Talented And Troubled – Is Ravel Morrison Set To Be A Future England Star Or Potential Football Burnout?
Before Christmas, Ravel Morrison was on the verge of an England call-up and a dark horse to be picked for the World Cup squad in Brazil. Now, Morrison is on loan in the Championship at QPR. Is this down to yet another act of self-sabotage by the notoriously difficult starlet, or is Morrison perhaps the victim in this case?
Read more on what the future holds for the former Manchester United wonderkid in my latest article for Soccer Souls by clicking on the link below:
Should Celtic join the English Premier League?
This is a shortened version of a previous article, just focusing on Celtic, and whether the Scottish club should join the English Premier League:
One of the longest raging debates in British football has been over suggestions that Celtic and Rangers join the English Premier League. The arguments for and against this are multiple and complicated, but highly simplified, the debate seems to surround on the impact it would have on Scottish football, and the impact it would have on the clubs themselves. Given recent performances, it is perhaps easy to forget that not so long ago, Scotland were good, very good. Souness, Hansen, Dalglish and many more, all excellent players, so what happened? Why is Scottish football at an all-time low? Well, it is no secret that the Scottish Premiership is a forgone conclusion before it even starts; following Rangers administration and relegation, there is no one left to challenge Celtic for the title. It is a stale league, which as such receives relatively low television income, and has seen Scotland decline as a European power; gone are the days of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen upsetting the big boys.
One of the side effects of the complete inequality of the Scottish Premiership has been clubs spending beyond their means to bring in mediocre foreign players in a desperate attempt to rival Celtic, affecting the development of young Scottish talent. There is a strong argument to be made that Celtic, and perhaps in a few years Rangers, joining the English Premier League would be beneficial for Scottish football. Without Celtic in the picture, the playing field would be levelled, clubs would no longer have to spend beyond their means, restrictions could be placed on foreign players, and the result could be a much more competitive league, where young Scottish players can enjoy plenty of first team football and develop their game. The league would eventually grow in quality, with significant future benefit. The major concern surrounding the departure of Celtic and the effect it could have on Scottish football is financial. Celtic have passionate fans, regularly packing out the 60,000 capacity Celtic Park, and bringing significant away support. As well as ticket sales, Celtic and Rangers rake in the majority of T.V money for Scotland, the withdrawal of these funds could be critical. However, there seems to be a fairly obvious solution. Relegated Premier League clubs are set to begin £60 million in parachute payments over four years, and Championship clubs not receiving these payments, receive a yearly solidarity payment of £2.3 million. The obvious solution to recompensing Scottish football for the loss of Celtic, Rangers, and the corresponding financial loss for the Scottish FA would be some form of solidarity payment, to ensure that Scottish football survives the transition.
In terms of Celtic the club, the positives of joining the Premier League would surely outweigh the negatives. Celtic have not won a European Cup in 1967, and their greatest achievement in recent years, has been finishing as runners up in the 2003 UEFA Cup, a decade ago. Celtic have been impressing in the Champions League, most famously matching up against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona last year. However, what Celtic currently face is the prospect of having to rebuild their team every season, the stars of last season’s impressive campaign Wanyama and Hooper both left Glasgow in the summer, not for the biggest sides in Europe, but two fairly medium sized Premier League clubs, Southampton and Norwich. Wanyama and Hooper did not leave for bigger clubs, but for a bigger league; Celtic moving to the Premier League would resolve this problem. Celtic’s huge support, boosted by the increased ticket prices that can be charged in the Premier League, as well as the astronomical television revenue on offer would quickly see Celtic able to compete financially with even the biggest in the business. The main issue for Celtic fans would likely be missing out on the Champions League. Competition for Champions League places is at an all-time high in the Premier League this season, and if Celtic were to join the Premier League, there would undoubtedly be a period of transition. However, after a period of adjustment, with their pick of Scottish talent, avid, sizeable support, and the increased financial clout the Premier League would bring, competing for those top four spots would be only a matter of time for Celtic.
In practical terms, adjustments would obviously have to be made to the structure of both nations’ leagues. However, the timing could be right to make these changes. With the relegation of Rangers, Scottish football has already made changes to its league system recently; there is no firmly established system, better to adjust now, than years down the road. In terms of English football, the timing could also be right. Greg Dyke has recently taken over as the new Chairman of The Football Association and has made noises about change. Choosing to ignore many of England’s more systematic problems, Dyke has focused on the number of foreign players in the English game, with talk of a minimum quota of English, or even English under-21 players being bandied about; the introduction of Celtic to the Premier League could be the opportunity Dyke and The Football Association need to implement new regulations. With Rangers romping along in the Scottish League One, a fairly simple and practical way of bringing these to Scottish giants into the English game could be to expand the Premier League to 22 teams, one of these being Celtic, and the other a one off additional promoted side from the Championship. This could then see Rangers join the Championship, with England’s second tier remaining at 24 clubs.
