Are Wolves going "Back, To The Future?"

Mick McCarthy shows his shock at finding out Wolves have been fined for fielding an understrength team.

Luckily he, just jumped into the delorean, sped the flux capictor up to 88mph and jumped back and changed his team selection.

Well done Doc, erm I mean Mick.

Soccer Savvy- Rob McCourt

We are proud and delighted to welcome Monmouth Men's Head Coach to TrickyLeftWinger for our second Soccer Savvy Interview.

Coach McCourt took the time out after his most successful season with his Monmouth program to answer some questions.

TLW-Now that your season has ended, how pleased are you with the season, what was your personal highlight, and what next for Monmouth?

Finally getting to look back I have to be proud.  Proud, yet disappointed.  Losing to Harvard was tough.  Having played 4 games in 8 days compared to their 2 was always going to be difficult.  When you look back though...National ranked for 11 straight weeks, conference regular season for 5th straight time, and conference tourney.... wow.  Truly amazing.  When I got the job people always asked if we were D3.  Final regular season ranked #5.  Makes you keep it in perspective.

Personally the atmosphere at the NEC final and the UConn game were particularly gratifying moments for me and the program.  It is scary to think the crowds we could get if we had lights.  Next for MU is hopefully more championships and an extended run in NCAA's. 

TLW-Which seniors this year will be the one to look for in the pros? Or which young Americans oversees do you see becoming the next stars of the U.S national team?

There is no real marquee name player in college soccer this year.  Personally I'd like to see Big Boz (Monmouth Captain Dan Bostock) get a shot.  Young players overseas...Michael Bradley is young and playing regularly.  It is important that players get games when they sign for overseas clubs.  He is performing well on a regular basis in the Bundesliga. 

TLW-Do you think college coaches have to be 'smarter' than pro coaches (pro coaches pick a team, you guys have to deal with all of the rules of NCAA, eligibility, clearinghouse, academics), and do you think that as an extension of this, this is why foreign coaches fail in the MLS, they just don't know how to work with all the rules?

Smarter is a tough adjective.  Most successful MLS coaches from USA have been college coaches.  The amount of paperwork we do as college coaches is ridiculous.  In general understanding the psyche of the American player is the most important part of the job at both levels.  MLS like college has some awkward rules.  Like the rest of the world.... recognizing talent is not so difficult.  It’s the managing of that talent and the psychological aspect of the game that makes coaches successful. 

TLW-What do you think could improve collegiate soccer, if you had the ability to bring in 3 rules tomorrow, what would they be?

Going to Fifa rules on substitutions or closer to FIFA rules.  Too many college coaches take short cuts and manipulate the game due to the substitution rules.  The number of games needs to be spread out.  Every game can make or break your season.  Success or failure often at times depends upon the mentality of a 17-22 year old and their ability to give 100 percent in 18 cup finals in 2 months.  More points for away wins.  Bigger conference teams rarely play away in non-conference matches.  Incentives need to be put in place for teams to travel and win games on the road. 

TLW-I know you have coached all over the world with select and National teams and the US compete with the best of the best at youth level, what is the problem that hinders the players from taking 'the next step'? Is it college? Is it a lack of Professional exposure at a young age? Is it the MLS?

College for some hinders progression, but can help late bloomers.  I feel that there are not enough quality games that have ramifications.  Meaning there are too many games that equal playing time happens because kids pay to play.  There are also too many games that do not matter.  Each loss can be met with.... Ah well I have another game tomorrow or next week.  No matter what age kids need high level games that matter.... if you lose there are ramifications. 

TLS-What has been your proudest moment in soccer, as a player and as a coach?

As a player......hmm hard to say.  Last year I slipped some guy a meg in a over 30 league and hit a bomb upper 90 from 30.  Being 20 lbs overweight...cant think of a better moment. 

As a coach...any time you win a trophy it’s a big moment.  I have been fortunate enough to win quite a few...no one seems more important than the other. 

 TLW-I know you admire Alex Ferguson, any other managers or teams that you try to emulate?

Sir Alex, Jose, Guus all come to mind.  Jock Stein from older days.  I have a particular place in my heart for David Moyes as he always seems to do more with less...I feel like at my level I have a lot of the same obstacles and experiences.

TLW-Messi or Ronaldo? Gimme your top 5 All Time

Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo of Brazil Ronaldinho (before night clubs ruined him) and CR7

 TLW-Best player you have coached? Best player you have played with? 

