"The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of The Ibyss was given to him.
He opened the pit of The Ibyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. "
Revelations 9:1-2
Now, this is no major surprise. Fallings out within teams have existed ever since that fateful day when a load of bored young men decided to kick and chase a pig's bladder and christened this bizzare activity 'football'. There have been countless examples of disagreements and in-fighting down the years. It has always happened and will continue to do so given all the egos, Alpha-male-ism and testosterone flying around the changing room.
What is a worry however, is the fact that this does not seem to be a rare occurrence at the Britannia club. Whelan and Faye's Flip Flop fisticuffs is not the first incident of this kind at Stoke City.
No doubt we'll soon be hearing the typical “it will be dealt with internally” line as well as the “this kind of thing happens all the time behind closed doors at every club” quote to accompany it. But does it? If it does, are Stoke just really bad at concealing it compared to other teams or is their problem far worse than elsewhere? I'm inclined to think the latter. Yes, you hear about disagreements (Hello, Dutch national team!) but rarely do you hear of players 'belting each other in the face'.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it is evidently clear is that there is a fundamental disciplinary problem within the Stoke City squad. It's not even credible to say that Pulis has lost control because as Beattie will tell you, the manager is seemingly part of the problem.
Stoke has been cited in the past for their 'robust' approach to the game of football culminating in the horrific leg break suffered by Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey earlier this year. At the time, so many were quick jump in and defend the both the perpetrator Ryan Shawcross and Stoke City's style of football. Well, all the defences and suggestions of 'not being that kind of player' lose all credence when more and more stories of heated internal battles come out.
They are clearly a team packed with thugs and animals who have no respect for their own team mates so when they say that they 'never go out to deliberately hurt other professionals' they are clearly lying. Tony Pulis was on TV once again last week suggesting that Shawcross isn't a maniacal, bloodthirsty hatchet man but when it is clear to all and sundry that the there is a culture of violence within the club, how can we take his comments seriously?
What amuses me is the fact that he isn't disappointed about the fact the Faye/Whelan incident even took place but rather because the story was leaked. This just how much perspective the man lacks.
If this is the attitude that Pulis fosters and encourages we can only hope they keep it behind closed doors. They can massacre each other for all I care so long as they don't continue to wreak the careers of many more promising youngsters like Ramsey or any of their other 'fellow professionals' at other clubs.
Once again, after a spate of semi-regular postings in recent months, The Ibyss has once again fallen into a temporary lull. For once however, your esteemed author has something resembling a genuine excuse for this. It may surprise you to hear that I have a life away from my computer and even more startlingly, real life friends! One of these real friends is currently residing across the pond in New Jersey. As such, I felt it necessary to take it upon myself to go and visit him for a week taking some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of neighbouring New York City.
The world has a clear love-hate relationship with America. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss it though. I'm sure there are tons of other places online you can find to debate healthcare, foreign policy or most importantly, their awful, awful beer! One thing I can not help but be impressed with however is their amazing attitude towards sport and the emphasis they place on competition.
Yes, Americans are incredibly arrogant about 'their own' sports and completely snobbish, ignorant and dismissive about anything they don't excel in but that has not detracted from what they have managed to achieve – albeit in an extremely insular way. Almost every pub or bar I frequented while stateside had a screen showing either the NHL, MLB or NBA. TV Channels are just as dedicated to grass roots and college games as they are to the professionals.
In that respect, I believe we'd do well to take a leaf out of their big sporting book. I can't tell you how happy it would make me if we did more for youth sport in this country. Whenever the subject of our crappy academy systems and youth schemes comes up, money always seems to be the main sticking point. But I don't know, if we embraced something as simple as a salary cap in the same way they do or even try to reassess how lottery funding is used then maybe we'd see a better distribution of finances resulting in better facilities to develop the athletes of tomorrow. Maybe then we wouldn't have a pointless inquest every time we fail at the Six Nations/World Cup/every tennis competition ever.
And of course avoid embarrassing situations like the fiasco of Fratton Park that has bored us to tears all season long.
So, being out there meant I felt obliged to attend some kind of sporting event and it just so happened that the New York Knicks were playing their final home match of the season against the Washington Wizards at the world famous Madison Square Garden. One of those places you hear on TV as a kid and never think you'd ever make it there. Well, LOOK AT ME NOW!!1
Ahem.
