A deserved point,a deserved call up, fan power and finance v ethics
At Anfield on Sunday we defended with characteristic tenacity and our resilience earned us a point. Stoke started the game brightly and took the game to the hosts. Charlie Adam squandered a great chance when he hit the ball at Reina. Goalscoring opportunities at places like Anfield are precious, we really can’t afford to waste them. Liverpool then came into the game and pegged us back. At this stage we entered a phase of the game which casts a dark stain. while we are a physical team that needn’t equate to being a violent team. For a spell in the first half our play became reckless. For a while our game was of a litany of fouls and excessive force. It simply results in free kicks conceded, pressure for our defence to handle and yellow cards. We are an arduous physical side but that side of our game must be kept in check. Thankfully in the second half we settled down and our defensive work was positional disciplined and focused. There were close shaves and near misses but we secured the point in relative comfort. In fact in the final ten minutes we pressed forward and could have stolen victory ourselves. All in all a deserved point. Liverpool will rue some wasted chances but so will we.
Two points lingering from the game were Robert Huth’s stamp on Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan’s outrageous dive. The FA panel has seen video evidence and Huth won’t be charged by the FA. That is a huge relief but he’s fortunate. It looked avoidable. As masterful as our Berlin Wall is he does carry a risky tendency to err on the dangerous side of the game. Suarez’ dive was hard to actually fathom. It was so blatant he may have even been performing some self mocking parody. Why he chooses to treat fellow professionals with such disrespect is baffling. It has been suggested that it is a form of retribution for off the ball matters and fouls that aren’t given but that’s lame. Lionel Messi also receives physical intimidation but he doesn’t habitually cheat. Suarez shouldn’t need to cheat. In fact, the cheating overshadows the fact that he’s actually oozing with talent.
Whatever happened to the Premier League’s ‘marvellous’ 39th game idea? It must filed in the great ideas draw alongside Blatter’s World Cup every two years and Havelange’s bigger goals. A positive result of this ludicrous idea is that the outrage of supporters brought an end to plans for this diabolical bastardisation of football. A shining example of fans using their power as supporters and consumers (sorry for using that C word) to ensure it never got off the ground. Is unpopular change inevitable? If fans can realise their power and influence it is far from inevitable. It’s important to remember that amid talk of TV monies sponsors and billionaire oil oligarchs, supporters still have influence that, if asserted en masse, can change decisions and rattle administrative cages. Anything which effects goings on at football clubs is BIG news. Ensure the way the vast majority of supporters feel… and what is at stake… is on appropriate agendas. Write those letters send those emails ring those phone ins and make a noise…. and abuse of supporter loyalty won’t be inevitable.
Much has been made of Joe Hart’s performance against Borussia Dortmund. Impressive though Hart’s heroics were they masked a Manchester City performance that saw them out thought and subsequently outplayed. It’d be reasonable to acknowledge that Man City are newcomers to that stage and this is all part of a learning curve…. if it wasn’t for the sheer cost of Mancini’s squad. Unlike many clubs of greater stature, Mancini has had a bottomless pit of money to invest in the squad as he sees fit. Despite the colossal budget, and a previous year of experience, Man City may struggle to reach the knockout stage of the competition. Given the resources at the manager’s disposal an exit at any stage before the semi final is failure.
The players union in Brazil is intending to campaign against the 2014 World Cup schedule. Several matches are to kick off at 1pm which in some of the host cities will mean playing in intense heat and could compromise the health of the players. While it’s hard to believe the plan hasn’t been to satisfy the demands of European television broadcasters, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke last week claimed the schedule wasn’t based around financial considerations. The prickly issue of World Cup scheduling has been a bone of contention for many years. As far back as Mexico in 1970 it was clear TV had determined the itinerary. When, before the 1986 World Cup, again in Mexico, Diego Maradona spoke publicly about the dangers of playing in midday heat, it triggered his tempestuous relationship with FIFA. Juggling commercial possibilities with sporting ethics remains a difficult balancing act.
Football fans love to reminisce about old games and players. The BBC World Service last week aired an item about the Sporting Memories Network. In short, it is a treatment for sports fans suffering dementia and alzheimer’s that encourages patients to talk about memories of their favourite sporting moments. Often, despite the condition, precise details of sporting moments which occurred many years ago can be remembered with clarity. This helps to keep the mind active which in itself is a form of therapy. Odd to think that eventually all the useless information we store can actually be beneficial for our health! http://www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/smn/
Congratulations to Ryan Shawcross on his selection for the England team. It is a deserved accolade for Ryan. If he gets picked in the team he’ll be the first Stoke player to make an England debut since Mark Chamberlain in 1982. In addition his call up is a huge compliment to all at Stoke City and symbolises our current status. These really are great days and we should remember to enjoy them.