Super Barca

It was a build up fraught with nerves. Possible elimination from the competition for the current holders at this stage would have been highly embarrassing, just a few day before 'el clasico' it would have been a disaster. And, with their two mega stars out with injuries, and Barca losing top spot in La Liga, let's just say some Barca fans may have been having a wee 'squeaky bum' moment.

Fast forward two hours, Barca dished out a COMPLETE LESSON in how to play the game, cemented there position as best team in the world, and switched the pressure on to Real for the clasico. All without Messi and Zlatan. Not a bad days work.

Let us not underestimate this performance, they were fantastic, high pressing, sharp crisp passing, creative around the box, movement to die for...the list goes on and on. This was a coach's dream. The team who have arguably the best manager in the world and currently sit 5 points clear in Seria A were outclassed.

Mourinho, king of spin that he is pointed out that his team did well to keep it at 2-0. Well I'm sure Moratti will be delighted with that. "We got to half-time and Barcelona were playing brilliantly but we did not lose control. Some teams would lose three or four because there's such psychological pressure when you are in that position." I bet he thinks they won the second half 0-0.

The Barca fans had a dig at Mourinho by chanting "go to the theatre' but trust me, as a football fan Mourinho couldn't have been more entertained if he had gone to the theatre and, John Cleese was playing Alex Ferguson in a one man play called "Angry Whiskey Nose."

Barca were SUPER, roll on el clasico.

Football In Crisis (*dum dum duuuuuuum)

*That was dramatic drums for those of you not initiated in the world of dramatic drums.

So, Henry is a bigger villain than Darth Vader, Roy Keane comes across as, well, Roy Keane and oh, there is the small matter of the game's biggest match fixing scandal. Interesting times.

Firstly, Hand-ry, Tehandry Henry, Cheating French Arrogant Bastard, whatever you want to call him, he is being treated as if he just ate the baby Jesus live on T.V, while sodomizing an Alter Boy. People need to put things in perspective. And, Oh God I thought I'd never say this, (or the last sentence for that matter) but if your looking for perspective listen to Roy Keane. Keane should have been like every other Irishman, unhappy that his country were cheated out of the chance of going to the World Cup (everyone assumes that Ireland would have got there had the ball gone out of play) Yet Keane as only Keane can, basically told Ireland to stop crying and get on with it. And I agree wholeheartedly with him. Ireland had their chances, not only over the course of the two games but over the ENTIRE qualifying campaign. So as Keane stated they should be looking at their own mistakes and not those of the officials. Harsh but fair, which is how I believe Keane sees himself. but we all know that that view is a little askew.

The match fixing scandal (and probably the answer to Henry's prayers) worries me a great deal more than anything I have read about in football in a long time. I hope that people are caught and prosecuted, and the focus can go back to on field happenings. The negative light surounding football this week has been terrible, the Henry saga, match fixing and now topped off by the Egypt and Algeria saga. (Another post will follow)

Football has always had and always will have certain dubious charecteristics, but correctly at the core of the game, and the majority of fans hearts is the idea of fair play. Yet those who are clambering for justice, or retribution, should understand that football has never, and will never be a game where justice is meted out. Injustice is the fuel that our game runs on.

Light Relief

If you are already sick of the fall out from Henry's handball, here is something to warm your heart. Think of this as the 'happy' story at the end of the news. You know where the budgie dialed 999 and saved the old lady...

...well this maybe the greatest thing I have seen in a long time. Watch it once. Watch it again. Then go back and dissect it. It has the lot, spandex mousers, high kicks...it's like Miami Vice for Aerobics/soft core gay porn.

All I want to know is how do you pitch that idea "Guys, I have an idea, it will involve, leg warmers, spray tan, and possibly the gayest move ever seen on national T.V...who's in?"

WOW

The Main Problem

Henry's next visit to Dublin

I just seen the goal that sent France to South Africa. And I can honestly say

1.  I hope they get pumped
2. Thierry, Thierry, Thierry (shakes head) tsk tsk tsk, I thought you were better than that
3. I would have done the exact same thing

You see, that's the beautiful thing about sport, one man's hero is another man's villain. So as much as Henry is being pencilled in as next target man at rubber bullet testing night at the local I.R.A bar, he with that little instinctive flick of the wrist, has earned himself more free wine for the rest of his life than Dionysus had left overs.

As hard as it is to swallow, it is what makes the game special. Think Diego.

Reaping what you sow.

