England Expects... But Can't Deliver
ENGLAND supporters are the Geordies of international football: they have deluded themselves that because they won a trophy once on Pathe News and they have the "best" fans they are entitled ex-officio to be world champions.
That they have star players and an all out attacking style of football that is the envy of the world and that only a series of outrageous refereeing decisions as every major tournament comes to the boil has stopped their inevitable and popular march to glory.
Don't let the evidence of almost 50 silverless years get in the way of that passion.
England fans really should know better. This 'failure' isn't a blip. Thirty years of hurt? Are we up to 40 now? Or 50? Failure is the norm for England.
Yet despite that inescapable reality there has been an collective elective amnesia and a willingness to buy into the spin that the glittering global success of the Premier League would somehow short circuit history and win England the World Cup.
It is a delusion. Remember how the cocksure media chorused after the draw that England were surely a shoo-in for the final. At least. The draw was "EASY" said the Sun. Wayne Rooney was the best player on the planet and the team was studded with intergalactic quality the tabloids declared. Who could stop us this time?
The England fans' painful frustration and heartbreak now stems from that ridiculous media frenzy and unrealisable artificially raised expectations based on arrogance, ignorance and wishful thinking. It is a long way down from the saddle of that high horse.
That uncritical media juggernaut driven blindfold through the national psyche was given added momentum by a relentless cynical multi-media marketing campaign to get us to buy England branded beer and burgers and bog roll and given weight of numbers by the sudden appearance in public places of more flags than a Nuremburg rally.
Fans, even the most knowledgable, were persuaded against their better judgement - and by the very tabloid and studio big-hitters now leading the witch-hunt - that this time victory was possible... probable?
Now as England fans make their way dejectedly through the post-exit debris of broken dreams and discarded car flags like a tear through face-paint, the spotlight switches to our true national sport: the hysterical search for a scapegoat.
Because someone must be to blame for this unacceptable, shameful historic failure. Let the show trials begin... the accused: Capello for his scared selection and tired tactics, Rob Green for his butter-fingered fumble, the team for a collective failure against Algeria and the inability to score one more against Slovenia that gave them the "hard" route (and the chance to lose to Ghana instead), John Terry for his failed coup, Sepp Blatter, the referee, the ball, Gareth Southgate. Take your pick.
But while we try to pin the crime on someone - anyone - we are missing the point: England are nowhere near good enough to win the World Cup. They were never going to win. We have not been denied our birthright. It is not an historic aberration, it was a completely predictable exit that fits all the evidence of football history.
England are ranked by FIFA somewhere between eighth and 12th in the world so a place in the last 16 is just meeting expectations. Going any further is relative success.
England's tournament default it to stumble through the group stage then go against the first technically competent side they come up against.
Sometimes the draw is kind and they get past a Cameroon or a Belgium but then when they meet a Germany, Brazil or Argentina they go out. That is the harsh reality. The idea that England are an international football superpower is a nonsense.
Since grinding out victory on home turf in 1966 (courtesy of a dodgy goal that didn't prompt demands for a FIFA inquiry) England have reached the semi-final ONCE - that last four high-water puts them on a par with giants South Korea, Croatia, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey and Bulgaria.
England have even failed to qualify for the finals at all on three occasions.
Since 1966 Germany have always gone further than England. They have won two finals and been runners-up three times plus they have won three European Championships and been runners-up in three more. They have the right to expectations. We don't.
But why were England never going to win? Surely the Premier League is the best in the world? Sky Sports says it is.
Certainly it is the most popular. The Premier League puts bums on seats and earns the biggest TV rights from more countries than any other competition and it is peppered with global superstars playing the fastest, most physical and goal spattered football in the world. And that's great.
But club and country are not the same. Premier League domination of the Champions League and the global armchair audience has been based on a wage explosion that has prompted the wholesale importation of foreign talent.
English football has become like the Harlem Globetrotters with a string of big teams packed with expensive exhibitionists bamboozling a parade of willing patsies from middling makeweights delighted just to be there.
And the talented tricksters that make it all tick are overwhelming not eligible for England. The step-overs, the sublime skills, the deft touches and visionary distribution are foreign attributes grafted onto a chassis of English industry and passion.
Shorn of the European, African and Latin American elements the English game is a limited, creaking one dimensional one based on graft, passion and the long ball forward and it is repeatedly exposed on the international stage by teams from smaller lower ranks nations who are technically far more proficient and tactically literate.
Insular England have been isolated from the coaching and cultural developments in the wider game for decades and have made a virtue of it. There is a quite explicit distrust of coaching badges and tactical variation within the ranks of the professionals and a disdain within the managerial community for 'flair' in favour of workrate and commitment.
The modern era has brought a globalisation of the game. Television has spread once localised and indiginous styles to a wider audience, jet travel and post-Bosman free movement of labour has encouraged a melting pot of talent and a tumult of footballing ideas while the money and prestige of the European game has sucked in talent from across the world. Players and coaches have carried with them elements of their own national game around the world and their distinct tactics, training, tempo and culture have been expanded and exploited and enriched into an exciting new whole.
Reticent English clubs have nervously dipped their toes into this pool, not for ideas but for players or the occasional coach - who are usually regarded as wierd mystics, alchemists or revolutionaries because they think and talk about diet, tactics, training and technique - but they remain wedded to the traditional direct, high tempo pressing game.
Any dangerous deviation, any attempt to keep the ball for 20 minutes with a slow, cautious approach based on possession across the back prompts booing and shouts of "get it forward" from the crowd and the press box while "tinker man" tactical changes of shape too far from the mandatory 442 are seen as a direct unmitigated philosophical assault on all the English game holds dear.
In the domestic game the debilitating results of that historic exclusion have been hidden by importing players to paper over the cracks - but England can't sign a bunch of foreigners. Although watch this space if Harry gets the job.
We get told constantly that England have "a Golden Generation" of world class stars coveted by the continental giants. We don't. We have a very small of outstanding players who may or may not survive in more technically demanding leagues and prove themselves worthy of the media bestowed "world class" label and we have another clutch of good but not great players.
And they are all made to look far better than they actually are, or at least are protected from having their weaknesses so ruthless or regularly exposed, because at their clubs they are surrounded by technically superior imports who help bridge the skills gap.
There is a culturally ingrained emphasis on physique, commitment and passion. Given a football lesson by Algeria? Boo. There was a lack of commitment said the pundits. Show more passion! No. Show more skill. England must learn to play the way the rest of the world do, using close control, technique and flexible tactics and tempos as needed.
If England were serious about being a superpower the FA would rip apart results driven youth football to put the emphasis on coaching technique from a very early age.
In Germany, Spain and Holland kids play small sided games on small pitches and are encouraged to control, pass and move from an early age. They don't play an organised 11-a-side game on a full-sized pitch until they are 14 or 15. In England we already have the nucleus of future national teams built around the biggest lads - not the most skilful - hoofing it up field on adult pitches long before then.
The biggest, strongest and most athletic flourish in results driven junior teams whatever their technical limitation while the scrawny but skilful don't even get picked. Even at that level coaches - and parents - want victories and the pressure is on to pick the strongest kids rather than the skilful and find a short cut to success.
If the FA were serious then that would change and a new system of youth football, of genuine academies and feeder clubs with the emphasis on skill rather than results would be put in place alongside a cultural revolution in the national teams at every level. That would take a generation and would require an integrated approach from the clubs, the FA and junior football and it would take a massive investment in coaching excellence with very little prospect of any quick financial return and no guarentees.
But the FA are the creature of the piper paying clubs who want to continue to import the very best to get results in the short term and so keep the gravy train rolling along.
Owners and chairmen don't care about England, only the success of their own club. Sky Sports and the media will take whatever commercial advantage there is from Team England but their core bums on seats product is club competition and star names battling it out in endless Super Showdown Grandslam Sundays. They don't want change.
And ultimately fans are the same. Almost unanimously first and foremost fans want their own club to flourish. They want the stars. They want the quality. They want success. For club not country. That is just a summer time bonus.
If the price of a vibrant domestic scene is having to endure an agonised empty inquest over England's endemic failure every two years, so be it.
**AV writes: This is a Pewter Generation Remix of this week's Big Picture column.
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Vic, you need a bigger stage m'boy! Standing ovation from this end of the country. Is it time to put my Doc's on and spike my hair up?
**AV writes: You've still got hair?
Don't forget the mental weakness that seems to be engrained in English football and possibly English culture as a whole.
Most of our players seem to be completely incapable of dealing with any kind of pressure or adversity whatsoever, which leads to the breakdown of what little technique they actually had.
Great column with some interesting ideas which would probably help. No chance of anything being done though.
AV - I mentioned on the previous thread that our youth teams have been reasonably successful recently.
One thing to note there is that out of the current U21 squad, I count just three, maybe four that get first team football in the Premier League. Add some of the previous call-ups who were not in the latest squad and you have just six in total out of 38 players who get Premier League experience consistently.
A few of the other players get games here and there whilst some of the others are playing first team football in the Championship.
Now you could argue that if they were good enough they'd be in the team and part of that may well be true. But at the same time, I feel the stakes are so high now in our Premier League that teams are choosing "proven" foreign players over giving youth a chance. Unless you're a Rooney who is obviously head and shoulders above, it seems you're not going to be playing first team football.
Now in the youth ages of u17 playing top football may not be such a big deal as opposed to getting the right kind of development on the training pitch. But for a bunch of 20 year olds, they need to be playing football at a high level to develop into consistent, quality players.
I also agree wholeheartedly with your point about our sole focus being strength and the big lads. Put a bunch of 12 year olds on a full size pitch and all they learn to do is thump the ball as hard as possible to get somewhere rather than learn to control their pass. I've seen young kids develop their skills in France by playing on the width (rather than length) of the local football stadium with smaller goals. Technique becomes a must, not a nice to have.
How do you feel MFC addresses the lack of technique in our academy?
**AV writes: I think the Boro academy is one of the better ones in terms of skills coaching investment but there is a fundamental problem with the system. Once kids sign up to an academy they are not allowed to play for other clubs or schools (the idea is to avoid them picking up bad habits) and instead only work a couple of hours a week with academy coaches. Because of that they miss out on pitch minutes, playground and street football... and fun. The drop out rate is very high.
P.S. Ozil of Germany, at the age of 21, already has 71 first team games for Werder Bremen. Thomas Muller, just 20, has 38 games for Bayern Munich.
Are all journalists on national newspapers afraid of the truth or are they all censored, lobotomised and sat in front of extra large HD TV screens with their eyes held open and forced to read endless headlines from The S** to the background refrains of Whams 3rd Symphony to remove any shred of self awareness and thought?
Vic, you have got to get your voice heard beyond "The Boro"....I suggest a petition to get you to replace that oaf on the BBC on a Friday Night, that would be a big enough stage for you to start a revolution....and you could get some decent live bands on as well..a worthwhile way to spend my licence fee..just watch out for Die BBC Polizeieiei.