England throw away recent good form with a disappointing display against perennial World Cup neutrals’ favourite Chile
As well as my own blog, and the occasional article for The Boot Room, I am now writing a weekly column for the lovely chaps over at Stretty News titled ‘A Week in Football’. Here is Week 14:
Chile are a very good attacking side, and under Bielsa acolyte Jorge Sampaoli, the South American have been back to their swaggering best. Chilean sides have always been remarkably inconsistent, but after their heroics in South Africa they suffered a prolonged dip under Claudio Borghi. Sampaoli has returned Chile to the identity formed during El Loco’s tenure, meaning high intensity, heavy pressing, attacking full backs and wide forwards. Sampaoli’s Universidade de Chile side were by far the best South American side in 2011, snatching the Apertura, Clausura, and even upset the Brazilian and Argentinian monopoly on the continental cups by winning the Copa Sudamericana; the first Chilean side to do so. He has carried this impressive form into his reign at the head of the Chilean national team, leading his side to World Cup qualification, third in the table, ahead of the likes of Uruguay and Ecuador, and behind only Argentina and Colombia.
For all the positives, Chile are still a defensively appalling team. They conceded 25 goals in 16 qualifiers, only bottom two Bolivia and Paraguay conceded more than Chile. As England got to see, Chile’s fullbacks love to bomb forward, and Baines and Johnson were given a torrid time by Juventus defender Isla and Jean Beausejour. Chile love to double up on the opposition full backs, with their own defenders pinning back the opposition and their wide forwards then slipping in the channels to be played in by an advanced playmaker. This happened time and again versus England, with none of the back four impressing. Alexis Sanchez, who has been so crucial in the hugely impressive way Barcelona have coped without either the presence or stellar form of Lionel Messi this term, continued his rejuvenation so far this year, to make it 12 goals for club and country since the new season kicked off. His two goals rounded off a hugely impressive game for the former Undinese man, but England’s defenders needed to do better.
Cahill has been a solid presence at the back for England under Hodgson, and Leighton Baines has to be considered one of the best left backs in the world, but neither was able to shackle Sanchez and Vargaz. Glen Johnson was also largely ineffective, but the biggest disappointment has to be the performance of Phil Jones. The Manchester United defender was fresh from having played a crucial side in the reigning Premier League champions’ victory over Arsenal, and had their influential playmaker Mesut Ozil in his pocket the entire game. However, having fully earned his call-up and place in the starting line-up, Jones did little to stake his claim on the position. Fraser Forster was perhaps the only positive at the back for England on Friday, the Celtic man did nothing wrong, and a few good stops, combined with a few poor touches from the Chileans was the only thing that kept the goal tally below two. If Joe Hart continues to be shut out of Manchester City side by the huge Romanian Costel Pantilimon, then Hodgson can have confidence in Forster’s ability to fill the void.
Although a let-down, England will have expected Chile’s forwards to cause their back line some problems, what is truly alarming is that England were not able to exploit the space left in behind Chile’s marauding wing backs to trouble their fragile back line. Despite 13 shots in total, England were only able to notch 5 on target and could not could not cause a bulge in the talented, if sporadic Claudio Bravo’s net. It was an experimental line-up for Hodgson, but it was England’s more experienced players that let their manager down; there was no fluidity in England’s midfield, and Wilshere, Milner and Lampard never asserted themselves in possession, giving Chile 57% of the ball. This left England’s attackers with little service; Rodriguez was a quiet and peripheral presence on his debut, and Wayne Rooney cut a frustrated figure up front, harrying and chasing to little effect. The one shining light for the Three Lions was Adam Lallana. The Southampton man was marvellous in attacking midfield; truly two footed, Lallana caused problems for Chile on both flanks, and was at the heart of everything good England did. Lallana was perhaps unfortunate to not earn a goal on his debut, winning a corner off of Claudio Bravo, after an excellent move saw Rooney slip the Saint in behind the Chilean defence. England won 11 corners to Chile’s one, but were unable to exploit their opposition’s lack of height.
