Adebayor should leave Arsenal

Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor.

Honestly, there’s hell lots of reasons for him to leave. Yet somehow, someway, the fans mystically accept him into the Arsenal squad. That is because of the stats. Like they said, stats don’t lie – he scored 30 goals last season, and one against bitter rivals Tottenham which was awarded the goal of the season. Close to 1/3 of the goals was from headers, which proved his aerial ability, and he was included in the PFA Team of the Year.

But again, stats really don’t lie, some would argue the reason he scored so many goals was because of Cesc Fabregas’ magic and that he was on a roll, which I agree. Plus most fans would agree, he’s an awful finisher and he should have scored close to 50 goals – had he buried the chances he got.

From a 30-goal hero, to a minimal amount of only 12 league goals so far with 9 games to play, some Gooners, like me, have requested Arsene Wenger to put him on the transfer list. Last season we really missed a big opportunity when AC Milan was bugging us every single day, enquiring the price Arsene Wenger would put up for Adebayor. Firstly the price was around 20 million pounds, then it got up to 24, and then AC Milan’s final offer came – a whooping 30 million pounds. Everybody was checking the Internet on whether Adebayor was moving or not; some with a “yes” in mind and some with a “buy David Villa” mentality. We were all waiting for the results. I was too. I predicted Adebayor would stay. My Gooner mates were showing me a “go-away Ade” kind of impression, and even Peter Hill-Wood said Adebayor was staying. We can do a lot of things with 30 million. David Villa was the best example, we could get Senna, Frey and Podolski. And what did Arsene Wenger do with that 30 million?

He fucking threw it away. All of it. Down the damn drain.

Now now, I’m not blaming Arsene Wenger one bit. So before you actually start swearing, I want to say that my past few paragraphs were written just to emphasize 1 point: We were wrong, Arsene Wenger was wrong, and Peter Hill-Wood was wrong too.

We should have sold him when the chance came. But instead of rambling about the past, let’s sit down, have a nice coffee, and discuss, what brought about the change in him?

Was it the hair?

Or was it the injury, which probably spoiled his momentum?

Neither. It was his style of play.

I don’t know if some of you can actually see this, but Adebayor’s style of play is different last season compared to this season.

It’s not really easy to explain it to you. But if i could sum it up in 1 line, it would be: Adebayor lack the lethal, killer touch he had last season.

You kidding me? Lethal, killer touch?! Associated with Adebayor?

Yes, sounds ridiculous but this season he seem to score less goals because he shoot less often. Not only his shooting, but the way he tries to beat defenders and the way he dribble has changed. Last season he had a “shoot-and-score” kind of mentality while this season he has a “dribble, wait, then shoot-and miss” kind of thinking right up his head. Where’s the volley you always used to do? Where’s the chest-and-shoot type of goals? Furthermore he hits the bar so often I’m starting to suspect he’s thinking he’s playing captain’s ball. Hitting the bar doesn’t score you goals, Ade.

I'm number 14, you're 25. I play like Henry, but you don't play like Kanu.

However, I’m willing to give him more time. That is, 9 league matches. Once Fabregas comes back, things should be different. But if he’s still playing the way I describe him to be, he’ll never score goals. If he fails to deliver the goods, I’m sad to say, Adebayor must go because his spot should go to Eduardo and he’s not the right player for us.

Ade, you’re a kind person (He donates to charities in his country and even teach the kids how to play football). But this is reality, this is football, if you’re not good, you don’t play. So BE GOOD.

Do tell me whether you feel Adebayor should go or not. Subscribe to our feeds if you like my articles. And join Soccer Fan Base for more discussions.

Dariano

2Good2Bad Video

AC4Eva

Who’s the number 1 now?

Now with Abbiati injured , AC Milan must look towards a new number 1 goaly. But just a little bit about Abbiati before we do that. Before this season he was only once Milan’s number one but that was before Dida came  in on his then world class form. Abbiati this season has destroyed every team. His goalkeeping have saved Milan countless of times. Especially when Maldini was out Abbiati stepped right up and has saved 4 /6 penatlies so far this season. He was easily our second best player and maybe you could argue he has been better than Pato this term. But he was in exceptional form , especially since November last year. In the match against Siena, Abbiati suffered cruciate ligament damage, possibly sidelining him for up to six months.

So now the contenders…
Up number one is Dida. Now around 2004 you could of said Dida was the number one keeper, he was Buffons rival for best keeper, but right now, Milan fans shit themselves when we see his name on the sheet. He lost us potentially the UEFA Cup and has lost us another 3 Serie A games so far this season. He does have great history but he recently has been playing god awful. He strikes fear in Milan fans these days unlike the old days when the fear was in the strikers. He no longer commands the respect of the Milan defenders and you can see it. Hopefully now that Abbiati is injured he can return to the form for Milan that won us 2 champions league title and 1 serie a title. Unfortuely for him, his form started on the decline when, Inter Milan fans threw a flare at him in a local derby. Since then he has slowly declined till last season he rapidly declined.Hopefully he sees Milan will really drop him for good and now he will return to form.

