Weekend Observations 27th-28th February 2010 pt.2

Part One here.

Common sense? Come on!

This weekend saw the Carling Cup final between Premier League Champions Manchester United and fellow decorated stalwarts of English football Aston Villa. People like to dismiss the competition and show it little respect but the fact that two big sides are contesting the final yet again makes me think the people such as Arsene Wenger (Last trophy? Last cup final?) are wrong to disrespect and dismiss it as a nothing trophy.



Mind you, the credibility of the competition is dented when THREE Premier league games are taking place on the same day. No domestic football should be played on the day of a cup final. I'd even go one further and say no football during the entire weekend. These things need to be kept sacred. Who will respect the Carling Cup when people are more concerned about the battle for fourth place on the other channel?

Anyway, following that faux pas by the authorities, the man appointed to enforce the rules got his first major decision wrong. Forget all that happened afterwards, Vidic should have seen red when he gave away the penalty in the third minute. Of course, United kept their full 11, came back from 1 goal down and won the trophy once again. Boring!

The non-sending off is still a major talking point. We'll never know how the game would have panned out if Vidic had walked. Owen may never have got the equaliser or got injured allowing Rooney to come on and win the game.



Dowd is one of the few referees I actually have any time for in the premier league but he got this one glaringly wrong. The BBC were quick to suggest that previous comments of Taggart may have swayed him but I'm prepared to give the official more credit than that. The only reason I can think of for Dowd not issuing a card is that he didn't want to be accused of 'ruining' a cup final so early on. If the incident had happened up the other end, his decision would have been the same.

Some have suggested that he applied 'common sense'. I hate this idea that upsetting the status quo rather than applying the rules as they should be is somehow sensible. Had the incident taken place in the 75th minute, he would not have hesitated to send Vidic off. I don't see where common sense comes into play when you are supposed to be enforcing rules.

Dowd went on to have a poor game which begs the question as to whether he was prepared to handle the pressure of a cup final which contrary to belief is not like every other game. As a ref especially, your decisions face far more scrutiny than if you are taking charge of a midtable scrap between Sunderland v Stoke (disrespect very much intended).

A couple of other lines from the game and repercussions for England. I doubt many people who hadn't taken much notice of Steven Warnock prior to the Ashley Cole/Wayne Bridge/left back problem, but anyone who saw Antonio Valencia make mincemeat out of him will not be too optimistic of his chances against the world's best if he does make the England line-up.

Never mind just being in the squad, James Milner could start for England on current form.

And finally, while I don't want to indulge in the vomit-inducing sycophancy directed at Wayne Rooney (there's plenty more than enough of that elsewhere) this new found heading ability (8 in his last 9 games?) bodes well for the World Cup.


Bad weekend for the villains

Not only did a first Wembley final in ten years go sour but in the race for fourth Villa's chances took a significant hit thanks to wins for the abovementioned Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham this weekend.

I only saw the highlights of the Liverpool game which looked attritional (editorial licence. I know it isn't a word but you know what I'm getting at...) at best. Liverpool haven't played a match worth watching in months and it is unfair to put Sam Allardyce and football in the same sentence.

Spurs on the other hand were brilliant for 45 minutes on Sunday and 2-0 at half time didn't do justice to their dominance. We all know and are bored silly of Pompey's problems but allowing a player as good as Niko Kranjcar go for just £2million is criminal. Every time I've seen him this season he has looked brilliant and while his Croatian counterpart Modric (rightly) gets all the plaudits, Kranjcar's contribution to Spurs' lofty position cannot be underestimated.



The most interesting subplot at White Hart Lane however is the Pavlyuchenko situation. Seemingly loved by fans and in brilliant form. Harry Redknapp's snide 'when he wants to' comments and failure to celebrate when the Russian scores do not go unnoticed but he has had to swallow his pride and accept the importance of Pavlyuchenko in his team. Of course, Good ol' 'Arry would have you believe that it is he and his managerial genius that is somehow responsible for the player's rich vein of form.


Landon DOH!-novan

As good as Spurs played in the first half at White Hart Lane, the second half saw them allow Everton back into it and there is no question the toffees should have got an Equaliser when on-loan Landon Donovan cemented his appearance on every football blooper DVD for the rest of time with one of the worst misses you are ever likely to see. From about half a yard he somehow managed to hit the side netting with the goal gaping when it would have been easier to score.

