That's All Folks

Hey followers - if there are any still out there - I have joined another blog - I will be the official football and rugby commentator on The Sports Teachers blog at thesportsteachers.blogspot.com.

I have already posted.  Enjoy the new blog!

On Promotion to the Premier League

Well, the 2011-2012 Premier League season is starting to come together with two teams already chosen for next season (Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City) and one team being sent down to the Championship (West Ham United).

Now, last post I made predictions about who would go down (still on target) - but now that the Championship Play-offs are in full swing - I feel as though it is time to see who are going to be joining QPR and the Canaries in the glittering lights of the Premier League.

As I write this post, Swansea City is leading 1-0 nothing through a well-worked goal by Leon Britton and I was putting my money on them all along.  Swansea City have had, for most of the season a strong season and I honestly believe that Brendan Rodgers' side has the ability to go all the way.  Billy Davies, Forest's manager, has been in this situation numerous times before with Preston North End, Derby County, and Nottingham Forest.  Unfortunately for him, history is not on his side - and just as I write this, the Swans have gone up 2-0.  Billy Davies just seems to not be up for the big games - as he demonstrated in the Premier League back in 2007-2008 when he lead Derby County to the worst ever showing in history.  He faltered twice with Preston North End in the playoffs, and he has already faltered once with Forest.  Now, it is looking like he is going to falter again - which I was going to call right from the beginning if I had gotten home on time.

On to the other match-up - Cardiff City vs. Reading.  I feel as though this is the lesser of the two match-ups.  I think it is really cool that there are two Welsh teams in the playoffs, and I really am excited about the prospect of a Welsh coming to the Premier League - but it is not going to be Cardiff City.  Reading have been to the Premier League before and have the right combination to beat Cardiff City.  As much as I would like to see Wembley blow up with a Cardiff/Swansea, Reading should have enough ability, and be able to go to on to play Swansea City.  

Unfortunately for Reading, that will be as far as they go - Swansea City is simply too good, especially since they were able to withstand Nottingham Forest, a team with a similar style of play to Reading, even after the first leg in which they were down one man for 89 minutes.  Next season, the Premier League will have it's first Welsh representative.  Let's hope I am right.

Cheers Everyone!  Next post is my take on the second-coming of Total Football.

On the Relegation Dogfight

With only two rounds remaining in this year's Premier League, the title is pretty much decided - what is more interesting is what is going on at the bottom of the table - who is going to be spending their next season playing Championship football.

I have little hope for West Ham, and something that should have happened to them back in the 2006-2007 season will happen this year - they are going down.  The question is - who will be the other two teams that are going down along with them.

Currently, Wigan (36), & Blackpool (36) are not looking good.  On top of that, Wolverhampton (37) Birmingham City (39) Blackburn Rovers (39), and even the once mighty Aston Villa (42) are all still mathematical danger of the drop.

Predictions for Each

West Ham        Wigan Athletic (A), Sunderland (H) - Prediction - 2 Draws - 35 P

Wigan               West Ham (H), Stoke City (A) - Prediction - 1 Draw, 1 Loss - 37 P
Blackpool         Bolton (H), Man United (A) - Prediction - 1 Win, 1 Loss - 39 P
Wolves             Sunderland (A), Blackburn (H) - Prediction - 1 Win, 1 Draw - 41 P
Birmingham     Fulham (H), Tottenham (A) - Prediction - 1 Draw, 1 Loss - 40 P
Blackburn        Man United (H), Wolves (A) - Prediction - 1 Loss, 1 Draw - 40 P
Aston Villa       Arsenal (A), Liverpool (H) - Prediction - 2 Losses - 42 P

By the math, my predictions are West Ham, Wigan, and Blackpool are going down.  I am damn happy that West Ham United is going down, and it is about time Wigan Athletic go down - they have been houghing and wheezing to the end of each season and they offer nothing but half empty stadiums and a soundbite from a rather inept owner.  I am very sad that Blackpool will go down because Ian Holloway is a fantastic manager who kept his team in it right to the end - and, nobody needs to point out - took 6 off of Liverpool.

I doubt that I am going to be 100% right with my predictions, but I would say I am close.

