Rooney who?

Having spent a surprisingly sunny Sunday afternoon watching the England match, one of my friends commented would England have done better if we gave strikers like Defoe the same recognition and hype we give to players like Wayne Rooney? Defoe is undoubtedly goal poacher, and his hard working attitude and goal scoring record make a valid case for a regular position in England’s attack.

Defoe’s current England stats leave much to the imagination, when compared with Rooney’s. But if we take both players’ statistics and held them up together, many of us will be thinking what if?

First of all, Defoe has only played 1,346 minutes of international competitive football, scoring 13 times in the process. On the other hand, Rooney has played 5,877 minutes, scoring 39 times. Having played considerably less time, Defoe has averaged a goal every 106 minutes, compared to Rooney, who on average, has scored every 151 minutes.

On these figures, you can’t help but think if Defoe played more often would he have a somewhat similar or even better goal scoring record than Rooney?  You never know, but judging by his performance today and his performances for Sunderland, it’s hard to argue against it.

Tis the season to be jolly. Or not

Christmas is fast approaching and even though it’s normally a time for cheer, if your a manager it’s normally the time you start to pull out your hair or you realise the bags under your eyes have grown excessively.

If you’re an Aston Villa fan the news of Sherwood’s sacking may have been sweet joy to your ears, and now you can try and patch up the wound left by boring football. If you’re Chelsea fan, I’m guessing your head is sore from all that scratching. We’re all lost for words on with last years champions, and with all that’s gone on we are wondering how long will Jose last and can he actually turn things around? I’ll leave you to answer that question for managers at the bottom of the table it can be a time to review the cv, spruce it up, as they might find themselves without a club come Christmas.

No doubt it’s stressfull, but that’s what makes it entertaining, unless your a villa fan of course. But there is no doubt that managers feel it the worst. 

Rarely do we feel sorry for them, it’s a hard  job in reality, but to us we all think we can do it. Rather than worry about keeping your team up, is normal folk are debating where we are going to sit at the table during Christmas dinner, and which film will be the best to watch as we recover from the feast. But just try to remember the ones who didn’t last. 

Tim Sherwood was sacked but he’ll never be forgotten, even if he does look like a PE teacher.

Kai’s definitely not feeling Greene

Kai Greene

To those bodybuilding enthusiasts who scroll through YouTube to find a video which will give them advice for tomorrow’s gym session, I am guessing you will have heard the news about Kai Greene’s inability to compete in the 2015 Olympia. The news came as a shock but it underlines something more alarming for the sport.

What was once an almost ‘free for all’, and by that I mean ANYONE who put the hard and drilled work in to get a physique like Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler or Phil Heath could arguably be a bodybuilder dependent on them qualifying. Now, it seems as if the large injection of money has given the sport somewhat of a top down hierarchy.

In his video, Kai is brought to tears but face it, he’s never been one to hide his emotions. His video does show his anguish. Having dedicated around 25 years of his life to bodybuilding it’s no surprise that that he was upset when told he wouldn’t be competing. Stated by some as the #2 in bodybuilding behind Phil Heath, the Olympia is certain to miss something that only Kai Greene can bring.

In light of this his message was simple. Behind all the words and the politics of not being able to say what was really going on, was his urgency and decision to keep on going.  Although it may been a devastating blow to not be competing in the Olympia, for Kai Greene bodybuilding is much more the Olympia.

Bodybuilding has had a massive resurgence in the last five to ten years, and with has come all the money that for some will have made the sport unattractive. For enthusiasts that are upset, the thing to concentrate on is the raw love for the art of bodybuilding not for all the money, fame and trophies.

Bodybuilding should be something personal and for most it is, but it seems the object of money has diluted the sport making it shallow and elitist.

Phil Heath and Kai Greene

Drugs and football. There’s more to it!

“I should have realised that he was in trouble and in a dark place, but you carry on and just think he’s lost a bit of form,” were the words of Hull City F.C’s manager Steve Bruce, when he discovered the real reason behind his ace’s drug test.

Away from the highs, glitz and glamour of football are the lows. It the football or somewhat macho environment we tend disregard the issues that many footballers face, passing them off as people who don’t face such problems and if they do, they should be strong enough to carry on and not let it affect the on the pitch performances.

