The Stoketshirts.co.uk blog

The loss of Paul Ware is terrible on so many levels. Being honest, Warey was never a Hudson or Greenhoff, but we had a player we could identify with. A player who gave us the 100% we demand and played his part when we had some success. I , like many Stokies, will always cherish the moment at Peterborough when his free kick sent us to Wembley. That moment alone is enough to secure our affection forever. Many people don’t, and will never relate that…. which, quite frankly, is their loss. RIP Paul Ware.

At Queens Park Rangers on Saturday Stoke City finally registered the victory we’ve needed for so long.  We gained three thoroughly deserved points against a home side destined for relegation.  From the moment Peter Crouch gave us the lead shortly before half time the result rarely looked in any doubt.  Our approach to the game was a refreshing change.  It demonstrated that if a team goes all out to win  and commits men forward to support the forwards, you have a chance of winning a game of football!  We now go into the final four games of the season six points ahead of the relegation zone.   Even taking into account our horrendous start to 2013 we can be forgiven for feeling a sixth consecutive Premier League campaign is in touching distance.  After the trauma of recent months many of us will be relieved to see the back of this season and take stock.  Everyone involved must do all they can to ensure a long sparse period like the one we’ve suffered isn’t repeated. The powers that be at Stoke City will have some big decisions to make in the close season.

The A-League season reached it’s climax with Central Coast Mariners crowned champions for the first time.  In the Grand Final Central Coast deservedly beat Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0. Despite losing the final Western Sydney can be justifiably proud of their first season…. their vociferous support has added much needed noise and colour to the Australian sporting landscape.  In the wider perspective, few could deny the arrival of Heskey Ono and Del Piero has raised football’s profile here.  One bone of contention has to be the way the Grand Final was reported.  Much of the media have lauded the crowd of over 42,000 as a sign football has well and truly arrived in Australia.  The point has to be made that the previous two Grand Finals, both played in Brisbane, each attracted crowds of over 50,000.  The A-League has attracted more media attention than ever this season which obviously is beneficial to football’s profile… but the game here isn’t just a product of the last twelve months.  We shouldn’t have to wait until we have a successful team from Sydney to see the game’s growth acknowledged and celebrated.

Throughout last season’s controversy over the Luis Suarez racism charge, Liverpool Football Club stood by the player.  Kenny Dalglish’ support for Suarez was so absolute it’s hard to believe it had no influence on his eventual dismissal.  Suarez has repaid this support by demonstrating he is, quite simply, a loose cannon not to be trusted.  Many  players have made rash tackles or foolishly lashed out but on Sunday overstepped every conceivable mark by biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.  If the FA take appropriate action and give out a lengthy ban it’s possible he’ll never play for Liverpool again. Nobody denies Suarez is a marvellous footballer but, at this stage, Brendan Rogers should assert some self governance and get rid of him. It is however sickening to think by moving him on Suarez will probably  get a move to a glamour club and a pay rise.

We saw the other end of the scale at Anfield on Sunday when a minutes applause was held in honour of Anne Williams.  She was a marvellous woman whose tireless campaigning has been an integral factor in the marvellous work of the Hillsborough justice campaign.  After losing her 15 year old son Kevin in the disaster Anne Williams spent her life challenging authority figures and gathering evidence to confront the lies associated with that tragic day. RIP Anne Williams.  Justice for the 96.

The PFA’s player of the year ceremony takes place on Sunday.    However, one question that has to be asked is why does the voting have to take place so early in the season?  The awards are dished out before the seasons climax when there is plenty of time for players to impose themselves on a season’s story, yet nominations start in February.  The PFA awards remain the games most prestigious.  Acclaim from fellow professionals remains a great accolade.  But to maintain credibility the timing of the ceremony and the voting procedure needs a revamp.

The current season is drifting to it’s conclusion and it’s something of an anti climax.  Across Europe titles are a formality, most leagues currently have a runaway leader.  Bayern Munich secured their latest Bundesliga title with six games to spare.  In the Dutch league Ajax and PSV Eindhoven were neck and neck but Ajax have started to break ahead and now carry a four point lead.  Hopefully the cup competitions will provide some much needed thrills and spills.

Whether Stoke City avoid relegation or not, the current malaise leaves Peter Coates with a huge decision to make in the close season regarding the manager’s position.  Coates may recall a similar situation in his first spell as chairman.  The 1988/89 season was Mick Mills’ fourth campaign managing Stoke City.  During the first two he’d done well to stabilise the club.  At the start of his third season in 1987 we were confidently expecting a sustained push for promotion.  Inconsistency hampered any ambition we had and our season never really got going.  The next season saw us stagnate.   By the end of the 1988/89 season it was abundantly clear to everyone in the game Mills had hit a dead end and, for whatever reason, he’d ceased to be an effective Stoke manager.  It was the summer of 1989 when the board at SCFC  made a cowardly decision and inexplicably awarded him a new contract.  Predictably, at the start of November he had to be sacked… and his contract paid out.  The summer of 2013 will leave Peter Coates in a similar situation.  So far this year Stoke have picked up fewer points (5) than any other Premier League team.  Our play is increasingly disjointed and Saturday’s match against Aston villa was a low point in our recent history.  For all that, we still have a reasonable chance of avoiding the drop.  In a rut like this it’d be easy to forget that Tony Pulis has been a very successful Stoke city manager… with that in mind he should be spared the indignity of  dismissal during the season.  Peter Coates will know there is a huge decision to be made.  With a heavy heart  I state my own feeling that Stoke City need a new manager.   The mistake of 1989 mustn’t be repeated.

