I’ve been pondering this article or at least one of a similar ilk for some time now, but have always managed to hold off, not wanting to jump on the ‘Andre Villas-Boas is a useless twonk’ bandwagon. But like the hoards of Chelsea fans at Goodison Park on Saturday who burst into a rousing chorus of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’, my patience has been worn a bit too thin. It’s time to get it out of my system - *vaguely constructive rant warning*.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one for calling for managers’ heads every five minutes and demanding a plethora of shiny new trophies season after season. I am of the opinion that certain managers need to be given time...where would Manchester United be now had they not stuck out the difficult teething period when Alex Ferguson took the reins?
But that’s not to say clubs and fans should blindly support managers either, just for the sake of ‘giving them time’, when things clearly aren’t right in the camp.
Villas-Boas’s arrival at Stamford Bridge in the summer came as a surprise to many Blues fans, with strong rumours linking former interim boss Guus Hiddink with the job. And being a close friend of owner Roman Abramovich, popular with the Stamford Bridge faithful and players alike, it seemed the obvious move.
But Abramovich instead pulled a move out of left-field, appointing FC Porto manager and former Chelsea employee, Villas-Boas.
Despite the surprising appointment, Chelsea fans by and large seemed excited by the prospect of a young, up-and-coming manager who could potentially take the hot-seat for years to come – our very own Sir Alex. But despite Chelsea players crowing over how great and 21st Century pre-season training was (presumably with a gun to their heads...) and being the first side to knock Manchester ‘webuyanyplayer.com’ City off their perch this season, things have started to turn sour.
Draw has followed defeat has followed draw has followed defeat at regular intervals, across all competitions. Chelsea scraped through the Champions League knock-out stages, somehow topping the group, but look increasingly likely to accomplish the unacceptable at Stamford Bridge and miss out on qualification for Europe’s biggest club tournament next season.
One can only be left to wonder how the Great Rebuild of 2012 will go when the Blues fail to attract top youngsters or experienced heads with no offer of Champions League football.
And it’s not as if AVB has the right ideas but just doesn’t have the personnel to carry them out. His team selections are a mystery, his substitutions are nothing short of baffling and his infatuation with Jose Bosingwa...simply mind-boggling.
Take this week’s debacle against Everton for example. His back four were Bosingwa, Luiz, Ivanovic and Cole. Last weekend against Manchester United (the capitulation to end all capitulations), Branislav Ivanovic was a contender for Chelsea’s Man of the Match...at right back...the position he’s mostly occupied since his arrival in January 2008. He was nothing short of outstanding, dodgy penalty aside. Gary Cahill, who was finally awarded his Chelsea debut, was also on the better side of solid and was even unlucky not to clinch an undeserved three points right at the death, with a stinging shot tipped over by De Gea.
So this week, naturally, it was all change. Cahill was back getting splinters and Ivanovic was back in the centre babysitting David Luiz, to varying degrees of success. There’s a complete lack of consistency to enable the defence to gel and there’s even less appreciation for playing the best players in their best positions. That means Ivanovic at right back and Jose Bosingwa on the next plane back to Portugal, Andre.
Villas-Boas also seems to lack any tactical nous. He makes substitutions for the sake of it and the team often loses its shape and balance as a result. Up until Christmas, Chelsea were the only team in the Premier League to have used all three substitutions in every game. That doesn’t exactly point to level-headed tactical genius.
The game against Fulham at the Bridge on Boxing Day was a classic example. AVB hooks Frank Lampard, fairly enough as Lamps was having a Weston (Super-Mare!), and replaces him with Florent Malouda. Now my feelings towards Mr Malouda are best saved for a future blog for fear of this one turning into War and Peace with very ripe language, but that aside, replacing a centre midfielder with a wide player meant the middle of the park lost all shape, with none of the players seeming to know who was meant to be where. This also happened against Manchester City, when for reasons only known to AVB, we found ourselves with both Mikel and Romeu on the pitch at the same time. Two holding midfielders, four defenders, complete chaos.
