There has been one recurring theme over the last two days since the FA made it clear that they were approaching Roy Hodgson to become the new England manager- surprise. This has been conveyed by practically all of the newspapers and online media, and in truth it is part of an underhand PR campaign.
Nowhere is this more apparent than within sections of the tabloid press, who are intent upon emphasising how Hodgson is not the ‘fans' favourite’ for the job. Frankly this is lazy, presumptuous journalism- pure and simple.
The only way that Harry Redknapp was the heir apparent to Fabio Capello, was in the eyes of various journalists who have long campaigned for him to be the next England manager. In comparison, what fans have actually thought about the situation hasn’t appeared so narrow-minded.
During our own poll on the matter not one respondent sided with the supposed ‘favourite’, instead Martin O’Neil garnered the most votes overall. As it turned out Hodgson also failed to gather a vote, therefore it may be fair to suggest that opinions on Capello’s succession were varied rather than common.
The last three months have gone on to provide more and more stories, where the same journalists have sat on their laurels and acted as campaign managers for a man they had long assumed would certify their own foresight. All of which has brought us to the current situation, where the press reactions to Hodgson have varied from positively muted to barely concealed abusiveness.
The fact is that the FA does appear to have made a bold move in deciding upon a man who has a varied and mostly successful CV. People should realise that he has won various league titles throughout Scandinavia, been in charge of Inter Milan, and taken charge of three national teams already (Switzerland, U.A.E and Finland).
The evidence is readily available for anyone to source, and to come to the conclusion that this is a manager who has triumphed with ten times the number of honours that Redknapp has. And yet as far as press reaction has gone, there has been much more attention given to the 191 days he spent in charge of Liverpool, following Rafa Benitez.
Hodgson’s time there may not have been a success, but clearly the club is a work in progress- especially when you view the league form of Liverpool this season. When looking at it objectively, a lot of what has been said about Hodgson in the last few days is based upon selective memories over his achievements and record in management.
Compare all of this with Redknapp, who has been given an incredibly easy time by the press. He still only has one major honour to his managerial name (the 2008 FA Cup), and on the very day that Capello resigned- he walked away from a court case that had asked serious questions about his judgement.
I certainly don’t question that the Tottenham manager deserved to be on the FA’s (closely guarded) shortlist. I would actually go further and suggest that he should have been given the courtesy of an interview. In doing so, the FA could then have resisted the inevitable charges levelled at them of having not properly vetted any other candidates.
Mr Redknapp may well have made a decent attempt at the England job, but trying to pretend that his missing out is as tragic as when Brian Clough did, is wildly inaccurate. With the decision made, certain sections of the press must now stop acting with such a high regard for their own opinions, and rather begin treating Roy Hodgson more fairly.
If you search for the latest copies of The Sun and The Daily Mail, there can be no disguising that they are already damning Hodgson with disparaging comments, conjured up through a poor grasp of what constitutes ‘wit’.
The Sun have focused on an apparent speech impediment, something that I honestly had not picked up on. Perhaps it is down to me not having a default setting where I seek to belittle anyone who is slightly different (after all, diversity is a positive thing isn't it?).
Going with a different tack, the Daily Mail have churned out an article that is basically a series of photos which apparently confirm a likeness between the new England manager and an owl. Seriously, they have actually printed that- an insult to the tree that was felled for the cause.
This is tiresome, humour-less stuff, and one waits with bated breath to see how long it is before these particular tabloids turn nasty- at the moment they simply think they are being playful. Do not be fooled though, these petty agendas all come back to the fact that they called it wrong when appointing Redknapp.
Genuine fans of the national team should be concerned that such institutions claim to be likewise; actually they are nothing of the sort. If they really are then they will get behind the appointment of Hodgson, give him time, and forget their ulterior motives.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Friday, 20 April 2012
Football- A Diving Art Form?
The issue of diving, simulation, sportsmanship, or perhaps just plain old cheating has reared its head again in the past week. It is a part of football that becomes topical periodically. It has been within the game for decades now, but from time to time the actions of a player (or players) will stimulate further debate.
The latest footballer to be frowned upon is Manchester United’s Ashley Young, due to him having the audacity to acrobatically hit the turf and win dubious penalties for two consecutive weeks. Out of all the conversation starters in football, the ‘art’ of diving remains one of the most emotive, at least in the UK.
A majority of the fans throughout the Premier League and the Football League(s) will be irked by a player that dives, especially when it happens in a game against their team. However, unsurprisingly, the reactions tend to be more restrained when it involves a player from your own club.
Still, this is only natural. I am a case in point; I loathe the players that over-indulge in taking a tumble, even more so when they choose to when it looked like scoring would have been easier. But on the other hand, I do not remember caring at all when Michael Owen deceived the officials during the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, both of those penalties against Argentina were a delight!
It may sound hypocritical, and to a degree it is, but the reality is that if Owen had passed up those opportunities he would have been a fool. In those same circumstances Batistuta and co. would have had absolutely no qualms over cheating England.
This leads to the crux of the argument, which is that diving has ultimately spread throughout the game because if you choose to completely refrain from it, then you are likely to be in a disadvantaged minority as a result.
A common line that has been churned out over the years is that the Premier League only became ‘infected’ by simulation when the original wave of foreign players came flooding in during the mid-nineties.
The likes of David Ginola and Jürgen Klinsmann had wonderful technical abilities, but they were never far from accusations of tarnishing the game on these shores. Klinsmann famously reacted in parody when he celebrated an early goal for Tottenham by sliding along the floor in a dive-like fashion.
