The Stoketshirts.co.uk blog

Stoke City’s draw against Crystal Palace wasn’t a classic.  It was satisfying to secure a clean sheet but the point has to be made, failing to sustain meaningful pressure on the Palace defence was disappointing.  However, the priority from a fiddly tie was to be in the hat for the fourth round draw and in that respect it was mission accomplished.  The replay certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion.  There is a lot to do if we are to get the  fourth round tie against Manchester City.

Despite being a lover of football traditions, it’d be foolish to deny that the FA Cup has lost much of it’s polish in recent years.  Seeing games played out on front of half full stadiums and managers clearly regarding the whole competition as a nuisance isn’t an inspiring spectacle.  The FA holding this years final yet again on a weekend of a full Premier League programme hardly suggests that it’s a priority for anyone.  But if we were to totally disregard the FA Cup it would be an arrogant mistake.   Some may consider it to be a hindrance but it’s a hindrance worth winning.

When Milan’s Kevin Prince Boateng led his teammates off the pitch last week it was a huge moment.  For several years the issue of how to deal with the issue of bigotry in football has been debated.  The vast majority of supporters are repelled by racism and believe it has no place in football… or anywhere else in society for that matter.  The clamour for authorities to take strong decisive action has only been matched by the administrators  stubborn refusal to do so.  It’s the lack of affirmative action which led to Boateng snapping, deciding enough is enough, and that in 2013 nobody should have to tolerate racial abuse in the workplace.  The stand had to be taken as ruling bodies clearly have no intention of addressing the subject.  Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the incident is that it occurred at all.  Traditionally players have been expected to do what they are told and keep quiet.  Even now there is a handful of people who believe footballers shouldn’t respond at all to the abuse and that is a small price to pay for earning an astronomical wage… despite the fact the vast majority of players don’t earn a huge wage and some things transcend the relevance of money.  For all that, the response to Milan’s walk off has, in general, been supportive from both the general public and those in the game… with one notable exception.  Sepp Blatter stating his belief that Boateng was ‘running away’ from racism is yet another indication that he is fails to understand the issue and why it needs to be addressed.  FIFA have shied away too long, seemingly afraid to assert effective governance.  As a result Blatter has demonstrated his isolation from a crucial subject in the game and as such has proven again that he is unfit to govern.

On an issue considerably less important, another administrator stoked some fires recently.  Michel Platini declared “If we look at the Champions League draw, it’s clear that Juventus are already through to the quarter finals”.  While Juventus are clearly favourites heading into the tie It’d be foolish to consider Celtic an easy passage to the quarter finals.  Especially now Neil Lennon has extra armour to motivate his team!

Much has been made of Roberto Mancini’s training ground altercation with Mario Balotelli.  Was it really worthy of so many column inches?  Probably not. Disagreements like this have always occurred at football clubs and always will.  Many years ago I used to watch Stoke City training and similar incidents were commonplace.  The main difference is that now anyone who witnesses something can post details on a social media website and within minutes the story has travelled across the world.  With the saturation coverage of modern football press are often present and looking for the story.  The attention received by their spat says much more about modern media practices than it does about the individuals involved.

While the draw in Poland is far from  disastrous, England returned home with few positives. When we tried to build an attack the forwards were too static.  We struggled to keep the ball and the lack of movement led to priceless possession being given away cheaply. England need to learn to move properly and the players need to create options for each other.  In the attacking third the play was ad hoc and lacking shape.  Joe Hart’s flap led to the Polish equaliser but to blame the keeper alone is to willfully ignore a plethora of issues.  When Montenegro beat San Marino next month they will move to the top of the group.  In itself it’ll be no calamity for England but when competitive internationals resume in March there will be no more space to drop  points.  Hopefully in March Jack Wilshere will be able to unlock opposition defences.  When fully fit it’ll  certainly be time to start building the team around him.  He’s  showed that he can grow into the play makers role and develop into a top class international midfielder.  With such a dearth of English talent his skill mustn’t be wasted. For all that I still expect England to qualify for the 2014 World Cup but Spain and Brazil have nothing to fear from us.

Brisbane Roar thrashed Melbourne Victory 5-0 on Saturday.  Roar were stylish and won at a canter.  At the death Roar forward Besart Berisha hit the bar, a sixth goal would only have given the scoreline a more realistic complexion.  As impressive as Brisbane were it’s hard to reflect on the game without pointing out Victory’s hopelessness, and on Saturday Melbourne Victory were utterly, seriously, mind bogglingly hopeless.   At best they were indifferent, for large spells of the game they were truly dreadful.  Several years after his calamitous spell managing Stoke City, Chris Kamara stated that there were times after games when he’d look at his players in the dressing room knowing some of them simply hadn’t been trying.  Ange Postecoglou could be forgiven for feeling the same on Saturday.  For Ange’s own sake he must hope that was the problem, if that was an example of this team playing to full potential his task is insurmountable.

The issue of who is to host the 2020 European Championship remains a headache for UEFA.  Michel Platini’s suggestion that the tournament be played across the continent is far from final and could be refused when the member nations vote in January.  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 much more expensive.  The problems finding bidders to host for the 2020 competition suggests  UEFA’s number crunchers are oblivious to the current precarious state of the global economy.

