Good morning.
Shortly after I publish this article, all of the fixtures for next season will be released and we will all be planning our lives around who our team is playing. Football supporters sacrifice so much to follow their team around the country, skipping social events with friends and Read more
Good morning.
Joe Kinnear was a theatrical, comedic goldmine yesterday on Talksport, saying that he's "more intelligent" than Newcastle United supporters and showing a crushing inability to pronounce the names of Newcastle's top players. Kinnear called Yohan Cabaye, "Yohan Kebab" and have you ever heard of Hatem Ben Affri? Kinnear Read more
Good morning.
Joe Kinnear has re-joined Newcastle United under the guise of "Director of Football." Due to the absurdity of the appointment, I could finish the blog here and leave you to chew on that information for the entirety of your Monday. It is a very bizarre development at Newcastle, as Read more
The new Premier League season is set to be an exciting one, thanks to a raft of changes that have occurred at the top clubs since the end of the last one, which leave things feeling less predictable than they have for a while.
The fact that Chelsea have Read more
Good morning.
As I trawled through the various football websites this morning, all I saw was this...
Tumbleweed. Lots and lots of tumbleweed. The transfer window hasn't opened and won't do so until the July 1st, so we should all calm down in that regard. At the moment it feels as Read more
Shortly after I publish this article, all of the fixtures for next season will be released and we will all be planning our lives around who our team is playing. Football supporters sacrifice so much to follow their team around the country, skipping social events with friends and family to go and watch the football, spending good money which they could put towards saving for a new car or a home improvement.
It is what we love though and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I cannot wait for the fixtures to be released so that I can plan the next my life around the next season, going on Google maps and football stadium guide websites to work out the best routes to the ground, where I can park and how long it will take. One lesson I would advise you heed, is to never park near a football stadium. Yes, you get to your car quicker, but considering the traffic of people coming out of the ground and so on, I find it better to park away from the ground with closer access to a motorway. In Newcastle I parked at the Metro Centre and caught the train from there into the city centre and then walked up to the ground from there.
The benefits to this, was at the end when cars were struggling to get anywhere because of people coming out of the ground, was that I was more or less parked next to the motorway. It was hassle free and I found a taxi in the city centre which took me back to the Metro Centre.
What I enjoy so much about away days, is the feeling of solidarity you get when huddled into a football stand with 3,000 other supporters who are hated by, say, the other 30,000 people in the stadium. Everybody’s hatred is focused on you for that afternoon and you stick together by signing songs, jumping up and down and generally having fun. When you lose, there are 3,000 other people there who share you pain. Last season against Bradford City, when Thomas Vermaelen equalised for Arsenal in the dying minutes, I remember hugging a bloke in front of me, then the moment where I wanted to vomit when Vermaelen missed the decisive penalty which meant Bradford won.
We know that we will get all the same teams as each, but in what order? That is the exciting thing. I like to see the season mapped out in front of me so I can plan the next few months of my life.
Right, I’m pushing it dangerously close until the fixtures are released so I’ll finish it there.
Before I go, sorry for the short, lacklustre posts of late, I’ve had a lot on my plate. I apologise as I have a responsibility to write better.
The football season is over, players have gone on holiday and the tedium of transfer rumours have officially started, if not prematurely, with the transfer window not actually until July 1st. So, what to do until August when it all kicks off again? Spend time with loved ones? Take up a new hobby? Me and Mat – who is the subject of this very interview – were going to take up fencing over the summer, but that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. Instead, maybe you could sort out that home improvement that you’ve been needing to finish, but haven’t had the time to do so?
Of course, the answer to the above questions is a resounding “no.” Now that the 2012/13 season has passed and we’ve lived and breathed its every emotion, it is time to review what happened and chew on every little incident from every team. Now, I’m only one man, I can’t talk about every team as that would be impossible. Instead, for the next month, we shall be hosting fan reviews on here, where we interview a willing volunteer who answers our questions about their team. Fifth in line to be interviewed, is Mat Batchelor, a Leicester City supporter and co-owner of this very blog, who will be talking about “that” match against Watford, Anthony Knockaert’s goal against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, Lloyd Dyer’s six pack and a lot, lot more. This is what Mat had to say:
1) On a scale of farce to ten, how has this season ranked for you?
I would have to say 6. Yet again Leicester City failed to achieve their target of promotion. Despite some very memorable moments (mentioned below), I don’t think these detract from the fact the club is now many more millions of pounds in debt and in my eyes no further on as a team. I’m not saying the team is “that bad” but I don’t see where that investment has gone? Players’ wages I guess…
2) On paper, Leicester had maybe the most potent strike force in the league last season. David Nugent is a classy player as we’ve seen and Chris Wood looked sensational when he arrived in January. Where have things faltered?
