At the start of a new week in the year 2011, it is a week that marks an anniversary, brings back memories and it is a week where the rest of my life started!
So what's the anniversary? Monday 23rd March 2010 was the date of 'Sport Dissertation Hand In' at The University of Wolverhampton! The date every third year student looks at at the beginning of the year and thinks 'September, October, November, December, January, February, March' ... 7 months! It's only really at the beginning of the second semester of term where it dawns on you that you have three months of pure hell ahead of you, where your first and last thoughts of the day are about your dissertation! A word that get's used in nearly every conversation you have with friends or family! A word that much is becomes 'the D word' or the word that shall not be spoken!'
Now to me, the Dissertation didn't really mean what it should of! Yes I put my heart and sole into it, moved into the library, carried my laptop and printed out journals around twenty four seven but for what? Three little letters at the end of my name? It's not like I am now addressed as Andrew Leese Bachelor of Science (BSc) is it? Considering I did a Sports Coaching Degree and did my Dissertation on the life of Sport Celebrity in the Media you can tell what my degree really meant to me by the end and what direction I wanted to head once I got that cap and gown! What was really the issue for me about my dissertation was how much it really affected my degree! The dissertation module was only worth 30 credits! So therefore, nothing more than what a 1,500 word essay in First Year meant - a year that means absolutely nothing to anybody completing a degree. The amount of credits given to the Dissertation module has now been addressed, it is now worth 40 credits and every other module is worth 20 - for the simple people of the world your dissertation to a Sports Student now means double than every other module. That is the way it should of been!
Your dissertation should be your pride, your heart and soul of your degree but to me... it meant 'the end'. The end of three years of university, where the first 18 months I destroyed my bank account on alcohol, resulting in knowing everyone worth knowing on Campus in about 6 months, became an owner of a hockey stick and a regular visitor to Selfridges & Co. in the Bullring and where I was converted from 'Pro Evo' (Pro Evolution Soccer) to then FIFA 2010, now FIFA 2011. The second 18 months was where I found my 'calling', a bit of direction in life. One journal on the life of sport celebrity in the media changed everything. But instead of moving universities, or changing my degree after two years I decided to stick it out with Sports Coaching, something I am glad I did because it made me realise how much I actually cared about Sports Coaching (very little) and how much you can really get from life once you know what you want to do with it!
So now on to the memories! It all started with a little gig at the LG Arena - where some guy named Tiesto played with the support of Avicii. My personal opinion on Tiesto then was he just one of those DJ's you have to see in your life! He's been around forever! This little gig that attracted maybe ten thousand people plus to, just happened to be on March 20th - three days before dissertation hand in!!!! To most people completing a dissertation the weekend before hand in is meant to be one of panic, where you read and read and read your work to check mistakes etc etc but to me that weekend set the tone of the hangover that was to come the following Tuesday! This gig with Tiesto was 'Step 1' into the future! Now, you wouldn't find me anywhere near a Tiesto gig, boycotted at Creamfields due to the fact Swedish House Mafia we're going to steal the show and because Tiesto like I said earlier is one of those things you just have to do in life! And that was show was epic! Good enough for me never to go and see Tiesto again due to the fact it could take of the shine, the gloss of what was an immense night - a night that saw the rebirth of a pretty damn good friendship with Jamie Palmer! I won't go into further details due to the fact he will probably read this and we don't need his ego getting any bigger do we! After all, he has a police car to fit in to catch the criminals of Burton-on-Trent! All I will say is if you're ever in Walsall - go to Pizza Hut & get the fantastic deal of "Buy one large pizza and get the other full price".
Other memories from March on wards are the time spent with Charlotte Gibbs and Annabel Hey! With university coming to a close you start to think about who are the people I will keep in touch with and who are the people I really don't care about seeing again. At the time, these two girls were right at the top of the list for who I would keep in touch with! The closing months of my university journey were spent at the house of 25 Redhouse St. enjoying the weather, 'Harvester Dates' along with James Belsey - purchasing gammon with pineapple, dressing up in suits and many many salad bowls. Then there was the dressing up as pirates and Disney characters, wearing Military Boots (Okay, that was just me), lots of pre-drinking, green and purple skittles, the power of a bag of Milky Way Magic Stars (LOL!!!), re-discovering the love for "those orange triangle things" (Colypso Ice Lollies) and celebrating three birthdays in the space of 12 days (with specially made birthday cards :D).
One further point to those who played huge parts in those times - Jessica Henderson, Alice Walters, Abigale Bedford and Roisin Kay Ladden aka Roisinasaurus - thank you very much! :D
"If you're dating a dancer raise your hand, if not... raise your standards!" :-)
Now away from being all emotional and onto more good stuff! My 21st laid the groundwork of things to come, a new Ford Fiesta Zetec (FIONA :D) was purchased (not by me, but from Daddy Leese) and said hello to the future and bye bye to the old - LJO the Corsa may you rest in peace! By August I had left Lindley Catering at The Britannia Stadium and said hello to Alton Towers Conference Centre! Full time hours, away from anything to with the words 'Sports Coaching' and a stepping stone into the world of work! This gave me the opportunity to enjoy life and wages in a week that I would be living off for three months whilst at university - where such places as the Harvester or Pizza Hut buffet's are what heaven in a bowl or on a plate for students too lazy too cook!
August flew by, Creamfields saw the birth of the "CREAMTEAM" and Ibiza Closing parties were booked - Space and DC10 closing and Bora Bora beach!! Do I really need to say anything else???? Dublin soon arrived, miles and miles were walked, The Wright Venue was found and Jamie Palmer found a love for Guinness in a City that you cannot describe in a blog post or do anything you want to possibly do in four days!
Life after university seems scary, but what you find is the life spent at university is purely just a stepping stone to bigger things! The people you might not see again are the memories, the nights out are the highlights - even if you can't remember them and the life of feeling like you are in episodes of Hollyoaks prove many lessons that if learned from will provide the answers to the questions you have not even been asked yet! So far it has been a year, and by next year I will still be Andrew Leese Bachelors of Science but what I won't be is looking back at the last year and thinking where did it go? What I will be doing is writing the same blog post about the new memories and remembering university as the place I found the direction I needed to know what I wanted from the world we live in.
"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when there are footprints on the moon"
Monday, 21 March 2011
#12 They say it's just a game! Luke Walker on Aston Villa's fight for survival
Been a while since I wrote anything fresh due to trying to develop a few articles I already have written onto In Design and a layout of a magazine so what I thought I would do is post a future addition to my blog called 'They say it's just a game'. Here is the first one from an Aston Villa fan and a good friend Luke Walker.
They say it's just a game!
Luke Walker on Aston Villa's fight for survival
It is absolutely gut wrenching to watch my beloved club perform with such a distinct lack of belief, passion and determination. I look at it from two ways ... the football he is trying to encourage us to play I am all for, patience, fluidity, excitement etc ... yeah great, but to see a guy seem to destroy the team cohesion that we once had and produce a hostility between both players and fans a like is something that absolutely disheartens me as a loyal supporter.
There is nothing better than seeing a MON (Martin O'Neill) character, kicking and heading every single ball, dragging his team through the mud at times of such lows and showing the sort of personality we all want to see from a Villa manager, if only that could be coupled with the sort of style GH (Gerard Houiller) is trying to apply, I think we would be onto a winner. Look, whether I get slated or not, I can not stand the present manager and I surely don't want him in our dugout. I really couldn't care less about him ... but what I do care about is keeping this huge, historic club in the PL and I hope every single Villa supporter out there feels the same. Lets just get behind the team, get them over the finish line, and we will see what occurs in the summer. Villa till I die!
They say it's just a game!
Luke Walker on Aston Villa's fight for survival
It is absolutely gut wrenching to watch my beloved club perform with such a distinct lack of belief, passion and determination. I look at it from two ways ... the football he is trying to encourage us to play I am all for, patience, fluidity, excitement etc ... yeah great, but to see a guy seem to destroy the team cohesion that we once had and produce a hostility between both players and fans a like is something that absolutely disheartens me as a loyal supporter.
There is nothing better than seeing a MON (Martin O'Neill) character, kicking and heading every single ball, dragging his team through the mud at times of such lows and showing the sort of personality we all want to see from a Villa manager, if only that could be coupled with the sort of style GH (Gerard Houiller) is trying to apply, I think we would be onto a winner. Look, whether I get slated or not, I can not stand the present manager and I surely don't want him in our dugout. I really couldn't care less about him ... but what I do care about is keeping this huge, historic club in the PL and I hope every single Villa supporter out there feels the same. Lets just get behind the team, get them over the finish line, and we will see what occurs in the summer. Villa till I die!
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
#11 I think I've finally found some perspective!
After such a really positive finish to 2010 and start to 2011 in Dublin I had a feeling this year would be the year I discovered where Andrew Leese wanted to go. Now I have always known I wanted to do something involving writing about sport but what exactly? I don't see myself a journalist, basically because the majority of the stuff they report on or write is crap and is never believable. Which is my number one pet hate about the whole media scene! How many people actually say it how it is? Too many people cover the basics, say what people 'want to hear' and point out the things people already know instead of going straight to the point, blunt and admitting the truth about the situation. It is almost like they are too many rules now and these rules have to put in place so they don't offend people or get in trouble.
Someone who comes to mind straight away for telling how it is, is Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson! He is your typical cockney who says things how they are, in his own style and he really does cut straight to the truth! He comes across as someone who really does not care what people say about him. Merson was in the studio for the League Cup final between Arsenal v Birmingham and once Arsenal bottled it and again failed on the big stage he did not try and defend the team he supports, he simply said it how it is!
"Don't go scouting around the French and Belgian leagues for young talent who you can get on the cheap and develop. Buy the real deal for £15 million and win the cup"
That is exactly what people outside of the public eye and many supporters who can face the truth would say! They say the truth hurts but I guess that is the point of the truth! Lies cover things up so you are protected and I guess what I am doing to myself at the moment is not facing the harsh truths and protecting myself from putting myself out there to get hurt if things don't go according to plan!
What I started to do with my blog was introduce different things, bring in new ideas and start with baby steps. That was before these last few weeks where whatever I started a few weeks ago I have abandoned, become complacent and thought the baby steps I started were enough. Now, with the push of someone who has experienced the same kind of rut I have experienced in the last few weeks I am starting to see the light at the 'imaginary' tunnel. Everybody has to learn how to walk before they can run and this is exactly the process I am going through! Baby steps eventually become steps and steps eventually become strides as long as you keep trying and working towards what you want.
What I have got to start doing more is 'telling how it is', stop hiding behind truths and pride myself on things I believe in. Sometimes it is necessary to bite your lip and say nothing, but more often than not the truth gets you further than lies, even if it does hurt that little bit more.
Now back to that journalism thing! What I am trying to create is the bases of a magazine, or instead of calling it a magazine, calling it a portfolio. A portfolio of ideas to try and find myself a place in the world! What I want do is learn how to make the idea in my head to something proper, something I can look at as a draft, print it out, scribble over it and start again to make it bigger and better.
I guess that's why the idea was called 'The Bubble' in the first place. Inside my head I live in a world that is full of ways to look at the world in my own unique way and now I'm finally finding ways to put the world in my head into the world I want to live in. If I'm going to do this I'm going to do it my way, not by following the rules of other people who are too scared to go against the norm, but by saying things how they are, by saying things the way it works instead The Bubble I live in! :)
The is a quote or a song lyric that I used to live by and need to start doing so again. A quote that I want tattooed on my left forearm so that when times are tough I can take inspiration from it and start from scratch!
