Tuesday, March 25, 2008

CUT THE REFFING LANGUAGE OUT by the always-entertaining Robbo Robson (BBC Sports website)

Viva Steve Bennett!I did a quick straw poll in the Blue Bell about Mascherano's sending-off at Old Trafford and the size of the majority in favour was slightly larger than the vote Vladimir Putin gets during a Russian election, i.e. 102 per cent. (I know that doesn't make sense, but Kevin Keegan's teams never give less than 200 per cent, so it makes football sense.)Not that much in football makes sense anymore. For example...Wayne Rooney: "I don't think the sending-off changed the game too much." And Rafa Benitez: "Ryan Babel heard everything and told me Mascherano was just asking why Fernando Torres had been booked." Mascherano was at it from the word go, chipping away like one of them tiresome one-eyed fans you sometimes sit next to. The one who can't believe any decision should go against him or his team. Fortunately at the Boro you can always find another seat. Fact is, if you get booked, you keep your head down, you don't become a registered ref-baiter for the afternoon. Some have said the skipper should have stepped in to save little Javier. Alonso tried to, but where was Gerrard? Well given the fact you never noticed him in the other 89 minutes, why should he suddenly turn up then? It doesn't matter what his defenders say, Mascherano had to go. And if this does prove to be a line in the sand for refs then we should all celebrate. Although hearing John Terry saying he's behind moves to stop the hounding of officials is a bit like Wallace and Gromit backing a national ban on cheese. Fergie called the ref's treatment 'ridiciulous' - which he acknowledged was a bit rich after the way his players tore into Andy D'Urso in 2000 like Billy Bunter at an unmanned school tuck-shop.
And this is the same Ferguson who laid into Martin Atkinson after the home defeat to Pompey in the Cup! It's either stupidity or hypocrisy for these blokes to back moves to end a practice which they are as guilty of as anyone else in the game. To me, it starts with the managers. How many more times do we have to put up with the ref being responsible for a team's defeat? Avram feels his team are victimised after Ashley Cole's pathetic hissy-fit at White Hart Lane. Perhaps you could thank – or forgive - the assistant ref for not putting his flag up for your equaliser on Sunday? Would Fergie have defended Bennett if it was one of his boys who got red-carded for too much chat? Let's face it, it's surely only a matter of time before TV companies decided to show Man U games with Wazza's gob permanently pixilated. We know only too well that Wenger's capacity for looking in the wrong direction at the right time is second to none. He is desperate for more protection for his team - and yet Arsenal's disciplinary record is pretty shocking since he arrived there. These blokes need to grow up more than the players. And learn to lose, even if decisions go against them - 'cos you know what, it's the nature of the game. Tough. Get on with it. And stop standing behind players who have been just plain dumb. Of course it's just as bad at grass-roots level, where great lunks not unlike meself think they can get away with threatening to take the chain off a ref's bike if he doesn't reverse a decision. And don't get me started on these snarling touchline tyrants of parents who can't accept their little lad could ever swear at an opponent and will tell the ref as much, using phrases drawn from the Gordon Ramsay Book of Social Etiquette. Now, I don't want to come across as a big Jessie about all this. I know some swear-words, me, and I’m not afraid to ******* use them. (Not my asterisks). But I should be told to leave the field of play if I use them in the direction of a bloke whose job is to see that rules are enforced. It's got to be fair enough. Of course, unless the FA back the refs up, nowt'll change. It'd be nice to see the affluent lads with effluent gobs given red cards and automatic three-match bans for dissent. It'd also be nice to think if a team racks up lots of red cards for such behaviour that points can be docked 'n all. It wouldn't be hard to enforce. Finally, let's make it a rule that only the skippers can discuss decisions with the ref. It works in rugby (unlike most things in that sport) so let's try it in football – that's if the ref can actually find Steven Gerrard that day, of course.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

THE MASCHERANO/BENNETT DEBATE

At the risk of annoying of all of our Liverpool fans I have to say that I think Steve Bennett was 100% right to send Mascherano off against Manchester United. His first yellow card was warranted as he slid in late on Paul Scholes. Mascherano seemed intent on pointing out to Bennett that it was his first foul of the match but that is irrelevant. If your first foul is a bad one you are going to earn a yellow card. Thereafter, Mascherano queried every decision, usually with a few expletives thrown in for good measure. Any time a foul was committed by a United player he wanted a yellow card to be produced as he clearly felt his card was unjust. Even though it was apparent that Mascherano was a ticking time bomb, Benitez did nothing (he should have substituted him after 20 minutes) and Gerrard showed a distinct lack of leadership by not intervening to try and calm the Argentinian down. There was an inevitability about the second yellow and the level of Liverpool's brainless stupidity is demonstrated by the fact that they had won a free-kick for a foul on Torres. Yet, despite having the decision in their favour, Liverpool argued the point and both Torres and Mascherano (who ran 20 yards to get involved) picked up yellow cards. Sheer madness. And Benitez himself is doing the game of soccer no favours by supporting his player. Is it any wonder that there is so little respect in the game?