**AV writes: Most national journalists are inside the football bubble. Some of them are star struck. A lot don't realise there is a game beyond the evil Quadropoly or worse, know there is but believe it should be sacrificed for continued success in the Champions League and those midweek away games on expenses.
Ever since the PL was created the clubs have become more powerful than the England team and this somehow has spread to the supporters of the 'big clubs' that the England team does not really matter.
Well I'm afriad it does to me, I would sacrifice promotion this season for a World Cup win. International football is always more important than club football and all the clubs in the land should be made to adhere to this or risk being de-listed by the PL and FL.
Do people not realise that the national team is a reflection of the national leagues? I agree that the squad lacked skill, technique and nous. The Germans, Brazilians and Argentines are all better equiped than us to perform.
On a personal note, I am not fussed on PL football, I think it is average at best and the Championship is woeful. These are our top two leagues so in hindsight is there any wonder we failed again?
Whilst the Premier League prevails like it does, the national team will flounder and frustrate.The Premier League is the perfect expression of unbridled free market capitalism, where the riches go to the few ie teams and players.The idea of long term planning and investment in players/coaches is an impossibility.
Consequently mediocre players are elevated beyond their ability such as Glen Johnson and Upson. Can anyone remember Upson's farcical attempt at defending at the Riverside when playing for Birmingham a few years ago?
Poorer nations than us, seem capable of passing a football,moving and creating space,dribble and shoot.In old fashioned terms, we seem incapable of producing inside forwards, schemers or playmakers.
Let us hear no more that Rooney is world class or Gerrard is.
If we had a little more humility and a greater depth of homegrown playing talent we might make progress.
For the time being we shall remain in the wilderness whilst the likes of Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the PL makes a shed load of money from a bloated overrated league.
The short term future is grim unless we introduce a different mind set on and off the pitch and perservering with an ultra conservative in Capello is not the solution and neither is the ultimate trader and dealer Harry Rednapp!!
Another excellent piece AV.
As for fans, I think it is probably true of the fans following the "big" clubs, that the club comes first. However,for the majority of football fans, the fans of Kidderminster, Hereford, Tranmere, Scunthorpe (etc etc and ad infinitum) often the only chance to revel in the excitement of supporting at a top class football match, is to be able to cheer on England.
How many flags did yu spot in South Africa with the names of LIVERPPOL, MAN U, CHELSEA or ARSENAL. Far andaway the majority of these banners proudly bear the names of the also rans in football. These supporters are the majority.
Sadly, the majority with no voice and with no recognition by the powerful in football, who's sole raison d'etre is (as you rightly have pointed out) the maintenance of the domestic status quo.
I have never thought that we were capable of winning a world cup, not unless you count 1966 when I was young and stupid. (I'm not young anymore). The number of people I have spoken to over the years (fair enough, they are of a similar age group) have said the same thing.
So where does the euphoria come from?
The national press has to 'stand up and take a bow' for that one. They build them up, knock them down , then find something or somebody else to tie their allegiance to. Who's next for the treatment, it wouldn't be 'Anybody But Murray' would it.
Although I never expected very much in this world cup ( a quarter final appearance at best) I did expect a far better level of performace than that which was delivered.
There will have to be a lot of hard thinking and hard decisions made to put right the wrongs within our game but unfortunately this will be carried out by the same incompetents who got us in this mess in the first place.
AV said: "In Germany and Holland kids don't play an 11-a-side game on a full-sized pitch until they are 14 or 15."
This is the possible key point for English football to look at.
It costs the "big clubs" nothing to support this kind of development. We all know that the FA will do nothing that might upset these clubs but grass-roots restructure is relatively cheap, harmless and of benefit to all.
Kids should be playing on appropriately smaller pitches with smaller goals and smaller balls with the focus on technique, movement, awareness and teamwork.
Pace and power will naturally develop later with those that possess a sufficent quota of all of the above making it to the professional ranks.
Winning under-14 matches is meaningless in the long-term. Development is all that should matter at younger age groups.
The sad truth is that down the years there have been some exceptionally (technically) gifted England footballers - never enough at one time to fill a team, I'll grant you.
However, when it comes to picking the national team, they are often viewed as suspect in some way and overlooked in favour of 'workrate', 'commitment', 'heart'....and other such worthless intangibles.
David Batty earned 42 England caps; Matt Le Tissier, Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Theo Walcott (love him or hate him - he's got something) have 21 appearances between them. And I'll wager everyone here can come up with examples of their own. I rest my case.
Top stuff AV
I don't know anyone who thought that England would win the World Cup.
I'd rather Boro won the FA Cup than England win the World Cup.
For England to progress things need to change at the FA, and as we all know there is more chance of Boro winning the Champions League than that happening.
C'Mon Boro!
This kind of Column was written by others many years ago and for a short period we did produce some quality players from Gazza, Waddle, Beckham, Scholes and others you can name but for some reason we have stood still in recent times.
It's almost like the players dont have the ability to think for themselves. I could go as far as to say they play like there is a lack of intelligence (theyre thick), they can only play one way, or a way they are told.
Looking at inter passing, set pieces, defending, all basic sunday morning team stuff - full of mistakes,The game today is played in quadrents, the team shifts into those areas ,and the idea is to get the ball to your star players in the last third, which is where the goals should come from.
It's the same on defence, you dont need full-backs on the wing when you are defending something called the goa. By the way,I said the goal not the goal area.
The times we continue to try the long low percentage pass is sheer amatuerish.
On another point, I would like to see clubs create a competitive reserve league, where they must pick the best players available as they do at league level that way our younger players would still get a chance to play alongside some of the quality players in a competitive level, not what we have now,a kick around for 16 to 20 year olds
That is my biggest worry AV. Are our training plans so rigid now, that the fun has gone out of the game. Where are the exciting players who pick the ball up and run with it? The special players who can turn on a sixpence and leave defenders for dead?
I do worry that we coach the natural skill out of kids and end up with robots on the pitch. Then again I wonder if most nations are doing that because so far, for me, this World Cup has been practically devoid of pure skill and excitement.
Southcoastred
Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Cashley combined earned more than the entire German squad.
AV -
Another excellant piece and I agree about the national journos. There are some valiant exceptions. Henry Winter is one of my favourites and a good read. Another is Martin Samuels.
Is it worth bringing some of the posts from the previous thread over on to this one.
**AV writes: Yes, I will import a few later to flesh out the debate.
Well done another corker AV, and some good ideas from the gang too.
It may have been mentioned before but what about the idea of central contracts in football. Apart from the fact it canâÂÂt happen as the ridiculous wages and tranny fees would prevent it, what if Fabio was able to give out 16 full time England contracts. Team England would play at Wembley in the EPL. This should foster team spirit harmony and be able to work on different styles and systems.
Before you all point out why this canâÂÂt be done, if TEAM England were to take part in next years league where would they finish? 6th?
In defence of the FA (something I dont do readily) at grass roots level encouragement is given to clubs running youth football to coach skills and play small sided games.
The FA have some very good coaching qualifications, the level one and two badges and the new 'Age appropriate' coaching courses all emphasise the need for skills coaching. Also the FA strongly encourages clubs not to play young players in competitive matches and to play 7 a side with a small ball.
The problem is most clubs running youth teams don't bother sending their coaches on FA courses, the vast majority are unqualified and have the same mentality as the competitve parents you see and hear screaming at their kids at the side of a pitch.
I have helped to run a boys team for around 3/4 years now and next year we'll be entering an U12 league. Living in North London you'd think finding a 7-a-side league would be easy, it isn't. The only one in North London/South Herts is based in Luton, which we have joined.
Kids love 7-a-side, its fun, they all get plenty of the ball and so they feel involved but most parents want them to play 'proper' 11 a side.
The problem is most adults try to project themselves or their perception of themselves onto their kids when they play football, the kids are accesories because the adults aim is to win at any cost.
They aren't putting their kids into clubs because they know their kids love footie, they're doing it for their own ends. They want to brag to their mates that 'litle Johnnies' team have won the league.
Coaches (used in the loosest sense of the word) spend more time teaching kids the cynical stuff, using elbows, shirt pulling, diving, mouthing off than they do ball control. And yes, inevitably the most succesful teams are the ones full of big lads who bully the opposition into submission.
That I'm afraid is the embedded culture of youth football, it will need an organisation much stronger and more determined and focused than the FA to change it and as AV pointed out the change would take a generation.
The truth is as soon as the new season starts we'll all have forgotten how inept England are because as others have said, we dont care apart from a couple of weeks every two years.
If ENGLAND supporters are the Geordies of international football does that make Scotland the smoggies of International football seeing as they too have never won a trophy of note?
Nail on head Vick,What was (and what happened?)to Howard Wilkinsons "blueprint for the future"? We need to look at other countrys systems and implement them ourselves at grass roots level. I'd start with Hollands methods first.
"David Batty earned 42 England caps; Matt Le Tissier, Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Theo Walcott (love him or hate him - he's got something) have 21 appearances between them. And I'll wager everyone here can come up with examples of their own. I rest my case."
Tony 'that was a quality goal from a quality player' Currie springs to mind.
Top class journalism AV - I don't read Blogs - except yours, avidly. I keep dreaming of the 'Scum Journalism' backlash, the day when the masses rise up and switch off the TV, tear up the Red Tops, and scream 'I'm a free thinker and I'm not going to take it any more' as they caper down the street tossing off their branded tops and discarding the McBurger cartons as they go in search of 'the truth'.
Sadly, whenever I read your column and the funny, intelligent, perceptive and individual comments from everyone, and start thinking that the day might be getting closer, I simultaneously realise that the inertia and laziness built up over generations is going to take a lot more to overturn than a dismal world cup performance. Hey ho - at least I can hold MY head high and refuse to read any of the Murdoch-driven pap.......
Rant over - top dollar column, just top dollar
Here's a few comments I've carried over from the previous blog that are perhaps worth throwing in on this subject....
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Smogonthetyne now in Nunthorpe said:
English players just arenâÂÂt good enough, and I think most of us have known this for a long time. Half of the players if not more in the starting line ups in the EPL are not English. No English players play abroad. And in EuropeâÂÂs premier club competition the Chimps League how many English players compete? 25-30? How many Brazilians? Over 100! Over 100 and itâÂÂs a European Competition!!
We had to pick a 40yr old keeper from a team that finished bottom. A centre half that has been woeful for his club, with no pace and no experience of big games. Not to mention Emile Heskey, SWP etc etc
Apart from the obvious European employment laws I donâÂÂt think UefaâÂÂs new plan of bringing domestic players into the match day squad will work. You just get Chelsea buying Ross Turnbull to keep up their quota. He never gets near the 1st team and is third choice behind a Czech and a very old and dodgy Portuguese. Terrible career move.