As an afterthought, If Liverpool miss out on fourth by a couple of points to Spurs, how fitting would it be that an Everton player's miss could be a major factor?


And finally...

Jinxes and such.

Back in January, I wrote about how brilliant The Mighty Nottingham Forest had been this season and how they were enjoying a fantastic unbeaten run.

Their league form since then:
P 7 W 3 L 4

Prior to that, I cheekily suggested that Valencia might be in the title race in Spain.

Their league form since then:
P 6 W 2 D 2 L 2

This weekend Forest were hammered 3-0 by Leicester and Valencia 4-1 by Atletico Madrid.

You'd be wise to no longer read what I write because it's clear I have no clue what I am talking about.

You can stick yer green and gold scarves where the sun dont shine!!

The 'Greater' Manchester?

Reading some of the reports from the Craling Cup semi final, you'd get the impression that White Knight Wayne Rooney had slayed some sort of huge sky blue mythical dragon-like creature once and for all and that by reaching the Carling Cup final, he and princess Neville can ride off into the sunset once and for all to live happily ever after. While they may have come through this particular battle and feel that they have vanquished their closest rival, the penniless scroungers from Salford would be unwise to ignore their nearest and dearest after City most definitely gave a fantastic account of themselves over the two legs and have shown that the gap between the two teams which as recently as 10 years ago resembled a huge gaping chasm, has narrowed significantly. An injury time winner is far from conclusive proof that United somehow remain the dominant Manchester side and even less of an indication that they will continue to be so in the coming future.


That said, IF United are to continue their dominance, much of it will be down to the form, fitness and motivation of Wednesday's match winner Wayne 'White Pele' Rooney who this week has gone out of his way to remind everyone just who the hell he is with not one but two match-winning performances. Reminding... with a vengeance! The team 'one man team' is often bandied about far too frequently, but at times, it does carry some significant weight it has to be said...





Much of the reason United are so reliant on 'Wazza' is because of their reluctance/inability to fork out the money for one Carlos Tevez who once again proved his worth with yet another goal against his former team. His 18th in total this season.


The Surrey-based mob that follows the debt-ridden penny pinchers from Old Trafford once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons by choosing an inventive way of giving Craig Bellamy some early Valentine's Day presents (although many might suggest that pelting Craig Bellamy is something to be praised, not punished...) but that wasn't their biggest crime in my eyes. What really irks me is this ridiculous campaign and those ridiculous green and yellow scarves they wear in protest while still paying through the nose for tickets. Yes, these fans who are so angry with the Glazer regime are voicing their anger by wearing a scarf but at the same time putting more money into the pockets of their perceived oppressors by continuing to attend games. Not exactly the best way to make a statement is it?


Sticking vaguely with the derby and it looks as though the marquee signing of the new City regime Robinho has played his last game for the club as he sets sail for home. While he may have left some decent memories for City fans during his time - particularly during the first half of his debut season - it would be very difficult to suggest his time at Eastlands was anything close to a success with his recent double-substitution against Everton summing up what many have suggested about his inconsistency and supposed unwillingness to put in 100% in every game. Despite his talent. Will he be missed ultimately? Doubtful.


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[Refuses to use any Toto puns]

The latter rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations have all of sudden got very exciting. The quarter finals saw Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroun both crash out in spectacular fashion against Algeria and Egypt respectively; leading to what has become football's biggest grudge match in the semi final.

For those that don't know, tension between the two nations has led to a rivalry that boiled over during qualification for the 1990 World Cup when the Pharaohs defeated Algeria in a match that saw fans rioting, players coming to blows and even the Egyptian team doctor being blinded!

The final stages of qualifying for this summer's world cup saw Egypt grab a last gasp goal against Algeria in their equally controversial final group game (The Algerian team coach was attacked on route to Cairo, fans from both sides attacked each other and on the pitch, the crucial goal came in the 96th minute of the match). The goal meant the two finished with identical records and were forced into a play off match which took place in Sudan. Algeria triumphed amidst reports of yet more attacks and fighting to book their place in the World Cup where of course they will face England.

