England vs Kazakhstan

Can England expect?

This is it folks! England are one step nearer to the 2010 World Cup finals and dare we think about searching out our St George’s flags and dusting down our car banners?

If there’s one thing guaranteed to lift the nation, it’s success in football and moods would certainly be lifted once we know our team is guaranteed a place in next year’s tournament.

It’s certainly looking good. England have now won six straight victories in six successive World Cup qualifiers. Just who would have thought it? Just a year ago, fans were turning off the television in droves because of the dire state of English football. Why put ourselves through such torture, we were asking ourselves.

Then along came a magic wand, courtesy of Fabio Capello. Seems the Italian maestro can do no wrong and England are once again flying high. Talk is even turning to England actually winning the 2010 World Cup. Now that is ambitious!

As usual, England put us through the grinder as they got off to a shaky start against Kazakhstan in Almaty. Striker Sergey Ostapenko nearly gave supporters a heart attack as he missed a clear chance on 19 seconds and then had a goal ruled off-side.

But Gareth Barry answered his critics after a week of controversy over his move from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Ironically, his opening goal on 41 minutes followed a link-up with Steven Gerrard, the man he might well have partnered if he had gone to Liverpool last year.

Stalwart Emile Heskey showed that his resurgence in the squad was no fluke when he made it 2-0 on 45 minutes, giving England fans the chance to get out their 2010 diaries and book their holidays from work.

Rooney got on the score sheet again on 73 minutes with a spectacular overhead kick after a rebound. This was his eighth goal in six internationals, surely one of the keys to Capello’s success. Frank Lampard then slotted home goal number four with a penalty on 78 minutes to secure a convincing win for England and a competent second half performance.

England now top the Group 6 table with a straight 18 points from six matches and an impressive 20 goals scored and just four away. One of their biggest rivals, Spain also top their Group 5 table, having netted 13 goals and conceded just two.
England are playing down qualification hopes by saying they are taking it a game at a time and Capello refuses to get carried away. Obtaining 21 points by mid-week would, he says, be good but not conclusive.

Captain John Terry shares the view and believes there is still plenty of improvement to come. He is concerned about hitting form a year too early but surely England need to send out a clear signal to their competitors ie watch out for us, we are a force to be reckoned with. Certainly, Terry believes England can match Spain for performance and few would disagree, provided we can get over our wobbly starts and not concede any silly early goals.

In any event, a 100 per cent World Cup qualification record is something to be proud of and to shout about. It’s a long time since England could boast such a feat and the achievement shouldn’t be under-estimated or played down. For once, it’s a great feeling to be able to put on an England shirt and wear it with pride rather than out of duty.

Splashing the cash for Barry

Money really does talk when it comes to football.

Manchester City have become the latest high-fliers, splashing out 12 million pounds on Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. The 28-year-old has reportedly signed a five year deal which will bring him in around 80,000 pounds a week. Not a bad pay cheque which obviously had to be a huge attraction for Barry.

Villa fans are obviously bitterly disappointed that he will not be part of their campaign next season and are blaming cash as the incentive. Aston Villa are going great guns, having finished a very creditable fifth under Martin O’Neill to Arsenal and very nearly pipping them for fourth place. But a place in the Europa League and the prospect of challenging the big four in the Premiership – Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal – obviously wasn’t enough to keep Barry at Villa Park, if indeed he had any choice in the matter.

Manchester City supporters are, of course, thrilled and they believe they are the team to watch next season. Other big signings are expected as Mark Hughes bids to strengthen his squad now money appears to be little object. He has praised Barry’s flexibility in being able to play according to tactics and believes his experience and determination will count for everything. Barry is certainly one of the best midfielders in the country today. He played more than 400 games for Villa, scoring 52 goals and has won 29 caps for England, a number which arguably should already have been substantially more. Capello might well be putting that right in due course.

Barry says he feels real potential with Manchester City, said to have been the only club to put forward a bid. Liverpool obviously took the huff following last year’s debacle when protracted negotiations to buy Barry failed. The price tag of 18 million pounds was considered just too high. Liverpool won’t be wasting any time crying over spilled milk, that’s for sure.

Barry had been offered a lucrative deal to stay on at Villa after his contract ended next season but at least his departure should open the way for new arrivals and Liverppol have their sights set elsewhere too. Manchester City finished the season tenth but only 12 points behind Aston Villa, not a huge margin and one Barry will obviously be helping to bridge. Let’s see if money really can build a team. It worked originally for Chelsea and if Manchester City can splash the cash, why not go for it.

In any event, Barry’s signing fee pales into insignificance with all the talk about where Kaka is going to land up – Chelsea or Real Madrid. Real are said to be negotiating a deal which would cost them a staggering 65 million euros though AC Milan have denied the reports and both the club and Kaka say he is staying put. Now that really would be a huge purchase on your credit card bill!

Can Ancelotti build the dream?

Is money already talking under the new regime of Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti? The former AC Milan manager is making no secret of the fact that European glory is his main aim. He pledges that Chelsea will lift the Champions League crown within the next three years and who would bet against them doing it in his first season in charge?

