The Beautiful Game’s Highlights of the Decade

 When I decided that this was going to be my final post of the year I thought it would be an easy thing to pull together – just sit down and think of the best bits over the past few seasons. However, I soon had a list of about 25 – and that was just an initial thought. A few days deliberating and I have come to think of the below as my key highlights and Cristiano Ronaldo does not even get a mention!

  1&2: The Gerrard Finals (UEFA Champions League Final 2005 & FA Cup Final 2006)

  I think that these two would be on most peoples lists. Hopefully Gerrard will have one of these matches on the International stage next summer. But in Istanbul in 2005 and in Cardiff in 2006 Gerrard was simply immense. Both matches were brilliant to watch and I distinctly remember both games and how the momentum swung so dramatically. They are two of the best Finals I have ever seen – and on both occasions you could feel the Liverpool skipper grab hold of the games in the second half determined that he would get his hands on the trophies – incredible.

  3: Jose Mourinho (Chelsea 2004-2007)

  From nowhere to beating United at Old Trafford, lifting the UEFA Champions League with Porto and then machine like victory with Chelsea. He was a breath of fresh air to the English game – his charm, passion, confidence and ability meant he became a housewife’s favourite and the ’special one’ became talk of many a pub table and he delivered trophy after trophy for Chelsea. I hope he comes back to the English game soon, its not the same without Jose around.

  4: Fat Ronaldo (2002 FIFA World Cup)

  I remember being in a bookmakers before this tournament started and looking at the top scorer / champions doubles and I opted for Christian Vieri and Italy at 10/1. A little down the list was Ronaldo and Brazil at 20/1 – at the time it seemed like short odds considering how his career had dipped since the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final and how not much was expected of those in yellow and blue. What followed was a bizarre haircut, the comeback of the toothy grin and the instinct that saw him walk away with the Golden Boot and the winning goals in the Final. Fair play Ronnie.

   
5: The Untouchables (Arsenal Premier League Champions 2003/2004)

  When Wenger gets it right he really gets it right. I have been lucky to watch the Gunners on a few occasions over the past few seasons and every time have been blown away by the way they play football. In the 2003/2004 season they were quite literally untouchable and went the whole season undefeated. Looking at the team they had, and the style they played it was even more poetic that they lifted the title. It really was what the beautiful game is all about.

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Rafa the next to go..

So the rumour mill is in full swing. Liverpool are in crisis – we all know that – especially after the terrible performance on saturday that saw Liverpool lose their 7th game of the season to bottom of the league Portsmouth and now sit an incredible 14 points from Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League. One of the main issues this season for Rafa has been the injuries to his two star players. El Nino and Stevie G.

Now the injury to Gerrard could actually become a crisis as it seems that Gerrard needs an operation to rectify his groin that has cut back his usual ability to make the difference for the Reds week in week out. Obviously, Gerrard now has the FIFA World Cup in his sights (if he can get beyond Europa League victory) and wants to get the operation in now so that he can get it sorted and be fully fit for the match on June 12th in Rustenburg against the USA. To me that makes perfect sense – mind you I am an England supporter.

However, Rafa must be sensing the chop from up above. With Mark Hughes not doing enough at City  after losing just 2 Premier League matches and getting the club to its first semi-final in 28 years he must really be feeling the heat – and thinking his American bosses might also get the trigger finger. The last thing he needs is Gerrard to take two months out and face the prospect of a midfield of Lucas, Dossena, Spearing and  Benayoun. With or without Torres, it will be tough to cope with no Gerrard, Mascherano (always suspended) and Darren Anderton…sorry Alberto Aquilani.

With the developments at Eastlands, there must be an increase in pressure on club owners. In a world where commercial success is changing the requirements and expectations of club supporters – never has the term glory hunter been more relevant – the stakes are much higher for a manager, and it seems that they are even higher for the owners who now demand instant success. I read something interesting this morning by Mark Bright who posed the question of how long away are we from players being sacked for giving a series of poor performances?

It is clear that boards and club owners and therefore managers need to clarify what is deemed by success. Looking at Mark Hughes release via the LMA it seems that the goals that were agreed with his owners at the start of the season were still very obtainable and I am sure that Hughes would of strengthened his defence in January, but it still was not enough. It seems that his targets and his owners were actually very different.  

