Diving in football- where do we go from here?
27 Aug 2009

From the days of Klinsman and his antics we have seen in ever increasing amounts a cancer in football raising its head - Diving! Many call it simulation i like to call it cheating. Never has such a topic brought so much condemnation from all of football but now its here in abundance again so what do we do about the problem? Ronaldo, Pires, Eboue, Drogba and Gerrard are all guilty of this but last night saw Eduardo blatanty dive and cheat to get a penalty- its sickening to watch. So what do Fifa and Uefa do about it?

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has backed Celtic's calls for Eduardo da Silva to receive a European ban, after he dived to win a penalty during last night's Champions League play-off, second leg.

The Croatian striker went down in the box after 28 minutes despite appearing not to make contact with Artur Boruc, the Celtic goalkeeper. Despite fierce protests from Celtic, Eduardo scored the resulting penalty as Arsenal won 3-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to take their place alongside Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in today’s Champions League draw in Monaco.

Immediately after the match, Massimo Donati, the Celtic midfielder, called for Eduardo to receive a European ban and Gordon Smith, the SFA's chief executive, has urged Uefa to act retrospectively to punish the Croatia international.

"Eduardo is a terrific player who has battled back from a serious injury to resume playing at the highest level," Smith said. "However, last night he showed disrespect to the game by his actions in winning a penalty against Celtic.

"Since I came into this post, I have raised the issue of simulation time and time again - both here in Scotland and with Fifa and Uefa. I don't think that I have received enough support in my efforts to eradicate what I believe to be one of the most serious threats to the integrity of football. Last night showed exactly why we must take this issue seriously.

"We have shown the courage to use retrospective punishment when it comes to simulation and I would urge Uefa to do so in this instance. Everything that can be done to stamp it out must be done - starting right now.

"Last night's incident also brings the whole issue of video evidence to the fore. I see absolutely no reason at all why we cannot use technology to assist referees - particularly in live games.

"I know that some people say that TV evidence would damage the flow of a game, but I believe the proposal that I put forward to both Fifa and Uefa whereby football would adopt a similar approach to tennis in offering a set number of challenges can work.

"We need a serious debate on these issues. Everyone in football has a responsibility to set the right example to our youngsters.

"We can talk all we want about Fair Play campaigns, but taking action would be a much more powerful deterrent and would send the right message to players everywhere."

The incident may provide fresh impetus in the perpetual debate over whether technology should be used during matches to aid officials and Massimo Donati, the Celtic player, called for Eduardo to face retrospective punishment.

“If it’s caught on TV, Uefa should act and ban him. Eduardo should get a two-match ban,” Donati said. “It was not a penalty. I told him and everyone on the Celtic team told him.”

Neil Warnock, the Crystal Palace manager, says video evidence is the only way to stop diving in football. "Retrospective video evidence with a minimum six-game ban would stop it [diving] straight away," he said. "It's no good fining them [the players] because they get paid so much and managers aren't going to do it, as I know from personal experience, so it has to be retrospective evidence.

"Referees are not good enough to stop things like that even though he [the referee] was in a good position."

Warnock added: "The guy [Eduardo] deliberately tried to leave a foot, in order to get some contact with the goalie [Boruc] when he knew the keeper wasn't going to pull him down. It's one of those things.

"The only answer is using video evidence after the event because it's too quick. Sometimes I've thought from the first view 'it's a penalty,' and then you watch it and know it's not. So even professionals can't see it. Referees need help."

So will Uefa and Fifa finally decide on a deterent to stop this cheating or will they spend 6 months deciding on another rediculous law to give more yellow cards to players? Personally i am in favour of retrospetive yellow cards to players - as soon as this is implimented i can guarantee this cheating will stop. However if Uefa and Fifa continue to bury their heads in the sand we will continue to see our great game turn into a mockery all because of these cheats!

There is Only one Bobby Robson!!
18 Aug 2009

Many of the Helsby team would be too young to know about Sir Bobby Robson hence why i thought it would be fitting to write a few words on the man and why he was and still is loved by people in and out of football-there can be no doubt that Sir Bobby Robson stands out as one of the greatest managers in British football history. Why?

When Sir Bobby Robson spoke, invariably there was passion in his voice, a twinkle in his eye and laughter rarely far away.
He was known to refer to former Newcastle midfielder Lauren Robert as "Lauren Bacall".

When asked once what he would have done if he hadn't been a footballer, he famously replied: "I would have given my right arm to be a pianist."

Like any pensioner, as traversed his 70s, occasionally he lost the thread of his argument when rambling between subjects.

But no football man deserved his knighthood more. No manager better balanced the need for hard decision-making with the caring touch.

If it hadn't been for Maradona's 'Hand of God' back in the World Cup quarter-final of 1986, who is to say Robson would not have gone on to have become the second England manager to lift the trophy?

If it hadn't been for the wayward radar of Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle in the semi-final penalty shoot-out against the Germans, Robson would surely have delivered the World Cup for his country in 1990.