It has been refreshing to see the likes of Southampton trio Rodriguez, Lallana and Lambert in the England squad of late, one of the main issues plaguing the England national side has been managers picking players based on reputation rather than form. However, it still baffles that Milner who struggles to get a game for Manchester City seems to be first choice, even ahead of the likes of James Ward-Prowse, shining this year in that stellar Southampton side, and Manchester United metronome Michael Carrick. Based on Friday’s performance, it is obvious that Chile will bring great entertainment to the World Cup, and England still have a long, long way to go if they are to challenge the best in the world.
A Week In Football: The title race continues to be joyfully unpredictable, and relegation candidates scrap to not fall away
As well as my own blog, and the occasional article for The Boot Room, I am now writing a weekly column for the lovely chaps over at Stretty News titled ‘A Week in Football’. Here is Week 13:
Eight points currently separate top and ninth, in what has been the tightest title race for years. Few could have predicted that things would be this tight at the top; Arsenal were all but written off in preseason and Liverpool were seen as outsiders for a top four spot. Before the season started, the Premier League had been billed as a top up between Manchester City and Chelsea, but both have been incredibly inconsistent, the holders Manchester United have floundered, and Southampton have gate-crashed the party. Currently there is a genuine six-way battle raging for the title, and that’s not counting Southampton, who sitting third ahead of City and Spurs, cannot be dismissed. Surely this wonderfully competitive situation cannot last, but that has been said for eleven weeks, and if anything, it is only getting tighter at the top.
Newcastle United this weekend cast off any prospect that they would spend the season battling it out at the bottom with a victory against Tottenham. With a host of internationals throughout the team, Newcastle should never have spent the last year fighting it out at the bottom. In the 2011-12 season, the Tyneside club narrowly missed out on the Champions League, a competition they last graced in 2002-3 under Bobby Robson. It is where their fans expect the club to be, and although Newcastle are certainly outsiders, they mustn’t be dismissed. In Cabaye, Tiote and Sissoko, they have a midfield up there with any other Premier League, and the loan signing of the Thierry Henry-esque Loic Remy has been nothing short of inspired, the Frenchman hitting his seventh league goal of the season against Spurs. It is at the back that Newcastle came unstuck last season, but the Toon side proved that they are a much more solid proposition this term by weathering a 31 shot barrage against Spurs. When injury free, Newcastle have a decent back four, and after an extended dip in form, Tim Krul is back to his world-class best to the frustration of Andre Villas-Boas.
The other surprise package this season has been Southampton. It is easy to forget just how far Southampton have come in the last few years. Southampton’s performances since their return to the Premier League have been nothing short of remarkable. Having been a top flight side for 27 years before their 2005 relegation, and having handled the step up from the Championship with consummate ease, it is easy to forget that Southampton’s time in English football’s lower divisions. In just eight short years, Southampton have been through relegations to the Championship and then League One, administration, a takeover, numerous managerial changes and ecured back to back promotion, which all makes it even more extraordinary that Southampton now find themselves sitting third in the Premier League. It is no fluke either. The Saints really hit form against Fulham this weekend, smashing four past the usually solid Hull City. It is the first time this season that the Saints’ attackers had really hit form in the Premier League, but they had proved their quality last term and Lambert, Lallana and Rodriguez have all earned England call ups this week. Joined by the mercurial Pablo Osvaldo who struck 17 times for Roma last term, Southampton were always going to get goals. Key to their success this term has been the Saints’ frugality at the back; new signings Lovren and Wanyama have added steel to Southampton’s backline, but more important has been Pochettino’s adaption of the German tactic of gegenpressing. This high pressing line and high tempo defending from the front has been crucial to Southampton’s success, and has been ingrained in their young English stars such as Ward-Prowse and Luke Shaw; the future looks bright, especially if Southampton can continue to surprise everyone and snatch a European place.