Another kerfuffle regarding a major tournament is the ongoing discussion over which season of the year the 2022 World Cup will take place in.  The debate was offered this contribution last week… “I think sometimes a change is good — it would be great to have it in the winter. Everyone will be fit, physically fit, mentally fit and I don’t see a problem with it. For the fans I think it will be great”  A ringing endorsement of a winter World Cup.  Who came out with such a passionate justification for winter?  A manager?  A player?  Neither, it was ex Dutch international Ronald De Boer…. who, believe it or not,  now works for the Qatari FA!!   Do you think he might have an agenda by any chance?

Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri’s position looks increasingly precarious.  Having only won three games all season, defeat to Inter in last weeks’ derby is hardly inspiring confidence. Last week stories circulated stating that Milan had approached Pep Guardiola to take over from Allegri.  This media speculation helps nobody.  If Milan want to remove the manager they should sack him, pay off his contract, and move on from there.  Allowing the story to be dragged through the media is undignified and disrespectful to all involved.

In football possession is 9/10 of the law.  So watching games recently it’s flabbergasting to see teams give away priceless possession by conceding so many unnecessary free kicks.  Players in their own half, and going nowhere in particular, get carelessly shoved or ankles clipped.  It’s utterly baffling that professionals can make these senseless decisions with such monotonous regularity.  The principle is TCUP…. Thinking Correctly Under Pressure.  Some players need to learn how to make the right decisions during a game.

Wednesday September 12th 2012 was  historic.  450,000 documents related to the Hillsborough disaster, and subsequent cover up, were finally released into the public domain.  In the House of Commons, British Prime Minister David Cameron formally apologised to the families of the victims.  It’s possible that younger people have no idea of what happened on that terrible day in April 1989.  No idea of the contempt we, as football supporters, were held in by all tiers of authority… especially the police.  No idea that for several years the moment we associated ourselves with a football match all civil rights were immediately lost.   It was  former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police John Stalker in the 80s who said he was aware that many police knew that football matches were one time they were “Let off the leash”.   Anyone who regularly attended matches knew that the mismanagement and victimisation we received would be deemed unacceptable in any other area of society.  Hillsborough was a tragedy for all football supporters. Sadly, the police cover up and scandalous tabloid lies led to many people, including football fans, just reinforcing their own prejudices about people from Merseyside.  Hopefully the release of documents has helped to enlighten people regarding the terrible incidents of that day. Most importantly, we can hope that the families and friends of the bereaved can gain some comfort and that this is a step towards justice.  RIP the 96.

The Stoke City evolution maintained steady progress against champions Manchester City. Steve N’Zonzi made an encouraging start to his Stoke career with some neat incisive passes and Garcia’s equalising goal aside, we defended with discipline and characteristic tenacity.  We were fortunate that the officials didn’t spot Crouch’s handball in the run up to the goal, but any Stoke supporter who remembers Alan Wiley’s hopeless catalogue of errors when Manchester City visited the Brit in the 2009/10 season won’t feel too guilty!  Man City’s equaliser arrived in the 35th minute when a free kick was floated into our box and we failed to pick up Garcia, who nodded home.  From that point we were satisfied to get to half time at 1-1.  Stoke started the second half in the ascendancy. We kept the ball in the opposition half well and managed to assert pressure on the visitors.  In all fairness to Man City they absorbed our pressure well.  The main aspect where their technical superiority was noticeable was  when they played from the back.  We pressed and hassled but they were rarely flustered and usually kept the ball.  A frantic finale saw Asmir Begovic make a remarkable reflex save from Garcia’s header.  The last kick of the game was Ryan Shawcross’ impressive last ditch clearance off the line following Dzeko’s lob over Begovic.  The most poignant moment of those crazy final minutes was Michael Owen making his Stoke City debut to a rapturous welcome!  All in all a draw was a fair result and we thoroughly served the point.  One negative aspect to the game was Andy Wilkinson foolishly lashing out at Balotelli.  Had Mark Clattenburg, or any of the officials spotted it, Wilko may well have seen red, jeopardised our point and he still risks an FA penalty. Our right back is 28 years of age and should know better than to react to any provocation.

To her credit German Chancellor Andrea Merkel has told gay footballers they should have no fear of publicly announcing their homosexuality.  As in most nations, no high profile German player has ever ‘come out’.  Sadly, Merkel’s words are unlikely to encourage many gay players to open up.  An anonymous gay Bundesliga player recently stated that if he was to come out he’d feel his personal safety could be at risk.  Other employers have structures in place to ensure equality in the workplace.  Sexuality based prejudice shouldn’t have to be an issue in this day and age.  In 2012 this is a very dark stain on football’s character.

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid have made a shaky start to the season.  4 points from 12  is not what was expected at the Bernabeu. Combine poor form with Cristiano Ronaldo strangely informing the world of his sadness, all is not well. 10th place in the league and 8 points behind Barcelona, their Champions League campaign could be the only road to redemption.  When Mourinho was appointed the Galactico was the manager.  Mourinho was appointed to bring the European Cup to Madrid and was the one that couldn’t possibly fail.  When they face Manchester City on Tuesday more than points will be at stake.