Whilst it may be true that the influx of players from the continent made simulation more visible to British fans and media than ever before, it is hysterical to blame everything on them- believe it or not British players had done it before! And there can be no doubt that the Premier League has indescribably benefited from having had Bergkamp, Zola, Schmeichel and all those that have followed.
Football in the UK simply woke up to what had been occurring elsewhere for years. The Premier League followed on from the dark days of English clubs being banned from European football (in light of the Heysel disaster), and when it began to attract some of the best players in the world, the metamorphosis and reintegration was complete.
So, does this mean that football just has to accept that the culture of diving is here to stay? The powers that be have always taken the same path as they have with all the difficult decisions, namely to put their fingers in their ears and to walk around in circles singing la la la!
Sadly FIFA, UEFA and the FA are only consistent in their ability to be several steps behind the fans, as they are with goal-line technology. However, as with that issue, the answer really isn’t that difficult to fathom and it was referred to earlier this week by Arsène Wenger.
A system needs to be put into place that will retrospectively discipline players that can be seen to have manipulated the officials. Not by fines, but rather by way of suspensions/ match bans- the one sure way to affect a player and his team.
When it gets to the point that the positive impact of diving is outweighed by the negative, only then can attitudes on the pitch change. Sir Alex Ferguson has gone some way towards demonstrating that this week, he publicly frowned upon Ashley Young and the way he earned his penalty against Aston Villa and has since let it be known that he has ‘had a word' with him.
There is of course a potential that this type of system could open up a can of worms, all based upon differing interpretation. To make it work, as with any system, there would need to be an established criteria and a panel to make the decisions, but with the use of the hundreds of TV cameras available, it really shouldn’t be that difficult.
The people who would argue against such a move would be doing so for all the wrong reasons, and most likely self-fulfilling ones. Developments like this are never that easy- but how logical would it be to argue against improvements based upon a misguided fear of change? Those that run football will probably continue to shy away from the tough resolutions, but perhaps just one day, we can hope they’ll look beyond the easy life.
The latest footballer to be frowned upon is Manchester United’s Ashley Young, due to him having the audacity to acrobatically hit the turf and win dubious penalties for two consecutive weeks. Out of all the conversation starters in football, the ‘art’ of diving remains one of the most emotive, at least in the UK.
A majority of the fans throughout the Premier League and the Football League(s) will be irked by a player that dives, especially when it happens in a game against their team. However, unsurprisingly, the reactions tend to be more restrained when it involves a player from your own club.
Still, this is only natural. I am a case in point; I loathe the players that over-indulge in taking a tumble, even more so when they choose to when it looked like scoring would have been easier. But on the other hand, I do not remember caring at all when Michael Owen deceived the officials during the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, both of those penalties against Argentina were a delight!
It may sound hypocritical, and to a degree it is, but the reality is that if Owen had passed up those opportunities he would have been a fool. In those same circumstances Batistuta and co. would have had absolutely no qualms over cheating England.
This leads to the crux of the argument, which is that diving has ultimately spread throughout the game because if you choose to completely refrain from it, then you are likely to be in a disadvantaged minority as a result.
A common line that has been churned out over the years is that the Premier League only became ‘infected’ by simulation when the original wave of foreign players came flooding in during the mid-nineties.
The likes of David Ginola and Jürgen Klinsmann had wonderful technical abilities, but they were never far from accusations of tarnishing the game on these shores. Klinsmann famously reacted in parody when he celebrated an early goal for Tottenham by sliding along the floor in a dive-like fashion.
Whilst it may be true that the influx of players from the continent made simulation more visible to British fans and media than ever before, it is hysterical to blame everything on them- believe it or not British players had done it before! And there can be no doubt that the Premier League has indescribably benefited from having had Bergkamp, Zola, Schmeichel and all those that have followed.
Football in the UK simply woke up to what had been occurring elsewhere for years. The Premier League followed on from the dark days of English clubs being banned from European football (in light of the Heysel disaster), and when it began to attract some of the best players in the world, the metamorphosis and reintegration was complete.
So, does this mean that football just has to accept that the culture of diving is here to stay? The powers that be have always taken the same path as they have with all the difficult decisions, namely to put their fingers in their ears and to walk around in circles singing la la la!
Sadly FIFA, UEFA and the FA are only consistent in their ability to be several steps behind the fans, as they are with goal-line technology. However, as with that issue, the answer really isn’t that difficult to fathom and it was referred to earlier this week by Arsène Wenger.
A system needs to be put into place that will retrospectively discipline players that can be seen to have manipulated the officials. Not by fines, but rather by way of suspensions/ match bans- the one sure way to affect a player and his team.
When it gets to the point that the positive impact of diving is outweighed by the negative, only then can attitudes on the pitch change. Sir Alex Ferguson has gone some way towards demonstrating that this week, he publicly frowned upon Ashley Young and the way he earned his penalty against Aston Villa and has since let it be known that he has ‘had a word' with him.
There is of course a potential that this type of system could open up a can of worms, all based upon differing interpretation. To make it work, as with any system, there would need to be an established criteria and a panel to make the decisions, but with the use of the hundreds of TV cameras available, it really shouldn’t be that difficult.
The people who would argue against such a move would be doing so for all the wrong reasons, and most likely self-fulfilling ones. Developments like this are never that easy- but how logical would it be to argue against improvements based upon a misguided fear of change? Those that run football will probably continue to shy away from the tough resolutions, but perhaps just one day, we can hope they’ll look beyond the easy life.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
A 'Mata' of Opinions
Fernando Torres..........
After reading his name and then registering a pause, you may well have considered the malaise that the once revered striker finds himself in now.
