This week's post is being formed against a backdrop of conspiracy, rumour and damned lies: that’s right, it could only be the final day of the summer transfer window.
Like I’m sure was the case for many of you today, my efforts on my return to the office from the bank holiday weekend stretched only to logging on to BBC’s live transfer deadline day feed, and clicking the refresh icon. Oh, and I popped out for lunch briefly too.
With the final deals of the day being announced as I type, it looks like being yet another uneventful deadline day, with Sunderland so far the main headline grabbers with their £13m purchase of Ghana’s world cup star Asamoah Gyan. Yet there was plenty to keep us avid transfer followers occupied.
If all the texts and emails into the BBC are to be believed, it must have been a hell of a busy day at motorway service stations today. Half the Premiership was rumoured to be tucking in to overpriced lunches as they negotiated transfers with their agents and prospective new employers.
Elsewhere, Ryan Babel was seemingly touring England in a helicopter. But where was the chopper heading? Someone said West Ham; someone else was sure it was Spurs; and unconfirmed reports suggested he was merely filming scenes for a remake of Airwolf. As it stands, Babel is still a Liverpool player, so the latter may actually be the most likely of explanations.
Players were spotted at rivals’ training grounds; international stars had been seen boarding flights to London; and anonymous texters were recounting fourth hand rumours that had originated from their mate’s Dad’s dog. Quite frankly, you couldn’t make it up. Except some people quite obviously were. A lot of them in fact.
That only a fraction of the supposed “done deals” have actually come off shouldn’t really come as a surprise. It makes little sense for clubs to try and cram all their transfer dealings into one day, when they’ve had the whole summer to refine their squads after making informed judgements on players they have tracked the season before. Yet many clubs do opt for that last minute trip to football’s bargain bucket - hoping to pick up a diamond in the rough, but instead having to make do with a Marcus Bent. On loan.
To be honest, I’m a little unsure on the actual point to the transfer window. Is it supposed to encourage clubs to give home grown players more of a chance when injuries and suspensions hit their main players? Is it supposed to level the playing field; making sure the bigger teams are just as hampered by injury crises as those with less spending power? I don’t think we can conclusively say that either has been achieved since it came in to force.
Perhaps it has been brought in simply to stimulate employment in the sports reporter industry? Sky Sports News certainly has an army of suited reporters setting up temporary homes outside Premier League training grounds at the end of August every year. Without deadline day, these pour souls would be on the media scrapheap - battling with graduates for jobs presenting early morning quiz shows.
On a personal note, I’m pleased that my club has managed to get to the end of the transfer deadline with its prized assets still on the books. This hasn’t always been the case, and for many clubs at the lower end of the English football pyramid, deadline day is something to dread rather than enjoy. It’s the day when the local heroes that they have nurtured since their teens get their heads turned by bigger clubs, and set off for the bright lights of the top flight.
It works the other way too: it can also be a day when the club’s board desperately try to sell off the family silver in an attempt to keep the club afloat. The latter is particularly painful to watch, and having witnessed my own team do just that in previous years, I feel for any fans who had to go through that experience today.
Lastly, and in no way connected to transfer deadline day, I just wanted to mention the excellent Non-League Day initiative; which is encouraging fans of clubs in the Premier League and Championship to get behind their local non-league team this weekend as the international break means there will be no football in the top two divisions. More information is available at: http://www.nonleagueday.co.uk/
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Monday, 16 August 2010
Seasiders should make the most of their big days out
Last week I wrote of the emancipating quality of the opening weekend of the Premier League football season: a time when all men are equal and the strong stench of unfounded optimism fills the air.
Come Saturday morning, I was confidence personified. Not only were West Ham going to comfortably beat a chaotic Aston Villa team, but they were odds-on to enjoy a fine season that would see them finish in the top half of the table. Who knows, perhaps even a little trip to Wembley might be on the cards?
By 4.45 pm, things had changed somewhat. Dramatically in fact. West Ham had been beaten 3-0 by a far from chaotic Villa team, and match reports suggested the fact that the hosts’ goal tally amounted only to three was the only positive element to West Ham’s afternoon. Our hapless young centre half, James Tomkins, was once again, well, hapless. Our former England goalkeeper, Robert Green, continued where he left off in South Africa with a nervy display. And our attack, so toothless in our dreadful season last time out, was once again all gums.