CanâÂÂt we reintroduce the 3 foreigners only? In the short term it may harm the English eliteâÂÂs chances in Europe but would boost the English national team. Which is more important?
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Gutted!! said:
"CanâÂÂt we reintroduce the 3 foreigners only? In the short term it may harm the English eliteâÂÂs chances in Europe but would boost the English national team. Which is more important?"
Club football every time for me - I'd rather see the Boro pick up a cup than England any day and I'd rather be watching the best players playing here week in week out (obviously in the EPL not the Championship).
Go back to the 70's, 80's, and even the 90's when there wasn't a vast influx of foreign players and the national team was still rubbish, what was the excuse then?
It's all about grass roots and the football mentality on this island, playing on full size pitches, "getting in to them", parents screaming on the side of the pitches, "if in doubt kick it out".
There should be much more 5-aside football, small goals, can't kick it over head height till at least the age 14, where the focus should be on ball control, touch, technique and movement - not how hard the big lad can kick it!
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Nigel 'Reevalinho' Reeve said:
Gutted!! -
You're dead right, but changing the country's footie culture needs a far stronger, focused and determined organisation to drive it than the FA. which in my opinion is a weak, amateurish outfit which hasn't got the collective 'bottle' required to make the necessary changes.
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steve h said:
It's the way the Germans train their youngsters that makes them turn out better than us. They start in the Bambinis, aged 4 and work their way up through the age groups. Under 11 football is played 7 a side on a pitch about 1/3 of a normal pitch. Under 13 is 9 a side on a pitch about 2/3 of a normal pitch. 11 a side starts at U15. At the age of 9 the best players get invited to local DFB centres where they train ball skills once a week, in addition to their normal club training.
There is a pyramid system of representative teams working up to the national team.
Would ÃÂzil be the player that he is if his parents had moved to England when he was a baby? I doubt it.
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Forever Dormo said:
Some points:
1. I heard that some pundits said England were, man for man, a better team than Germany. They much have been watching a football competition in a different universe.
2. Werdermouth refers above to the suggestion Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and Terry between them are paid more than the entire German squad (of 23?). Not good value for money then! More to do with knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.
3. On that basis Schweinsteiger and Oezil must be bargains waiting to happen and would walk into most teams.
4. What happened to "picking on form, not reputation"? Rooney was certainly playing very well for his club until picking up an injury as the end of the season loomed, but for England at this competition he has struggled to control the ball and looked very average, not the budding world-class player many thought he could demonstrate himself to be. He was one of several England "galacticos" to have proved a major disappointment. And Gerrard has gone to South Africa after a poor season, as have others, quite apart from the injured.
5. If that was a golden generation, it proved to be fools' gold.
6. How long will we have to wait for the first book to be published telling, warts and all, what went on amongst the squad? News of the divisions in the team, dislike of the management style that they were presumably happy with in qualification, an explanation of Terry's remarkable press conference about the intended "meeting with the manager"? If he thought he had some of the senior pros standing right behind him when he made the comments, it is unfortunate they appear to have melted into the shadows when he turned round for support!
7. Removing the "break clause" in Fabio's contract a few weeks ago doesn't now seem to have been very wise, does it? What a potentially expensive bit of editing, at ã6M a year if he is prevailed upon to call it an early day.
8. England, as I am sure I have said before, always talk themselves up as a football team. Winning the World Cup once, when it was played at home and when most home countries who are half decent tend to do well, isn't very great when is the ONLY time they have troubled the scorers.
Only one other semi-final place, isn't it? Quarter finals is the par-score, so this year was below par even without taking into account the performances against (in the group stage) fairly mediocre opposition.
9. It is right many pundits have hyped up the team and have placed unrealistic dreams on their shoulders. But many supporters have been more than happy to buy into that unrealism. England may have been fairly short odds to win the trophy at Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power, but I'll bet the odds were a lot more realistic (and long) at the bookies in Rio, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Berlin.
10. In the Shaven Swan discussion turned to the position in the Premier League that a team like England would represent. Obviously the Brazils, Argentines and Germans would be the perennial Champions League protagonists; Holland, Portugal and Spain would be dangerous in the Cup competitions and threaten for what we should still call the UEFA Cup places, whilst Honduras and North Korea might put up a good early season performance against one of the big boys but would almost certainly end up fighting relegation like a Hull City or WBA.
Although it was a surprise to see Italy and France suddenly go into administration, in football terms (like Portsmouth), there was a feeling England was more of a Wigan (in the top league so not starting the Cup competitions in the first couple of rounds, but equally with little chance of getting their hands on a medal of any description). Or maybe a Cardiff City, with a cup win but so long ago that most supporters who now buy the shirt weren't even on the planet when it happened.
Football? It's OK but can hardly compare to a pint of Timothy Taylors, which you know is going to be good from first sight to last sip. And which proves that knowledge to be right. And is just as good on the second pint.....
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Ian Gill said:
Forever Dormo -
In AV's response (to you) he managed to avoid mentioning the FA, maybe because he thinks they dont matter.
As usual SkySports gets a beating largely because they deserve it but the root cause is the behaviour of the kids set loose in the sweetshop.
That grouping includes the FA, the Football League, Premiership, Clubs, players and fans. It is not the fact they have received money but how they have squandered the legacy.
Most fans are more bothered about their own clubs than the national team so put those interests first. We are all guilty of it but those at the smaller clubs probably have more of a community spirit, a bigger longing to see local players do well.
Some of the larger clubs try to bring on local kids but others are a scandal.
Throw money at players and it is thank you very much. You cant blame them for taking what is offered. We were only too happy to fork out huge wages for players late in their careers.
The clubs were happy to be on the gravy train. Some are more fan and community focussed than others but even so the debt problems are affecting many at the top as well as lower down the pyramid.
The football authorities must take a great deal of the blame. The Football League less so than the other two bodies in English football but only because they cannot get their trotters into the same trough. Resources have been squandered on the wrong things. Wembley is a disgrace at the amount it cost, access to it, the surface is appalling and the prices extortionate yet they prevaricate about the centre at Burton.
Governing bodies world wide are no better, we have the poison dwarf at UEFA and the buffoon at FIFA prognosticating. Everyone is to blame but them. They are huge expensive organistaions whose sole aim appears to be self aggrandisement.
Nearly all cars easily exceed the speed limit but it is the drivers who cause the problems. It isnt all Skys fault. Football sold its soul.
**AV writes: It isn't all Sky's fault. For me the chief reason for England's decline is a deeply engrained part of the English football culture that puts industry and passion ahead of technical ability and tactical flexibility.
We are an insular and pragmatic people with a distrust of "foreign" intellect and imported innovation. While the rest of the world has developed tactically and in terms of preparation, training and mentality and evolved a dynamic game with shifts in shape and tempo to suit the score and tone of a particualr match we have stuck with a rigid approach and our only response to a tactical conundrum is to up the tempo and go even longer and more direct.
Our approach, especially when taken by the best we have, can be effective when it comes to bludgeoning smaller, weaker second string nations but until we can somehow become wired into the global football conscious England will always fail against sides who technically proficient, tactically aware and physically strong.
The decision to be made is do we want to change our style to see the national team flourish and grow which will mean a radical change in culture and grassroots organisation? Or are we happy to remain in splendid isolation watching the high-tempo, most direct and occasionally most exciting domestic football in the world?
*******************
Borobythesea said
In the extract from your column you exactly hit the nail on the head AV. I heard the loony, but often correct Alan Green, suggest that England supporters should boycott the upcoming and meaningless friendly against Hungary at Wembley, a game only arranged to help towards paying off the massive debt that is the white elephant Wembley Stadium. But of course it won't happen.
I can remember many, many years ago debates around England's failure to compete against the top footballing nations. History,and my late dad, told me that it emanated from England being massacred by the Hungarians at Wembley (the first ever home defeat by a foreign team) and again by the same team a year later in Budapest.
I can recall pundits years ago,eg Jimmy Hill, suggesting that we cannot learn to play the foreign way, because English supporters wouldn't wear it.
Anyone who's watched the Bundesliga on Sky, Friday evenings, will have noted the healthy state German football seems to be in, with full houses at every ground. But most relevant is the fact that the Germans play their football exactly the way their international team plays, a bit less frenetic than the English game, more thoughtful and with greater technical skills.
As with the Spanish, Italians etc, etc, it all stems from grass roots and a different philosophy of how the game should be played. 1966 was fantastic, but it's legacy has been to encourage the English game to stand still.
I have a good mate who is a season ticket holder at Charlton (poor soul)and he assures me that Nickey Bailey is by far and away the best player in league one, likely to do very well for Boro.
****************
John said:
What do you think is missing from English football then?
For some time now our England youth teams have been doing reasonably well in competitions. Most recently our U21s went to the final (ironically losing to Germany) and our U17s won the European Championships beating the Spanish.
Now the only thing I can think of to explain this (since Capello said few of the U21 players are good enough) is that all the other teams have already moved their best players into their national teams while our U21 team still has the better players representing it.
But for U17 level that is surely not the case, so does that mean we have lots of great potential there? How many will actually make it?
Look at the case of Adam Johnson. 22 years old and only just becoming a first team regular in the Premier League (although I felt he was a late bloomer) whereas in Germany, Ozil is already an integral part of the German team at the age of 21.
*************
Ian Gill said:
It appears that foreign football has moved on. We do not appear as athletic as teams such as Germany and Holland never mind as technically proficient. Maybe Strachan has it right when he says you have to be in tip top shape to play really well at the highest level.
Whilst I always thought of Howard Wilkinson as a bit of a dinosaur, the work he did to provide a blueprint for football was very good with the emphasis on technique for very young players. It got lost in the FA as did the ideas of Brooking.
It does not explain why Wenger has struggled to produce good English players. If we can produce two England left wingers he should be able to manage it with his undoubted talent from the huge pool of players that exists in London.
With David Dein as his mentor they turned a small Belgian club into a finishing school for players from Africa. Belgium, has less stringent rules about EU qualification so allowing these players to easily play all over europe.
The informed view was that the quality overseas players would raise the standard of British players. That didnt happen because clubs were bothered about the here and now and a fear of losing out on TV money. Instant gratification replaced building a sound development programme.
The influx of foreign owners and managers has made the situation worse. The managers want players whom they relate to whilst the owners have seen the glamour and want a piece of the action.
It seems unlikely we will see many Brookings, Hoddles, Waddles and Gazzas because those roles are filled by ready made overseas players. There again they were always treated with suspicion when they were playing because they tried to be creative.
AV,
Congrats on another great blog. We really do have to be worried about a âÂÂbig-boyâ newspaper sniffing around and offering you some lucrative contract to sell your soul. If I see a picture of you kissing the Evening GazetteâÂÂs badge, IâÂÂm going to be worried.