On Tuesday, Chelsea embarked upon their umpteenth new era under Roman Abramovich and recorded an FA Cup win against Birmingham City. It may have been Roberto Di Matteo's first game as caretaker manager, but on the pitch there was a more interesting statistic playing out .
The tie represented Torres' 50th Chelsea appearance in all competitions. Sadly for the Spaniard, he was unable to mark the occasion with his sixth goal for the club (yes, sixth!).
Today summer signing and team-mate, Juan Mata, rather unhelpfully revealed that he had offered the penalty in that game to Torres. The striker, having won the spot-kick, declined and then watched as Mata failed to score himself. The miss did not affect the result, but the revelation does serve to demonstrate Torres' fragile confidence.
The Spaniard is now entering the realms of the most disastrous and unexpected losses of goal-scoring form ever seen in the game. To his credit he has provided at least half a dozen assists, although upon reflection that may do his case about as much good as Mata's contribution. Still, his build up play has at times been telling, but try as he might he cannot recapture the form that prompted Chelsea paying around £50m to Liverpool for him.
In fact the Torres conundrum is just as likely to attract sympathy and near gallows humour, than it is vicious ridicule these days. It is possible that football fans will reach a point where laughing at the length of Torres' goal drought, becomes akin to laughing at an accident before realising that the victim is actually in some difficulty.
Nevertheless, time must be running short for Torres. The investment, profile and expectation of his signing will guarantee that he is given a longer bedding in period, although the honeymoon has long gone. One suspects that if he doesn't start hitting the net with some of his old regularity by the end of next season, Chelsea will surely be cashing in what they still can.
I'm sure that whatever needs to click for him will, but why it hasn't already is perplexing. Some commentators say that he hasn't been the same since his knee surgery near the end of the 2009/10 season. He was rushed back for the World Cup and understandably looked out of sorts, but during the following season, until his transfer, he did manage a goal every 3 games for Liverpool.
The question then is what has changed, and obviously that is his club. Beyond that is only speculation, I don't believe that he would be adversely affected by his market value, not for this length of time, so that leaves facilities, staff, or management?
One man who strongly believes, perhaps too strongly, that he has the answer is Rafa Benítez. In the last few days, the man who brought Torres to Liverpool has been advocating himself for the manager role at Chelsea. He has not only hinted that he could tantalise Abramovich with a magic cure for his former signing, but he has spoken presumptuously for Liverpool fans.
Amongst what he said was that Valencia and Liverpool fans would both be glad to have him back as manager, both clubs that he had several successes with. More controversial was his opinion- "Can anybody argue against the fact that the Liverpool fans love me? No. I cannot be waiting at home for five years. Everybody understands that I will need a job."
"If they love me, they will understand."
Hmmmm, it seems strange that Rafa is unaware of how badly that would go down with Liverpool fans, especially as he spent his tenure there developing a fierce rivalry with José Mourinho and Chelsea. As for The Blues fans, they made sure that the cup win over Birmingham was sprinkled with chants for their erstwhile boss, and plenty of less encouraging ones for Benítez.
Bizarrely a couple of blasts from the past have also thrown their hat in for the Chelsea job, as if they still have a chance of making the short-list. Sven-Goran Erikkson may have once been an option, but those days appear to be gone now, but it is the interest of Glen Hoddle that raises more puzzled eyebrows.
Regardless of who ends up in charge, it is most likely that finding the best of Torres will be almost as high on the agenda as winning trophies are. After all, if the striker can make a stirring comeback, his goals alone could paper over the rest of the cracks in the ageing squad.
After reading his name and then registering a pause, you may well have considered the malaise that the once revered striker finds himself in now.
On Tuesday, Chelsea embarked upon their umpteenth new era under Roman Abramovich and recorded an FA Cup win against Birmingham City. It may have been Roberto Di Matteo's first game as caretaker manager, but on the pitch there was a more interesting statistic playing out .
The tie represented Torres' 50th Chelsea appearance in all competitions. Sadly for the Spaniard, he was unable to mark the occasion with his sixth goal for the club (yes, sixth!).
Today summer signing and team-mate, Juan Mata, rather unhelpfully revealed that he had offered the penalty in that game to Torres. The striker, having won the spot-kick, declined and then watched as Mata failed to score himself. The miss did not affect the result, but the revelation does serve to demonstrate Torres' fragile confidence.
The Spaniard is now entering the realms of the most disastrous and unexpected losses of goal-scoring form ever seen in the game. To his credit he has provided at least half a dozen assists, although upon reflection that may do his case about as much good as Mata's contribution. Still, his build up play has at times been telling, but try as he might he cannot recapture the form that prompted Chelsea paying around £50m to Liverpool for him.
In fact the Torres conundrum is just as likely to attract sympathy and near gallows humour, than it is vicious ridicule these days. It is possible that football fans will reach a point where laughing at the length of Torres' goal drought, becomes akin to laughing at an accident before realising that the victim is actually in some difficulty.
Nevertheless, time must be running short for Torres. The investment, profile and expectation of his signing will guarantee that he is given a longer bedding in period, although the honeymoon has long gone. One suspects that if he doesn't start hitting the net with some of his old regularity by the end of next season, Chelsea will surely be cashing in what they still can.
I'm sure that whatever needs to click for him will, but why it hasn't already is perplexing. Some commentators say that he hasn't been the same since his knee surgery near the end of the 2009/10 season. He was rushed back for the World Cup and understandably looked out of sorts, but during the following season, until his transfer, he did manage a goal every 3 games for Liverpool.
The question then is what has changed, and obviously that is his club. Beyond that is only speculation, I don't believe that he would be adversely affected by his market value, not for this length of time, so that leaves facilities, staff, or management?