Whilst Chelsea fans worry about Thibaut Courtois’ injury woes, and the rest of us enjoy Tottenham’s continual attempts to offload a clinging on, Emmanuel Adebayor, somewhere in the background are footballers who are face testing times.

Having tested positive for cocaine, many spectators will have been quick to jump the gun at former England midfielder, Jake Livermore. Once and still regarded as a talented midfielder some may think the star has had a fall from grace, without recognising the problems he faces off the pitch.

“In this macho industry of alpha males, people don’t want to ask for help,” said Bruce. “Sometimes it takes a bigger man to ask for help and I think Jake has realised that.

Well done to Steve Bruce, a true manager who has stuck by his player during a testing time, when most people would have jumped ship.  Understandingly and rightly, FIFA didn’t suspend Livermore but the news, draws attention to the problem us as spectators or people in general have when it comes footballers. Which is some of us are guilty of failing to footballers as ordinary people who go through rough patches.

Steve Bruce has continued to back his player, and tipped him to be a big part of the team’s promotion campaign back to the Premier. No doubt, if the team can get there Jake will have a big part, if the team do, maybe managers and the rest of us can learn something from this.

£50m… What!

With the transfer window open and the curtains fully drawn wide we are seeong astronomical prices quoted for this season’s “best” performers.

As Liverpool reject a £40m bid for, in their eyes a £50m player, and with Harry Kane being the subject of speculation, as it is rumored Man Utd aim to make a £40m bid,  no wonder some may feel that British players come overpriced.

I’m sure you all remember Andy Carroll, the most expensive British player to be signed by a British club at £35m and arguably the most expensive flop, who in the end was offloaded to West Ham for a comparatively meager £15m.

Now take England’s under 21, one of the favourites to do well in the tournament, after impressing in the qualifiers. Having suffered a 1-0 defeat to Portugal in their opening game, they now rely on winning their next game against Sweden, who have impressed so far. Sweden’s left-back remarked that British player’s are worth too much, but is this the price British players pay, or clubs pay for being the nation’s top talent? Yes.

Unfortunately this brings with it added pressure, yes the media are to blame, but could this overpricing of the next generation of England hopefuls point to the lack of talent coming through the system. In the Premier League its not often we come across quality British young players, and when we do they’re immediately asked to perform as though they’d been at that level at least 5/6 years.

The point is we put pressure on our own players then moan when they don’t perform, and no doubt this will continue for the foreseeable future.

How should football deal with racism

As the tension starts to dissipate over the issue of racism, again we’re back to the question, what is football doing to tackle racism?

The recent story of Chelsea fans refusing to let black man on the train has brought up the topic that everyone steers away from until it actually happens.

Chelsea FC aren’t strangers to this sort of drama as shown by accusations from Ferdinand regarding John Terry’s racial abuse. Racism is thriving in football, and it seems people want to brush it under the carpet. A few match bans and a statement will not cut it anymore, as its been the crisis strategy for dealing with the problem for a while, and it seems this approach is set to continue.

We’ve identified there is a problem with racism. Now the governing body must think of a valid and effective method to dealing with it, rather than treating it with dated tactics.

#racism #football

Loan signings are the payday loans of Football

On the front of it a loan may seem amazing.  Bring in a player, don’t spend too much, no need to bother with huge fees and on the surface they seem to be a convenience.

When we take a look at the clubs lower down the pecking order – clubs that can’t afford astronomical fees they seem more likely to loan players. However in the hope that these loans might be successful, the joy is short lived.

If a player performs well on loan, there is no doubt that his parent club will take him back and refuse to sell the player even though they contemplated letting him go in the first instance.

Take Joe Hart, at Birmingham City he became a fan favourite and really made a name for himself. However, if you were to ask a city fan how did Hart make his name I bet they’d disregard the spectacular season he had at Blues.

On the other hand if a loanee fails to impress at the club, the team have basically wasted there fees on paying for a player whom they hoped would help but didn’t and we’re all left looking at the ground.

Its fair to say loans definitely leave clubs feeling shafted, as if they’ve been robbed. It is however a cycle; small clubs will continue to loan just to survive another year in their division and fall into the trap. Don’t do it!!

Why English Football is great

With today’s triumphs of lower league clubs over top flight football teams, there is no doubt that English football is the best in the world. From extravagant managers to fist pumping fans, English football never fails to surprise spectators.