Anyway, coming back to this tournament, Egypt would be looking for revenge and in a match any sane watcher could only describe as chaotic, the Pharoahs took thie revenge in style with a 4-0 win. In all fairness, they were helped on their way as Algeria pushed the self destruct button in emphatic style losing 3 men to red cards including Portsmouth Nadir Belhadj for one of the worst tackles you are ever likely to see and goal keeper Faouzi Chaouchi who was clearly not grateful for his good fortune in not getting sent off for head-butting the referee (yes, you read that right!) later kicked out at Mohamed Nagui and got his belated and most certainly deserved marching orders.

Egypt will look to seal their third successive ACN crown against the Black Stars of Ghana who beat huge rivals Nigeria 1-0 in a game where the Super Eagles redefined the idea wastefulness in front of goal as they squandered chance after frustrating chance.

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Mighty Reds march on/Eagles plummeting

Filtering down to the Championship, I'm not going to hide my uncontrollable joy at the renaissance currently taking place at The City Ground. This week, the Mighty Reds humiliated QPR to consolidate the second automatic promotion place and go 19 games unbeaten in the league. Billy Davies has managed to turn around a team potentially staring relegation square in the mush and a swift return to League One last season into genuine promotion contenders.

As the result against Rangers would suggest, the rise has come from playing open attacking football with the likes of Majewski, Cohen, Blackstock and Earnshaw all playing their part. With Wes Morgan marshalling the backline and the vastly underrated Lee Camp in goal, the importance of defensive discipline has also not gone ignored evidenced by a recent run of 6 consecutive clean sheets and the fact the team have only conceded more than one goal in a match on just two occasions all season; the last of which coming at the tail end of September meaning Forest are tighter at the back than a constipated virgin.

Admittedly, with a number of games to go, Forest could collapse faster than a US investment bank. But for the meantime, dreams of a return to the Premier League after over a decade away could become a reality despite the protestations of the man at the helm. Davies is naturally wary of his current team suffering the same fate as his last, who, as luck would have it, Forest face this weekend in the East Midlands derby; a match that has become quite heated once again in recent years thanks in part to everyone's favourite footballer Robbie Savage.



Whether Davies and Forest have what it takes to seal promotion remains to be seen but they are certainly where they are on merit.

Incidentally, the only time I have had a chance to see the reds in person was at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace back in October who themselves have been in the news this week. Unfortunately, due to the fact they have about as much money as Woolworths (apologies for the dated reference but this bloody economic recovery has made it hard to think of decent finance related metaphors for the ever-increasing posse of football clubs in monetary meltdown) and have gone into administration.

Regardless of what you may think of the man, Neil Warnock has performed nothing short of miracles to get Palace within touching distance of the players considering the fact he barely had tuppence to spend on strengthening his team this summer and the fact he has had the task of motivating a team that hasn't seen a pay check since Dougie Freedman's first spell at the club (or so I've been led to believe).

The impending sale of the talented Victor Moses should help steady the financial ship somewhat but the club will be in a precarious position with the ten point deficit and the loss of their best player. The remainder of the season looks fairly bleak for the Eagles.

In Attendance: Barnet FC v Chesterfield @ Underhill, Barnet - December 29th 2007

With the matches coming thick and fast over the festive period there is a danger of fans getting bored. Oversaturation can happen very easily. The Sports channels are pumping out the games at such a rate it's almost difficult to keep up. There are even those who championed the idea that this country should adopt a winter break during the football season...

Not me though!

Me and my mate 'The Mooch' have for a long time been talking about throwing our support behind Barnet as they are esentially one of our local sides here in wonderful North London. The Bees are currently languishing in league 2 so Me and Mooch hopped on the Northern Line (High Barnet branch naturally) to see if Paul Fairclough's side could show some signs of progressing beyond this level.

Having arrived at the Ground about an hour early, we thought we'd get tickets from what we thought was a ticket office. Let me set the scene: Underhill is essentially a football pitch surrounded mostly by corrugated iron... on a SLOPE! We approached a portacabin when people seemed to be queueing. When we got to the window they told us that we just pay at the turnstiles. Sheepishly we shuffled our way round to the East Terrace handed over our 15 quid (yes, 15 pounds stirling to watch 4th Division football!) and enter The ground.

The Theatre of dreams his was not.