Nugent is an excellent player and in my opinion Premier League quality when given the correct service. I think this was lacking towards the end of the season possibly explaining his ‘dry spell’. Chris Wood was acquired in order to add something different to what Vardy / Waghorn offered. He was on fire after his first few games and even scored on his debut. Sadly, he, along with the rest of the team lost form at the wrong time. Towards the end of the season he looked lethargic and half the player that we signed in January. That said, he has only been with the club for a few months, so I am hopeful he can start the 2013/14 campaign all guns blazing!
3) Jamie Vardy, Marko Futacs and Jermaine Beckford all look likely to leave this season. Which strikers would you look at not to just improve the strike force superficially, but for reasons relating to squad depth as well?
The three strikers mentioned below have one thing in common. At this level they aren’t proven goal scorers. Beckford is perhaps the only exception to this, given that his goal tally in his Premier League campaign with Everton reached double figures. In my opinion we need a striker that has bite and tenacity. Billy Sharp is a personal favourite of mine. Give him the correct service and he will score goals.
4) … and where else would you strengthen the squad?
Everywhere! No, in all seriousness I think we certainly need another solid centre back, especially now ST Ledger will be departing the King Power in the summer. I also think we need a left back as soon as possible. How Paul Konchesky manages to hold down a first team place is beyond me. I might need to get Prof Brian Cox on the case to explain this one to me. I love Brian. I also think we need a forward thinking midfielder, someone who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and take it to the opposition. Someone like Neil Danns would do nicely! Oh wait…
5) Nigel Pearson is in his second spell at Leicester. After failing to get promotion, should he stay or should he go?
This is indeed Nigel’s second spell with Leicester. I think he deserves more time, at the very least 15 games. While we didn’t set the league on fire last season we did finish in the top 6, albeit in an unconventional manner. At times we played some very nice football and with one or two signings and we shouldn’t be too far away!
6) If you could combine the best components of each player at Leicester to turn them into a super player, what would you pick? You’re allowed two components per player, so for example: Nugent’s finishing, Knockaert’s technical ability, Wes Morgan’s forehead, Kasper Schmeichel’s massive hands and so on.
My ‘Leicester City Super Player’ would consist of Andy King’s footballing brain, Ben Marshall’s kicking ability, Wes Morgan’s strength, Jeff Schlupp’s speed, David Nugent’s goal scoring ability, Knockaert’s trickery and Lloyd Dyer’s 6 pack.
7) Anthony Knockaert has enjoyed a good start to life in England, even drawing admiring eyes from clubs in the Premier League. With a bit more refinement, he could be one to build a team around. His end to the season in the play-offs visibly gutted him. How important is it that the manager keeps faith with him, and do you see Leicester eventually playing to his needs? Is he that good?
Anthony Knockaert is without doubt the most exciting player to join Leicester City in many years. He gets the ball out wide and had one thing in mind, dribble and run forward. It is so refreshing to see someone of his ilk at the King Power Stadium. I have been watching so-called “wingers” cut inside or turn back on themselves for too long and not just for Leicester City, I can’t help but find it immensely frustrating! Theo Walcott’s performance against Brazil recently springs to mind.
Knockaert has bags of technical ability that’s for sure, but he certainly knows how good he is. He is cocky and arrogant but loveable all the same. His only downfall is that he does lack pace and relies solely on his quick feet and trickery to beat players. I think this is why he isn’t playing in the Premier League (yet). As a measure of his ability, I couldn’t see him being poached by a top 6 Premier League club but I could definitely see a Premier League club perhaps a Sunderland or Villa making a cheeky offer.
8) It may still be painful, but can you describe the emotions of those last minutes against Watford? Who were you with, where were you, what was the atmosphere like where you were?
The last few minutes at Watford were the strangest in my time supporting Leicester City. I would start by saying that on the night Watford were the better side and deserved to go through. However, when we were presented with a penalty in injury time, I like every other Leicester fan went into meltdown, complete pandemonium. We were one kick away from reaching Wembley, where we would of course slaughter either Palace or Brighton 7-0 and complete our return to the Premier League. How wrong we were, it took under a minute for Knockaert to miss the penalty and for Watford to score. Never have I felt an emotional swing like that one. Fortunately I couldn’t get a ticket and had to watch the game on T.V. with my family. I had to go for a long walk and practice deep breathing exercises. It’s unbelievable to think that there is so much emotion involved in a stupid game of football. I guess this is why we all love the beautiful game so much!
9) On a happier note, what was your best moment of the season?