One man who strongly believes, perhaps too strongly, that he has the answer is Rafa Benítez. In the last few days, the man who brought Torres to Liverpool has been advocating himself for the manager role at Chelsea. He has not only hinted that he could tantalise Abramovich with a magic cure for his former signing, but he has spoken presumptuously for Liverpool fans.
Amongst what he said was that Valencia and Liverpool fans would both be glad to have him back as manager, both clubs that he had several successes with. More controversial was his opinion- "Can anybody argue against the fact that the Liverpool fans love me? No. I cannot be waiting at home for five years. Everybody understands that I will need a job."
"If they love me, they will understand."
Hmmmm, it seems strange that Rafa is unaware of how badly that would go down with Liverpool fans, especially as he spent his tenure there developing a fierce rivalry with José Mourinho and Chelsea. As for The Blues fans, they made sure that the cup win over Birmingham was sprinkled with chants for their erstwhile boss, and plenty of less encouraging ones for Benítez.
Bizarrely a couple of blasts from the past have also thrown their hat in for the Chelsea job, as if they still have a chance of making the short-list. Sven-Goran Erikkson may have once been an option, but those days appear to be gone now, but it is the interest of Glen Hoddle that raises more puzzled eyebrows.
Regardless of who ends up in charge, it is most likely that finding the best of Torres will be almost as high on the agenda as winning trophies are. After all, if the striker can make a stirring comeback, his goals alone could paper over the rest of the cracks in the ageing squad.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Terry Takes His Toll
The past few days have been a tumultuous nightmare of bad publicity for the England team and the Football Association. As the spiralling blame game continues, none of the associated parties are emerging without any fault.
The FA started the ball rolling when they decided to remove John Terry from the England captaincy last week. Their reasoning was that once Terry's trial date had been moved to after the European Championships this summer, they had no choice but to act. Though they may have been clumsy in only making this decision at this late stage, and in neglecting to properly include Fabio Capello in the decision making process, they ultimately, haphazardly reached the correct choice of action.
The press have fuelled the pressure to act, but whatever your reasoning, John Terry's position had become untenable. His profile and former position as captain have responsibilities that exacerbate his precarious reputation, and neither of these should have been allowed to make him immune from the seriousness of what he has been accused of.
The FA were clearly hoping to have had Terry go to trial and to be (ideally) found innocent of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. It is difficult not to be cynical about the FA's motivation and beliefs. Once the police had decided that their investigation warranted a prosecution, the FA should have made a moral stand at that juncture. Instead they have hesitated and squirmed until matters have forced their hand. Ultimately, even the FA realised that for England to go into a major international tournament, with their captain facing such charges, would be a monumentally embarrassing PR disaster.
However, much of the last few days has shifted focus upon a clearly irritable Capello. The England manager has said his piece on Italian TV, in the full deliberate glare of the press and public. Credit where due, he has fairly stated that John Terry is innocent until proven guilty by a civil court. But, he is choosing to ignore Terry's obligations when acting as the figurehead of the national team. In fact it is a common practice for any normal employee under investigation to be suspended or put on gardening leave. Capello should really be grateful that he is still free to select the Chelsea captain at all.
The fact that he can has raised further anger amongst critics. This is understandable as whilst he is apparently unfit to lead the England team, the FA's compromise leaves him able to engage in the full range of his other obligations. Baffling as it may be, there is clearly a grey area over an issue that stems from a black man being allegedly abused by a white man.
The discussion over who will succeed Terry as captain has also been complicated. Capello has made his feelings clear that whoever does get the final nod (most likely Steven Gerrard), will do so in the knowledge that the England manager doesn't really regard them as such.
Of course Terry has already lost the captaincy once before. The infamous situation regarding Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend was denied by all parties except Bridge, who has remained in a silent, self-imposed international retirement ever since. This was preceded by accusations about the Chelsea captain making lucrative sums of bonus money by selling private tours of the Chelsea training ground.
None of these incidents have ever been proven or properly corroborated, but they have all added up to besmirching the character of John Terry. It could be that he has simply been unfairly portrayed over the years by a narcissistic media and that he should be given more credit. Then again, there have been further rumours that Terry was shunned by some members of the England squad when it last met up, suggesting a far from wholly supportive atmosphere.
Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but no doubt the former England captain will find the next few months stressful, as will Anton Ferdinand. What is now apparent is that between the FA and Fabio Capello, the England set-up has missed any opportunities it had to handle the issue without creating further ones. If this is as decisive as things get, Euro 2012 may well end up being even worse for England fans than the last World Cup.
The FA started the ball rolling when they decided to remove John Terry from the England captaincy last week. Their reasoning was that once Terry's trial date had been moved to after the European Championships this summer, they had no choice but to act. Though they may have been clumsy in only making this decision at this late stage, and in neglecting to properly include Fabio Capello in the decision making process, they ultimately, haphazardly reached the correct choice of action.
The press have fuelled the pressure to act, but whatever your reasoning, John Terry's position had become untenable. His profile and former position as captain have responsibilities that exacerbate his precarious reputation, and neither of these should have been allowed to make him immune from the seriousness of what he has been accused of.
The FA were clearly hoping to have had Terry go to trial and to be (ideally) found innocent of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. It is difficult not to be cynical about the FA's motivation and beliefs. Once the police had decided that their investigation warranted a prosecution, the FA should have made a moral stand at that juncture. Instead they have hesitated and squirmed until matters have forced their hand. Ultimately, even the FA realised that for England to go into a major international tournament, with their captain facing such charges, would be a monumentally embarrassing PR disaster.