Anyway, apart from being rubbish at football and athletics, I also failed to be muster any discernible ability while playing Basketball it my teenage years. I did represent my school on few occasions basically because I had an early growth spurt and became known as 'the tall one'. As I say, I wasn't very good but I definitely enjoyed it. I started trying to follow the NBA and 'supported' the Chicago Bulls. Why? Well, Michael Jordan and all that. I guess that just makes me a hypocrite when I complain about fans from abroad supporting the big four in the Premier League but whatever.
As I got older, I stopped playing and stopped watching. The main problem with trying to follow it (and other US Sport) while in the UK up until very recently is the lack of access. Fixtures are so frequent and by the time you got round to watching Beverly Turner's 30 minute round up on ITV back in the day, the sense of urgency was lost. Nowadays, ESPN America provides more regular coverage but even then it's very hard for the casual observer to keep tabs on everything that goes on.
Regardless, I was still pretty excited at the prospect of seeing one the world's most identifiable basketball teams in the flesh. With the brief access I had of the NBA growing up, the name synonymous with the Knicks was the great Patrick Ewing. A man unfortunate to be playing in an era that also featured the aforementioned Jordan but still led the Knicks to regular appearances in the playoffs throughout the nineties.
*Deep Breath*
The current format of the NBA divides thirty teams into two conferences (Eastern and Western) of three divisions with five teams each in each. Despite facing teams in all divisions across both conferences, records are only tallied against others in your division. At the end the regular season, the championship is decided by playoffs featuring eight teams from each conference; the three division winners, along with the best second placed team. These will be the top four seeds according to their records. The next four teams in terms of their records across the conference also enter the playoffs as the lower seeds. The playoffs are in knock out format with each round consisting of 'best of 7' matches. The winners of the two conference finals progress to face each other for the NBA Championship in a final best of 7 game.
If that made any sense to you, you get a gold star. If not, go here
The Knicks finished third (of five remember) in the Atlantic division of the Eastern conference and their record a measly 11th best overall meaning they didn't make the play-offs. So, contrary to the protestations of Joey Tribbiani, the Knicks most certainly do not rule!
One of the reasons why Brits tend to be dismissive of American sports is because of all the cheesy fanfare associated with the event. I have to say, unashamedly, that any cynicism I had about this kind of thing completely evaporated once I got the chance to witness it all in person. As it was the last home game of the season, it was 'Fan appreciation day' at The Garden. I guess as a way of thanking their fans for their unwavering support over the course of a lacklustre season. I feel the likes of Hull and Burnley owe it to their supporters to do something similar...
What does Fan appreciation night involve? I don't hear you ask. Well, as we entered the arena they handed out free t-shirts - as you can see above - with the Knicks logo and the word DECLARE (I later found out that you are being instructed to declare your team, city and support! No pretentious Latin motos in NYC!!) on the front.
Fan appreciation night also involved an entertaining competition during the break between the third and fourth quarter allowing one lucky season ticket holder to win 10,000 dollars. Six fans were called up and each was assigned a cheerleader holding a suitcase. In a scene resembling a more exciting version of 'Deal or No Deal', each case was opened to see which lucky fan won the cash.
But of course there was a twist!
One case contained a 'wild card' which allowed another fan to steal the 10 grand from the winner...
If he could score a free throw!
Of course, he didn't.
No matter what you think of all the razzmatazz, it definitely adds to the overall atmosphere in the arena. For instance, the teams were announced over the bed of thumping Hip Hop baselines and each player had a brief intro video with production values better than most ITV programmes. Needless to say, the crowd was 'pumped' for the tip off.
As for the game itself, the Wizards took control almost immediately and led the scoring throughout the first quarter leading 30-25 at the first interval. The home side steadied the ship in the second quarter and went into half time down by just a single point as the scoreboard read 46-45.
At half time we were treated to a show from a member of the Red Panda Acrobats. I won't waste words describing what this involved but rather will let you watch in awe...
Also, cheerleaders....