"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when are foot prints on the moon"
Someone who comes to mind straight away for telling how it is, is Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson! He is your typical cockney who says things how they are, in his own style and he really does cut straight to the truth! He comes across as someone who really does not care what people say about him. Merson was in the studio for the League Cup final between Arsenal v Birmingham and once Arsenal bottled it and again failed on the big stage he did not try and defend the team he supports, he simply said it how it is!
"Don't go scouting around the French and Belgian leagues for young talent who you can get on the cheap and develop. Buy the real deal for £15 million and win the cup"
That is exactly what people outside of the public eye and many supporters who can face the truth would say! They say the truth hurts but I guess that is the point of the truth! Lies cover things up so you are protected and I guess what I am doing to myself at the moment is not facing the harsh truths and protecting myself from putting myself out there to get hurt if things don't go according to plan!
What I started to do with my blog was introduce different things, bring in new ideas and start with baby steps. That was before these last few weeks where whatever I started a few weeks ago I have abandoned, become complacent and thought the baby steps I started were enough. Now, with the push of someone who has experienced the same kind of rut I have experienced in the last few weeks I am starting to see the light at the 'imaginary' tunnel. Everybody has to learn how to walk before they can run and this is exactly the process I am going through! Baby steps eventually become steps and steps eventually become strides as long as you keep trying and working towards what you want.
What I have got to start doing more is 'telling how it is', stop hiding behind truths and pride myself on things I believe in. Sometimes it is necessary to bite your lip and say nothing, but more often than not the truth gets you further than lies, even if it does hurt that little bit more.
Now back to that journalism thing! What I am trying to create is the bases of a magazine, or instead of calling it a magazine, calling it a portfolio. A portfolio of ideas to try and find myself a place in the world! What I want do is learn how to make the idea in my head to something proper, something I can look at as a draft, print it out, scribble over it and start again to make it bigger and better.
I guess that's why the idea was called 'The Bubble' in the first place. Inside my head I live in a world that is full of ways to look at the world in my own unique way and now I'm finally finding ways to put the world in my head into the world I want to live in. If I'm going to do this I'm going to do it my way, not by following the rules of other people who are too scared to go against the norm, but by saying things how they are, by saying things the way it works instead The Bubble I live in! :)
The is a quote or a song lyric that I used to live by and need to start doing so again. A quote that I want tattooed on my left forearm so that when times are tough I can take inspiration from it and start from scratch!
"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when are foot prints on the moon"
#10 The talk that Arsenal no longer needs Cesc Fabregas now they have Jack Wilshire is utter rubbish!
Arsenal fans may have been gloating last night to everybody involved at Barcelona that ‘they’ve got Cesc Fabregas’ but what they of being should have been singing was ‘we’ve got Jack Wilshire!’
Jack Wilshire is a rising star and at such a young age, to perform like he did Tuesday night against arguably the best midfield in the world was a statement to everybody this kid is no-longer just a fantastic young prospect but a player who is already good enough to mix it with the big names of world football!
With transfer talk apparently ‘dead’ between Barcelona and Arsenal for Fabregas until the summer; some questions are now being asked whether Cesc Fabregas is really needed when you have Jack Wilshire. The answer to that question is - of course they can! To win trophies you need quality players, not a quality player! That is what of course made Manchester United successful and what has made Barcelona successful now. Successful teams are made as teams not as individuals. These teams never just had one quality player they have 12-15 players who would walk into any other team in the league, if not Europe! For Barcelona now, you don’t just have to stop Messi you have to stop Xavi, Iniesta, and David Villa. If you stop those players and think you can relax players like Pedro can pop up and do just what those players can when needed! If it’s not happening for one star; there are 10 other players ready to step up and make themselves a star!
This is why Cesc Fabregas is now just as important as he was before Arsenal as he was last season. If you want to put it in simple terms - Wilshire has the potential to be Barcelona’s Xavi - what I like to call the ‘linchpin’ or the ‘support midfielder’ to the attacking midfield player or advanced playmaker. Again in simple terms ‘Fabregas is Barcelona’s Iniesta’ - he player who gets inbetween the lines of the defence who feed the attacking players ahead of them! In front of these creative players you have three players all with different qualities that carry different treats!
Theo Walcott offers blistering pace who if you give space in behind has the pace to destroy teams and is now developing the end product in both scoring goals and assists. On the left you have either Samri Nasri or Andrei Arshavin who can skip past players for fun, score and create goals. Nasri is also very comfortable playing in the role of the advanced playmaker as he has shown when Fabregas has been out of the side - this is not a reason to think Arsenal can cope without there captain but a positive reason that when Fabregas is not in the side Arsenal have a natural playmaker who can offer the same qualities as Fabregas does without having to change their style of play!
Then we have Robin van Persie - Arsenal’s MVP. Sometimes he can be wasteful but more often than not he’s clinical - especially if the ball falls to his left foot - when it’s hit it stays hit! When Arsenal have these players mentioned fit and firing they can be unstoppable, they can beat anyone on their day as Barcelona found out after dominating and out playing Arsenal for 70 minutes! They do not have to just rely on Fabregas as was sometimes the case last season, they have other big names that can step up and make it count when it matters the most! But just because players may seem replaceable does not mean they are! The saying ‘you only know what you had when it’s gone’ counts in football terms too, Arsenal should enjoy the times while they have such attacking talent and look at ways to improve this and when it comes to mixing with the big names of Xavi and Iniesta they should make sure they have many big names on their side who are not just good enough to stand up the challenge but are good enough to go one better! Because after all that has been Arsene Wenger’s philosophy after all and if there is one person who knows better than anyone else just how important Cesc Fabregas is too Arsenal’s future then it is Arsene Wenger!
Jack Wilshire is a rising star and at such a young age, to perform like he did Tuesday night against arguably the best midfield in the world was a statement to everybody this kid is no-longer just a fantastic young prospect but a player who is already good enough to mix it with the big names of world football!
With transfer talk apparently ‘dead’ between Barcelona and Arsenal for Fabregas until the summer; some questions are now being asked whether Cesc Fabregas is really needed when you have Jack Wilshire. The answer to that question is - of course they can! To win trophies you need quality players, not a quality player! That is what of course made Manchester United successful and what has made Barcelona successful now. Successful teams are made as teams not as individuals. These teams never just had one quality player they have 12-15 players who would walk into any other team in the league, if not Europe! For Barcelona now, you don’t just have to stop Messi you have to stop Xavi, Iniesta, and David Villa. If you stop those players and think you can relax players like Pedro can pop up and do just what those players can when needed! If it’s not happening for one star; there are 10 other players ready to step up and make themselves a star!
This is why Cesc Fabregas is now just as important as he was before Arsenal as he was last season. If you want to put it in simple terms - Wilshire has the potential to be Barcelona’s Xavi - what I like to call the ‘linchpin’ or the ‘support midfielder’ to the attacking midfield player or advanced playmaker. Again in simple terms ‘Fabregas is Barcelona’s Iniesta’ - he player who gets inbetween the lines of the defence who feed the attacking players ahead of them! In front of these creative players you have three players all with different qualities that carry different treats!
Theo Walcott offers blistering pace who if you give space in behind has the pace to destroy teams and is now developing the end product in both scoring goals and assists. On the left you have either Samri Nasri or Andrei Arshavin who can skip past players for fun, score and create goals. Nasri is also very comfortable playing in the role of the advanced playmaker as he has shown when Fabregas has been out of the side - this is not a reason to think Arsenal can cope without there captain but a positive reason that when Fabregas is not in the side Arsenal have a natural playmaker who can offer the same qualities as Fabregas does without having to change their style of play!
Then we have Robin van Persie - Arsenal’s MVP. Sometimes he can be wasteful but more often than not he’s clinical - especially if the ball falls to his left foot - when it’s hit it stays hit! When Arsenal have these players mentioned fit and firing they can be unstoppable, they can beat anyone on their day as Barcelona found out after dominating and out playing Arsenal for 70 minutes! They do not have to just rely on Fabregas as was sometimes the case last season, they have other big names that can step up and make it count when it matters the most! But just because players may seem replaceable does not mean they are! The saying ‘you only know what you had when it’s gone’ counts in football terms too, Arsenal should enjoy the times while they have such attacking talent and look at ways to improve this and when it comes to mixing with the big names of Xavi and Iniesta they should make sure they have many big names on their side who are not just good enough to stand up the challenge but are good enough to go one better! Because after all that has been Arsene Wenger’s philosophy after all and if there is one person who knows better than anyone else just how important Cesc Fabregas is too Arsenal’s future then it is Arsene Wenger!
Monday, 14 February 2011
#9 A tribute to the greatest striker of my generation!
Beginning of his career:
What is more impressive is 30 goals came in his first season in 95' with 12 coming in his second season which was cut short with a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.
Barcelona:
With a goal record of nearly 1 in every game played it took a then record fee of $17 million from Bobby Robson's Barcelona to prize him away teaming him up with players such as Ivan del la Pena, Hristo Stoichkov and Guillermo Amor!
At the age of twenty, Ronaldo became the youngest player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996 and was runner up for the Ballon d'Or - an honour now held play Lionel Messi and in the past has produced winners such as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo who are among the great players to win this award.
Here is a link for some of the best goals scored by Ronaldo for Barcelona! Goal three and goal four are prime examples of the attributes of Ronaldo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JKf78lVorg
Inter Milan:
In April 2000 on his comeback he played only seven minutes against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time. Ronaldo would require two further operations and months of rehabilitation and did not return until the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan where Brazil would win their fifth World Cup title.
Here are some of the goals Ronaldo scored for Inter Milan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi5JxduLwOo&feature=related
The goal at 1 minute 15 seconds is my favourite Ronaldo goal where he dummies the keeper not once but twice sending him completely the wrong way before going to the keepers right and sliding the ball home into an empty net.
Three's a charm:
Real Madrid:
Ronaldo did not feature for Real Madrid until October 2002 but his transfer broke shirt sale records in his first day as a Real Madrid player due to the hype and obsession that surrounded such a high quality name and player. On his debut he scored twice and received a standing ovation at the Bernabeu. An ovation similar followed on the last day of the season when two goals (23 for the season) from Ronaldo against Athletico Bilbao secured Real Madrid the La Liga Championship - something Ronaldo did not win during his time at Barcelona.
Something that will always stay in my mind over the career of Ronaldo is the 2nd leg of the Champions League quarter final against Manchester United, which finished 4-3 on the night where Ronaldo scored a fantastic hat-trick - his third a 20 yard screamer flying past Fabien Barthez. Not only was Ronaldo fantastic but the game was one of the best football games I've ever witnessed and one that is sometimes forgotten as a classic! Interestingly this is also the game where David Beckham was left on the bench by Ferguson after the famous 'hairdryer' incident which led to Beckham being sold to Real Madrid where he did play alongside Ronaldo.
Here's the highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA8JjzYMQOA
Talking of David Beckham and his friendship with Ronaldo here is a Facebook post from David Beckham on Ronaldo's retirement.....
Here's the highlights... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA8JjzYMQOA
David Beckham Tribute:
Talking of David Beckham and his friendship with Ronaldo here is a Facebook post from David Beckham on Ronaldo's retirement.....