As depressing as Stoke’s recent form is it’s worth remembering football is a brilliant game.  To reinforce that point here is Antonio Di Natale’s goal for Udinese against Chievo.  Watch it, then watch it again and again.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TEA_tv7dlM

Sadly, Monday April 15th marks the 24th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.   Policing at football grounds has, for many years, been a sore point amongst supporters.   It was  former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police John Stalker who said in the 80s he was aware that many police knew that football matches were one time they were “Let off the leash”.  On the 31st January 1989  Stoke played an FA Cup replay at Barnsley. Thousands of Stoke supporters arrived late due to traffic congestion.   Outside the ground a crush developed and people were getting hurt.  The initial response was to send a police horse running through the crowd which  only added to the chaos.   To ease the congestion the police opened one of the huge exit gates which allowed the crowd  to enter the ground free of charge. This was the response the same force used two months later at Hillsborough.  Had there been more Stoke supporters on the away terrace that night we could have suffered that awful disaster.  Same situation, same police force, same reaction.   We, like all football supporters, were actually riding our luck,  not just on that  night, but for so many years.   There was very little consideration for the issue of crowd safety over crowd control.  It could have been any of us  with the loss of life…..  and the same scandalous tabloid allegations.  With September’s release of documents and the original inquest findings quashed aa new inquest is to take place.  As a result we’ve seen huge steps towards justice which is  testament to the work of the Hillsborough Family Support group.  We can hope this  can bring the bereaved some comfort at what must be a deeply traumatic time of year for them. RIP the 96.

Much has been made of Brazil’s lowly FIFA world ranking of 19th place.  Most people are aware that the positions are determined by a co-efficient devised from competitive results over a four year period.  As Brazil have qualified for the 2014 World Cup as hosts, a lack of competitive fixtures means a fall in the rankings was inevitable.  Brazil’s recent form has been hit and miss.  However, dismissing their chances of success next year would be foolish.  A year out from the 2002 tournament their form was dreadful, there was even the possibility they could miss out on qualification altogether.    It was all forgotten when Cafu lifted the trophy in Yokohama.  Don’t write them off.

Football Federation Australia have announced plans for the FFA Cup, a national competition  to run in addition to the A-League.  With over 600 teams involved the new competition could be an exciting addition to the Australian sporting menu.  The format is yet to be confirmed.  This could provide football clubs in remote areas a rare chance of national recognition and help the game here to become more inclusive.  It’d also be a progressive step to encourage indigenous communities to enter teams.  Overall it could prove to be a vital step in football’s growth in Australia.

The living breathing soap opera that is Mario Balotelli acquired yet another layer of controversy when he was caught smoking on  the train taking the Milan team to face Fiorentina.  In 2011 he famously showed his T-shirt asking “Why Always Me?”  Doing things like getting caught smoking in train toilets is perhaps one reason why always him!

This report in the Daily Mail suggests Tony Pulis is considering leaving Stoke City at the end of the season.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2295475/Tony-Pulis-quit-Stoke.html  Some may suggest it’s media speculation due to Pulis receiving criticism from fans.  However, the story does appear to have more than an inkling of credibility.  There were a few mutterings of frustration after the transfer deadline indicating the manager was frustrated not to have done more business.  He’s also implied previously a sense of exasperation at the size of Stoke City’s youth academy.  The academy is a huge asset for the future of the football club.  Chairman Peter Coates has said the club must become self sufficient.  A thriving academy is a big step towards achieving that but would Tony Pulis benefit?  At this stage Pulis has only played two players below the age of 24 throughout the current season, (Brek Shea and Ryan Shotton) one of which isn’t a first team regular, and one of whom (Shotton) turned 24 on October 30th.  This suggests youth development isn’t a priority for Pulis.  All things borne in mind the story may well be  entirely feasible but we probably won’t know for several months if Pulis will be with us for the start of the 2013/14 season. If he was to leave, all things borne in mind, he should be spared the indignity of a mid season departure.

Turkish international Nuri Sahin has spoken of his relief at leaving Liverpool.  He has said “I did not fail with Liverpool. Brendan Rogers wanted me to play as a ten, but I don’t play behind the strikers. I spoke to him and asked him why he wanted me to play there since it’s not my real position. The Mister couldn’t answer me”  He went on to say how pleased he is to be back at Borussia Dortmund and added  “For what it’s worth, I’m happy. I’ve left Brendan Rogers, thank God”. This can be seen as a classless bitter tirade but is that entirely fair?  Players often come out with glib soundbites to avoid controversy.  Sahin is fully entitled to explain why he feels it didn’t work out at Liverpool.  It’s also refreshing to hear a footballer prepared to state a strong opinion. It’s a pity more players aren’t so forthright.

Juventus manager Antonio Conte has said he may leave Italy.  After his teams 2-0 victory over Bologna Conte made it clear he was increasingly distressed by the abuse his team suffers.  On arriving in Bologna the Juve team bus was bombarded with rocks sticks and spit.  Conte was particularly disturbed by the sight of people carrying young children in their arms screaming vicious abuse and hurling missiles.  Only time will tell if Conte’s threat to leave is genuine or a heat of the moment outburst.  Meanwhile, Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and Real Madrid will have taken note!

Central Coast Mariners players weren’t paid last week. Their ongoing financial wrangling continues to cast a dark shadow over their on field success.  They played well and beat an admittedly lethargic Brisbane Roar team on Sunday.  To be able to stay focused on the job in hand is testament to the players commitment to their job and the motivational ability of manager Graham Arnold.