Amongst the favourites, it has been unpredictability galore, and their thoroughly enjoyable lack of consistency continued this weekend. Chelsea narrowly avoided a first home Premier League loss for Mourinho with a controversial penalty to snatch a 2-2 draw with West Brom. Ramires took a rather dramatic tumble to rob the Baggies of a thoroughly deserved victory, but even so Steven Clarke will have been delighted at the nature of West Brom’s performance, who have now put a slow start very much behind them. Other than a disastrous first match in charge, Sunderland have undergone a genuine revival under Poyet, first beating Newcastle on the Tyne-Weir derby, and then firmly establishing themselves as Manchester City’s bogey team with a victory over the Citizens on Sunday. The Stadium of Light has been a barren ground for City in recent seasons, and despite dominating the match, City were unable to come back against Sunderland after falling behind to a Phil Bardsley goal, which although excellently finished owed much to some poor defending and uninspiring goal keeping. It gave Manchester United the opportunity to climb above their City rivals on Sunday, and the Reds now find themselves in fifth and very much back in the mix for the title, having now cobbled together enough form to see out front runners Arsenal in a resilient 1-0 display. Sunderland’s victory owed much to two United alumni; Wes Brown and John O’Shea, who were both excellent at the back against City and will be key for the Black Cats if they are to have any hope of scrapping their way to survival this term.
Sunderland were not the only relegation threatened team to show some life at the bottom either. The relegation candidates had all been in danger of being cut adrift, but Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Norwich were all able to earn points over the weekend. Stoke played out a lively draw with Swansea and are showing signs of improvement. Norwich were able to go one step further, with a win against West Ham, and the Canaries will hope that they can now look up the table rather than over their shoulders for the rest of the season. Despite a draw against Everton, it is hard to see the still manager-less Palace climbing out of trouble, and they look to be joined in free-fall by the hapless Fulham. Liverpool were able to capitalise on Arsenal’s defeat to narrow the gap between second and first to just two points, heaping pressure on Martin Jol in the process, as Suarez inspired Liverpool to a 4-0 victory. It may be agonising for fans of those teams at the top who have been so inconsistent, but no one can deny it makes great entertainment, and long may it continue.
A Week In Football: At last a convincing performance by England, but Brazil still far away
As well as my own blog, and the occasional article for The Boot Room over at http://tbrfootball.com, I am now writing a weekly column for the lovely chaps over at http://strettynews.com/ titled A Week in Football. Here is Week 9.
With the International break meaning no Premier League or Championship football, all ties turned to England’s attempts to limp over the World Cup qualification line. The opponents were Montenegro, sturdy but hardly fearsome opposition, but given how England had so far failed to actually beat a team not San Marino or Moldova, the build up to the game certainly didn’t feature unbridled confidence and optimism. The England is not the side is should be, a fact apparent to the world. There are numerous systematic problems plaguing the Three Lions at the moment, but also pervasive is a negative mentality. Part of the reason as to why qualification has once again gone down to the final game to be decided is that draws against the likes of Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine are being viewed, within the England camp at least, as good results. With all respect to Montenegro, one would be hard pushed to pick more than three of their players (Vučinić, Jovetić and Savić) that could cut it at Premier League level. The Ukraine and Poland are obviously sterner opponents, but with a side stuffed with Premier and Champions League regulars, England should be heading into all of these games, home or away, with a positive game plan and complete confidence in victory.
On Thursday, England finally entered a game under Hodgson with a positive and aggressive attitude. With a victory and therefore goals needed, Hodgson could no longer hedge his bets and stick with the conservative. England lined up with two wingers in debut hero Townsend and Danny Welbeck, as well as both Sturridge and Rooney, and this intent was rewarded with a 4-1 victory. The deep lying Lampard and Gerrard made a mockery of the generally believed fallacy that England cannot retain possession, recycling the ball brilliantly and repeatedly releasing the ball down the flanks, with Townsend and Baines in particular tormenting the Montenegrin full backs. England achieved 61% possession, hitting 27 shots in a truly dominant performance. The stage is now perfectly set for qualification with a win against Poland on Tuesday, a feat that, especially at an expectant Wembley, should be thoroughly achievable. However, it is frustrating that a win in the final game of the campaign is necessary, and it will be far from a given against Poland.
The victory over Montenegro whilst convincing, must not be blown out of proportion, Poland are a better side when Montenegro are at full strength, and the team that faced England had been ravaged by injury, with Juventus’ Vučinić in particular a huge miss. In Błaszczykowski and Lewandowski, Poland have the players to hurt England, so a professional job is a must. However, England fans will hope that fear of losing doesn’t prevent the Three Lions from winning, with it imperative that Hodgson again be bold with his choice of line up and not revert to type. Even if all goes as planned on Tuesday and England qualify for Brazil, we are still a long way off from troubling the latter stages. The players are certainly there; it would be hard for anyone to deny that on their day the likes of Rooney, Baines and Wilshere aren’t world class players, but if England revert back to playing for draws rather than wins, then they will never trouble the world’s top sides.
