The Class of The 90s: Rise of The Superstar

A decade which started with Gascoigne's tears and ended with Solskjaer's glorious toe poke; the decade more importantly when technical ability surpassed expectations, when the class of the 90s outgrew the 20th century.

The class of the 90s defied expectations with a 'whatever you can do I can do better' attitude which football was only just acclimatising itself to. Ronaldo hit 34 goals in 37 appearances for Barcelona in the 1996/97 campaign, Roberto Carlos hit a stunning banana kick and an English 18-year-old had the audacity to skip past an Argentine defence before smashing home a memorable goal.

 The class of the 90s developed on the talent of previous generations. Figo and Beckham reinvented the capabilities of a wideman with an emphasis on precise delivery. Cafu and Carlos built on the model full back set out by Carlos Alberto adding a greater goal threat, whilst Roberto Baggio slivered his way through the smallest of gaps possible. Raul emerged as the prodigal son of Real Madrid, Del Piero the equivalent for Juventus- instinctive strikers, who could perfect the tap in and the finesse finish. The introduction of the Champions League showcased this abundance of attacking flair coming to the fore.

It's no easy feat to be at the top of your game for three or four years at a time, arguably the minimal period of sustained brilliance to be considered one of the greats of your decade. Staying clear of injury is vital; had it not been for injury some of the decade's most gifted stars could have achieved so much more then they did - both Baggio and Ronaldo's knees struggled to keep up with the rest of their bodies.

The right manager plays a role too. For roughly fours years Ronaldinho captivated the Catalan crowds, but when vice seduced him Frank Rijkaard did little to halt it ruining the troubled genius. Had Ronaldinho chosen Manchester United and Alex Ferguson his chances of a prolonged peak would no doubt have been heightened.

Playing in a successful side is a often a necessity. It's with the Madrid's and Milan's that you win trophies and a individual needs some silverware to show for his endeavours. But the 90s saw the rise of the individual, the ego, the No.10.

The football maverick has been reincarnated many a time, both before and after the 90s - think Best and Balotelli. And the 90s had the privilege of witnessing the likes of Romario, Ginola and Cantona liven up the game on and off the field. Romario didn't do training, even Sir Bobby Robson could not implement a harder work ethic. The distractions of the game surfaced during the 90s but were still in a relatively harmless stage. The Liverpool suits in 96 and their infamous Christmas party in 98 were signs that player power was growing.

Maradona was sublime, because he could take a decent but by no means special Argentine side and win them the World Cup. During the 90s the ability to carry a side was seen more frequently. Baggio waltzed Italy to the World Cup Final in 1994, Cantona pulled United over the line come May 96 and Bierhoff stunned the Czechs a few months later, taking matters into his own hands with a masterclass substitute performance.

Top of the class were Ronaldo and Zidane.

A revolutionary specimen, Brazil's Ronaldo hopped between clubs repeatedly in the 90s, such was the demand for his signature. He choose the right clubs at the right time too. At PSV he could continue what Romario had started and learn under Robson's steady guidance. A brief but prolific spell at Barcelona showed he could do the business for a huge club.

Four goals and three assists at France 98 confirmed his status as the deadliest forward in the world. Surrounding himself with the best playmakers in the world, the record of almost a goal a game at each club meant Ronaldo bought silverware to any team. What was impressive was his ability to swap Spain for Italy with such ease, scoring goals against notoriously rigid defences.

Zidane's brilliance was only truly highlighted in 1998, with a firm forehead and a 3-0 rout of Brazil on home soil. Zidane's double in the 1998 World Cup Final in France signalled what would become a habit of performing on the big occasions. One of the most graceful footballers of all time, his tenacity was deceptively patient, confident of producing a moment of magic in the 89th minute when required.

A stain on his reputation was the 1997 Champions League Final, when Juventus succumbed to Borussia Dortmund 3-1. Zidane was subdued by Paul Lambert, who must wish that Barry Bannan possessed the discipline to do the same. And when Ronaldo faltered at the final hurdle in 98, Zidane took centre stage. Like Ronaldo, Zidane was able to swap Italy for Spain comfortably and eventually outshone Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Madrid took the class of the 90s and assembled a squad of Galaticos.

 By the end of the 90s football was ready to embrace the 21st century. Take Ronaldo, a hybrid who consistently displayed all the individual elements of speed, precision, power and ruthlessness. The Van Basten's and Muller's were blessed with and honed their game's upon one or at best two of these elements. But Ronaldo was lethal in any area of the oppositions half, a threat that couldn't be pinned down.

Adkins Sacking - Nature of The Beast

Nigel Adkins.

Once upon a time you had the Brian Clough's, Bill Shankley's, and Ron Atkinson's. Men who would walk through the door of a new club and never leave without an almighty fight. Men who demanded respect and in due time got it. Nobody has any respect anymore.

 

 Make no mistake Nigel Adkins will be at watching the game this evening absolutely seething. Most managers feel relieved when their called into the chairman's office and given the boot after a dreadful campaign. There was a sense that Paul Jewell might have had a heart attack had he remained managing Ipswich for a week longer. But Adkins has been treated badly.

 

Nicola Cortese, a man with his own vision.

I won’t go as far as to say I want Southampton to now go down, because players like Rickie Lambert have been terrific this season. But I have no desire to see Pochettino succeed. His record is average at best and we've seen already with Juande Ramos at Tottenham and Fabio Capello managing England that a manger with very limited English is a recipe for disaster. What's aggravating is that it was an English manager on the end of a brutal dismissal and Nicola Cortese, the Saints chairman, had no intentions of replacing Adkins with another home bred manager.