Friendship! Beckham celebrates with Ronaldo at Real Madrid
The Decline:
In 2006 was where Ronaldos career really began to decline; one of the reasons that is sometimes forgotten when you make comparisons to such players like Zidane, Figo and Raul for all-time greats to players now such as Messi, Ronaldo and Kaka! Ronaldo under Capello at Real Madrid was frozen out and complaints where Ronaldo refused to train after injuries and claims of him being over-weight shadowed what had been so far a fantastic career.
In January 2007, Ronaldo agreed to sign for AC Milan where he scored 7 goals in 14 appearances including goals against his former club Inter Milan and is one of the few players to have scored for both teams to have scored for both Milan teams in the derby!
A year later in February 2008 Ronaldo's career at the top came to an end, suffering another ruptured ligament this time in his opposite knee, the third time he suffered this injury in his career. His career at AC Milan was over and was released at the end of the season after his contract was not expired.
Returning home to Brazil:
In 2009 in an attempt to regain fitness and resume his career at the age of 32, Ronaldo trained with Flamengo and was set to join before in a highly conversational move joined rivals Corinthians in a one year deal. Ronaldo helped Corinthians win the Brazil Cup and finished with 12 goals in 20 games; an impressive come back for a man who was thought would never play again. Just over a year later, today in February 2011 Ronaldo announced his retirement after Corinthians was eliminated in the 2011 Copa Libertadores and threats from Corinthians' supporters.
International Career:
At International level Ronaldo represented Brazil 96 times and scored 67 goals, 15 of those coming in World Cup's which is still a record. Ronaldo won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002 and lost in the World Cup final in 98 to France 3 - 0 in a game that was over-shadowed by the performance of Ronaldo who was not fit and should not have played.
In a career that span from 1993 for Cruzeiro and ended in 2011 back in Brazil at Corinthians, Ronaldo scored 420 goals in 620 appearances and ratio-ed a goal every 0.6 games. Ronaldo is one of two players ever to win the FIFA World Player of the Year three times along with Zinedine Zidane, winning two World Cup medals, La Liga and the UEFA Cup at Inter Milan. The only major honour Ronaldo did not win was the UEFA Champions League; an amazing fact considering he represented the four biggest European clubs outside of England!
A tribute to the greatest striker of my generation!
Ronaldo was my first football hero and to me he is the greatest striker to have ever played the game and the only player I can imagine ever going beyond his abilities is Lionel Messi; who already is the winner of the Champions League and two times FIFA Player of the Year winner at the age of 23! Ronaldo is the best player of the last twenty years and to me - the greatest striker of my generation.
Below shows the stats and figures of his career and surely prove my point.
Club Goal Record:
1993 Cruzeiro 14 (12)
1994–1996 PSV 46 (42)
1996–1997 Barcelona 37 (34)
1997–2002 Inter Milan 68 (49)
2002–2007 Real Madrid 127 (83)
2007–2008 AC Milan 20 (9)
2009–2011 Corinthians 31 (18)
Total 343 (247)
International Caps/Goal Record:
1994–2006 Brazil 97 (62)
Professional career totals:
Clubs: 515 (352) 0.683
National Team: 97 (62) 0.639
U-23 National Team: 8 (6) 0.750
Total: 620 (420) 0.677
Friday, 11 February 2011
#8 Premiership Preview Part Two
After focusing on West Ham's achievements and possible failures and at a Manchester derby which promises to thrill it's time to focus on Manchester United's biggest rivals for the title Arsenal and how a double game week of fixtures could well impact not only the title race but the Champions League and League Cup Final! As well in Part Two I will focus on my main priority Stoke City and how midland rivals Birmingham want to turn the heat on teams above them - starting with a weekend fixture against Stoke!
Firstly let's focus on Arsenal and there chances of finally breaking the four year wait for a trophy! Last week at Newcastle everything started better than even Wenger could have imagined! A Theo Walcott goal after 2 minutes which turned into a dream start being four goals up after just 26 minutes played! A start which lead to some Newcastle fans leaving and some people thinking records were going to be broken with ease! But some how it all went wrong after Abou Diaby reacted to a strong tackle by Joey Barton that led to the French international seeing red! After that, Arsenal hit the destruct button and the Newcastle fans and players seemed to start believing the impossible could happen and as everybody knows... it did & Arsenal lost out on a huge opportunity to close the gap.
This week they have another opportunity, Arsenal play there game in hand against Stoke at The Emirates where you would expect them to beat Stoke. Firstly this weekend Arsenal welcome Wolves to The Emirates who you will expect to put up a good fight after last weeks result against title favourites Manchester United! Just like United, this week is about reaction for Wenger, six points and an injury free week would be perfect for when Barcelona come into town just before Arsenal face Birmingham in seek of there first trophy in four years.
Nobody will no how important the month of February is more than Wenger, he has problems in defense with injuries and any slip ups during the next three weeks could see his team follow the path of the last few years - and would be a flashback of last season after being blown away by Lionel Messi and co at the Nou Camp. Wenger will hope to see his team learn from set backs and show the character and maturity he believes his team now has.
"McLeish looking no further than Stoke"
With a cup final looming at the end of the month of February you cannot blame Blues fans for getting a tiny bit distracted from Premiership survival and dreaming about following there team to Wembley! But one man who is remaining focused on one team and one team only is Alex McLeish! Birmingham who take on Midland rivals Stoke this weekend are looking for back-to-back league wins for the first time in over a year. McLeish may be focused on his team only but after admitting Tony Pulis has done a terrific job at Stoke is McLeish recognising Stoke as the bench mark for all teams fighting against relegation? Birmingham could go within 3 points of Stoke this weekend and has made the point that they are not safe yet, despite sitting 9th in the table only five points behind a top six place.
As a Stoke fan we look at the position as a comfortable one and as we look below we only see Aston Villa as a major threat for taking away the possibility of our first ever top 8 finish in the Premiership! The teams below however, as Birmingham are pointing out this weekend is Stoke City are now a target after finishing no lower than 12th in there first ever seasons in the top flight. People used to say if you finish above Manchester United you win the title, Stoke have now made such an impact on the Premiership teams below them are using them as a benchmark "If you finish above Stoke you stay up comfortably".
This may sound like a touch of complacency from a Stoke fan who goes by the motto of "The league table does not lie". I know Stoke City are not the best but we are certainly not the worst but in 9th place may be we are punching above our weight and as long as we are doing so, us fans are going to enjoy every moment of it! One man who knows this better than me and better than anyone in Stoke-on-Trent is the man who deserves all the credit! Manager Tony Pulis this week has vowed not to let complacency become an issue.
Pulis told Sky Sports "there is no way we are letting up until we get there there's no way in a million years I'll be thinking of anything else. Have a look at the teams down there and the clubs who have been relegated in the last four or five years. Nobody in this city should take Premier League football for granted"
Exactly the words of a man who knows Stoke may have achieved great things in the past two seasons but so far Stoke City Football Club has achieved nothing yet this season! Teams may be using Stoke as a bench mark for survival but you can guarantee the man underneath the hat and the Stoke City Adidas tracksuit is doing everything possible to make that bench mark as high as it can possible be at the the end of May!
Firstly let's focus on Arsenal and there chances of finally breaking the four year wait for a trophy! Last week at Newcastle everything started better than even Wenger could have imagined! A Theo Walcott goal after 2 minutes which turned into a dream start being four goals up after just 26 minutes played! A start which lead to some Newcastle fans leaving and some people thinking records were going to be broken with ease! But some how it all went wrong after Abou Diaby reacted to a strong tackle by Joey Barton that led to the French international seeing red! After that, Arsenal hit the destruct button and the Newcastle fans and players seemed to start believing the impossible could happen and as everybody knows... it did & Arsenal lost out on a huge opportunity to close the gap.
This week they have another opportunity, Arsenal play there game in hand against Stoke at The Emirates where you would expect them to beat Stoke. Firstly this weekend Arsenal welcome Wolves to The Emirates who you will expect to put up a good fight after last weeks result against title favourites Manchester United! Just like United, this week is about reaction for Wenger, six points and an injury free week would be perfect for when Barcelona come into town just before Arsenal face Birmingham in seek of there first trophy in four years.
Nobody will no how important the month of February is more than Wenger, he has problems in defense with injuries and any slip ups during the next three weeks could see his team follow the path of the last few years - and would be a flashback of last season after being blown away by Lionel Messi and co at the Nou Camp. Wenger will hope to see his team learn from set backs and show the character and maturity he believes his team now has.
"McLeish looking no further than Stoke"
With a cup final looming at the end of the month of February you cannot blame Blues fans for getting a tiny bit distracted from Premiership survival and dreaming about following there team to Wembley! But one man who is remaining focused on one team and one team only is Alex McLeish! Birmingham who take on Midland rivals Stoke this weekend are looking for back-to-back league wins for the first time in over a year. McLeish may be focused on his team only but after admitting Tony Pulis has done a terrific job at Stoke is McLeish recognising Stoke as the bench mark for all teams fighting against relegation? Birmingham could go within 3 points of Stoke this weekend and has made the point that they are not safe yet, despite sitting 9th in the table only five points behind a top six place.
As a Stoke fan we look at the position as a comfortable one and as we look below we only see Aston Villa as a major threat for taking away the possibility of our first ever top 8 finish in the Premiership! The teams below however, as Birmingham are pointing out this weekend is Stoke City are now a target after finishing no lower than 12th in there first ever seasons in the top flight. People used to say if you finish above Manchester United you win the title, Stoke have now made such an impact on the Premiership teams below them are using them as a benchmark "If you finish above Stoke you stay up comfortably".
This may sound like a touch of complacency from a Stoke fan who goes by the motto of "The league table does not lie". I know Stoke City are not the best but we are certainly not the worst but in 9th place may be we are punching above our weight and as long as we are doing so, us fans are going to enjoy every moment of it! One man who knows this better than me and better than anyone in Stoke-on-Trent is the man who deserves all the credit! Manager Tony Pulis this week has vowed not to let complacency become an issue.
Pulis told Sky Sports "there is no way we are letting up until we get there there's no way in a million years I'll be thinking of anything else. Have a look at the teams down there and the clubs who have been relegated in the last four or five years. Nobody in this city should take Premier League football for granted"
Exactly the words of a man who knows Stoke may have achieved great things in the past two seasons but so far Stoke City Football Club has achieved nothing yet this season! Teams may be using Stoke as a bench mark for survival but you can guarantee the man underneath the hat and the Stoke City Adidas tracksuit is doing everything possible to make that bench mark as high as it can possible be at the the end of May!
#7 Premiership Preview Part One
In the first part of the Premiership Preview I will focus on the letters of West Ham United that may spell "The New Stadium" but back in reality there current league position spells "relegation!" My second point focuses on Manchester! Apparently something big is about to go down and what ever it is... I hope it lives up to expectation!
In the second part of the Premiership Preview the focus will be on a Midlands derby where it's Birmingham's quest to make rival's Stoke sweat & Arsenal's double week which could prove vital to three trophies and not just six points.
Let's start with the biggest headline of the week, Friday 11th February saw 'The OPLC' confirm in a news conference that West Ham have won unanimous approval to move into the Stratford venue following the 2012 Games after they were judged to have fulfilled more of the criteria set by the organisation than Tottenham.
To me, it was not a real shock! It's pretty obvious the right decision was made! Not just because West Ham have vowed to keep the running track and the facilities to hold athletics but because of where the stadium is situated. How would it be possible to have Tottenham Hotspur in Stratford and not Tottenham? That would make a North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham situtated in the East of London! There is simply no logic!