Benfica start their Champions League campaign  without captain Luisao who has been banned for two months for physically attacking a referee.  This story is odd on several levels, one being that this incident actually occurred during a pre season friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf. A friendly!  How would he cope with the intensity of a Champions League Final?  Luisao is actually the Benfica captain.  While other nations aren’t as preoccupied with captaincy as the English, surely more responsible leadership than that is to be expected.  Why is the ban so short?  An offence of such magnitude should be treated with the utmost seriousness, instead he’ll be back in the team by December.  Combine that with the meagre two match touchline ban Alan Pardew received for manhandling a linesman officials could be forgiven for feeling authorities are failing to support them adequately.

An increasing focus on statistics removes some of the warmth from football.   There are times when they are worth mentioning though.  On Saturday, in his 700th game for Manchester United, Paul Scholes completed 41/45 (91%) of his passes and scored a goal.  Scholes scored in his 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, 500th, and 700th games for Manchester United.   A bucketload of medals are the spoils of a very  impressive career, but did he have an off day when he made his 600th appearance??

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 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.  Having spent time in the football wilderness, few could deny that Stoke City’s new acquisition is something of a risk. He’s signed a one year contract.  The pace of youth may have gone but penalty box instinct like that never leaves.  It’d be foolish to set a target so if he can just score some goals for us the risk will have paid off.  And we can return to St Etienne, albeit briefly. Good luck Michael!!

(Want to see Micheal’s first goals at the Brit? Check this out and let’s hope we see plenty more soon  – Owen at The Brit )// //

In Moldova, England produced a professional performance.  From the moment Frank Lampard’s penalty put us ahead the result wasn’t in doubt.  Nobody can claim Moldova are a major player on the world stage but in the past these games have been more difficult that they should be, so to run out 5-0 winners is satisfying.  Ukraine provide England’s next challenge and will be a much tougher proposition.  But if everyone plays with the same level of discipline and focus we have every chance of winning the game.  The national team is now operating on a much more stable footing.  It’s pleasing that Hodgson’s experience and wisdom has removed the drama and the circus that surrounds the England set up.

There is very little glory for the lesser European nations.  Did Andorra’s 0-5 thrashing by Hungary assist their footballing development in any way at all?  Has Lichtenstein’s 1-8 defeat to Bosnia helped them to acclimatise to the demands of the international game?  Of course not.  Having so many teams in who are merely cannon fodder is devaluing the qualifying process.  This could get worse too.  The foolish decision to expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 teams will result in almost half the teams in the qualifying competition will take part in the tournament.   It has to be the right time to introduce a preliminary qualifying competition.  Surely it’s time to put emphasis on quality.

The Confederation of African Football recently held their national conference in the Seychelles.  Amid allegations of corruption, Issa Hayatou has been the president of the CAF for 25 years.  Rumours had floated around the African game that 2010 World Cup CEO Danny Jordaan was preparing to stand against Hayatou.  Organising a World Cup and experience of negotiating with other federations suggests Jordaan is man worthy of African football’s top job.  However, at last weeks conference new rules were introduced preventing any challenge from Jordaan.  Those without CAF voting rights are no longer allowed to challenge for Hayatou’s job, effectively handing the president re-election unopposed.  An undemocratic act of cunning which does nothing to restore the public’s faith in the game’s administrators.

Superstar Alessandro Del  Piero has joined Sydney FC. It is undoubtedly the biggest signing in the A-League’s (admittedly short) history.   The general response is positive.  Undoubtedly it will  encourage many non football fans to attend a few games generating much needed revenue and interest.   It’s also a relief as it provides pre season in Australia with a fresh discussion point after  recent crowd violence.  So overall, it’s ‘good for the game’ in Australia.  However, it isn’t the only way to promote football.  Risking accusations of bias, I suggest that Brisbane Roar’s recent achievements eclipse anything Del Piero can contribute  to football here.  Ange Postecoglou transformed Brisbane Roar into the most formidable force in the history of Australian sport.  Playing quick crisp exciting football, Brisbane swept aside all comers with an irresistible combination of incisive passing and an ability to create chances at will. Watching these dazzling displays of kaleidoscopic movement was an absolute privilege.  It’s entirely appropriate that Roar wear orange shirts.  It’ll be exciting to see a player of Del Piero’s stature in the flesh, but it isn’t the only way forward.
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Welcome back into my life football. My friend, my strength, my infatuation and, of course, my eternal frustration!  Weekends are  inconsequential without you football my darling.   The big kick off symbolises a  return to midnight (or 1am) kick offs before retiring to bed usually accompanied by liberal doses of fatigue and deflation.   It’s August, time to start all over again.

Every game has it’s own story.  The story behind our 1-1 draw at Reading is a tale of Stoke City’s two dropped points.  The match started with a familiar look as we defended deeply and struggled to impose ourselves on the game.  For all Reading’s possession they rarely threatened to unlock us and as the first half wore on we were increasingly comfortable.  After half an hour we started to carry the game forward and we quickly found the ultimate reward.  The ball dropped in the box to Michael Kightly who tried a shot.  Fortuitously, Reading keeper Federeci completely misjudged the scuffed effort and the ball bobbled guiltily into the net.  Fortunate or not it was great to be ahead away from home and fantastic that Kightly could mark his debut with a goal.  For over an hour it seemed likely to be the winning goal.  Until the 89th minute we defended our lead in comfort and controlled the game.  We put pressure on Reading and while we didn’t create much we still looked more likely to add a second goal than Reading were to equalise.  Then came that fateful 89th minute.  We were caught out at the back and Dean Whitehead’s lunge resulted in the penalty that provided Reading their escape route to retrieve an unlikely draw.  As a result we got one point from a match we should have won comfortably.  The very simple lesson to be learnt is that if you fail to finish games off whilst on top in them you’ll be vulnerable to sucker punches.   Reflecting on the entire game we really have nobody to blame but ourselves for those two dropped points.  And that is the story of Reading v Stoke City.