I played with Paul Mariner...he was a madman.  Harksey (Former U.S Captain and close friend of McCourt, John Harkes) was tireless 18 to 18.  Tab Ramos may have been most gifted though.  In coaching I have coaches Freddy Adu, Eddie Gavin and a bunch others in the league.  They were all young at the time. 

*Since this interview took place Coach McCourt has turned down job offers from several programs in order to complete the project he started at Monmouth.

Best Player of the Naughties

From 2000-2010 who has been your favorite player?

For me it is a tough call, Giggs for consistency, Ronaldhino for flair, Henry for trophies won (Henry has won at international level unlike Giggs)? The list goes on and on. I want to know who you think has been the stand out player of the previous decade. Let me know and let me know your reasons for thinking that. It may be a goal, a turn, he may have fixed your flat tire at 2am, who knows? If you want to, include a clip.

Look forward to seeing your results.

Weekend Review (ish)

Liverpool v Everton

 I set my alarm for 7:30 am on Saturday to get up to watch the Merseyside derby. I wish I hadn't. It was a very poor derby game settled by Kuyt's flick from Gerrard's well-whipped corner. People may blame Howard but to defend a cross like that is almost impossible. I think that most people's gripe would be that Howard should be throwing his weight around more in the 6 yard box and not letting Kuyt get his feet planted in front of him.

Derby games are not known for their flowing football, more blood and snotters, than tricks and nutmegs. The tone was set for this by Carragher's thumping tackle on Pienaar, which rocked not only the South African but got the stadium cranked up another notch. And that was as good as the game got. Rash tackles and no composure.

If Phil Neville hit one more diagonal ball from the right back position I'm sure Roy Castle and Magnus Magnusson, would have stopped the game to present him with a 'Record Breakers' award from beyond the grave. It was shocking.

Landon Donovan again showed that question will always remain about his appetite for physical encounters; he was a non-factor in the game. Another disappointing performer was Steven Gerrard, who must be having his worse season in recent memory. Yes, his quality showed at the corner, but his tackle on Pienaar showed that ugly side of him. Again.

Felliani was lucky to stay on, as were a host of players, Mascherano, Gerrard, Pienaar (before he walked) and Anichebe. It was just a throw back to times when people kicked lumps out of each other, and got up and got on with it. Which in all honesty, I'm not too sure how I feel about that. It was refreshing to see full-blooded tackles, but it took away from the creative aspect of the game.

I think that Moyes hit the nail on the head when he stated that he didn't think Everton deserved to lose the game, but they also didn't deserve to win it either.

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Chelsea vArsenal

OK here goes, Chelsea win comfortably probably ending Arsenal's chance at the title. Real story. Wait I need to clear my throat for this.

*Switching 1000 megaphone on

"WILL SOMEONE AT ARSENAL PLEASE TAKE A FUCKING SHOT AT GOAL"

We know you can play cute little one-twos, we know that if the Premiership title was handed out for best 5 v 2 team, you would win every time. BUT IT IS NOT. Arsene, please for the love of god, take you players this week and make them train on a pitch that is 500 yards long and 250 wide. And make the kick the ball, hard. Very, very hard. Perhaps very, very, very hard in the direction of the goal. Anyone who passes it less than 25 yards, or does not shoot on sight of goal gets electrocuted, or worse shoved into a closet with Susan Boyle.

 I don't care for either team, but Nasri yesterday had me screaming "FUCKING SHOOOOOOOOT" I can only imagine the pain that Arsenal fans must be feeling. Two TOOTHLESS displays against their most bitter of rivals (Spurs excluded) have seen them limp out of the title race with their tale between their legs. Unless a miracle resurgence or Man Utd and Chelsea do a 'no after you, no no no, after you" job, that allows Arsenal to mount a late challenge.

Drogba looks fantastic, he is everything that Arsenal desire, pace, composure, brute strength, and most importantly clinical. I was never the biggest of Drogba fans but on form like that; he is clearly the best line leader out there. Which brings me to another point, while watching the game yesterday, I was struck with a thought that had I thought a few years ago, I would have been locked up in a loony bin. That of how happy and unselfish Nicholas Anelka looked. He seems to have found himself and most importantly seems to enjoy football, his run for Drogba's second goal was class, without it Drogba doesn't score, and the pattern of the game changes. On such little details titles are won.