The second option and my personal favorite Auzzie Kalac. Up til this season he was in best career form and you could actually see him trying his heart out for Milan. He was guinely frustrated when he let a goal in and slowly became a fan favorite. He has never been a number one at a club or the national team for Australia but if it wasn’t for the rise and rise of Abbiati he would easily be number one. He is very weak though on crosses but in the italian game it doesnt happen much so it shouldn’t really matter.  I really would like to see his great performances like last term again but  I doubt it will happen one game in. He has basically been behind Dida all season based on Dida’s inglorious past. Personally I favor Kalac but it would never happen.

I’m going to hope for Kalac to be goaly. But it really doesn’t matter as both keepers on their worst day are horrible. Look at Dida all last season and for Kalac look at his Australia performances from the World Cup 2006. Dida will get the nod as he has been number 2 all season and been on the bench all season just based on his inglorious past. Admitingly if both of them were to recapture their greatest form again, Dida would easily get the nod.

Azzmilan

Should Rosicky Leave Arsenal?

I’ll get straight to the point. No.

Tomas Rosicky’s contract runs out at the end of this season, and if not renewed, he could leave Arsenal for free.

It’s really obvious that the reason why Arsene Wenger aren’t offering him a new deal is because he’s too injury-prone. Honestly if you didn’t remind me, I thought Rosicky was dead. Arsenal had countless injuries last season (which probably cost them the title), and perhaps the most controversial and talked-about one was Eduardo’s horrific broken leg against Birmingham. Well 1 year after the injury, he’s back, scoring and in good shape. Well, then WTF happened to Rosicky? For goodness sake, he injured himself before Eduardo did.

Some of you may be starting to think I’m crazy, writing 1 whole paragraph of words that would probably “destroy” and demoralise Rosicky had it been said from Le Prof, yet I’m saying he shouldn’t leave and he deserves a new contract. Actually, it’s really simple. I’m no fan of him, but I’m also not a hater. And after balancing the risks and rewards of keeping him at the club, I’ve came to the conclusion that Rosicky deserves to stay.

Firstly, he’s that damn good. Probably not the best in the world but before he got injured I was really impressed with him. I see some similarity between him and Hleb, just that Rosicky’s more creative and a better passer. He’s a good player and I do not believe, at all, that an injury can actually kill all that talent. No matter how many times you injure your knee, that talent remains and it is up to the player whether he’s determined enough to bring back all that magic. He’s not called “The Mozart of Football” for nothing. So after recovering, I expect him to get back on form and perform well like how he did before.

Secondly, keeping him will give Arsene Wenger more options. Even though Rosicky may not necessarily get a first team spot (especially since Arshavin and Nasri came to the club), he would make a good rotation player. Look at the Arsenal squad. They have Arshavin, Nasri, Fabregas and Denilson. I’m sure these 4 players could keep their spot, but when they all get injured that’s when the trouble arrives. Diaby can try as many tricks as he wants, but he just can’t deliver the goods. His assists and goals are very little. Eboue’s a clown, and will probably get red-carded. Theo Walcott’s out with an injury and Song is average (even though he has lots of potential to improve). Vela’s okay but he’s too young, furthermore he still can’t find his best position. Arsenal doesn’t have quality backups. And if you think that isn’t important, you’re utterly wrong my friend. We lost the title last season due to bad backup players (Senderos, anyone?), and look at Man Utd. They have Nani, Anderson, and Berbatov/Tevez on the bench. I hate to say this, but look at where they are on the EPL table.

That’s why Rosicky being a backup player is important. Arshavin needs a rest? No problem, fill Rosicky there. Nasri’s out? No problem too, he can play on the right. And Fabregas’s injured (hopefully not)? Rosicky can play in the position where he first started. He’s versatile, and the best thing is, as a rotation player, the chances of him getting an injury is far less. It’s like all this was planned from the start.

Finally, it would be a bad piece of business. Rosicky came to the club for 8 million pounds. Well that’s what I heard and believe. Some even say he came for a whooping 23 million; dude, that’s a lot. Regardless of whether it’s 8 or 23 million, signing a player at such a high price (according to Gooner’s and Arsene Wenger’s standards), and letting him leave for virtually nothing at all, is stupid, insane and illogical. I know I’m exaggerating here, but it’s bad money considering the fact that his career at Arsenal never really took off and Arsene Wenger’s a very thrifty man.

After so much explanation (and a little bit of ranting), my final word is that Rosicky should and deserves to stay. He’s good, he’s versatile and he gives you assurance plus experience. Tell me your thoughts in the comment box or join Soccer Fan Base forums for more banter and discussions.

Dariano

Seven Years in the Sun

David Moyes: A ray of sunshine for Evertonian's everywhere.