However, much of the last few days has shifted focus upon a clearly irritable Capello. The England manager has said his piece on Italian TV, in the full deliberate glare of the press and public. Credit where due, he has fairly stated that John Terry is innocent until proven guilty by a civil court. But, he is choosing to ignore Terry's obligations when acting as the figurehead of the national team. In fact it is a common practice for any normal employee under investigation to be suspended or put on gardening leave. Capello should really be grateful that he is still free to select the Chelsea captain at all.
The fact that he can has raised further anger amongst critics. This is understandable as whilst he is apparently unfit to lead the England team, the FA's compromise leaves him able to engage in the full range of his other obligations. Baffling as it may be, there is clearly a grey area over an issue that stems from a black man being allegedly abused by a white man.
The discussion over who will succeed Terry as captain has also been complicated. Capello has made his feelings clear that whoever does get the final nod (most likely Steven Gerrard), will do so in the knowledge that the England manager doesn't really regard them as such.
Of course Terry has already lost the captaincy once before. The infamous situation regarding Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend was denied by all parties except Bridge, who has remained in a silent, self-imposed international retirement ever since. This was preceded by accusations about the Chelsea captain making lucrative sums of bonus money by selling private tours of the Chelsea training ground.
None of these incidents have ever been proven or properly corroborated, but they have all added up to besmirching the character of John Terry. It could be that he has simply been unfairly portrayed over the years by a narcissistic media and that he should be given more credit. Then again, there have been further rumours that Terry was shunned by some members of the England squad when it last met up, suggesting a far from wholly supportive atmosphere.
Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but no doubt the former England captain will find the next few months stressful, as will Anton Ferdinand. What is now apparent is that between the FA and Fabio Capello, the England set-up has missed any opportunities it had to handle the issue without creating further ones. If this is as decisive as things get, Euro 2012 may well end up being even worse for England fans than the last World Cup.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Arsenal come Acropo-lis!
On Tuesday evening I was present amongst the away fans at the Karaiskakis Stadium to witness Olympiakos versus Arsenal in the Champions League. Although the result wasn’t to end up matching my expectations, the experience as a whole was to more than make up for the disappointment.
It was my first experience of traveling to an away game for a European club competition, and whilst I have previously traveled to away games in England, the excitement was altogether different. The major factor in this is that you can combine your day at the football, with a small holiday too, what’s there not to like!
Things started off bizarely enough as I made my way through departures at Heathrow, and as I glided down the escalator I realised that Richard E. Grant was standing right in front of me. Thankfully I thought better of disturbing him with 'Withnail and I' quotes, especially as it was early and he didn't look to be in the mood. What I will say though, is that the silver screen doesn't do his height justice!
From the evidence of my flight out to Athens, and the following two and a half days, it was clear that a number of other Arsenal fans had also decided to elongate their trip, rather than plumping for the over-priced 24 hour option offered through the club. And, it must be said, there is an amusingingly surreal nature to bumping into fans of the same club as you when you’re 1500 miles away from your home ground.
What’s even more amusing is when you bump into such fans in the most unique of places. On Monday afternoon, my partner and I were in the midst of wandering around the Acropolis and the temples that adorn it, the most famous of which being the Parthenon.
It’s a mind boggling site, even in its current state of restoration and surrounding scaffolding. An ancient mythological achievement from more than 2000 years ago, and yet here I was, finishing my look around, when I spotted the distinctive site of bright yellows and red.
Three Arsenal fans, with a mixed heritage of Turkish, Pakistani and English between them, were proudly sporting their replica shirts atop the Acropolis. If ever there was proof needed to symbolise that us football fans can be cultured, this was it. We may sometimes drink too much and be a bit loud, but at the very least we contribute to the local tourist industry and learn about our surroundings!
(Here I must thank the guys again for being good sports and for giving me permission to take photographic evidence of them for this article-at the south side of the Parthenon)
As for the game itself, we don't need to go over the scoreline and details again too much (ahem! 3-1 to the home team). Rather, the atmosphere was certainly a pretty tense one to behold. The reputation of the Olympiakos fans had left me expecting to need to be pretty cautious, however, this was misleading.
Whilst the crowd could clearly be intimidating, there was no sense of fear as you would expect away at Galatasaray for example. It was more like an old Eastern bloc political rally at times, with very well regimented chanting and the holding of placards. Around kick-off, the North Stand unveiled a banner than ran the length of the advertising hordings, which simply said 'Score, win and let us dream'. This was something that was to become strangley apt later on in the night.
Arsenal's opening half was calamitous, with Fabianski and then his replacement Mannone both making a hash of the goals. Sébastien Squillaci was awful, and if Johan Djourou ever plays right back again, I will have nightmarish flash-backs.
Therefore, the second half was a case of it can only get better. And sure enough it did, Yossi Benayoun was an inspiration, playing like he had a point to prove he was the driving force going forward.
André Santos also joined the injury list, and his replacement Ignasi Miquel made a good impression on his European debut. He showed far better resolve than plenty of other more experienced players, and contributed to the Arsenal goal, when Benayouns excellent volley found the net.
Sadly, despite chances (especially a late Rosický one-on one), Arsenal could not nick a point and instead they conceded an 89th minute sucker-punch. Nonetheless, the well-represented away fans got many last laughs. The Gunners won their group regardless, and in injury-time news came through that Marseille had dramatically recovered from 2-0 down to eventually defeat Borussia Dortmund 3-2, thus ending the home fans dream.