But what a chance for Mancini. He has turned up in his tailored Italian suit and taken over a squad bursting with attacking talent, sitting in a great position in the league and already in one cup semi-final. If he approaches the task in hand with the same kind of rigour as Capello has done with England then he will achieve the UEFA Champions League ambition of his billionaire owners. All he needs to do is identify the problem and fix it. England were individuals and now they play as a team. Man City can’t defend for toffee, let alone 3 points, so the best signing Mancini could make, he has made with Brian Kidd. If he can focus his role as a defensive coach and calm City’s nerves from any kind of pressure then they could really kick on in the New Year – especially as United, Arsenal and Chelsea will all be back in battle in the UEFA Champions League.

It will be very interesting to see who he signs in January. I am sure there will be at least two big signings made to reinforce the defence and the midfield  probably as many as four, again in the same area of the team. Given, Barry and Bellamy have been superb and depending on the way Bellamy takes to his new manager (after Sparky apparently personally contributed to the transfer fee to sign him). The worst move the Mancini could make could be to add yet more options to his attack. For his apparent faults Hughes has got all his front players flying and scoring goals (apart from Robinho that is) and I have never seen Craig Bellamy play better or more consistently. In Tevez and Adebayor / Santa Cruz the team possess a potent spearhead, and if Robinho turns up (probably not till the snow has gone away) then they will score goals no problem.

Who knows what will play out over the coming weeks and months, if Mancini fails to get to grips with the ego of his squad then come May both Mancini and Rafa could follow Hughes to the JobCentre. The game feels like it is on the verge of going crazy, and I expect lots of cash to be spent this January and I would say there are only 3 managers safe in their job Fergie, Hodgson and Wenger.

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Arise Sir Jimmy Bullard?!

There is always someone who comes from nowhere to have a real impact on a tournament.

With the World Cup Play-offs and Henry-gate behind us the world’s eyes are now focusing on Cape Town next Friday evening and the draw for the 2010 World Cup. Who will be in the group of death? (it could be England, ivory coast, USA and Portugal!) who will win the golden shoe? Who will walk away with the trophy?

In terms of England the predictions for the team are virtually agreed (pending david James and his knees) but there is still debate over the final 23 and there are a few names that will make a late surge – and who knows could end up being our star player.

There are bound to be metatarsals snapping and groins tweaked as we near the end of the brutal English season and you can be sure that Rooney apart Capello will not take anyone who is not fit, so here are a few scenarios and a few heros;

Frank Lampard gets injured building IKEA furniture. In steps Jimmy Bullard.

An exceptionally talented footballer and he will be the reason that Hull City will be playing Premier League football next season. Great technique and more consistent than Beckham with set pieces and would also bring some Gazzaesque charm to a pretty strict squad.

Ashley Cole gets arrested. In steps Kiaran Gibbs.

One mistake aside Gibbs had a great start to his Arsenal career and has been quality for the U-21s. If anything happens to Cashley it would not surprise me for Capello to give the number 3 shirt to Gibbs over the very average Wayne Bridge and see if the boy can make a real name for himself.

Gareth Barry becomes an Abu Dhabi National and is makes himself ineligible (but he has not done it for the money). In steps Phil Neville.

The much ridiculed P.NEV has been much more consistent at Everton and does have the ability to do the simple things very well – could be the perfect foil for Lampard and Gerrard.

Wayne Rooney has to stay in England to babysit. In steps Michael Owen.

He probably will not make the final 23 if everyone is fit (which I disagree with) but he has scored in World Cups before and is capable of doing so again. In fact I wonder what the odds on Owen winning the golden shoe are…

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Thierry is not the French cheat – it is Platini

Last night Thierry Henry won the tie for France by gaining an advantage and using his hand to keep the ball in play. Nine times out of ten the referee would see it, award a free-kick and Henry a yellow card. However, last night the referee and assistant missed the key moment and the cat calls from the media this morning have been that Henry is a disgrace and a cheat and should be thrown out of the Finals.

Let’s not forget this is the same player who graced the Barclays Premier League and earnt the respect of fans, media and players across England.

Personally, I do not think that Henry is the real cheat – sure he gained an advantage but you can think of hundreds of examples where players instincts have taken over and they have gained an advantage. Think Michael Owen in France ‘98, think about any Goalkeeper coming off their line on a penalty, think of anytime you may have been the one trying to clear the ball off the line. It happens all the time, sure this was a big moment with World cup Qualification at stake, but I do not believe that any player in that scenario would stop his nation celebrating and announce that he had touched the ball with his hand. That is the referee’s job, not the player.