That’s not to say AVB has been all-bad. The signing of Juan Mata was inspired and he’s an incredibly exciting prospect for the future. That’s not to mention...no, actually, that’s the only good point I can muster.
It seems that after 25 league games, seven draws and six defeats, maybe it’s time Abramovich cuts his losses and admits he appointed the wrong man. And with his ever-increasing training ground visits, maybe it’s just a matter of time until Chelsea call a press conference.
Monday, 13 February 2012
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Sam Hutchinson - A Tale of Inspiration
Amidst the diving, players refusing to play and obscene levels of money, rarely does football - especially at the top level - offer heart-warming and uplifting stories. But the tale of one Chelsea youngster is a rare shining light shimmering in a game increasingly shrouded in darkness.
During Jose Mourinho’s reign at Stamford Bridge and several years after Roman Abramovich’s gargantuan investment in the plush new Cobham training facilities and academy set-up, small buds of young, English talent were just starting to blossom in the heart of Surrey.
All the talk now surrounds the potential of the likes of Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand, but at four years their senior and with a tale of persistence, determination and courage already under his belt, maybe the player Chelsea fans should really start buzzing about is Sam Hutchinson.
The 22-year-old defender hung up his boots just 16 months ago, believing his short-lived playing career to be over after a succession of knee problems. But Chelsea offered him a route back into the game with a coaching contract and it was through that he realised he may be able to keep the dream alive.
After noticing he could coach without knee pains, Hutchinson began the process of resurrecting his playing career bit by bit. He was training three days on, one day off and he’s now progressed to four days on, one day off and playing regular 90 minutes for Chelsea’s reserves, of whom captained before the injuries took their toll.
These are promising signs for player, club and fans. Hutchinson was starting to edge his way into first-team contention under Mourinho after making his debut in May 2007 and became a regular face on the Chelsea bench, with four very exciting appearances for the Blues. He’s a young, versatile defender, able to switch between full-back and centre-back with ease, with an eye for a foraging run forwards – a more controlled version of David Luiz and with more controlled hair too!
And while player and club are rightly approaching his rehabilitation as a ‘one step at a time’ process, there are certainly bright signs for the future. Although Hutchinson may not be the immediate solution to Chelsea’s defensive woes, in the long-term he certainly has the potential to be John Terry’s successor, not just at centre-back but with the captain’s armband too.
Having made his comeback for the reserves in July in a friendly against Crawley Town, Hutchinson has taken another step towards securing his future on the pitch, as this week he signed a new 18-month deal with the Blues.
But it’s going to be a long road for the youngster, requiring patience from himself and common sense from the Chelsea medical staff. Though having seen the attitude with which he’s already approached his return to football and the maturity with which he’s rebounded from set-back after set-back, Chelsea fans should have no concerns about Sam Hutchinson’s desire and attitude. And should he recover the promise he showed under Jose Mourinho, it could be a very exciting future for the young defender.
During Jose Mourinho’s reign at Stamford Bridge and several years after Roman Abramovich’s gargantuan investment in the plush new Cobham training facilities and academy set-up, small buds of young, English talent were just starting to blossom in the heart of Surrey.
All the talk now surrounds the potential of the likes of Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand, but at four years their senior and with a tale of persistence, determination and courage already under his belt, maybe the player Chelsea fans should really start buzzing about is Sam Hutchinson.
The 22-year-old defender hung up his boots just 16 months ago, believing his short-lived playing career to be over after a succession of knee problems. But Chelsea offered him a route back into the game with a coaching contract and it was through that he realised he may be able to keep the dream alive.
After noticing he could coach without knee pains, Hutchinson began the process of resurrecting his playing career bit by bit. He was training three days on, one day off and he’s now progressed to four days on, one day off and playing regular 90 minutes for Chelsea’s reserves, of whom captained before the injuries took their toll.
These are promising signs for player, club and fans. Hutchinson was starting to edge his way into first-team contention under Mourinho after making his debut in May 2007 and became a regular face on the Chelsea bench, with four very exciting appearances for the Blues. He’s a young, versatile defender, able to switch between full-back and centre-back with ease, with an eye for a foraging run forwards – a more controlled version of David Luiz and with more controlled hair too!