England have a host of young talent emerging; Sterling, Zaha, Morrison, Barkley, Ward-Prowse, Berahino, Hughes, Stones, Chalobah, Byram, Powell, Luke Shaw and the list goes on. The next couple of competitions will be crucial in these players development, and the handling of these players will be crucial in whether England can attain any silverware in the foreseeable future. This group could, and hopefully will be joined by others in the near futures, with players such as Adnan Januzaj now being courted for the England team, as the home nations now look again at their decision to opt out of the residency rule. Jack Wilshere has claimed that only English players should be allowed to play for England, but what is English Jack? England is arguably the most multicultural country in the world, but our national team should, but doesn’t currently reflect that. Numerous countries make use of the residency rule, with Germany the prime example, yet their culture cannot boast the vibrant variety of England’s.
La Brujita: Service above self
Juan Sebastián Verón has somewhat of an unfair reputation in England; that of an expensive flop, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s few transfer mistake. But is that all that Verón is? A player with an inflated reputation and a price tag to match who couldn’t cut it at the highest level? Well no actually; in this article for Stretty News, read how there is much more to Verón than just an unlucky spell in England:
The Argentine Primera División is certainly not the most glamorous in the world; as with pretty much all leagues outside of Europe, clubs in the Primera tend to lose their best players at a very young age to the European leagues, leaving them with bright potential stars, ageing veterans and those considered not good enough to grace the pitches of Europe’s top clubs. However, even if for a short spell, the Primera has featured many of the world’s best players; Maradona is the standout of course, but even in recent years, the likes of Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez have all spent time in then Primera on their way to stardom. Two players in recent years really stand out when discussing the great players in Primera; Juan Sebastián Verón and Juan Román Riquelme both started their careers in Argentina and both returned. However, unlike so many players, Verón and Riquelme didn’t return to Argentina in the twighlight of their careers when no European clubs wanted them any longer, but at 31 and 29 respectively, still in their pomp, still world class and still stars for the Argentinian national side. Both players went on to become icons at their respective clubs, but whereas Riquelme has at time become bigger than the club, Verón has remained a loyal servant of Estudiantes de La Plata.
At Boca Juniors, Riquelme is a legend, king of La Bombonera, but he knows it, and demands the requisite respect; as a languid playmaker, Boca have been forced to shape the team around Riquelme and during the times in which he has found himself a square peg for a round hole, there have been falling outs, often very public ones. Riquelme has made 362 appearances for Boca, scoring 87 goals, during that time he inspired Boca to five league titles, three Copa Libertadores titles, a Sudamericana win, as well as Intercontinental Cup and Copa Argentina. He is a phenomenon, but there is a growing feeling among fans that Riquelme’s performances on the pitch no longer justify his level of influence at the club and that his presence is becoming disruptive. There are parallels with Rogério Ceni of São Paulo. A goalkeeper, Ceni has made over 1100 appearances for the Tricolor and has remarkably scored 112 goals in that time, but with his club struggling of late has come under fire from fans. It may be that both Riquelme and Ceni may soon find themselves being given a great thank you for their service to their clubs and quietly ushered out the door. No such situation is ever likely to arise for Verón at Estudiantes. Whereas Riquelme is one of many icons at Boca, due to the likes of Martin Palermo, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and of cause that man again, Diego Maradona, very few could rival Verón as the greatest ever Estudiantes player of all time, only the brilliant side of the late 1960’s even come close.
For all of their similarities, Verón’s return to Argentina came under significantly different circumstances to that of Riquelme’s. In 2007, Riquelme had a falling out with current Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini and moved on loan to Boca. The move was later made permanent, but not until a move to Athletico Madrid fell through at the last minute; Riquelme’s move home it must be remembered was out of a desire to leave Villareal first and foremost. Also, Riquelme’s time in Europe was largely one of unfulfilled potential, barring a few fantastic seasons at Villareal, Riquelme never really reached the heights expected of him when he left Boca for Barcelona in 2002. Verón is another story. He is often thought of in England as somewhat of a failure, regularly trotted out as an example of a rare piece of poor transfer business by Sir Alex Ferguson, it is often forgotten that he joined United as one of the best midfielders in the world. Verón first moved to Europe in 1996, having briefly starred alongside Maradona at La Bombonera, Verón made the move to Sampdoria, then managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson. His star continued to rise and Verón was brilliant in the 1998 World Cup held in France, providing the most assists of any player and earning a move to Parma. Verón was at Parma for only a year, winning a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup in the process before linking up with his former manager and becoming the key man in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s Lazio side. Verón shone in a league that is much more competitive than it is now, with their being four different Scudetto winners during his first spell in Italy. Another Coppa Italia win followed at Lazio for Verón, who also won a UEFA Super Cup, a Supercoppa Italiana and the first of two Serie A titles during his time at the Roman club.