For me the real shame here is that this tie even happened. The Republic of Ireland had an amazing qualification and were easily on a par with France on their qualification performance. The fact that Platini and Blatter created the seeding for these play-offs is the real cheating, it created a bias towards the bigger teams of France and Portugal – and stars such as Henry and Ronaldo – and was not in place until they realised which teams were in the Play-offs and the prospect of France v Portugal.

The Republic played great last night, but instead of looking at Henry as the cheat I think there is another Frenchman who should take the real blame.

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Predict the performance of your team

Ever been tempted to change you fantasy football team on the eve of a big weekend? Certain that Stevie G is due a big match and feeling like Lampard is struggling in the new diamond formation under Ancelotti?

More often then not I look back gutted as the player I put in failed to deliver and the guy subbed out, well he ends up having the game of his life.

Usually this is based on my gut instinct – and I am sure that others who dabble in fantasy football, or even betting do the same – make a call based on instinct or what the chap on BBC Sport is saying.  Even when going down the pub I always want to look out for, and be armed with that killer shout and prediction for the match. I love being right, and especially when it comes to football.

Through Twitter I picked up a notification about the Castrol Index, and think I may have found my answer to my friday dilemma. Is Gerrard in form? Should I pick Gareth Barry? Or who is going to make the difference in the UEFA Champions League next week? You can compare players, look up form over the season and also read up on some interesting predictions based on stats and facts (interestingly they even support one of my previous blogs about Manchester City).

Apart from the site being grey – its a pretty interesting resource and if like me you like to tinker with your fantasy team, or look out for that prediction before the game then well worth checking out.. www.castrolfootball.com

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The lottery of life as a football manager

Poor old Gareth Southgate. He got crucified pretty much week in, week out last season as Boro got relegated from the Barclays Premier League. The media were after him, his players were moaning and the crowds were gutted to be losing their place in the North East elite (made only slightly better by the fact Newcastle were also relegated).

However, there was one bright shining light for Southgate. It was not all doom and gloom. His chairman and champion Steve Gibson was going to back him to bring the young squad back to the top level of English Football. Southgate was determined and spent the summer earning the club cash by selling the likes of Downing and Huth but consolidating his squad and setting his ambitions for the season ahead. If one thing can be said of Middlesbrough they have a great local spirit and have always had loyalty in their managers.

It had been a bit of an up-and-down start to the campaign. A couple of miserable home defeats were alongside some decent away performances and after beating Derby County 2-0 on Tuesday Southgate’s team were sitting pretty in fourth place in the league looking in good shape in what will always be an erratic league. Then came the axe. Game over for Gareth Southgate.

It just does not make any sense to me. I could understand it if he was Roy Keane at Ipswich and his team was still looking for their first win, but in team playing pretty well overall and up near the top-end of the league?

If you were going to sack him, why not do it after the team had been relegated? A new manager will not be able to buy any players till January and will take crucial time to get to know his players and how to get the best out of them. I can’t say I am the biggest fan of Southgate but I can’t help but feel like he has been merked by Steve Gibson.

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The lottery life of a football manager

Poor old Gareth Southgate. He got crucified pretty much week in, week out last season as Boro got relegated from the Barclays Premier League. The media were after him, his players were moaning and the crowds were gutted to be losing their place in the North East elite (made only slightly better by the fact Newcastle were also relegated).

However, there was one bright shining light for Southgate. It was not all doom and gloom. His chairman and champion Steve Gibson was going to back him to bring the young squad back to the top level of English Football. Southgate was determined and spent the summer earning the club cash by selling the likes of Downing and Huth but consolidating his squad and setting his ambitions for the season ahead. If one thing can be said of Middlesbrough they have a great local spirit and have always had loyalty in their managers.

It had been a bit of an up-and-down start to the campaign. A couple of miserable home defeats were alongside some decent away performances and after beating Derby County 2-0 on Tuesday Southgate’s team were sitting pretty in fourth place in the league looking in good shape in what will always be an erratic league. Then came the axe. Game over for Gareth Southgate.

It just does not make any sense to me. I could understand it if he was Roy Keane at Ipswich and his team was still looking for their first win, but in team playing pretty well overall and up near the top-end of the league?

If you were going to sack him, why not do it after the team had been relegated? A new manager will not be able to buy any players till January and will take crucial time to get to know his players and how to get the best out of them. I can’t say I am the biggest fan of Southgate but I can’t help but feel like he has been merked by Steve Gibson.

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Will it be the World Cup of the team, not the Superstar?

As the qualification process winds down and more and more countries learn their fate ahead of the World Cup draw in Durban on December 4^th – a true nightmare is potentially going to happen for FIFA.

