year, certainly over the last few months, relating to the two guys above, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku. Transfer speculation has been rife, with a who's-who of Europe's top clubs apparently willing to pay top dollar to secure their services. You'll struggle to read a transfer rumour round-up without being told of who's currently winning the race to land the signature of either young prospect.

Much has been made of the current crop of Belgian talent, some already established in foreign leagues, such as Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini. Then there are those still plying their trade in their native land, names like Defour and Witsel will be familiar to those who saw Standard Liege in the Champions League in recent seasons, prior to Standard's decline over the last couple of years.

In trips to Belgium, I've taken in games at Gent and Charleroi and also visited Standard Liege's Stade de Sclessin. One thing strikes you when you visit these stadiums, that the facilites are poor and dated, it's almost like English football prior to the creation of the Premier League, which put a shiny new gloss on it all. Clearly Belgian football is far behind some of Europe's larger leagues in terms of funding, yet there's still a decent output of gifted players.

There are a few contributing factors, but I believe the main one is that players in a league where the pennies are watched more carefully are more likely to get their chance at a young age. Take Lukaku for instance, a prolific presence in the Jupiler League at the age of 16. Obviously this isn't happening at every club, but could you ever see the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United giving a 16 year-old a chance to lead the line? Kevin De Bruyne of Genk is another youngster who has been thrown in at the deep end and flourished.

It could be argued that the pressure on them to succeed instantly is less intense, but that is still something that is present. With Lukaku often used as a lone-striker at Anderlecht, his broad shoulders have had to carry a lot of expectation.

Over in nearby Germany there is also an exciting new wave of talent. Most of the footballing world sat up and took notice during the World Cup, as the likes of Mesut Özil and Thomas Müller announced themselves on the big stage. Özil and Müller aside, the wider footballing world will surely be aware of talents such as Kevin Großkreutz, Mats Hummels, André Schürrle, Benedikt Höwedes, Sven Bender, Marco Reus, Lewis Holtby and Marko Marin by the time Euro 2012 has concluded, if they aren't already.

Despite the Bundesliga being a more high profile and financially sound league than Belgium's Jupiler League, financial prudence is still a key reason why many German clubs are keen to give their youngsters a first team chance early on. With the DFB's rules on ownership preventing any Sheik Mansour or Roman Abramovich-type scenarios, the Bundesliga has a healthy mix of home-grown talent and foreign imports.

All hope is not lost on these shores though. Despite their dissapointing position in the league this season, it's been a pleasure to see the likes of Marc Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Ciaran Clark and Jonathan Hogg flourishing at Aston Villa this season. They've perhaps lacked the right kind of experience around them, but it has provided encouragement seeing them make their mark, Albrighton in particular.

As the financial bubble slowly deflates for some clubs in English football (I say, trying to ignore the fact that today's main news was Aston Villa's apparent willingness to part with £18m for Darren Bent) and with the 25 man squads being another step in the right direction, let's hope that UEFA's financial fair play initiative can also force a few more clubs to look at giving youth a chance.