Jack Wilshere’s comments on Wednesday on what it means to be an English footballer were blunt and hard hitting,
“We have to remember what we are.
“We are English. We tackle hard, are tough on the pitch and are hard to beat.
“We have great characters. You think of Spain and you think technical but you think of England and you think they are brave and they tackle hard. We have to remember that.”
Patriotic to say the least, but Wilshere may have bitten off more than he can chew with his remarks. To cite cliché and stereotype is always a dangerous game, regardless of the subject matter.
Young Jack has inadvertently highlighted the England national side’s core problem once more, and with his proud pigeon-holing, the Arsenal man seems worryingly blind to it.
Rafael
Benitez, it seems, has drunk deeply from the poisoned chalice – one that he
willingly poured himself. Quoted on Tuesday as the harbinger of the end of the Chelsea ‘old guard’, his words have been met with derision and a bitter
resentment that all but sums up his time in the hot seat so far.
"Everyone knows the legends have been here and what
they have achieved but you have to see new players coming in. It's part of
life.” Benitez said on the eve of yet another damning defeat to Swansea in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday, “You have to think about the future and move
forward, bring in new players and try, at the same time, to bring the best out
of those you have.”
These
words will ring truest with Frank Lampard, who has seen his status as
‘untouchable legend’ take a dramatic turn for the worse. He now has the air of
a man out to prove a point, not that his is a point that needs proving. A
glittering career, littered with as many personal and team accolades that could
be attained; Lampard has become one of the finest examples of the beautiful
game in living memory. His recent exploits have seen him lead Chelsea to glory in Europe’s premier stage, and continue over into the new season with similar
swashbuckling roles.
How
then, ask the multitude of fans, players and pundits alike, can Chelsea justify
not offering their living legend, who is on the verge of becoming their top
ever goal-scorer (from midfield), a new contract?
Perhaps
Benitez should have delved into the quote books, and presented such a statement
as one Harold Wilson, ex-Prime Minister, delivered - “He who
rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which
rejects progress is the cemetery.”
It has
been said ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s
departure in 2011 that Chelsea are a team in transition. Transition is not an
overnight sensation; it is a carefully constructed beast, with a multitude of
cogs and parts, physical, and emotional. And this process is still young at the
London club, even though the seeds have been well and truly sown for all to
see. The aged front line of Malouda, Drogba and Anelka has been successfully
phased out, and in its place, a vibrant, youthful and clinical array of stars
are now terrorising defenders all over the country.
Clubs
that look to revolutionise their playing style, and construct a new-look team,
often start building from the back. But this is not the case at Chelsea. With
some claiming that Chelsea won last season’s Champions league purely on the
merits of their unbreachable defence (as well as a bit of luck), it seems that
the backline is not in need of an overhaul. It is rather their attack that has
seen an influx of new talent. Now all that’s left to address, logically, is their
midfield.
Already with Ramires and now a reshuffled David Luiz, they have two
young, vivacious Brazilian destroyers; one much akin to a terrier, the other a
rabid sheepdog. So where does a 34 year old Lampard, so tuned to the old
Chelsea playing style, fit into this new machine?
Take the
case of Alessandro Del Piero. A stalwart if ever there was one, his 19 year
dynasty was brought to an abrupt end as Juventus saw an opening for change.
Fans of the ‘Old Lady’ were beside themselves with grief and anger at the news.
None could fathom why the board had decided to dispense with their hero, a hero
who had followed them down to Serie B following the 2006 match fixing scandal,
and then led them to an undefeated 2011 top flight championship.
At 37,
and his contract drawing to a close, it was time for a new era to begin. His
work was done, in the eyes of the Juventus hierarchy. And have Juventus
suffered in his absence? Not a bit. Oozing fast, exciting football, dark horses
for the Champions league, and holding a five point lead in Serie A, Juventus
are a team that have successfully completed a full footballing cycle. Del
Piero’s exit was inevitable, despite the obvious melancholy. Change is often
necessary, but correct timing and handling of it is even more vital.
Benitez understands this, saying “They (Chelsea’s older
players) were so successful that now everybody can see only the players who
won, but you have to see the new players coming and maybe winning in the
future. It is difficult."
In Juan
Mata, Eden Hazard, and Oscar, Chelsea have laid down the blueprints for a new
system. The overpowering triumvirate of Lampard, Essien and Makelele that
brought about so much success for the Blues is almost but a loving memory.
Their power and physicality, with Drogba and Michael Ballack also fitting the
bill, defined an era for Chelsea.
Now, armed with a new array of weapons,
Chelsea’s minute trio are looking to usher in a new decade of dominance – which
leaves Frank Lampard a beloved relic of times gone by.
As with
Drogba, now with Lampard, and maybe even Ashley Cole and John Terry in the near
future, sacrifices are part and parcel of change. We must praise Chelsea’s
willingness at attempting to change an entire team’s heart and soul, rather
than lambast them for the inevitable casualties that ensue.