The best moment of the season without doubt was Anthony Knockaert’s winning goal against local rivals Nottingham Forest on the last game of the season. I genuinely have goosebumps writing this as I reflect on that moment. Both teams had to win to secure a place in the play-offs which made it feel so much more special.
It had been 20+ years since Leicester beat Forest in their back yard. To do so under the circumstances made it very special indeed. A moment I will look back on in 20 years’ time and remember with great delight. Thank you Anthony!
Onward and upward for 2013/14 – “When you’re smiling…”
The football season is over, players have gone on holiday and the tedium of transfer rumours have officially started, if not prematurely, with the transfer window not actually until July 1st. So, what to do until August when it all kicks off again? Spend time with loved ones? Take up a new hobby? Me and Mat were going to take up fencing over the summer, but that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. Instead, maybe you could sort out that home improvement that you’ve been needing to finish, but haven’t had the time to do so?
Of course, the answer to the above questions is a resounding “no.” Now that the 2012/13 season has passed and we’ve lived and breathed its every emotion, it is time to review what happened and chew on every little incident from every team. Now, I’m only one man, I can’t talk about every team as that would be impossible. Instead, for the next month, we shall be hosting fan reviews on here, where we interview a willing volunteer who answers our questions about their team. Fourth to be interviewed, is Adam Moss, a Derby County supporter who will be talking about Nigel Clough, Will Hughes, the academy and what the future holds at Pride Park. This is what Adam had to say:
1) On a scale of farce to ten, how has this season ranked for you?
I would say that it ranks a 7. In general there has been a better atmosphere around Pride Park, attendances are improving and the team is playing good football. Missing Jamie Ward for nearly 20 games has arguably cost us the points that would have seen us push for 6th. But the midfield is one of the best I’ve seen for a while, though there were some disappointing results in draws with Bolton and Wolves at home.
2) Derby County went as far as the quarter-finals in this season’s FA Youth Cup. Along the way, Derby beat Manchester City 2-0 and were unlucky to lose to Chelsea in the quarter-finals. In the likes of Mason Bennett and Jamie Hanson, not to mention other players such as Will Hughes who is already in the first team, how optimistic are you for Derby’s future? Who do you see making the step up from the U-21 and U-18 teams to the first team?
They did very well, I actually fancied us beating Chelsea and it was a very pleasing result. I am optimistic because players such as Valentin Gjokaj and Michael Hogansen who didn’t come through the academy will have something to offer. I’m expecting Gjokaj to play 10-12 games next season. Goalkeepers are not in ready supply in the academy. Bennett will be a top striker but he needs to go out on loan and play for a season, he’s been in the team for over 18 months and he isn’t even 17 yet. But overall, I would say it’s looking good.
3) Young midfielder, Will Hughes, has been linked with Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United in the last 12 months. Can you describe his qualities and is he ready for such a move?
Agile, jinking midfielder that has that creative flair and can find a pass when nothing seems on. Absolute dynamite box to box midfielder and epitomised by his performance against Leeds this season. He’s only played 40 first team games and is still 18. I believe he wouldn’t be out of place at a team such as Norwich because he is a better option than they have, but for top level, he needs at least 1 more season, maybe 2 to get 100 games under his belt and refine his abilities. I still maintain he will replace Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.
4) Nigel Clough has been very eager to sign, develop and promote young players to Derby’s first team. That approach has won many admirers. Would you persist with Clough’s philosophy, or is time Derby went for a change of tact?
He has openly stated his intention to sign experience this window and I believe the time is right, but some of the young players he has found are quality and the midfield is something to behold. Bryson, 25, Hendrick, 20, Hughes 18, Coutts, 23. The time is now to sign experience so that they can drag a game by the scruff of the neck if needs be. But he has improved year on year and so can’t be faulted but this is now the key season for a promotion push otherwise people might start getting frustrated.
5) If you could combine the best components of each player at Derby to turn them into a super player, what would you pick? You’re allowed two components per player, so for example: Will Hughes’ vision, Jeff Hendrick’s stamina, Jake Buxton’s enormous forehead, Jamie Ward’s finishing and so on.
Richard Keogh’s strength, Jamie Ward’s finishing, Will Hughes’ dribbling and vision, Connor Sammon’s tenacity and Craig Bryson’s determination.
6) Derby (undeservedly) get a lot of stick from fans of other clubs for their various deals on match tickets. At Jumpers For Goalposts, we’re very impressed with the innovation in bringing new support to the ground. Does the unwarranted stick bother you? Set the record straight for supporters of other clubs…
The reduced ticket pricing system actually brought our attendances up last season, the offers we now have are reasonable. £15 for a pint and a ticket is economy busting. We do give away a few season tickets but they all get utilised. 33,000 sell outs every season against Leeds and Nottingham Forest are not to be sniffed at. Better to fill a ground for potential extra income than limit your market.
