The Fall of English Football

The Premier League currently represents nothing short of a complete farce.  

 

The principles and high standard of football which made the league the best in the world have been left at the wayside. Clubs are being run as irrationally as a Paul Gascoigne fishing trip and racist stories left right and centre are rather depressing and shameful.

 

A worrying sight for Arsenal fans

Every neutral likes a high scoring game, but 7-5 'thriller' at the Madejski was a bit concerning. Arsenal fans were told to expect great things from their defence this season, with assistant Steve Bould cracking the whip. The only thing Bould was cracking open at the training ground last week was evidently a Bordeaux red with Arsene. Kosceilny and Djourou bought into the Halloween spirit with a horrific display of 'how not to defend' against Reading. Though their not the only culprits. Premier League defences can't keep a clean sheet for love or money. The likes of Ferdinand and Kompany don't look as assured as they were last season.

 

A team like Southampton will not stay up, guaranteed, with their current defence. It astounds me that Atkins made no effort to sign a capable experienced defender. The Saints are shipping goals so early in matches that they leave themselves with little hope come the second half. While I'm thoroughly enjoying watching the goals fly in, unlike Adebayor whose face betrays him on the Tottenham bench, some respectability needs to be restored in defending.

 

"I didn't dive!"

When Phil Neville is diving, you know the game has got out of hand. An honest pro, he apologised. But what does it say about the game is even he is attempting to fool the ref. It doesn't matter that it was in a derby. In fact it is worse. The game means even more to fans then the average one and if a player dives and benefits from it, fans are disgracefully cheated. And when an Arsenal fan is paying ridiculous amounts to see their team play they have every right to be aggrieved. It's then that you get offensive Twitter comments.

 

Diving is a vicious cycle which brings out the worst in fans and is ingraining itself into the English game quicker then snoods. Still, Torres didn't dive. Referees have a habit of picking up needlessly on the hot topic of the moment. Clattenburg was afraid of missing a dive, after endless comments by Tony Pulis and David Moyes. So he sent Torres off to make a statement, I think he had an inkling that Evans caught Torres. Nevertheless with Mike Riley in referees ears to clamp down on diving he went with his instinct. Look what happened in the aftermath.

Reading Oliver Holt's brilliant piece in The Mirror today about referees, it is true that referees are overly communicative with players. They don't need to be. We've now had a former England captain, foreign player and respected referee accused of racial slurs. Varied, the accusations seemingly show racism reaches further then we thought. And while it is admiral English football does not hide like Spain and Russia from racism, the saga has totally undermined the season so far.

 

Clark Carlisle, the kind of character the F.A lack

 

The F.A are a dysfunctional group of men who cannot relate to serious footballing matters. Something needs to be done, not by the F.A but by a fresh face. Because the Premier League is slowly getting polluted. I think Jason Roberts and Clark Carlisle are leaders who can really make a difference. The F.A should give them the proper backing and capabilities to do so. Not tiptoe around waiting for their pension.

A weekend of Gerrard pile drivers, Van Persie rockets and QPR catastrophes will distract us. But for how long. And how long before another accusation rises to front page news on the Daily Star.

Memorable Footballing Quotes

A quick collection of some of my favourite footballing quotes and reactions

"This is the second time I've beaten the Germans here... the first time was in 1944. I drove into Rome on a tank when the city was liberated".- Bob Paisley after Liverpool won the European Cup, against Borussia Moenchengladbach, in Rome in 1977.

Gordan Strachan in a post match interview. Reporter: Gordon, can we have a quick word please? Strachan: Velocity [walks off]

Andy Gray commentating on Champions League Final in Istanbul. AC Milan have just gone 3-0 up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBWcsxuy3Y. The goal itself was sublime too.

Neil Warnock on El Hadji Diouf, "I was going to call him a sewer rat, but that might insult the sewer rats. I think he’s the lowest of the low".

Kevin Keegan's infamous meltdown, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXpUdBlRZe8

 
John Motson, "I never make predictions, and I never will."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLM7Vids8ng Redknapp, after an FA Cup stalemate with Leeds.

Roy Keane on Man United fans, "Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch".

Mick McCarthy, unable to make his mind up, "No regrets. None at all. My only regret is that we went out on penalties. That's my only regret. But no, no regrets."

Graham Taylor, as his England career caves in around him, "I was just saying to your colleague, the referee has got me the sack, thank him ever so much for that, won't you?"

"Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhoea." Brian Clough on Man Utd opting-out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship.

Bob Paisley on tough times at Liverpool, "Mind you, I've been here during the bad times too - one year we came second."

“I've got to get Dan Shittu ready for the Stoke game. I've told him to go to Iceland and ask if he can sit in one of their freezers.” Ian Holloway, with his unique pre match preparations.

"If a man is happily married why would he look for another woman?” Gianni Paladini, the eccentric former Chairmen of QPR ,who didn't exactly stick to this philosophy. Dowie, Sousa, Magilton...

Ian Wright chooses his words carefully after Tony Adams admits his addiction. "It took a lot of bottle for Tony to own up"

Keane vs Viera, don't you just miss it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM0E9rfceRg

Who's The Best Centre Back In The World?