In 2001, after overcoming accusations and controversy over the legitimacy of his Italian passport, Verón joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side for a reported fee of £28 million. It is his spell at United that Verón is unfairly best remembered for in England. After originally struggling to settle to English football, Verón was only average in his first season, struggling to establish himself and competing for places with two brilliant players in the form of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. However, Verón was fantastic in his second season for United, especially crucial in their progression from the Champions’ League Group Stage. Verón’s time in England and United was cruelly interrupted by injury and he was defended with surprising venom by Sir Alex Ferguson, who hit back against critics, labelling them “all fucking idiots” and praised Verón as “a fucking great player”. (Taylor, Daniel (7 May 2002). “Ferguson rages at Verón critics”, London: guardian.co.uk, Accessed: 23/09/2013) If he had not been so unfortunately hampered by injury there is little doubt that La Brujita would have continued to perform at Old Trafford, but the newly Abramovich funded Chelsea came in for him and Verón’s Manchester United career was cut prematurely short, a case of bad luck and unfulfilled potential. Verón did win the Premier League in his last season with United, but his time in England as a whole seemed fated to be unsuccessful, as Verón again struggled with injuries at Chelsea, making only 14 appearances for the club.
Verón was deemed surplus to requirements once Mourinho joined Chelsea and was farmed out on loan, to Italy and Inter Milan. Verón revived his career whilst at Internazionale, recapturing the form of his last spell in Italy and going on to win another two Coppa Italia medals and a second Serie A title. Verón was back to his best, but let it be known that he wished to return home; offers flooded in from Argentina’s biggest sides, including River Plate and his former club Boca Juniors, but Verón turned them all down in favour of his boyhood club Estudiantes de La Plata. After an original loan spell, Verón joined the club permanently following the end of his contract with Chelsea. Verón had played for Estudiantes in his youth, where he won a Primera B Nacional title and earned the nickname La Brujita meaning ‘Little Witch’, after his father, who also played for the club and was known as La Bruja, ‘The Witch’. Verón’s move home was certainly not the end of his success, with his return coinciding with Estudiantes’ most successful period of their history since the dominant side of the late 1960’s of which Verón senior was a part of. Inspired by Verón junior’s midfield displays, Estudiantes won their first league in 23 years in 2006. It was a feat they would achieve again in 2010, but probably Verón’s greatest achievement so far at Estudiantes and possibly his whole career is the 2009 capture of the Copa Libertadores. The Copa Libertadores holds a special place in the history of Estudiantes and the hearts’ of its fans, after they previously dominated the competition. Inspired by Verón senior, Estudiantes captured the trophy three times on the trot between 1968 and 1970, as well as a memorable 1968 triumph against Manchester United in the Intercontinental Cup, in which Verón scored a famous header. The 2009 victory was Estudiantes’ first Copa Libertadores win since Juan Sebastián Verón’s father won the title in 1970 and captaining the side will have been a proud moment for La Brujita.
It is not just on the pitch that Verón has been crucial for Estudiantes; donations made by Verón were crucial in upgrading the club’s training facilities. Verón also played a part in securing a deal with the La Plata council to modernise Estudiantes’ Estadio Único. Injuries have plagued Verón his entire career and after the 2011-12 season, he retired from football with back and ankle injuries, his body finally getting the better of his commitment to football and Estudiantes. However, his retirement did not mean the end of Verón’s association with Estudiantes, with the veteran becoming a sporting director. Verón waived any fiscal reward for his role as a director and maintained his fitness playing for local amateur side Brandsen. When Estudiantes came knocking again this summer, Verón, ever the loyal servant, has put aside fitness concerns to come out of retirement, featuring in five of Estudiantes’ eight league games so far this season, and has donated his year’s salary to the youth side. It is this loyalty that sets Verón apart from so many other footballers, whereas Riquelme arrived at Boca amid acrimony for a large fee, Verón arrived on a free transfer after a successful period in Italy. Whereas Riquelme signed for Boca only after a move to Athletico Madrid fell through, Verón joined Estudiantes `after turning down other, more fiscally rewarding offers from clubs much bigger than the La Plata side. Riquelme has been the controversial king at Boca, Verón has been humble serf at Estudiantes. Riquelme will live long in the memory of Boca fans, but at Estudiantes, both father and son are legends and the name Verón will never be forgotten.