Ancelotti knows European football inside and out and has a pedigree of success. He guided AC Milan to victory in 2003 and then again in 2007 and won the trophy twice as a player. He describes success in the tournament as “beautiful” and the pay cheque isn’t too bad either. Might that have something to do with his ambition?

Certainly, Chelsea fans will be hungry for success after reaching five semi-finals in six years. The taste of being beaten by Manchester United on penalties in the 2008 final is still bitter and players will relish the challenge. Ancelotti also promises to retain the feel-good factor at Stamford Bridge following the club’s victory in the FA Cup. The team and supporters are relishing their first bit of silverware in two years, thanks to outgoing boss Guus Hiddink who delivered the perfect leaving present.

But club faithfuls are already asking whether European glory should be Ancelotti’s main target. What about the Premiership or is this going to take second fiddle to the Champions League? If so, it will spell great news for both Manchester United and Liverpool who will be battling it out for top spot. Perhaps it might have been more diplomatic for Ancelotti to target as much success as possible, including the Champions League. Building a dream on the continent is commendable but performing on the stage at home in front of a crowd who pay good money to see their club has to be a top priority as well.

Chelsea fans will also be interested to see what type of play Ancelotti will favour. Will he encourage the free-flowing style the Blues are used to or adopt the AC Milan more stifled approach? One player who insists he won’t be following his former boss to Stamford Bridge is ace forward Kaka. Both Real Madrid and Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in signing him but Kaka says he has no intentions whatsoever of leaving Milan, full spot. That means he will be signing for Chelsea before the end of June then.

Though Chelsea fans will be relishing Ancelotti’s obvious ambition, he’s got a hard act to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mounrinho and Hiddink who became firm favourites. Ancelotti does have a good track record and says he is very much a people’s person, likes to work together and be close to the players. He also speaks very highly of Chelsea and their teamwork. Ancelotti certainly talks the talk, now let’s see what he can deliver on the field, whether for home tournaments, the Premier League or Europe. He wants to build a dream and Chelsea will want him to deliver.

Liverpool secure future of their best player.

Liverpool have secured the future of their best player with the news that Fernando Torres has signed a new contract. Torres is now contracted to the Anfield club until 2013 with the option of an extra year if desired.

It will be welcome news to Rafael Benitez who will want to create a team that will win the Premier League next year. The length and depth of his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson has been shown on many occasions this season with the odd rant or two but Rafa will know that this is the first building block to success.

Torres joined Liverpool from Athletico Madrid for £20 million in July 2007. Since this point he has become one of the best strikers in Europe and probably doubled in value making him one of Liverpool’s most potent attacking threats and one of the most feared strikers in Europe.

The combination of Torres and Steven Gerrard has been more than enough to break through the defences of many teams and the news of a lengthened contract shows the ambition that is building inside Liverpool’s Spanish gaffer.

Benitez said: “We’ve made huge progress this season and now we need to take the next step. We are building something special here and securing such important players as Fernando on long-term deals means we can move forward with confidence. He has shown how much he wants to achieve success at Liverpool by committing his future to the club. He’s a special talent, but still has the hunger to improve his game.”

Liverpool have just hard arguably their best season since the Premier League started in 1993. Benitez puts a lot of the fact they didn’t push Manchester United closer down to the fact that for a lot of games Torres was not fully fit and could not play a part.

Well with his future secured and with his fitness now properly sorted it out it is likely that Torres could well end up as the best striker in the Premier League next season. A lot depends on the work that Benitez does in the transfer window as he will need to bring in some big names as well as improving the fringes of the squad.

It was the depth of Liverpool’s squad that cost them at crucial times last season. Most notably was the 4-4 draw the developed against Arsenal at Anfield, a match that Liverpool should probably have won at a canter.

However, the spine of the side is very good. The keeper and the defence have played together for a long time and Liverpool have one of the best midfield players in the world making things tick in the middle of the pitch. Rafa would do well to mould the rest of the team around Gerrard and Torres and now he has no excuses for not propelling Liverpool to success.

Torres really needs a high class player beside him in the attack and if Liverpool make reality of the David Villa from Valencia rumours then they could give anyone a run for their money next season.

Team England 2012?

So, England are likely to field a GB soccer team in the 2012 Olympics. About time too.

But what on earth has been going on behind the scenes and can Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales really justify their decision not to be part of the venture?

Isn’t everyone supposed to be proud to be British? And when it comes to the Olympic Games, shouldn’t standing under the banner of the Union Jack be enough to unite us all?

Obviously not. At least Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have raised no objections to England putting in a team and let’s hope this becomes a reality.

All sorts of sports are now included on the Olympic agenda and England participating in the football tournament would substantially raise the game of soccer. Star players like John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard have already been touted as the senior players likely to make the squad, with the stage given over to the younger emerging talent. It would be a difficult decision for any footballer to opt out of the chance to win a coveted Olympic medal and England would stand every chance of going for gold. A player could win every trophy under the sun, whether an FA Cup medal or the Champions League, but the honour of owning an Olympic gold, silver or bronze must surely be the highest possible accolade.