Catch Up

So as you may or may not have noticed, there has been little or no activity over the past few months on Tricky Left Winger. The reasons? Moving to a new city, new apartment, new school, new computer, blah blah, basically a whole lot of adjusting and life 'housekeeping' had to be done.

But now we are back, so, relax, read, please comment, and enjoy.

The hot topic at the moment seems to be the John Terry sleeping with Wayne Bridge's girl. I am probably in the minority here but for me it does not take away from what he does on the field. Men and women will always cheat, it is human nature, monogomy is a task that humans have always had some difficulties with, for or against it, that unfortunately is the case.

The thing that annoys me is the polarizing affect that this has on people, especially the media. The media pack are often whipped up into a frenzy at the first smell of blood, so I can only imagine that the wolves of fleet street were dizzy with euphoria when the Terry story broke. Yes he is the England captain, yes he is seen as a role model for children, a family man, the leader of Chelsea, but he is a man. And I have yet to hear of a man who is flawless, even Jesus turned water in to wine much to the chagrin of the people at the wedding who were choking for a pint of Stella.

The media will give him the space he needs, as long as that involves having paparazzi with massive lenses follow him and his wife and kids around for the next few years until they have had their feed of human suffering. He will not be allowed to move on from this. Just ask John Harkes, the former USA captain, because of the Terry scandal Harkes been forced to answer questions about his alleged involvement with the wife of former team mate Eric Wynalda. An allegation that Harkes has long denied. But it was not enough to save his spot in the World Cup, and cause massive trauma for him and his family. But the press do not care for the feeling of the people in the public spotlight. I think that they believe that if you earn x amount of dollars per year then you automatically become infallible. A claim that is so absurd, it beggars belief.

What Terry did was wrong, but I recall the British Prime Minister admitting to a four year affair, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth was less than the Terry affair. Well after all he was a British politician, maybe we should be more surprised that he was not not found with a bag over his head and a pair of stockings on. That unfortunately may be a horrible reflection of how elevated sports starts have become in our society, and how far they people we trust to run our countries have fallen.

Football and sports fans in general are so forgiving that it borders on lunacy. A well executed press conference of forgiveness, full of PR gold, perhaps some tears normally does the trick. The fans will forgive as long as Terry is doing the business on the field, the press I feel will not.

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Why I love football...sublime from Guti.

Why I love football...a beautiful little video.

Again apologies for being posted missing, but deal with it ;)

The Curse of Speed

Firstly read this before you proceed, READ ME

OK now we can carry on.

Every footballer on earth wishes that they were quicker. Trust me. Even Ronaldo. Having speed is the one thing that can not (when  used correctly) be defended against. Speed is so important in the modern game that it is almost the first thing that coaches look for. If a coach sees a fast kid, I'm pretty sure they will feel that he is worth taking a chance on rather than the 10 year old Jan Molby who sits and sprays it. You can coach, the basics, but you can't coach speed.

Or can you? I have played with and coached numerous guys who were faster than Usain Bolt with diarrhea, but at the end of the day they just couldn't play. You see, speed is the number one talent in football, no not physical speed, but speed of thought!

Players who play the game (think Xavi) will always be the heart beat, the conductor, the lynchpin. The speed merchants (Shaun Wright-Phillips, Babel, Walcott?) will be cast outside to the flanks no matter the level. The quick athletes use their speed to get them out of difficult situations, they are often running in their head before they have control of the ball. They ignore the basics of control and awareness because they can always blast the thrusters. The players (Scholes, Fabregas,) use their superior brain speed to almost never allow these difficult situations to arise.

Sometimes speed and touch combine, and this is the Holy Grail of coaches all over. Messi and Ronaldo are the two obvious picks. But they are the exception to the rule. Normal rule is: Fast = No Brain. Meaning yes, they are athletic but when it comes to knowledge of space, team mates movement, a little tactical nounce,  then they are sadly lacking. Good touch, simplicity and guile in the correct area, these traits will always, always trump brute speed.

I hope that the marriage of athleticism and soccer knowledge continue to combine and produce more Ronaldo's of this world, if not I won't worry, I'll be the guy paying to watch the Robert Prosinecki's of the game.

Liverpool- The Truth

Rafa must go. 5 wins in 18 matches is not good. For  a club like Liverpool it is horrifically bad. Man Utd aside, Wolves, Wigan, Everton and Debrecen are not exactly difficult opponents. These are who the 5 wins have came against. Not inspiring to say the least.