Next Post - Who is coming up to the Premier League for the 2011-2012 season.

On Being "Forever Young" & the New Shevchenko

(Celebrate Mr. Giggs - You Are One of a King)

As my readers will already know, I am a Liverpool fan, but I can't help but give respect to one of the greatest, if not the greatest ever players to ever grace the various Premier League pitches - Ryan Giggs.  He has played every single season of the Premier League and has done so with poise, grace, and a quiet ability that even the biggest haters of Manchester United have to sit back and give an applaud.

Ryan Giggs has been one of the key components to all of the best United sides that Fergie has assembled, including their treble winning season of 1999.  And while the biggest stars have always stolen the spotlight in major competition, nobody can doubt Gigg's quality.  Even at the age of 37, he was arguably the best player in both legs of the quarters against Chelsea, setting up two of the three goals Manchester United scored.  While he may huff and puff a little bit, he can be forgiven, because he never gives up unlike players ten years his junior who just don't seem to give a damn anymore.

Giggs is a true ambassador of British football, and unlike these new players he is surrounded by who think they are the greatest players on the planet (yes, I'm talking about Nani), Giggs remains a model of humility and the way all professional footballers should act.  He also has something that most players don't have - no, not a trophy cabinet that's bigger than most professional clubs in Europe, he has loyalty.  For years, we heard Italian teams come calling for the Welshman only for him to sign a new contract with the Red Devils.  Sure, he was playing with a team that challenged for every honour every single year, but sometimes players get the itch and want to uproot - not Giggs, and it has been Manchester United's gain since 1991.  I only hope he can continue to play for a few more years as the loss of Giggs ensures the loss of what is truly a major symbol of what is the Premier League and what is one of the few remaining good aspects of British football.

(I Agree Andriy - It Was a Mistake to Leave Milan)

Andriy Shevchenko is one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game.  His raw ability in his early days at his boyhood club of Dynamo Kiev earned him a big money transfer to the illustrious Italian club AC Milan where he went from strength to strength.  Then, injuries started catching up to him and he wasn't playing as much.  Then, he was bought for a (then) ridiculous fee of £30 million by Chelsea and was a major flop.

(I think this is the only time he's smiled while in Chelsea blue)

Well, 5 years later and it looks like history is repeating itself - Chelsea has signed another expensive bench-warmer.  Like Shevchenko, Torres started out big with his raw ability at his boyhood club (Atletico Madrid). This ability earned him a big money transfer to the illustrious English club Liverpool where he went from strength to strength.  Then, injuries started catching up to him and he wasn't...well, just read above, but change the 3 to a 5.

While I really liked Fernando Torres while he was at Liverpool, I can't help but smile at the fact that after 11 games and nearly 900 minutes on the pitch, he hasn't scored.  There is no question that he will go on to score and be prolific for Chelsea - Torres is too good not to, but for the time being, Fernando "Shevchenko" Torres seems very apt.

Thank God for Suarez and Carroll - 4 goals and many more set-up.  Awesome business John W. Henry - you are looking more and more like the savior of Liverpool.  (I put this last bit in because I found this awesome cartoon)  Take care everyone.

(Great Cartoon)

On Inept Defending in Champions League

First leg of the quarterfinals done - my predictions - 50%...as a teacher, no good...for footy...still not very good.  However, what was amazing was the fact that 18 goals were scored across the four matches - Seven at the Giuseppe Meazza, four at the Bernabeu, six at Camp Nou and a solitary one at Stamford Bridge - though only one game ended with both teams still firmly in the tie.  Those 18 goals represent a record - most goals ever scored in a quarter-final leg programme.


For fans, this may seem exciting and may highlight the idea of strong attacking trends - not so - the defending was simply shambolic.  Inter Milan has some of the most seasoned and experienced defenders, but they gave up goals that would even be bad if they were a pub team.  Tottenham allowed Real Madrid to run riot, letting players like Adebayor and Di Maria do whatever they felt like.  One could forgive Shakhtar as they were playing the Blaugrana, but their offside trap failed miserably.  And as for the controversial tie at Stamford Bridge, Jose "Unibrow" Bosingwa basically gave up when Ryan Giggs, a decade older, beat him with the ball - leading to Rooney's goal. 