The draw for the 2016 European Championship qualifiers is to be made in March 2016.  By then  UEFA could have a new member… Gibraltar.  In May member nations will vote to decide on Gibralter’s inclusion.  Gibraltar’s Football Association are bidding to join the international football community but for many years were stifled by a UEFA rule that states the ruling body will only acknowledge nations that are recognised by the United Nations.  However, this changed  in October  when the court of arbitration for sport instructed UEFA to award the British colony provisional member status.  The Spanish FA once stated rather fancifully they would boycott any tournament that involved Gibraltar.  When the draw was made for the 2014 Futsal European championships,  UEFA ensured that even if Gibraltar progressed from their  group  there would be no possibility of an explosive clash with Spain.  Should the vote fall in favour of the GFA it could open a period of political mayhem with Jersey, Kosovo and Greenland all eager to dine at one of football’s most lucrative tables.

When 17 year old Michael Owen burst onto the scene in 1997 it taught me a vital lesson…. football supporters can maintain wondrous childlike fascinations other people can’t!  Despite being 28 years of age and  carrying battle hardened cynicism like a medal, I immediately idolised Owen.   He was a very special player.  Talented, fast and exciting, with an ability to create a yard of space for himself and score goals from odd angles.  Michael Owen had the lot.  I hoped for the boy wonder’s inclusion in Glenn Hoddle’s World Cup squad and my wish was granted.  In St Etienne he scored his brilliant solo goal against Argentina my prodigy, rightly, became a global superstar.  On his return to club football he scored a brilliant hat trick against Newcastle.  As the plaudits rolled in the cap size remained the same.  The archetypal mature head on young shoulders. One of my dearest wishes was for Owen to beat Bobby Charlton’s England scoring record…. for Owen to make history, and to finally shed one of the ghosts of 1966.  Ongoing injuries scuppered that possibility but 40 goals in 89 international appearances is an impressive record for any player. Hampered by injuries his appearances have been intermittent in recent years an  his decision to retire from playing isn’t a huge shock.  In Michael Owen can reflect on English football’s great goalscorers.

After the Newcastle v Stoke match on Sunday, Tony Pulis stated  “Away from home we’ve played better this season than at any time in our five years in the Premier League”. Reflecting on the season so far it’s hard to see where that view comes from.  We have only won once on the road and the draws we have collected have been the result of stifling tactics as opposed to any great will to attack and win the game.  Sunday was particularly sickening.  Taking the lead on 67 minutes shouldn’t lead to a defeat.  Against a tired and lethargic Newcastle  we rarely threatened but snatched the lead through a Jon Walters penalty.  Given recent spot kick traumas it showed great character for Walters to step up and put us ahead.  We shot ourselves in the foot when Glen Whelan’s careless backpass needlessly put the defence under pressure.  In the ensuing chaos Whelan brought down Sissoko on the edge of the area… handing a free kick to our opponents.  Yohan Cabaye’s free kick was brilliant, inch perfect bouncing into the goal from the underside of the bar. From securing a precious lead we were back to square one immediately, a golden opportunity squandered, and nobody to blame but ourselves.  In the final stages of the game Tony Pulis appeared to settle for the draw when he replaced Cameron Jerome with Dean Whitehead.  The game was indeed fizzling out to a draw  until injury time when our central defence failed to play the offside trap properly, Marc Wilson failed to step out leaving Papiss Cisse with plenty of time to control the ball and gratefully volley home a winner.  Yet another dismal away day.  We hadn’t actually played too badly, we failed to trouble the hosts but having edged ahead should have gone on to win the game and to lose was calamitous.  Next up we face West Brom and it isn’t melodramatic to suggest it’s a must win game for us. There is a lot at stake. We have only won 8 league matches in the last 40.  Failing to win will only exacerbate the mutterings of discontent amongst supporters and it’d be a relief to go into the international break on the back of a victory.

The aftermath of Real Madrid’s Champions League victory over Man Utd continues to resonate.  Attention shifted from Nani’s controversial red card to Alex Ferguson’s decision to omit Wayne Rooney from the starting line up.  Amid the media coverage some have seen fit to re-write history with the assertion that Wayne Rooney has failed to fulfill his potential.  Lets examine the facts.  At the age of 27 Rooney has won four Premier league winners medals… with the fifth a formality.  He also has a Champions League winners medal and two runners up medals.  His England form can be hit and miss but he has scored 33 games in 79 appearances, he still has the potential to reach 100 caps.  With those achievements in mind some of the press appear to be blowing the situation out of all rational proportion.

For a long time many people felt that ex players should fill the game’s administrative roles.  The thinking was that a players  have devoted a huge part of their lives to football, therefore they will be more likely to care about it, protect it and ensure progressive ethical governance.  Since being elected president  of UEFA Michel Platini has proved this theory to be flawed.  He has decided to expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 teams, a move which will dilute the quality of what is often a tremendous competition.  As a result of this expansion, and with UEFA seemingly oblivious to the precarious state of the global economy, the 2020 tournament was short of bidders so will have to be shared across the continent.  Despite attempting to introduce financial fair play rules he contradicted himself by welcoming Qatar Sports Investments bankrolling Paris Saint Germain.  Coincidentally, Platini’s son Laurent is a lawyer employed by PSG.  On the global stage Platini voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, despite now demanding conditions that weren’t part of the bid during the election in 2010.  As a player Michel Platini embodied much of what makes the game great.  A skillful elegant player able to pass a ball onto the proverbial sixpence.  As an administrator he’s untrustworthy and self serving… just like the rest of them.

In the Scottish Premier League Hearts and Hibs drew the Edinburgh derby 0-0.  Hearts must be relieved with the draw given the astonishing stroke of luck they received.  Surely instances like this give further credence to the introduction of goal line technology.  Leigh Griffiths was denied a place in Hibs folklore.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3996Mg9qppA

Barcelona’s majestic dismantling of Milan will live long on the memory. A remarkable performance from a remarkable football team.  It was clear that to overturn the 0-2 deficit Barcelona really need an early goal.  Messi delivered the goal with stunning accuracy.  At the moment he struck the ball the Argentinian genius  was well and truly locked in the cage.  Four Milan players surrounded him yet, with a deft flick of the boot, he found the net with power and precision.  In the 38th minute M’Baye Niang rattled the post for Milan   but two minutes later Messi drew Barcelona level.  From that point on the result wasn’t really in doubt.  Barcelona’s passage to the quarter final seemed a formality and so it proved.  On reflection it’s hard to say that Milan actually did anything wrong.  They were simply outplayed and  overpowered by the greatest football team of the modern era that contains  the greatest footballer of the era.