Short Term Issue:
Capello messed up. His excuseâÂÅ the players were tired. I accept that the English season is long and taxing, but several of the top European clubs were involved in three trophy races, and many of their players are lighting up the tournament.
Capello made some truly headshaking decisions: Not bringing a left-sided midfielder, bringing and playing at least two (probably four) injured players, persisting with Heskey, ignoring Crouch etc. etc. Team spirit was lacking, and the players played like they were terrified.
Longer Term Issue:
What to do about the Premier League? The current set-up is not helping our national team. A few big clubs with big wallets dominate the league. The rest of the teams live to survive.
The recent league success stories of little teams surviving are teams like Stoke City, hardly a team thatâÂÂs pleasing to watch. West Ham, an attractive footballing side and a team who has a great youth academy, barely escaped relegation, and Zola was canned.
At Boro, we had a similar experience when Gareth SouthgateâÂÂs vision of Arsenal-Lite was an abject failure. As a club we seem to have realized that to get out of the Championship and hopefully stay in the Premiership, we need to be tougher, more workmanlike etc. etc. I hope Wee Gordon Strachan succeeds, but the a successful national team cannot be produced by a league where the best sides contain few English players and the rest of the sides (barring teams like Villa and Spurs) play a physical âÂÂEnglish-styleâ game.
Longest Term Issue:
I would echo earlier posters remarks on field size etc. We adopted the French academy model after France 1998. Gifted English kids are whisked away from their footballing childhoods to be groomed in the academies. TheyâÂÂre not allowed to play on school teams or other teamsâÂÅ itâÂÂs all businessâÂÅ the stakes are high. I wonder how much fun it is.
Smaller sided games up to 14 years old, better education for coaches (in the UK and the US, the higher coaching licenses are pretty much only held by top level coaches), an emphasis on technique and encouraging games like futsal would hopefully help, but we are talking about a change that would take decades to implement. HereâÂÂs hoping.
England had one of the oldest squads at the world cup. Probably about 2/3 of that squad won't be around at the next one. Where are the replacements going to come from?
The CL teams have so much money that they will just replace our "golden generation" with ready made foreign stars. Any talented English youngsters won't be playing CL. Or will be sitting on the bench watching the foreigners.
On another theme...I'm still against using video evidence during matches. It should be left the way it is. Ref mistakes are just part of the game.
As long as the few clubs that run the PL are full of foreigners this country has no chance.
Stop all the average players coming here for the big bucks and there might be a chance our home grown players might make it. We had natural players left behind for players who had bad seasons. Carragher was turned so many times he hates going near roundabouts Terry is defended by Carvallio and Essien. The way we are going there will be no English players left in the top league.
How about this for a starting xi
1 van der Saar
2 sagna
3 evra
4 vidic
5 carvalho
6 essien
7 fabregas
8 mascherano
9 drogba
10 torres
11 robinho
Maybe in the next world cup you should represent the country where you are employed. We might make the semi's but get beat on pens by 'typical germans'
Yet another first-class article from outside the bubble or off the much-besmeared gravy train of "English" football.
I have not been writing anything recently (although I always read what you guys write) because I have been feeling a bit ostracised since I floated the (some may think insane but I am more and more convinced is the very sane) idea of having the majority of the clubs in England leave the big four/five/six to do their thing.
This "thing", of course, is paying vast amounts of Sky money to largely foreign stars and being in some ways like the Harlem Globe Trotters (except that the big four/five/six win all the real trophies).
This financial domination will obviously continue unless Sky is made to realise there is not really a market for anything so flashy and false if the real English clubs bite the bullet and pull out; at which point they will surely pay any big money that football still seems to be worth to the Boltons, Blackburns, Newcastles and Sunderlands of the English football world. I am certain this would be true.
At this point, the FA (if it finally "grows a pair": that may never happen, of course!) could start to re-shape English football in a way that is good for British football and good for British jobs and good for British communities.
It could impose German-style regulations on salaries (along the lines of, "You're worth what you actually bring in to the club" - salaries no more than 50% of receipts and so forth); it could insist on English football clubs being places where English football is promoted, rather than being drains where English money is syphoned away; it could "get a grip", in short.
How many of you thought as I did, "This English team is like Boro on a REALLY bad day!"? They were certainly worse, I think, especially those first two goals against Germany, which were far worse than any we endured last year. You can't incidentally talk about this being a higher standard of footie when the first was a goalkeeper's clearance!!!!
How many of you may also agree with me that we were worse than any other team in the World Cup? (I was in London on the Slovenia game, which some people claim was massively, miraculously different from the other two, so I may be wrong here). North Korea against Brazil played like a team: we never did. Not that I saw, anyway, although I did not see this fabulous one-nil against a team drawn from the equivalent of the population of Manchester.
And there is the beauty of our game, isn't it? It is a team game. Some stars matter: Messi, Ronaldo, most of the Brazilians! But Rooney was surely the worst forward in the WC! (Worse in his ball retention than Chris Killen!!) Terry was among the worst defenders! Lampard had a goodish 20 minutes in the Germany game, but was a complete waste of space otherwise! Gerrard was OK some of the time, Ashley Cole was, Johnson was very poor, etc., etc., etc.
For God's sake, let's try and emulate the Paraguayans, the Chileans, the Japanese, the Slovakians, the United States etc., etc., etc. and play like a team! Get it together! The captain is the FA, the loyal privates are the supporters who do the semi-useful job of paying our wages into the clubs.
This game is fantastic because teams are better than "stars" any day of the week. Our "stars" were shown up good and proper. NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD GET INTO A WORLD TEAM, NOT NEARLY!
Rooney, our great potato-headed hope, would not make the subs' bench of the fourth-choice team: he can't control the ball, pass or shoot at the top level. He is poor without his support systems. He cannot even realise that fans who paid ã5000 to support him were singing the anthem entusiastically 5 minutes before their failure at the Algeria debacle, six minutes before he arrogantly dared to criticise THEIR performance!!!
I never believed they would get anywhere, not for one minute. I really take no pride in this, not even now I am proved 100% right.
Let's think seriously about stopping paying for the development of the up-and-coming teams, Ghana, Algeria, etc., and let's start working on our own learning curve.
AV - I MEANT MY POSTS, NOT THE OTHERS!!!! Mutter, grumble etc.
What is illuminating is the quality of the debate on this board. The fact is that the problems are recognised but no one has addressed them for years.
We are not endowed with technical knowledge but we we can watch. We are not dim and can dismiss the hype, see the nonesense, see the problems and understand them.
I am sure there is a lot we dont know from a professional viewpoint. The subtlties that we dont notice. What we can see is the glaringly obvious, the fact teams do better if they can pass to each other, control a football and show athletic ability.
Or maybe more worryingly an xi including Hilario, El zar, Ngog, Emnes, Digard, Tosic, etc. Bringing in these average players limits opportunities for local talent.
You could say clubs with limited funds need to raid the 'cheaper' foreign Market but how cheap have Emnes and Digard been? Including tranny fees and wages approx ã12m. If each premier league club has had similar bad investments how much money has left the game which could have been used to leave a positive legacy?
Sadly, for all the comments made above, most of the football watching/listening and reading world (in this country at least) will ignore the obvious, and so will those who make the decisions. In four years time I expect to be reading of another "unlucky" England team returning from the World Cup.
And I wouldn't hold breath expecting success in the European Championships in two years' time either.
Excellent article and great comments from all.
One of the benefits of living down under is a certain protection from the red top hype. I can't say I've missed it, although interesting that even Australia's media went a bit over the top this time round hyping expectations after Australia's good campaign in 2006, and then trashing the team and manager when they failed to qualify, but it all calmed down quite quickly. I'm afraid the outcome was (as many have already stated) all too predictable.
AV, you said "but England can't sign a bunch of foreigners. Although watch this space if Harry gets the job"...an interesting thought, after all, the only time England's cricket team ever get any success is when the team is liberally sprinkled with South Africans (sorry for the gratuitous use of the C word).
I also liked Smog's idea of 'Team England' playing in the first division (I still can't quite bring myself to call it the...you know what). Perhaps this could happen in the World Cup lead up year, it would be fun...although I think they might be stretching a bit to finish as high as 6th.
And SouthCoastRed's David Batty example says it all really. How very, very true...and how sad.
I'm afraid I am somewhat pessimistic about England's future. I think they are more likely to face another 40 years in the wilderness than get close to winning. Although Sky Sports take every opportunity to tell us that the "you know what" (or as I refer to it, the "first division") is the best league in the world, it's obviously not.
Now that money is starting to get a bit tighter it's decline will continue. The better players will de-camp to other leagues. Spain, Italy and Germany will be a better bet, not much more money but at least the climate and lifestyle is better. Russia will continue to pick up a few whilst they are flush with cash. Eventually many of the best players will follow the only remaining money to Asia which will develop a strong league which will satisfy the young, non-tribal Asian market.
With it's poor underlying infrastructure it will take English football a generation at least to recover. Sad to say, I fear England will become another Scotland for quite a while, with limited resources but with an occasional show of heart to get a good result or occasionally qualify for a tournament.
The media have gone overboard as usual. Did we really expect England to do well in the World Cup?
The tournament has been a huge bore, the only game I have enjoyed so far was Slovakia Vs Italy. The rest has comprised of mostly "don't get beat at all costs football" as seen at the Riverside under Shteev.
Yesterday gave us possibly the worst game of all in Japan Vs Paraguay. Last night despite some "pretty" football Spain could only beat Portugal 1-0. Ronaldo, supposedly one of the best players in the world hardly touched the ball.
No, I'm afraid it is football in general that is becoming boring. The reason that the PL is so successful. is that usually the games are full of incidents.
I pity the film maker of SA 2010. they will struggle to come up with enough material for the official movie. The biggest problem that I can see is that the majority of players would much rather be sat on a beach somewhere.
God you're dull and boring!
**AV writes: Dull AND boring? Ouch.
AV, you've been doing ever so well recently and received plenty of plaudits from the contributors to this blog, and you certainly deserve credit for it.
But this fella Julio Laker, above, has taken the adulation way too far and is now proclaiming you as the Messiah. He might think you're dull and boring, but did you ever think you'd be elevated to the levels of the Big Man?
**AV writes: I've been working my way up from the shop floor.
Nah, AV might have worked his way up from the shop floor but he's not the Messiah, "he's a naughty little boy and he's not coming out to play!"
"Next...Freedom or execution?"............
Enter a Terminator stating he is here to terminate AV due to his soon to be published little red book entitled "English football answers and the downfall of Skynet" (OK the title is poor but you have got to have a laugh at sometime!)
AV I have still got my own hair...it's a bit like Homer's ha ha.
**AV writes: D'oh!
Well its the 1st July tomorrow, has the Smithy called a press conference down at the forge AV?
Is there a Royston coach booked to bring the new boys down from Glasgow?