The problems surrounding the England national team are systematic and extend way beyond the Premier League’s foreign imports
The Football Association recently revealed Greg Dyke as its new Chairman and he was quick to announce his intentions for the role; improving England’s floundering national team. After their capitulation in South Africa, England struggled through to the quarter finals, outplayed by a rejuvenated Italy. The next challenge for Roy Hodgson’s side has been qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a challenge England have hardly excelled against, with qualification going down to the wire, with a crucial match against Ukraine on Tuesday followed by a likely top spot decider versus Montenegro in October. Dyke was quick to point the blame at the feet of the Premier League, claiming that he and the others with a hand in its formation had no idea the monster they were creating and that the League’s expensive foreign imports were stunting the development of young English talent. This has been a common criticism in recent years, with every major tournament failure followed by numerous rants and articles bemoaning the greedy and self-serving Premier League. However, is this really a fair summation of the problems currently plaguing the England national team? The Premier League is an easy scapegoat, but pilling yet more blame at the feet of the country’s top clubs will not solve the national team’s problems and neither will ignoring the other systematic issues that are holding back the Three Lions’ progress.
During his time as manager of Barcelona, Johan Cruyff made many important decisions and changes, but one more than any other changed the face of Spanish football. It is surprising to hear now, but prior to Cruyff, the now world renowned La Masia Academy admitted players based on their physical potential, not technical ability; if a player wasn’t expected to reach a certain height then they weren’t admitted. Cruyff changed this, dictating that any player who was good enough was also tall enough and strong enough, it was a footballing paradigm shift and La Masia began to produce the likes of Pep Guardiola, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi; the beginnings of one of the greatest club sides of all time. Cruyff made these changes in Spain in the 1990’s, it is now 2013 and in England up and down the country, players are still picked in youth sides for their physicality, and we wonder why we are so far behind Spain in terms of the quality of our national side; it is because England are over 20 years behind in the way we produce and coach young players. Some small players are making it through the system; those who are truly and precociously talented still fight past this physical prejudice, but not enough. Also prevalent is an either or mentality. Players can be big and strong, or players can be small and technical, it is a fallacy that is holding English football.
There is a reason that throughout the continent and South America, young players all learn their craft playing futsal, because for certain players, an eleven a side match is simply too physical at the age of eight, nine or ten. This is no reason for these smaller players to be left by the wayside, nor is it a reason for stronger players to neglect the technical side of their game. Playing eleven a side matches is great experience for young players; it helps them grow accustomed to the physical demands of professional football, as well as learning the tactical side of the game. However, at is stands, youth coaching in British football is one dimensional and too many potential young players are falling through the cracks. This is an issue that has nothing to do with the Premier League. Greg Dyke can complain all he likes that the Premier League is too reliant on foreign imports, but perhaps if English clubs were producing more technical players of their own; the Premier League’s elite wouldn’t have to go shopping.
It is not just small, less physically imposing players that are falling through the cracks either. England is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. It is part of this country’s identity, part of what makes England great, yet the national side is not representative of this multiculturalism. In recent years, the world has watched as Germany has benefited from a policy of inclusion, accepting and actively recruiting from their immigrant communities to strengthen their own national side. Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira of Turkish descent and Klose and Podolski of Polish descent have all chosen their adopted home over their ancestral one to become key figures for Germany. One has to wonder how well this wonderfully talented German side would have fared in recent competitions without these key, adopted players and how the likes of Turkey and Poland (who can also bemoan the loss of Laurent Koscielny to France) could have done if these talented players and chosen to play for the teams of their ancestors. Given the huge success of Germany, it is baffling how we in England haven’t followed suit. Young English players abroad are almost entirely ignored by national scouts, with Lewis Holtby the highest profile of players to pick their new home over England, with new Liverpool signing Tiago Illori another example. However, this problem also extends to players at home. England is a far more culturally varied country than Germany, which dozens of immigrant communities call their home, many for generations, but how many English-Indians are there in the England national team? How many third generation Poles? England has benefitted from certain players picking their new home, particularly from African and Caribbean countries, but how many have we missed out on such as Chelsea’s Victor Moses? And why does it seem to be that only particular cultures can be included in the national team? Why have we have had African and Caribbean Three Lions players, but no English players of Turkish or Pakistani descent? Or Polish? Or Brazilian? Or Romanian? It is a bizarre and disappointing situation, that out of all these cultures, that all have thriving communities throughout England and have done for generations, none have had players who have gone on to be English internationals. It is disappointing for footballing reasons, but it goes beyond that; the England national team should be a reflection of England and what makes this country and currently it unfortunately simply isn’t.
