11.30.08
Play to the whistle… the right whistle that is
Ronaldo’s sending off was silly, yes, but you need to notice the earlier booking Ireland got was because he played a forward pass after the whistle had blown, so Ronaldo didn’t want to do that and get a yellow card for the same offense, or so he thought. In the past he had got sent off for a second yellow by chipping the ball in the net after he was caught offside, he argued he wanted to give the ball back to the keeper who was on the line. The red card was rescinded but not the yellow because you can’t rescind yellow cards in the Premiership (unlike La Liga).
Whistles from the crowd has always been a problem. That’s why the football referee’s whistle is quite distinct – but you can still eventually find one and bring it to a stadium to put off the opposing team. I actually thought the whistles just a few days ago at Villarreal was excessive, but that time Ronaldo and the rest knew how to distinguish them from the referee’s.
That said it’s still three points, an away derby win, a clean sheet, a good kicking to the City slickers’ backsides for not scoring against 10 men. My mom actually mocked Joe Hart calling him an idiot some 30 times for coming up for the stoppage-time corner, ignoring the fact that it’s United’s very own Schmeichel senior who frequented it… ah mom I still love you for supporting the greatest team in the world (and actually watching footie unlike many moms or even women for that matter).
11.27.08
Squad numbers game
By bringing on Number 80 Jonathan Obika against NEC Nijmegen in the UEFA Cup, Tottenham have broken the record for fielding the player with the highest squad number for an English team in all competitions. The previous one was a Brazilian youth player for Arsenal, Juan, wearing number 57 for a League Cup game. Special mention must go for Ade Akinbiyi who holds the record for league competition, wearing 55 at Palace.
I love squad numbers and especially high ones, I’ve always wanted to write an article about squad numbering. We all know that leagues like Serie A and the Turkish league are very lax with numbering, but did you know that the strictest football association in Europe with this is the LPF of La Liga? The numbers 1 to 23 are mandatory numbers. Sevilla couldn’t retire the number 16 worn by Antonio Puerta because of this.
The English and Scottish FA is in the middle of the strictness policy – while it is not discouraged that players have high squad numbers, nobody could take any high number as he likes. Thus, one way of overcoming this is to give squad numbers to all your youth players, filling up the space so that the first-team player gets his preferred number. This is why Celtic have some players on high numbers – until this season, McManus wore my favourite 44, while McGeady, O’Dea, Cuthbert, Caddis etc. still keep their numbers given to them while they were still in the Celtic youth team.
The same principle is happening at Spurs now, that’s why Obika has number 80. Before I proceed, I was in the hopes that those players who were ousted from the team in Ramos’ reign would return, now that they are given squad numbers by Redknapp, but since Ramos didn’t name them in the A list for European competition, they wouldn’t be eligible. So Redknapp has to rely on the B list, and to Ramos’ credit he lists practically the whole youth setup in it. And for them to be in that list you need to give them squad numbers…
Juande Ramos, I salute you – even if you’ve already left and before that you brushed away players I rated, you’ve shown the way for other Premier League sides how to give their players the chance to own high numbers.
Win Pipped away from Fratton Park
Pompey were 2-0 up 6 minutes before time, how unlucky for them to lose their lead – but class is class, undoubtedly Milan, who were real favourites to leave Fratton Park with all three points and especially with the team on the pitch, got just one point only through this merit alone.
While Johnson provided the assist with both goals the most outstanding player in that game for me was Nadir Belhadj. I can’t believe Lyon let him go. It was nice for Tony Adams to field a 4-4-2, so easy for other managers to employ a cautious 4-5-1 against such opposition even at home.
I just felt Milan didn’t show up for 80 minutes. Inzaghi hit the woodwork three times, yes, but no one in that team took ahold of that ball, before Ronaldinho entered the fray, and scored a free-kick taken quickly but legally just like the one involving Barcelona’s Alves against Sporting. After that you can see some of the players getting nervous, but Milan needed to do their part, and cometh the hour, cometh the legend.
It would feel like a victory – an Italian job for Crest’s favourite Rossoneri. Pompey is close to my heart too, so it’s all a bitter taste, it was just so close.
11.26.08
Wayne’s changing world
I must admit, I feel ashamed of Rooney’s antics in the match against Villarreal. It looked like he took some of the more unsavoury skills from Ronaldo’s massive repertoire this time. And this happens when I thought his behaviour and conduct actually improved this season – and it is true that a married man needs to be a decent one.
Of course, this is more fodder for anti-United writers, in a game already billed as a rigged contest for the qualification to the next round of the Champions League. Sir Alex’s war with the media continues to rage.
The most disappointing thing with this is that English players have always been assumed as honest footballers. The culture of English football is very different, very sophisticated from other footballing cultures. Simulation has been condemned so fiercely by the English fans and media. I remember an incident between Shaun Wright-Phillips and former Newcastle defender Robbie Elliott, at a game near the end of the season where the latter was sent off with a second yellow after he was adjudged to trip the right-winger when in fact there was no contact. As he was soon out of contract, Elliott blamed Wright-Phillips for his exit, stating that the sending off reduced his chances of a new deal at his second Newcastle spell.
Honesty of the English players is probably why they’re never bought elsewhere. Jay Bothroyd, in his spell at Perugia, was lambasted for not falling down in the box so often. I can see why no Englishman has ever played in Seria A for the last 3-4 years… oh wait, one will play there next year!
There’s only one little defense for Rooney I can make of. It was a match in Europe, so when in Rome, do as Lazio and Roma players do!
11.22.08
No I haven’t forgotten about my footie blog
Yes it has been a busy few weeks for me. On a positive note, I’ve started playing again (only futsal for the moment) and have been picked for the last few games for my club. I’m still trying to find back my feet and fitness though.
The big four failed to score this week – and the blame goes to the international midweek matches. With these the clubs do not have the time to train together and discuss team tactics with their internationals, and often they come back with sometimes severe injuries, like Theo Walcott’s.
I don’t accept the argument that every club has their internationals going away, because frankly not all clubs have about 15 internationals. You can now see why some players quit their national football team to concentrate on club football. Sure, playing for your country is an honour and is relished by all footballers, but it’s not quite the daily job that pays you at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, not only that no matter how much I and other club managers would argue, these internationals will still be held, I could not offer any other alternative. I myself do feel that national teams need to gather around once in awhile and play, players too need their caps, but it would be better if they are held when the domestic leagues are not at a crucial stage.
On another recent subject of interest, Monsieur Gallas now needs a break from all the retaliation he got from speaking his mind out. People easily forget that he is a winner – one of the very few in that Arsenal squad. Thus he understands the need to win more than the rest of the squad he once led. Sure, his way of telling things and conducting his own image is wrong, but now that he’s not captain anymore, it’s time to stop giving him the stick.
11.04.08
It finally got exciting.
4 points separate 7th from 19th. Only 6 teams have a positive goal difference.
And finally what was one thing lacking in the Premier League has happened. Any team can be up or down in a flash. No more “divisions in a divisions”, or at least below the Top Four.
The Premier League usually has one side who are “whipping boys”, evident in the previous two seasons, but I think those sides that went up have been such quality, proven (West Brom) or otherwise (Hull) and even could even spring you a surprise (Stoke).
The last three sides who occupied the bottom have won. Indeed, there will be tears when it’s all over, but I think they’re all in for a shout to do well this season – games are so unpredictable, predictions are becoming useless.