Heading into Saturday’s match against West Ham, the visitors away form was dreadful. They had lost 7 out of their previous 8  away games.  They were also missing Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble, in the early stages of the match they had to replace Matt Taylor and Joe Cole.  It certainly wasn’t the West Ham Sam Allardyce wanted to send out to face us, this was a great chance to blow some cobwebs away,  lift the clouds and register three points.  Unfortunately, our players  inability to fulfill even the most rudimentary expectations of professional football led to another defeat.  A litany of  or under hit passes combined with miscontrolled balls and a discordant series of vague disjointed attempts to perhaps create a chance of scoring a goal.  After the game Tony Pulis referred to a possible foul by Andy Carroll on Ryan Shawcross in the build up to Jack Collison’s winning goal, Pulis may or may not have a case but to place to much emphasis on a refereeing error is to hide some stark realities.  Foul or not, they cut through our defence far too easily.  Perhaps the presence of Robert Huth may have plugged the gap but we paid a heavy price for his inexcusable indiscipline.  In the second half we improved slightly but continued to suffer from our lack of craft.  when Cameron Jerome wasn’t tripped for the penalty the ref rightly didn’t award, our plan fleetingly worked. A ball to Crouch who nodded to Jerome. Instead of swivelling to get onto it and risking the whole move breaking down (which it did) why couldn’t  Jerome have stepped towards the ball controlled it and shot?  This moment was emblematic of our chaotic shapeless ad hoc forward play.  Substitute Charlie Adam’s late long range effort hit the upright but apart from that Jaaskelainen goal was untroubled.  At times West Ham broke with pace and precision and may have added a second but for some smart keeping from Begovic. Given their troubled circumstances approaching, and in the early stages of the game, West Ham must be delighted with the victory.  They stifled us, took their chance and contained Stoke in comfort. While they were worthy winners we can only reflect on how hopeless we actually were.  An utterly depressing day for everyone associated with Stoke City.

Before the Manchester United v Real Madrid second leg at Old Trafford Jose Mourinho was in a characteristically bombastic mood.  He informed the assembled media it was a game that will ‘stop the world’, adding that the big question was ‘what will make the difference?’  The turning point in the game came with Nani’s controversial red card for a challenge on Arbeloa.  Man Utd had edged ahead and looked  relatively comfortable and in a position to seal the game and go through to the quarter final.  When Nani saw red the game changed entirely.  Luca Modric levelled the tie and Ronaldo quickly added a second and from that point the tie was over.  The rapid turnaround in the tie was so absolute it was almost done with mercy, as if they didn’t want to prolong the home teams agony.  The after match responses were filled with intrigue.  Predictably Alex Ferguson, still seething, chose not to attend the press conference and sent Mike Phelan to do the talking.  Mourinho’s summing up was remarkably humble.  His main response was to point out that the best team had lost!  It was a strange reaction for a man usually so brash.  Could he have a private agenda?

Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, stepped down from the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation last year amid allegations of corruption. Thailand’s Worawi Makudi has announced his intention to bid. Makudi himself has been the subject of several allegations of corruption. While Makudi himself insists he has been cleared of wrongdoing, it’s seriously unhealthy for the game to have an elected administrator with a questionable background. Trust in football’s governors is at an all time low and we need leaders who can be trusted. With this in mind it’d be appreciated if the Football Federation of Australia explained to the nation why they have seen fit to support Makudi.

The debate has re-surfaced over which time of year the Qatar World Cup in 2022 will take place. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has stated that playing the tournament during the winter is a possibility. More mysteriously, Michel Platini announced he favours Qatar World Cup on two conditions. 1 It should be played in winter and 2 it should be shared with neighbouring countries. He clarified his position but the point has to be made, these conditions weren’t part of the bid when he voted for it in 2010. Qatar in 2022 has already proved to be the most controversial, confused mess in FIFA’s history.  It could be a long time coming but we do have a precedent. Tenacious investigative journalism and the public’s clamour for truth and justice saw Lance Armstrong exposed as the cheat he has been. It’d be easy to see the Armstrong case in isolation but the clamour for truth over football’s administrators is just as strong, if not stronger. Resilient journalism and public pressure can yet shake the complaceny of those who hide away in Swiss ivory towers. It may be a long drawn out struggle but the Lance Armstrong story proves it can be done.

Tottenham thoroughly deserved their derby victory over Arsenal. The game was played at a frenetic pace early on and it was Gylfi Sigurdsson’s perfectly time ball for Gareth Bale to put Spurs ahead was the game changing moment. Caught out by two diagonal passes in as many minutes saw Spurs 2-0 up at the break. Mertesacker got a goal back early in the second half and this was where Spurs were most impressive. Under pressure they played with focus resilience and discipline and still broke with precision to threaten the visitors goal. This was the phase of the game where Spurs really earned the points. Few would argue that Gareth Bale is the star player but the second half on Sunday demonstrated that this season’s success isn’t the result of a one man team. After a difficult start to his White Hart Lane career Andre Villa Boas has imposed himself on his players and his team are handily placed in 3rd. There is a certain irony that in a week when Chelsea’s continual managerial traumas continue to make headlines one of their ex managers is thriving across London.