So near, yet so far from football's greatest prize on two occasions.

Yet, as 76-year-old Robson finally succumbed to an illness a few weeks agao, an illness he had fought so bravely in its various guises for so long, it would be wrong to view his career with the slightest taint of failure despite the manic vitriol he suffered at the hands of certain parts of the media during his England reign and the tearful last day at Newcastle united.

As a cultured right-half with Fulham, West Brom and England he might not have possessed the excellence which earned Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Tom Finney the same status as Knights of the Realm.

As a manager, he did not scale the heights of Sir Alf Ramsey, nor garner silverware as prolifically as Sir Matt Busby or Sir Alex Ferguson.

But, along with Brian Clough and Bob Paisley, there can be no doubt that he stands out as one of the greatest managers in British football history.

Apart from his first two posts at Vancouver Whitecaps and Fulham, Robson excelled wherever he went.

In 13 years with Ipswich, he brought unprecedented glory to East Anglia, winning the FA Cup in 1978 against Arsenal with Roger Osborne's solitary goal.

He followed that up with the UEFA Cup in 1981 and was instrumental in throwing open the gates to European players when he signed Dutch stars Frans Thyssen and Arnold Muhren.

He was one of soccer's visionaries and that, as much as his high profile with the national side, attracted the attentions of top continental clubs.

He won the Dutch league in consecutive seasons with PSV Eindhoven, did the same with Porto and presided over Barcelona's Cup Winners Cup campaign in 1996 before moving upstairs as a players' scout.

To get him talking about Brazilian Ronaldo, whom he signed at PSV, was to wave goodbye to an entire afternoon.

That, in a footballing world when so many so-called superstars are imposters, was the beauty of Sir Bobby. What you see and hear is what you get. A true gentleman.

No armchairs and boardrooms for Robson.

Robson loved the smell of liniment, thrived on pitting wits against adversaries on the training ground and in the pressure of match day where others might have frozen.

For all his wandering monologues, and there was a time when the England dressing room affectionately dubbed him 'Mogadon', Robson reduced football to a refreshing simplicity.

In Robson's world, a manager always picked his best 11 players, briefed them on how best to beat the opposition, sent them out with a Churchillian address and told them not to come back until they had given their all.

The force of his personality did wonders for Newcastle when he arrived in September 1999 following the failed stewardship of Ruud Gullit.

Robson took the Geordies to fourth in the Premier League to earn a place in the Champions League.

He also prolonged the career of Alan Shearer, whose goals had dried up and whose relationship with Gullit had been strained.

Robson swiftly identified a technical problem in Shearer's positioning which was allowing defenders to nullify his ability to hold up the ball.

It was such depth of footballing knowledge which immediately won the players' respect, even if in the end he was sacked just a handful of games into a new season and had to fight for his contract to be honoured. He said his goodbye to the players in floods of tears, thats how passionate the man was for football.

Even then he would not let such disgraceful treatment affect his love for the game, prolonging his footballing career by assisting Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton.

Football folk loved him for that energy and enthusiasm. And for his eccentricity.

Such as during Italia 90 when he was mulling over his next selection as he descended in the lift at the team hotel.

As the lift doors opened, there waiting was his captain Bryan Robson.

"Hi Bobby," said Bobby absent-mindedly.

"No, I'm Bryan, you're Bobby," replied Bryan.

It's a lovely story.

In truth, however, there could only ever be one Sir Bobby Robson.

Can Man City win the premiership?
21 Jul 2009

Everyone wil have noticed Manchester City splashing the cash this summer like no tomorrow, but is it too soon to tip them for the title?

Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez and most recently Adebayor have all been added to the Manchester City pay-roll this summer at a cost of around £90million in transfer fees.

It might be peanuts compared to the credit-crunch-defying cash being spent by Real Madrid, but these are all players of proven Premier League ability, who will undoubtedly make City much stronger this coming campaign.

Some pundits even believe the title will move across the city to the blue half of Manchester come next May. Will it?

But whilst the City's investments will give the Premier League's top-four a much-needed shake-up, I think we're a season away - and possibly two - from considering Mark Hughes' side as genuine title contenders.

Let me explain why.

Firstly, when was the last time you saw a side go from finishing 10th in the table (not to mention a whopping 40 points adrift) go on to finish top of the pile the very season after? Add into the mix that the top eight, let alone the top four, has altered only minimally over the past five seasons and you get some idea of the task City are facing. In fact, since their return to the Premier League at the end of the 2001/02 season, the Blues have only secured a top-eight finish once.

With that in mind, just finishing in the top six would represent progress given their previous 'struggles'.

Now obviously, given the cash that has been spent, all associated with the club will be expecting a whole lot more than a top-eight finish this term - and bringing Champions League football to Eastlands in the 20010/11 season has to be a realistic goal.