As an aside it was pleasing to see Robert Huth start the game and compete as vigorously as ever.   Less than a fortnight ago our very own Berlin Wall was in hospital with a serious illness.  It’s just so frustrating that we couldn’t mark his rapid recovery with a clean sheet and three points.

Our next challenge arrives in the shape of Arsenal.  Last season’s game was marred by tasteless chants regarding the Shawcross Ramsey incident.  That incident occured two and a half years ago. It’d be a refreshing change if everybody dropped the vitriol so that terrible moment can be well and truly  confined to history.   There are some aspects of football that are truly awful and that was  horrible for all concerned.   It’d be a refreshing change if everybody just let it go and concentrate on supporting their team.  Please, no more.

The London Olympics contained many special moments.  For many football supporters the most poignant moment was Sepp Blatter being roundly booed before the womens gold medal match.  Despite the  hostility Sepp generates he clings on to his prestigious role like grim death.  Only last week his bruised battered organisation announced further investigations into the activities of disgraced ex official  Mohamed bin Hammam.  This is merely shooting fish in a barrel hoping it’ll deflect from other more relevant discrepancies. For the good of the game Blatter and his sycophantic cronies should be dragged from the trough and replaced as soon as possible.

As the cliche states it’s early days for Brendan Rogers at Liverpool.  Even bearing that in mind few could argue that the 0-3 defeat at WBA was an horrendous start to his reign. While at Swansea, many were impressed by his teams style of play and the confidence they showed in their first top glight season.  To receive similar plaudits at Anfield he’ll need some resilience to accompany panache.  At The Hawthorns his team waved the white flag as soon as the ref waved the red card.  It looks as if some of their players are too comfortable.  A huge clearout is required.  It’ll be a long painful process but the powers that be must be  prepared to give the manager time fulfill his vision.

Two consecutive home wins have lifted much of the  the gloom and Stoke City are now in a strong position to reach the magical 40 points mark and confirm a fifth consecutive season the Premier League.  Against Norwich on Saturday we retained possession with more confidence than previous matches and Etherington’s masterful strike broke the visitors stubborn resistance.  Having displayed  characteristic tenacity to get ahead we never looked like losing the lead in the closing minutes.  Throughout the game we were on top all over the pitch.  We still aren’t creative enough, but few can deny we deserved the points.  With that in mind, Norwich manager Paul Lambert’s claim that the whole game hinged on the throw in that led to Matty’s winner is lame to say the least.  We were indeed lucky to get the throw but Lambert would be better off addressing  the slack defending that allowed Jerome to flick the throw on and Matty the time and space to pick his spot!  My grapes taste sweet Mr Lambert, how about yours?

Our next game is away to Chelsea.  There will be intense media scrutiny on how our opponents respond to the departure of Andre Villa Boas.  Much of our focus will be on how we approach the game.  Too often we have gone to away games overly consumed with the strengths of our opponent.  While fully aware that every team you face will cause problems, we must remember the problems we can cause them!  Chelsea are not the team they were and  lack confidence.  If we can unsettle them doubts will creep in and maybe we can squeeze mistakes and take advantage. Most importantly, we mustn’t accept defeat before a ball is kicked.

It’s hard to work out who the ideal candidate for the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge would be.  To remove Ancelotti and replace him with AVB was a costly time absorbing exercise.  Had they used the same energy and resources to support their managers they may well be in a stronger position.  In all this it could still be AVB who gets the last laugh.  He’s only 34 years old and still has the potential to become one of European football’s big hitters.  In five years time he may be in a position to reflect on his 257 days managing Chelsea as a learning curve…. and he won’t even be 40.

Discipline is a vital element in any successful football team.  Players must be able and prepared to stay on task and fulfill responsibilities to their club and it’s supporters.  In the last minute of Brisbane Roar’s game against Melbourne Heart at the weekend, a high price was paid for the previous weeks indiscipline.  With the score at 1-1 Brisbane spent the final ten minutes laying siege to the Heart goal.  For all of Brisbane’s possession, Heart defended with admirable composure and rugged tenacity.  Just as it seemed Heart had weathered the orange storm, Brisbane were awarded a penalty.  A precious opportunity to reach the top of the table with three games of the regular season remaining.  Mohamed Adnan, the Roar’s Bahraini centre back, stepped forward to seal a priceless victory.  Heart keeper Clint Bolton saved the spot kick.  While not wanting to belittle Bolton’s save, the point has to be made that Adnan’s penalty wasn’t the best.  It was ideal height for the keeper who gratefully palmed the ball away.  That Adnan was taking the penalty at all was due to the regular taker,  Henrique, serving a suspension.  In the previous game in Perth, when Roar were 3-0 ahead and cruising to victory, Henrique inexplicably slapped an opponent and saw red.  I don’t doubt that had Henrique played he’d have scored the penalty with ruthless precision.  That he was unavailable is due to foolish indiscipline which has proved to be costly.  Players need to be aware of the full implications of their actions.