Time is a peculiar, fluid sort of thing. In saying that I refer to the habit it seems to have of making things seem both distant and recent, both fresh in your mind and yet a predicate to many, many experiences since. What I mean, via means of a more specific example, is that it seems both more and less than seven years since David Moyes took over as manager of Everton Football Club.

It seems only yesterday that I was sitting in my faithful seat at Goodison Park, shivering more with nerves than with the icy, sweeping wind that so frequently pervades the wonderful old stadium, watching as Everton played out a final day of the season battle with Coventry. We survived by the skin of our teeth, on goal difference, at Bolton’s expense.

Those years, the nervous, scrappy years, form the major part of my reminiscence of my time as an Evertonian. Only twenty years young, I wasn’t fortunate enough to witness our glory years in the eighties, and the high point for me, before Moyes, was our 1995 FA Cup final triumph under Joe Royle (best of luck back at Oldham by the way Joe).

And yet, although I remember those days as clearly as if we were still in the heart of a relegation battle, they also seem incredibly distant. Now the thought that Everton could be seriously threatened with relegation from the Premier League seems, wonderfully, a thing of the past. Even at the beginning of this season, when we stuttered into our campaign and languished near the foot of the table for some time, I wasn’t ever really worried. Because in Moyes we trust.

Seven years ago I was thirteen years old. I was living in England, and I’d only been to New Zealand on holiday. I was in Year 8 at school, happily belting a football round the playground. Now I’m twenty years old. In those seven years I have changed almost beyond recognition. I have moved from England to New Zealand, then back to England, then back to New Zealand.

In the past seven years I’ve lived in fourteen different houses/batches/flats/rooms. I’ve attended three different schools, taken two sets of important exams and then completed two years of study towards a university degree. Seven years ago, I had perfect eyesight, now I wear glasses or contact lenses. All of these changes, big or small, have happened to me while David Moyes has been manager of Everton.

And yet it still seems strange to me that Moyes has been at Everton for such a period of time. His reign in charge of the Toffees has been up and down, that’s for sure, though happily it’s been more up than down. Indeed, in comparison to the preceding years it has positive whirlwind of excitement and progress. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and in a way, that’s how it seems.

But similarly, it also seems like it has been a long slow slog. An uphill battle against countless obstacles, but slowly Moyes has dragged Everton steadily back toward the summit of English football – back where we belong. And this more than anything is a testament to the length of time Moyes has dedicated to our club, To the difference he has made to my life, and the lives of thousands of other Everton fans the world over.

From perennial strugglers, Moyes has steadily overseen our transformation. He started slowly, building from the back, quite literally, with his first purchase: Joseph Yobo. But you have to lay the foundations for success and he did that. Bringing in players who would work for him, players who would be the beginning of something. The likes of Phil Neville, established, experienced and reliable, and Tim Cahill, young, untested and hungry.

he took us to safety, then led us into the top six, before another season of struggle. But that was OK, we were realistic and didn’t expect too much. Plus, there was progress. Players like Rooney, Gravesen and Arteta were beginning to grace Goodison. These were players of a quality and flair that we hadn’t seen for some time. But they all had one thing in common. They were good, honest, hard working players. The mark of the manager. And what a manager.

“I am joining the people’s football club. The majority of people you meet on the street[s of Liverpool] are Everton fans.”

- David Moyes, 14.03.2002

Moyes eventually steadied the ship. He led us to the unprecedented territory of a top four Premier League finish. Unprecedented not just for us, but for any club outside the ‘big four’. Back before Moyes, it was the ‘big three’, because Chelsea weren’t so rich. And despite constant trials and setbacks, like the decision that denied us qualification to the Champions League group stages and the penalty shoot out loss to Fiorentina in the last sixteen of the UEFA Cup, Moyes has continued to lead our club forwards.

Over the last seven years, my life has changed considerably, as I’ve detailed. But one of the biggest, most significant changes in that period has been the blooming of Everton Football Club. This sport, and this team in particular is a massive part of my life, and it gives me enormous pleasure to witness us consistently push for European places. For me to admire and enjoy the style of football that we play. For Everton to be a club known throughout Europe again.

The title of this article is ‘Seven Years in the Sun’. I’ve lived in New Zealand, a land traditionally held in regard for it’s sunny climate for only 3 and a half years in total. But since David Moyes took over as manager of Everton, the sun has been shining on our club, and on the club’s supporters. Yes, we’ve had some patches of cloud and the odd bit of rain, but for the most part, David Moyes has brightened up our lives.

So let this article shine as a mark of respect to David Moyes. A mark of thanks to one of the brightest managerial talents in the game. May it spur him on to keep going, to keep building with out club. There are always those naysayers who will turn against him when the going gets tough, but Moyes knows he has the love and support of Everton’s true fans. We are honoured to have him, and we look forward to another seven years in the sun.

If you liked this article, please visit me at my website by clicking on the banner below:

Here We Go Again.

