Handshake furore makes grown men look like kids.
Nice to see we have our priorities in order. When racism creeps back into our game, the England manager resigns on a point of principal, the FA acts on a point of principal, and Harry Redknapp shows the ineptitude of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (in one way or another), we all get our knickers in a twist over a handshake or two.
Some say the pre-match ritual of shaking hands with your opponent is redundant. It's meaningless, we wouldn't miss it if it were gone, but these same people agree handshakes should be exchanged after the game. The thought occurs that a handshake, before or after the game, is materially the same. Why can't you respect an opponent before the game as well as after? Only when you've tried to metaphorically (and sometimes literally) kick the shit out of someone can you respect them. Nonsense.
If the handshake is meaningless why do people feel the need to go out of their way to avoid it? Why did the FA feel the need to cancel the pre-match handshake between QPR and Chelsea? Why did some QPR players, Wayne Bridge, Luis Suarez or Rio Ferdinand not shake hands? If it's something that has absolutely no impact on life in any guise, why be a dick about it? Next we won't have players sharing the same tunnel, the same stadium, the same car maker, watch designer, or the same wag.
Personally I think the handshake is important. The pre-match handshake signifies the start of the contest, a sign that while the other team is an opponent they are also a footballer. That as much as player X represents one team, player Y represents the other, and hopefully the game will be played in the right manner and the opponent, whoever they may be, will be treated fairly and with respect (as a footballer, not necessarily as the person they are away from the game).
Just because you shake someone's hand does not mean you condone their actions. Football is not about John Terry or Luis Suarez or Patrice Evra or Bradley Woods-Garness (Sutton Utd player before you ask), the game is much, much bigger. If I was lined up against someone who I personally disliked, I would not avoid shaking their hand, because that says more about me than it does about them. I applaud Patrice Evra for trying to shake Suarez's hand on Saturday because it showed that no matter what someone else did, Evra was not going to let that change who he is. If I had a problem with John Terry I would not want to show he had got to me; in fact I would grip his hand tighter, let him know he was in a fight (then I'd yank his hand towards me, pulling him off balance and making him look a fool).
Professional footballers have a responsibility, a responsibility to the game and the next generation of players who are playing in the schools and the parks across the country. Rather than be dragged down by the lowest denominator on the pitch why don't we try to raise the bar and meet the highest of standards?
Showing posts with label FA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FA. Show all posts
Monday, 13 February 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
Where have all the cowboys gone?
England don't even have joke candidates anymore...
Wanted: Football manager, preferably English or from the UK, for temporary role with chance of becoming full-time should they exceed expectations. Applicant must be happy just to have the job, respect his bosses (and their decisions), have good communication skills, and must be able to work under great media attention including turning up at your house/work/children's school/in fake sheikh fancy dress.
Everyone knows England lacks top class managers and coaches. The Premier League only contains the sixty-somethings Harry Redknapp and Roy Hodgson and 50-year-old Alan Pardew. The Championship, often neglected when English managerial talent is mentioned, is full of plenty of local talent but until they step up to the pressures and expectations of the Premiership it would be a massive gamble to give them the top job in the country.
Or so you would think. Jurgen Klinsmann, and his successor Jogi Low have little success at club level but they have had success with the German national team. Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten have coached the Netherlands with less success while France often promoted coaches from Clairfontaine with varying levels of management experience.
International management is a different game to club management. The demands are different, the skills needed are different, the job is simply different, as Capello found to his cost and Harry Redknapp, favoured to take over either in the medium or long term, may find out as well. Should we be looking for a different type of manager?
Stuart Pearce is only signed on for the friendly against Holland at the end of the month - too short an experiment to find out whether his exposure to international management, albeit with the U21s, has taught him skills that would make him successful at senior level. Pearce was not a failure at Man City but nor was he a rip roaring success, and with the U21s he has taken England to three successive Euro championships which, like the senior team, was never a guarantee in the past.
Promoting the U21 coach would be a novel approach for the FA, but what about someone like Sir Trevor Brooking or Gareth Southgate? Men who have played for England, suffered the tournament heartbreak, both have some management experience, and both know about the machinations of the FA. They would be company men, toe the line, and perhaps step away from the media glare and with the reduced pressure they may perform better.