Now I'm happy the decision is the correct one, Tottenham were simply using the Olympic Stadium as a way to further the development of there club! They were not thinking anything else other than a fantastic business opportunity. Spurs believe they need a world class stadium in order to compete for years to come! Arsenal and Manchester City are prime examples; both clubs have benefited a great deal financially due to the appeal a top stadium brings! Think about it, where would Manchester City be without the development of the Commonwealth Games stadium in Manchester and turning it into a much larger stadium capable of landing foreign investment like they did! This is exactly what Tottenham wanted and this proved to be Spurs downfall as they were beaten by a much better package offered by West Ham!
However despite the positives it brings to everybody involved with West Ham, with the exception of some proud loyal fans who believe Upton Park is there home, I can find some negative points of West Ham's fortunes! This new stadium is a long way away, football clubs are based on results not stadiums and West Ham United currently sit bottom of the Premiership! Defeat to West Brom this weekend could be a huge reality check for Karen Brady and owners David Sullivan and David Gold who have put so much time and effort into securing a world class home for the future maybe they now need to focus on the present day.
Karen Brady may have shrugged off questions about relegation and purely focused on the positives a new stadium brings but it's now time for the board to take a back seat and let the players and manager do the talking on the pitch! But to me, these board members are ones that like publicity and the spotlight, if West Ham are beaten tomorrow and continue to be in the relegation zone in March... don't expect this board to take a back seat, it's just not how they do things!
Now then, that is my rant over with, let's focus on a weekend of Premiership football! Apparently... something big is happening in Manchester tomorrow?! I looked up FC United's fixture and they play Whitley at home.. that isn't it. Maybe a sale in the Trafford Centre? But that can't be it, January is over, winter wardrobes are a thing of the past and the biggest brands are now introducing Spring and Summer outfits, so that can't be it. Maybe I was close with the word Trafford? Maybe it's something that's gone back many many years! An old rivalry now more fierce than it's ever been! That's right, tomorrow sees the blue of Manchester lock horns with the Red side of Manchester in a game where things could get tighter than ever, or it becomes a two horse race between two giants both in red and leaving the blues behind!
Last week we saw the red side of Manchester who top the table lose there unbeaten record to the team who were bottom of the table.. yeah you read that right - football is a funny old game sometimes!
Now this weekend it just so happens just when Sir Alex Ferguson will want a reaction from his players that the next game see's them face there now multi-million air rivals who are looking to feed on any scraps left behind by a pack of Wolves last week! A team full of talent and lead by a former Manchester United hero who was deemed not worthy enough of £25 million! After a hat-trick last week Carlos Tevez will be seeing red tomorrow and leading his team into battle against a team and manager who just love to rise to a big occasion! I am not going to predict the score, and I am not going to point out where it can be won and lost because as a Stoke City fan I'm struggling to care :D
However, tomorrow I will wake up a neutral and hope to watch this two teams tear each other apart in a full blooded Manchester Derby that really could live up to the hype after last seasons thrilling 4-3 encounter which saw Michael Owen score the winner in injury time!
In the second part of the Premiership Preview the focus will be on a Midlands derby where it's Birmingham's quest to make rival's Stoke sweat & Arsenal's double week which could prove vital to three trophies and not just six points.
Let's start with the biggest headline of the week, Friday 11th February saw 'The OPLC' confirm in a news conference that West Ham have won unanimous approval to move into the Stratford venue following the 2012 Games after they were judged to have fulfilled more of the criteria set by the organisation than Tottenham.
To me, it was not a real shock! It's pretty obvious the right decision was made! Not just because West Ham have vowed to keep the running track and the facilities to hold athletics but because of where the stadium is situated. How would it be possible to have Tottenham Hotspur in Stratford and not Tottenham? That would make a North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham situtated in the East of London! There is simply no logic!
Now I'm happy the decision is the correct one, Tottenham were simply using the Olympic Stadium as a way to further the development of there club! They were not thinking anything else other than a fantastic business opportunity. Spurs believe they need a world class stadium in order to compete for years to come! Arsenal and Manchester City are prime examples; both clubs have benefited a great deal financially due to the appeal a top stadium brings! Think about it, where would Manchester City be without the development of the Commonwealth Games stadium in Manchester and turning it into a much larger stadium capable of landing foreign investment like they did! This is exactly what Tottenham wanted and this proved to be Spurs downfall as they were beaten by a much better package offered by West Ham!
However despite the positives it brings to everybody involved with West Ham, with the exception of some proud loyal fans who believe Upton Park is there home, I can find some negative points of West Ham's fortunes! This new stadium is a long way away, football clubs are based on results not stadiums and West Ham United currently sit bottom of the Premiership! Defeat to West Brom this weekend could be a huge reality check for Karen Brady and owners David Sullivan and David Gold who have put so much time and effort into securing a world class home for the future maybe they now need to focus on the present day.
Karen Brady may have shrugged off questions about relegation and purely focused on the positives a new stadium brings but it's now time for the board to take a back seat and let the players and manager do the talking on the pitch! But to me, these board members are ones that like publicity and the spotlight, if West Ham are beaten tomorrow and continue to be in the relegation zone in March... don't expect this board to take a back seat, it's just not how they do things!
Now then, that is my rant over with, let's focus on a weekend of Premiership football! Apparently... something big is happening in Manchester tomorrow?! I looked up FC United's fixture and they play Whitley at home.. that isn't it. Maybe a sale in the Trafford Centre? But that can't be it, January is over, winter wardrobes are a thing of the past and the biggest brands are now introducing Spring and Summer outfits, so that can't be it. Maybe I was close with the word Trafford? Maybe it's something that's gone back many many years! An old rivalry now more fierce than it's ever been! That's right, tomorrow sees the blue of Manchester lock horns with the Red side of Manchester in a game where things could get tighter than ever, or it becomes a two horse race between two giants both in red and leaving the blues behind!
Last week we saw the red side of Manchester who top the table lose there unbeaten record to the team who were bottom of the table.. yeah you read that right - football is a funny old game sometimes!
Now this weekend it just so happens just when Sir Alex Ferguson will want a reaction from his players that the next game see's them face there now multi-million air rivals who are looking to feed on any scraps left behind by a pack of Wolves last week! A team full of talent and lead by a former Manchester United hero who was deemed not worthy enough of £25 million! After a hat-trick last week Carlos Tevez will be seeing red tomorrow and leading his team into battle against a team and manager who just love to rise to a big occasion! I am not going to predict the score, and I am not going to point out where it can be won and lost because as a Stoke City fan I'm struggling to care :D
However, tomorrow I will wake up a neutral and hope to watch this two teams tear each other apart in a full blooded Manchester Derby that really could live up to the hype after last seasons thrilling 4-3 encounter which saw Michael Owen score the winner in injury time!
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
#6 MY THOUGHTS ON.... Denmark 1 England 2
The first England friendly of the year produced a two one away win in Denmark after going behind early on and a goal either half from Aston Villa pair Darren Bent and Ashley Young. On paper it's a good result and I feel like I should be writing a real positive blog entry on the performance and how it shows hope and improvement... but I'm still far from convinced over the future of England under Capello.
I will start with a positive - how impressive is Jack Wilshire?! You would not believe that was his first England start! It really shows that he already has Champions League experience and has played in the biggest and most competitive matches in the Premiership against all the top clubs. To me that is vital for a young player and there are not enough young players in this country who have this experience! Joe Hart is perhaps the only other young International player to consider himself a regular starter in such high profile games.
For this Arsenal and Arsene Wenger deserve a lot of credit for the way Jack has developed and become such a quality player already at still only nineteen years of age! His first touch is fantastic, he gets his head up quickly and uses the ball in a confident fashion. One attribute that stands for me already is his ability to use both feet and not the outside of his foot like Gerrard and Lampard constantly have done for years! The ability to use both feet instantly opens up the pitch and his awareness of what is around him is first class! You can tell he plays in the same club side as Cesc Fabregas who I rate the best and most complete central midfielder in the Premiership! This can only be a positive for Jack and England in the future.
There were three more players who impressed me in this friendly and they were Darren Bent, Ashley Young and Scott Parker who finally got a chance to prove to Capello they are good enough when fans have been saying this for nearly 18 months! Ashley Young took his goal very well and Darren Bent got into the positions you expect him to get into as a number nine; as shown by his goal. Scott Parker stood out for me in midfield in the second half! His ball retention is second-to-none, he dictates the way the game is played and as usual when there was an opportunity to get forward he did and supported the front players well. In my opinion all three players should of gone to the World Cup.. End of!
The reason I'm not seeing more than a couple of positives from this performance from this performance is simple.. this is a friendly and when it comes to the next qualification game this game will be forgotten by everybody but the fans! Yes Capello will have been impressed with players who have not featured much under him and here comes that word... BUT! Capello will still go with the try and trusted players of his reign and every other manager England have had since Sven Goran Erikkson. Gareth Barry and captain Rio Ferdinand (if fit) will all return to the team for competitive matches alongside Terry, Lampard, Rooney and Ashley Cole and we probably won't see players such as the three previously mentioned and Stuart Downing who showed real signs of intent when he replaced Theo Walcott on the right hand side and may be disappointed he did not produce a better final ball to Ashley Young on the counter attack.
England's place in the Euro's in 2012 is already in the bag. England will qualify at a canter and Capello will be happy and seek improvement for the 2nd major tournament of his reign - and of course all the hype will come from the media mentioning England's chances. But fans have heard it all before - if Rooney fires we score goals, Gerrard is the main man and we have four of the best defenders in Europe... YAWN! After such disappointment in the World Cup they will be a lot less expectation from fans about us really being good enough to beat teams such as Spain, France and Germany. Because let's face it.. England fans will always remember the World Cup group stage and how embarrassingly easy Germany teared us to pieces with an absolute master class performance!
I hope I'm wrong about Capello! Jack Wilshire will continue to grow and impress, Darren Bent will continue to score goals from less than 6 yards and I hope players such as Young, Dawson, Parker, Wilshire, Bent, Baines and Downing continue to perform and ask questions of England players who have more than there fair share of opportunities to win competitions and have no performed when it matters!
I will start with a positive - how impressive is Jack Wilshire?! You would not believe that was his first England start! It really shows that he already has Champions League experience and has played in the biggest and most competitive matches in the Premiership against all the top clubs. To me that is vital for a young player and there are not enough young players in this country who have this experience! Joe Hart is perhaps the only other young International player to consider himself a regular starter in such high profile games.
For this Arsenal and Arsene Wenger deserve a lot of credit for the way Jack has developed and become such a quality player already at still only nineteen years of age! His first touch is fantastic, he gets his head up quickly and uses the ball in a confident fashion. One attribute that stands for me already is his ability to use both feet and not the outside of his foot like Gerrard and Lampard constantly have done for years! The ability to use both feet instantly opens up the pitch and his awareness of what is around him is first class! You can tell he plays in the same club side as Cesc Fabregas who I rate the best and most complete central midfielder in the Premiership! This can only be a positive for Jack and England in the future.
There were three more players who impressed me in this friendly and they were Darren Bent, Ashley Young and Scott Parker who finally got a chance to prove to Capello they are good enough when fans have been saying this for nearly 18 months! Ashley Young took his goal very well and Darren Bent got into the positions you expect him to get into as a number nine; as shown by his goal. Scott Parker stood out for me in midfield in the second half! His ball retention is second-to-none, he dictates the way the game is played and as usual when there was an opportunity to get forward he did and supported the front players well. In my opinion all three players should of gone to the World Cup.. End of!