We must remember that we were not the only team to do badly in the world cup. Italy and France did not even get out of the group stages.
In some ways Italy have problems similar to ours. A quick look at the Inter Milan team will show it is hardly full of Italian players. There are South Americans aplenty in Serie A.
Elsewhere I hope there is stoking aplenty and Sue Watson telling the smithy to stop banging so loud as it may wake the Count during his daytime sojourn.
AV - from a proud Scot... what a brilliant article...
**AV writes: Aw, McShucks.
I'm still worried about the rumours of the wigan evening telegraph sniffing around our AV....
"England are the geordies of international football". Absolutely right! Although I thought England played like the Boro.
How are we ever going to get close to winning the world cup when we cant pass, cant control the ball, shoot woefully off target ( a la rochemback!)
How Glen Johnson gets a game is beyond me, not to mention SWP, Lennon, Upson, Heskey. John Terry is so shaky its unbelievable, even years ago watching him struggle against the Yak at the Riverside when we did them 3-0 - and he's supposed to be at the top of his game?
It's time we stopped using "world class" cause thats one thing they are clearly not!
It's not all Capellos fault, but he has to take his share of the blame. His ideals seemed to go out of the window once qualification was assured.
"More flags than a Nuremberg rally" - brilliant. Well done AV, keep up the blog, the
best football read going.
Yes GHW it's probably been the most boring World Cup I can remember - I've lost count of the number of games i've literally fallen asleep watching.
But at least it gives us a focal point to debate the state of english football - I agree with most of what you say AV but the futility is that nobody who can make a difference wants to listen.
It's all about money and as Geoff said the English Premier League is full of foreigners - owned by foreigners, played by foreigners watched on TV by foreigners - in fact it will soon go the way of BP and change it's name to the EPL to become truly an international brand.
Perhaps the FA should impose it's authority on the PL and bring in restrictions - but somehow UEFA and FIFA wouldn't allow it, let alone the EU.
Let's face it, football is now a multi-billion industry owned and run by amateurs employing barely qualified coaches and played on the whole by badly educated men who all get paid ludicrously inflated salaries.
All of which takes me back to my original point - unless football becomes more about entertainment rather than not wanting to lose at all costs then the TV viewers who pay for it all will ultimately switch off and their money will go elsewhere - then maybe England will win something again as the best of the plucky amateurs.
My brother-in-law who is a rabid Arsenal fan tells me Schwarzer has just joined the Gooners from Fulham, surely not?
England has too many distractions with hype and marketing and PR and politics. Pointless friendlies in Dubai, over-use of Wembley to get some of the wasted white elephant cash back, rows with clubs over players âÂÂfitnessâÂÂ, making sure particular players are picked because they are needed to sell shirts and tickets.
One thing that no one has mentioned over the World Cup debacle is the strange role of David Beckham.
What the hell was he doing there? Not in South Africa, I understand he was part of the 2018 bid team and was there as a hunky himbo to charm the FIFA delegates wives at cocktail parties.
But what was he doing on the bench? No other injured players were there. No Ledley King or Rio Ferdinand. If they were there they were in their rightful place, up in the stands in the VIP seats out of sight
Beckham was down in the dug-out, not just sat there but up front, shouting instructions and pointing. Is he on the coaching staff now? If he isnâÂÂt, what is he doing there? Has he become fluent in Italian after a few months on loan at Milan and is squeaking translated instructions to the players?
I canâÂÂt believe a strict authoritarian like Capello would want a high-profile passenger with no real role so visibly getting involved. The Queen Mother of football can only undermine him. And Stuart Pearce. It was crazy. Was he foisted on them by the FA? Did he demand some kind of 'mascot' role and the FA were scared to say no in case he spat his dummy and refused to do the glad-handing?
And he led them off the plane when they came home? Is he the leader now? Does he see himself as a future manager? I think we should be told
This is straight from the horses mouth, I was there! ....
I was in a pub before the WC kicked off and a well known English Defender popped in for a drink. Talk turned to the WC and the joys of playing for England. Whilst his response of the "WC is just another game, we're professionals, we dont get excited by it fans and media do...." was a little bit disappointing what surpised me most was when he spoke about England's training.
With the Italians they train in the morning then between 2 (or 1 i forget..i had had a few) and 8 the players must rest in their rooms. There was no bonding exercises, no organised activities and he said boredom quickly sets in.
A 22-33 year old bloke - probably with a family back home - had to sleep every afternoon for 6 odd hours till dinner. Then after food it was back to the rooms.
This is roughly what Terry was piping on about. Capello said they were tired and not the same players. But with this system surely cabin fever is more likely to set in than not getting enough rest.
Something clearly went wrong out there. The qualification games were not as bad as the WC. What went wrong with the team, will we find out what it was and most importantly will it change?
Now as knee jerk reactions go, this one isnâÂÂt so bad. Also throw in a couple of excellent names (one which sounds like a disgruntled Teesside football fan) and this is the sort of treatment that should be handed out to our failures.
*******
"Nigeria's president has suspended his nation's football team from international competition for two years after a poor showing at the World Cup.
"Special presidential adviser Ima Niboro told reporters the decision by Goodluck Jonathan will "enable Nigeria to reorganise its football".
Smogontheyne understands the Nigerian Football Federation is to be dissolved and an interim board appointed. Quite possibly with Scoredraw at itâÂÂs headâÂÂ
That you make such a retarded comment as 'geordies of international football' proves you have ZERO credibility as a journalist.
The whole 'geordies expect their team to win everything' is a myth perpetuated by the media of which you are a part of. The vast majority of Newcastle supporters do not, and have never expected anything but their players to play their hearts out for the club.
SkySports are also to blame for interviewing 100s of geordie supporters but only ever showing the one or two morons who say things like 'WHY AYE MON, WEER THU BESTIST TEAM IN THA WURLD LEEK, WEER GUNNA WIN THA CHAMPEENS LEEG EVUN THUR WEER NUT IN IT'. Every club is guilty of having brain challenged idiots like this.
Yes, it would be nice to win something, but we're under no illusion that we're the best of the best and the very fact that people like you try to perpetuate that myth proves you're nothing but a bitter, jealous smoggy.
**AV writes: "Why aye MON." A rasta Geordie? My verdict.... Boro based troll.
Here in Calgary were soccer, football to you, is the fastest growing sport. The kids only play on small pitches mostly indoor due to the winters and play 7 a side, so ball control can be developed.
My grandson does tricks with a football that I can only dream of and he is only 13. He started playing when he was 5 and from the first, good first touch was practised. They only play on full size pitches with 11 a side when they reach the age of 13.
Parents are generally not allowed at team training. They are also not allowed to coach from the side during games. If a coach hears a parent telling little Johnny what to do, little Johnny may find himself sitting on the bench. We as parents are encouraged to shout for the team words such as "go team" and we have marshalls patrolling the side to make sure there is no swearing etc at the referee.
The boys also after the game have to shake hands with the opposing team and the ref. Most of our coaches are english and attend seminars etc in the UK and Europe. I asked one of them why not work in the UK and he told me that he did not like the parents attitude or the way the game was going there.
Pick up on a typo instead of addressing the issue and then call me a troll? Proper journalism at it's finest.
**AV writes: Surely the issue here is the skills deficit in English football, an issue that you have failed to address. Instead you take thin-skinned offence at a throwaway tongue in cheek comment that is part of the everyday lexicon of regional banter. Then you aim words like 'retarded,' 'bitter' and 'jealous' in this direction and expect me to engage with you on a serious level?
AV A masterpiece of realistic journalism.
Money not a Love of Football makes the English game go round!
The Money Bubble has to burst before we as a nation can move forward and become a bigger "player" on the world stage.
When the bubble does burst all the foriegn players will be off to pastures new paving the way for English talent to be developed the way it should be.
Several points re England
1) Who was responsible for the squad? Who was responsible for bringing Heskey on in place of Defoe at 3-1 against Germany? Who then brought Shaun Wright-Phillips on against Germany? Who brought SW-P on against USA on the left after 20 minutes? (the clue is in his name - Shaun Right-Phillips!)
Answer - the manager. The squad was boring, mundane, predictable. I'm not too down because I didn't get too excited to start with.
2) Regarding the Germany game and how much better they were than us? At the end of the game, of course they were vastly superior. I would ask any Boro supporter to think back to the Steaua Euro semi final. After 20 minutes Steau were playing us off the park. When we pulled the score back to 2-2 the game changed.
Had Lampards 'goal' been allowed, the point isn't how we would have responded, but how the Germans would have reacted to conceding 2 goals in 3 minutes. Watching the highlights we had chances to score, but their goalie proved to be a great shot stopper. Considering the way our goal was created, the game cried out for Crouch to be brought on.
The manager has a lot to answer for, but the tournament as a whole was a waste of time for England.
I think there's a bit of confusion here. England is booed and prompted to "get it forward" amidst possession along the back line because England lacks deciviseness and consequently misses out on numerous goalscoring opportunities on the break.
Their "attempt to keep the ball for 20 minutes with a slow, cautious approach" is bred from desperation and a lack of inventiveness, rather than an illustration of patience. As Germany proved, the cautious approach doesn't always equal results.
I think the tabloid and TV media in general have an almost Orwellian 1984 mentality.This allows them to rewrite their opinions in the light of the latest result. Englands "golden generation" when they win and overpaid and overrated when they lose.They always end up, wearing the right colours like the FA cup at the end of the final, leaving their expert status undiminished.
So Man City have signed winger Silva.
Two points:
1. Will Jono get his game?
2. If he doesn't, what are Jono's future England prospects?
Conclusion - get him back to the Boro on loan!
Man City et al are killing ENGLISH football with ããã$$$ and foriegn imports on MASSIVE money headed by money bags foriegn CHAIRMEN. Sack all FORIEGN intruders in the English GAME to make us proud to be ENGLISH again!
Re previous post
Sorry - but get rid of the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish too - GS2 included
Sigh. Not another Teesside based trophy virgin lurking on a Boro board. Obsessed.
AV, is rubbish!
(just in the interests of a balanced argument)
"Sigh. Not another Teesside based trophy virgin lurking on a Boro board. Obsessed."
Oh noes, not another fmttm reading mug who is convinced that jawdees are lurking everywhere on the Boro boards. What part of the word "troll" did you find difficult to comprehend in AV's response to Simon Jackson's post?
Perhaps we should look to Nigeria for inspiration on how to improve the performance of the England team - apparently the president of Nigeria, who bears the superb name of Goodluck Jonathan, has suspended their national team from international competition for two years because of their poor display.
So how long should the Queen ban England for to avoid the national anthem from being brought into disrepute? 4 years?
AV, as for the event of cataclysmic proportions that you're waiting for - it may well be about to hit us if recent articles in the FT are to be believed - though this might only mean that the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool and Villa are snapped up cheaply by the oil-rich billionaires that seem to be waiting to spend their cash.