How about other ex pros? Alan Shearer? Paul Ince? Tony Adams? Sure, you wouldn't actually want them to take control of England, but why aren't they getting mentioned? Why aren't they getting involved in the international setup as coaches, assistant coaches etc. Maybe the calamity at the FA stops any long term planning, so Noel Blake at the U19s won't step up to the U21s and we don't get that conveyor-belt going.
Perhaps Redknapp being the obvious candidate makes all discussion mute and the expectations of the media and the fans for the next England manager to be the messiah (and when he fails, for the next guy to be the messiah, and so on...) cuts off a lot of potential candidates. But that doesn't mean we should not have the debate. we should be talking about all the managers, exploring all the paths they can take to the England job, and how those paths can be opened up and multiplied.
Even the joke candidates have their uses. The debate is as important as the decision. But with Harry the only man for the job, we will get stuck in the same cycles as before.
Wanted: Football manager, preferably English or from the UK, for temporary role with chance of becoming full-time should they exceed expectations. Applicant must be happy just to have the job, respect his bosses (and their decisions), have good communication skills, and must be able to work under great media attention including turning up at your house/work/children's school/in fake sheikh fancy dress.
Everyone knows England lacks top class managers and coaches. The Premier League only contains the sixty-somethings Harry Redknapp and Roy Hodgson and 50-year-old Alan Pardew. The Championship, often neglected when English managerial talent is mentioned, is full of plenty of local talent but until they step up to the pressures and expectations of the Premiership it would be a massive gamble to give them the top job in the country.
Or so you would think. Jurgen Klinsmann, and his successor Jogi Low have little success at club level but they have had success with the German national team. Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten have coached the Netherlands with less success while France often promoted coaches from Clairfontaine with varying levels of management experience.
International management is a different game to club management. The demands are different, the skills needed are different, the job is simply different, as Capello found to his cost and Harry Redknapp, favoured to take over either in the medium or long term, may find out as well. Should we be looking for a different type of manager?
Stuart Pearce is only signed on for the friendly against Holland at the end of the month - too short an experiment to find out whether his exposure to international management, albeit with the U21s, has taught him skills that would make him successful at senior level. Pearce was not a failure at Man City but nor was he a rip roaring success, and with the U21s he has taken England to three successive Euro championships which, like the senior team, was never a guarantee in the past.
Promoting the U21 coach would be a novel approach for the FA, but what about someone like Sir Trevor Brooking or Gareth Southgate? Men who have played for England, suffered the tournament heartbreak, both have some management experience, and both know about the machinations of the FA. They would be company men, toe the line, and perhaps step away from the media glare and with the reduced pressure they may perform better.
How about other ex pros? Alan Shearer? Paul Ince? Tony Adams? Sure, you wouldn't actually want them to take control of England, but why aren't they getting mentioned? Why aren't they getting involved in the international setup as coaches, assistant coaches etc. Maybe the calamity at the FA stops any long term planning, so Noel Blake at the U19s won't step up to the U21s and we don't get that conveyor-belt going.
Perhaps Redknapp being the obvious candidate makes all discussion mute and the expectations of the media and the fans for the next England manager to be the messiah (and when he fails, for the next guy to be the messiah, and so on...) cuts off a lot of potential candidates. But that doesn't mean we should not have the debate. we should be talking about all the managers, exploring all the paths they can take to the England job, and how those paths can be opened up and multiplied.
Even the joke candidates have their uses. The debate is as important as the decision. But with Harry the only man for the job, we will get stuck in the same cycles as before.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
All respect lost for Capello the man
His English was better than the media made out. His results were certainly better. The performances....well, they weren't that good, in fact at times I wondered why I bothered to make the awkward and crowded journey to the anus of London that is Wembley. But at least I had respect for Fabio Capello.
From the days of Football Italia on Channel 4, with his great Milan team getting one-nil up and then playing for the clean sheet, to his titles at real despite all the hysteria around him and then an England debut that saw a 4-3-2-1 formation and a Jermaine Jenas goal. The fall outs with Paolo Di Canio, the van Basten-Gullit-Rijkaard trio, Baresi, Hierro, Rob Green, the names go on.