But to even get to that level, Hughes must iron out a couple of deficiencies that have held City back in recent times - starting with their defence. It is mainly away from home where these problems lay - and their shipping of 32 goals in 19 games on their travels last term was the fifth worst in the entire division. Even relegated Newcastle conceded less on the road!

To be fair to the City chief, he has apparantly set the wheels in motion to strengthen his rearguard and links to Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure, Lucio (and particularly) Joleon Lescott and John Terry, should at least give supporters heart. I think Hughes recognises he probably now needs to priortise on strengthening his central defence and the capture of two established names would aid their progress far more significantly than anywhere else on the field. It's the age-old adage, but if you're keeping things clean at the back then you've always got a chance of winning more matches.

Shay Given was recruited in the winter transfer window and he'd surely become a safer pair of hands if he was playing behind say Terry and Lescott, as opposed to Richard Dunne and Micah Richards - the latter of whom seems to have lost the panache of previous seasons.

And if City do bring in the star additions at the back to accompany the marquee signings in attack, that will surely take care of their other frailty - their appalling away record. Two wins in 19 on the road last season tells its own story and Hughes will know this needs significant improvement if they're to push for the top four next season.

If they are to upset the establishment and bag a top-four place, the most obviously under threat are Arsenal, who after a few seasons of under-investment player-wise, look set to face their stiffest test yet to hang onto their place amongst England's elite. Aston Villa threatened it for a spell last season until they ran out of steam - but City will hope to go one better this time around.

The Gunners have been in a slow decline over the past three or four seasons and if they don't make some key additions this summer, I think they will lose their top four mantle come next season. Adebayor has gone- the Nasri injury today is also a huge issue and this leaves Rosicky to step up to the plate- can he do it?I am not so sure.

They say Rome wasn't built in a day - and it will certainly take that bit longer to bring the Premier League title to Eastlands.

For me the most important position is the holding midfielder- is it Barry or Kompany or even a Mascherano? Whoever it is this is the most important position Hughes has to get right- that and the central defence.

But City are on the right track....but come this time next year will we be talking about City as serious title contenders? Maybe?

Player Profiles added
20 Jul 2009

Jamie Gorman is the first Helsby Under 9 player to have his player profile added to the site. A few simple questions just get to know more about him and his enjoyment of football. This is on the "other pages" section under the drop down.
For next week get those answers into me on my email address and you could be next for the player profile section.

Are football academies actually the way forward?
20 Jul 2009

Over the last decade all football league clubs have invested heavily on their football academy. Some teams have benefited considerably from this. Teams like Middlesbrough, Arsenal, Man city and West ham have brought through lots of young British players to the first team saving millions of pounds but is this “academy life” really working for English youngsters?

Before the invention of academies young English players would ply their trade at school level and if good enough would be picked for their Town and County. This was when players were noticed by scouts and asked to attend a trial or a series of trials to see the player in action. School boy forms were quickly dispatched to the lucky ones and every school holiday or available date, players would go to the club to do some training. After leaving school they were maybe given an apprentiship with that club and a chance to progress through the club to the first team. However it was always in a highly competitive league from the intermediates to the central league and given at least 2 years to show the manager that they could be a professional one day. The joy was that these players could still play football at all these levels and also with their friends in other minor Saturday and Sunday leagues. If it didn’t work out with that club you could still go and play in the northern league and try to be spotted again by another club- you still had a chance and the dream to be a professional footballer was still alive. The system seemed to work and players given a chance to shine.

However, with players values ever increasing and an uncertainty of English young talent coming through the ranks - clubs and the FA decided to adopt a new approach and investment in youth academies- players as young as 7 whisked from their friends and mate’s sides to train 3 times a week and to play the odd friendly game against other academies. The player also alienated from their friends teams as they could not play for anyone else and had to rely on the academy clubs management for fulfilling their potential. Incredibly even at the tender age of 7 or 8 kids are “thrown out” by clubs to be replaced by another stream of academy “children” each year. For the life of me I can’t see how this is good for football and for children- kids in floods of tears being told they are not good enough at 8 years old and being replaced by the next influx of children- their self esteem crushed- their love and desire for football already on the decline at such a tender age. It’s hard enough being told at 18 you are not wanted by a club but to be told this at 8? Their whole little world must fall apart on this event.
For me I don’t see how these academies are working- Just look at the England Under 21 team of a few weeks ago- Boro have spent 12 years trying to bring a centre forward through but nothing except for good defenders - Liverpool’s last few players to come through were Gerrard and Carragher nearly a decade agao- Man united touted with the idea of bringing the British youth through but lately have adopted a stance of buying young foreign players for their academy- Chelsea have one player to come through - Arsenal are changing the tide and have some good young English talent and now Man city are only buying top foreign internationals and shipping out academy players like Sturridge.
These academies were invented to help English kids come through quicker with better skills and better technique but all I can see are foreign players coming to academies and the big clubs investing in these players rather than young English talent. Was this the FAs intention and are these academies really working for young English players?- I don’t think they are – do you?