And as the light faded and the moon began to rise, still I was gripped with Richards post. Engrossed in the engaging response to AVâÂÂs article I read on.
In the east the first smudge of light began to appear over the horizon and soon the glowing orb rose high bringing warmth and light which illuminated Richards post as I read on.
I know we all enjoy the race to 100, but surely there should be some sort of recognition for posts that are longer than my University dissertation. With 1,000 word mega-posts IâÂÂm just glad Richard waters it down on the Mosso live blogs. WeâÂÂd be three down before IâÂÂd finished reading his thoughts on the line up.
Richard great post and a good read.
I agree with what Richard says but the problems pre date the premier league and are not just an 'English disease' in the same way as that in 1990 there were banner headlines about English having a few barnies in Italy whilst a column inch just below the lonely hearts column was a story about stabbings amongst German fans.
Nor did the fact that there was routine mega violence between fighting factions in Holland or the regular endemic violence in Rome.
The Premier League grew out of the fact the FA was appallingly run and league clubs had had enough. The FA feared a beakaway from their jusrisdiction by the top clubs so formed the FA Premier League.
What we have now is an appallingly run FA and disatisfaction amongst clubs. What a change!
And it isnt just in this country.
We have the problem of agents owning South American players and hawking them about all over the world. They take huge amounts of money out of the game.
We have problems within FIFA where there are suspicions that all the various Federations are not run entirely for the benefit of football (discreet cough).
We have a new slave trade for African players in Europe with stories of exploitation by unscrupulus elements.
We have UEFA who seem concerned about money. That is why we have a bloated Champions League and Europa league so that they can get as many top clubs playing Tuesday to Thursday as possible (And to stop them breaking away and reducing UEFA's influnce).
FIFA and the Federations squabbled because Septic Bladder wanted the World Cup every two years.
We have Platini complaining about the Premier League paying ridiculous wages and then being quite happy for Real Madrid and Barca to pay whatever they want.
Both UEFA and FIFA are bloated Fiefdoms where patronage and money drive everything. (You never see draws for major competitions taking place in the Navi)
My worry is that if we have a collapse in our football it will just be us who suffer the fall out. The rest will come and pick our bones bare.
The whole edifice is rotten not just the English game.
AV, beware! Don't let all these plaudits go to your head. We English public love nothing better than to put someone on a pedestal and sing their praises while they're doing well. One wrong move though and it will all come crashing down and you'll be the worst journalist out there.
You have been warned :-)
On a serious note....what has happened to the strikers? Boro's academy struggles to bring through a prolific striker, but how about everyone else too? I don't see many top finishers coming through anywhere, do you? Can you think of anyone who is English who you would trust to put the ball in the net give half a chance in the box?
Grove Hill Wallah, I agree entirely (in the interests of the English way of building people / teams up, only to ruthlessly knock them down). Not only is AV dull and boring, but he is also humourless and not funny.
when AV ups sticks to the Wigan Evening Telegraph, Richard can take over this blog!
p.s whats with all these trophy vigins? Do they not have a blog of their own?
AV.
Any truth in the story going round that Mr Lamb in in South Africa chasing up players.
On glancing at the gossip column on BBC I noted that Cantona may be getting a part as a villain in Doctor Who.
That prompted an idea. Is George Lucas making another Star wars series and if so has anyone got his telephone number? I have just the bloke to play Jabba the Hut without the need for CGI or expensive costumes.
I used to Coach youngsters and my focus was always to help players to embrace opportunities for improving their skills by organising seven-a-side scrimmages with smaller goals in our regular practices and when games were called off due to inclement weather.
I often focused on players shooting and passing with their weaker foot because all too often we needlessly churn out one-sided players. Turning weaknesses into strengths produces talent and tons of confidence and more's the point, a more in-depth understanding and feel for the games as well as a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment.
I was also very proud that I was working with kids from deprived areas that might otherwise have been getting into trouble.
It gave me immense pride to see my team turn up and play skilfully against bigger opponents who were hell-bent on playing the worst kind of kick and rush tactics. It wasn't possible to always win on an eleven-a-side pitch but my players were always given a great deal of respect.
Interestingly, when we played the same teams in seven-a-side tournaments, we would tear them to bits. They never knew what hit them and they could never figure out why they couldn't match us. Fools.
I considered my job done because their achievements on the smaller pitch was far more important than on the wide expanse of a big pitch where very little gets learnt accept the bigger you are, the better your chances. That kind of mentality is our downfall and is the fault of every parent and misguided coach that believes that is the way forward.
Anyhow the enjoyment, motivation and commitment of my players was consequently at very high levels during these important sporting gatherings and in turn they were able to use the new skills they acquired to great advantage on the larger pitch as well as at seven-a-side events and leagues.
It is not all doom-and-gloom at the grass-roots level, AV. These coaching techniques as Nigel alludes to simply need to be implemented as a core activity and community sports organisations need to organise games on smaller pitches as a priority and abandon the 'big pitch' mentality.
The local FA's, with guidance from the umbrella organisation can implement this relatively quickly and at little cost but the will and recognition simply isn't there.
Plus the Premiership juggernaut rolls ruthlessly onwards and downwards for that is where our highest calibre football is headed.
Neil -
Even some premier clubs are trying.
ManU have always had kids coming through. Villa are doing well. Rafa largely dismantled that side of the club at Liverpool. Wenger is great with kids but sadly not so good with those from within our shores.
Chelsea appear to be developng lots of talented youngsters, West Ham was always held up as a good example. A year or so ago Man Citeh had a great set of kids. Everton has some top prospects.
The problem is that they get crowded out at the bigger clubs and never get beyond being a prospect. From what we do see a good engine is the main prerequisite for getting on.
We are all looking for the next Paul Scholes whilst Spain have a conveyor belt full of them with Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas etc.
Now the name rings a bell but I just canâÂÂt place himâŠâŠâŠâŠâÂÅ
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8707665.stm
ItâÂÂs very quiet AV.
Is Nicky Bailey official yet? Has Boyd gone to Turkey to talk turkey? Any more irons glowing, any surprising names in the frame?
Is this a quiet day for posting or are the posts building up in the 'in box' while AV is at the boro press conference to unveil six new star player fresh out of the forge?
Whilst we are posting links on this blog, it would be nice to see this German manager chap earn a bit more money as he is clearly undernourished.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA803thhgA0&feature=player_embedded
Kayserispor manager Shota Arveladze has conceded defeat in his bid to sign former Rangers star Kris Boyd.
"It is 95% certain now that Kris won't be coming and, of course, I am disappointed because I wanted him in my team," Arveladze told the Scottish Daily Mail. "He didn't even want to come out here and see the place."
AV, any news on him signing for Boro now?
Secondly, I think the German players were not better individually than English but having seen Germany trashing Argentine 4-0 today I think they are pretty good TEAM. Perhaps it's preparation and a mental thing? By the way, my home country Finland did not lose a game against the Germany - individually we are miles behind England but as a team we played well twice against Germany.
Up the Boro!
Go away for a couple of days and the smithy goes on strike.
Expected to see some smart gates, nice garden features and the odd bit of fencing but to no avail. It even looks like the piece being delivered has gone missing.
What is more, there is no information from the call centre. Phoned up and the recorded message said 'Fraternal Greetings. Sorry the office is closed but this is due to a planned visit to North Korean tractor factory delivering ploughshares. Please call back later'
Maybe all that talk was a front to allow work to continue for our 'friends'.
**AV writes: I took a day off to prepare my schnizel, wurst and pilsner feast in celebration of my mannschaft's march towards the Welt Pokal.
I believe Welt Pokal relates to the competition between Eurpoe and South America, what we call the Inercontinental Cup. may be wrong.
I think this is a cover up for the Stasi interdepartmental metal forming championships. The first prize was that well known best seller 'my part in the manufacture 2.6 million left wellington boots'. Its sequel is looked forward to by about 2.6 million people in the old German 'Democratic' Republic.
The Daily Mail (yeah I know, rubbish paper) are reporting that Boyd is expected in Teesside to sign a deal in the next twenty-four hours:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1291836/Kris-Boyd-swaps-Glasgow-Teesside-join-Gordon-Strachan-Middlesborough.html
**AV writes: The club are confident on Boyd. My understanding is that they have agreed personal terms with him and he is happy to come. He has rejected a few other 'bigger' clubs because he wants first team football. It was just a question of whether or not he wanted to go to Turkey and the indications are he doesn't.
A totally different thought now. When will the home shirt for the coming season be introduced? There was the story about Jaguar sponsorship (Tata) mentioned earlier but are we still without a shirt sponsor?
Up the Boro!
**AV writes: My understanding is that as late as last week the club were still canvassing a few high profile potential shirt sponsors and no decision had been taken. That said, the new shirt was pencilled in to be launched this week.
It wouldn't be the first time the club have have launched the shirt blank and then issued iron on sponsors' logos a few weeks later (Dial-a-Phone). There is a lot to be said culturally and politically for a blank shirt.
AV: "....There is a lot to be said culturally and politically for a blank shirt."
Agreed. But you and I know that the football world isn't that kind of place any more. The pressure will undoubtedly tell. You have to play by the rules presently in place. It would take great bravery, selflessness, altruism, vision, principle and increased personal risk to buck the established trend. (The "establishment" would, of course, say it takes "stupidity".)
It takes a lot of energy to turn the tide. And somehow, I don't see Steve Gibson, on his own, as Canute!
**AV writes: If it is blank - and I don't think for a second that will happen - it will be because the club have signally failed to sell the prime advertising space.
Oh goody, Kris Boyd and Mido together up front. The laziest fattest 2 strikers in the universe playing together in the same team.
Triffic!
It's all over the FMTTM messageboard...apparently we've signed Boyd to a 2 year deal.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_6244251,00.html
This is a great signal of intent...Unveil Bailey and Boyd this week, and hopefully this will only be the start of things to come :)
Skippy and Boyd? Are we looking at a 4 3 3? Skippy and Boyd with Miller the spear head? Robson and o'neil holding and bailey breaking late into the box?
Surprised and delighted at the Boyd capture as he has turned down bigger money and the age old foe. You know the team, the fans think they are the biggest club, but haven't won a trophy of note and are partial to a pie or six. Newcastle? No I said old foe, Wigan of course.
**AV writes: Don't forget Hooper.
Sky Sports report: Striker Kris Boyd admits that he is relishing a new challenge after revealing that he has agreed to join Middlesbrough on a reported two-year deal.
"Everything has just about been agreed and I will go through my medical today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday). I don't envisage any problems and I'm looking forward to starting my Boro career."
Yes, great - this looks promising! Now up the Boro!
**AV writes: Sounds like they are working steadily away down at the forge.
I suppose that Bailey and Boyd will be presented together with the new shirt next week. Good publicity - especially if we have a new sponsor also.