And while player and club are rightly approaching his rehabilitation as a ‘one step at a time’ process, there are certainly bright signs for the future. Although Hutchinson may not be the immediate solution to Chelsea’s defensive woes, in the long-term he certainly has the potential to be John Terry’s successor, not just at centre-back but with the captain’s armband too.
Having made his comeback for the reserves in July in a friendly against Crawley Town, Hutchinson has taken another step towards securing his future on the pitch, as this week he signed a new 18-month deal with the Blues.
But it’s going to be a long road for the youngster, requiring patience from himself and common sense from the Chelsea medical staff. Though having seen the attitude with which he’s already approached his return to football and the maturity with which he’s rebounded from set-back after set-back, Chelsea fans should have no concerns about Sam Hutchinson’s desire and attitude. And should he recover the promise he showed under Jose Mourinho, it could be a very exciting future for the young defender.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Low-scoring affair when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium : Premier League : UK & Ireland Football
Hi all. It's been a while! Here's my latest column for Betfair. Keep checking the betting.betfair.com site every Wednesday for more of my pearls of wisdom!!
Low-scoring affair when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium : Premier League : UK & Ireland Football
Low-scoring affair when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium : Premier League : UK & Ireland Football
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Thursday, 1 September 2011
A Busy 24 Hours for Dorking Ladies on Transfer Deadline Day
Despite several approaches for players, Dorking Ladies had a quiet transfer deadline day yesterday.
The Chicks brought in forwards Sharna Rutley-Stent and Daisy ‘Torres’ on free transfers earlier in the summer, while creative midfielder Andreia Veiga departed Meadowbank in a groundbreaking deal worth 49p and a packet of Quavers – much to the delight of Jess Pickett who is now using the crisps as a new training aid.
Veiga’s new club have yet to unveil their new protégée, but we understand she was snapped up by Andre Villas-Boas when Daniel Levy put the brakes on Luka Modric’s move to Stamford Bridge.
Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has yet to dabble in the transfer market, with Alan ‘Ali G’ Gardener keeping an ever watchful eye on the purse-strings, although it is believed that the club are still interested in signing former player Amy Fazackerley as back-up for ‘keeper Mikki Hough.
Hynes instead has been spending deadline day fending off approaches for members of her current squad. It is understood that midfielder Gemma Wilson has been the subject of an enquiry from Harry Redknapp, who is looking to fill the gap left by the injured and stroppy Rafael Van der Vaart. But ‘Arry was put-off completing a deal when he learned of Wilson’s volatile attitude towards match officials, meaning she would be unavailable for the majority of Spurs’ matches through suspension.
Arsene Wenger is believed to have spent best part of the day sending increasingly desperate emails to Dorking Chairman Mick Muggeridge, asking to sign anyone with a pair of boots. After being rebuffed on several occasions by Muggeridge, the Arsenal boss was spotted camping in his front garden in a desperate bid to boost his depleted squad. If Wenger held out until 9.30pm, sources close to the Surrey club say Muggeridge may have been willing to discuss a deal which would have seen defender Steph Thorbes move to the Emirates on a season-long loan. But Wenger is believed to want a centre-half who heads the ball. He is happy, however, to see Thorbes’ dog Alfie become the Gunners’ new mascot.
It is also rumoured that Manchester United made a shock bid for Dorking striker Shellie Villette, with boss Sir Alex Ferguson telling the press: “We have made an approach for Villette to bring something different to our very young side. ‘Maturity’ and ‘experience’ are the words commonly touted about in these situations.” Villette turned 30 midway through last season.
Newly promoted QPR, meanwhile, dropped their interest in midfielder/centre forward Laura Browning, despite her impressive showing last campaign. It is rumoured that Neil Warnock did not think having Browning and new signing Joey Barton in the same team would be a good idea. Although, Warnock upped his interest in left-back Fliss Burns saying, “We understand Burns has a lot of work commitments in her role as a police officer, but she would be a great addition to the squad. Although we’ve yet to complete the signing, we’ve already reserved her place in the changing room alongside Joey Barton.”