Well here we go with my second blog on this site. I have told a good friend of mine that I will do my best to post a blog to preview each of Arsenal’s games so long as I have enough free time. As Arsenal have an FA Cup 5th round match at home to Burnley tomorrow at 1.30 in the afternoon I suppose I’d better get on with it.

We ended our run of boring 0-0 draws on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win at bottom of the table West Brom. It may not have been a vintage performance but there were some positives for us besides the result. Firstly with Villa losing at City the next night it gives us the chance to overtake them before they play again. In fact we have 3 matches before they play again and we will hopefully find ourselves in the last 8 of both the FA Cup & the Champions League and ahead of Villa on goal difference before they play our local rivals next Sunday. It’s not often that I wish for a win for The Spuds but I will this time. The last time I can remember wishing for a win for them was on the final day of the 98/99 season when we needed them to win at Old Trafford for us to have a chance of winning the league. However they lost 2-1, despite leading at one stage, and their fans celebrated as if they had won a trophy.

Already this week our youth team have beaten The Spuds 3-1 at their ground in the last 8 of the FA youth cup with 2 goals in injury time and appearently we broke their poor little hearts. I’m sure it was a good education for any players who will make it as far as the first team as they would probably have to stay in the first team for 10 years or so before they could hope to have a victory against us if the current norm is to continue. Our youngsters now go on to play Man City in a 2 legged semi final and hopefully they can lift the trophy for us. They are having a very good season and stand 14 points clear at the top of their league also. All of this is being done without the services of Ramsey, Merida & Gibbs who are on first team duty and Lansbury who is out on loan at the moment. Also Wilshere seems to only play in the cup games as he is usually in the first team also. They got a good win today too when they came from 2-0 down to win 4-3 away to Chelsea with most of Thursday night’s team rested.

Anyway on to tomorrow’s game and our Championship opponents Burnley. At the moment they are 1 point off the play off places in the league with 10 games remaining and they came within a whisker of knocking The Spuds out at the semi final stage of the Carling Cup. They lost 4-1 away from home and won 3-0 at home but went out with 2 goals at the very end of extra time. A few years ago we went out at the same stage of that competition to Wigan on away goals but in that tie the away goals counted in normal time and we lost out. However the rules have obviously changed since then as away goals only came into effect at the end of extra time much to the joy of all Spud supporters.

Burnley play an attractive brand of football and their manager has said that it will not change tomorrow as he believes it is the right way to play. You have to admire that but also it could well be their downfall if they allow us room to play. Better teams have tried to do that and paid the price for it. However we will have to approach the game with the right attitude and play without the fear that has been all too obvious in our recent home games. The manager has said Fabianski is our FA Cup goalkeeper and he also said that Gibbs will replace Clichy for this game. I would expect Gallas to be back in the team as the Djourou & Song partnership at the back is one I don’t like the look of. Eboue may well replace Sagna at right back and Bendtner will probably start up front. It will be interesting to see if either Theo or Eduardo are deemed fit enough to start but I think that they will both probably emerge from the bench at some point in the game. The midfield is anybodys guess with Song, Denilson, Vela, Diaby & Nasri all possible starters alonside Arshavin who is a certainty as he cannot play on Wednesday night in Rome. He may well play off a lone striker and I have been really impressed by him in his few games so far. I think that when he is at his peak level and has adapted fully to English football he will be an absolutely fantastic player for us and a match winner against any team we play.

And so to my prediction for tomorrow. I think we will win 3-1 with Arshavin scoring 1 of our goals. We will have to watch Robbie Blake because he is a very good player with a great football brain and a huge amount of experience. If we can approach the game in the right way I am confident that we can get this very important week off to a flying start. Wherever you’re watching the game I hope you enjoy it and we get the win we need. I’ll be watching it with the Wicklow Gunners in The Strand hotel in Bray Co. Wicklow and enjoying a few drinks and some good football chat about our passion – Arsenal. I’ll link to my daily blog about all things Arsenal below.

http://www.oleole.com/blogs/cesc-is-god

And below is a clip of the last minute goal that put us ahead of The Spuds in the youth cup on Thursday night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHk0O7tTkz0

Come On You Gunners.

Good for the Game?: Goal Line Technology

Hi all. I’m doing something a little bit different with my post today. The other day I wrote on my site a critique of refereeing standards in English football that formed the first part of a two part look at refereeing in general. What I will now post here forms the second part of that investigation, but can work as a standalone article. If you read and enjoy this piece, then please check out the first part by clicking here. Also, if you do read the other one, you can find this article plus a bit more introduction and conclusion for the investigation as a whole here.

Luis Garcia's 'Ghost Goal': Do we need goal line technology?

In modern football, one of the topics that is most frequently debated, is whether or not we should introduce some sort of goal line technology. This is a natural thing, as of course what really counts in football is goals, and if the goal line is involved in a controversial decision, then it can make or break a match for a team. These are the sort of decisions that we really need to get right, but is ‘technology’ the answer?