The reason I'm not seeing more than a couple of positives from this performance from this performance is simple.. this is a friendly and when it comes to the next qualification game this game will be forgotten by everybody but the fans! Yes Capello will have been impressed with players who have not featured much under him and here comes that word... BUT! Capello will still go with the try and trusted players of his reign and every other manager England have had since Sven Goran Erikkson. Gareth Barry and captain Rio Ferdinand (if fit) will all return to the team for competitive matches alongside Terry, Lampard, Rooney and Ashley Cole and we probably won't see players such as the three previously mentioned and Stuart Downing who showed real signs of intent when he replaced Theo Walcott on the right hand side and may be disappointed he did not produce a better final ball to Ashley Young on the counter attack.
England's place in the Euro's in 2012 is already in the bag. England will qualify at a canter and Capello will be happy and seek improvement for the 2nd major tournament of his reign - and of course all the hype will come from the media mentioning England's chances. But fans have heard it all before - if Rooney fires we score goals, Gerrard is the main man and we have four of the best defenders in Europe... YAWN! After such disappointment in the World Cup they will be a lot less expectation from fans about us really being good enough to beat teams such as Spain, France and Germany. Because let's face it.. England fans will always remember the World Cup group stage and how embarrassingly easy Germany teared us to pieces with an absolute master class performance!
I hope I'm wrong about Capello! Jack Wilshire will continue to grow and impress, Darren Bent will continue to score goals from less than 6 yards and I hope players such as Young, Dawson, Parker, Wilshire, Bent, Baines and Downing continue to perform and ask questions of England players who have more than there fair share of opportunities to win competitions and have no performed when it matters!
Monday, 7 February 2011
#5 Update on 'The Bubble' Where it goes from here....
For a while now I've been thinking about how I can take this blog and my ambitions to the next level! I have always want to design my own template but I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty clueless where to start! I have now come to the conclusion I need someone to know what they are doing & my search for a willing graphic designer has begun!
I was linked to href="http://www.rugbydump.blogspot.com" earlier by a friend and was really impressed with just what you can do with this website! Especially the "home" "subscribe to posts" & "the follow on twitter" tabs! This is something I would really like to bring in in the future and use this blog as an official website rather than actually making my own website which can be tedious and frustrating!
I also want to look into making a 'Facebook' page for 'The Bubble' where instead of using my own Facebook I can post the blog entries from this site and can also link my Twitter towards it. That would give people the opportunity to people to write feedback and it would give me somewhere to post 1st draft, 2nd drafts and the final design! That would leave my Facebook as my own Facebook where I can post my own comments and opinions and allows me to use it for what a Facebook page should be - stalking peoples lives and finding out things you wouldn't know other wise :D
The features so I have I have thought of are as followed....
The life of a Stoke City fan - In an interview style asking friends and fellow Stoke City fans questions such as "First hero" and "Very first memory". This would be a different Stoke City fan each issue.
The life of a Cystic Fibrosis patient - Which would be written as a day-by-day experience in a blog format by my sister who lives her life everyday with the disease. This could be written as a day blog or a week-by-week experience.
The Real World: Life after university: This would be in an interview with a student who has graduated and is now finding their feet in the 'Real World' talking about subjects such as finanical difficulties, finding a job, moving home and there ambitions for the future.
More to be added.....
I was linked to href="http://www.rugbydump.blogspot.com" earlier by a friend and was really impressed with just what you can do with this website! Especially the "home" "subscribe to posts" & "the follow on twitter" tabs! This is something I would really like to bring in in the future and use this blog as an official website rather than actually making my own website which can be tedious and frustrating!
I also want to look into making a 'Facebook' page for 'The Bubble' where instead of using my own Facebook I can post the blog entries from this site and can also link my Twitter towards it. That would give people the opportunity to people to write feedback and it would give me somewhere to post 1st draft, 2nd drafts and the final design! That would leave my Facebook as my own Facebook where I can post my own comments and opinions and allows me to use it for what a Facebook page should be - stalking peoples lives and finding out things you wouldn't know other wise :D
The features so I have I have thought of are as followed....
The life of a Stoke City fan - In an interview style asking friends and fellow Stoke City fans questions such as "First hero" and "Very first memory". This would be a different Stoke City fan each issue.
The life of a Cystic Fibrosis patient - Which would be written as a day-by-day experience in a blog format by my sister who lives her life everyday with the disease. This could be written as a day blog or a week-by-week experience.
The Real World: Life after university: This would be in an interview with a student who has graduated and is now finding their feet in the 'Real World' talking about subjects such as finanical difficulties, finding a job, moving home and there ambitions for the future.
More to be added.....
Sunday, 6 February 2011
#4 CAPTAIN AMERICA TRAILER! **** YEAAAHHH!!! :D
#3 King Kenny, Chelsea and Wilshire as a Defensive Midfielder?
I'll start with my growing respect for King Kenny who ever since he has returned to manage Liverpool he has handled the club the way a club like Liverpool should be handled! Something I never ever liked about the way Rafa Benitez handled his press conferences, interviews and how he never acknowledged a mistake by him or his players. Kenny ever since he has returned has made his return about one thing, Liverpool Football Club!
The way he has handled the Fernando Torres saga is a classic example about how you handle a transfer when a player leaves, he's left and if you bring in one, or in this case two players to replace him you concentrate on them and what they bring to the club! Jamie Carragher mentioned this as well, Torres is not the first player to leave Liverpool he won't be the last, star players such as Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen have all left and returned with other clubs but the club and the fans will never leave - which proves the meaning of YNWA!
Next point is Chelsea, they were poor against Liverpool, Essien and Lampard were no where to be seen and I don't think John Obi Mikel is in the category of World Class when it comes to defensive midfielder players! That is one area I think they need to improve in the summer, the pressure needs to be taken off Lampard and I believe Essien is better suited to being a defensive midfielder where he can break up the play rather than dictate the tempo of the game.
In The Observer I read something quoted by Fabio Capello regarding Jack Wilshire and playing him as a defensive midfielder.... and I won't lie, it horrifies me! Because this too me, means Jack Wilshire is going to be playing a 4-4-2 formation alongside with Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, neither who are playing well at the moment! Personally, this shows me Fabio Capello does not have a clue how to move this England team forward, but knows Jack Wilshire needs to be a central figure in his preparation for the European Championships.
What Wilshire will give England is the ability to unlock a defense, but the old expression 'you're only as good as the players you play with' comes to mind with this England team, where good players often disappoint after so much expectation! Jack Wilshire plays along side technically brilliant footballers such as Cesc Fabregas and Samri Nasri in his Arsenal team where keeping the ball and short passes in compact areas are what they do in there sleep. This is not how England play but it is how they need to play if they are ever to compete with the European giants and if they are do that, Jack Wilshire cannot be employed as a defensive midfielder!
The way he has handled the Fernando Torres saga is a classic example about how you handle a transfer when a player leaves, he's left and if you bring in one, or in this case two players to replace him you concentrate on them and what they bring to the club! Jamie Carragher mentioned this as well, Torres is not the first player to leave Liverpool he won't be the last, star players such as Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen have all left and returned with other clubs but the club and the fans will never leave - which proves the meaning of YNWA!
Next point is Chelsea, they were poor against Liverpool, Essien and Lampard were no where to be seen and I don't think John Obi Mikel is in the category of World Class when it comes to defensive midfielder players! That is one area I think they need to improve in the summer, the pressure needs to be taken off Lampard and I believe Essien is better suited to being a defensive midfielder where he can break up the play rather than dictate the tempo of the game.
In The Observer I read something quoted by Fabio Capello regarding Jack Wilshire and playing him as a defensive midfielder.... and I won't lie, it horrifies me! Because this too me, means Jack Wilshire is going to be playing a 4-4-2 formation alongside with Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, neither who are playing well at the moment! Personally, this shows me Fabio Capello does not have a clue how to move this England team forward, but knows Jack Wilshire needs to be a central figure in his preparation for the European Championships.
What Wilshire will give England is the ability to unlock a defense, but the old expression 'you're only as good as the players you play with' comes to mind with this England team, where good players often disappoint after so much expectation! Jack Wilshire plays along side technically brilliant footballers such as Cesc Fabregas and Samri Nasri in his Arsenal team where keeping the ball and short passes in compact areas are what they do in there sleep. This is not how England play but it is how they need to play if they are ever to compete with the European giants and if they are do that, Jack Wilshire cannot be employed as a defensive midfielder!
#2 Drogba Anelka Torres = Creamfest
"If you can't stop him... sign him"
So the Sky Sports creamfest over Torres has begun, a video package highlighting Torres being the key to 'rebuilding the new Roman era' which was built many years ago when Roman arrived!
This now leaves Drogba, Anelka and Torres as a front three or a diamond with Anelka playing in the lines between the forwards and the midfield! This may suit Anelka who is more suited to playing with his front to goal rather than his back! This front three is basically what me and a close friend would call... a creamfest! It ticks all the boxes, it makes opposition fans and defenders shiver! It also makes Chelsea the ultimate team on 'paper' and you can bet there are a lot of wagon jumpers already on Football Manager 2011 and FIFA 2011!
There may just be one defender in this country who isn't shivering and is going to love the challenge of stopping El Nino and his Chelsea team mates and that is scouse legend and has hard as they come... Jamie Carragher who returns for Liverpool today. If you could bet on specials such as Fernando Torres being dumped on the floor in the first couple of minutes... there would be one name at the top of the list with very short odds... Jamie Carragher!
So the Sky Sports creamfest over Torres has begun, a video package highlighting Torres being the key to 'rebuilding the new Roman era' which was built many years ago when Roman arrived!
This now leaves Drogba, Anelka and Torres as a front three or a diamond with Anelka playing in the lines between the forwards and the midfield! This may suit Anelka who is more suited to playing with his front to goal rather than his back! This front three is basically what me and a close friend would call... a creamfest! It ticks all the boxes, it makes opposition fans and defenders shiver! It also makes Chelsea the ultimate team on 'paper' and you can bet there are a lot of wagon jumpers already on Football Manager 2011 and FIFA 2011!
There may just be one defender in this country who isn't shivering and is going to love the challenge of stopping El Nino and his Chelsea team mates and that is scouse legend and has hard as they come... Jamie Carragher who returns for Liverpool today. If you could bet on specials such as Fernando Torres being dumped on the floor in the first couple of minutes... there would be one name at the top of the list with very short odds... Jamie Carragher!
Saturday, 5 February 2011
#1 Getting started and tomorrow! (well when I wake up it will be offically tomorrow)
So I have decided that each post will have an issue number. That way every post has an identity and is easy to refer to, for me as the poster and for like the four people that will read this lol! :)
This issue of The Bubble is called 'Getting started and tomorrow (well when I wake up it will be officially tomorrow)'. Getting started basically refers to how I'm going to use this blog which I've kind of posted already but the main use of this blog is so I can have almost like a template of a magazine, but in a blog format! & by the summer I want my own template designed to perfection for a magazine that I will be publishing once a month in a digital capacity and one print out for myself to keep.