We are not talking about riots, or issues with South Africa’s infrastructure – we are talking about the potential for the two best players on the planet not being present next summer. That very outcome is hanging over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Not only is this a massive issue for FIFA’s PR and Marketing team, but it is also a massive blow to all those who love the game.

Firstly, Ronaldo’s Portugal have struggled throughout their Qualification Group and look like sneaking into the Play-offs at the expense of Sweden. However, that will mean immense pressure and some very strong teams in the Play-offs – potentially the winker might not get the chance to play on the greatest stage of all when in the form of his life. He may be arrogant, he may fall to the ground easily but he is an amazing talent, and the most expensive footballer in history. Although Portugal have knocked out England in recent times, I would love to see Ronaldo lighting up the tournament, at least up until the Quarter Finals.

Secondly, the shambles that is the management style of Diego Maradona looks likely to condemn Argentina to miss their first FIFA World Cup in 39 years. Late, late, late in to Saturday night a last minute goal by the 57 year old striker Martin Palermo (okay, 35) meant Argentina scraped a victory against Peru (the same Peru team that had played eight games, lost them all, scored two goals and conceded 24). They now have to look to their final match away against Uruguay and hope results go their way to clinch the last Qualification spot or even the South American Play-Off place. Maradona has used a staggering 70-something players during Qualification and by no means is he left with an easy fixture as Uruguay have a phenomenal record at Montevideo.

He seems to make impulsive decisions before and during matches. If Messi ends up missing the 2010 FIFA World Cup, not only will Adidas be smarting (he is their lead global athlete) but the tournament will feel like something is missing – now imagine if both were to miss out.

What this could mean is a real shift in the perception of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Usually a tournament is talked about through the players. The Ronaldo World Cup of 2002, the Baggio World Cup of 1994, Pele 1958, Maradona 1986.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup could change that and move from superstar flair players, to organised and combative teams – working together towards the common goal. Victory.

 This will give the likes of Germany and excellent chance in South Africa, and also should see Brazil do well as Dunga has evolved a team of eleven isolated players in 2006 into a physical and powerful unit, with a hint of flair.

I can’t wait for next summer, but I just hope that come December 4^th Portugal and Argentina are in the hat and we avoid a FIFA World Cup being remembered as per Euro 2004 – the Greek Tragedy.

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Phil Brown and Paul Hart: Squeaky Bum Time

It is a massive few weeks for Hull City and Portsmouth, and maybe even more so for Phil Brown and Paul Hart. With both teams struggling for any kind of form or goal threat it feels as if we are not too far away from the first managerial scalp of the season. I imagine Alan Curbishley is eagerly watching the results of these two.

Hull City: Phil Brown

They literally exploded in to the Barclays Premier League last season.  In their first 18 games they won 7 times including away at Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle (while also taking a point at Anfield). They seemed well placed to see out the season in style and manager Phil Brown was being talked about as a genius and breath of fresh air – there was even talk of Brown being a future England manager in waiting. What a difference a few months make.

From the debacle of away at Manchester City on Boxing Day and his half-time team talk to trying to convince Alvaro Negredo that Humberside was the new Madrid his team just look poor. Michael Turner seems a big loss for them and they are shipping goals for fun. A game at Anfield has demolition written all over it and I fully expect Hull to get thumped again. The challenge for Brown is to get his troops in order for the games against Wigan, Fulham, Burnley, Stoke and a massive match at home against Portsmouth. If they continue to ship goals then Brown will be packing his bags – he even now has the public show of support from his Chairman (usually the first nail in the coffin).

Portsmouth: Paul Hart

FA Cup winners in 2007/2008. A complete shambles 2009/2010.

Paul Hart did a solid job keeping the side up last term, but the sheer volume of change and gulf in talent between the players who came in on the last day of transfer day against Distin, Crouch, Defoe, Kranjcar and co means he now needs to perform a miracle. I am sure that the win away at Carlisle in the Carling Cup did them good but they need to string a few results together in the league. If they stay up then Paul Hart deserves a medal. They have got a good run of fixtures against Wolves, Spurs, Hull, Wigan and Blackburn but think they might get ripped to pieces by Everton on Saturday. Time will tell but they need points, and they need them quickly to save Hart’s job – mind you if he goes who would take it on?!

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Yes he will

Michael Owen makes the Beautifulgame’s prediction come true

I love football.

What a game, and time will tell if my prediction was correct and if that goal will kick-start Owen’s career at Old Trafford. Money on Owen getting a seat on the plane to South Africa?

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