There has certainly been much call for it, and with many clubs embracing more and more technological advances in training regimes, fitness practices and even penalty shootout preparation, it does seem that there are precedents that suggest football and technology can work hand in hand. On top of that, there are definitely precedents from other sports, where technology has successfully been used to aid officials in their decision making and have come to be regarded as integral to these sports.

For me, the perfect example of technology in sport is tennis. In recent years Hawk Eye technology has allowed players to challenge tight line-calls and it is actually surprising how often the line judges get it wrong. Of course, tennis balls travel at immense speeds and so they are not to be criticised for such mistakes, but I think the implementation of this technology has advantaged the sport as a whole. The only criticism of it is that it is something that cannot be replicated throughout the different tiers of tennis, it is too expensive to grace amateur clubs and tournaments, and so in a way may create more of a divide between the elite and the amateur.

Rugby Union has also seen successful implementation of video replays, for use in determining whether or not the ball has touched the turf over the try-line. When there are mountains of great hulking brute piling all over each other and the ball, the referees never really had a hope of spotting quite whether a try had in fact been scored but slow motion replays from multiple angles often make it easier for such a decision to be accurately determined, and I feel that this sport too has embraced the technology.

Cricket and technology used to go hand in hand too, they have been using video replays to determine whether or not a player is run out for a long time now and it has been a successful system. However, it is the implementation of further technology into cricket that ultimately inspired this article. Watching England against the West Indies the other day, I saw what a shambles was being made of the new ‘referral system’, whereby the on-field umpires’ decisions may be overturned by the third umpire who has the benefit of video and hawk eye technology, following a ‘referral’ from either side.

The fourth test match between these two sides saw much controversy when some decisions that looked right were overturned by the third umpire and some that looked wrong were upheld. It came to beg the question as to how much trust we may place in such ‘predictive’ technology when it works in tandem with a human official. Because previous video replays judging ‘run-out’ decisions were simply documenting what had actually occurred there was no problem, but because LBW decisions need to determine the course of the ball had they not hit the batsmen’s pads, it ultimately comes down to the accuracy of the technology and then the interpretation of the human official, and it seems that this led to some problems.

The decision to implement this further use of technology into cricket was met with much initial opposal, from traditionalists naturally, but also from people who thought that it would undermine the authority of the on field umpires, and it seems that this may have occurred. The umpires on the pitch still make their decisions as they always have done, but they can then see the players, who are supposed to be under their authority can then override their decision and ask for a closer look, as it were.

I feel that this is where the problem really lies, and in a slightly conspiratorial turn I did wonder whether Daryl Harper, the third-umpire who made such bemusing decisions, and is also an on-field umpire may not have been trying to stage an active protest against the imposal of this new technology because it is so detrimental to the authority and respect of the umpires out there on the pitch. I certainly think that this is a road not worth going down, because giving players the license to question an umpires decisions seems to me to be a step towards anarchy in sport. The umpires are there for a reason, to impose an impartial and unbiased rule over both teams.

This is the point at which the debate turns to football. Most exponents of goal line technology have suggested that a system whereby when there is doubt in the referees mind, a television replay can be used and adjudicated by a separate official, to determine the legitimacy of the goal claim. This though, is all too similar to the current battle that is occurring in the West Indies for my liking.

I will concede that there is a slight difference in that football replays would be analysing the path that the ball has actually taken, whereas cricket has to use predictive technology. However, part of the problem is that after such controversial decisions have occurred, TV replays have on occasion been unable to determine whether or not the ball had in fact crossed the line. The most memorable example of this I believe, was Luis Garcia’s phantom goal in the Champions League for Liverpool against Chelsea, a goal that probably shouldn’t have stood, but has never been conclusively decided either way.

In situations such as this, supporters of the installation of such technology suggest that the Hawk-Eye system should be turned to, allowing the clever software to predict the trajectory and position of the ball using the established data it already has gleaned from the balls initial trajectory, based in the television footage. This would, in theory, allow it to determine whether or not the ball had crossed the line in situations like the aforementioned ‘phantom goal’ phenomenon, where all the angles provided by TV cameras were blocked by players and posts.

This means though, that we would after all be venturing along the shaky lines of predictive technology, and I simply don’t think that that is a safe path to tread. One simply cannot rely on computer technology to predict and account for every possible contributor to the balls actual path through the air, and so I don’t think any evidence gleaned by such a method could be deemed as conclusive.

What’s more, I think that we need to preserve the authority of the on-pitch referees. To have the power suddenly stripped from the men in black and whisked away to a computer somewhere in the stadium would seem to me to undermine their officiation in a similar way to how the ‘referral system’ is playing havoc in the W.Indies. Football already suffers from a problem where players feel that by screaming and shouting and throwing a tantrum they can overturn a referees decision, and I feel that introducing the goal line technology would further undermine any respect that is given to the on pitch officials.