& the second part of this issue is about tomorrow! Just your standard Sunday in the life of Andrew (referring to myself in the third person is weird :s). Basically - move out of bed around 1 o'clock and watch football until it's time for a Sunday dinner! #I<3Sundays! :D
Now tomorrow is the first Ford Super Sunday without Andy Gray and Richard Keys on Sky Sports! which I won't lie, I'm amazingly happy about because Richard Keys is basically a puppet to make Andy Gray look good! Which don't work because everyone has an opinion - normally the opposite of Andy Gray because he's a douche!! So I'm firstly interested to see how it works and if Jeff 'The Legend' Stelling takes over Richard Key's role as the broadcaster and who is going to take over the role as 'there number 1 analyst' with the arrows and the 'talking points'.
Secondly... it's going to be all about one man tomorrow - Fernando Torres. Who is probably going to be the biggest TT (Trending Topic) on Twitter all afternoon, because that is how much the nation is going to talk about him and this match between his new club Chelsea and his old club Liverpool. The thing that tickles my pickle is... Sky Sports cream all over Torres and Liverpool at the best of times, maybe more than any other player or club in the Prem since Ronaldo left Manchester United. So now that he has joined Chelsea - will Sky Sports remain the same or will they change there view point? Because let's face it, Chelsea are not all that popular in this country (IMO) and very rarely have televised games on Sky unless there big games against United, Arsenal or Liverpool!
Personally, there is going to be one other player who may star tomorrow and that is Luis Suarez - Liverpool's new number 7! (yeah! it's a big deal) Personally I think he's a star and we will see how he goes on against Terry and Chelsea's other new signing David Luis - who is also a big deal - apparently! My bet is Suarez might just out stage everyone and King Kenny may have himself a little gem!
That is all!
This issue of The Bubble is called 'Getting started and tomorrow (well when I wake up it will be officially tomorrow)'. Getting started basically refers to how I'm going to use this blog which I've kind of posted already but the main use of this blog is so I can have almost like a template of a magazine, but in a blog format! & by the summer I want my own template designed to perfection for a magazine that I will be publishing once a month in a digital capacity and one print out for myself to keep.
& the second part of this issue is about tomorrow! Just your standard Sunday in the life of Andrew (referring to myself in the third person is weird :s). Basically - move out of bed around 1 o'clock and watch football until it's time for a Sunday dinner! #I<3Sundays! :D
Now tomorrow is the first Ford Super Sunday without Andy Gray and Richard Keys on Sky Sports! which I won't lie, I'm amazingly happy about because Richard Keys is basically a puppet to make Andy Gray look good! Which don't work because everyone has an opinion - normally the opposite of Andy Gray because he's a douche!! So I'm firstly interested to see how it works and if Jeff 'The Legend' Stelling takes over Richard Key's role as the broadcaster and who is going to take over the role as 'there number 1 analyst' with the arrows and the 'talking points'.
Secondly... it's going to be all about one man tomorrow - Fernando Torres. Who is probably going to be the biggest TT (Trending Topic) on Twitter all afternoon, because that is how much the nation is going to talk about him and this match between his new club Chelsea and his old club Liverpool. The thing that tickles my pickle is... Sky Sports cream all over Torres and Liverpool at the best of times, maybe more than any other player or club in the Prem since Ronaldo left Manchester United. So now that he has joined Chelsea - will Sky Sports remain the same or will they change there view point? Because let's face it, Chelsea are not all that popular in this country (IMO) and very rarely have televised games on Sky unless there big games against United, Arsenal or Liverpool!
Personally, there is going to be one other player who may star tomorrow and that is Luis Suarez - Liverpool's new number 7! (yeah! it's a big deal) Personally I think he's a star and we will see how he goes on against Terry and Chelsea's other new signing David Luis - who is also a big deal - apparently! My bet is Suarez might just out stage everyone and King Kenny may have himself a little gem!
That is all!
Change of profile & approach!
Just a few changes for this blog, which I have kind of disowned slightly! This blog is now my homepage, it's no longer Google or Facebook! This blog is where everything that goes through my head - which once upon a time got called 'The Bubble' lol. Because I do kind of live in one!
So now all my posts will be posted to facebook or twitter, well the ones i want posted! :)
This allows me to rant, rant and rant :D without character limits! & all things put on here will be my own personal opinion - as I my own person :D This blog used to be kind of structured and was based on essays which were well written and justified opinions, but, in the recent times I have decided to go away from writing articles with 'structure' and to just put down thoughts... a bit like answering the question of 'whats on your mind' from facebook when you update a status! That way, I can just post blog posts .. of thoughts and not have to cover all the angles etc etc!
So now all my posts will be posted to facebook or twitter, well the ones i want posted! :)
This allows me to rant, rant and rant :D without character limits! & all things put on here will be my own personal opinion - as I my own person :D This blog used to be kind of structured and was based on essays which were well written and justified opinions, but, in the recent times I have decided to go away from writing articles with 'structure' and to just put down thoughts... a bit like answering the question of 'whats on your mind' from facebook when you update a status! That way, I can just post blog posts .. of thoughts and not have to cover all the angles etc etc!
Monday, 13 December 2010
Player Power is powerful, but not as powerful as Oil
The weekend Manchester City go joint top of the table and maybe just become serious title contenders what they did not need was their captain writing a transfer request asking to leave in January.
This weekend saw Manchester City comfortably beat bottom team West Ham moving level on points with top of the table Arsenal who tonight go to title challengers Manchester United. Manchester City are now well in the title race and by the end of next weekend considering they beat Everton at Eastland’s could be sitting top of the pile at Christmas if Manchester United or Arsenal do not get the results they need, which will prove difficult considering they play each other and both play Chelsea in the next few weeks.
So just when everything was looking rose for the blues of Manchester Carlos Tevez and Kia Joorabchian (no doubt the biggest agent in football) decide they want out of Eastland’s due to a breakdown in his relationship with “certain executives and individuals”.
This tells me Carlos Tevez and his agent wants more money. It also tells me Manchester City is not willing to renegotiate his contract in the middle of the season. It has been rumoured for a while now that Carlos Tevez wants to return home after being in England for a long period of time but this week Tevez reported denied that he is homesick and is committed to the long term prospect of the club and more importantly his contract which still has 3 and a half years until it expires.
In my head this sparks a memory of a very similar story to the club Manchester City want to replace. Just last month Wayne Rooney wrote a written transfer request (maybe giving Rooney too much credit on his writing skills) saying he wants out of Manchester due to a lack of ambition at the club. And a week later Wayne Rooney had a cheesy grin on his face next to Sir Alex Ferguson after he was rewarded with more than £200,000 a week and the board saying Sir Alex will have money to spend should he want to.
Wayne Rooney played his card saying he was willing to walk away and Manchester United responded giving Rooney want he wanted, showing player power is becoming more and more powerful in the modern game of football. What Carlos Tevez and his money grabbing agent are doing is exactly the same, Kia Joorabchian obviously believes his client is on the same level as Wayne Rooney, and he might be right, but this is nothing more than a play to make Carlos Tevez is the highest paid player at Manchester City and maybe the Premier League.
Manchester City have declined the transfer request and responded with a strong statement that they will not entertain any offers for their talismanic forward during the next transfer window. This is a statement that will tell Carlos Tevez to get back to what he does best, score goals and maybe just maybe if we win the league and take the first step to becoming the dominant brand in English football then you will get a new contract and be made the King of Manchester City, which no doubting he already is.
One thing I am pretty sure of, just like I was sure about with Wayne Rooney is Carlos Tevez will not be leaving Manchester, we will not see him in a Barcelona or Real Madrid shirt this season nor next season. It is simply just a play of power from a player and agent who think they are ‘indispensible’.
This weekend saw Manchester City comfortably beat bottom team West Ham moving level on points with top of the table Arsenal who tonight go to title challengers Manchester United. Manchester City are now well in the title race and by the end of next weekend considering they beat Everton at Eastland’s could be sitting top of the pile at Christmas if Manchester United or Arsenal do not get the results they need, which will prove difficult considering they play each other and both play Chelsea in the next few weeks.
So just when everything was looking rose for the blues of Manchester Carlos Tevez and Kia Joorabchian (no doubt the biggest agent in football) decide they want out of Eastland’s due to a breakdown in his relationship with “certain executives and individuals”.
This tells me Carlos Tevez and his agent wants more money. It also tells me Manchester City is not willing to renegotiate his contract in the middle of the season. It has been rumoured for a while now that Carlos Tevez wants to return home after being in England for a long period of time but this week Tevez reported denied that he is homesick and is committed to the long term prospect of the club and more importantly his contract which still has 3 and a half years until it expires.
In my head this sparks a memory of a very similar story to the club Manchester City want to replace. Just last month Wayne Rooney wrote a written transfer request (maybe giving Rooney too much credit on his writing skills) saying he wants out of Manchester due to a lack of ambition at the club. And a week later Wayne Rooney had a cheesy grin on his face next to Sir Alex Ferguson after he was rewarded with more than £200,000 a week and the board saying Sir Alex will have money to spend should he want to.
Wayne Rooney played his card saying he was willing to walk away and Manchester United responded giving Rooney want he wanted, showing player power is becoming more and more powerful in the modern game of football. What Carlos Tevez and his money grabbing agent are doing is exactly the same, Kia Joorabchian obviously believes his client is on the same level as Wayne Rooney, and he might be right, but this is nothing more than a play to make Carlos Tevez is the highest paid player at Manchester City and maybe the Premier League.
Manchester City have declined the transfer request and responded with a strong statement that they will not entertain any offers for their talismanic forward during the next transfer window. This is a statement that will tell Carlos Tevez to get back to what he does best, score goals and maybe just maybe if we win the league and take the first step to becoming the dominant brand in English football then you will get a new contract and be made the King of Manchester City, which no doubting he already is.
One thing I am pretty sure of, just like I was sure about with Wayne Rooney is Carlos Tevez will not be leaving Manchester, we will not see him in a Barcelona or Real Madrid shirt this season nor next season. It is simply just a play of power from a player and agent who think they are ‘indispensible’.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
2 W's but will Capello learn or take two steps backwards in October
When Fabio Capello says he has learnt from the World Cup embarrassment let us hope he has learnt what England fans have known for years, balance is the key to everything.
When I say balance I mean players must play in their best positions. It means that Steven Gerrard must play in centre midfield, and that must not be alongside Frank Lampard. Every England manager has tried to find a combination that includes both of these players, but two impressive wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland has shown the nation and hopefully Fabio Capello that if England are to move on and rebuild England must have a balance that suits every player on the pitch – not two players who want to play in the same position.
With all the positive talk about England’s performance during these two internationals, come October 12th we will see how much Fabio Capello has learnt from this week and the World Cup. With Frank Lampard injured Capello didn’t have to make the decision of does he stick with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard? In an ideal world Capello like every manager would like to play the same XI, but that happens very rarely in International football. Already England is without James Milner after he picked up two yellow cards meaning he is suspended for the next game. Without Milner this leaves the left side of midfield empty and there is a possibility England could go back to Steven Gerrard playing out on the left and Frank Lampard returning alongside Gareth Barry in the centre. Putting it simply one simple change could see England take two steps backwards and going back to how they played during the World Cup and all the positives from these two performances are instantly forgotten and met with groans and disappointment.
Now this is my point, with Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson being in sensational form for both club and country, and as long as Walcott’s ankle injury is not serious, why not move Adam Johnson over to his ‘natural’ left side, keeping Theo Walcott on the right side and continue to build towards the future. Capello if he chose to could follow the modern way of right footers on the left and left footers on the right (think Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry – Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard) put Theo Walcott left and Adam Johnson right allowing them to both cut in and link up with Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe.