The appointment of Harry Redknapp as England manager  is seemingly inevitable.   The excellent job he’s done at Spurs combined with a clamour for an Englishman at the helm appears to have secured him the role.  Not that anything will be confirmed yet.  The FA have acknowledged that the new manager may not be  announced until the end of the domestic season.   Whether Harry is suited to the job is hard to tell.  There is no doubt he communicates well with players.  One point that has to be raised however is that  his achievements at Spurs are the result of working closely  day to day with players and having the time to spend with them individually and collectively.  Managing England can be thankless task with many hours of isolation involved.   Also, Redknapp’s biggest strength is working the transfer market and that facility is unavailable at international level.  But, whatever happens, don’t call him a “Wheeler dealer”!!   *Warning, contains bad language* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJBsI7RAuvk

In December when the draw for the European Championship was made it was surprising that much of the media regarded England’s qualification for the quarter finals of Euro 2012 as a mere formality. Every side you face in a tournament will cause you problems. The opening game against a resurgent France will shape the group. If France’s impressive win in Germany is a pointer it will be a tough challenge for the England team… whoever the manager is.

Looking ahead to 2014 FIFA secretary Jerome Valcke has publicly criticised Brazil’s World Cup organising committee for their 2014 preparations.  This led to the Brazilian Sports Minister, Aldo Rebelo, demanding Valcke be replaced as the FIFA representative they have to predominantly deal with.  As a nation looking to establish itself as an economic superpower a smooth World Cup is crucial to Brazil’s credibility.  For the sake of their own integrity, instead of lashing out at Valcke, they would be better advised to take the steps to ensure that they will be ready in June 2014.

Stoke City sent out a crisis what crisis message with the impressive 4-0 defeat of Newcastle.  We were feeling decidedly edgy before the game.  Nervous glances at the league table led us to believe we could easily get dragged into trouble.  While there are still many points to be won and lost, and we need to stay focused on reaching safety… we blew away the cobwebs with a win every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests.  The result was never in doubt from the moment Jermaine Pennant sneaked in to put us 2 up straight after the interval.  From that point we played with renewed viguor and refreshing confidence.  Fuller’s late goal simply gave the socreline a more realistic complexion.  Surprisingly three of our goals came from open play.     It’s pleasing that after a season of wasted  free kicks we score two in two games.  At the final whistle the Geordies looked totally demoralised.  I don’t doubt that this emphatic win is partly due to the bout of cup fever the city is currently absorbed in.  The whole idea  of a cup run being at the expense of league form has never seemed a valid  notion.  For a club like us it injects the season with fresh impetus and generates excitement.  Premier league safety and a possible cup final.  What else could we want from our football team?  What a difference two wins can make.

That Stoke are yet to take part in a goalless draw  is one of the quirkier statistics of the season.   If we got our first 0-0 of the season in the next game against Chelsea few Stokies will be complaining!

Our win was crucial because it’s unlikely we’ll get much from our next two games against Chelsea and Spurs.  It’s a relief to have the points in the bank.  Wolves victory over Aston Villa was a surprise as was WBA drawing at home to Arsenal, a game in which both teams can reflect on two points dropped.  Wigan’s  win over Birmingham keeps them alive and West Ham will be delighted to leave White Hart Lane with a point.  There are many twists and turns ahead and it’s getting complicated.  Gerard Houllier must be starting to suffer sleepless nights as will Alex McCleish.  When the season climax arrives we can hope our sleepless nights are because of the hullabaloo surrounding our first FA Cup Final appearance!

Sunday March 27th marks the 40th anniversary of our first FA Cup semi final against Arsenal.  Back in 1971 the cup held nearly as much prestige as the league did.  As a result the semi was a huge game.  In his excellent autobiography, Denis Smith describes the game in detail.  Smithy states that  for much of the game we felt we had reached the final.  We were seconds away from one of the most memorable moments in our history.  To have a seemingly unassailable lead snatched away at such a late stage is agonising even now.  Whatever happens on April 17th I hope none of us feel the agony Smithy and his teammates felt 40 years ago.  On the subject of this years  Semi final I’d have preferred to play on the Saturday, but after waiting 39 long years another day is tolerable!

David Luiz was colossal for Chelsea against Manchester city.  He ran the defence and initiated moves, using his heading prowess to give his team the lead.  The one big black mark was the avoidable yellow he recklessly acquired in injury time.  One question which must be asked is why were Manchester City so inexplicably negative?  Whilst understanding the need for a contingency plan against a side of Chelsea’s undoubted quality, couldn’t they have been just a bit more adventurous?  Given the money spent on the team they should have been able to go to Stamford Bridge with plans to attack and try to win the game.  Another noticeable aspect of the match is that Fernando Torres still hasn’t scored for Chelsea. 

Attention turns to international fixtures now, in particular England’s European Championship qualifier against Wales.  Reaching tournaments is a no win situation for England.  Qualification is expected and quickly forgotten but failure incurs the wrath of a nation.  Combine this with the fact that there are still many people who, mind bogglingly, expect us to win each tournament we participate in.  While my English feet are firmly on the ground, Wales is game we can confidently expect to win.  Should we fail to do so our presence at Poland and Ukraine in 2012 will be jeopardised and it’s hard to imagine Capello surviving the fallout.