This lack of identity extends to style of play. English clubs are feared across Europe for their fast and direct approach, but the English national team is not. The players that make up the England squad are all used to dominating teams with their club squads, playing a high tempo and direct possession game. Yet when they turn out for the red and white of England, an inferiority complex seems to prevail. The fallacy that England can’t match the world’s best is pervasive, this pathetic false belief that our only option against other international sides is to play a negative and conservative counter attacking game. The occasional performance aside, watching England in past seasons has been laborious, with possession conceded against the world’s better sides before a ball is even kicked in anger. It would be ridiculous to suggest that England should attempt to play like Spain, however, it is also ridiculous to suggest that with the likes of Carrick, Wilshire, Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard in the side England should be reduced to a counter attacking side. Furthermore, with the wealth of pace in the English, the slow tempo with which the Three Lions play is infuriating; Fridays match against Moldova was the first time England had scored at Wembley in the first 20 minutes during this qualification campaign. It is telling that England’s last four permanent managers have a combined age of 250, England are stuck in the past, with no invention and no progression.
It was refreshing to see Southampton’s Rickie Lambert earn his first caps against Scotland and Moldova, and whilst it has been almost universally accepted that he has earned his caps through his performances in the Premier League last term, many fans have been quick to add a caveat; that at 31 Lambert is not the future for England. Except that he is. Lambert himself is never going to break any international records and if he does manage to make it on the plane to Brazil, it would certainly be his first and last major tournament for England. What makes Lambert the future for England, is what his call up could represent; picking players based on form, regardless of age or how fashionable the club they play for is. One only has to look at the selections of Young and Milner. These are undoubtedly two very good players, however, they have not been playing regularly for their clubs, nor have they impressed when they have made appearances. Meanwhile, Leon Osman and Adam Lallana of Everton and Southampton have been consistently churning out appearances of great quality and do not get a look in. It is hard to understand why these players only have one cap between them, is what sets Young and Milner above Lallana and Osman really a gulf in quality? Or is it that Young and Milner play for the two Manchester clubs and have a reputation to match. Unfortunately Lallana and Osman are not rarities; with Gerrard, Lampard and Wilshire all having suffered through poor form and injuries lately, what does Leon Britton have to do to earn a cap? The England national team should be made up of those players who are eligible for the team and are displaying the best form, not who has the biggest reputation and plays for a fashionable club. Of course there are going to certain players who are so invaluable that they are picked even if they are low on form and fitness, but the current state of affairs goes way beyond that. The England set-up has become way too cosy, the same established so called stars are almost guaranteed a place in the squad and so have little incentive to perform with the only competition coming from whatever young ‘wonderkid’ happens to be the flavour of the month.
Many have delighted in the call ups of Barkley, Zaha, Sterling and the like, but whilst of course it is great to see excellent young English prospects, these call ups are indicative of how hugely England have misused the under 21 system. If German or Spanish, these players would not have earned senior caps yet, but instead properly matured through the various age groups. These countries take competitions in the lower age categories seriously, not rushing players through, but allowing each age group to progress naturally, gaining competitive experience at every level so they are ready when they finally make the step up. There is an outdated arrogance to the English national team, one exasperated by a disregard for youth competition and a tedious predictability in the management, with appointment to the senior posts almost always elder, past their peak and in the zenith of their careers. What England needs is progressive coaching and a clear footballing identity, from grass roots, right the way up to the senior side of the national team. Until this is established and complacent stars are spurred into activity by the selection of in form players, England will continue to underperform regardless of Premier League. The fact is Mr Dyke; young players are getting chances in the Premier League. For all of the league’s expensive foreign imports, at Southampton Luke Shaw is an established starter at eighteen and has been joined by James Ward-Prowse this term, over at Everton Ross Barkley has shone and John Stones will be pushing for a start, Liverpool have a host of young English stars, with Raheem Sterling just the pick of the bunch, the list goes on with Zaha and Chalobah at Manchester United and Chelsea, or Will Hughes at Derby, the players are there, but the system is failing them. (http://bit.ly/150IQ5q)
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