'Heskey Helps' - The Papadopoulos Perspective 3.0

So, two weeks into the new Premier league season, and what have we learnt so far? We can see that from the glittering example of the Olympics that there is a bundle of potential out there. The whole Team GB squad has now taken its place back in the top squads around the country and is ready to once again show that the English make bloody good……. substitutes.

Oh yes…It’s time for some more Papa ramblings…

What are my predictions for the Premier league this season? Well, it looks like another dramatic campaign amongst the ‘We-have-too-much-money’ brigade again, with Man City, Man United and Chelsea gearing up for a three-way duel up the top. In my opinion, they may as well just have matches between the top five or so and not even bother with the rest! Here’s an idea: The top five can make no more signings; and we have a situation half way through the season where each bottom half team takes a lucky dip from the top half and that player has to join them for free. Oh yeah, and added time multi ball is a must!

I would also bring in a game called ‘HESKEY HELPS’ where in one game a season, Emile Heskey wears the shirt of your club and attempts to score a penalty against whoever the opposition goalie is that day. If he scores your team gets three potentially vital extra points and Heskey finally becomes a hero! Okay, I’ve got carried away.

Don’t get me wrong, being a football fan over the past decade or so has been brilliant! I love the game and everything that goes with it. But, as I sit here, seeing if my boys at Blackburn Rovers are going to spend even more ludicrous fees on players, I can’t help but think… what happened to more emphasis on youth?! Even in the Championship, Blackburn have made five Portuguese signings this year!

The youth don’t have a hope in hell.

#HESKEYHELPS

Links/Pictures: MSN, http://martinthebear07.wordpress.com/, daily mail, just-eat.co.uk, twitter, alaska-in-pictures.com
Edit: tgatehouse
Constructed by Martin Gibson, aka 'Papa', our resident guest writer/bear.

Bits and Spanish

It's looking more and more like either Germany or Spain will emerge triumphant in Euro 2012, bar some serious upsets. The Germans continue to march imperiously on and through every obstacle thrown against them; and the Spanish intricately pick their way to victory. So, can the great German tank roll over the subtle Spanish bacterium when/if they meet in the Olympic stadium in Kiev?

Personally, I'm hoping for a German victory. Many are saying that their football is hard and basic, much like taking a sledgehammer to a door, rather than using the handle; but even more are saying that the Spanish are starting to irritate. Their no striker ploy is pretentious at the least. What Vicente Del Bosque is thinking when he brings on the like of Jesus Navas and Cesc Fabregas, when the lethal Fernando Llorente is sat sitting, warming his heels, I don’t know. The stats speak for themselves; Spain have only scored more than one goal in a match when playing with a striker. They drew one a piece with Italy, and beat the Croats with the same one goal. Torres isn’t really helping my argument, what with being as profligate as a dead chicken and all, but the little, ‘tika-taka’ Velcro gnomes have made chance after chance for him, and a striker on form would have buried a dozen. Even he's scored twice!

Spain, and indeed Spanish players, have been revered in the last 5 years, and are seen as the pinnacle of the beautiful game. But from where I’m standing, I only see real penetration from Spain in only about 20 minutes of the 90. They don’t really make for an entertaining watch, and are perfectly happy making pretty patterns with the ball for most of the match, pausing momentarily to score, as if it were an annoying by-product of their art.

The Germans on the other hand, are efficient, industrious, and clinical. I disagree with the idea that they’re dull. How can a team containing the likes of Ozil, Gomez, Muller, and Schweinsteiger be dull?! Not only do they have a brilliant first eleven, with no conceivable weakness, they also have real explosive talent pushing through from the bench. Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle, Mario Gotze and Toni Kroos are all exceptional attacking talents, and will undoubtedly become greats of the future game.

Oh, they beat the Greeks. Surprise…

Links: BBC Sport