The most depressing aspect of Stoke City’s dreadful showing at Fulham is the predictability.  Yet another failure to impose ourselves on the game, yet another glaring display of tepid inadequacy on the road and inevitably, yet another predictable away defeat.  Sometimes when Stoke play I get a warm thrill of nostalgia.  If we get a corner and the Stokies present give a roar of excitement it sounds like an old friend.  A good Delilah still gets the blood pumping.  When the TV cameras scan the aforementioned Stokies I instinctively look for faces I recognise and smile when one is located.  Saturday night’s game at Craven Cottage was certainly not one such occasion.  From the start our team seemed set up to try and squeeze out a grim 0-0 draw.  Despite failing to sustain any pressure on our opponents we seemed relatively comfortable for most of the first half.  Those few seconds before half time exposed one of the great failings of the approach, Dimitir Berbatov’s volley was the kind of brilliance nobody can really legislate for and the original gameplan has to be altered to get back into the game.  From that stage, especially against a side as devoid of creativity as Stoke are, it’s pretty simple to hold onto a lead…. you just keep discipline and hold positions and play the game out.  Predictably, Fulham easily managed to stifle our laboured efforts to reach parity.  Some of us may choose to hide behind the fanciful notion that had Jon Walters converted his penalty we’d have rallied to win the game, but comfort in ifs and buts is as lame as it is desperate.  The point also has to be made that as Jon Walters stepped up to take the spot kick many of us had little confidence he’d score.  His miss was utterly predictable.  This wretched ‘performance’ also carried some absurd displays of indiscipline.  Steven Nzonzi was outrageously, undeservedly fortunate not to get a red card for smacking Ruiz in the mouth.  That Nzonzi was fired up and seeking retribution for his earlier elbow in the face proves his intent.  Robert Huth may not be so lucky.  His elbow on Senderos was sheer thuggery.  He now faces the prospect of a three match ban and he can have nobody to blame but himself.  Did he really think he could get away with it?  Surely he’s fully aware that every moment of every match is filmed. Hopefully Tony Pulis has asserted his authority and punished him appropriately.  Our next away match is at Newcastle.  Next time it needs to be different.  Our away displays are now worse than at any time since promotion.  For side known to be combative and resilient, away from home we are increasingly easy to beat, a soft touch, dull, insipid and utterly predictable.

There was good news for the A-league last week with confirmation that Alessandro Del Piero will stay with Sydney FC for at least another season.  Despite his clubs lowly league position Del Piero is a huge success for the game here.  His arrival raised football’s profile on the Australian sporting landscape and his decision to activate the second year of his contract increases the league’s credibility.   In addition to all this he can still show moments of intrinsic skill few others can match.  Many of us are already excited about seeing him next season!

Milan’s 2-0 victory over Barcelona was thoroughly deserved.  The Rossoneri played with focus and discipline and stifled Barcelona’s glittering collection of superstars.  Even Lionel Messi couldn’t get out of the red and black  cage.  Milan pressed, took their chances and emerged worthy victors.  At the final whistle the San Siro almost exploded with delight, 80,000  together as one!  The cameras scanned to manager Massimiliano Allegri who was most entitled to savour the euphoria.  At the start of the season Allegri was under serious pressure.  His employers indicated they wanted Pep Guardiola to replace him and his sacking seemed a formality, every match they played had the air of a public execution.  It’s a cliche, but Milan’s passage to the quarter final is far from guaranteed.  While they are in a strong position to go through, Barcelona are fully capable of overturning the deficit.  The point has to be made however, having weathered the early season storm Allegri must have cherished last weeks sunshine.

Next weeks Champions League 2nd leg between Real Madrid and Manchester United could prove to be a defining moment of Jose Mourihno’s reign at the Bernebeau.  The tie is finely poised with Manchester United securing a precious away goal in Madrid but knowing the sheer quality of Real Madrid’s players (one player in particular) suggests deciding to sit back and invite pressure could be football suicide.  The remains of the tie will be shaped by the next goal.  Most importantly Manchester United must make sure they aren’t in a position where they have to chase the game. When Real Madrid took the lead at the Nou Camp Barcelona were forced to press forward in search of an equaliser.  The visitors  played the ball forward with unerring accuracy to expose the spaces behind the hosts increasingly populated attack.  You can be sure Alex Ferguson will have taken note.

The malaise at Stamford Bridge continues.  Talking to the media after the FA Cup victory over Middlesborough, Rafael Benitez criticised Owner Roman Abramavic and the supporters.  During his press conference Benitez emphasized his disappointment at being given the title ‘interim manager’.  His contract only lasts until the end of the season but it’s hard to imagine him lasting that long.  Some may suggest his outburst was ill advised but if he is being undermined by his employer why shouldn’t he speak out?  It’s almost ten years since Roman Abramovic bought and bankrolled Chelsea.  Despite the bottomless pit of spending money, and the chance to work with some very talented footballers, Chelsea remains a very difficult club to manage.

On Saturday Stoke City return to league action with an away match at Fulham.   The victory over Reading lifted some of the descending gloom but Saturday presents another chapter in the aspect of our recent history that has led to many of us feeling  disillusioned….. an away game!  Our away form has  cast a dark shadow over us since promotion.    Attacking play consists of a long diagonal ball from Ryan Shawcross to Peter Crouch which may or may not be flicked on to nobody in particular.   Bizarrely, we were a bigger threat to Chelsea and Manchester United than we were to Swansea and Aston Villa.  We can only hope that on Saturday a global TV audience sees us with a fresher approach and maybe three precious points on the way to the magical 40 mark!