The ‘respect campaign’ has been much maligned this season in English football, and rightly so, referees cannot simply demand the respect of players, managers and fans, they must earn it. But in a similar way as to which the FA cannot demand that we give the referees respect they don’t deserve, they should also be extremely wary of introducing systems whereby the tenuous relationship between officials and players is placed under further strain.

Don’t get me wrong, I dam not saying that goal line decisions are not in need of some sort of improvement, in fact I strongly agree that they are. I think it is a tragedy that Liverpool went on to win the Champions League in 2005 when their progression through the tournament depends entirely on a goal that probably shouldn’t have been given. However, I feel that we must get our priorities right, and I believe that introducing goal line technology would do more harm than good to the game as a whole.

Unfortunately, in my aversion to goal line technology, it does seem that I place the burden of any improvement largely in the hands of the referees themselves, and they are a group of people whose integrity I do not feel a tremendous amount of respect for (see Part One of this debate). However, although I think the current crop of referees leave a lot to be desired with regard to their impartiality and honour, I maintain that we should not sacrifice the authority of the referee simply to improve one small, and relatively infrequent, facet of refereeing.

Indeed, one of the things that I so love about football is that it truly is a sport that is played the same way at every level. Right from the grass roots up, there is no real difference between matches that take place, except the quality and the attendance. The rules of the game, the setup of the pitch, the number of officials etc. are all the same be the match between SAHA Juniors and Meresiders or between Everton and Liverpool. What this means to, is that diminished respect toward referees would have a negative impact on the game as a whole and set a poor example to the kids at grass roots level.

Because goal line technology could not be implemented at every level, it is just completely and utterly implausible. And so although the referees in the lower echelons of the game would still have the final say with regard to decisions like that, there would still be the feeling amongst the players who watched their heroes rely on a computer each week that the referee does not hold absolute authority, and that would be bad for the game as a whole. It is not necessary that the referees be respected absolutely and without question, they have to earn it as I said before, but the rules of the game do have to be respected for the integrity of the sport to remain in tact.

So is there an alternative to goal line technology, whereby we still improve the accuracy of goal line decisions? Well, there might be. A while ago FIFA tested technology involving the housing of a microchip in the centre of a ball and censors around the frame of the goal, which would alert the referee when the ball had crossed the line completely, and thus allow him to give the goal, categorically, one way or the other. I don’t know how successful the trial was (but perhaps the fact that I haven’t heard hide nor hair about it again speaks for itself), but this seems like being a plausible avenue to pursue, if the technology could be perfected, though of course it would still rely on the efficiency of the technology and would still raise problems to an extent at grassroots level.

The other option that is frequently touted about is to employ yet another match official whose sole job it is to monitor the goal from close proximity (i.e. behind the net) and from that vantage provide accurate decisions as to whether or not a goal should stand. This seems like a sensible proposal to a point, in that it would work, but really, it sets rather a precedent that could eventually see limitless referees employed simply to monitor certain types of fouls, or throw ins, or whether the ball was in the triangle for a corner, or measuring out the distance of the wall… you get my point I’m sure. It just seems silly to me to have another two officials for each end, just in case there is a close call.

In essence then, my conclusion is that goal line technology, in it’s most obvious embodiment, would be a mistake for football. I believe that the negative consequences that would come from the use of such technology would far outweigh any positives that may be derived from it. I believe that it would undermine the integrity of the officials and hand the players too much license to question their decisions. For now then, we must continue to rely on the integrity of our human match officials, but that means that this is certainly an uneasy conclusion, as the integrity and impartiality of our human match officials is not exactly without its own controversy (see Part One.)

Thanks for reading my article, if you liked it, please visit me at ‘They Think It’s All Over…’ by clicking the banner below.

Champion’s League Preview (Round 2)

Alright, I’m going to stray from the usual Premier League articles I write about and try something new.  I’m going to give a quick analysis and prediction for every Champion’s League matchup in the Second Legs all the way up to the Final in Rome.  Feedback about what you think about my predictions will be welcomed as I love to banter about Football and everyone loves some good Champion’s League chat. So here we are:

Bayern Munich-Sporting Lisbon (Bayern up 5-0):  I thought I’d start with by far the easiest matchup to predict who are going to advance, as Bayernscored 5 away goals in Portugal and that kind of deficit is really insurmountable.  So for my prediction-I’m guessing Bayern are going to give a couple of the younger players a go and I highly doubt another rout, but Lisbon can’t be coming into this match expecting much either so I’ll say expect a low scoring draw:  Bayern 1-1 Sporting (Bayern advance 6-1 on aggregate).