When we talk about English football we mean all the divisions- from the Premier league right down to the grittiness of the Conference. Unlike Spain, France and Germany, where a select few teams are expected to dominate the league, English football always seems to add a little fuel to the fire. It’s dynamic, far from the finesse of the Spanish league or the regimented style of the German league. English football is ambiguous, lower league teams have a go, and try and challenge the big kid in the playground. When you go to a game you can expect not to be subdued by anticipation of a defeat.

It’s obvious that English football is a gem in terms of branding, hence the reason why so many countries televise the Premier league. It seems as if fans of English football have a bit more access to the emotions and behind the scene antics of each club. From Arsne Wenger’s push on Mourinho, to players of the pitch behaviour becoming the topic of chants in stadiums. As much goes on off the pitch as it does on the pitch.

So when you buy a season ticket or pay for your Sky Sports package you’re really playing for a bird’s eye view of English Football. We as fans feel the emotion and the rough and tumble included in English football.

This is the reason why the premier league is so lucrative. We hope it never dies.

 

Rape, Racism and the F.A

With the latest news of the infamous Ched Evans returning to training at his former club Sheffield United it seems there is a common theme occurring in football, being the F.A’s inability to act on issues appropriately but instead awarding it miscreants little slap on the wrist.

News surfaced early on in the week that the Blades had allowed former striker Ched Evans to train after being convicted of rape and serving a two and half year sentence. However it seems like the F.A has decided to take a back seat on this ride, and unable to take a moral stand. For the brand of English football it’s important that someone within the F.A organisation starts cracking the whip!

It wasn’t long ago when Jose Mourinho was accused him of being “out of touch” with regards to racism in modern day football, claiming “There is no racism in football”. However his colleague may fail to agree. Having been a coach within the Chelsea’s locker room for a number of years and having a champions league title under his belt some may question why Eddie Newton hasn’t been given the reins at a professional league club.

Maybe it’s because he’s black? I don’t know but the decision of the F.A to only just start chirping about an equivalent Rooney rule has shown the sluggish pace the F.A continues to move at.

However the stories surrounding gender and sexism still seem to re-surface, becoming a problem that involves all. When the video of Micah Richards and co was passed to News of the world, aired for the world to see, I failed to see the F.A take a stance and deem the behaviour as inconceivable. Similarly being the case with Ched Evans, both of whom have used their position to stupid effect. I know Micah Richards case is different, but it is evidence of an immature and sexist culture that exists within English football – a culture that the F.A has failed to oust.

Where is the crisis management?

I think it’s time to tighten up the F.A imagine if the NHS failed to make important decisions abruptly we’d all be waving our arms and I’m sure Mr Cameron would come out with a speech; English football fails to acknowledge that.

It is definitely time for a change.

The F.A

Ched Evans

From fancy cars to penniless jars – the dark side of football

From rags to riches then riches to rags former England international David James has become latest footballer to squander his fortunes. Boasting an impressive career his CV boasts teams such as Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa – even managing to pick up 44 caps at international level.

James declared himself bankrupt in May of this year becoming another name on the list of top flight footballers who have managed to squander their fortunes. He joins the likes of Keith Gillespie, Eric Djemba Djemba and Lee Hendrie who have all declared bankruptcy despite earning huge amounts of money a week. It’s hard to see how footballers fall on such hard times but it seems as if financial trouble is a problem that all footballers could face if they’re not smart.

For most football is considered the beautiful game however on the opposite end of the scale sit former players that’ve been spat out by Football just when they thought nothing could go wrong. Peter Kelsey a financial adviser for the wealthy says he often has to tell his clients the importance of financial planning. Football is a short lived career and for the majority of professional footballers it lasts for 10-16 years giving them borrowed time to earn their millions.

Football is a cruel mistress, adoring you during your peak and throwing you out during the end of your career however, there are a number of retired players who tend to fall on their feet like Carragher, Owen and Neville.

So next time you go to a game, and your caught up in the excitement, spare a second for those who’ve fell on hard times in. Football is still definitely the beautiful game but as bystanders we’re so engulfed in razmattaz of the Premier League that we fail to acknowledge the victims of the “beautiful game”.

 

#thenotsobeautifulgame