Barton’s former employers, Newcastle United, swooped for Dorking’s Lauren ‘decibel’ Sutton as a direct replacement for the loud and aggressive midfielder. Alan Pardew does not believe any further comments on the situation are required at this stage.
Left-back Kelsey Hutchinson was contacted by rugby League side Leeds Rhinos, believing they could utilise her ‘direct’ style of play.
Meanwhile, the strangest request of the day came from Finland head coach Mixu Paatelainen, who wanted to make enquiries into whether mother-daughter duo Emma and Sharna Rutley-Stent had any Finnish heritage. The nation are looking to put themselves firmly back on the footballing map by outdoing rivals Iceland, who once historically substituted Arnor Gudjohnsen for son Eidur.
Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has confirmed the Chicks will be making an official complaint to the FA regarding the number of her players who were disrupted by transfer rumours on deadline day. The club are thought to be especially unhappy by illegal approaches for centre-half Shaney Bolton and midfielder Lauren Hutchinson, who they say have been illegally 'tapped-up' for several weeks. Hynes did not wish to name the club in question, however Arsene Wenger volunteered to say he "didn't see it."
Stand-in left-back Marie Rogerson is due to be sent on loan until January to gain first-team experience at Oxford. The only member of the Dorking squad who has not yet been the subject of an enquiry is midfielder Hannah Duncan, whose open-goal miss last season has been made public knowledge since appearing on the ‘What Happened Next’ round on A Question of Sport.
The Chicks brought in forwards Sharna Rutley-Stent and Daisy ‘Torres’ on free transfers earlier in the summer, while creative midfielder Andreia Veiga departed Meadowbank in a groundbreaking deal worth 49p and a packet of Quavers – much to the delight of Jess Pickett who is now using the crisps as a new training aid.
Veiga’s new club have yet to unveil their new protégée, but we understand she was snapped up by Andre Villas-Boas when Daniel Levy put the brakes on Luka Modric’s move to Stamford Bridge.
Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has yet to dabble in the transfer market, with Alan ‘Ali G’ Gardener keeping an ever watchful eye on the purse-strings, although it is believed that the club are still interested in signing former player Amy Fazackerley as back-up for ‘keeper Mikki Hough.
Hynes instead has been spending deadline day fending off approaches for members of her current squad. It is understood that midfielder Gemma Wilson has been the subject of an enquiry from Harry Redknapp, who is looking to fill the gap left by the injured and stroppy Rafael Van der Vaart. But ‘Arry was put-off completing a deal when he learned of Wilson’s volatile attitude towards match officials, meaning she would be unavailable for the majority of Spurs’ matches through suspension.
Arsene Wenger is believed to have spent best part of the day sending increasingly desperate emails to Dorking Chairman Mick Muggeridge, asking to sign anyone with a pair of boots. After being rebuffed on several occasions by Muggeridge, the Arsenal boss was spotted camping in his front garden in a desperate bid to boost his depleted squad. If Wenger held out until 9.30pm, sources close to the Surrey club say Muggeridge may have been willing to discuss a deal which would have seen defender Steph Thorbes move to the Emirates on a season-long loan. But Wenger is believed to want a centre-half who heads the ball. He is happy, however, to see Thorbes’ dog Alfie become the Gunners’ new mascot.
It is also rumoured that Manchester United made a shock bid for Dorking striker Shellie Villette, with boss Sir Alex Ferguson telling the press: “We have made an approach for Villette to bring something different to our very young side. ‘Maturity’ and ‘experience’ are the words commonly touted about in these situations.” Villette turned 30 midway through last season.
Newly promoted QPR, meanwhile, dropped their interest in midfielder/centre forward Laura Browning, despite her impressive showing last campaign. It is rumoured that Neil Warnock did not think having Browning and new signing Joey Barton in the same team would be a good idea. Although, Warnock upped his interest in left-back Fliss Burns saying, “We understand Burns has a lot of work commitments in her role as a police officer, but she would be a great addition to the squad. Although we’ve yet to complete the signing, we’ve already reserved her place in the changing room alongside Joey Barton.”