Roma-Arsenal (Arsenal up 1-0):  The 1-0 home win by Arsenal really sets up a very interesting Second Leg back in Italy as Roma know that any away goals to the English side could be doom.  Both clubs enter this matchup lower in their domestic leagues than they would prefer, but both sides have the talent to go on and become Champion’s of Europe.  I think this fixture will be extremely hotly contested and Roma will be forced to push forward and, in the end, an Arsenal counter-attack in the last half hour seals the deal:  Roma 0-1 Arsenal (Arsenal advance 2-0 on aggregate).

Panathinaikos-Villarreal (Tied 1-1):  The Greeks must be favored having secured an away goal in Spain to a less than frightening Villarreal squad.  I wish I knew more about both squads and could give more analysis, but from what I know, Panathinaikos (wherever that is in Greece) isn’t an easy place to win, let alone draw, and I’ll give this one to the Greeks as they try to shock the world:  Panathinaikos 1-0 Villarreal (Panathinaikos advance 2-1 on aggregate).

Juventus-Chelsea (Chelsea up 1-0):  Similarly to Arsenal, Chelsea’s home goal and clean sheet leave them in a good position as they travel to Northern Italy.  Juve will no doubt feel they have a legitimate shot to advance against last year’s runners up, but most money will still be on Chelsea.  For me, I’ll take Chelsea, as it just seems like English squads just find a way to advance in recent years, although I’m not to confident about this pick: Juventus 1-1 Chelsea (Chelsea advance 2-1 on aggregate).

Liverpool-Real Madrid (Liverpool up 1-0):  Liverpool truly are a completely different team in Europe.  After failing to beat Man City at home, they headed to Madrid and shockingly pulled out a late winning away goal.  They seem to be a club who rises to the big occasions and I would be suprised if Madrid manage to advance in this fixture, although they will surely give it a good run.  After Real gets a suprise early goal, Liverpool survives and advances: Liverpool 2-1 Real Madrid (Liverpool advance 3-1 on aggregate).

Barcelona-Lyon (Tied 1-1):  In France, Juninho gave Lyon an early lead through another one of his wonderful freekicks and about two minutes later, Karim Benzema had a breakaway and could’ve put the French giants up 2-0, but he scuffed his shot wide.  After the early scare, Barca indeed regained their composure and Henry gave them an equaliser and they really appeared the better squad.  Barcelona should be too much for Lyon back at the Nou Camp, but anything is possible with Juninho and Lyon:  Barcelona 2-0 Lyon (Barca advance 3-1 on aggregate).

FC Porto-Athletico Madrid (Tied 2-2):  After the sensational 4-goal affair in Madrid, this are still open in this tie as they make the short trip back to Portugal.  Porto looked the better squad in the First Leg and without a mighty goalkeeping mistake, they would be up heading home, but I have to admit I believe Athletico’s striker combo may be enough to put them through:  Porto 0-1 Athletico (Aguero leaves it late, Athletico Madrid advance 3-2 on aggregate).

Manchester United-Inter Milan (Tied 0-0):  And now, as they call showdowns such as this in America, we come to “The Grand-Daddy of Them All”.  United appeared by far the better side early at the San Siro, but Inter proved to be a steady test in the Second Half of Leg 1, and truthfully I think they can keep it up.  Mourinho will have his boys up for this defensively and I think this one could go the distance, but Man United pull out their spot-kick expertice and move on:  Manchester United 0-0 Inter Milan (United advance 4-3 on PK’s).

So there you have it.  I’ll check back a little later and see just how wrong I was, but that’s the fun of it isn’t it.  Cheers for now and hope you all enjoyed my thoughts and will equally enjoy another great Champion’s League Week.

By RJ Sepich-Villa4Life11

Time To Become The Humble One

He may be known as ‘The Special One’ but Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan team looked far from special against reigning English and European Champions Manchester United on Tuesday night. Mourinho’s Italian Champions played host to United in this last 16 first leg Champions League encounter but never really looked in control of the game going on in their domicile that is the San Siro.

United who opted to start with Ryan Giggs behind Dimitar Berbatov instead of the conventional two strikers exploded out of the blocks and quickly banished any ideas that their modified formation was going to be in any way a defensive one. Twice Cristiano Ronaldo found himself in the box for free headers on goal, Giggs raced through for a one on one with the outstanding Julio Cedar and United also picked up numerous free kicks on the edge of Inters box which enraged the home bench. How they went in at half time goalless was a mystery and something they’ll be hoping doesn’t come back to haunt them in a fortnights time.

Mourinho must have inflicted some home truths at the break while mustering up a come back plan with his players as Inter came out in the second period with a completely different outlook and dynamic. They pressed the visitors and began creating chances to the delight of the majority 80,000 fans cooped in the magnificent San Siro. Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved left and gave John O’Shea a torrid time with his quick feet and overwhelming power. Estaban Cambiasso started to get a grip on the midfield that had been run in the first half by United’s Michael Carrick and the superb Darren Fletcher. It seemed the Special One was earning his wage but Manchester United who continued to offer a threat to the opposition remained composed, patient and dangerous.