Brisbane Roar maintained their slim hopes of a place in the A-League Finals series with a steady 2-0 victory over Wellington Phoenix.  The match took place in the aftermath of Roar’s Asian Champions League exit and the unpopular decision to award interim head coach Mike Mulvey a two year contract.  During the second half a vociferous group of Roar supporters known as the River City Collective unfurled a banner parading the statement  ‘Mulvey Out’.  The stadium’s security staff dashed in to forcibly confiscate the banner.  There is a worrying precedent.   During the 1982 World Cup Poland played against the Soviet Union.  Poland’s Solidarity movement was at this stage making its presence known in the form of strike action and various forms of protest.  At the match some of Poland’s supporters unfurled Solidarity banners but the organisers removed them at the request of the Soviet government, where the national television service was covering the tournament.  This action was widely condemned as an act of oppression. Is there any great difference between the removal of the Solidarity banner  and the ‘Mulvey Out’ banner being taken away?  In 1982 the Soviet Union was a closed society that willfully withheld information and freedom of speech from it’s populace.   Brisbane Roar issued a statement and hid behind a rule that states ”All banners displayed at the stadium must first be submitted to the club to ensure they meet criteria set under the Football Federation Australia and Suncorp Stadium terms of admission to a Hyundai A-League match.” That may be a rule but it’s difficult to believe banner making an innocuous statement like ‘Come on Brisbane’ would be removed with such indecent vigour.   The nature of the football club’s response to this matter suggests they are disinterested in the concerns of supporters and interested primarily in protecting their own egos.  Nearing the end of a season of  decline, the owners can ill afford to alienate themselves from the fanbase.

Despite supporting their right to display it, I actually disagree with the sentiments of the controversial banner. At this stage Mike Mulvey needs a close season to impose himself on the team and the club. Only then will we know if he is right for the job. For football managers time is a rare and precious commodity.

The biggest story to emerge from the FA Cup 5th round was Arsenal’s exit to Championship Blackburn.  Their FA Cup exit combined with the mauling by Bayern Munich in the Champions league have made this a truly horrendous week for Arsene Wenger.  Unless Arsenal fulfill the highly unlikely feat of becoming European Champions 2013 will mark the eighth consecutive season from which Arsenal have emerged without a trophy.  Inevitably, the issue of Wenger’s job has come under scrutiny.  The question marks over the manager’s  position could hold some validity.  If the ultimate step was taken it’d be a correct course of action to wait until the end of the season.  It’s easy to forget Wenger’s considerable achievements with Arsenal.  If sacked, he should be spared the indignity of a mid season dismissal.

It was pleasing to see veteran Dider Drogba back among the European elite for Galatasaray.  Drogba left Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in January in what was a very bitter split indeed.  The Shanghai club are claiming he breached his contract in leaving and are threatening legal action.  In the Champions League tie against Schalke,  Drogba seemed oblivious to the brittle snap of lawyer’s briefcases as he constantly threatened the German defence with his power and pace.  It was endearing to see a player of his stature seem so happy to be involved in top level European action after a calamitious spell in China.  Players actually enjoying playing is a rare delight in the modern age, and I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s much more exciting than a drawn out legal battle!

After years of discussion and heated debate FIFA have finally confirmed that goal line technology will be used at the 2014 World cup in Brazil.  Surely if  the technology is  available it’s  foolish not to use it.  It’s unlike many topics of debate that arise that surround refereeing decisions in a game of football.  For example, last week Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off for Paris Saint Germain.  It was my opinion that the red card was harsh.  However, several people I spoke with felt it was a good decision by the referee and the sending off was fully justified.  There are varying opinions and that is part of the soul of football.  The difference between a situation like that and whether a ball crosses the line or not is that whether the ball crosses the line isn’t  a subject of debate, it’s a matter of fact, and also the key factor in a match…. scoring a goal, or not as the case may be.  In these days when implementing the change would be relatively straight forward, wouldn’t it be senseless to refuse to accept it?

Losing at The Emirates Stadium wasn’t a shock, but to go through an entire match without a period of sustained pressure on the Arsenal goal was as infuriating as it was predictable.  At Old Trafford in October we lost, but at least we made a game of it.  Similarly, at Stamford Bridge Chelsea were mightily relieved to dig out a late winner agaainst us.   Two defeats but we’d taken the game to the opposition and given them something to worry about.  At Arsenal we seemed to set out just to snuff out Arsenal’s threat at the expense of everything else.  The nature of Arsenal’s winner may lead some to suggest we’d been unfortunate.  It’d be a flawed perspective.  Andy Wilkinson made a bad challenge that presented the opportunity.  When you spend so much time camped in your own third of the pitch you are susceptible to the receiving end of the games quirks.  When you give free kicks away, as Stoke do far too often, you are vulnerable.  Overall Arsenal were worthy of their victory but on that showing Bayern Munich have little to fear.  Next up Stoke face Reading.  It isn’t melodramatic to suggest it’s a must win game for us. There is a lot at stake.   We haven’t won since Boxing day.  At Christmas time Reading looked doomed, we looked as if we could make a run at a Europa League spot.  If Reading were to win at Britannia on Saturday they would be only four points behind us and deliver a big blow to our morale and it’d do nothing to quell the mutterings of discontent in the Stoke support.  As with many difficult spells for football teams our current situation is nothing a win won’t put right, and on Saturday we really need to.

Anyone connected with Manchester City casting envious glances at Mario Balotell’s impressive debut for Milan should think again.  Nobody ever doubted Balotelli’s ability.  Few can deny that ‘on his day’ Balotelli would be an asset to any of the top clubs in Europe.  The question is, how often did Mario have ‘his day’?  He’d clearly hit a dead end with Manchester City and when the big money offer arrived it was wise to take it.  Balotelli’s time at Manchester City was far from a failure.  He was part of the team that won the FA Cup and followed it with a Premier League title winners medal.  For all that, the cold hard truth is  when it’s over it’s over. Observe and replace.