7) Derby have moved early at the end of last season to sign Chris Martin on a permanent deal and have brought Lee Grant back to Pride Park. Are you impressed with what you’ve seen so far?…
Lee Grant is an impressive signing. Frankie Fielding and Adam Legzdins have been unable to command the goalkeeper shirt. Martin is good, needs to prove he can score a few goals. I’m excited by Johnny Russell, seems a quality finisher more than anything which is what we are missing.
8) … Where would you strengthen the squad and who would you sign?
We need a centre back, Gabriel Zakuani would be who I would go for. Dependant on the fitness of Mark O’Brien and Shaun Barker, plus one loan signing as well. A left back is a must, I’d like to see Zoumana Bagayoko from Tranmere Rovers who seems to be ready for a move and would fill in well. I would also sign a young winger as cover. Maybe Nick Powell if David Moyes is willing to let him leave Manchester United on loan.
9) Finally, what was your best moment of the season?
The best moment was the comeback against Leeds to make it 9 in a row, talk about a stranglehold.
Following England’s rather laughable exit from the U-21 European Championships in Israel, inquests are being held left, right and centre as to why England are so god-awful when it comes to the national team.
Former England manager, Graham Taylor, told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sportsweek:
“I think we have all seen this coming. We have got this tremendous amount of money that has now come into football. It means the top four or five clubs are not looking for the best players in England, but the best players in the world because they can afford to buy them. At Manchester City, if Manuel Pellegrini comes in, I’ll be amazed if he signs an English player.”
“The top four of five clubs are not looking for the best players in England, but the best players in the world because they can afford to buy them.” That’s a very loose opinion, one which I consider to be incorrect. Look at the top five clubs in England this season: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. All of them have a prominent English spine to the team. At Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney all played large roles in United’s Premier League title win last season.
Manchester City meanwhile, can rely on Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and James Milner. Last summer, Roberto Mancini invested in Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair, albeit to varying degrees of success. At Chelsea, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry are the binding force of their talented team and Arsenal boast a rich vein of English players coming through. Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all signed new contracts with Arsenal as Arsene Wenger looks to build on a British core.
Arsenal’s North London neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur, have a prominent English spine to their team as well. Steven Caulker, Kyle Walker, Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Defoe are all regulars in the first team, whilst Tom Carroll has received some playing time under Andre Villas Boas as he undergoes his development.
The majority of teams in the Premier League are looking to develop a core of English players and that is a positive sign.
It would be naïve of me however, to suggest all of the players I mentioned at England’s top five clubs, are going to be, or currently are, of world class quality. Joe Hart is the closest player that Manchester City have to being world class and although Chelsea’s trio were once of that level, they’re currently dipping in their level of quality owing to their respective ages. Arsenal’s young English talents are still developing and none of Tottenham’s players are of that world class ilk.
The idea to develop an English core is evident amongst our top teams. Arsene Wenger commented last season on the development of English players, saying that previously there had been a very small pool of talent to choose from. Now, that it is different and all six of Arsenal’s top English players are capable of challenging, if not starting, for the national team. Wenger also said that it is much easier to persuade an English player to spurn the advances of a foreign club. However, the paucity of top, emerging English talent is still an issue and one that is being addressed.
The English FA have looked at various schemes to help young players and the building of St. George’s Park will hopefully aide player development. Those actions should in turn develop higher quality players capable of becoming world class cornerstones of England’s best clubs.
At the most basic level, the FA should be providing the appropriate coaching and development for young players. Successful development and a correct vision will see young players turn into very good players capable of playing for the best teams. If a player is good enough, he will get picked, regardless of his passport. It isn’t up to a club to pick players based on nationality, it’s up to them to pick based on quality and if English quality isn’t coming through, then why pick an English kid over a more talented Italian kid?
Any changes being made at youth level however, will take a long to be recognised at international level for England. We require patience.
The football season is over, players have gone on holiday and the tedium of transfer rumours have officially started, if not prematurely, with the transfer window not actually until July 1st. So, what to do until August when it all kicks off again? Spend time with loved ones? Take up a new hobby? Me and Mat were going to take up fencing over the summer, but that idea seems to have fallen by the wayside. Instead, maybe you could sort out that home improvement that you’ve been needing to finish, but haven’t had the time to do so?
Of course, the answer to the above questions is a resounding “no.” Now that the 2012/13 season has passed and we’ve lived and breathed its every emotion, it is time to review what happened and chew on every little incident from every team. Now, I’m only one man, I can’t talk about every team as that would be impossible.
