West Ham 3 - Chelsea 1 Match report

 

Pressure increases on Rafa as West Ham brush Chelsea aside

Chelsea’s season hit a new low today as they slipped to a damaging 3-1 defeat against a spirited West Ham side in the early London derby at Upton Park.

The Hammers fully deserved their victory against the struggling blues, with second half goals from Carlton Cole, Mohamed Diame and Maiga consigning Rafa Benitez to his first defeat as interim boss, and leaving Chelsea without a win in seven Premier League games.

It was Chelsea who started the game brighter, zipping the ball round with growing confidence in the first half. Benitez had spoken of the need to quicken the attacking tempo, and it was evident that his words were having an effect. Juan Mata ran the first half with his guile and intelligent passing, and capped it off with a fine finish from Torres’ cutback.

Changes were needed by Sam Alladyce at half time, with West Ham in dire need of more drive in the midfield. Sending on Matty Taylor and Mohamed Diame, West Ham came out fighting; battling harder for every ball, and showing much more adventure in the final third.

They fully deserved an equaliser, and it duly arrived courtesy of Carlton Cole, who rose higher than Ivanovic to knock the ball past a static Peter Cech following a Jarvis cross.

The Hammers went from strength to strength, consistently putting the beleaguered Blues to sword. It was no real surprise then when Man-of-the-match Diame fired in West Ham’s second from the edge of the box, leaving Chelsea with a mountain to climb with just ten minutes to go.

The fight-back never materialised, and with Blues fans starting up their ‘Rafa out’ chants, West Ham put the game to bed with Maiga slotting in a rebound after Taylor had his initial effort palmed away by Cech.

With two draws and a loss today, Benitez’s position as a figure of hate for Chelsea fans has only been further consolidated. He said that he would win over the fans by winning games and trophies, but with every passing game, his job of changing fans opinions over his acrimonious appointment becomes seemingly more and more hopeless.

The Rafa Poll

The Trouble With Money

Speaking from a personal standpoint - the chance to earn a promotion in the workplace, and with it a large salary increase and additional professional respect is something all us working people strive for, and often crave on a daily basis. So why is it that when a footballer, when given the chance to ply his trade at a world-renowned club, can be roundly criticised from all corners as if it were a decision that warranted collective pity? We wouldn’t condemn a sales assistant’s choice to take a manager’s position? We wouldn’t look on with scorn if an actor earned his big break by scoring a part in a Hollywood blockbuster; but football is an entirely different arena.

 

Take Scott Sinclair for example. The 23-year-old winger started life at league two outfit, Bristol Rovers, before moving to the glitz of the Kings Road, Chelsea. After a series of mixed experiences on loan from the London club, he ended up being taken on by Swansea City. At this stage, Sinclair had gone from promising young firework, to a ‘nearly’ player settling for a league that suited his ability. No doubt he was capable of real dramatics, but these he showed all too rarely.

To his credit, Sinclair took up the challenge of reinvigorating his dwindling career, and starred in the Welsh club’s rise to the Premier League. Back on the big stage, he continued his fine efforts, playing all 38 games that season, and scored eight times. Scott Sinclair had arrived back on the scene it seemed, and he was out to prove his doubters wrong. But, regardless of his heroics for the Swans, it was still clear in many fans and pundits minds, that Sinclair had indeed found his level: over-performing for an over-achieving side that were enjoying Premier League status and surprising everyone with their continuing survival.

But then, in came Manchester City. Fresh from their first league title for forty-four years, the champions were looking to strengthen their already formidable squad. There were many who looked on in surprise at City’s decision to go in for the winger last summer, considering his non-existent international pedigree, and the brilliance of City’s existing team. It wasn’t just Swansea fans that thought that Scott’s ‘promotion’ was a dangerous, potentially career- threatening decision. And here we are, not four months later, with Sinclair already not considered for top flight games for City. How achingly predictable.

There have been many other examples over the years. Chelsea are in fact chief culprits of signing players everyone could see would not make the grade. Scott Parker, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, and Shaun Wright-Philips came and went, not before showing the world on the biggest stage possible, that they were indeed not good enough to bounce with the big boys. These players opt for a joyride on the billionaires’ crooked rainbow, all the way down to the comforting pot of gold at the bottom.
Is it me, or are these types of signings so obviously wide of the mark, that they can be condemned even before the player has taken his seat for the first of many stints on the bench?

But can we blame the players for giving it a shot?
Maybe the agents for pushing their charges into firing line with contrived promises of grandeur?
Or is it the internal politics at ‘super-clubs’, which can see them enter bizarre summer dealings, and sign obscure ‘talent’ when points need to be made, examples set, and precedents changed?