Elsewhere in Italy, Napoli briefly got that Maradona feeling on Saturday when they went joint top of the league with Juventus. Edinson Cavani may not quite be a Maradona but he is priceless to Neapolitans right now.  The Uruguayan sits proudly on top the Serie A leading scorers chart.  However, one of several differences between now and the Maradona era is the simple issue of finance.  The Italian League isn’t as prosperous as it was in the 80s.  If some of the European powerhouses come knocking there could be an irresistible offer.  Napoli should treasure days like these, they might not be as sustainable as they’d like.

On transfer deadline day Peter Odemwingie became a subject of ridicule.  Awaiting his transfer to QPR to be finalised he sat in the Loftus Road car park and waited.  And waited.  And waited and waited.  No such deal was made and hapless Peter was left to lick his wounds and endure international humiliation. Some may not accept this but Odemwingie is actually deserving of sympathy.  Going to the effort of driving to London suggests he’d been told to do so, maybe by an agent or a club official, we may never know the full story as clubs take great pride in treating information like this with utmost confidentiality.  Whatever the motivating factor, Odemwingie looked foolish by the end of the day.  Transfer deadline day has become a huge hyperbole drenched media event.  Television cameras are placed outside stadiums across the nation hoping for a slice of information, rumour  or  hint that helps them deliver news  to a grateful populace.  In the days before 24 hour sports channels, and a drooling social media, we may not have learnt of a transfer until reading the following days newspapers, and we didn’t know, or care how the move had come about.  Perhaps Peter Odemingie’s biggest problem was that there is nowhere to hide in 2013.

It was upsetting to see Paul Gascoigne’s latest public meltdown.  At a public meeting he was shaking and incoherent.  Following the incident Gazza travelled to the USA to attend a rehabilitation  centre. Since retiring from playing his numerous problems have been well documented.  He’s rarely far from the headlines and I, like many others, fear the worst when I see his name in a newspaper headline.  We can only hope  he can address his issues and the latest attempt at rehabilitation proves to be successful. As Terry Venables has said, “Only Gazza can save Gazza.”

The Champions league restarts next week with the tie between Real Madrid and Manchester United the fascination of the first week of fixtures.  The Jose Mourinho/Real Madrid situation is almost farcical.  it’s abundantly clear that  Mourinho isn’t wanted at, neither does he want to be at, The Bernabeu.  In recent weeks he’s talked longingly of a return to the Premier League.  Real Madrid’s players seem as if they would be happy to see the back of Mourinho, Iker Casillas in particular.  Amid the bitterness, Mourinho won’t leave and the club won’t sack him!   On taking the reins at The Bernabeu Mourinho’s brief was clear… he needs to win the European Cup.  While they remain in that competition he still has hope of fulfilling the terms of the mission statement.  The players could hasten his departure by having an off day.  The internal politics involved are so overwhelming anyone can be excused for forgetting there will be two football matches taking place!

January 2013 was an horrendous month for Stoke City.  The FA Cup exit is disappointing but from the moment Manchester City were drawn we knew it was going to be a tall order to reach the 5th round.  Collecting only one league point is a real let down… especially after the exuberance of December.  The dismal 2-2 draw at home Wigan was a real low for our season.  Whilst respecting all sides in this league it’s fair to say that when you go 2-0 up, at home to a side in the bottom three, it’s reasonable to expect to win the game.  Not only were we pegged back to 2-2 we showed little desire to get back on top and win the game and seemed to settle for a draw.  Wigan were so much more comfortable on the ball and must be frustrated not to have finished the job and  actually pulled off an unlikely away win.  Our 0-0 draw at Tottenham on December 22nd was a masterclass in defensive play.  Every opponent’s run was covered and we defended collectively, cutting down angles and ensuring Spurs had nowhere to go.  Another understated admirable aspect was that when defending in our own penalty box we rarely went for the tackle, so not risking an opposition penalty.  That level of application focus and endeavour was Stoke City at their best.  Tony Pulis must be wondering what’s changed.  In his post match comments Pulis stated a need to get back to basics.  That is understandable but intending to play out 0-0 draws would be as unnecessary and inexcusable as ever.  The next home game is against Reading and nothing less than a win will do.

Confirmation finally arrived last week.  After months of speculation Michel Platini  announced 13 different cities would host the  2020 European Championship.  UEFA’s claim it will be a ‘Euro for Europe’ is an honorable attempt at altruism, but it does seem it’s a situation they would have preferred to avoid…. a claim graphically illustrated by the fact Platini insisted the competition would return to it’s traditional format in 2024!  The monumental error was to expand the competition to 24 teams.  As well as diluting the quality of football on offer it makes staging the tournament much more complicated and a lot more expensive.  The problems finding bidders to host for the 2020 competition suggested  UEFA’s number crunchers were oblivious to the current precarious state of the global economy.

Paris based magazine France Football is carrying a 16 page article titled “Qatargate”. As the title suggests, the article is focused on Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.   The decision to award hosting rights to Qatar is perhaps the most controversial moment in FIFA’s history.  It’s hard to find anybody who doesn’t feel the bid was riddled with corruption.  Anything that sheds light on these murky waters is to be welcomed.   If the allegations are proven to be factual the onus will be on FIFA to  take 2022 off Qatar and ensure those who abused their rights are removed from the game and prosecuted.

Eventually Lance Armstrong was outed.   Tenacious investigative journalism and the public’s clamour for truth and justice saw Armstrong exposed as the cheat he’s been.  It’d be easy to see the Armstrong case in isolation but the clamour for truth over football’s administrators is just as strong.  Resilient journalism and public pressure can yet shake the complaceny of those who hide away in Swiss ivory towers.  It may be a long drawn out struggle but the Lance Armstrong story proves it can be done.