Instead, for the next month, we shall be hosting fan reviews on here, where we interview a willing volunteer who answers our questions about their team. First up is Roman Matthews, a Nottingham Forest supporter, who will be talking about… well… umm… Nottingham Forest, as you might have expected he would do. This is what Roman had to say:
1) On a scale of farce to ten, how has this season ranked for you?
I’d say this season has ranked as an 8. It hasn’t always been good and it’s not been very pleasing on the eye, but it’s always been entertaining. In my opinion we’ve actually had more excitement than most clubs, with managers coming in and out, struggling with results, fearing relegation, to getting Billy Davies back and fighting for the playoffs. In the end I’d say this year turned out better than I expected.
2) Billy Sharp and Simon Cox brought much optimism to the club. On paper, they should be a forty-goals-a-season partnership. Cox scored five in the league, getting an impressive ten assists, whilst Sharp nabbed ten in domestic campaign. Why haven’t they had the impact many thought they would?
I think with the inconsistency of the club and the vulnerability everyone must have felt, it must have been difficult for a lot of the season to keep their head in the game. That’s no excuse for any player in my opinion, they get paid to play, but I believe both proved themselves in different ways other than goal scorers. Luckily for us we managed to get goals from elsewhere.
3) With Marcus Tudgay probably going in the summer, potentially joined by Dexter Blackstock, forwards will be in high demand at the City Ground. Who would you identify as your top striking targets?…
I’ve seen recently that Tudgay has been offered a 1 year contract extension, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re working hard to keep Blackstock because he’s a huge part of the squad. I’d also like to see Billy Sharp back. As for new targets, Carlton Cole has just been released and I think he’d be able to do a good job in the championship. Then someone along the lines of Charlie Austin who’s been proven to smash them in.
4) … and where else would you strengthen the squad?
Defence would be my main issue, the midfield looks strong and if we can sort out some decent strikers now then the goals will come. But we let way too many in last season. It’s been going on for years now but I definitely think we need a permanent left back.
5) Billy Davies clearly had an impact when he arrived. Did he just run out of games when pushing for the play-offs, or is there more to it?
I think there was obviously a huge boost when Billy Davies came back, but the play offs were always a bit of a dream, he needs the time to make his own squad and have a season to make it work. Last season we just ran out of steam.
6) If you could combine the best components of each player at Forest to turn them into a super player, what would you pick? You’re allowed two components per player, so for example: Sharp’s finishing, Lansbury’s stamina, Majewski’s right foot, Daniel Ayala’s heading ability and so on.
Chris Cohen’s stamina and love for the game. Billy Sharp’s finishing. Simon Cox’s ball control. Lewis McGugan’s flair. Marcus Tudgay’s heading ability (for a small bloke he’s always been great with his head). Adlene Guedioura’s composure. Andy Reid’s left foot. Radi Majewski’s right foot. Henri Lansbury’s dribbling.
7) As an Arsenal supporter myself, I was gutted to see Henri Lansbury leave for the meagre cost as £1 million. Arsene Wenger had signed him to a new contract in the season previous and he always looked sharp in pre-season. How has Lansbury faired in his first season with Forest?
I think it took him a while to settle in, he showed glimpses of his quality during the early parts of the season but lacked consistency. When Billy Davies came back, he came into his own. I think he was given the freedom to play the role he wanted to and it gave him a chance to prove himself. Needless to say he did that, and became a vital part of the team. Now he’d be one of the first names on the team sheet, in my opinion. So thank you Arsenal.
8) Who brought the noisiest support to the City Ground last season?
Derby always bring a noisy support, although I suppose that’s mainly because of the rivalry. But other than that I’d have to say it’s Leeds.
9) Finally, what was your best moment of the season?
The highlight of my season off the pitch was when I found out Billy Davies was back! I remember I was at work and even left to ring my Dad about it! But the best moment on the pitch would be away at Hull and drawing 1-1 with Lewis McGugan coming off the bench to score the winner in the final minutes! It didn’t seem like a game we’d win! But it felt good when we did!
My congratulations go to Crystal Palace on winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. The fact that Palace finished 5th and Watford ended up in 3rd, yet didn’t get promotion, is still an issue that irks me considerably, but well done to Palace. On the day, Watford were outplayed and outfought, to the point where Marco Cassetti, who is no mug of a player, chopped down Wilfried Zaha to give away a penalty in the first half of extra-time. It was a poor challenge, but visibly born out of mental and physical fatigue.
In the Sky studios after the match, Iain Dowie raised the point that after the way that Watford actually reached the play-off final, it may have taken its toll mentally on them. I agree, but I’d like to add that they missed out on automatic promotion by the skin of their teeth on the last day of the Championship season. Coming so close to achieving something, but falling away right at the end, is very difficult to take and it showed in their play-off semi-final first leg against Leicester City at the Walkers Stadium.