The Olympiakos support suddenly went very flat as the 'Gooners' got very smug. The boldest chants were for the home sides deadliest rivals Panathinaikos, and the funniest concerned the Greek deficit. Although it goes without saying that it was all in good taste- it seems that politics and culture are the surprising bedfellows of English football!
So, all in all my first European away fixture was a lot of fun to be had. I will certainly be planning future voyages, competition progress withstanding. It is doubful though that any future return flight will be matched with the splendid news that both Manchester United and Manchester City would soon be facing up to the Europa League. Never has a defeat been so easy to take!
It was my first experience of traveling to an away game for a European club competition, and whilst I have previously traveled to away games in England, the excitement was altogether different. The major factor in this is that you can combine your day at the football, with a small holiday too, what’s there not to like!
Things started off bizarely enough as I made my way through departures at Heathrow, and as I glided down the escalator I realised that Richard E. Grant was standing right in front of me. Thankfully I thought better of disturbing him with 'Withnail and I' quotes, especially as it was early and he didn't look to be in the mood. What I will say though, is that the silver screen doesn't do his height justice!
From the evidence of my flight out to Athens, and the following two and a half days, it was clear that a number of other Arsenal fans had also decided to elongate their trip, rather than plumping for the over-priced 24 hour option offered through the club. And, it must be said, there is an amusingingly surreal nature to bumping into fans of the same club as you when you’re 1500 miles away from your home ground.
What’s even more amusing is when you bump into such fans in the most unique of places. On Monday afternoon, my partner and I were in the midst of wandering around the Acropolis and the temples that adorn it, the most famous of which being the Parthenon.
It’s a mind boggling site, even in its current state of restoration and surrounding scaffolding. An ancient mythological achievement from more than 2000 years ago, and yet here I was, finishing my look around, when I spotted the distinctive site of bright yellows and red.
Three Arsenal fans, with a mixed heritage of Turkish, Pakistani and English between them, were proudly sporting their replica shirts atop the Acropolis. If ever there was proof needed to symbolise that us football fans can be cultured, this was it. We may sometimes drink too much and be a bit loud, but at the very least we contribute to the local tourist industry and learn about our surroundings!
(Here I must thank the guys again for being good sports and for giving me permission to take photographic evidence of them for this article-at the south side of the Parthenon)
As for the game itself, we don't need to go over the scoreline and details again too much (ahem! 3-1 to the home team). Rather, the atmosphere was certainly a pretty tense one to behold. The reputation of the Olympiakos fans had left me expecting to need to be pretty cautious, however, this was misleading.
Whilst the crowd could clearly be intimidating, there was no sense of fear as you would expect away at Galatasaray for example. It was more like an old Eastern bloc political rally at times, with very well regimented chanting and the holding of placards. Around kick-off, the North Stand unveiled a banner than ran the length of the advertising hordings, which simply said 'Score, win and let us dream'. This was something that was to become strangley apt later on in the night.
Arsenal's opening half was calamitous, with Fabianski and then his replacement Mannone both making a hash of the goals. Sébastien Squillaci was awful, and if Johan Djourou ever plays right back again, I will have nightmarish flash-backs.
Therefore, the second half was a case of it can only get better. And sure enough it did, Yossi Benayoun was an inspiration, playing like he had a point to prove he was the driving force going forward.
André Santos also joined the injury list, and his replacement Ignasi Miquel made a good impression on his European debut. He showed far better resolve than plenty of other more experienced players, and contributed to the Arsenal goal, when Benayouns excellent volley found the net.
Sadly, despite chances (especially a late Rosický one-on one), Arsenal could not nick a point and instead they conceded an 89th minute sucker-punch. Nonetheless, the well-represented away fans got many last laughs. The Gunners won their group regardless, and in injury-time news came through that Marseille had dramatically recovered from 2-0 down to eventually defeat Borussia Dortmund 3-2, thus ending the home fans dream.
The Olympiakos support suddenly went very flat as the 'Gooners' got very smug. The boldest chants were for the home sides deadliest rivals Panathinaikos, and the funniest concerned the Greek deficit. Although it goes without saying that it was all in good taste- it seems that politics and culture are the surprising bedfellows of English football!
So, all in all my first European away fixture was a lot of fun to be had. I will certainly be planning future voyages, competition progress withstanding. It is doubful though that any future return flight will be matched with the splendid news that both Manchester United and Manchester City would soon be facing up to the Europa League. Never has a defeat been so easy to take!
Thursday, 17 November 2011
What will Sepp Blatter do next?!
If it wasn't so tragic, you could almost laugh at the awkward absurdity that has enveloped the football world in the past couple of days. Sepp Blatter, the embarrassing elder statesman of the sport- and still the most powerful man in it, has struck again. FIFA may like to claim that they are the victims of a witch-hunt by a resentful British press, but with friends like Blatter, they have all the enemies they could need.
Many people will have heard of the FIFA president's comments regarding racism, made in two separate interviews, and which came to light this Wednesday. If only diplomatic relations could be settled by the shaking of hands, think of all the wars and conflicts throughout history which could have been ended before they had started! Blatter must believe we live in a naive Utopia where everything can be swept under the carpet.
Alas this is far from reality, FIFA's leading figure has simply notched up another in a long line of clangers. If you look back at his track record there have been comments about women footballers wearing more revealing kits, and last year he jokingly suggested that homosexuals “should refrain from any sexual activities” during the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
With his latest episode he has edged closer to a full house of ignorant comments, it's as if he wondered- “hmmm, sexism-check, homophobia-check, what am I missing? Oh yes something inappropriate about racism issues!”