Rafa is clutching at straws, "our season starts..." has been thrown around lately. I can understand his thinking, 12 points behind in the league is not an insurmountable gap. With no Champions League, Rafa is thinking he can sneak points when the others are involved in big midweek encounters. But to do that you need a good enough squad, and well, he doesn't have it. Today against Wolves they looked devoid of ideas until the sending off. This led to a swell in confidence, coupled with a rash dive in from Wolves' right back and some typical Gerrard bravery/desire brought the opener.

"Is this the springboard for Liverpools season" I have heard this time and again from media pundits, springboard to what exactly? 7th at Christmas, out of the Champions League, 5 wins in 18. They are where they are for a reason. Which is 2 points infront of Birmingham. Face it, Liverpool are poor.

Also,  Alonso is becoming a better player with every game he does not play for Liverpool, I think he may be in the running for player of the year in England.

Alonso apart, Rafa has shopped pathetically, years of poor buys and a stubborn refusal to admit that, now weigh him down with the poor squad that will be  the end of him. Gerrard and Torres deserve to have a better supporting cast, especially in this, the most open of recent Premier League chases.  Rafa's massive contract is the only thing keeping him in a job, I believe he would have been sacked a few games ago, if they could have afforded to do it. He is living on borrowed time, or maybe until Jose gets kicked out of Italy.

I think it will be very interesting to see who is offered the job when Rafa goes. Any thoughts?

Hughes Sacked, Mancini In

No hanging about for the owners of Man City. No time for tabloids to link, Sven with a Sun-sational return, or Fergie Crosses the City for Cash, or Mourinho...blah blah. No, they clearly were unhappy with Hughes, so what did they do? Well they smiled and reassured him "No Sparky your jobs safe" while they went and found his successor. All very Machiavellian, but well, can you really blame them, I can't.

 I think Hughes did an OK job, but with the cash he spent he was always cutting down his time. It's a cruel irony, 'the more you spend the quicker the axe falls'... if your stumbling. I believe that Hughes was always going to struggle because he is just not 'Sexy' enough. You know that the owners want style and panache, they want Mourinho and Ronaldo in speedos oiled up, doing bicycle kicks in slow motion. Not some hard nosed Welsh bastid who's stare eats peoples souls.

The writing was on the wall when they failed to sign any of the big names they chased. Kaka, Terry et al all saying "erm thanks but no thanks, we'll just use your interest to get more cash from our clubs or new employers, but thanks again.". City might tell you Robinho is a superstar, but then again so was Juan Veron before he landed in Manchester. City could only attract second tier stars. That is the problem. Manchester City are trying to do a Chelsea, good luck to them, but they needed to re-evaluate their plan of action. And they did so, swiftly. They had a second tier manager, and he took them to where he knew, the second tier. Not even a victory could save him, the choice had already been made.

Mancini, all suave scarf and Marty Feldman love child looking, is for me a fantastic appointment. 3 Coppa Italia's with 3 different teams,  throw in 3 Scuddetto's with Inter and 2 Italian Super Cups, Inter's most successful manager for 30 years. Well it's not a poor CV is it?  The reason he left Inter was the failure in the Champions League, that is not a worry for City. His job will be to get them there. He is a top tier manager, who may just be able to attract the caliber of player that ultimately Hughes could not. I'm excited about the Mancini era, yet I'm sad Hughes has gone, I loved him as a player and I like him as a manager. I think it will be interesting what his next move will be, I could see him moving abroad if the right offer came up, Liverpool could do with a new man at the helm. But that's a post for another day.

*In other news

I'm delighted ESPN have finally realized that the commentators they were using were...how to put this...erm, Shite. Martin Tyler has been brought in for the World Cup, I hope they keep former US Captain John Harkes with him, and feed Tommy Smyth to a pack of feral children.

World Cup Draw

FIFA did everything they could to hype up the draw, and for once I agree with them. THIS IS THE WORLD CUP. Nothing on Earth unites people like the World Cup. NOTHING. 3 Billion people are estimated to have watched the last one. No language, no religion, nothing comes close to unifying people like the World Cup.

As for the draw itself, well some of us have to work so there was no tense viewing for me. I looked afterward and received my barrage of information, my eyes and my mind going crazy like a kid who got and Xbox 360, PS3, Scalectrix, AND a new ball for Christmas...where do you start?