From being at such a mental low, they suddenly felt euphoria again when they sealed progression to the final against Leicester in the most amazing circumstances. With seconds left in the match, Anthony Knockaert won a penalty for Leicester and a resulting goal would have put Leicester in the final. Knockaert stepped up, hit his effort straight at Manuel Almunia and Watford counter-attacked, scoring the winner through Troy Deeney.
After all of that, it’s a wonder that Watford had anything left to give yesterday. Not that they had too much; for the highest scorers in the Championship, they looked as blunt as a table spoon in attack and Fernando Forestieri had the Hornets’ best chance in the final seconds when he cut inside when position in the area, shot with the outside of his right foot and Joel Ward cleared off the line with his head.
I don’t like the play-offs, but full credit goes to the team that takes full advantage of the system. Crystal Palace took advantage and were worthy winners on the day.
For Ian Holloway, it’s a big pity that he won’t have Wilfried Zaha next season as he moves to Manchester United. After watching Zaha yesterday, I’m inclined to suggest that he plays one more season for Crystal Palace. Yesterday was the largest platform Zaha has ever played on and his decision making was consistently poor throughout the match. Bizarrely, Zaha won the man of the match award and I don’t think he was deserving of that. From first minute to last, he was just below average and he would benefit from a season in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, not Manchester United. After that, I feel he would be ready.
Selhurst Park will not be an easy ground to visit for any teams next season and I have a feeling that Crystal Palace will be okay next season. It won’t be comfortable, but I think they’ll survive. Just don’t ask me why I think that, as I don’t possess a scientific reason for it.
Well, I had plans on making Mat write this post, him being the Leicester City fan, but I don’t have the heart to put him through that kind of trauma.
I’ve used this website to broadcast my feelings about the play-offs on more than one occasion, but I won’t deprive you of another moan about the system. There are three spots available in the Premier League for those coming up from the Championship. Those coming down from the Premier League will have finished in the bottom three positions, as over 38 games throughout a season, those three teams have been the worst on a consistent basis. Any league campaign, whether it be in rugby or football, should be based on the quality of a team’s consistency. Those who are the best get rewards and the worst teams get punished.
Infamously, the Championship, League One and League Two work a little differently. The three teams coming down from the Premier League are replaced in the next season by three from the Championship. Two of those teams promoted will have done so by being automatically promoted, owing to their league finish of either first or second place. If you finish outside of that top two however, there is a four-team battle for promotion. Third plays sixth and fourth plays fifth in a two-leg tie to decide who goes into the final, with the winner of that progressing to the Premier League.
Leicester City won just three of their last ten league matches and finished the campaign five points closer to the relegation zone than they were to league leaders, Cardiff City. Leicester also finished eleven points behind second place Hull City, with the gap between Leicester and 19th place Huddersfield Town shorter.
Logically, does a team closer to 19th place than 2nd place deserve promotion? Of course not. The team that has been third-most consistent throughout the course of the league season deserves that honour. There are three places available in the Premier League every year, and the best three teams in the Championship deserve promotion.
For any Leicester supporters reading this, please don’t think I hate your club, as that’s not the case at all. The play-offs has the potential to punish teams who deserve promotion.
I know why the play-offs exist and I know the benefits financially to the league. That doesn’t justify anything though, it only goes to show the whole thing is little more than an incentive for TV coverage and money.
It does offer great games, however. Yesterday between Watford and Leicester was no exception. Watford trailed 1-0 to David Nugent’s goal from the first leg and, obviously, needed a big performance at Vicarage Road. After the last day horror against Leeds United to deny them automatic promotion, it also required immense mental fortitude to forget two bad matches.
Matej Vydra, who hadn’t scored for Watford since February, opened the scoring with a wonderful goal, straight out of the Robin van Persie DIY book. A pass fell over Vydra’s should and he volleyed first time past a helpless Kasper Schmeichel. Shortly after, Nugent put Leicester ahead on aggregate once more. Vydra stepped up once more and finished coolly to give Watford a 2-1 lead and bring his side level on aggregate.
As nerves increased on both sides, the match became a bit cagey and with seconds left, Leicester’s French midfielder, Anthony Knockaert, wriggled his way into the penalty area and went down in excessive fashion due to a challenge from Cassetti. It was not a penalty, but all the same, it was given.
A few years earlier, another Frenchman by the name of Yann Kermogant missed a penalty for Leicester in the second leg of a play-off semi-final. Surely history couldn’t repeat itself? Score this and Leicester were in the play-off final. Knockaert stepped up…
… and history repeated itself.