All of this doesn't even touch upon the large dossier of unanswered questions that remain over the alleged corruption that FIFA is riddled with. Surely this man's position is completely untenable? Sadly, it is more likely that the ageing Swiss will dodge another scandal and maintain the norm. If you think politicians get away with far too much, try the plush surroundings of a FIFA presidency to make yourself impenetrable.
Rather depressingly there has been far from widespread global condemnation of Blatter and his slip-up. Either other footballing associations are in fear of the despot, or campaigns such as Kick it Out have plenty left to negotiate when tackling attitudes towards race around the world. England players being abused on the basis of their skin colour has occurred in Spain and Bulgaria in recent years, and this has demonstrated how less ethnically diverse societies still have a long way to go in eradicating old prejudices.
The former footballer Paul Elliot, in an interview with Thursday's Guardian, spoke about how football mirrors wider society. He makes a very good point, and I have mentioned this in the past in relation to times of economic woe, and this coinciding with a rise in football violence amongst fans (Football Troubles).
Racism had already re-emerged as a prevalent issue in the British game due to Luis Saurez being charged by the FA for racially abusing Patrice Evra, and John Terry being under investigation for similar actions towards Anton Ferdinand. However, on the positive side, society in Britain has moved on in a huge way from the 1970's and 80's. Rather than these incidents and Blatter's comments being accepted, they have been rightly and widely condemned as unacceptable.
Of course, this does not mean that bigoted views no longer exist in grounds around the UK, education is still required to further improve attitudes, as organisations like the BNP are sadly still visible- even if they are a twisted minority.
Football and other sports are still very far from dealing with other areas of discrimination too, such as on the basis of sexuality and religion, but as society becomes more accepting so should this improve. What could help is the bringing in of a younger generation at the top of the FIFA infrastructure, and the resignation of Mr Blatter.
Ultimately, the likes of Kick it Out will face being undermined if the most accountable man in football is allowed to keep making a mockery of a game that is played by and can influence billions of people.
Many people will have heard of the FIFA president's comments regarding racism, made in two separate interviews, and which came to light this Wednesday. If only diplomatic relations could be settled by the shaking of hands, think of all the wars and conflicts throughout history which could have been ended before they had started! Blatter must believe we live in a naive Utopia where everything can be swept under the carpet.
Alas this is far from reality, FIFA's leading figure has simply notched up another in a long line of clangers. If you look back at his track record there have been comments about women footballers wearing more revealing kits, and last year he jokingly suggested that homosexuals “should refrain from any sexual activities” during the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
With his latest episode he has edged closer to a full house of ignorant comments, it's as if he wondered- “hmmm, sexism-check, homophobia-check, what am I missing? Oh yes something inappropriate about racism issues!”
All of this doesn't even touch upon the large dossier of unanswered questions that remain over the alleged corruption that FIFA is riddled with. Surely this man's position is completely untenable? Sadly, it is more likely that the ageing Swiss will dodge another scandal and maintain the norm. If you think politicians get away with far too much, try the plush surroundings of a FIFA presidency to make yourself impenetrable.
Rather depressingly there has been far from widespread global condemnation of Blatter and his slip-up. Either other footballing associations are in fear of the despot, or campaigns such as Kick it Out have plenty left to negotiate when tackling attitudes towards race around the world. England players being abused on the basis of their skin colour has occurred in Spain and Bulgaria in recent years, and this has demonstrated how less ethnically diverse societies still have a long way to go in eradicating old prejudices.
The former footballer Paul Elliot, in an interview with Thursday's Guardian, spoke about how football mirrors wider society. He makes a very good point, and I have mentioned this in the past in relation to times of economic woe, and this coinciding with a rise in football violence amongst fans (Football Troubles).
Racism had already re-emerged as a prevalent issue in the British game due to Luis Saurez being charged by the FA for racially abusing Patrice Evra, and John Terry being under investigation for similar actions towards Anton Ferdinand. However, on the positive side, society in Britain has moved on in a huge way from the 1970's and 80's. Rather than these incidents and Blatter's comments being accepted, they have been rightly and widely condemned as unacceptable.
Of course, this does not mean that bigoted views no longer exist in grounds around the UK, education is still required to further improve attitudes, as organisations like the BNP are sadly still visible- even if they are a twisted minority.
Football and other sports are still very far from dealing with other areas of discrimination too, such as on the basis of sexuality and religion, but as society becomes more accepting so should this improve. What could help is the bringing in of a younger generation at the top of the FIFA infrastructure, and the resignation of Mr Blatter.
Ultimately, the likes of Kick it Out will face being undermined if the most accountable man in football is allowed to keep making a mockery of a game that is played by and can influence billions of people.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Cristiano Ronaldo- great football skills, poor people skills
Not all football fans may have seen a small, but widely circulated, news story last week. It concerned the Portuguese and Real Madrid no. 7, who during his mercurial career has never been one to stray too far from some form of wind-up. However, this wasn't to do with anything that happened on the pitch, but rather what came out of Ronaldo's mouth.
Back in January 2007, I witnessed first hand the kind of widespread vitriol that was aimed at the then Manchester United talisman. Whilst warming up for an international friendly against Brazil, the crowd mercilessly booed his every touch in a near pantomime fashion. Admittedly, with the match at the Emirates stadium, there 'may' have been some bias from the fans gathered. But, it was his infamous wink at the proceeding summer's World Cup that had led to many fans abusing him afterwards, in the vast majority of stadiums around England.
Of course, many of those same fans can contribute to giving football a bad name, by either failing to see the bigger picture or simply not being at all rational. For example, in that World Cup, Wayne Rooney had hardly helped himself. His quarter-final sending off against Portugal was as much to do with his own frustrations, as it was to do with Ronaldo's goading. Witch hunts are a default mode for football fans when things go pear-shaped, and the passions that fly around often lead to there being the need for someone to blame, rather than any collective.