I'll give a quick rundown and throw in a few predictions.

Group A

I think that South Africa will go through, swept up in the biggest moment of the players careers, I think it is a draw that suits them. I think France will top the group, if they decide to get their fingers out of their arses and stop being so... erm...French. Mexico will be waiting to pounce should France slip up.  I believe Uruguay are weak, although they will be confident after winning the play off.


Group B

My adopted team NIGERIA (the wifey is a Naija girl) to go through with Diego's Argentina. Greece and Korean Republic to pack their bags early.

Group C

En-gur-land (sorry lads) to top this group with my other adopted team USA to take second. I think that the US could get a draw from the first game. England are coming in with all the pressure and the first game is often difficult to adjust to. I think this is the best chance the US have. Should England pump the US, then US moral could be shot for good and Slovenia may be the biggest benefactors of this (and English Landlords)


Group D

Aptly named D. D for DEATH (dun dun dun) There is always one group that from the outset looks harder than quantum physics with a wine hangover, while taking jabs from Manny Pacquiao.  I'm going for Germany and Serbia to go through. But it will be tighter than a tight thing.


Group E

Holland and Cameroon. Holland to win the group and then I like Cameroon's chances just because I Samuel Eto'o is not Nicklas Bendtner


Group F

Italy may not need to try very hard to get out of this group. The other teams are poor with Slovakia taking runner up.


Group G

Another intriguing group. Brazil to win it, but not as easily as some think. I think if Ronaldo is in top form, not fannying about then Portugal have the chance of doing very well. Ivory Coast will be many people's dark horses. They have a wealth of talent with players playing all over Europe and when it boils down to who wants it most between Portugal and Ivory Coast? I'm taking Drogba and Co.


Group H

Spain at a canter, and then for runner up Chile, although I really really want Honduras to  get it, for the simple reason that my mother adopted them in 1978 and has never stopped talking about them!

Me watching a game on TV

"Ma who do you want to win?"

"Honduras"

"Ma it's the fecking Scottish Cup!!"

So those are my initial thoughts on the World Cup, ONLY 187 days to go. I am buzzing.

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.

Soccer Savvy- Michael McBride

It brings me great pleasure to provide the first installment of Soccer Savvy, our series of interviews with people inside the world of soccer. I caught up with my old friend, Michael McBride, the physiotherapist for Coventry City FC and Scotland's national team, as he flew back from a recent friendly against Japan. He answered a few questions I had asked him, and I'm glad to have him here on the blog. 

1. Obviously apart from me ;) who is the most famous player you have put your magic hands on?

The most famous is relative, really- I suppose as what I think famous and what my dad does is different and I suppose also where you follow football. But I would probably say Darren Fletcher presently, Steve Staunton and Gary McAllister in my earlier days at Coventry. I also did a medical on Fabrizio Ravenilli but it didn’t go through.

2. What is the worst injury you have seen?

I've been kinda fortunate that I've not seen too many bad injuries, Broto (the goalkeeper at Livingston who then signed for Celtic) had a fracture dislocation of his ankle, which wasn’t great!!

3. If you had to choose an injury that you didn't want to try to come back from what would it be?

Ruptured Achilles and anterior cruciates aren’t nice either, not ones that I would want to recover from. 

4. What's the most gutted you have been in football?

I was devastated when Scotland never qualified for the Euros after having such great games against France at home and away, then losing out with the early Luca Toni goal, then the last minute Panucci header at the back post when it wasn’t even a foul on Alan Hutton. I was convinced that we would go through, nightmare. 

(Ed note: Cunt...)

5. Most happy?

At club level it's been good, there was obvious success at Livingston with the league promotions and European appearance in the UEFA cup. Coventry haven’t been near success to be disappointed with the failure. We have had reasonable cup runs last year- beating Blackburn then playing Chelsea at home. The year before, we went to Old Trafford and won 2-0.

6. What do you like most about your job?

It's being on trips like this that I realize just how lucky I am, to experience the extensive travel and see the cultures, people, and places really is a privilege and pleasure.