 Does John Terry’s re-appointment as England captain really justify the media interest?  Fabio Capello must feel bewildered by the  pandemonium surrounding the decision.  The primary responsibility of a captain in football is to step forward at the start of the game to call ‘heads’.  Or perhaps ‘tails’ as the case may be.  Good teams have 11 captains (football cliche 231) so why the irrational level of interest and analysis?  It’s just another episode in the bloated hyperbole drenched soap opera that the England team has become.

It was a shock to learn that Bryan Robson, an England captain of an earlier vintage, had undergone an operation to remove a cancerous tumour on his throat.   Few could doubt that he was the heart and soul of both Manchester United and England for several years.  He was the only England player to emerge from the calamitous 1988 European Championship campaign with any credit.  Roy Keane, his successor in the Man Utd engine room, was never the all round player that Captain Marvel was.  Get well soon Robbo. 

It was sad but not so much of a shock to read that Ex Argentina coach Cesar Luis Menotti has undergone lung surgery.  One of  the abiding memories of the 1978 and 1982 World Cups was Menotti anxiously sucking  cigarette after cigarette.  This familiar image overshadows the fact that he built an exciting team.  His Argentina  were filled with flair that was balanced with a sturdy defence.  Perhaps the biggest testament to his management is that he was strong enough to omit a stroppy youngster named Diego Maradona from the squad…. much to the distress of Maradona himself and the Argentinian media.  Daniel Passarella holding the trophy aloft in the River Plate Stadium vindicated Menotti’s decision, and ensured his place in history.   Good luck Cesar Luis Menotti. 

Milan’s defeat at Palermo gave both Inter a priceless opportunity to get within touching distance of Milan.  They seized that opportunity by edging past Lecce 1-0…. a lacklustre performance but at this stage of the season you ask how not how many.  Despite the lethargic showing you can be assured that Inter are delighted to be only one point behind their neighbours.  Their next league game is the Milan derby.  Each team will know that victory will provide pole position in the struggle for the Scudetto.  It’ll be a huge occasion.  It was a good week for Inter.  In knocking Bayern Munich out of the Champions League they emerged victorious from a thrilling encounter.  Leronardo’s hyperactive touchline presence added to the spectacle.  The Brazilian has rejuvenated his team.  So impressive is the turnaround it’s hard to believe it’s the same club that Benitez left with  abject indignity.

In the build up to the England v Montenegro game a disproportionate amount of media attention was given to the manager’s decision to reinstate Rio Ferdinand as captain.  Fabio Capello must be more baffled than anyone, in most countries the captain is just the most famous player or the oldest.  That’s understandable too.  In cricket major decisions are required from the captain throughout the match but, as in football, stepping forward for a coin toss and with the correct guess choosing kick off or choice of ends does not merit hours of debate or hundreds of column inches.  The false controversy over selecting a captain was no bearing at all on the result.  Montenegro are decent team. I’m disappointed but not shocked by our failure to win.  They haven’t conceded a goal in this campaign. We know that England are an half decent up and downer sort of side so why the massive shock when when we fail to break sides down?  Some of the criticism Capello has faced in recent months has been harsh but after this game he deserves some.  Why not put Wilshire on to inject freshness?  We didn’t play with any pace and lacked the imagination to break down a stubborn well organised defence.  There was a reluctance to change things when the planA was clearly not working.  The lack of creativity was partly borne of forwards unable to make diagonalruns to stretch the opponents defence.  In fact, our opponents  came closest to winning when they hit the bar.  An axiom of football is that if you can’t outplay them you must make sure you outnumber them and Montenegro did that well by packing their midfield and forcing our wide players into boxes.  Like Algeria in South Africa, the visitors deserved their celebrations.  Like the World Cup the majority of blame lies with the players and their inability to vary their game and their seeming refusal to learn to do so.   In short, they did a good job on us and we lacked the craft to dig a win out.    Wales look doomed but beating England would salvage some pride, we have to be wary in March.  We still have a good chance of reaching Poland and Ukraine but Spain and Germany have little to worry about. 

Against Russia Ireland were outplayed for long spells.  The visitors played with fluidity and passed through Ireland who looked flat footed.  The amazing thing is that the final minutes could be so dramatic when the game had actually been so one sided!  In Slovakia the Irish started well and took the deserved lead but allowed the hosts a way back.  Keane’s penalty miss proved fatal and despite a crash bang wallop second half they have to be pleased with a draw.  1 point is a disappointing return for Trappatoni’s men.  Scotland displayed admirable fortitude to stage a stirring rip roaring comeback and battle back to 2-2.  However from that point Spain’s winner was sort of inevitable.  It was still Scotland after all!

On Saturday Australia beat Paraguay in Sydney in what tabloid hacks would describe as an ‘ill tempered clash’.  One of the most unfriendly friendlies in the history of, er, unfriendly friendlies!   Arsene wenger would have swooned at the sight of those lunges!