Still, this is a natural reaction when anything negative happens, from natural disasters to economic meltdowns, we all feel better venting our anger at a target. Of course, when a target seemingly goes out of their way to present themselves, one may start to question the psyche that is involved! This brings me to Ronaldo, who last week said, I quote, "I think that because I am rich, handsome and a great player people are envious of me. I don't have any other explanation".
This gem of a response came after Ronaldo was asked by an interviewer, in the wake of Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb, his thoughts on their fans. Just like I had seen four years ago, Ronaldo was on the end of endless jeering. You could look at this response from many different angles, such as, is he that self-obsessed or was he deliberately trying to get a rise out of his detractors?
On the other hand, some people may say that it was a justified reaction from a player that has received more grief from football fans than any other in recent times, why should he have to put up and shut up? Well, in the grand scheme of things, he is an extremely talented football player at the top of his profession, and one who reportedly earns €11 million a year. With the current global markets as they are, I'm pretty confident that there would be a long line of the world's population who would gladly take that sort of trade off!
This doesn't mean that the rich and famous deserve abuse, far from it. Instead, I suggest that it may improve Ronaldo's standing if he was to be a little humble, kind of like his rival (and the altogether more gifted) Lionel Messi. Football fans are actually not that unforgiving, beyond the initial anger. Fabregas has left Arsenal as a revered player, he may have left for Barcelona after their incessant tapping-up, but he has still departed with good grace. Compare that with Samir Nasri, who has petulantly engaged in a war of words with Arsenal fans after joining Manchester City, and it is safe to say that the Frenchman has soured what reputation he had at the Emirates.
Unfortunately it does appear to be the case that too many of the generally rich and famous exist in a bubble of ignorance. Comments such as Ronaldo's only serve to ostracise him from ordinary members of the public, especially when the economy is in such strife and his inflated sense of self-worth apparently indicates our envy. Sadly football in general has failed to recognise this, with ticket prices continuing to rise, namely to cover the spiralling wages of players.
Regardless of the debates about salary caps or football clubs running at a loss, the fans of the sport can be just as fickle as they are forgiving. If Cristiano Ronaldo really wants to be remembered as one of the great players, he would do well to reign in his ego and to train his people skills up to match those of his feet. After all, without football fans making the game as popular as it is, he couldn't be so proud of being rich.
Back in January 2007, I witnessed first hand the kind of widespread vitriol that was aimed at the then Manchester United talisman. Whilst warming up for an international friendly against Brazil, the crowd mercilessly booed his every touch in a near pantomime fashion. Admittedly, with the match at the Emirates stadium, there 'may' have been some bias from the fans gathered. But, it was his infamous wink at the proceeding summer's World Cup that had led to many fans abusing him afterwards, in the vast majority of stadiums around England.
Of course, many of those same fans can contribute to giving football a bad name, by either failing to see the bigger picture or simply not being at all rational. For example, in that World Cup, Wayne Rooney had hardly helped himself. His quarter-final sending off against Portugal was as much to do with his own frustrations, as it was to do with Ronaldo's goading. Witch hunts are a default mode for football fans when things go pear-shaped, and the passions that fly around often lead to there being the need for someone to blame, rather than any collective.
Still, this is a natural reaction when anything negative happens, from natural disasters to economic meltdowns, we all feel better venting our anger at a target. Of course, when a target seemingly goes out of their way to present themselves, one may start to question the psyche that is involved! This brings me to Ronaldo, who last week said, I quote, "I think that because I am rich, handsome and a great player people are envious of me. I don't have any other explanation".
This gem of a response came after Ronaldo was asked by an interviewer, in the wake of Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb, his thoughts on their fans. Just like I had seen four years ago, Ronaldo was on the end of endless jeering. You could look at this response from many different angles, such as, is he that self-obsessed or was he deliberately trying to get a rise out of his detractors?
On the other hand, some people may say that it was a justified reaction from a player that has received more grief from football fans than any other in recent times, why should he have to put up and shut up? Well, in the grand scheme of things, he is an extremely talented football player at the top of his profession, and one who reportedly earns €11 million a year. With the current global markets as they are, I'm pretty confident that there would be a long line of the world's population who would gladly take that sort of trade off!
This doesn't mean that the rich and famous deserve abuse, far from it. Instead, I suggest that it may improve Ronaldo's standing if he was to be a little humble, kind of like his rival (and the altogether more gifted) Lionel Messi. Football fans are actually not that unforgiving, beyond the initial anger. Fabregas has left Arsenal as a revered player, he may have left for Barcelona after their incessant tapping-up, but he has still departed with good grace. Compare that with Samir Nasri, who has petulantly engaged in a war of words with Arsenal fans after joining Manchester City, and it is safe to say that the Frenchman has soured what reputation he had at the Emirates.
Unfortunately it does appear to be the case that too many of the generally rich and famous exist in a bubble of ignorance. Comments such as Ronaldo's only serve to ostracise him from ordinary members of the public, especially when the economy is in such strife and his inflated sense of self-worth apparently indicates our envy. Sadly football in general has failed to recognise this, with ticket prices continuing to rise, namely to cover the spiralling wages of players.
Regardless of the debates about salary caps or football clubs running at a loss, the fans of the sport can be just as fickle as they are forgiving. If Cristiano Ronaldo really wants to be remembered as one of the great players, he would do well to reign in his ego and to train his people skills up to match those of his feet. After all, without football fans making the game as popular as it is, he couldn't be so proud of being rich.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)