FIFA has yet to decide the way ahead and there will be big questions to ask about how the team will actually be selected and what nationality they should be. Will it simply be players born in England who can play for Team GB or could stars who have one English parent and another from Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland also be eligible?

The other big question is would we want them to be included? If there countries make the choice not to participate, then surely that sets the rules? It seems a great shame that in these days of so-called equality, huge divides still exist between England and our neighbours. There continues to be antagonism and the days of one country’s fans cheering on another, despite all coming under the umbrella of Great Britain, are a long way off.

It would be nice to think that a GB soccer team would be just that – a team representing the whole of Great Britain. But it won’t and the only fans cheering them on to victory will be predominantly English. If they win, then everyone behind the venture would be well justified for celebrating an English victory, not one for GB as a whole.
Just one final thought. The man who could make all this a possibility? Would you bet against David Beckham having a major involvement? And after England, sorry Team GB, win the gold at the 2012 Olympics, will it eventually be Arise, Sir David?

English dominance will continue.

English dominance in the Champions League will not end after Manchester United’s bitter final defeat last night. Although it was a Spanish club that eventually won the competition it was still England that produced the most clubs who reached the final stages.

Not one of the other English sides who played in this season’s competition would have got even close to Barcelona last night but the point is that it is English football that creates the opportunities and clearly something is going right in the Premier League.

This final was the fifth year in a row that an English side had made it to the final. It was also about the umpteenth time that Chelsea and Liverpool met each other in European competition and there are no signs why all of the English sides won’t carry on dominating Europe’s biggest prize.

All of the English teams play high quality and good standard football. The difference between them and the Spanish league is that Barcelona are clearly much better than anyone else they currently play against. They beat everyone they play off the park but the English sides are always much closer.

This is why when the Champions League starts each year the English sides fly through the early stages and into the final stages with little more than a trip along the way. Domestically there is little to choose between them and they can all get one over on each other every time they meet. Not many people bear in mind that even though United won the Premier League, they had one of the worst records in recent years for playing the other big teams.

The standard of quality over an extended period of time is so much better. The Premier League is a lot more physical and entertaining and although the Spanish style of play is a lot prettier to watch, we do kind of enjoy seeing teams kick each other up in the air in this country.

If Mr. Platini has his way then English dominance will end and it will be a crying shame that the best sides in Europe on a consistent basis are restricted from playing each other and reaching the later stages just because they have proved they play better football more often than any other country in Europe.

There is nothing quite like a European night when two English sides go up against each other for the prize of going onto play other great teams like Barcelona. If this magic is dispelled then the Champions League will lose a lot of its appeal and glamour and the window for the best league in Europe will be shut because of one man.

English dominance of the Champions League will continue because the Premier League is the highest standard of league in Europe. All of the teams are closer and test each other on a weekly basis, which means that when it is time for mid-week Champions League games they would have already played against a high quality team just days before.

Hull boss promised the funds to consolidate.

Hull City manager, Phil Brown, has been promised funds to make sure his side consolidate and stay in the Premier League. Hull managed to scrape through the last day drama at the expense of Newcastle United who will be playing Championship football next season.

To ensure that the club do not find themselves in the same position next season, Hull’s chairman, Paul Duffen, has promised there will be money available to buy bigger named players when the transfer window opens this summer.

He said: “What we lacked in outright quality we had to make up for in blood, guts and commitment and I'm immensely proud that they got across the line. We go into next year with the squad we've got today and then we can improve on that. That's a huge difference to having to assemble an entire Premier League squad from scratch.”

“We're based on a very good work ethic and you need to add a bit of quality to that. It was difficult. I could give you all the platitudes like 'it's the points you get after 38 games' and 'we got a point more than Newcastle and we deserved to be there', but obviously it was heart-in-mouth stuff.”

“We limped across the line rather than burst though the tape. But we did it and now we've got the chance to learn from our first Premier League campaign, strengthen in the summer, and go forward next year a lot wiser.”

It was a very strange season for Hull who stunned everyone early on when they were beating the likes of Arsenal and Spurs with little trouble at their own grounds. However, a dip in this form saw them win only one match out of their last 22 games and there is no doubt that if they continue this abysmal form next season then they will drop out of the Premier League.

They will fancy their chances of a good mid-table finish though as the calibre of clubs coming up, bar Birmingham City, is not massive. There will be tremendous pressure on Burnley as well as one or two other clubs, which could provide Hull with an opportunity to improve and consolidate. They will surely be delighted with any finish that has them nowhere near the relegation scrap they have just gone through.

Hull now know the specific areas that they are weakest in and have the chance to improve. They are backed by a manager who clearly open minded and has a lot of ambition. Other chairmen could well have said you are not getting a penny and will have to improve this club with the players that got us into the mess this season in the first place.

For now the club should enjoy the feeling of staying up and lap up the partying over the next week or so. However, the time for hard graft will rapidly come round again and no one at Hull will want to go through what they have just experienced ever again.