AV, what is the state of McManus at the forge? Up the Boro!
**AV writes: I think McManus is white hot and ready to be hammered out but there is some quibbling over the fine print in the easy installment plan credit terms.
Cant believe people going are overboard with excitement at the signings of 2 totally paceless journeymen.
Bailey is just a poormans Phil Stamp and Boyd is a fat Mark Viduka without the skill. If you think I'm being over critical, just wait and see! Time will prove me right.
Forest have made far better signings in Shorey and Pratley than we have so far.
Strachan will need to up his game big time to get us out of this league because we will have no chance with the slow lumbering plodders that Wee Gordy is lumbering us with.
Superb piece of Jounalism AV, one of your best!
Personally I'm glad all the hype has just about died down about the most predictable fall from grace in sporting history. Overpaid, inflated ego's exposed for the greedy unmotivated and talentless mercenary lot they are and thats just the bigwigs who call themselves the FA. As for the players, well they fall into the exact same "greed is good" mentality which is fine so long as you have Argentinians, French, Portuguese, Africans and Germans etc. bailing you out each week.
That said Capello was fooling no-one either, he picked a squad full of crocks, has beens, never were's and never will be's, allied to a complete indifference for the left hand side of the pitch against the finest players and teams in the world. It was either supreme arrogance or stupidity. The Heskey for Defoe substitution confirmed the latter!
Now that Septic Bladder's Toy is rapidly fading into the technically outdated farce it is its good to see that meantime WGS looks like he may finally be well on his way to assembling the squad of Men that have a look of achieving.
If we can land Big Mick at the back then with a fully fit MacDonald paired with Boyd up front and Bailey scrapping, battling and scoring alongside Robson from the Middle of the park it whets the appetite for next season!
Where that leaves the Hooper/Miller/Killen/Mido scenario will be interesting. It looks like Killen won't be back and Hooper won't be joining unless the Iron drop their asking price and either Miller or Mido depart.
I will leave the last word to WGS himself on the subject of World Cup exits. Refering to Scotland's 1986 exit he said "everyone's asking questions and looking for reasons, but sometimes you're just s#*t". That's the Gordon Strachan I hope we see and hear more of going forward!
Redcar Red -
Throw Leroy Lita into the striker discussions unless he has disappered and I have missed it.
Good news that we are getting players in early, let us hope that the outgoings go just as well. It is not good for the club, the paleyrs satying and not least those who are going if they are kicking their heels.
from scottish press
KRIS BOYD has won two titles on the trot at Ibrox and now plans to bag his third - at Middlesbrough.
Subject to a medical in the next 24 hours, the ex-Rangers star will sign for Gordon Strachan's club and he is already aiming to help them win the Championship.
Boyd, who will form a strike partnership at the Riverside with former Old Firm rival Scott McDonald, is delighted to finally have his future sorted out after weeks of soul searching with no fewer than seven clubs on his trail.
Boyd told MailSport: "It's been a strange few weeks but I have now made a decision and hope to have everything finalised in the next day or so. Middlesbrough are a huge club and I just want to get into pre-season training as quickly as possible.
"I've met Gordon and know a number of the players such as Barry Robson, Scott McDonald and Lee Miller. It'll be good to have those guys around me.
"The manager is assembling a good squad and we are aiming for promotion back to the Premiership. There will be a pressure to deliver on that front. I know how good it feels to win a title. I've won them with Rangers and I want that feeling with Middlesbrough this season."
Boyd will sign a lucrative two-year deal with Boro after knocking back a whopping ã2.7million-a-year deal from Shota Arveladze's Turkish side Kayserispor.
Boyd explained: "Shota made me an exceptional offer and I thank him and his club for that. If I only had money on my mind I would have gone there but that's not what I'm about. I have a family to consider and taking everything into account Middlesbrough is the best option."
Boyd also thanked Rangers for the five seasons he spent there.
He parted on excellent terms with Ibrox boss Walter Smith after the pair had a heart to heart just hours after they received the SPL trophy on the final day of the season.
The 26-year-old Scotland striker said: "Rangers have been a big part of my life and it was a privilege to play for them. To score so many goals in front of the Rangers fans was an amazing feeling. They made me feel so special.
"I'm also leaving behind lots of friends at the club such as Lee McCulloch and Davie Weir and I thank them for their support. I also want to thank Walter and his staff for their help and encouragement over the years.
"I hope Walter enjoys a successful season in his final year in charge."
While Boyd has now settled on Boro, former Rangers star Mark Walters last night warned the striker he has taken a step backwards and will be pining for his old club within a fortnight.
Walters insists adjusting to life away from Ibrox is not easy and admits he struggled to cope despite leaving in a big-money move for Liverpool in 1991.
The 46-year-old said: "Rangers are the best club I played for and even when I signed for Liverpool I missed being at Ibrox. Liverpool were also a huge club but it just wasn't the same as being at Rangers.
"There was such a great camaraderie at Rangers and you got a special feeling every morning when you walked into training. Walter Smith played a big part in that and now he's back I've heard the atmosphere is the same.
"You almost took it for granted but you don't get that feeling at many other places.
It counts for so much as a footballer and I later discovered it was not normal to have that kind of team spirit. Boyd is about to learn the same thing.
"I'm certain that after a couple of weeks he will be thinking that leaving Rangers was a bad move."
Walters spent four years in Glasgow under Smith and Graeme Souness in the late 80s and early 90s and, like Boyd, he was a player in demand when he decided to move on.
The winger opted to follow Souness to Anfield where he won the FA and League Cups although he's not sure Boyd will continue the success he enjoyed at Ibrox south of the border.
He said: "While he might get more money at Boro he will be playing in the Championship rather than the Champions League. It all comes down to ambition. In your mid-to-late 20s the main aim as a professional footballer should be to win things.
"If Kris thinks it will be an easy ride going to a club where there is not the same expectation level then it will be a real culture shock. He's also used to playing and scoring in most games but that won't happen in England.
"It is hard to adjust from playing with a team that has the ball all the time and creates lots of chances. Rangers would probably have the ball 70 per cent of the time during games in the SPL.
"However, he won't get anywhere near the same service in England. You just can't be a one -dimensional penalty-box player down there. If he can't add new facets to his game then I don't think it will go very well for him. But Boyd's biggest asset is his confidence and he will need all his self-belief to be a success."
Oh dear, what typo errors. How embarassing!
My only excuse is that I fried it off just before settnig off to wrok. I am just like the policeman off 'Allo 'Allo!
**AV writes: Good moaning..... (Boro fans' default?)
Boyd has scored 101 goals in 143 league appearances for Rangers. Excellent me thinks!
Up the Boro!
Assuming all goes well and big Mac comes as well that is good business by the club.
Halliday, Boyd, Bailey and McManus coming to the club in the first couple of weeks of pre season would be a big pat on the back for all concerned. A mixture of the here and now as well as for the future will give a huge boost to the fans (apart from the doubters that is).
With McDonald, Robson and Flood plus the existing players that is shaping up to be a good squad.
Is there any news on recycling for those no longer required?
Would we keep one of Miller and Lita? We have prospects in Franks and Willims.
That then leaves Midough and M&S.
Are there other big earners we will be offloading? I guess both O'Neill and Arca are on big wages but with our injury record you would feel exposed even with a full squad.
Lastly, I hope young Porritt does well in Portugal.
It looks like the Smithy will have completed most of his work for the Summer within a week or two, which is great news. Hopefully he'll be able to turn out the remaining orders fairly sharpish as well.
It's interesting though how our expectations/aspirations have been tempered by a season in the Championship. What would we have been posting a year ago if Huth and Tuncay were being replaced by McManus and Boyd? We wouldn't have been quite as upbeat as we are now would we?
As I said before surprised and delighted at the Boyd move. He turned down more money, Champions League football and EPL clubs to come to the Boro. It its testament to the respect the Scottish based players have for Gordon.
But is there must be more to it, who else has the club said they are bringing in? Come on AV is there a surprise target out there, that so far has slipped under the fans radar?
Who else are we âÂÂofficiallyâ interested in?
Jarkko: Yes, Boyd's scoring record in the SPL was very good. With Kilmarnock and with Rangers. Let's hope he can repeat it in the Championship.
The observation has to be tempered however, with a cautious comparison between Boyd's record and that of, say, Afonso Alves before he came to the UK! Nuff said?
Let's just wait and see, eh? As was pointed out in the quote from Mark Walters in Braveheart's post, apart from Boyd's own skill and motivation, there are at least two further dominant features that will influence how effective he'll be as a striker in England.
1. The quality of the defensive opposition and
2. The quality of the squad surrounding him and the service he gets.
At times, Boyd was scoring for free in Scotland, but that was against opposition that was frankly, inferior week-in, week-out, while he was part of a team that had more quality (and quantity) than the opposition throughout their ranks.
And the fact that the SPL only has, what, 10 or 12 clubs, and they each meet four times a season in the league provides a rather dubious basis for comparison and certainly for extrapolation into the English game.
I sincerely hope GS2 finds a formula and combination of talent/ style that enables them to compliment each others qualities and enables each of them to contribute their maximum to the whole team.
Mark Walters' comments are a little outdated and introspective, I think, but act as a decent warning to GS2 and to Boyd himself that there's work to be done on many levels before we can feel the right thing has been done. My life's outlook is based on evidence - not assumption or unquestioning blind faith. It's the scientist in me!
So, although I also live in hope, I feel it will be wise to retain a degree of "healthy" scepticism until we see the results of the "experiment". Having had several dubious "experimental results" in the past, from which we seem not to have learned all the answers, we're entitled to remain so.
It feels a bit like growing GM food crops in close-to-zero gravity. We can guess and hope in advance, but never be really sure what the final product characteristics will actually be.
Lets hope we don't have another genetic disaster like the Alves Cow's Backside or the Mido Potato!
Nigel 'Reevalinho' Reeve -
I would have been happy with both players in the 2009 summer transfer window. We knew that Huth and Tuncay would be moving on for their own footballing and our financial reasons so getting on board a goal scorer and stopper who wanted to be at the Boro would have been most welcome.
If Robbo and MacDonald had come in at the same time even better. In that situation we would have been fighting for an automatic spot all season rather than drift away when the games got tougher.
I share Richards reservations about whether scoring in the SPL is transferable to the Championship but I am pleased by the current activity.
Throw in a keeper and Hooper and I will be be happy.
By the way, I hope Brad's son is doing well. I trust the club and Gazette are sending our best wishes.
Great news coming out of the Boro.
I dont think Boyd or Macdonald can be said in the same breath as Alves as he would trip over a pea half buried in the mud. They will make their own luck and put the boot in a bit. They are also used to working in a cold murky Glasgow and will not hide away in the winter.