After all that excitement, it was back to the game. The Wizards took control once more and were again leading going into the final quarter. Following the previously mentioned $10,000 giveaway, we were treated to various celebrities including Samuel L. Jackson (surprise, surprise) appearing on the big screens telling us to “MAKE SOME NOISE”. As cheesy as it was, it seemed to work. The fans were in full voice as a fourth quarter resurgence saw the Knicks win the game 114-103 sending 20,000 New Yorkers home happy.
I won't pretend I know a great deal about the players on either team but Shaun Livingston caught the eye for the Wizards who also had Mike Miller and Andrey Blatche racking up the points. For the home side, the stand out player was definitely David Lee followed closely by the Italian Danilo Gallinari who, between the two of them, scored 50 of the Knicks points on the night. A special mention to Sergio Rodriguez who was at the heart of everything during the decisive final quarter, ending the game on 13 points.
So that was my first experience of seeing live sport stateside and any reservations I may have had beforehand were well and truly extinguished. Yes, there is a huge emphasis on entertainment and sideshows but it certainly doesn't detract from the sport itself. In terms of the Knicks, I think they will be my team of choice from now on even though they are pretty rubbish at the mo. Can't ever accuse me of being a glory hunter.
As the season pulls into the the final straight with league tables taking shape, cup competitions in their closing stages, title races getting more exciting, relegation battles more nail-biting, managers being sacked, teams in administration and Liverpool actually winning, the supposed biggest football story, not for the first time, centres around David Beckham.
It looks like Becks' dream of representing England in South Africa this summer have been dashed as the former captain twanged his Achilles tendon while turning out for Milan Old Boys at the weekend. Since the injury, news and sports news channels alike have provided wall-to-wall coverage of everything from the man in question limping away from Milan to the surgery itself in Finland to the diagnosis of injury. He'll be out for six months apparently.
Notice how I managed to sum up all the relevant information in just 76 words and didn't need to send a correspondent to stand outside the Finnish hospital in question to fail to add anything new or interesting to this story? Sky Sports News and poor cold Gary Cotterill, take note.
On a personal note, I've never been a big fan of David Beckham. Ever since he burst onto the scene for The Salford Bay Rowdies back in the mid-nineties there was always something that rubbed me up the wrong way about him. It wasn't the pretty boy looks, the Colgate smile or perfectly styled hair. Fair play to the guy for looking good; I can relate... Ok, maybe I can't but I feel I need to get it out of the way that my anti-Becks stance is not based on his appearance.
My dislike for young David was more than that I had for other Rowdies player. Perhaps it was because his ascension coincided with the pinnacle of my dislike for all things Manchester red following their second double in just three seasons back in 1996.
When he scored THAT goal against The Team Formerly Known As Wimbledon FC, I sneered in my early adolescence, refusing to be impressed and maintained that the goal itself was good but 'not that good' (Halfway line goals had been scored for years and continue to do so without such over the top fanfare) and ultimately meaningless considering the Rowdies had long since wrapped up said match. Furthermore, Neil Sullivan was in goal. I would have had more faith in my laundry basket to save the shot. The constant daily replays went on for what seemed like an eternity (Bare in mind, this was before even the days of Sky Sports News and YouTube!) and only exacerbated my contempt but at least I knew that this latest prissy-haired United player would only be confined to the back pages, right? RIGHT?
Wrong!
All of a sudden, David Beckham was all over the gossip columns being linked with celebrity women all over the place. From actresses to, of course, pop stars. Eventually he hooked up with one fifth of one the greatest musical abominations of all time and the rest as they say, was history. 'Posh and Becks' had entered the English lexicon never to depart (what is it that made Victoria Adams so posh in the first place by the way? Have you heard her speak??).
Overnight Celebrity
I'm pretty sure that for the genuine sports/football fan, Monsieur Beckham's private life meant absolute bugger all. Yes, he was a pin-up for teenage girls up and down the land but he wasn't the first and certainly not the last footballer to be so. So why the continued fascination? At the end of the day he was just another footballer with a famous wife yet the coverage they received would make you think they were royalty! This more than excessive bombardment simply fuelled my dislike for the boy.
Eventually, I thought, this kind of thing would die down surely. The next flash in the pan football golden boy will soon be upon us and before we know it we'll all be sitting around saying 'David who'?