Saturday, March 22, 2008

LIAM WEEKS - FEBRUARY MONTHLY WINNER


The Department of Government's Liam Weeks - pictured here outside the European Central Bank in Frankfurt with a copy of 'Sliding Tackle' - won the February monthly competition with Sinead Hackett (Pensions) and Joel Walmsley (Philosophy) finishing second and third respectively.

Monday, March 17, 2008

GRANT HAS NEVER MEASURED UP by Eoin O'Callaghan

It was always an interesting development, wasn’t it? Originally it was a ‘who’s who’ of football glitterati linked to the job – Rijkaard, Klinsmann, Deschamps. All young, energetic and revered ex-pros whose successes with Barcelona, Germany and Monaco (and to a certain degree, Juventus too) respectively saw their names naturally linked to Mourinho’s vacated King’s chair. When the news came that the 52 year-old Israeli, Avram Grant, had been installed as Mourinho’s replacement, few believed it would ever be anything other than a short-term thing.

We have been led to believe that there exists a deep and meaningful relationship between Grant and Roman Abramovich but in reality, Grant is never going to get past first base. The courtship is fleeting and flirtatious but never passionate. The roles are clearly defined – Grant clings to the notion of long-term happiness while Abramovich eyes up his next bit on the side – Frank Arneson, Henk Ten Cate, even Grant himself have all been the third party at some stage – and all played their part in the collapse of the Mourinho/Abramovich ‘unhappy – ever – after’.

The bottom line is that Grant has never ‘been’ Chelsea. He has never ‘looked’ Chelsea, never ‘acted’ Chelsea, never ‘talked’ Chelsea. Whether they like it or not, there is a certain image that corresponds to Chelsea Football Club. It has developed and evolved since the ‘London wide-boy’ stereotype of the 1970s but under Mourinho, the club revelled in the vibe that he gave off. His was the self-adoration, the cute Manuel–isms, the air of self-confidence, the slicked-back swagger. Grant is the short, back and sides in the whole affair. He does not fit the requisite mould and so, he will not last. Friend or foe, Abramovich has proven in his spiky yet incredibly successful tenure at the Bridge that above all else, he’s a businessman and he’s not afraid to sharpen his scythe when required. Heads will roll at Stamford Bridge this summer and it won’t be pretty. As much as headlines will scream ‘Russian roulette’ as the season draws to a close, Abramovich only likes a gamble if the odds are in his favour. And at the moment, the unlikelihood of Chelsea winning the Premiership and Champions League, as well as the recent, highly embarrassing Cup defeats to Spurs and Barnsley will ensure that Avram Grant’s future at Chelsea makes for grim reading.

Grant’s biggest problem has been that he’s not Jose Mourinho and as much as he lacks charisma, charm and an inability to play the media (personality traits that the Portuguese had in abundance) he has struggled on the pitch too. After Mourinho had encountered fierce criticisms for his ‘win at all cost’ style of play, Grant’s Chelsea promised entertaining, free-spirited football. But we haven’t got that either. In fact, before their 6-1 routing of a hapless Derby side on Wednesday night, Chelsea had scored just 23 goals at Stamford Bridge (where they remain unbeaten, although have only won there on 6 occasions) this season. Florent Malouda, Chelsea’s big summer signing, has scored 1 Premier League goal since joining the club while, as the first team prepared for the Champions League clash with Olympiakos, record-signing Andriy Shevchenko spent last Monday night captaining the Chelsea reserves as they took on their Reading counterparts. Alongside him were Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro, neither included in the Champions League squad. Chelsea’s humiliation at losing the game 2-1 probably wasn’t as bad as that felt by the former European Footballer of the Year - togging out at Griffin Park in front of a few hundred men and their dogs.

The internal difficulties at Chelsea have been well-documented but, with Henk Ten Cate being told to tow the line in the aftermath of a well-publicised spat with John Terry, the secret player meetings and behind-the-scenes bust-ups the problems don’t appear to be going away. And, if Chelsea’s season ends trophy-less, it may not only be Avram Grant on the move. Shevchenko looks to be on his way back to Milan, Lampard only has one year remaining on his contract, Drogba remains as ambiguous as ever regarding his future at the club and, depending on who the next man is, inconsistent performers like Shaun Wright-Philips and Wayne Bridge could be on their way too.

It’s hard to think of anyone else who could patrol Stamford Bridge the way Jose Mourinho did. The closest one gets is Frank Rijkaard, though he has always failed to get the balance right between self-confidence and supreme arrogance. As much the club needs someone with the personality to match that of the club, it also needs someone with the capability of controlling the growing player-power and channelling their grievances, egos and above all else, their incredible ability in the right direction. For the sake of the club, let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later.