Almost all the goals were all preventable, and it leaves me to wonder what is going on with the best competition in the world.  One must remember, however, that normally, the team who wins Ol' Big Ears is not the team with the big attacking prowess but rather the best defensive record.  That currently is Manchester United.


So if by some chance a manager is reading this blog - tighten up the defense - it may not be the most exciting football, but what would you rather...exciting and going out in the quarters, or functionally put together like an accounting firm and lifting that beautiful trophy at the end of the season.

On International Friendlies and the Houllier/Benitez feud

Hey Folks,

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted...my work has me in fits and starts in terms of time consumption and I have been very busy recently.

Though, I have not been busy enough to not watch the footy on television and my mind is quickly drawn to the lack of Premier League football.  It was, very unfortunately, an international break.  Not a break for the players, but rather a break from playing with the teams that pay them their...ahem...modest wages.

I am all for the qualifiers for the European Championships next summer - teams have something to play for and the games are meant to be competitive.  It's these international friendlies that are real kick in the pants.  These are simply ways for the associations to make money for a game that is otherwise meaningless.  I respect the fact that the England v. Ghana game was simply more than just a "showcase" game, but rather a cash grab for a virtually bankrupt association (the Ghanaian FA, not English FA...though we're are looking at financial bankruptcy, not moral bankruptcy), and I really hope that the game for Ghana means more survival for their association.

But, we need to think of the players' health and well-being.  Players playing with top teams have the potential between the Premier League, Cup competitions, and Europe, to play upwards of 60 games barring injury.  Throw in these European and World Cup Qualifiers, and we can bring it up to nearly 70.  Then, you toss in the most useless games - the international friendlies, and we are just becoming ridiculous.  People get on the backs of players when they don't want to play, calling them unpatriotic, but I support their decisions.  Consider these friendlies as volunteer work - they don't get paid, they have no reason to play.  Use these friendlies as maybe an opportunity to let fringe players get an opportunity to represent the country (the recent England game saw players like Matt Jarvis & Danny Wellbeck get an opportunity to play).  Either that, or just get rid of them - the associations have very little power these days anyways.

Ahh...two children bickering over a toy neither of them have control over anyway, and over a toy that is six years old.  Still don't know what I am talking about...2005 Champions League Final, and the children...Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez.  Recently, the two of them have been fighting over who can have more claim over the epic comeback victory in Istanbul.  My answer...both and neither.  Pretty weak answer, I agree, but let me explain.  If you look at the starting line-up, only two players were non-Houllier players (Garcia and Alonso), and of the substitutes, another two (Josemi & Nunez...though Cisse was brought in during Benitez's tenure, Houllier laid all the groundwork for his purchase).  So, Houllier has a pretty strong claim as all of the other players were either his purchases or came into the set-up during his time (Carragher was technically the Roy Evans era).  However, Benitez's claim is equally as strong - he was the manager in the final...not Houllier.  He made the decisions and the subsitutions (though why he started Kewell is still beyond me), and he gave the "famous" half-time talk when Liverpool had all but virtually lost. 

And yet, neither can take claim - the players deserve the credit...a speech can only do so much, and former purchases are important, but most of Houllier's later purchases were weak, to be kind.  The players took the step-up and made the epic comeback in 6 minutes of madness, and as a result, my final opinion is for the two children to just be quiet.  Nobody cares anymore, Houllier is managing Aston Villa towards relegation and Benitez took one of the classiest clubs in Europe and basically tried to run them into the ground.  Neither of them are currently doing anything of great note, and so, they have to bicker about former glory days.

Sigh...sad.

On Bin Hammam and Blatter

Mohamed Bin Hammam - The Potential Saviour of the Beautiful Game

Glory, glory, hallelujah, finally there is someone who has a true chance at challenging Sepp Blatter for the FIFA Presidency.  That man is Asian football chief and Qatari native Mohamed Bin Hammam.  Sources close to Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian confederation (AFC), say he is convinced he can beat Blatter after spending the last two months weighing up possible support among the 208 national associations who make up FIFA.  The Football Association are likely to back Bin Hammam - senior figures inside the organization want a change at the top of world football after being disgusted at England's treatment by FIFA members in the campaign for the 2018 World Cup.  The election will take place in Zurich on June 1 and Bin Hammam will travel around the world in the 75 days between now and then trying to drum up support.