So in succumbing to the allure of a new football season and believing once again that this year might be “our” year, I forgot the first rule of football: that more often than not, this game will let you down. Oh what it must feel like to be a Blackpool fan this week? A 4-0 away win on their maiden voyage into the choppy waters of the Premier League means the Seasiders are flying high in the embryonic (ok, utterly pointless) league table, and are already dreaming of mid-table mediocrity.
But as the old adage goes, the season is a marathon and not a sprint. Blackpool will play far better teams than Wigan this season, and both goals and points will be a lot more difficult to come by. Yes, it’s possible that they will even play teams that look like they have played professional football once or twice before, and have a goalkeeper that makes the odd attempt at keeping the ball out of his goal, rather than simply chucking it in the net whenever the thing comes near him - a la Chris Kirkland.
So as uplifting as that result at the DW must have been on Saturday, Blackpool fans will do well to exert a little caution in their hopes for the season. At the moment, they are an unknown quantity whose players are completely off the radar to the average Premier League fan. They will be able to bring that element of surprise to their first dozen fixtures, and bigger names than Wigan may well fall victim to their sheer enthusiasm.
But as Hull Cityfound two seasons ago, and many others before them, the honeymoon period doesn’t last forever. Teams will soon be prepared for their work ethic, and will be wise to their set piece routines. Journeymen footballers enjoying Indian summers at the start of the season, will return to their erratic selves come the winter and 4-0 away victories may seem as far in the past as Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. And then if they do manage to stay up, there’s the daunting prospect of falling foul of second season syndrome. Oh what’s the point of all this Premier League nonsense?!
Sometimes I genuinely think life would be easier being a fan of a non-league team. Where expectations are low and so are the entrance fees. Ok so perhaps not as low as the standard of football, but maybe we’d get used to it? We’d be able to stand on the terraces and enjoy a pint with the players in the bar after the game. We’d be able to call ourselves “real football fans” and say it without any hint of a grimace.
But tempting as it may be to dust down those old rose tinted spectacles; however disappointing the first game of the season may have been, or daunting the next 10, this season’s Premier League season really is shaping up to be the most competitive yet.
The “season of austerity” has seen - with the exception of Manchester City - even the biggest of big boys tighten their considerable belts. Money is scarce and with the 25 man squad restrictions soon coming in to force, there is a levelling of the playing field for the first time in many a season.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchesters City and United and even Spurs are all in the hunt for top spot - giving us perhaps the closest Premier League title race in years. And for the first time in living memory, the three promoted sides are not dead certs for relegation.
So whilst coalition cuts are hitting pockets hard across the nation, football may be one of the few, and unlikeliest of beneficiaries. Just remember though, whether you are Chelsea, Blackpool or anyone inbetween, the only table that really matters is the one at the end of May after the 38th game has been played. Before then, we just have the small matter of 37 matches of pure agony to get through. Seasiders be warned: no-one said this was going to be fun.
Come Saturday morning, I was confidence personified. Not only were West Ham going to comfortably beat a chaotic Aston Villa team, but they were odds-on to enjoy a fine season that would see them finish in the top half of the table. Who knows, perhaps even a little trip to Wembley might be on the cards?
By 4.45 pm, things had changed somewhat. Dramatically in fact. West Ham had been beaten 3-0 by a far from chaotic Villa team, and match reports suggested the fact that the hosts’ goal tally amounted only to three was the only positive element to West Ham’s afternoon. Our hapless young centre half, James Tomkins, was once again, well, hapless. Our former England goalkeeper, Robert Green, continued where he left off in South Africa with a nervy display. And our attack, so toothless in our dreadful season last time out, was once again all gums.
So in succumbing to the allure of a new football season and believing once again that this year might be “our” year, I forgot the first rule of football: that more often than not, this game will let you down. Oh what it must feel like to be a Blackpool fan this week? A 4-0 away win on their maiden voyage into the choppy waters of the Premier League means the Seasiders are flying high in the embryonic (ok, utterly pointless) league table, and are already dreaming of mid-table mediocrity.
But as the old adage goes, the season is a marathon and not a sprint. Blackpool will play far better teams than Wigan this season, and both goals and points will be a lot more difficult to come by. Yes, it’s possible that they will even play teams that look like they have played professional football once or twice before, and have a goalkeeper that makes the odd attempt at keeping the ball out of his goal, rather than simply chucking it in the net whenever the thing comes near him - a la Chris Kirkland.