The English visitors did have to soak up periods of pressure in the second half but still managed to create numerous chances to score that illusive away goal Sir Alex Ferguson believed they would get. Giggs had the better of the chances as he rolled back the years and raced through the Inter defence stepping over the ball and giving the shimmy to his marker, however his effort was blocked well by substitute Ivan Cordoba.

The game on balance did tilt in Manchester United’s favour and the difference in class between the Premiership and Serie A was blatantly clear in the opening half hour. The pace and tempo of United was far superior to their opponents that it took until the break for the home side to understand how they needed to play in order to contain their English counterparts let alone beat them.

Mourinho may have won the battle he fought whilst at FC Porto against Ferguson and danced down the Old Trafford touchline, he may have won the majority of the Chelsea, Manchester United domestic crossfire’s but this is a war he will not win. Ferguson holds all the cards this time and his team are on a completely different planet to Inter Milan when it comes to class and pedigree.

The special one will need to learn how to become the humble one come March 11^th as losing has never been something he does too graciously and on this evidence an Inter Milan defeat will be a certain outcome on what will indeed be another special night under the Old Trafford lights.

enjoyed this piece?

Read more here – http://sportales.com/soccer/we-hate-manchester-united-should-we/

A New Beginning.

There’s a first time for everything as the saying goes and so I have eventually managed to post a blog here for the first time. I suppose a little background information wouldn’t go astray before I go any further. I’m a lifelong Arsenal fan who lives in Dublin, Ireland. I try to get over to The Emirates as often as possible to watch my beloved team. I am also a member of the Wicklow Gunners which is a local Arsenal supporters club. We meet in The Strand bar in Bray whenever Arsenal are live on any TV station and we are always open to new members. There’s a hardcore of about 30 or so members but we have an overall membership of more than 100. We can get tickets to most home matches through the club and I’ve been over twice this season.

I was there on Saturday and to be honest the match itself was indicative of our season as we just didn’t seem to be up for it. We had our chances but unfortunately most of them fell for RVP and they just aren’t going in for him at the moment. To be fair to Fulham they deserved their point and they played very well. We now have 11 league games left and a 6 point gap to make up on Aston Villa if we are to qualify for the preliminary stages of next season’s Champions League. Financially it would be a big blow to the club not to qualify and we might also find it hard to keep all of our top players and attract new players if we are in the Europa Cup next season. There is no more room for error.

Tomorrow night we travel to bottom of the table West Brom needing a win to try to put some pressure on Villa ahead of their game on Wednesday night. We will have the same squad that we had on Saturday with the exception of Gallas who injured his ankle on Saturday. The manager doesn’t have too many options open to him but he has to get some self belief installed into his players because we certainly have the talent needed to beat them. If we can play like we did at home to Roma or Cardiff we are capable of blowing Abion away. They play an attractive brand of football and last season they were called the Arsenal of the Championship. This should mean that they will come out and play against us and we will have space to play in. We will have the oppurtunity to make and score chances but our players need to be brave. By this I mean that they need to be able to stand up and be counted on the pitch. We need players to show for the ball, make runs for the man with the ball and attempt to play that killer pass when the oppurtunity arises.

We have become too predictable at the moment as we don’t shoot from distance often enough and are passing in and around the box is too intricate. We are missing some of our very best players and with that some of our penetration obviously. Our full backs have mysteriously lost their ability to beat the first defender with thier crosses and they no longer seem to attempt to reach the end line and cut the ball back. Our players seem almost scared to be in the box when the ball comes in and the manager has to sort their heads out before it’s too late.

Having said all that I have supported Arsenal through much darker days than the ones we are going through at the moment. I have seen them barely escape relegation, lose a Cup Winners Cup final and a UEFA Cup final on penalties and lose a Cup Winners Cup final in the last minute of extra time to a goal from the halfway line to an ex Spurs player. We went from 1971 to 1979 without a trophy and then on to 1987 before we won another one. Nothing lasts forever and we don’t have a divine right to a spot in the Champions League but all I want at the moment from the team and the manger is a little honesty. The team need to put in an honest stint on the pitch and the manager needs to be honest with himself and the fans and admit that his experiment is failing. He must buy the top class central midfield partner for Cesc that we need when the window reopens.

We still have a chance of winning the FA Cup this season and we are not out of the Champions League for this season yet.If we can find the form that I know our players are capable of we can still win a trophy and gain a place in next season’s Champions League and the season will be judged a success but the big questions will be asked if neither of these things happen and the season is a failure. That’s about it for today and I’ll be back in a few days to preview our FA Cup game against Burnley. I’m putting us down for a 3-0 win tomorrow night with RVP, Nasri & Arshavin scoring. It can’t be 0-0 again, can it ?

I’ll leave you with a clip of Arsenal at their best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0habEZozCAk

And also a link to my daily blog.

http://www.oleole.com/blogs/cesc-is-god

Come On You Gunners.