Barton’s former employers, Newcastle United, swooped for Dorking’s Lauren ‘decibel’ Sutton as a direct replacement for the loud and aggressive midfielder. Alan Pardew does not believe any further comments on the situation are required at this stage.
Left-back Kelsey Hutchinson was contacted by rugby League side Leeds Rhinos, believing they could utilise her ‘direct’ style of play.
Meanwhile, the strangest request of the day came from Finland head coach Mixu Paatelainen, who wanted to make enquiries into whether mother-daughter duo Emma and Sharna Rutley-Stent had any Finnish heritage. The nation are looking to put themselves firmly back on the footballing map by outdoing rivals Iceland, who once historically substituted Arnor Gudjohnsen for son Eidur.
Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has confirmed the Chicks will be making an official complaint to the FA regarding the number of her players who were disrupted by transfer rumours on deadline day. The club are thought to be especially unhappy by illegal approaches for centre-half Shaney Bolton and midfielder Lauren Hutchinson, who they say have been illegally 'tapped-up' for several weeks. Hynes did not wish to name the club in question, however Arsene Wenger volunteered to say he "didn't see it."
Stand-in left-back Marie Rogerson is due to be sent on loan until January to gain first-team experience at Oxford. The only member of the Dorking squad who has not yet been the subject of an enquiry is midfielder Hannah Duncan, whose open-goal miss last season has been made public knowledge since appearing on the ‘What Happened Next’ round on A Question of Sport.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
World Championships suffer false-start
Now i’m not a raving athletics fan, but watching some of the World Championships in Daegu this week, I really had to feel for some of the British athletes, and others besides.
Jessica Ennis today failed to emulate her Championships of 2009 and scoop gold in the heptathlon. Actually, ‘failed’ is a bit harsh, seeing as she claimed silver which is no mean feat, especially not spread across so many disciplines. But she was undoubtedly and understandably disappointed that she wasn’t able to become the first British athlete to defend a world title. Instead, that opportunity and associated pressure now lies with triple-jumper Phillips Idowu, whose qualification round begins Fridays morning.
Similarly, Mo Farah took silver on Sunday in the 10,000 metres, after being pipped at the post by an Ecuadorian he’d never even heard of! In his efforts to take the world crown, Farah broke away from the pack just a little too soon and ran out of steam, but the unbelievable amount of determination and exertion displayed across his face as he fought tooth and running-spike to hold onto his lead was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately in those situations, as idealistic as it may be to pressure your opponents by creating a gap and (quite literally) running away with it, the easier job may actually lie in chasing the leader. At least you have something to aim for and drive you on, whereas out in front, you’re looking over your shoulder and with no marker set down, it’s sometimes difficult to know how much you need to push yourself to reach the finishing line.
Nevertheless, despite the duos disappointments, better to suffer them now than next summer at the Olympics. It gives them both some extra drive and determination, if they need it, to succeed on the biggest and best stage sport provides.
But it has not just been the Brits suffering in South Africa. Usain Bolt and – ok, more Brits – Christine Ohurugou and Dwaine Chambers (my sympathy is limited where he’s concerned) have each been disqualified from their respective events for false starts. Under new-ish laws, there are no second chances for false-starters. Previously, the first athlete to jump the gun would be allowed to try again, although any second athlete would be automatically disqualified. This was changed because slow-starting runners could purposefully false-start once and hinder their opponents who were quicker out of the blocks.
In an ideal world, each athlete would be given one chance before disqualification, but in this 21st Century world, television rules and the time this could take means it is not an option. In my humble opinion (and apologies to my employers), TV can take a running jump quite frankly. Whilst Lord Coe believes getting away properly is all part of the race, it only takes one twitch, one bit of over-enthusiasm and two or even four years of training and hard-work (and in some cases drug abuse) is in tatters. And that’s only from an athlete’s perspective. What about the thousands of people who have paid through the nose (especially in the case of London 2012) to watch the world’s best competitors and those who haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets but have forked out for Sky/ESPN/Eurosport for the same privilege?