The South Stand is currently being redeveloped while the North is uncovered and essentially protected by a fence so I can imagine the wind, if it's strong enough, having a major impact on the result.



As I said, we arrived early so we had the pick of almost the entire stand in which to take up a decent vantage point. We were soon to discover that our location had a restricted view of the corner to out left. D'oh!

I would like to say that the pre-match entertainment consisted of cheerleaders, a light show and a performace from Shakira but i'd be lying. We were However, privilaged to watch Hertfordshire's finest going through their pre-match warm up. We were literally spitting distance of our new heroes.

The Barnet side contained former Arsenal youngsters Adam Birchill, Nicky Nicolou and Joe O'Cearuill.

In contrast, the Spirites had lined up Jack Lester, Gregor Robertson and Keeper Barry Roche. All former Nottingham Forest players.

On that basis, I expected a dose of quality play from the Bees considering the lads were products of the Gunners' famed academy and having watched Forest for 3 years while at uni I have to say I wasn't excepting a great deal from Chesterfield.

Departing Striker Liam Hatch was named captain for he day as the Bees took the field. As is tradition, the home side played uphill on the infamous slope in the first half.

The game started out very scrapily. The away side seemed committed to giving the ball away at ever opportunity whereas Barnet employed the useless tactics of passing sideways a lot - that would be the Arsenal influence - before hoofing the ball up to the seemingly disinterested Hatch. Jason Puncheon, the Bees' hero on boxing day, showed some nice touches but his final ball was atrocious.

A lofted ball into box saw Liam Hatch completely mistime a jump as wasted a golden opportunity to open the scoring.

He would shortly come to regret it as the hopeless Joe Devera - an accident waiting to happen - failed to clear his lines and a Jack Lester through ball allowed Adam Rooney (no relation) to give Chesterfield the lead on 20 minutes.

At the time, I suggested that Lee Harrison in the Barnet goal could have done better but on the evidence of the rest of the game, I decided that he probably couldn't have. This is the keeper who also picked up a backpass and failed to convincingly deal with any cross he had to face in the first half.

Chesterfield probably should have the opportunity to double their lead when Lester was seemingly hacked down in the box (Devera again unsuprisingly) but rather than a penalty, referee Mike Thorpe booked Lester for diving. Good to see.

The first half dragged on. It was like marching through treacle wearing concrete boots. The half time whistle couldn't come too soon. The fans had itchy feet and took to heckling the players to keep themselves entertained.

Barnet's one shot on target of the half came from the lively Puncheon cutting in from the right wing. It was simply catching practice for Roche.

At half time, Fairclough tried to spice things up by introducing the nippy Anthony Thomas for the dispassionate Hatch. Suddenly, Barnet decided to play football. It's obvious that the slope makes a huge difference.

However, despite the nice build up play and fluid passing, the home side seemed to completely bottle it every time they got into the final third. Nicolau and Gillet worked well together on the left side but their delivery let them down time and time again. Crossing was aimless to say the least. When Micheal Leary wasn't giving the ball away, he was scuffing his shots and crosses. It was no suprise when he was withdrawn for Ashley Carew on 70 minutes.

Barnet's wasteful play was to cost them. With just ten minutes to go, Spirites defender Janos Kovacs stabbed home a loose ball to make it 2-0 after a poor Chesterfield corner was dropped by Lee Harrison to the shock of absolutely no-one at Underhill. Game over.

Cue more more mishit shots and crosses from Barnet before the ref put everyone out of their misery by blowing the final whistle.

10 years ago, Chesterfield were famously denied an FA Cup final appearance by the fialure of the officials to spot the ball crossing the line. They didn't perform nearly as heroically today but got the result to help keep up their promotion push.

Barnet on the other hand were woeful up front and I very much doubt they would have scored if they were playing til NEXT christmas. The club are currently midtable and at times I got the impression that they were content with that. The Bees wont get relegated but they are unlikely to threaten Chesterfield on any of the other play-off hopefuls.

As me and Mooch strolled back to the tube station, we decided that we would certainly be back to watch the Bees again. Hopefully by then, they will have learnt to put the ball in the back of the net.

Final Score: Barnet 0-2 Chesterfield
Attendance: 2,346
Man of the Match: The ref