So as uplifting as that result at the DW must have been on Saturday, Blackpool fans will do well to exert a little caution in their hopes for the season. At the moment, they are an unknown quantity whose players are completely off the radar to the average Premier League fan. They will be able to bring that element of surprise to their first dozen fixtures, and bigger names than Wigan may well fall victim to their sheer enthusiasm.
But as Hull Cityfound two seasons ago, and many others before them, the honeymoon period doesn’t last forever. Teams will soon be prepared for their work ethic, and will be wise to their set piece routines. Journeymen footballers enjoying Indian summers at the start of the season, will return to their erratic selves come the winter and 4-0 away victories may seem as far in the past as Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. And then if they do manage to stay up, there’s the daunting prospect of falling foul of second season syndrome. Oh what’s the point of all this Premier League nonsense?!
Sometimes I genuinely think life would be easier being a fan of a non-league team. Where expectations are low and so are the entrance fees. Ok so perhaps not as low as the standard of football, but maybe we’d get used to it? We’d be able to stand on the terraces and enjoy a pint with the players in the bar after the game. We’d be able to call ourselves “real football fans” and say it without any hint of a grimace.
But tempting as it may be to dust down those old rose tinted spectacles; however disappointing the first game of the season may have been, or daunting the next 10, this season’s Premier League season really is shaping up to be the most competitive yet.
The “season of austerity” has seen - with the exception of Manchester City - even the biggest of big boys tighten their considerable belts. Money is scarce and with the 25 man squad restrictions soon coming in to force, there is a levelling of the playing field for the first time in many a season.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchesters City and United and even Spurs are all in the hunt for top spot - giving us perhaps the closest Premier League title race in years. And for the first time in living memory, the three promoted sides are not dead certs for relegation.
So whilst coalition cuts are hitting pockets hard across the nation, football may be one of the few, and unlikeliest of beneficiaries. Just remember though, whether you are Chelsea, Blackpool or anyone inbetween, the only table that really matters is the one at the end of May after the 38th game has been played. Before then, we just have the small matter of 37 matches of pure agony to get through. Seasiders be warned: no-one said this was going to be fun.
Monday, 9 August 2010
Nine months and counting
It seems like only yesterday that Holland were kicking lumps out of Spain to a soundtrack of a swarm of bees in South Africa, but the summer break is almost over already and the new football season is about to begin.
Yesterday’s community shield - the traditional curtain raiser to the season - had football fans across the country flocking to their local just to catch a glimpse of semi-competitive football, after a month of getting by on the scraps that are pre-season friendlies. An evergreen performance from Paul Scholes, yet more dreadful positional play from John Terry and a promising debut from Javier Hernandez were the headlines from a game surprisingly high in tempo.
It was also an occasion for ITV to cement their position as the nation’s worst football broadcaster, with their highlights programme offering some laughable observations from their commentary team of Peter Drury and Chris Coleman. “Van der Sar dashes from his line like a child chasing sweets” was one almost sinister quip from Drury, whilst Coleman baffled viewers in describing Dimitar Berbatov as “as calm as cucumber”. Earlier, Coleman had remarked how Javier Hernandez “had probably broken his own nose” in the process of scoring United’s bizarre second goal, before adding “but he won’t care about that one bit” - something I find particularly hard to believe as no matter how good a goal I’d just scored, I would probably be a little concerned if I’d broken part of my face in the process.
Aside from sub-standard commentary and comedy goals, the game had that little bit of edge missing from all the football any of us have seen over the past four or five weeks. The summer break may be seen as a respite for many fans, whilst for others it is pure torture. Some of us have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid any contact with the game - holidaying in far off lands where football is yet to snare the locals into its trap, or even turning our attention to other (admittedly lesser) sports such as cricket, tennis, beach ping pong or scatch.
But for the rest of us, the only option was to seek out a football fix from wherever we could - stalking the TV guide for any hint of a football related programme, and believing every transfer rumour as if it was a fact uttered from the lips of Jesus Christ himself. Actually, the latter is probably not true for Spurs fans, who must now be well accustomed to Harry Redknapp’s transfer negotiation technique that nearly almost follows a formula of 1) confess to liking a player but categorically rule out the possibility of signing him based on the size of his transfer fee; 2) reiterate like for said player and speculate on what Spurs could achieve with a player of his talent, whilst categorically ruling out the possibility of signing him based on the size of his transfer fee; 3) make an attempt to end all speculation by declaring that there is no way said player will sign for Spurs based on the size of his transfer fee; 4) make a derisory bid for said player. This works surprisingly often and always to the merriment of Richard Keys and his chums in the Sky studio.