As it transpires, Usain Bolt can consider himself especially unfortunate, as television pictures actually show the eventual winner of the men’s 100 metres on Sunday (and Bolt’s training partner), Yohan Blake, twitched on the blocks before Bolt, well...bolted. Whether this movement triggered Bolt’s premature departure or not we will never know and the ever-gracious Olympic champion is unlikely to say. But in the black and white laws penned by the IAAF, Blake’s movement should have meant disqualification but the sensors failed to pick it up.
No matter what Lord Coe says, one strike and you’re out just isn’t the way forward for athletics. Except in the case of drug abuse, in which case Dwaine Chambers should consider his false-start disqualification the second chance that he blew.
Overall, the World Championships have so far provided many talking points. With five days left to go, let’s hope they continue to do so, but with more positive news for the Brits and athletics as a whole.
Jessica Ennis today failed to emulate her Championships of 2009 and scoop gold in the heptathlon. Actually, ‘failed’ is a bit harsh, seeing as she claimed silver which is no mean feat, especially not spread across so many disciplines. But she was undoubtedly and understandably disappointed that she wasn’t able to become the first British athlete to defend a world title. Instead, that opportunity and associated pressure now lies with triple-jumper Phillips Idowu, whose qualification round begins Fridays morning.
Similarly, Mo Farah took silver on Sunday in the 10,000 metres, after being pipped at the post by an Ecuadorian he’d never even heard of! In his efforts to take the world crown, Farah broke away from the pack just a little too soon and ran out of steam, but the unbelievable amount of determination and exertion displayed across his face as he fought tooth and running-spike to hold onto his lead was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately in those situations, as idealistic as it may be to pressure your opponents by creating a gap and (quite literally) running away with it, the easier job may actually lie in chasing the leader. At least you have something to aim for and drive you on, whereas out in front, you’re looking over your shoulder and with no marker set down, it’s sometimes difficult to know how much you need to push yourself to reach the finishing line.
Nevertheless, despite the duos disappointments, better to suffer them now than next summer at the Olympics. It gives them both some extra drive and determination, if they need it, to succeed on the biggest and best stage sport provides.
But it has not just been the Brits suffering in South Africa. Usain Bolt and – ok, more Brits – Christine Ohurugou and Dwaine Chambers (my sympathy is limited where he’s concerned) have each been disqualified from their respective events for false starts. Under new-ish laws, there are no second chances for false-starters. Previously, the first athlete to jump the gun would be allowed to try again, although any second athlete would be automatically disqualified. This was changed because slow-starting runners could purposefully false-start once and hinder their opponents who were quicker out of the blocks.
In an ideal world, each athlete would be given one chance before disqualification, but in this 21st Century world, television rules and the time this could take means it is not an option. In my humble opinion (and apologies to my employers), TV can take a running jump quite frankly. Whilst Lord Coe believes getting away properly is all part of the race, it only takes one twitch, one bit of over-enthusiasm and two or even four years of training and hard-work (and in some cases drug abuse) is in tatters. And that’s only from an athlete’s perspective. What about the thousands of people who have paid through the nose (especially in the case of London 2012) to watch the world’s best competitors and those who haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets but have forked out for Sky/ESPN/Eurosport for the same privilege?
As it transpires, Usain Bolt can consider himself especially unfortunate, as television pictures actually show the eventual winner of the men’s 100 metres on Sunday (and Bolt’s training partner), Yohan Blake, twitched on the blocks before Bolt, well...bolted. Whether this movement triggered Bolt’s premature departure or not we will never know and the ever-gracious Olympic champion is unlikely to say. But in the black and white laws penned by the IAAF, Blake’s movement should have meant disqualification but the sensors failed to pick it up.
No matter what Lord Coe says, one strike and you’re out just isn’t the way forward for athletics. Except in the case of drug abuse, in which case Dwaine Chambers should consider his false-start disqualification the second chance that he blew.