It was disturbing to read of a rise in football violence amongst teenagers.  Even here in Australia some youngsters have a sickening infatuation with the whole culture of football related violence.  I overheard some talking excitedly about trouble at an Arsenal game and asked them why they were so fascinated by people bashing each other peoples heads in…. they didn’t know.  As a teenager, many of my contemporaries seemed to see becoming involved in fighting almost as a natural progression.  As if it was a rite of passage.  I’ve always felt isolated from that.  I specifically remember, even as a nine year old, standing in Glebe Street watching Millwall and Stoke’s hooligans fighting and being confused that so many people felt the need to smash people’s faces in over what was, essentially, wanting a different team to win a game of football.  Violence at football has resulted in lives damaged, people even killed.  It has given police the excuse ( but not justification I hasten to add) to treat supporters as second class citizens.  There is nothing positive about football violence. 

It’s exciting to see the news that Stoke City are  taking a huge following to Bolton on Saturday.  We are enjoying a special time for Stoke City.  It used to be quirk that whenever we took a huge away following we’d get beaten, this hopefully won’t re-emerge at the Reebok.  My friends here call Stokies ‘Phil Spector’.   This is because other games are quite normal and up and down but when Stokies are on TV there’s a constant wall of sound!!  I look forward to an incessant din but in this part of the world we can’t enjoy the noise until  Sunday morning…. the game will be shown on a delay here!

Excuse the title of this post…. I fancy a job working for The Sun!  Like before, the international break comes at the right time for Stoke City, except this time it’s very different reasons.  What a difference a month makes!  Four unbeaten games and we are a quarter of the way to the magical 40 points mark.  On Saturday against Blackburn we played well, and unlike at Newcastle, we attacked them from the start.  It’s great that Walters got off the mark.  In the first half he really looked like a man who had recently joined a Premier league club but had been hit and miss….. and the pressure of the situation seemed to be showing.  Snatching at passes and being over eager to make an impression.  That goal will lift a huge weight from his shoulders and now the monkey is off his back he can relax and go onto better things with us.  I, like many other Stokies, would be perfectly happy with him if he scores the winner in every game he plays!   A pleasing aspect of the Blackburn game is that it was physical and combative but there was nothingmalicious involved and the players didn’t act and roll around.  Pennant clearly isn’t match fit but in bursts his pace and, most pleasingly, the quality of his crosses were great and could prove to be a very productive asset.  All in all a good day for Stoke City.  We finally got the clean sheet we’ve needed and we rarely looked like conceding at all.   We are up to seventh now which is thrilling.   We may not stay this high for long so let’s enjoy it while we can!!   Great work Stoke!   More of the same please.  

At Anfield on Sunday something strange happened.  Amid the talk of financial incompetence and lawyers accountants and consortiums a football match broke out!   And in the game itself something stranger happened.  Roy  Hodgson’s players look totally demoralised.  I can’t believe Torres isn’t preparing to leave in January.  The brand name Liverpool FC should be enough to stave off the threat of administration and in that instance their history must be a relief….. unlike the burden it appears to be on the current players.  In administration Liverpool FC would cease to be an FC and would become merely a company in administration.  The sale of Torres and Gerrard would surely be ordered and a huge slice of their football dream would leave with them.  There is much melodrama on viewing their current plight.  The biggest cliche being that the current owners have ‘ripped the soul’ of of Liverpool.  That might be an appropriate expression of withering self pity but in reality the soul of Liverpool departed on February 22nd 1991.   Having wrestled with his sanity for the previous two years and in the wake of one of the greatest FA Cup ties ever played, Kenny Dalglish rersigned.  Their greatest player, having gone on to be a successful manager, leading the club and it’s fans with dignity through the tramatic aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, decided he was no longer able to deal with the stresses the job brought.  Liverpool ceased to be the dominant force in English football on that day.  It can’t help that Man Utd gleefully took over their reign.  When Alex Ferguson said his greatest achivement was “Knocking Liverpool off their fu^*ing perch” it was a reflection on 26 years of frustration.  Now it’s Liverpool’s turn to feel envy, and if the Blackpool game is any pointer  it may get much worse before it gets better.

FIFA have suspended Nigeria because of government interference in the game there.  Now, they are following their own rules in taking this action but some questions have to be asked. Has this action been taken now that Africa’s World Cup is over and any response will be less of a hot issue with the potential to backfire?  Is it right to deprive the people of Nigeria the chance to support their national team because of administrative meddling?  If the Brazilian German or English FA had a similar problem would Sepp and the old boys club be prepared to take on the might of a football nation with that power and, more importantly, capacity to generate income?  If FIFA are capable of taking such strong action will they take it to address the issue of racism which is still depressingly prominent in some areas of the world…. or will they continue to pay empty lip service to the subject?  

Kevin Davies finally got picked for an England squad!  For several years his name has been mentioned regarding an England call up and it’s finally come to fruition.  It’s pleasing to see a solid professional who has quietly gone about his job and played the game with the minimum of fuss down the years get some recognition.  Unlikely though it is that he’ll get his first cap it’s still a memory he can treasure from a long  career.   Montenegro will be no pushovers.   They are yet to concede and have won both of their games so far.   As is often the case the main problem with England will be defending as a unit.    Too often one clever ball leaves the defence flat footed and this causes problems.  Against solid underrated opposition like Montenegro our back four need to stay awake. 