 
7. What's the best stadium you worked at?

San Siro

There've been loads of different stadiums I've liked for different reasons, whether it be the history, the result at the time, the atmosphere or indeed the facilities. I loved being at the San Siro when we played Italy. I grew up always hearing about it and seeing it on telly. The inside is unbelievably basic- the dressing rooms are very poor. The two Japanese stadiums were fantastic- the one last night was where the 2002 World Cup final was held, it's a huge place, absolutely vast. We trained there the night before the game and I was just messing about in the dressing room (each player has like a wee cubicle/booth type changing area). There was a white panel there that I pulled off to reveal a signed picture of Ronaldo- it was only the bloody place where he changed before scoring the two goals!!!! I tell you, Marky, what a buzz.

Nissan Stadium, Yokohama

8. Most intimidating atmosphere?

Hampden and Celtic Park are still excellent places for the atmosphere and I think I will find that hard to beat. The old Russian states are very intimidating. Moldova, Belarus and Georgia were not particularly pleasant visits but obviously great to experience.

 

9. Since you started in football, sport science has transformed attitudes, bodies and performance. What do you believe are the biggest changes and what do you see the future bringing to footballers?

Sports science has had a big influence in football definitely, we urine test the boys everyday for hydration levels, they wear heart rate monitors and we have ProZone which gives us every stat on a player you can imagine. We go a lot on distance covered, high intensity sprints passes completed, it is a fascinating area. I use it quite a bit for injury prevention and diagnosis. So for instance, I checked to see how many times in 5 games our goalkeeper kicked the ball: from ground, hand and pass backs. I then used this info to influence the coach to inform them about over-training and too much repeated kicking. This then reduced hip flexor and hamstring injuries in the goalkeepers. We review every injury that happens and look at the mechanism to help with the diagnosis and prognosis.

Lots of fitness work is now position specific and done to reproduce the stats from the ProZone stuff. Upper body weights and Olympic squats and lifts are a big thing at the moment. Technology is improving rapidly and football preparation is definitely a science. Some of the bigger clubs will start doing saliva tests to predict infection, illness and overtraining. It's exciting times.

10. What is your dream job? 

To work at this level is a dream job, but I would love to go further and work at a finals, either the World Cup or Euros- even just for those 3 group games. I think I would like to work in the premiership if the opportunity arose, but it is so difficult trying to get that opening. 

11. I recall that your favourite time of the week is 2.30 till 3.00 on a Saturday, because all the week's work is coming to a head, the nervous energy is abundant and everyone is buzzing. Is this still the same?

I cant believe you remembered that 2.30 was my favourite time!!! Yes, it still is and funnily enough, I was talking to George Burley at it just prior to the Macedonia game.

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Hope you enjoyed the interview, there will be more such as these in the future so look out for those.

Rafa-- Time to go?

"In the last 18 months, we have invested £128million on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better. Now if it's not getting better, it's not Gillett and Hicks, it's the manager, it's the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis." - Quotes attributed to Liverpool co-owner George Gillett do not exactly increase the American's reputation at Anfield. (Sky Sports)

OK they may not make the American popular at Anfield but that does not make him incorrect. I feel that this is a sound statement, and were it applied to any other business everyone would agree. Rafa has spent a shit load, over £150m.The man who is writing the cheques is clearly stating that he would like to see some return for his investment. What is wrong with that?

Liverpool were my pick to win the league this year, and they may still do, but they are 2 injuries (Torres and Gerrard) away from being a mid table team. Take those two out, and perhaps Glen Johnson and I'm not sure you have many outstanding players left, and I include Mascherano in that. Rafa has bought poorly. That is they key, he can moan and fiddle with the stats but that is the bottom line. N'gog, Babbel, Voronin etc etc these guys won't win you championships. The pressure for Aquilani to perform is now immense, the hole left by Alonso is far deeper than first thought, and only now is his worth truly revealed.

I think that Rafa has a whole lot to thank Torres and Gerrard for, although the Captain has been posted M.I.A for the last few weeks, and if Liverpool are to still be in with a shout at Christmas Stevie la, needs to shake off the court case and get his finger out. But it will be interesting to see what Rafa can blame his lack of success on next, it certainly isn't lack of money, or behind the scenes politics, perhaps a long hard look in the mirror is required to finally reveal just why Liverpool are underachieving.

Refreshing

It was great to see the human side of the robot-refs this weekend in Scotland. The referee from the Rangers v Celtic derby came out and openly admitted he made a mistake. Whatever next? The SFA gathers its senses and moves the kick off back to a normal time? I won't be holding my breath.