Fabio had a plan. He was in charge, it was his way or the highway. He had the trophies, the reputation, the personality to get a dysfunctional and under-achieving England team to a semi final or better, and it started so well.
England wanted to control possession. They weren't looking to be Barcelona or Spain incarnate, they still retained their innate Englishness - power, physicality, team work and organisation - but they would actually keep the ball on the floor for more than three seconds. They attempted to play out the back, to show some movement in midfield. Rooney and Gerrard swapped positions, Walcott attacked down the right (sometimes), England were starting to look good.
And then the distractions/excuses. The captain issue. The Wembley fear factor. John Terry/Wayne Bridge. The captain issue. The ball at the World Cup. Wayne Rooney's ankle. The remote training camp. Rob Green's error. Wayne Rooney's post match outburst. Lampard's 'goal' against Germany. Wayne Rooney's red card. John Terry's alleged racist outburst. The captain issue.
Capello had battled through them all, with varying degrees of success, but when the FA stripped John Terry of the captain's armband Capello decided to become a quitter. We can argue whether the FA did the right thing, and Capello will no doubt feel aggrieved he was not consulted, but similarly it can be argued that he had no need to get involved. The FA made a decision, they are responsible for the fall out. Capello just had to select the best team he could and see how well he could do.
If he succeeded against all odds then he could take the plaudits and shove all the foreigner bashing down the media's throats. If he lost he could blame the FA (on top of the balls, the weather, the Premier League season etc etc). But instead he has taken the coward's way out and left England in the lurch.
We will not know the full facts for months no doubt, but the FA's decision was hardly a torpedo in the side of Team England. Capello could have carried on easily - one game against Holland, then the training camp for Euro 2012. It would all soon be over. If the FA had banned Terry from contention would Capello have stayed?
His managerial ability is in no doubt but if I met Capello in the street I would not want to sit down and talk to the man. Perhaps the FA affronted his principles, but for me what could turn out to be Capello's last decision in football was the choice of a coward, and for that I lose all respect for him.
From the days of Football Italia on Channel 4, with his great Milan team getting one-nil up and then playing for the clean sheet, to his titles at real despite all the hysteria around him and then an England debut that saw a 4-3-2-1 formation and a Jermaine Jenas goal. The fall outs with Paolo Di Canio, the van Basten-Gullit-Rijkaard trio, Baresi, Hierro, Rob Green, the names go on.
Fabio had a plan. He was in charge, it was his way or the highway. He had the trophies, the reputation, the personality to get a dysfunctional and under-achieving England team to a semi final or better, and it started so well.
England wanted to control possession. They weren't looking to be Barcelona or Spain incarnate, they still retained their innate Englishness - power, physicality, team work and organisation - but they would actually keep the ball on the floor for more than three seconds. They attempted to play out the back, to show some movement in midfield. Rooney and Gerrard swapped positions, Walcott attacked down the right (sometimes), England were starting to look good.
And then the distractions/excuses. The captain issue. The Wembley fear factor. John Terry/Wayne Bridge. The captain issue. The ball at the World Cup. Wayne Rooney's ankle. The remote training camp. Rob Green's error. Wayne Rooney's post match outburst. Lampard's 'goal' against Germany. Wayne Rooney's red card. John Terry's alleged racist outburst. The captain issue.
Capello had battled through them all, with varying degrees of success, but when the FA stripped John Terry of the captain's armband Capello decided to become a quitter. We can argue whether the FA did the right thing, and Capello will no doubt feel aggrieved he was not consulted, but similarly it can be argued that he had no need to get involved. The FA made a decision, they are responsible for the fall out. Capello just had to select the best team he could and see how well he could do.
If he succeeded against all odds then he could take the plaudits and shove all the foreigner bashing down the media's throats. If he lost he could blame the FA (on top of the balls, the weather, the Premier League season etc etc). But instead he has taken the coward's way out and left England in the lurch.