Overall, the World Championships have so far provided many talking points. With five days left to go, let’s hope they continue to do so, but with more positive news for the Brits and athletics as a whole.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
It's Time for the Silly Season to Stop Before the Real Season Begins
It’s just over a week to go until football’s transfer window shuts until January. This summer’s window has been dominated by the ‘will he, won’t he’ saga surrounding Carlos Tevez and the ‘just get on with it’ bore-a-thon involving Cesc Fabregas. That’s not forgetting, of course, the confirmation from Manchester ‘webuyanyplayer.com’ City that they will sign Samir Nasri ‘any day now’ on July 8th...July 16th...July 30th...August 11th...August 20th...you get my point.
In short, it’s so far been a transfer window to forget, especially if you’re an Arsenal fan, and if that’s the case you may want to get on with forgetting the rest of the season too.
But does the transfer window go on too long? Should it shut before the season begins?
Every year we see players refusing to honour their contracts and represent their clubs in a bid to move to pastures new (and often richer). Last term, Asmir Begovic of Stoke was hankering after a move to Chelsea and so made himself unavailable to the Potters through fear of sustaining a move-busting injury. This time around, Arsenal want-away Fabregas and Chelsea target Luka Modric have both been struck down with ‘transferitis’ at various points over the summer, deeming them unable to play for their respective sides.
Modric missed last night’s match at Old Trafford, with his boss Harry Redknapp saying the Croatian had a ‘slight injury’, whilst also admitting his head ‘wasn’t in the right place to play’.
This is another factor affecting players who are being chatted-up by new clubs whilst the season is already underway. Knowing their dream move is on the horizon (or one of a multitude of dream moves if you’re Robbie Keane...) then it can become increasingly difficult for players to focus on their jobs for their current clubs. Is this fair on the clubs who own the players and want the best out of them whilst they remain under contract? Hardly.
It’s equally unfair if a player doesn’t want to play through fear of injury or becoming cup-tied, as Samir Nasri would have done had he played for Arsenal against Udinese in the week. On the same point, it’s not fair either for those players who are model professionals and wish to go about their jobs as normal, if their club wants to shift them for a sizeable fee and so won’t select them whilst negotiations are ongoing.
With a January window in place too, it becomes unavoidable as the New Year hits, but often players are already cup-tied in various competitions and few ‘big moves’ really materialise at this time of year anyway.
But at the start of the season, the transfer window turns football into a farce. It would seem best for both players, clubs and the paying public if the ‘silly season’ were to end before the real season begins. Let's just get on with the football!
In short, it’s so far been a transfer window to forget, especially if you’re an Arsenal fan, and if that’s the case you may want to get on with forgetting the rest of the season too.
But does the transfer window go on too long? Should it shut before the season begins?
Every year we see players refusing to honour their contracts and represent their clubs in a bid to move to pastures new (and often richer). Last term, Asmir Begovic of Stoke was hankering after a move to Chelsea and so made himself unavailable to the Potters through fear of sustaining a move-busting injury. This time around, Arsenal want-away Fabregas and Chelsea target Luka Modric have both been struck down with ‘transferitis’ at various points over the summer, deeming them unable to play for their respective sides.
Modric missed last night’s match at Old Trafford, with his boss Harry Redknapp saying the Croatian had a ‘slight injury’, whilst also admitting his head ‘wasn’t in the right place to play’.
This is another factor affecting players who are being chatted-up by new clubs whilst the season is already underway. Knowing their dream move is on the horizon (or one of a multitude of dream moves if you’re Robbie Keane...) then it can become increasingly difficult for players to focus on their jobs for their current clubs. Is this fair on the clubs who own the players and want the best out of them whilst they remain under contract? Hardly.
It’s equally unfair if a player doesn’t want to play through fear of injury or becoming cup-tied, as Samir Nasri would have done had he played for Arsenal against Udinese in the week. On the same point, it’s not fair either for those players who are model professionals and wish to go about their jobs as normal, if their club wants to shift them for a sizeable fee and so won’t select them whilst negotiations are ongoing.
With a January window in place too, it becomes unavoidable as the New Year hits, but often players are already cup-tied in various competitions and few ‘big moves’ really materialise at this time of year anyway.
But at the start of the season, the transfer window turns football into a farce. It would seem best for both players, clubs and the paying public if the ‘silly season’ were to end before the real season begins. Let's just get on with the football!
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