 

Pochettino can go one of two ways. He can stick with the current crop of players who appear good enough to stay up, or shake things up considerably. The young talent of Jack Cork, Nathaniel Clyne and Luke Shaw have benefited from a manager willing to blood youngsters in crucial fixtures, a brave decision which has worked brilliantly. It would be a shame to see say Pochettino bring a left back in from Espanyol and a striker likely to fit his philosophy more so than Rickie Lambert.

 

Bill Kenwright, a shining example who has Everton's best interests at heart.

 

Southampton have not beaten Everton in their last six Premier League meetings and whilst Everton have won only twice in 13 attempts in the Premier League at Southampton, the subdued atmosphere and drop in team morale could pave the way for a easy three points for the Toffees. Bill Kenwright epitomizes the type of chairman which have become a rare commodity in England. His patience and trust in David Moyes has seen steady growth and Everton now pose a genuine threat in the fight for fourth place. Cortese wants Southampton to be in Europe within the next two years or so, but his approach threatens to derail a side who were on the up.

 

The problems with a foreign chairman begin to emerge when teams make it to the promised land. The fans and the squad are all pulling in the right direction when the new chairman spends millions of pounds on transfers, a quick solution to reaching the summit of the Championship. But these foreign chairman expect to see rapid growth immediately once their team enters the Premier League. Neil Warnock was unfortunate to be dismissed at QPR and they were lucky to survive the season. If the ambitiously ran Leicester or recently bought Nottingham Forest gained promotion the likes of Nigel Pearson and Alex McLeish would know that talk of a mid-table finish is expected rather than a dogfight to survive.

 

Mike Ashley, don't expect his friendship with Pardew to last.

 

Most worrying is the perception that chairman who don’t rate the manager in charge when they arrive are making no effort to build bridges or give them their chance. Mike Ashley never really wanted Chris Hughton and saw him as a stopgap. The same can be said for Sean O' Driscoll at Nottingham Forest. Foreign investment is now being perceived with a level of suspicion because fans cannot tell if these buyers have the clubs best interest at heart. In the case of Southampton, such an unjustified sacking brings this question to the forefront of footballing issues once more.

Ferguson's Finest Squad? I Think Not.

Sir Alex Ferguson recently claimed that his current squad equals any in terms of ability during his time at the Manchester United helm and with good reason he may argue: United have an impressive 52 points from 21 games.

 

Ferguson's declaration will give his side the confidence to go to the Bernabau and get a result. But  confidence can get you only so far sometimes. United's forwards have papered over the cracks this season and Ferguson must be sat at home wondering how his side are so far ahead of the pack, with his defence having taken more of a battering than Steve Bruce's nose. De Gea is on his way out according to the Daily Mirror, an ageing Ferdinand is out of contract in the summer and without Vidic for the majority of the campaign United's defence have conceded 28 goals already.

Hardly a shining resemblance of the stable back five made up by Schmeichal, Neville, Pallister, Bruce and Irwin in the 90s. It's hard to find support for Ferguson's claim when he frequently switches between his first choice goalkeeper and centre back pairing. And allowing James Collins two free headers should be a court marshal offence in itself. Roy Keane must have been wincing at United's defending and would be the first to line up with his rifle.
 

The old guard.

 

There is no doubt Ferguson's current crop is stronger than his teams of the early 2000s. The quality is more consistent across the board, you struggle to pick out a Djemba-Djemba and there's less of the expensive disappointments like Veron. Neither is there the arrival of players past their peak, Ferguson is placing faith in Phil Jones and Chris Smalling rather than outdated defenders such as Laurent Blanc. Even upfront, Van Persie is as lethal as Van Nistelrooy and Hernandez and Welbeck given time will match up to Yorke and Cole.
 

Eric Djemba-Djemba, named twice he was so good...

 

It's in midfield where the statement falls short. Giggs and Scholes are accomplished players but their peaks were in previous United teams. The players around them are a long way off world class. Valencia is a fantastic player, whose delivery is as appreciated as much as Beckham's was. But remove Valencia and you have a midfield struggling in creativity. Van Persie is everywhere for United, not least dropping deep on numerous occasions along with Rooney to start an attack. Carrick is decent at best whilst Anderson flatters to deceive.

Rotation is now commonplace in the United midfield because no one is making a position theirs. Giggs, albeit a legend and still able to perform at the highest level, should not be getting a look in even in dead rubber Champions League ties. That is if this side is Ferguson's strongest. If Carrick and Cleverley are off par Anderson can be called upon. But the more reliable fresh legs of Nicky Butt, for Keane or Scholes, was part of the reason United were able to romp to the treble in 1999. Darren Fletcher fulfils a similar role but has not been the same since his illness. Meanwhile Nani and Young's inconsistent form has left fans praying for the return of Ronaldo.
 

Tom Cleverley, a talented prospect.

 

 That said, this squad has easily enough potential to become one of United's greatest teams. Rafael is looking a more complete player this season and Jones and Smalling are technically sound stoppers with footballing brains similar to Pallister and Bruce. It remains to be seen whether Cleverley can reach the heights of Scholes, but once fit Kawaga will show his quality. Hernandez is Solskjaer all over and has more of a predatory instinct. Van Persie can lead this current squad on with his goals and creativity for at least three more years whilst hopefully spurring Rooney on.

'I knew I should have kept my mouth shut'.

 

It has been a comfortable ride thus far for United but don't be surprised if they falter again. The make up of Manchester City's squad is more suited now to the role once held by United, the late comers who hit form at the crucial time. If Vidic continues his spell on the sidelines, Van Persie joins him and Ferdinand is not offered a new contract, United's side will lack determined leaders to carry them over the line. Kompany, Toure and Tevez have the legs, fitness and tenacity to keep going until May. Madrid will be a massive test for this United team and one which on current watching they may well fail to pass.