Money talks, as we all know, but nothing is perfect.  

 

Photo credits: Daily Mail, The Mirror, financialexpress.com, glitterazi.com

Liverpool FC. Top Four?

'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.

The Good, The Bad, and the Podcast!

http://soundcloud.com/user961152189/the-good-the-bad-and-the/s-2jl6R

The first 'Good, Bad, Ribery' Podcast! Created as a London School of Journalism assignment.

Music: Jon Kennedy - Chocolates and Cheese
Sound Clips: Youtube.com

Unfinished Symphony: Frank Rijkaard – the Forgotten Manager of Total Football

Pep Guardiola has been universally hailed as a visionary manager; transforming Barcelona, and by association, Spanish football into an unstoppable force comprised of technique, skill and potency. The world looked on in enviable awe as Spain swept aside all who came before them at Euro 2012, taking Barcelona’s now famous ‘Tiki-Taka’ style of play to a whole new level of intricacy and sheer brilliance.

With Guardiola now departing and the relatively unknown Tito Vilanova faced with the ominous task of succeeding him at the Catalan club, the mind casts back over the last decade of Barca dominance, and falls upon a name swept unceremoniously aside in the wake of the Guardiola era; Frank Rijkaard; the Dutchman who has found himself lost in transition managing the Saudi Arabian national team, after creating the original beast, and setting into motion the era of Catalonian and overall Spanish dominance.

Branded with the same scalding iron as past greats such as Zinedine Zidane and Rivaldo; as a player, he is generally remembered for non-footballing reasons, namely his fluid ridden altercation with the sponge haired Rudi Voller. But, Frank Rijkaard was an exceptional player; a brutal defensive midfielder, with a dash of class and obvious pedigree.

Originally a centre-back at his first club Ajax, he was also deployed as a right midfielder, and also in centre-midfield. Finally settling on a defensive midfield role with AC Milan and on the international stage with Holland, he complemented his defensive game with lung bursting runs from deep, latching onto loose balls, and burying powerful headers. He was a footballer with the ability to play almost anywhere on the pitch, something that he surely took from his playing days and attached to his ‘complete football’ ideal upon entering management.

After taking Holland to the semi-finals of Euro 2000 in his first managerial role, followed by an ill-fated spell at Sparta Rotterdam in 2003, Rijkaard took over as Fc Barcelona manager in 2004. It was deemed as a period of transition for the Spanish club, with new President Joan Laporta looking to usher in a new era for the club; while finally conquering the famous ‘Galacticos’ of Real Madrid, their eternal rivals.

Rijkaard inherited a team which had not won a trophy since 1999, and many of the superstar names within the squad were not performing.

After a haphazard opening season, which saw Barca initially flirt with the relegation zone, Rijkaard won over his critics and secured a second place finish, with the emerging talent of Ronaldinho a particular shining light.

 It was in the next three years that the Dutchman really took Barca by the scruff of the neck, and create a malleable squad brimming with confidence and unshackled ability that brought Europe to its knees. Shrewd pieces of business saw players like Deco, Rafael Marquez, Ludovic Giuly, and a raw Samuel Eto’o brought in; youth team players such as Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Oleguer were promoted; and the aging squad reinvigorated.

Fuelled by the boundless energy of Ronaldinho, a new looking Barcelona emerged in the wake of the decline of Real’s glamorous ‘Galactico’ era, and won their first La Liga title in six years in 2004.

By 2005, Rijkaard’s Barcelona had earned the fear and respect of their peers with their Dutch style fluidity, and comfort on the ball. Devastating in attack, and calm at the back, it was to be the birth of the Spanish Tika-Taka, and the start of a four year journey that would see Spanish football become an unparalleled form of football.

2005 saw Barcelona not only retain their league title, but also add the Champions league trophy to their growing trophy cabinet. Rijkaard was instrumental in the final, bringing on the two goal scorers Henrik Larsson – who he had procured the summer before on a free transfer – and full-back, Julliano Belletti; not renowned as a goalscorer – his winning goal was his first and only for the club. It was also the year where the magical ‘Velcro-Gnome’ partnership of Xavi and Iniesta began to take form.

Rijkaard had made few changes to his La Liga winning squad that year, keeping faith in the talent already at his disposal. The only addition of real note was another promotion from the youth setup, a promotion instigated by Rijkaard that may be the most important in the club’s history – a promotion in the form of a young Argentine forward named Lionel Messi.