We are looking at a
situation not unlike a cocoon hatching into a butterfly; as the hunt for young
blood continues to transform Chelsea from their rock solid foundations, into a
beautiful, free flowing footballing entity.
However, Chelsea fans will pray
Roman and his millions ultimately forge something natural and prevalent, taking
their beloved club away from the Frankenstein-esque muddle that Benitez oversaw
against Swansea.
Continuity gives us roots; change
gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. ~Pauline
R. Kezer
Links and Pictures: BBC Sport, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Youtube, www.dawncompk.files.wordpress.com, www.taipeitimes.com, The Daily Mail, www.english.gazzetta.it
As a devout football fan, it is always a sad day
when my heroes retire from the game. They seem to be indestructible, but we all
know in the back of our minds that the day will come for even the most ageless
of idols to hang up their boots. Similarly, loyalty and decade long consistency
must eventually come to an end, and club legends gracefully, or even abruptly,
pass into club folklore, moving to obscure new horizons for one last blaze of
glory. It hurts when reality kicks in, and one realises that football is
finite.
Nike: The Mission - the best football advert? Check out Batistuta's below!
It is just this reality check that makes it all the
more sweet when the unthinkable occurs, and players triumphantly return to the
limelight, and perform, for however briefly, once more for an adoring crowd. We
have seen players come out of retirement to help their ailing club; players,
who have such a love of the game, continue plying their trade in far off
leagues, or even divisions far below the prying eyes of Sky Sports cameras; we
have even seen legends take up new sports, and succeed even further. It warms the cockles of my heart to such an
extent, that I feel it necessary to chronicle their exploits as and when they
happen – when the Footballing Gods redeliver such opulent figures of our
childhood.
1.Edgar Davids
The bespeckled Dutch terrier has jumped into the
papers recently, as he geared up for another bash at lower league English
football, this time with League 2 side, Barnet. After coming out of retirement
in 2010 to briefly turn out for Crystal Palace, we can now see him, at the age
of 39, haring around the Underhill Stadium in North London, ensuring that the ‘Pitbull’s’
legacy continues in the form of bumps and bruises to bewildered Football League
players.
Most recently, Davids inspired his new side to a resounding 4-0 win over Northampton. He played the 90 minutes, and even made
himself captain for the game. Davids was named man-of-the-match.
Speaking after the game,
he said, “I feel the man-of-the-match belongs to the whole group because it was a
team effort.
'We saw that they really had a lot of energy and I’m proud of them
because the tactical things we worked on all week they executed them."
Did you know: Edgar Davids wears his trademark protective glasses on the
pitch, as he suffers from glaucoma.
Juventus through and through, the Italian maestro
brought his 19-year association with the ‘Old Lady’ to an end this year, when
he joined Australian A-League outfit, Sydney Fc. The 37-year-old signed a two
year deal with the club, making him the highest paid player in the league.
Speaking about his last game and leaving his beloved Juventus, Del Piero
said, "The fans went above and
beyond that day, no one had actually told me that I would never play for Juve
again, but I knew that was the case. I saw the board go up with my number on it
and asked myself: 'Do I really have to say goodbye? Do I have to leave the
stadium for the last time?'
"I bowed to all four stands
and waved to my family. I wanted to take it all in but I remembered where I was
and told myself: 'Ale, get off, it's over'. But the fans made me come back out
on to the pitch. I did two laps of honour and they threw hundreds of scarves at
me. I saw people crying. I suppose it went well, but goodbyes always leave a
bitter taste in the mouth."
A true genius of the game, Del
Piero has continued to delight, scoring twice in his first three games – with
one a wonderful free kick.
Did you know: When Juventus were
relegated to Serie B in the Italian match fixing scandal in 2006, Del Piero was
one of their high-profile players that stayed with the ‘Old Lady’ to help win
immediate promotion. On his decision to stay, he said, “A true gentleman never leaves his Lady” And...even though I cant speak Italian, these advert outtakes with Totti are brilliant.
3. Gabriel Batistuta
‘Batigol’ was one of those players with a shot like
a bolt of lightning. Goalkeepers risked losing an arm if they attempted to get
near one of Batistuta’s pile-drivers! Retiring in 2005 after breaking the
record for most goals scored in a season in the Qatar league (he ended his time
there with 25 goals in 21 games, aged 36), Fiorentina legend Batistuta was last
seen on the sporting scene in 2009, trying his hand at polo! Procuring his own
polo club, it seemed as if his insatiable hunger for success would never leave.
It was short lived
however, realising that his great talent lay with the football. "I was
awful!” he said after his first polo match,“The important thing is I'm learning and I'm having fun, but you cannot
change who you are, and I want to do things well even if I'm not a
professional."
Did you know:
Batistuta currently runs his own construction company in Argentina and works as
technical secretary to Argentine club, Colon.