There is also the option of replacing the suspended Milner with former team-mate Ashley Young who has made his reputation playing on the left side; cutting inside delivering killer balls with someone like Jermaine Defoe would thrive on. But let’s hope Capello does not go with Shaun Wright-Phillips who somehow managed to sneak back on the pitch replacing Wayne Rooney during England’s convincing 3-1 victory over Switzerland.
England will no doubt finish top of this group, whether they perform or not, but what England need is something to build on and work towards. A new revolution and less pressure can sometimes work in the favour of International teams – such as Germany in the World Cup this year. What Germany had that surprised others was a system they knew, a real balance that allowed Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger to influence the game the way England need Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney to do in England’s quest for qualification for Euro 2012. What Germany also had were players who could come in and instantly fit into a system, something England showed signs of developing this week as long as they keep everything ‘balanced’. There is no better replacement for Steven Gerrard in a central midfield position than Frank Lampard and whether it is Theo Walcott or Adam Johnson who starts right-side they have the other waiting in the wings to instantly fit into that position.
When I say balance I mean players must play in their best positions. It means that Steven Gerrard must play in centre midfield, and that must not be alongside Frank Lampard. Every England manager has tried to find a combination that includes both of these players, but two impressive wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland has shown the nation and hopefully Fabio Capello that if England are to move on and rebuild England must have a balance that suits every player on the pitch – not two players who want to play in the same position.
With all the positive talk about England’s performance during these two internationals, come October 12th we will see how much Fabio Capello has learnt from this week and the World Cup. With Frank Lampard injured Capello didn’t have to make the decision of does he stick with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard? In an ideal world Capello like every manager would like to play the same XI, but that happens very rarely in International football. Already England is without James Milner after he picked up two yellow cards meaning he is suspended for the next game. Without Milner this leaves the left side of midfield empty and there is a possibility England could go back to Steven Gerrard playing out on the left and Frank Lampard returning alongside Gareth Barry in the centre. Putting it simply one simple change could see England take two steps backwards and going back to how they played during the World Cup and all the positives from these two performances are instantly forgotten and met with groans and disappointment.
Now this is my point, with Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson being in sensational form for both club and country, and as long as Walcott’s ankle injury is not serious, why not move Adam Johnson over to his ‘natural’ left side, keeping Theo Walcott on the right side and continue to build towards the future. Capello if he chose to could follow the modern way of right footers on the left and left footers on the right (think Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry – Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard) put Theo Walcott left and Adam Johnson right allowing them to both cut in and link up with Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe.
There is also the option of replacing the suspended Milner with former team-mate Ashley Young who has made his reputation playing on the left side; cutting inside delivering killer balls with someone like Jermaine Defoe would thrive on. But let’s hope Capello does not go with Shaun Wright-Phillips who somehow managed to sneak back on the pitch replacing Wayne Rooney during England’s convincing 3-1 victory over Switzerland.
England will no doubt finish top of this group, whether they perform or not, but what England need is something to build on and work towards. A new revolution and less pressure can sometimes work in the favour of International teams – such as Germany in the World Cup this year. What Germany had that surprised others was a system they knew, a real balance that allowed Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger to influence the game the way England need Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney to do in England’s quest for qualification for Euro 2012. What Germany also had were players who could come in and instantly fit into a system, something England showed signs of developing this week as long as they keep everything ‘balanced’. There is no better replacement for Steven Gerrard in a central midfield position than Frank Lampard and whether it is Theo Walcott or Adam Johnson who starts right-side they have the other waiting in the wings to instantly fit into that position.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Fergies envious truth behind Manchester City's spending
So in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson the spending of Roberton Mancini's Manchester is 'kamikaze' and the wrong way to about achieving success.
This is coming from the man who has broken the British transfer record on several occasions and demanded that Real Msdrid must pay £80 million pounds for Christinao Ronaldo.
This is also the man who this week admitted he spent £7 million on an unknown Portuguese striker named 'Bebe' without seeing the player live or even watching footage of him. Now this could turn out to be a stroke of genius one day, should the player develop but there is a good chance this player could never represent Manchester United with Sir Alex in charge. If this isn't a 'kamikaze' move then what is?
Spending around £130 million on six players compared to Manchester United's modest £24 million on three is a huge difference. The reason of Sir Alex's modest transfer spending is 'there is no value in the transfer market anymore'. What Sir Alex Ferguson is doing is protecting Manchester United Football Club, something Roberto Mancini never has to worry about.
Lets look at Sir Alex's transfer record, in 2002 Rio Ferdinand cost Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United £30 million, at the time being a British transfer record and the most expensive price ever paid for a defender. Since 2002 Manchester United have won four Premiership Titles, one Champions League, one FA Cup and three League Cups. Ferdinand has played 221 times and has become captain of club and country, you could say that justifies 'value for money'.
Manchester United also paid out £25.6 million for Wayne Rooney in 2004 just two years after he made his Premiership debut for Everton at the age of 17 in 2002. Since 2002, Rooney has won the Premier League title three times, the 2007-08 and two league cups. He has also been awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009/10. With this deal United paid for potential, idenfiting Rooney as a future sstar knowing £25.6 million would be value for money.
Other notable successes in the transfer market include Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic who were signed for fee's under £10 million and become players up there with the best in their position. But Sir Alex Ferguson has not always got it spot on with transfers - just like Roberto Mancini wont and like Mark Hughes didn't. Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djema are the two obvious transfer flops who come to mind but what about Juan Sebastian Veron (£28.1 million), Owen Hargreaves (£17 million), Fabien Barthez (£7.8 million) and most recently Dimitar Berbatov (intial fee of £23.4 million) who is yet to prove himself to be worth his inital fee.
If anyone can explain what value Manchester United got from buying Juan Sebastian Veron for £28 million only to sell him on for £13 million less to Chelsea two years later I'd be welcome to hear it. You could even argue buying Owen Hargreaves for a fee of £17 million in 2007 from Bayern Munich for Owen to play 26 games before becoming a regular customer for every knee specialisit across the world. That works out at £653,446 per game. Where is ther value in money in that I may ask.
There is no hidng that Manchester City has spent a huge amount of money in the transfer market this summer but what Fergie describes as 'kamikaze' buy may be switched on it's head and called a huge investment for the club in years to come. With Yaya Toure as an exception all Manchester City's signings this year are 24 years old or below. David Silva, 24 (£25 million app), James Milner, 24 (£24 million p/x Steven Ireland), Jermone Boateng, 21 (£12 million), Mario Balotelli, 20 £24 million) and Aleksandar Kolarov, 24 (£16 million) all have their best years ahead of them and will all feature in the Manchester City first team this season and the years to come.
Sir Alex Ferguson was blessed with the greatest generation of youngsters a team in England has ever seen and maybe only have been bettered in recent years by Barcelona. Ferguson had the right of youth and experience and assembled a team that every billionaire tychool could ever dreamt of. Just how much would Roy Keane and Peter Schmichel been worth in current climate of players? It is still impossible to put a price on players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes who still feature for Manchester 12 years on from the famous treble winners at the peak of their powers. But what is forgotten is Sir Alex added and bought quality to that team, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheingham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were all bought to in join Andy Cole who once upon a time was a British record transfer of £7 million from Newcastle United.
Sir Alex has bought many youngsters under the age of 24 in attempts to build his squad. Christinao Ronaldo (£12 million - sold for £80 million), Nani (£17 million), Anderson (£20 million), Antonio Valenica (£16 million), Rafael and Fabio Silva (unkown price), Nemanja Vidic (£7 million), Wayne Rooney (£25.6 million), Rio Ferdinand (£30 million), Ben Foster (£1 million - sold to Birmingham for £6 million) and Patrice Evra (£7 million). This summer Sir Alex invested in Chris Smalling (£8 million) from Fulham who two seasons ago was playing non-league football and Javier Hernandez for £12 million. So with all of these players with their futures ahead of them at Manchester United what are Manchester City doing that Manchester United have not done in the past?
What Manchester City is trying to build is a legacy, a legacy that is bigger than the one created by Sir Alex Ferguson and the red side of Manchester. What we could be talking about in years to come is the technical qualities of David Silva, the determation of Nigel de Jong or the penalty save from England and Manchester number 1 Joe Hart or the skills of England's brighest prospect Adam Johnson. If City does win the title in the coming years as it seems they eventually will given the financial backing they have Sir Alex Ferguson could be foreced to eat his own words and watch 'kamikaze' transfer prices decide the Premiership title race.
This is coming from the man who has broken the British transfer record on several occasions and demanded that Real Msdrid must pay £80 million pounds for Christinao Ronaldo.
This is also the man who this week admitted he spent £7 million on an unknown Portuguese striker named 'Bebe' without seeing the player live or even watching footage of him. Now this could turn out to be a stroke of genius one day, should the player develop but there is a good chance this player could never represent Manchester United with Sir Alex in charge. If this isn't a 'kamikaze' move then what is?
Spending around £130 million on six players compared to Manchester United's modest £24 million on three is a huge difference. The reason of Sir Alex's modest transfer spending is 'there is no value in the transfer market anymore'. What Sir Alex Ferguson is doing is protecting Manchester United Football Club, something Roberto Mancini never has to worry about.
Lets look at Sir Alex's transfer record, in 2002 Rio Ferdinand cost Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United £30 million, at the time being a British transfer record and the most expensive price ever paid for a defender. Since 2002 Manchester United have won four Premiership Titles, one Champions League, one FA Cup and three League Cups. Ferdinand has played 221 times and has become captain of club and country, you could say that justifies 'value for money'.
Manchester United also paid out £25.6 million for Wayne Rooney in 2004 just two years after he made his Premiership debut for Everton at the age of 17 in 2002. Since 2002, Rooney has won the Premier League title three times, the 2007-08 and two league cups. He has also been awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009/10. With this deal United paid for potential, idenfiting Rooney as a future sstar knowing £25.6 million would be value for money.
Other notable successes in the transfer market include Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic who were signed for fee's under £10 million and become players up there with the best in their position. But Sir Alex Ferguson has not always got it spot on with transfers - just like Roberto Mancini wont and like Mark Hughes didn't. Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djema are the two obvious transfer flops who come to mind but what about Juan Sebastian Veron (£28.1 million), Owen Hargreaves (£17 million), Fabien Barthez (£7.8 million) and most recently Dimitar Berbatov (intial fee of £23.4 million) who is yet to prove himself to be worth his inital fee.
If anyone can explain what value Manchester United got from buying Juan Sebastian Veron for £28 million only to sell him on for £13 million less to Chelsea two years later I'd be welcome to hear it. You could even argue buying Owen Hargreaves for a fee of £17 million in 2007 from Bayern Munich for Owen to play 26 games before becoming a regular customer for every knee specialisit across the world. That works out at £653,446 per game. Where is ther value in money in that I may ask.
There is no hidng that Manchester City has spent a huge amount of money in the transfer market this summer but what Fergie describes as 'kamikaze' buy may be switched on it's head and called a huge investment for the club in years to come. With Yaya Toure as an exception all Manchester City's signings this year are 24 years old or below. David Silva, 24 (£25 million app), James Milner, 24 (£24 million p/x Steven Ireland), Jermone Boateng, 21 (£12 million), Mario Balotelli, 20 £24 million) and Aleksandar Kolarov, 24 (£16 million) all have their best years ahead of them and will all feature in the Manchester City first team this season and the years to come.