I haven’t seen Gary Lineker’s documentary about whether England can win the next World Cup but he could have saved the effort of making the programme by asking me and I’ll tell him now…. no we can’t.  Brazil will be favourites obviously but will they handle the pressure?   Many South American football rivalries are borne of historical moments and Brazil are still haunted by 1950.  Imagine if Argentina met  Brazil in the knockout stages and knocked them out. The rest of  the tournament wouldn’t matter.  As far as they would be concerned they will have won their own World Cup. The European team with the mentality to go to Brazil and win it will be Germany. They will also have their exciting youngsters all matured by then too. The whole mindset of the English game needs to change to win a World Cup. And there is little chance of that happening.  Unlike many, I wouldn’t object to a winter break in principle.  But the players wouldn’t be restingon a beach….they would be whisked across the globe for money spinning friendlies so it wouldn’t actually be a break at all.    While the clubs stubbornly refuse to take action for the greater good of the game this is how it shall be.

The transfer deadline arrived amid the usual media bullshine and ballyhoo BUT this time it was different.  Different because Stoke City were one of the main players in the bi annual game of protracted negotiation.  Since reaching  the Premier League it’s felt at times as if nothing changed when transfers fall through andwe’ve look on enviously as other clubs seem to effortlessly acquire their targets.  Now we have turned that around and we have bought several new players in… like a Premier League team does!!  It’s hard to imagine Jonesy won’t be a first choice striker so the main interest will be who partners him.  It has been widely suggested that Gudjohnsen is a long way from match fit leaving Fuller Walters and Tuncay contending for the starting spot.  These are difficult decisions but that’s all part of a manager’s job, and there are much worse situations a football manager has to confront.  By the time we face Aston Villa  on Tuesday morning,  the new players will have had a nearly fortnight to train with their new colleagues and for the gaffer to impose on them what’s required.  Over to you Tone!! 

The Villa game takes on new levels of interest with our new signings taking their bow and it being their first game with a new manager in charge.   Gerard Houllier is the latest manager to try and squeeze Villa into a top four spot.  His excitable predecessor blew his chance when their 08/09 campaign disintegrated after a 2-2 draw with us.  Can Houllier gel all that potential into a side that can dine at Europe’s top table without getting food down their shirt?  Tuesday morning will be their first step on that journey.  We mustn’t give the genial Frenchman the warm welcome we gave to Sam Allardyce at Blackburn.  It was exasperating to read reports that Big Sam had motivated Blackburn to a much needed victory.  In actual fact, we decided to hand the game to them by way of brainless defensive errors.  Sonko’s unnecessary lunge set the tone for the rest of the first half.  No new manager anywhere  will ever have an easier welcome.  

Is anyone seriously appalled by the allegations / revelations (delete where necessary) about Wayne Rooney’s private life?  Did the populace  collectively feint in exasperated, astounded, disgusted, devastated, marinated shock?  I can’t help thinking the News of the World are tapping into the mood of the nation, that being their is still a lot of anger over the horrendous World Cup campaign.   Not that many people seem too bothered aboutwhat he may or may not have done!!  If his two England performances are any indicator the pandemonium has inspired him!  Two excellent performances that made a big contribution to two victories for England and the ideal way to start to lift the dark clouds of South Africa.  Joe Hart was impressive against Bulgaria and, despite a few edgy fumbles, was competent against Switzerland.  It’s important that now, despite the aforementioned fumbles, FabCap makes it clear that Hart is no.1.   It ends speculation and gives Hart confidence and sheds any fear he may be feeling.  Similarly Adam Johnson has surely earned an extended run in the team.  A new younger face and feet filled with talent.  Give him a starting place against Montenegro andtell him to enjoy himself.  Although it contradicts the aura a lot Englandplayers carry in tournaments it might be refreshing for them to remember it is possible to play for England and have a good time.  It was Brian Clough who’s main motivational technique was to ensure that his players never went out to play with fear in their hearts.  Two wins is an excellent way to commence the campaign, this may seem premature but victory in the next game actually gives us one foot in the finals.  And preparation for 2012 starts now.  It’s hardly a surprise that Capello has announced he’ll be leaving the job after the European Championship.  Since the World Cup he’s had the air of a man wondering why he ever took the role in the first place.   So who to replace him?  It’s highly likely the next manager will be English, and why would that surprise anyone after the roaring success of Steve McClaren?   

One of the oddest rumours is that Ryan Giggs could be poised to take the job of managing Wales. Surely this is paper talk.  There has been suggestions he could combine the job while still playing.  Well despite what gets suggested you can’t really manage part time.  He should remember that Brian Clough said he’d happily give away his managerial success to have completed his playing career to it’s natural end.  While he had the job Kenny Dalglish was asked if managing Liverpool was the best job in the world and he said it was the 2nd best job in the world….  the best was PLAYING for Liverpool.  Giggs shouldn’t be too hasty.

Only 84 days until the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.  Hosting the World Cup could be the biggest thing in the history of England.    Nobody can deny The English game has had sickening problems since 1966 but it’s time.    Many things have improved in the last twenty years and the world coming around for a  dinner party (a very big dinner party) would be the perfect  way to celebrate these developments.   Please register here and back England’s bid to host the 2018 World cup.

http://www.england2018bid.com/support/register.aspx