Scotland, the gorgeous land of my birth, with its mountains, glens, kilted men and  pale skinned women, and now the shittiest football team representing it that I can ever recall. EVER.

Scotland losing to Japan and then a complete humiliation in Cardiff to an understrength Welsh team was enough for the head honchos at the S.F.A  to call time on George Burley's tenure. And no, SFA does not stand for Sweet Fuck All, although you might be surprised because that has often been their M.O.

Of the names being touted around to succeed Burley I think that John Collins would be my pick, and of those not beng touted I would say Stevie Nichol but more of that later. Because if Jim Jeffries gets it then it shows that Scotland have chucked it, also Walter Smith is the man the bookmakers believe will take it. Yes, the same Walter Smith who left Scotland in the lurch to go to manage Rangers a few years ago. It seems some have a short memory, or should that be selective memory.

So Scotland are back to where we were 8 years ago, looking for a coach who can get us to a major championship. The major difference is the coach coming in then had some good players to pick. Well maybe not good but better than now. Darren Fletcher apart I do not think we have one other World Class player. and here is the point of my rambling "Why is that?" Why do Scotland not have any good players?

The answer I believe is a complex one that begins with Celtic and Rangers and carries on to the S.F.A, and other scottish clubs.

When Rangers changed the face of Scottish football in the 80's with Murray's millions little did we know that we would see the boom and bust in a matter of 20 years. Rangers (a club now toiling so badly in debt they can't find a buyer) can be credited for starting the demise of the Scottish national team. But they are not alone.  Celtic obviously followed suit with spending money and so a period followed when both clubs spent lots of money. But the thing is, I do not blame them. Celtic and Rangers could afford to spend. My problem lies with the smaller clubs who tried to emulate them.

As a player in the lower leagues, I saw first hand the 'foreign is better' mentality that swept Scotland in the late 90's and early 00's.  Managers all across the leagues were dying for that foreign flair. Why invest in youth, when it takes time to produce, when you can go get a 'complete' player. Now I happened to play with a huge amount of foreign guys and I can safely say the majority of them were average, one stands out because he was fantastic, Cedric Anselin but he played for Bordeaux with Zidane, so I expect him to be decent!! But the rest, well the rest all came from countries where they had their youth systems in order. So by the time these guys were failing in France or Spain, they could come to Scotland and look better in the lower leagues, and get payed good money for it too. Thus taking up the spots that would be filled with Scottish talent, the lower leagues should be a breeding ground of talent, where kids are given a chance to express themselves, and learn their trade.

Now this may sound like sour grapes, but believe me it is not. I ultimately was not good enough to succeed at the highest level but I had fun trying. My concern here is not for myself, but in trying to show where Scotland went wrong and how they can get it right. The current Scotland squad has no leaders. Players who are age 30+ the players who in any other international squad are the experienced ones, the calm heads, the lead by example men. Beckham and Ferdinand for England, Gallas and Henry for France, Buffon and Cannavarro for Italy. Scotland's best player of this generation was Barry Ferguson, and he told every one to Fuck Off, the other player in the squad of this age group is Barry Robson. I played against both and they were good players but the drop off after them is incredible. Yes we have a little talent-ish Riordan, Maloney, McFadden but they all share the distardly 'potential' tag, I'm sorry but by 25 you should be consistent with your 'potential'.

My point is Scotland is currently reaping what was sown well over 10 years ago. We have a dearth of talent in the country because the smaller teams tried to cheat the system and buy success. There was no emphasis on youth, our leagues were full of teams playing average foreign players instead of Scottish talent. This filtered down from the top two at times outrageously so. Hearts were paying some players $20,000 a week in 2000!

I think the penny dropped and now Scotland, again starting with Rangers and the completion of Murray Park (the fantastic training facility) Celtic followed with Lennoxtown (another superb facility) teams are trying to do the correct thing and focus on youth.  It just saddens me that I can not see Scotland qualify for a major tournament.The days of Dalglish, Souness, Hansen etc when England's best teams were littered with the cream of the Scottish crop seems like a far too distant memory, I think it will be even more distant until it happens again. And these fans deserve better than that.

P.S Stevie Nichol won't get the job because Scotland is too xenophobic for him to get a chance because he is coaching in an' inferior' league...newsflash Scotland, the MLS is every bit as good as the SPL. Beckham, Ljungberg, Donovan, Blanco...that is far more talent than plays in Scotland.