Anyway, I digress. Whilst my own hunt for football over the summer has seen me attend the Emirates Cup, tune in to Eurosport to watch the under-19 European Championship and pay good money to watch bad football played by West Ham and Deportivo La Coruna, others will I’m sure have gone to more extreme lengths. Many English clubs now travel to US or the Far East for their pre-season programmes for example, with small groups of their fans following them all the way. And things got so bad for my Dad that he even watched the Women’s under-20 World Cup on TV whilst on holiday (look, I'm sure there was just some very good technique on show ok?).
But we can all rest easy now, the wait is all but over. And best of all, we all start the season with a clean slate. Last season’s horrors are long forgotten, and everyone thinks that maybe, just maybe this is their team’s year. The fact that deep down, we all know that it’s almost certain to be Chelsea or United’s year and no-one else’s is immaterial. For one weekend only, every team in the league is level and anyone can be top of the pile with a good result. The best of luck to one and all, and let’s make the most of it while it’s here - there’s only nine months to go for God’s sake!
Yesterday’s community shield - the traditional curtain raiser to the season - had football fans across the country flocking to their local just to catch a glimpse of semi-competitive football, after a month of getting by on the scraps that are pre-season friendlies. An evergreen performance from Paul Scholes, yet more dreadful positional play from John Terry and a promising debut from Javier Hernandez were the headlines from a game surprisingly high in tempo.
It was also an occasion for ITV to cement their position as the nation’s worst football broadcaster, with their highlights programme offering some laughable observations from their commentary team of Peter Drury and Chris Coleman. “Van der Sar dashes from his line like a child chasing sweets” was one almost sinister quip from Drury, whilst Coleman baffled viewers in describing Dimitar Berbatov as “as calm as cucumber”. Earlier, Coleman had remarked how Javier Hernandez “had probably broken his own nose” in the process of scoring United’s bizarre second goal, before adding “but he won’t care about that one bit” - something I find particularly hard to believe as no matter how good a goal I’d just scored, I would probably be a little concerned if I’d broken part of my face in the process.
Aside from sub-standard commentary and comedy goals, the game had that little bit of edge missing from all the football any of us have seen over the past four or five weeks. The summer break may be seen as a respite for many fans, whilst for others it is pure torture. Some of us have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid any contact with the game - holidaying in far off lands where football is yet to snare the locals into its trap, or even turning our attention to other (admittedly lesser) sports such as cricket, tennis, beach ping pong or scatch.
But for the rest of us, the only option was to seek out a football fix from wherever we could - stalking the TV guide for any hint of a football related programme, and believing every transfer rumour as if it was a fact uttered from the lips of Jesus Christ himself. Actually, the latter is probably not true for Spurs fans, who must now be well accustomed to Harry Redknapp’s transfer negotiation technique that nearly almost follows a formula of 1) confess to liking a player but categorically rule out the possibility of signing him based on the size of his transfer fee; 2) reiterate like for said player and speculate on what Spurs could achieve with a player of his talent, whilst categorically ruling out the possibility of signing him based on the size of his transfer fee; 3) make an attempt to end all speculation by declaring that there is no way said player will sign for Spurs based on the size of his transfer fee; 4) make a derisory bid for said player. This works surprisingly often and always to the merriment of Richard Keys and his chums in the Sky studio.
Anyway, I digress. Whilst my own hunt for football over the summer has seen me attend the Emirates Cup, tune in to Eurosport to watch the under-19 European Championship and pay good money to watch bad football played by West Ham and Deportivo La Coruna, others will I’m sure have gone to more extreme lengths. Many English clubs now travel to US or the Far East for their pre-season programmes for example, with small groups of their fans following them all the way. And things got so bad for my Dad that he even watched the Women’s under-20 World Cup on TV whilst on holiday (look, I'm sure there was just some very good technique on show ok?).
But we can all rest easy now, the wait is all but over. And best of all, we all start the season with a clean slate. Last season’s horrors are long forgotten, and everyone thinks that maybe, just maybe this is their team’s year. The fact that deep down, we all know that it’s almost certain to be Chelsea or United’s year and no-one else’s is immaterial. For one weekend only, every team in the league is level and anyone can be top of the pile with a good result. The best of luck to one and all, and let’s make the most of it while it’s here - there’s only nine months to go for God’s sake!
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