Zero to Hero
But then France '98 rolled around and the moment that transformed his life/career into the outrageous circus that we have to unfortunately put up with today. Had Beckham not been sent off against Argentina, he would not have been roundly vilified by the entire country and we would have had none of the almost sacrilegious talk of his so-called 'resurrection'.
As an aside, despite of my personal bias against him, I always maintain that the decision to send Beckham off was a harsh one. The tabloid witch-hunt which followed was out of order considering it was a very, very weak decision by the referee. Always need a scapegoat in this country though, don't we?
What followed were tales of how he bravely defied the odds and spat in the face of adversity. Clawing his way up from rock bottom to become England Captain and stand atop the mountain.
Such sycophancy from the same people who decided he was the spawn of Satan after the controversy of St. Etienne .
Then came the glitz, the glamour, the marriage and the blatant attention-grabbing names of the children. The boy from Leytonstone had been replaced by an brand. 'Brand Beckham' if you wish. Commercial contracts came in by the truckload.
Once upon a time, kids would watch a football match and try and imitate the skills of their heroes in school the next day. But such was the proverbial pulling power of our Dave that it was his ever-changing hairstyles that would be replicated in playgrounds up and down the country rather than his footballing ability.
And it wasn't just children. Hell, even I bought a pair of white Adidas Predators following a Beckham endorsement. The term 'metrosexual' became the norm as men realised there was nothing wrong with them if they chose to look 'pretty'.
Beckham pretty much paved the way for the football celebrity/wag culture we have to suffer today. The recent John Terry and Ashley Cole scandals are merely a by-product of Beckham's manipulation of the media for his own exposure and personal gain.
But alas, it seems I have become guilty of the very thing I criticise. I've been babbling on for ages and have barely mentioned what he is actually paid to do for a living.
All this fuss made over the man might have some merit if he could actually be classed in the upper echelon of footballers. David Beckham is without doubt a good footballer but great? Not for me thanks.
Mentally, he is almost peerless. There are few players as hard-working and committed as Becks (no-one gives more for the shirt blah, blah, blah) but for actual ability the man is seriously lacking. Being able to kick a ball (By which I mean his excellent range of passing and set-pieces) should not mask the fact that he is severely limited in many other areas of his game. A one-dimensional player who cant tackle, has no pace, cant beat a man, is rubbish in the air and is questionable from the penalty spot doesn't not deserve the praise he gets as a player. At the risk of indulging in the improbably, if FIFA ever implemented a no over-head-height rule, where would Beckham be? If someone like Wayne Rooney were surrounded by such fanfare it would still be grating but understandable giving his undoubted footballing qualities.
It's as if the celebrity has infiltrated the football side of things to the point where the adverts he appears in and what his wife is wearing are considered 'Sports News'. For someone of such limited talent it is bizarre that every move he makes in the world of football is treated like some ridiculous soap opera? Aside from the furore following France 98, a simple dressing room row with his manager (because such a thing NEVER happens in football...) made both front and back page news and had far too many column inches speculating about a mysterious scar about our hero's eye.
Going Global
The Rowdies later sold Beckham to Real Madrid to become one of their 'Galacticos'. Cue mass hysteria. The fact that Beckham was being mentioned in same breath as the Figos and Zidanes and Ronaldos of this world was laughable and it's no secret that Mr. Spice was merely in place to sell shirts. Was it a coincidence that Madrid's form dipped dramatically after Beckham signed? One token league title at the end of his tenure to me does not equate to a successful spell in the Spanish capital.
Concerning that title, one of the great myths about Beckham was that once again, he faced up to the adversity of being dropped by Madrid manager at the time Fabio Capello only to come roaring back to help his club secure the title. Actually, anyone who actually watches Spanish football and saw the title run in that season would tell you that Beckham's contribution was nothing compared to that of the free-scoring Ruud van Nistelrooy, the midfield stability of Mamadou Diarra, the emergence of Gonzalo Higuain and the goal-keeping solidity of Iker Casilas. In fact, the game that actually clinched the title saw Beckham SUBBED while Real were 1-0 down. The player who replaced him, Jose Antonio Reyes, ended up bagging 2 goals in an eventual 3-1 win.