Manuel Almunia saved Knockaert’s effort and the rebound, before the Spanish goalkeeper launched the ball to the right-wing, a cross was sent in after a run on the right, the ball fell to the back post, was flicked back into the area and there was Troy Deeney to half-volley a shot past Schmeichel into the Leicester net. Fans spilled to the pitch after what was the most amazing, absolutely brutal final 20 seconds to any match in the history of football.
I’m indulging in histrionics there, but the way it felt watching it at the time was unbelievable. In one breath, Leicester just had to score a penalty to get into the play-off final. In the next, Watford had broke and scored.
Mat then sent me a text which read as, “I feel like dying.” It’s a horrible way to lose a match and I really hope somebody puts an arm around the back of Knockaert and consoles him, which I’m sure everybody did. The young Frenchman was clearly distraught and his season shouldn’t be summed up in a crazy 20 seconds. Knockaert has been one of Leicester’s better players this season and certainly didn’t deserve the reaction he got from fans via social media.
Not that Mat will thank me for saying this, but I’m happy Watford won. They deserve Premier League football next season.
As for Leicester, I can see Nigel Pearson being sacked, though I think it’d be better if he stayed on as manager. Leicester’s greatest problem has been consistency and I’m not saying keep the guy for the next eight years for the sake of stability alone, but Leicester need to steady the ship now, regroup and they’ll be better for it.
Going back in time and looking through the annals of the Jumpers for Goalposts articles rarely bodes well for me. I mean, you’re reading the wise words of a guy who said that there was no way possible for Manchester City to win the Premier League after defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates. Of course, Manchester United uncharacteristically choked at the final hurdle and Manchester City won the title on goal difference. I also said that Robin van Persie wouldn’t join another Premier League team and that Juventus would be he his destination. Wrong again, Craig.
Hey, at least I’m totally honest about my shortcomings when it comes to making predictions.
Sometimes however, I call things correctly. Having watched Sheffield Wednesday match West Bromwich Albion in a pre-season friendly at Hillsborough, I believed there to be much cause for optimism. Dave Jones had moulded his side into a compact unit, who were tactically disciplined, technically sound and held their own against a team who have surprised everybody in the Premier League this season. Pre-season friendly it may have been, but those were amongst the last matches for both sides as they prepared for competitive football once more and thus it was a match that was important for both sides.
On the day, Sheffield Wednesday created more chances than West Brom and should have won. Although I was pleased with how Wednesday conducted themselves tactically, they weren’t clinical enough going forward. Looking at the squad that evening as I typed up my post, I realised that Chris Maguire, Gary Madine and Chris O’Grady wouldn’t be enough throughout the campaign. My final line from the article to which I’m referring, read as, “Saturday’s performance against Premiership opposition drew many positives, but a famine of striking options could prove fateful as the season progresses.”
A need for strikers, in defence of Dave Jones, has been recognised throughout the season. Loan signings of Rodri, Jay Bothroyd, Marlon Harewood, Leroy Lita, Mamady Sidibe and Steve Howard respectively, were all made at various points of the season to patch up a threadbare strikeforce. The three strikers who started the season were clearly not up to Championship standard, as shown by Madine’s goal return of three in thirty league matches and Maguire’s haul of one goal in ten. In total, Sheffield Wednesday scored 53 goals over the season and ultimately, that’s why they finished in 18th. What got them there however, after a promising start to the season, could have been avoided.
Of the teams from 21st to 7th in the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday are joint fourth with Ipswich Town and Bolton Wanderers (who missed out on the play-offs by goal difference) when it comes to goals conceded and that is a direct result of a defence that was largely settled for most of the season. Anthony Gardner, Lewis Buxton, Jeremy Helan and Miguel Llera formed the basis of a good defence and the consistency in their selection helped greatly. If anybody should get praise at Hillsborough for this season, then it is that back four, along with Chris Kirkland in net.
In front of the back four is where Wednesday have been affected this season. Constant change to the striking department and midfield area meant the first XI was constantly disrupted by players coming in and out of the team. A staggering eleven loan signings throughout the course of the season and twelve permanent signings made in the summer, meant that Wednesday lost a lot of their identity from the side that actually got promotion from League One to the Championship. Constant rotation and Dave Jones’ relentless use of the loan market meant for a turbulent few months as Wednesday went on a seven-game losing streak in November and December, before going on an unbeaten run of four matches (winning three).
It was after December when Wednesday started to find their identity again counting results from January 1st to the final day of the season, Sheffield Wednesday took 33 points from 63 that were available. In contrast, Wednesday took 25 points from the 75 that were available from the start of the season to the last match in 2012. That’s a good improvement and shows how much Wednesday improved after Christmas and it can be said that after that rocky first few months, Wednesday found their identity again. That period of seven defeats from November to December really hurt Wednesday and I put those down to Dave Jones disrupting his team to such an extent that at one point, the starting XI was unrecognisable from the team that got promotion.