Sir Alex Ferguson was blessed with the greatest generation of youngsters a team in England has ever seen and maybe only have been bettered in recent years by Barcelona. Ferguson had the right of youth and experience and assembled a team that every billionaire tychool could ever dreamt of. Just how much would Roy Keane and Peter Schmichel been worth in current climate of players? It is still impossible to put a price on players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes who still feature for Manchester 12 years on from the famous treble winners at the peak of their powers. But what is forgotten is Sir Alex added and bought quality to that team, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheingham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were all bought to in join Andy Cole who once upon a time was a British record transfer of £7 million from Newcastle United.
Sir Alex has bought many youngsters under the age of 24 in attempts to build his squad. Christinao Ronaldo (£12 million - sold for £80 million), Nani (£17 million), Anderson (£20 million), Antonio Valenica (£16 million), Rafael and Fabio Silva (unkown price), Nemanja Vidic (£7 million), Wayne Rooney (£25.6 million), Rio Ferdinand (£30 million), Ben Foster (£1 million - sold to Birmingham for £6 million) and Patrice Evra (£7 million). This summer Sir Alex invested in Chris Smalling (£8 million) from Fulham who two seasons ago was playing non-league football and Javier Hernandez for £12 million. So with all of these players with their futures ahead of them at Manchester United what are Manchester City doing that Manchester United have not done in the past?
What Manchester City is trying to build is a legacy, a legacy that is bigger than the one created by Sir Alex Ferguson and the red side of Manchester. What we could be talking about in years to come is the technical qualities of David Silva, the determation of Nigel de Jong or the penalty save from England and Manchester number 1 Joe Hart or the skills of England's brighest prospect Adam Johnson. If City does win the title in the coming years as it seems they eventually will given the financial backing they have Sir Alex Ferguson could be foreced to eat his own words and watch 'kamikaze' transfer prices decide the Premiership title race.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Fantasy Football: The Golden Rules, the must haves & possible bargains
The Barclays Priemership kicks off this weekend and it's that time of year where all football mad fans pick their ultimate fantasy XI or a squad of XV. Whether you are using 'The Sun', 'Sky Sports' or 'Fantasy Premier League' decisions are now tougher than ever with prices of the stars rising meaning no more fantasy front three of Rooney, Drogba and Tevez which was easily possible last season. Everybody has their own personal opinions on how to pick their fantasy teams, some go for players from their own team, some go for a balanced team that will play every week and some choose to pick the star players and rely on these players to score the majority of their teams points. Personally there are golden rules you must follow:
1) Have either Didier Drogba or Wayne Rooney in your team at all times.
2) Pick Frank Lampard - he will be the midfield top scorer no matter what league you play.
3) Favour attack over defence even in defensive positions.
4) If there are teams playing a double week chose players from those teams and more often than not make one of these players your captain. So now you have the golden rules and the must picks in Fantasy Football here are a few possible bargains that could become popular choices over the season. Gareth Bale: (Tottenham Hotspur)
After a real impressive end to the season Gareth Bale became a must have in your Fantasy Football back-line even though he is playing in midfield. This year Gareth is listed as a midfielder which could be off-putting for a few Fantasy managers but Harry Redknapp is a big believer of Gareth Bale and I expect him to play a big role for Tottenham this year. Bale assisted 5 goals and scored 3 last season, with all of these coming at the end of the season as Tottenham beat Manchester City to a top four spot. Listed at £6.5 million on 'Fantasy Premier League' he is fairly priced this season and could be a high point scorer in support to your big name of either Lampard, Fabregas or Gerrard. Jonny Evans: (Manchester United)
Not a big point scorer last season but this year Jonny Evans could well become a regular in the Manchester United first team. With Rio Ferdinand out for the start of the season and becoming more injury prone Jonny Evans could have the chance to make a big impact on Sir Alex and many Fantasy Football managers. Beginning against newly promoted Newcastle United at home gives Manchester United a real chance of completing their first clean sheet of the season. Priced at £5.5 million on 'Fantasy Premier League' he is again like Bale fairly priced this season and is unlikely to be picked by the majority of managers in the first couple of games. Adam Johnson: (Manchester City)
After arriving at Manchester City in January of last season Adam Johnson's career has gone from playing Championship football to becoming an England International and a big part of Roberto Mancini's plans for World Domination. Eight assists last season saw Johnson offer a real attacking threat and although Manchester City have signed David Silva Johnson will surely still be ahead of Shaun Wright Phillips for a starting place on the right hand side of midfield. With players like Ashley Young and James Milner highly priced this season Adam Johnson at £6.5 million could be a bargain for Fantasy Managers. Matthew Etherington: (Stoke City)
Stoke City's player of the year last year and the highest point scorer of any of his team-mates, when it comes to Stoke City creating anything, (other than a Rory Delap throw-in) it comes from Matthew Etherington. Five goals and nine assists last year saw him score 146 points and this season is valued at a modest £6 million on Fantasy Premier League making him £0.5 million cheaper than Adam Johnson and Gareth Bale. His place unlike Bale and Johnson is guranteed so every week you are guranteed 90 minutes from Etherington as well as bonus points and assist points.
1) Have either Didier Drogba or Wayne Rooney in your team at all times.
2) Pick Frank Lampard - he will be the midfield top scorer no matter what league you play.
3) Favour attack over defence even in defensive positions.
4) If there are teams playing a double week chose players from those teams and more often than not make one of these players your captain. So now you have the golden rules and the must picks in Fantasy Football here are a few possible bargains that could become popular choices over the season. Gareth Bale: (Tottenham Hotspur)
After a real impressive end to the season Gareth Bale became a must have in your Fantasy Football back-line even though he is playing in midfield. This year Gareth is listed as a midfielder which could be off-putting for a few Fantasy managers but Harry Redknapp is a big believer of Gareth Bale and I expect him to play a big role for Tottenham this year. Bale assisted 5 goals and scored 3 last season, with all of these coming at the end of the season as Tottenham beat Manchester City to a top four spot. Listed at £6.5 million on 'Fantasy Premier League' he is fairly priced this season and could be a high point scorer in support to your big name of either Lampard, Fabregas or Gerrard. Jonny Evans: (Manchester United)
Not a big point scorer last season but this year Jonny Evans could well become a regular in the Manchester United first team. With Rio Ferdinand out for the start of the season and becoming more injury prone Jonny Evans could have the chance to make a big impact on Sir Alex and many Fantasy Football managers. Beginning against newly promoted Newcastle United at home gives Manchester United a real chance of completing their first clean sheet of the season. Priced at £5.5 million on 'Fantasy Premier League' he is again like Bale fairly priced this season and is unlikely to be picked by the majority of managers in the first couple of games. Adam Johnson: (Manchester City)
After arriving at Manchester City in January of last season Adam Johnson's career has gone from playing Championship football to becoming an England International and a big part of Roberto Mancini's plans for World Domination. Eight assists last season saw Johnson offer a real attacking threat and although Manchester City have signed David Silva Johnson will surely still be ahead of Shaun Wright Phillips for a starting place on the right hand side of midfield. With players like Ashley Young and James Milner highly priced this season Adam Johnson at £6.5 million could be a bargain for Fantasy Managers. Matthew Etherington: (Stoke City)
Stoke City's player of the year last year and the highest point scorer of any of his team-mates, when it comes to Stoke City creating anything, (other than a Rory Delap throw-in) it comes from Matthew Etherington. Five goals and nine assists last year saw him score 146 points and this season is valued at a modest £6 million on Fantasy Premier League making him £0.5 million cheaper than Adam Johnson and Gareth Bale. His place unlike Bale and Johnson is guranteed so every week you are guranteed 90 minutes from Etherington as well as bonus points and assist points.
Friday, 13 August 2010
My Premiership Predictions:
Champions: Manchester United
Champions League Spots: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal & Liverpool
Europa League: Manchester City & Tottenham
Relegation: Blackpool, Newcastle & Wigan
Over Achievers: Bolton
Under-Achievers: Sunderland
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres
Top English Goal-scorer: Jermaine Defoe
Player of the Year: Steven Gerrard
Young Player of the Year: Javier Hernandez
One to Watch: Robin van Persie
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Premiership Mini-League: Top 4 has now become the Top 6
With the gap between the top six teams bigger than ever the Premiership Mini-Leagues are now getting bigger and more important than ever. A couple of seasons ago people used to talk about the 'top 4' and the rest with the three promoted teams being the favourites to go straight back down. This year I believe their are more mini-leagues than ever. I will come onto that point later in another post but first lets start at the top. All the talk for the title used to revolve around four teams and that still maybe the case but this year I believe the top four has now become the top six. The top four of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have now been joined by Manchester City and Tottenham. Last year Tottenham beat Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool to finish in the top four with Manchester City and Aston Villa finishing above Liverpool leaving them finishing in a very disappointing seventh. Unfortately with the news of Martin O'Neill leaving Aston Villa and James Milner rumoured to leaving too I find it hard to believe Villa will be challenging up there again this year. It's very hard to look past these six teams to finish in the top six, although when it comes to the title challengers I can only seeing two teams being real challengers over 38 games. Sir Alex Ferguson has said in pre-season if you finish above Chelsea you'll win the league - meaning Chelsea are the favourites. Therefore I make the first mini-league just of two teams - Chelsea and Manchester United. Real Title Challengers:Chelsea
Manchester UnitedThe next mini-league to me involves four teams - three of these will believe they can post a title challenge. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will go into this season believing they have the quality to win the Premiership as long as they stay injury free and they beat the teams around them - where as Tottentham will go into this season aiming for a top four finish after last season's success. Who knows what the end of the season could of been for Arsenal should Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin had all been fit but the reason I don't have them as 'real title challengers' is because of how convincingly they were beaten by rivals Utd and Chelsea. Manchester City have improved the squad from last year but with such a large squad Roberto Mancini needs to find his first XI and quickly in order for them to challenge. Although Liverpool have many problems behind the scenes with Roy Hodgson in charge and with the signing of Joe Cole they look to have a more balanced approach this season as long as Fernando Torres spends more time on the pitch than the treatment table. Tottenham finished in the top four last year but with European commitments this year they must balance the expectation of now competiting in four trophies. Breaking into the top four is an achievement Harry Redknapp must be proud of but staying in the top four is Tottenhams's biggest challenge yet. Potential Europa League but not Top 4/6:
Arsenal
Liverpool
Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester UnitedThe next mini-league to me involves four teams - three of these will believe they can post a title challenge. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will go into this season believing they have the quality to win the Premiership as long as they stay injury free and they beat the teams around them - where as Tottentham will go into this season aiming for a top four finish after last season's success. Who knows what the end of the season could of been for Arsenal should Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin had all been fit but the reason I don't have them as 'real title challengers' is because of how convincingly they were beaten by rivals Utd and Chelsea. Manchester City have improved the squad from last year but with such a large squad Roberto Mancini needs to find his first XI and quickly in order for them to challenge. Although Liverpool have many problems behind the scenes with Roy Hodgson in charge and with the signing of Joe Cole they look to have a more balanced approach this season as long as Fernando Torres spends more time on the pitch than the treatment table. Tottenham finished in the top four last year but with European commitments this year they must balance the expectation of now competiting in four trophies. Breaking into the top four is an achievement Harry Redknapp must be proud of but staying in the top four is Tottenhams's biggest challenge yet. Potential Europa League but not Top 4/6:
Arsenal
Liverpool
Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur
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