Beckham then decided to take semi-retirement and follow the dollar, dollar bills to LA to play for a team comically referred to as 'The Galaxy'. Beckham's reasoning was that he, with his profile, was to help enhance the popularity of soccerball in the states. Instead what has happened is that you have a load of people walking around wearing replica shirts with BECKHAM on the back, 90% of whom have probably never even watched a minute of MLS (Which incidentally, is probably of no better standard than the Saturday league I play in). What has really been enhanced here? The popularity of football in the States or the popularity of 'Brand Beckham'?
Fast forward to the present day and needless to say it the experiment was a resounding failure with even his team mates criticising his contribution. The had led to him running back to Europe with his tail between his legs to make rare cameo appearances on loan for an ageing and poor AC Milan side. People would argue that if he's not good enough to start for this side, then what business does he have in a team with serious ambition of winning the World Cup?
One man, three lions, no glory
But yet, up until Sunday's unfortunate injury, he has managed to somehow stay in the England fold and courting controversy over his ever-increasing number of England caps.
Being so self-absorbed and more concerned with what he is doing off the pitch while being devoid any leadership of leadership qualities on it meant that I was never on board with giving him the armband. However, I've never had an issue with Beckham PLAYING for England. His set-piece and crossing ability tends to bear fruit on occasion and I feel it says more about his potential replacements that he is still in consideration. Wright-Philips has regressed, Pennant (who?) was never good enough, Bentley couldn't seem to maintain his Blackburn form at Spurs, Lennon finally learned what 'end product' was but became crocked and Walcott still has a long, long way to go.
Last February, Beckham reached a personal milestone of England caps (equalling the 108 won by the late, great World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore) and yet again, this could not pass without an unnecessary amount of coverage. People felt it necessary to draw no end of comparisons which, in my opinion should be put to bed with the simple fact that Bobby Moore won the World Cup in an era of no substitutes while Becks' most recent caps have been nothing more than generous tokenism by Capello. Furthermore, with the exception of Germany '06, Beckham had flattered to deceive in the previous international tournaments in which he featured. The penalty against Argentina in 2002 was indeed a great moment but not even the most one-eyed Beckham fan can say he performed with any distinction in the far east.
Beckham's other great moment was the last minute free-kick against Greece to qualify for Japan/Korea and it would be remiss of me to ignore that but the fact that almost a decade on this is still the best moment of his England career (an EQUALISER against GREECE!!) makes you wonder why his selection or non-selection is such a point of contention.
Green and Golden Balls
But then again, what is straightforward in the life of Beckham? Just last week, after the Rowdies thumped AC Milan 4-0, the main talking points were not about how good the performance was, how good Wayne Rooney was/is, how far the mighty Milan have fallen but rather the fact that Mr. Beckham chose to wear one of those stupid green and gold scarves at full time. MAN WEARS SCARF ON COLD NIGHT IN MANCHESTER made front page news not just in the red tops but also the broadsheets. Of course, the reason for this was that it seemed to suggest Becks was throwing his support behind the pointless anti-Glazer protests currently taking place whenever United play. The man himself has since come out and claimed he never knew the significance of the scarf despite, in his words, being a Manchester United fan. I very much doubt he has been sitting in a cave with his fingers in his ears and his eyes shut because pretty much everyone in football knows the significance of those colours.
In truth, he may or may not be supporting the cause. It's irrelevant either way. What in fact he was actually doing by donning the scarf was making sure that the night and the 'story' was about David Beckham and the actual football was merely a side issue. Not for the first time either.
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?
I'm certain you've read the countless articles and opinions on the shocking incident at the Britannia on Saturday. Indeed, more learned people than myself have eulogised and dedicated countless column inches to 'the tackle' but I feel it would be remiss of me to ignore it without providing some kind of comment so bare with me.
For the record, I genuinely believe that Ryan Shawcross didn't mean to break Aaron Ramsay's leg. It was a heavy touch followed by a reckless swing. Ramsay's touch was too quick and the Stoke man got his timing all wrong. However, Shawcross knew exactly where Ramsey was and knew all the risks of flying in like the proverbial steam train. He may not have deliberately broken his leg but in no way was the challenge an 'accident'. There may not have been intent but there was certainly excessive force.