We will not know the full facts for months no doubt, but the FA's decision was hardly a torpedo in the side of Team England. Capello could have carried on easily - one game against Holland, then the training camp for Euro 2012. It would all soon be over. If the FA had banned Terry from contention would Capello have stayed?
His managerial ability is in no doubt but if I met Capello in the street I would not want to sit down and talk to the man. Perhaps the FA affronted his principles, but for me what could turn out to be Capello's last decision in football was the choice of a coward, and for that I lose all respect for him.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Has Capello helped Spurs keep Redknapp?
Fabio Capello's resignation has come as a shock. I am disappointed the man lacked the balls to continue with the England job. What would he have done if John Terry had picked up a season ending injury? Talk about man on a ledge....
Anyway, sod Capello, let's think about the man who is the bookies and media's favourite to take the England job. The man who was acquitted of tax evasion this morning. The only English manager to experience Champions League football since Howard Wilkinson or something daft. The man named Harry Redknapp.
Spurs fans were naturally worried that the man who rescued them from the calamitous reign of Juande Ramos, had built a stellar squad including Rafa van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric et al and achieved Tottenham's best Premiership finish would leave for the England job after Euro 2012. Who would replace Harry? How would the players deal with the loss of their adored manager?
Rumours are already sprouting that Redknapp will take temporary charge of England in Poland and Ukraine. This could be the best scenario for both Spurs fans and Harry. Redknapp could fulfil the dream of managing England at a major tournament. With only four months until the tournament starts he will avoid most of the hassle of being England manager, the media will not have any matches or performances to sink their teeth into, and England could walk into Euro 2012 with the media (save Rob Beasley) on their side. Then when it all goes tits up Harry can return to Spurs, content in the knowledge that he gave it his best shot but international management just wasn't his cup of tea, and the England team lacks the skill that his Tottenham team contains by the barrel load.
Spurs fans meanwhile will keep their successful manager, the players will have that continuity, and with England only playing one friendly before the end of the season (the home game against the Netherlands at the end of February) he will not be absent from the Tottenham training ground for long.
Conversely, what if the FA appoint another caretaker manager and that mean takes England to the semi finals or better? The clamour will be for that man (likely Stuart Pearce) to stay in charge, and Harry stays at White Hart Lane.
Or Redknapp may well turn the temporary job and the FA, feeling burned by that rejection, my not offer the job to Redknapp in the summer.
Either way, Capello's resignation could be the best news Tottenham fans have heard since this morning.
Anyway, sod Capello, let's think about the man who is the bookies and media's favourite to take the England job. The man who was acquitted of tax evasion this morning. The only English manager to experience Champions League football since Howard Wilkinson or something daft. The man named Harry Redknapp.
Spurs fans were naturally worried that the man who rescued them from the calamitous reign of Juande Ramos, had built a stellar squad including Rafa van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric et al and achieved Tottenham's best Premiership finish would leave for the England job after Euro 2012. Who would replace Harry? How would the players deal with the loss of their adored manager?
Rumours are already sprouting that Redknapp will take temporary charge of England in Poland and Ukraine. This could be the best scenario for both Spurs fans and Harry. Redknapp could fulfil the dream of managing England at a major tournament. With only four months until the tournament starts he will avoid most of the hassle of being England manager, the media will not have any matches or performances to sink their teeth into, and England could walk into Euro 2012 with the media (save Rob Beasley) on their side. Then when it all goes tits up Harry can return to Spurs, content in the knowledge that he gave it his best shot but international management just wasn't his cup of tea, and the England team lacks the skill that his Tottenham team contains by the barrel load.
Spurs fans meanwhile will keep their successful manager, the players will have that continuity, and with England only playing one friendly before the end of the season (the home game against the Netherlands at the end of February) he will not be absent from the Tottenham training ground for long.
Conversely, what if the FA appoint another caretaker manager and that mean takes England to the semi finals or better? The clamour will be for that man (likely Stuart Pearce) to stay in charge, and Harry stays at White Hart Lane.
Or Redknapp may well turn the temporary job and the FA, feeling burned by that rejection, my not offer the job to Redknapp in the summer.
Either way, Capello's resignation could be the best news Tottenham fans have heard since this morning.
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