Messi or Ronaldo? Robben or Ribery? Xavi or Iniesta? Once the pundits have decided, they'll recycle those questions all over again.

The Ballon d'or. A 'forward' thinking award?

So often debate revolves around the best attacking players in the world. They get the majority of the limelight, whilst defenders are somewhat ignored. There's a red herring occasionally, an acknowledgement of just how important the beginning of the spine really is (take Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, awarded the coveted Ballon d'or).

But on the whole awards go to those who score goals. Trophies go to teams with solid foundations that start at the back. To be considered a world class centre back you really have to earn it. The scathing criticism one receives, after a poor showing, knocks their reputation more so then a forward who goes missing all game.

Contenders need to be consistent, blessed with a football brain, have an element of pace necessary in today's game and show that on ability alone, they can cope against the very best attacking players around. Liverpool and to a degree Arsenal, wonder why they can't compete at the top anymore. The answer is simple, go and buy a world class centre back. Tottenham have potentially found the next one in Vertonghen.

Here are four of the best.

Vincent Kompany- If you want to talk bargains, Kompany is up there. I can't think of a defender who, for what is believed to be around £6 million, has given value for money and so much more. A team like Madrid would have to cough up £35 million plus for his services now. Take Kompany out of that City defence and what are you left with. A decent back four. Ask a City fan how confident they are about going into a Champions League tie with Lescott and Kolo Toure though and the answer would be not very. Kompany is a rock who matches Vidic in every aspect. Vidic benefits from playing alongside composed players like Ferdinand. Kompany has made Lescott look far more talented then he is.

Kompany scores vital goals, he sticks his head where others wont and from what I have seen in interviews he is very grounded. A perfect quality of a captain off the field. Respective towards opponents and a skipper others can go to in confidence. Belgium will qualify for a long overdue World Cup this time around and Kompany's captaincy will go someway to achieving this.

Gerard Pique- Pique is still developing as a player and part of his game need addressing. People may wonder why Pique and not Puyol has been included. But in time, Pique will be a better player then Puyol. In part because he has played the willing apprentice to such a commanding figure so well. He has the flair and confidence Puyol has never had at his feet and the discipline that abandons Sergio Ramos too frequently. Chelsea went on to score twice in the semi final against Barcelona after Pique went off injured at the Nou Camp. Without Pique's intelligent sweeping Puyol's lack of pace can be exposed. For now they need each other, but given a few years Pique will be the model centre back, with he and Javi Martinez the most gifted centre back pairing the world has seen. He scores some sublime goals and will venture up field, even playing as a target man, when Barcelona need a plan b.

Spain conceded one goal the whole of Euro 2012 without Puyol. Pique is part of the reason why. He is ideal man marking material. He can cope with a speedy striker or a big centre forward. When Puyol retires the armband at Barcelona, this man has got to be a favourite to make it his.

Mats Hummels- Bayern Munich must regret letting this man slip from under their fingers. A product of Bayern's academy, he was allowed to join Dortmund for just £4 million. Cue Dortmund storming to the top of the Bundesliga and winning the title for the last two years. Hummels has fitted in with ease at a national level also. There's not a lot missing from Hummels's game. Composed, strong, full of German efficiency and confident roaming forward to join attacks. Qualities similar to a certain German great. And Hummels has been labelled as a potential modern day Beckenbauer.

It's no wonder Man United have been sniffing around. His statistics are impressive. He collected just one yellow card last year in the Bundesliga and already this season  has an 84.6% pass completion rate (against Portugal, at Euro 2012, he had the highest of any player). Both excellent and encouraging statistics for a centre back. He will get the headed goal here and there and rarely switches off throughout the 90 minutes. Germany benefited from his presence at Euro 2012 and he has the ability to be amongst the German greats.

Thiago Silva- Never underestimate the value of a centre back. PSG certainly didn't, splashing out £42 million for Silva's services. AC Milan however, did. They're now suffering without a world class centre back, as are Inter without Lucio. Silva reads the game in a similar vein to Terry, enabling him to make the right decision, rather then rectify a mistake with a last ditch tackle. Last season only six times did a player in possession get by Silva. His interception levels are excellent. Add this to the fact no one could boast a better pass completion last term in Italy and you can see why PSG wanted him so badly for their assault on Europe.

He is the hybrid of all things desired in a centre back. He's no nonsense, displaying these qualities as AC Milan captain. Meanwhile he's calm and composed on the ball and, as with any Brazilian defender, technically gifted, accompanied with a goal threat. At the age of 28 he is coming into his prime and the timing is perfect for Brazil, with the World Cup two years off. Many may have not seen Silva in action but expect him to be a star in 2014. Like Pique he's had the advantage of learning under Nesta's stewardship at AC Milan. Silva is progressing yearly into an all rounded centre back, who knows how to keep a clean sheet (AC Milan had 33 clean sheets in their last two seasons). In their eight league games this season they have one.

Please add your thoughts and any possible players you feel justify inclusion.