Whether you mean it of not, if you're making tackles that result in an opposition player's leg hanging in obtuse angles then you cannot deny the dangers involved in your actions and should be punished accordingly. If you break someone's leg with a reckless tackle that fails to win the ball, whether you meant to or not, you deserve a red card. I wont use the example of the careful driver who jumps a red light once and kills someone 'not being that sort of driver' because I'm sure you've read it elsewhere. Wait a second...
Naturally, Arsene Wenger was displeased post-match and his comments have somehow come under more scrutiny that Ramsey's injury. It's a shame that people cant put their petty football rivalries, racism and bias to one side and would rather slate Wenger than focus on the issue at hand. Are Arsenal targeted? You'd be a fool to argue otherwise. There are countless examples of managers and players publicly stating that being over-physical and 'bullying' the frail Gunners is the best way to beat them.
He also has about the countless compound injuries suffered by his players not being a coincidence. Opposition players don't set out to break legs but they are certainly less mindful when they come up against Wenger's team.
This makes a sham of the ridiculous 'he's not that sort of player' rubbish spouted out immediately following incidents such as these. I don't doubt Ryan 'The Angel' Shawcross loves his mum, gave half his earnings to the fund for this weekend's earthquake in Chile and volunteers at the homeless shelter every Tuesday but when he crossed that white line on Saturday and made sure poor Ramsey wont be walking without assistance for the coming year, he became that sort of player. Even if it was just for 30 seconds. Why? Because of the aforementioned belief that he needs to 'get in the faces' of the admittedly more timid Arsenal players. (incidentally, I'll leave to you to judge whether he is that sort of player or not)
Surely if someone who 'isn't that sort of player' causes such horrific damage then that backs up Wenger's point that his team are singled out for 'special treatment'. I don't agree that they play the so-called 'best football' but they are undoubtedly blessed with a number of technically gifted footballers who also happen to be smaller and lacking 'muscle'. As such, a player's psyche is undoubtedly conditioned to go in harder against Arsenal's tricky softies and bully them into submission.
Deliberate or not, I don't believe for a second that Shawcross is making that sort of tackle against other 'good footballing' sides like Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs or City is he?
Don't get me wrong, I love a good physical game as much as the next man but when these sort of injuries become a regular occurrence, it's not 'part and partial of the game' like some would like you believe, but a major problem. There's a difference between being hard and being downright violent. If we continue to foster this aggressive 'man and ball' mentality to football challenges then more of these injuries will occur and 'The Best League in the World' will see some of it's best stars fleeing these shores for fear of being crippled.
All the best to Ramsey and here's to a swift recovery by the way.
Shake Rattle and Roll (I think all the Bridge related puns have been exhausted haven't they?)
The other main talking point from the weekend that cannot be ignored was the on-going soap opera in West London. I was thinking we could call it 'The Bridge' (Ok, one more).
For those of you who were living under a rock with your eyes shut and fingers in your ears, John Terry did naughty things with the baby-mother of his former team mate and good friend Wayne Bridge. This all came out in the press and Terry was stripped of the England captaincy as a result. Bridge, having moved to Man City before the scandal broke, recently made himself unavailable for future England selection. Quite understandable that he doesn't want to be anywhere around Terry but as luck would have it, Man City were scheduled to face Terry's Chelsea this weekend. The world went crazy, not over how they would fare against each other during the game, but rather whether they would conduct the customary handshake before kick off.
For the record, I think the pre-match handshake is a contrived and pointless ritual.
Team Tevez? Team Bellamy???
One of the most embarrassing facets of the whole saga was the way people felt the need to declare the support for either of the two protagonists in question with the cringe worthy TEAM BRIDGE vs TEAM TERRY t-shirts, banners, facebook groups and whatever else.
For anyone keeping score, or those that actually care about football rather than handshakes, the most exciting game (well, second half) of the season took place as the battle of the chav lottery winners went the way of City thanks to a brace each from Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez (I'm firmly in Team Tevez by the way). Lampard also bagged a couple for Chelsea as the score finished 4-2 to the away team. In keeping with the freaky nature of everything coming in 2's, 'the bloos' also had 2 men sent off. As for the two men at the centre of it all, Bridge put in an professional but unspectacular performance while Terry's recent poor form continued as he was partly at fault for at least one of the City goals. Some would say he was guilty of some TERRYble defending. Others might blame the HILARIOus goalkeeping.