Look, that is pretty much all I know about the guy, and I know little of what he is going to do or what he stands for.  The key thing is that he stands against Blatter, and that’s all I care about.  Sepp Blatter has been the worst thing to happen to football since Mussolini bought the World Cup for Italy in 1938.

His 2004 suggestion that women football players should player in tighter and more revealing clothing was laughable, and made him seem like a dirty old man, but was somewhat forgivable.  His tact for dealing with refereeing decisions and the advancement of goal-line technology shows how out of touch he is…much like the social movement of the British textile workers during the Industrial Revolution, Sepp Blatter is truly a modern day luddite, but one could also forgive him for wanting to keep the game at its roots.  Though, Lampard’s disallowed goal against Germany kind of gives more weighting to the technology.

It is when we look at his politicking, it is when we begin to realize what kind of beast we are dealing with.  Much like George W. Bush’s election in 2000, Sepp Blatter’s rise to power is surrounded in controversy.  Envelopes stuffed with $50,000 was the reward to 20 voting members of FIFA for ensuring Blatter beat Lennart Johansson, the at-the-time President of UEFA and the 'honesty' candidate, to become the soccer world's most powerful leader.  Similar allegations went further in 2002, with internal and external investigations taking place, only for Blatter to use his power to halt the investigations.

Can you Hear it Sepp?  The End is Coming!!!!

He has attempted to change the laws of the European Union by setting foreign restrictions in every league.  Blatter has often referred to the English Premier League as one of the major problems in football and uses it as an example, due to the influence of foreign players, coaches and owners in the top teams.  If only he recognized that it is also the biggest money maker, the most watched, and most popular league in the world.  It might be the fact that it is England, and he prefers France.

His clear favoritism of France is noticed by all involved.  He refused to be at the podium for when Italy won the World Cup in 2006.  He claims that he was “afraid” of being whistled at by the crowd, but sources close to him have said that he was upset that Italy had beaten his beloved France.  Then, 2010 World Cup Qualifiers – Ireland vs. France – and Thierry Henry has just handballed France into the final tournament.  Ireland is understandably aggrieved from the shoddy refereeing, which likely received instructions from FIFA to favor France in the first place, looked for some reparations, in the form of a 33^rd spot in the World Cup.  While the world knew that Ireland’s request was a no go, Blatter’s reaction just shows what kind of man he is – he publicly laughed at their request.  Even one of his rule changes benefitted France.  After the 2002 World Cup, he removed the World Cup winning country’s automatic berth in the next World Cup – but he waited until 2002, so that the 1998 champions…ahem, France…could still come into the tournament, even though by 2002, they paled in comparison to their 1998 champions.  They proved it by crashing out of the tournament without even registering a goal.

Finally, his homosexual comments in wake of Qatar getting the 2022 World Cup bid just add to the fact that he is truly a man who is no longer on the same page as the modern world.

"I would say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities [while in Qatar]."

Then again, these opinions go hand-in-hand with his decision in 2004 to make taking your shirt off in celebration of a goal a bookable offense.  I guess he doesn’t like the idea of seeing half-naked men running around on the field, and so if they do it enough, they can be suspended from for a period of time…taking off your shirt can lead to an eventual suspension…say it enough times and your realize how ridiculous that is.

Okay...if this is the reason why he made jersey removal a bookable offence, I am all for it - Nobody wants to see that!!!

I know this entry has been ridiculous, bordering on the absurd, but one must remember that the internet is a tool for anyone with a computer and an opinion, and nobody is forcing you to read this.  Besides, the 13 year presidency of Sepp Blatter has been ridiculous, bordering on the absurd.  If you like Sepp Blatter, good for you, but that also may be because he has given you $50,000 to vote for him.  Come June 1^st, I really hope that Mohamed Bin Hammam is new President of FIFA and Sepp Blatter can disappear.  Bin Hammam can only help the game enter the 21^st Century and as long as Sepp Blatter stays as a President, the game will continue to stumble from one incident to the next.