The most infuriating aspect of Eden Hazard kicking out at the ballboy was that it detracted attention from Swansea’s brilliant achievement.  Deservedly beating Chelsea over two legs was a special moment.  Unfortunately, they didn’t get the credit they richly deserve because the media were fixated on one moment of stupidity.  Michael Laudrup has done a remarkable job so far at Swansea.  He’s managed to continue the club’s impressive progress while mainatining the philosophy of predecessor Brendan Rogers.    As for Rogers, Liverpool’s FA Cup defeat at Oldham confirms his first season managing Liverpool will prove to be trophyless.  His team is making progress and we are beginning to see the his vision reach fruition.  For all that there is an unavoidable irony when his previous club Swansea have reached a Wembley final and Liverpool, in time honoured tradition, are concentrating on the league!

Cape Verde is a great story to emerge from the African Nations Cup in South Africa.  Their dramatic 2-1 victory over Angola secured them second place in the group  and a place in the quarter finals.  With a population of just 500,000 this is a huge moment for  the West African nation.  The feat is all the more impressive on learning that Cape Verde doesn’t actually have any grass football pitches!  Their delight was understandable.  To demonstrate their elation the players stormed the post match press conference, watch and smile!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVW80TwcXVQ

In the modern game we can be forgiven for feeling overawed by talk of agents, TV deals business and self interest.  Stories like Swansea Oldham and Cape Verde are a timely reminder  why we live this football life.

Losing to Chelsea is no disgrace.  Until they took the lead on the stroke of half time Stoke had matched them.  When Kenwyne Jones squandered a great opportunity early on many of us got the feeling we may have blown our best chance… and so it proved.  Throughout a very entertaining first half Chelsea broke with precision and pace and their movement stretched us.  It was the fluidity which led to Frank Lampard’s opening bringing an impressive save from Asmir Begovic.  We were undone by the aforementioned movement in first half injury time.  The overlap and cross by Hazard created confusion in our defence and Jon Walters ensuing own goal proved to be the turning point in the match.  We started the second half with a burst of pressure, the highpoint of which was N’Zonzi’s thunderous drive being palmed away by Cech.  Unfortunately, having to press and chase the game led to space behind the midfield, space that Chelsea were more than capable of exploiting.  When Jon Walters bagged his second own goal of the game it marked the end of the match as a contest.  4 down after 73 minutes we could have been forgiven for fearing a repeat of the 0-7 battering we took at Stamford Bridge in 2010.  Thankfully we were spared a repeat of that humiliation.  All that remained was for Jon Walters to compound his own miserable day by missing a penalty.  Nobody can deny Chelsea’s quality but losing 0-4 at home to anyone is distressing.  From being a team with an inpenetrable defence we’ve now conceded ten goals in the last three league games.  In the aftermath we can look ahead and disperse many of the gathering clouds in the embryonic stage by bouncing straight back at Swansea.  Most importantly, we must remember that while the defence needs work we still have the attacking armory to press forward and win games.  Intending to play out 0-0 draws would be as unnecessary and inexcusable as ever.

Much of the media attention has understandably focused on Jon Walters.  Scoring two own goals and missing a penalty certainly equates to a bad day at the office!  It was great to hear Stoke City fans giving support by singing his name. Hopefully he understands these things happen in football from time to time and much worse things in life can occur.  If his two goal haul in the FA Cup replay against Crystal Palace is an indicator he’s coming to terms with it!!

Brisbane Roar are languishing 3 places from the bottom of the A-League.  Saturday’s dismal 0-1 defeat at Newcastle was a poor showing from a team whose fall from dominance is as complete as their rise was impressive.  The fall from grace is more striking when considering the players are the same ones who became the most successful team in the history of Australian sport.  The lesson to be learnt is never to underestimate the manager’s influence.  When Ange Postecoglou left the club for Melbourne Victory some demeaned his influence in Brisbane’s success.  It was suggested the real mastermind behind the operation was his assistant Rado Vidosic and Vidosic’s promotion to manager would be a seamless transition.  As has often been the case internal promotion didn’t work out.  Managing a football team can be a good cop bad cop dynamic and often the link between players and manager is the assistant.  Vidosic was replaced as manager a month ago but the club’s current malaise can be traced back to the lazy decision to replace Ange Postecoglou with Rado Vidosic.

The speculation is over.  Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he’ll be working for Bayern Munich next season.  Speculation was rife that he’d move to the Premier League, which, in effect, meant Manchester City or Chelsea.  His decision is understandable.  In moving to Bayern he’ll get a free rein to fulfill his vision at a club with great stature.  Another positive aspect of the move is it increases the prestige of the Bundesliga.  In an age  when fans in many nations are indoctrinated into believing their exploitation is essential for the clubs to prosper, German clubs have proven there are different methods to sustain success.

The build up to the Arsenal v Manchester City match was dominated by the news of Manchester City being unable to sell their full allocation.  The main factor in this was the extortionate 62 pound ticket price.  At the match Manchester City fan Richard Taylor protested about the hefty cost of watching his team.  His demonstration took the form of displaying a banner asking the simple inoffensive question.. 62pounds!! WHERE WILL IT STOP? A reasonable statement made peacefully.  That didn’t stop a  steward removing the banner.  The steward informed Taylor the banner was in breach of club regulations.  An Arsenal official later stated that the only reason the banner was removed was because it impeded the view of supporters.  This explanation would carry a semblance of credibility were it not for the fact it was taken away before the match had kicked off.

As a gesture of friendship Bobby Charlton invited families of victims of the Hillsborough disaster into the directors box for Sunday’s Manchester United v Liverpool match. It was a magnificent gesture from English football’s finest ambassador.  As a man he exhibits the sheer class he showed as a player.  Bobby Charlton is the embodiment of everything that makes football great.