After the game, Craig Bellamy hilariously stuck the boot in on Terry.
A word on Chelsea fans, following 'handshake-snub-gate', some of the Stamford Bridge faithful decided to boo Wayne Bridge for the simple crime of having his best mate sleep with his ex-girlfriend. The nerve of the man. One would think he hadn't provided them with one of the greatest moments in the limited history of the club.
Only one thing to talk about really. It turns out that England Captain and self proclaimed natural born leader John Terry has been alleged to have been playing away from home in more than just the football sense. I'm sure you've read in countless other places exactly what I'm talking about. Ordinarily, a footballer cheating on his wife is about as surprising as an Aston Villa long ball and if anyone was ever looking at 'Jay Tee' as a beacon of moral guidance they need their head examined. But for a number of reasons this particular incident is just that little bit more juicy and seems to transcend beyond the usual tabloid hysteria to a point where it raises a number vaguely interesting discussion points.
John Terry has never been whiter than white. An odious human being with a rap sheet as long as my arm. Allegations about pissing in public, parking in disabled bays and most recently his special guided tours are just the norm for the man. It wouldn't be fair to attribute the alleged misdemeanours of both his mum AND dad to him but let's be honest, a bad apple never really falls far from the tree does it? Many wonder why he is entrusted with the responsibility of leading the England team. Regardless of his football ability (something itself that divides the opinion of the the football watching public) there is a belief in some quarters that he is the only person with the required footballing 'leadership qualities' to do the job. But when stories like this and the above-mentioned break, the debate then becomes about whether he is morally equipped or rather if he even needs to be.
Footballers are under no obligation to be role models. I think that should be made clear. They are professionals like anyone else who are doing a job. They aren't teachers nor are they social workers. They are not in some mentoring programme and they have never claimed that they are setting an example that others should follow. However, They cannot deny that as footballers, they cannot escape the public eye and there are people out there (wont someone pleeeeease think of the children?!?!?!) that will look up to them and therefore they should be aware of their responsibilities. Their public personas are open to such intense scrutiny thanks to the privileged position they find themselves so I don't think it's too much to expect that they would at least attempt to act with some kind of decorum.
Many have said that what Mr. Terry gets up to in his private life should be kept private. After all, there was no crime committed by his actions. But like Tiger Woods before him, John Terry is less an individual and more a 'brand' or representative of his sponsors, his football club and as he is captain, his country too! His questionable moral choices therefore become the interest of those he is said to represent. This is the reason why his 'superinjuction' was overturned faster than a dirty bed sheet in the Bridges' Bedroo...
Anyway, the main fallout of this whole messy situation is whether Mr. Terry should remain England captain. I believe that regardless of public opinion and what the media say, it is all dependent on whether his actions have his actions affected him as a leader or his team mates around him. If it was the case that any of them were to take the moral high ground and there was friction within the camp, for example, If the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were to turn around and suggest they wouldn't listen to nor can they respect John Terry then there's no possible way he can continue as captain. If players started refusing call ups out of respect for Bridge then Terry's position is untenable. However, I feel sympathy for Bridge because of the fickle nature of his colleagues. As I said above, in terms of players WITHOUT indiscretions in that team, you could probably fit their names on the back of a used condom wrapper. Don Fabio's decision (or Terry's if he is to take responsibility) will be based primarily on the other players and I personally don't think they are either smart or concerned enough to stand up and speak out about the fact the man that leads them out onto the pitch cheated on his wife and mother of his children by having an ongoing affair and unprotected sex with the mother of one of his so-called friend's - and teammate's - child. Allegedly!
For the players, England's World Cup dream is far more important than Bridge's feelings (The 'Bro Code' has never been treated with so much disdain...) and no two-bit scrubber who cant keep her legs shut is not going to change that.
Naturally, at CSKA Fulham fans have come out in support of Terry showing once and for all the ignorant and irrational behaviour that comes with supporting a football team. When the direction of the pin in your moral compass is dictated by the football team you support then you really need to take a good long hard look at yourself. I guess wrecking the lives of others is not enough for some people to have a conscience as long as 'tha bloos' are winning, right?
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.
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.