Also service will be a big factor,with Bailey coming in Robson, O'Neil, Bates, Flood. I think GS will have a lot more options when things are not going too well on the pitch which we didnt have last year with a small squad and injuries.
Very good news indeed bring it on.
I've just tried to put together a small piece on how, when and who we're going to get shot of, but I fear I was starting to over elaborate on the 'smithy' theme.
So to be blunt we need shot of Emnes, Digard and Mido, which is a challenge probably greater than the one to bring in the right players. I suppose we have to face up to the fact that as they're under contract the best we can hope for are loan deals to subsidise some of their salaries.
I also very much hope that we can keep O'Neil, I'm not sure if that's realistic or not.
BBC report that talks are at an advanced stage between Middlesbrough and Celtic about a permanent transfer to the Riverside for Scotland defender Stephen McManus.
Great news even though we all knew this after AV told us so much earlier. UTB!
I think the rubber band has gone on this Trabant AV. Will any of the parachute payments be left to upgrade to perhaps a Ford Fiesta or something for next season?
**AV writes: These are tough belt-tightening times of austerity and prudence. Let's see who the shirt sponsors turn out to be and see if we can do a deal with them. Maybe it will be a crate of Irn Bru.
Kris Boyd....GET IN!
What if........
.....Boyd and Bailey aren't much cop.
I cant believe how over excited Boro fans are getting over 2 signings of questionable quality.
Also Boro's spine of Wheater/McManus - Bailey/Robson - Boyd/MacDonald looks worrying short of pace and mobility.
I am intrigued and cautiously optimistic as to how the new season will pan out but I dont yet share the view that we will get automatically promoted unless Chesney injects some much needed pace into the team.
Me a misery guts, nah, just a realist who doesn't think that much of Chesney's new team as yet. I will be dlighted if he proves me wrong though.
As the ton approaches, so GHw appears as though by magic!
But then, none of us are entirely innocent - am I?
**AV writes: ..... trickles past near post....
There's no pleasing some people.
With what seems like 2 good signings, the doom mongers are already out.
Until the season starts, nobody will know for sure what is going to happen - either good or bad. What is for sure is a negative response is more likely to do bad than good.
For goodness sake, get behind the team from the start and wrap up.
Great news indeed.
Scottish league or not, with MacDonald, McManus and Boyd, GS is getting players accustomed to winning in the team and a team of winners is good thing to have. Better still, Crockliff permitting, they should all have more than a few years left in them.
Incredible to think that it is still only just July. What a difference to have many of your key signings in to take part in the pre-season. This year just might see us hit the start of the league fixtures up and running and what a change that will be.
**AV writes: It's there!
Och aye, I'm here to learn from GHW, and then I'll be banging them in for fun.
Up the boro!!!!
Some good news at last - Kris Boyd!
Och Naw! Poorly-disguised offside from Dormo methinks? A late brace but neither post hit!
We'll all be hoping the real Kris Boyd will do better!
Nicely timed Powmill!
Your writing has definitely got better, what did you drink on this years holiday? Or is it that you realise that the Boro lot can actually appreciate good writing? Anyway good work and keep it up.
As an aside, does anyone notice that Boro are becoming the proxy SPL member in the English league . . . . if we get promoted I can see us becoming a Glasgow Mirror Site for Scottish stars.
"**AV writes: These are tough belt-tightening times of austerity and prudence. Let's see who the shirt sponsors turn out to be and see if we can do a deal with them. Maybe it will be a crate of Irn Bru. "
Sounds like a good idea, tie the prize to the sponsors.
Suggestions?
"There's no pleasing some people. With what seems like 2 good signings, the doom mongers are already out."
The doom monger explained why he thought the team wasn't that good but some Fan Bois dont like the truth.
Some people are TOO easily pleased. This present Boro team is a mile behind the one that started in the Championship last season. Boyd, Halliday and Bailey are no where near as good as the likes of Johnson, Tuncay and Huth.
(Anyway, my guess is that you dont even go to the Riverside these days living where you do so wrap up yourself.)
I was pleasantly surprised that Boro managed to sign Kris Boyd given how attractive a proven goal scorer is to clubs who are already in the PL.
As he arrived on a free, no doubt he'll be on decent wages - but I think he is an important signing that will indicate to other potential signings that Boro are serious about their promotion ambitions and may well sway one or two who may have had doubts about coming to Teesside.
With McManus and Bailey looking like signing soon then Boro are fast approaching having a good nucleus to the side that sounds also like it has a good team spirit potential.
So let's hope we have a good start to the season and build a tough winning mentality that Strachan craves for.
Peter -
I agree that at face value Johnson, Tuncay and Huth are better than Haliday, Boyd and Bailey.
Johnson did his bit for us last season but went to further his career. Tuncay had made no secret of the fact he was leaving but when he came on did his best. Huth was the best centre back in the Championship.
None of them were staying, helped get us relegated and we received a decent amount of money for them.
We were never going to recruit the same level of quality as a Championship side. If, as looks likely, McManus does come here we will have done some decent recruiting.
We have needed someone like Barry Robson for several years. He is the best signing by Strachan by some distance. McManus alongside Wheater is about as good as we are likely to get. And McDonald and Boyd should get us the goals we have been missing up front.
Tuncay was great to watch when he was on his game but he missed a hat full of chances. Some one asked me the difference between Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law, my answer was that Jimmy Greaves was a great goalscorer whilst Dennis Law was a scorer of great goals. I wish Tuncay was still with us but if you think back to some of the sitters Tuncay missed it makes your toes curl.
I havent been impressed by Miller. Flood looks a good aquisition. Bailey, assuming he actually appears, is a hard worker and scores goals - he may be the person that means O'Neil can leave. Halliday may well come through in time - probably an impact sub in the same way as both Downing and Johnson made their marks.
In our current financial circumstances it is difficult to see what else can be done. There will always be other targets we are chasing but getting some players in early is better than last minute. There will be players who choose to go elswhere for whatever reason. The last time we completed a fair amount of transfer business early was the season we finished 7th in the prem.
You suspect the rest of the business is dependent on getting players off the books to create some headroom.
Vic
Any chance of an overview of where we are without breaking confidences.
**AV writes: McManus should be in very soon and then they will step up the pressure on Dawson while switching attention to getting out a few big earners who are not in their plans. The club are very happy with progress at the smithy.
Just read that Newcastle goalie Fraser Forster will not be going to Norwich next season and that he will be number 2 at the Toon as Tim Krul is expected to be loaned out.
What are we waiting for? Go get Timmy.
Peter
The other thing I should have mentioned was that once Tuncay and Huth had gone (and even when they were there) the team was a flimsy affair that had little bottle when things got a little tougher.
We were outplayed by the better sides and bullied by the stronger sides. Exactly the same reasons we got relegated. We were not fit enough mentally or physically.
I dont enjoy being in this division, I think the club caused its own downfall but it is difficult to fault what they are doing now. Time may show the decisions being taken are wrong, the players may not work out but it is not like the last two summers where we could clearly see the mistakes that were being made.
I am more optimistic than before the last couple of seasons even if it turns to cack.
Drat and double drat! There I was happily going along in a sea of melancholy when the Boro go and make signings,just when the window is barely open as opposed to when it is slamming shut.
I know it is wrong but I have found myself checking my calender and trying to arrange a visit up to the Riverside for the opening fixture. The A word is now in my consciousness, anticipation! It has slowly sneaked up behind me when my defences were down. So in the full flush of new season fervour....
Come on Boro!
Mick is the next piece of the jigsaw.
AV do you think our signings have increased ticket sales and have you heard any news on the numbers sold? Would love to see a full house for the opener if that can happen then we just need the team to turn up and we are on our way.
**AV writes: Full house? No chance. Last I heard was 10,500 a week or so ago and I can't see Kris Boyd sparking a Juninho style rush of delirious zealots wearing kilts and half/half Boro/tartan beanies.
Looked at the picture on MFC showing pre season training and there was Midough. He looks slimmer than for some time though I wasnt certain if I could detect a bit of a spare tyre.
No doubt he is one of the items that the club are looking to offload. I just cannot see him and Strachan hitting it off.
GHW - Careful now, you could take the edge off your finishing. You should keep focussing on the here and now otherwise you wont be ready for the next 100.
The good thing about this blog is that it is like playing for ManU, even if you miss a chance the next '100' is just round the corner. Sadly I appear to be Diego Forlan to GHW's Dit Van Nistleboy.
We can all play 'fantasy football' and notionally compare players 'on their day' against potential new players coming in. 'On his day' Alan Foggon was a world beater - scored more goals than Tuncay, so we clearly are a team in constant decline since the heady days of the mid-70's. Aren't we?
Point is - we need consistency, attitude, conviction, courage, skill, tenacity and a bit of luck in getting a successful season under our belt, not just 'on their day' players. I'm actively encouraged, indeed positively optimistic, at these signings and can see a side forming that hits a range of these sweet spots. We saw in the England team a squad admittedly limited by skill but lacking many of the other qualities too - and look what happened to them.
In fact, I am feeling positively bouyant. Would like a 'creative' midfielder to make the goals - but I'm sure the well pawed catalogue down at the Smithy has the answer - any chance of a sight of it??
Incidentally - at this rate our Smithy is on for the 'Forger of the Year' award!
Suddenly I'm filled with optimism for the coming season and wish I could get to the Riverside more often if at all this year rather than having to see the team on its travels in London and the South.
I note Peter's above comments, but it's time for a new page to be turned.I agee with Ian Gill that the club (mostly) caused it's own downfall, as has been discussed so many times and will no doubt continue to be the subject of much debate.
However, the club is where it is ie in the Championship. As such Peter, who do you think might be better striking options than Boyd,Macdonald and possibly Hooper(who's already done it in this league).
With the signing of Kris Boyd, does AV now believe the signing of Gary Hooper will not happen now?
I think a strong strikeforce will be the key to promotion this season and competition important. Boyd / McDonald / Hooper would be perfect.
Hooper in, or not..that is the question!
**AV writes: See my new blog. Should be up and visible by now.
Richard said: "Nicely timed Powmill!"
I just happened to be strolling past when the ball just kind of deflected off me and into the net ..... That's been a long wait for my hat-trick !
Let us hope we do not have so long to wait for Boro's first hat-trick of the season ..... whoever may score it.
AV said "while switching attention to getting out a few big earners who are not in their plans"
Mido, Emnes, Digard no secrets there. Taylor possibly out of favour? Any more guys that are more than likely to go? Was anyone highlighted from the La Manga trip as "not up for it"? Is O'Neil likely to stay or he finances other deals?
What is the ore-inspirational (sorry!) news from the smithy on these fronts?
Hello - cage rattler here!
I don't go to the Riverside anymore, but I was a season ticket holder for 11 years (I even qualified for a Eufa cup final ticket which I gave to a worthier cause). All whilst living in the Peterborough.
Does that warrant credibility?