The Dark Side of Barca

    Football is the biggest sport in the world, no questions asked. Football World Cups are as important, if not more important than any other event. People care about their teams and players as if they were part of their families. Every day we hear news about such and such a player, we know their personal lives, what food they like, what music they listen to, or what car they drive. That is the impact that football has in our lives, and some people take advantage of it.

    During the last couple of years F.C Barcelona has been on the news, both for issues related to sports and  matters which have nothing to do with any sport. Two years ago most of the sections (football, basketball, handball, etc) were not doing very well; and that was concerning many people. Last year the football team achieved the wonderful ``TRIPLETE´´ and the basketball team obtained the double (league, and cup). Some other teams are doing better and working in the right direction. This is a natural thing. Teams go through ups and downs. You cannot win every year and that is part of this business.

    What has been constant is the quantity of trouble generated inside the club from its own directors and of course its president. Let´s go back a few years to understand the whole situation. When president Laporta was elected in 2003 he came with a new crew of vice presidents and other executives. According to him they were all very loyal and very important in his project. Two men had more importance than the rest : Sandro Rosell, and Ferran Soriano. Rosell was the sports vice president and he played a key role in signing Ronaldinho and Deco. His contacts and his knowledge of the South American market were very important for the club. Soriano was the economics vice president. He managed to put the club back in a profitable position, generating great profits; and all obtained thanks to some of his innovative marketing strategies. Surprisingly, these two characters and many other important executives are no longer part of the current board. Apparently the liberal and consensual Joan Laporta changed into a bit more dictatorial president, whowith  the fame obtained after winning two leagues and one Champions League (including a double) twisted his habits. Many members of the board disagreed with his new policies and most of the initial crew is no longer there. Maybe an accidental casualty? But the reality is the club started to fall apart. Internal problems, difficulties dealing with the players, all kind of things started to happen.

    Laporta started very well in 2003. He was an interesting character who proposed new ways to bring the club back where it belonged. Sometimes he showed his ``catalanism´´, but not to a big extent. He started getting rid of the radical supporters. His zero tolerance worked very well and the whole country admired him for that. But after a couple of years, when he was feeling powerful, he started to involve himself in areas where the president of a big club such as Barcelona should not get involved. He continuously declared his political views (independency for Cataluña as another country), and constantly important members of the board were leaving their charges. Half of the country did not like him, and half of the Catalunians did not either. But the worst moment for him was in Summer 2008 when the stockholders tried to get rid of him even out of an electoral process. There is a legal way to do that if more than 66% of the club affiliates vote for it. People vote and a very impressive 60.60% voted against the current president. It was not enough but the message was out there. People do not like him anymore.

    Since then, F.C Barcelona seems more like the White House than a football club. Next summer there are elections for a new president. Laporta cannot present himself again but he is preparing a few candidates who will follow his tendency and obviously will provide him a good spot in the highest circles of the club. The last scandal was raised when some Spanish media found out that the club was actually spying on 4 of the current vice presidents (some of them could present themselves as candidates in the summer). Laporta said that he had nothing to do with that, and executive vice president Oliver claimed that it was necessary for the club to obtain information of potential club presidents.  He keeps using his position as the president of one of the biggest clubs in the world to expand his political views. He is making strides in politics at the club´s expenses. Some people are starting to identify the whole structure as Laporta´s stepping stone. That is not true. Barça supporters only want the club to do well, mostly concern with the football team. Laporta is very lucky that Guardiola is there (by the way Laporta wanted Mourinho for that position). Hopefully all this will be over in the summer and everyone will talk just about Messi, Xavi, or Ricky Rubio (basketball star). The next president, hopefully Rosell, must be focused in sports and the club´s good image.



Posted by Nando

Rangers v Celtic

Hatred will commence at Ibrox Park 7:30am EST Sunday Oct 4th.

Outcome?

Average level of football, lots of running around like madmen, bigotry, minor violence, the Queen and the Pope will be F***ed to heaven or hell, 1000's of hangovers, 55,000 incorrect historians, blood, sweat snotters and tears.

Bonnie Scotland

Made Me Smile

Just to see a centre half get a bit of a shoeing today. The less physical the Prem and football in general becomes the better, well if you are Fifa and Uefa that is, but I am more of an old school type. So to see Kenwyne Jones and Nemanja Vidic go at it today was refreshing. What made it better was that Jones dominated Vidic, I loved this because as a 5ft 8 striker, centre halfs have had their way with me many a time (insert own Carry On joke here)

And props to the ref who let it go.