Has Louis Of The Quick Lip Become Louis Of The Lost Plot?

Posted: August 13, 2015 in Football, Manchester United
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Shortly before the transfer window officially opened Louis van Gaal told everyone who would listen that he wanted ALL his transfer business concluding before the pre-season tour to the US of A.

This makes sense in many ways. It gives any new signings the chance to get to know their new team mates on and off the pitch. It gives them the chance to get to know the club and the way it works. It also gives them the opportunity to play some games where the result doesn’t really matter. All of this culminating, hopefully, in a harmonious and reenergised team returning to the UK raring to go. Read the rest of this entry »

When Football And Medicine Don’t Mix

Posted: August 12, 2015 in Chelsea, Football, Jose Mourinho, Opinion
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When a footballer is genuinely injured he is usually substituted and the game continues with eleven against eleven. When a footballer feigns injury he is usually booked and the game continues with eleven against eleven, (assuming the referee or linesman spots the deception). In between these two extremes is the “ouch, that hurt!” type of injury.

This is a minor injury which is not serious enough to warrant a substitution. It may not even require any attention from the physio but this one is the difficult one to call. If the player is more seriously injured than at first thought, the physio will be in trouble for not immediately attending. If the physio attends and the injury is not serious then the club may suffer as the player will need to leave the pitch until allowed back on by the referee.

All the annoyance and confusion caused by Eden Hazard going down injured against Swansea City towards the end of the game at Stamford Bridge can be summed up in five words. The law is an ass. Read the rest of this entry »

Online Articles And Comments

Posted: August 12, 2015 in Opinion
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imageI have to admit that I enjoy reading the comments posted by people on articles online. From intellectual comments on the Guardian Crossword to total abuse on football fan sites, it is all fascinating stuff.

Also fascinating are the rules on individual sites. There are sites who don’t like you linking to anything third party. This is sometimes reasonable. If they have advertisers paying to be shown on their site and you are pushing smoke free, tobacco free, nicotine free cigarettes by linking at the end of a comment, then expect them to be annoyed. Again, they will delete your links without actually stopping you from commenting, hardly a punishment if you are just a serial commenter. Read the rest of this entry »

The Scout

Posted: August 11, 2015 in Football
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Speaking entirely as a novice I am caused occasional frustration when I see the top clubs spending millions on players.

You would think that, as the richest teams in Europe, the top clubs would have the top scouts. If that is the case where are the unknown players? We see the occasional kid being signed at fifteen or sixteen, only to go out on loan for the next three years, then usually get sold as he wasn’t quite good enough for the first team. Scouts obviously attend the youth matches because they need players for their own youth teams but, as has been said a lot lately, where are these players coming through?

Good scouting is more evident from about 8th or 9th place down in the Premier league. It seems that every club from there downwards has a decent scouting system and can bring players through themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

The Neglected North

Posted: August 9, 2015 in Opinion
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It has been a feature in many countries for many years. The great North/South divide. Usually about distribution of wealth, occasionally about principles. The first time I was made aware of it, historically at least, was the American Civil War but it stretches far and wide.

Most people will be aware of the split in England which starts, (or finishes), somewhere around Watford according to popular beliefs. Apparently it actually occurs somewhere around the Midlands, which makes more sense.

Politically, it is a divide designed to keep most of the wealth in the South and, to this aim, it has succeeded. Where it becomes distasteful is when sport is involved and you look at the lengths the sporting bodies will go to to make sure any available profit goes South. Read the rest of this entry »

Angel Sneaks Off To Paris

Posted: August 7, 2015 in Football, Manchester United, Opinion
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It seems that, whenever Angel Di Maria does anything controversial, it always involves a third party and it is usually their fault.

When he left Real Madrid he felt the need to make excuses so he wouldn’t be globally detested by the supporters of los Blancos. He had been there for four years so the fans, by this time, would know whether they thought he was good, bad or just plain ugly.

This is a sentence from his open letter to them;
‘Unfortunately, I have to go but I want to make clear that this was never my desire.’ Read the rest of this entry »

It Isn’t Easy Being Manchester United

Posted: August 4, 2015 in Manchester United
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(This is an article I first posted back in August of last year. The reason for republishing this edited version is simple, it is still pretty relevant.)

Well, that ‘s the halfway stage reached with United in fifth place. The expectation after the last spend would have been a little higher, maybe fourth or third, as everybody expected Chelsea and City to be one and two, so a little down on target to date.

Now, all that remains to be done is to strengthen the squad so that the second half of the season culminates in a top four finish.

So let the problems begin. Firstly, everybody who is anybody will be linked with a move to United except the three, now untouchable, at Barcelona, (as eagle-eyed readers will know, since this article, Neymar actually has been linked with United).This, in itself, is a problem. Gone are the days when you merely had to say that you represented Manchester United for the targeted player to immediately pack his bags and instruct his agent to negotiate his departure. Read the rest of this entry »

Soap Operas

Posted: August 3, 2015 in British Television
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You rarely see any soap and I have yet to see a fat lady singing but I have to admit that, although I list soap operas under my dislikes, I have actually watched them a few times. What puts me off is that the reality they try to depict is actually what makes them so unreal.

Using examples from Eastenders and Coronation Street, which are Britain’s two most popular and successful soaps let me try and explain what I mean.

If these two are the most popular soaps in the UK, how come nobody in either of the two soaps watches them? Characters in Eastenders could watch Coronation Street and vice versa. Seeing Denis and Rita snuggle up on the sofa watching Coronation Street would be too unreal or too surreal, one or the other, but watching each others soap would work. Read the rest of this entry »

Convenience English, Not Correct English

Posted: August 1, 2015 in Misuse of Words
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Just to continue my polite little dig at the incorrect use of the English language and in particular the media who generally misuse it. The standard of English being screened to which our children are listening is, for want of a better word, diabolical.

The examples I will use are taken from watching Sky Sports and Sky News, but I am sure they are also commonplace on other channels.

Firstly, may I remind anyone old enough to remember and inform anyone not old enough to remember that at one time, to appear on TV, (admittedly there were only 2 channels at the time), one was required to wear a suit and tie and have an Old Etonian accent at least. This was never something I particularly agreed with as there are plenty of people for whom English is an art form, who didn’t attend Eton and who look terrible in a suit. Read the rest of this entry »

Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich

Posted: July 29, 2015 in European Football, Football, Opinion
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Why do top players, when given the chance to sign for one of the top clubs, invariably choose Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich? Even Manchester United rarely get a look-in if one of these three is involved.

It’s too simplistic to say they are the best teams in Europe. In the last ten years only Barcelona have enjoyed relative success in the Champions league, having won it four times. Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have each won it once in the same period.

Of the leagues in which they play only the Premier League can be said to be contested by more than two or three teams. Read the rest of this entry »

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