As the season wore on, we’ve seen from the points Wednesday collected that they improved and I attribute that to the team beginning to mould and form partnerships between certain players. On paper, I look at Sheffield Wednesday and think that they should have finished in a higher position than 18th. The team is much more talented than that and I’ve said throughout the season that if found their feet, they would cause trouble and in the fixture against Birmingham City earlier this season, which Wednesday won 3-2, I said they could be a surprise package.
With astute “tweaking” in the summer, Sheffield Wednesday can take the form from the back end of this season and turn it into a big positive for the, 2013/14 campaign. Dave Jones needs to do his business early, have a good pre-season getting the new additions to know their new team-mates, scrap deadwood such as Madine, Maguire and Joey Mattock, to name but a few. I said in my West Brom match review that strikers would be the difference at Hillsborough and I’ve been proved right. Despite much activity in the loan market, that problem has not been corrected, with the exception of Leroy Lita who made a positive impact.
So, after the success of my last prediction on Sheffield Wednesday, I bring you my latest one. If Dave Jones can keep the spine of this team together, add carefully, particularly in attack, then Sheffield Wednesday will finish in the top half next season. Three more points to their final total of 58 and Wednesday would have been level on points with Derby County in 10th.
The margins of success and failure in the Championship are wafer thin. Wednesday finished four points off relegation and were four off a top half finish. The difference is the acquisition of a good striker and Jones has to make his move early for that elusive “good striker.”
Everton captain, Phil Neville, this morning announced his decision to leave Goodison Park at the end of this season, bringing an end to his eight-year stay at the club.
In a statement released on the club website this morning, Neville had this to say:
“It’s been an honour to play for and captain Everton Football Club. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on Merseyside and will leave with immense pride.
“I would like to thank the Manager, Chairman, all of the staff and the players at Everton for their continued support during my time at the club. I’d also like to pay a special thanks to the fans, who have been amazing over the past eight years and Everton will always have a place in my heart. I want to continue to play at the top level as long as I physically can, and will be weighing up my options before making a decision on my next move. I’ll now be doing everything I can to help Everton finish as high up the league table as possible.”
Early rumors suggest Neville may opt to play for a season or two at Bury, although I personally would be surprised to see Neville drop from Premier League football to League Two. It seems more likely to me, that Neville would drop to a Championship club, such as Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday or Bolton Wanderers. Of course, I’m only speaking hypothetically, there’s no deal in place to take Neville to one of three as far as I know, but he’d be a great addition for the right Championship club.Phil Neville, like his brother Gary, isn’t the most blessed football player in the world. What both of them have (or had, in Gary’s case) however, is a fantastic, committed approach to the game. Throughout their careers, they will have competed with more talented players for a position more often than not, but talent only gets you so far. Talent has to be mixed with commitment and the right attitude, otherwise it’s worthless.
For example, look at Michael Johnson, the ex-Manchester City player who retired from football earlier this season at the tender age of 25. Johnson was last seen unshaven and fat, not the exciting prodigy that burst on to the scene at Manchester City at 18. Johnson was a very gifted player, more so than the Neville brothers, but their attitude brought about fantastic careers.
It’s this attitude to football, that makes me think that Phil Neville would be a good addition for Derby County. A young team, Neville’s approach would have a positive influence on some of Derby’s young prodigies, such as Will Hughes, Jeff Hendrick and Mason Bennett. I also spoke the other day of how Derby County need to bring in some experienced players to complement their crop of young talent and Neville would be the perfect addition.
Below, you can watch a video of some of Phil Neville’s best moments in an Everton shirt. We don’t own the video, so apologies for the music on the video…
The Championship is a crazy league. Prior to kick-off, Derby County were sat on 51 points, just 4 points off of Huddersfield Town, moored in 22nd. A win however, rocketed Derby into 8t, just 6 points behind Brighton in 6th – the play-offs. The lines of success and failure in the Championship are virtually non-existent, for a poor run of form can pluck teams as high as Derby in 8th, down into the relegation battle. Similarly, a few wins can pop you into knocking distance of the door to the play-offs.
Derby travelled to Elland Road on the back of eight successive victories against Leeds United, their best run against any team in their 129-year history. Leeds, who were on a run of one win in six, were looking to end their dismal run against a Derby side rejuvenated by two wins in a row against Leicester and Bristol City. Looking at Leeds’ form on a larger scale, they’ve only won four league matches since the turn of the year. Read more