Messi was given the chance to showcase his undeniable talents the previous season, and his promotion to the first team was arguably the finishing touch to Rijkaard’s single greatest achievement. The brilliant Argentine said of his then former coach in 2009, "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen”.

Unfortunately for Rijkaard, Barca’s fortunes began to wane after the highs of the 2006-07 season. An early exit at the hands of Liverpool in the Champions league raised eyebrows; and a slow slip down the league table saw Rijkaard experience increasing pressure. Players that had the trust of Rijkaard began to lose their zest, none more than the great Ronaldinho, who had become a constant party-goer and often failed to turn up for training.

The attitudes of several player were called into question, attitudes that bred laziness, and a nonchalant playing style – arguably the ugly face of what was to be Tiki-Taka. It ultimately cost Rijkaard his job, with Guardiola taking over for the 2008-09 season.

Messi, who by then won his first World Player of the year award, commented after Rijkaard’s sacking, saying, "Guardiola (Rijkaard’s successor) is more strict while Rijkaard gave us more freedom, but unfortunately we couldn't handle it."

It was to be an abrupt end to the first great era for the modern Barcelona team, as Rijkaard’s trust in the enigmatic backfired. It was to be Guardiola who took Rijkaard’s near perfect blueprint, and molded it with more discipline and greater emphasis on possession.

He went on to mastermind a 14 trophy haul in just four years at the club – making small, but decisive changes; changes which did not include an overhaul of Rijkaard’s original squad, or attacking style. None can deny the Dutchman’s enduring legacy. He came so close to taking that last step, and making Barca the world’s most dominant team – but the plates began to fall, and there was to be no second chance.

But having succeeded in bringing glory back to Catalonia, glory which included beating Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu in two seasons for the first time in their history, collecting the European Cup, reclaiming La Liga, introducing players that have and will continue to rewrite the history books - Rijkaard should be not be forgotten while he toils, to the confusion of many, in the undeveloped footballing nation of Saudi Arabia.

In his creation of a beautiful, attacking ideal – an ideal that will undoubtedly be altered and warped to suit the manager at the time, it was an ideal that will exist at the heart of Barcelona, and the Spanish national team for decades to come.

Links:  Youtube, BBC Sport
Pictures: www.collider.com, www.live4lfc.blogspot.co.uk, wallp4pr.blogspot.co.uk, foro.lionelmessi.org, forzaitalianfootball.com, guim.co.uk

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

Why Always?

Mario Balotelli scored with his shoulder yesterday. It didn't just hit him and go in, and it wasn't a cruel deflection; it was hands down the coolest finish Ive ever seen.

Balotelli has been the subject of intense debate and scrutiny since his move from Inter Milan in August 2010. Man City fans love him, Man Utd fans hate him, but there is something so unique about the 21 year old Italian - something which sees him loved by neutral fans from all over the world. From his absurd arrogance, to his off-field antics, there is fast becoming a glut of videos, articles and clips all over the Internet devoted to the maverick. Whether or not his stay in Manchester will be a long one, he will already be remembered as one the most watchable stars ever to grace the Premier league. I thought it prudent to compile some of his best video moments!

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Arguably his most famous moment to date, Mario vs Bib tipifies his talents. Whilst training ahead of the ill fated loss to Dynamo Kiev in March 2011, Balotelli was handed a training bib. What followed will continue to amuse and bemuse for years to come.

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LA Galaxy will remember Super Mario for one reason only; his failed backheel in the pre season match in July. Through on goal, the teenager contrived to spin round and flick a nonchalant effort well wide of goal to the horror of strike partner Edin Dzeko. Mancini was also not amused, as he hauled Mario off and attempted to berate him for his effort. This didnt fly with the enigmatic Italian, who simply waved his hand and strolled down the touchline.

As ridiculous as it was, it didnt seem to dampen Dzeko's mood towards him for long - as this training ground muck about shows.

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The end of a training session. The cameraman doesnt seem to get it. Mario gives him a hand.
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It is evident that Balotelli has an obvious effect on his fellow footballers. I for one, never saw Francesco Totti as a particularly nasty player; a touch aggressive, but not vicious. Well, Mario soon changed that with a darting run down the flank whilst playing for Inter - what followed was simply heinous.
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Well...I'm sure we'll see plenty more of young Mario in the coming months. Scour the internet, upload and share. Lets get Balotelli that crown he deserves!

He's ill

In the beginning...

So I begin, with Tottenham sailing into third place at the expense of Aston Villa. A Tottenham side full to the brim with rich attacking potential and invention, and a defense, so often an easy source for critisism, with enough to compliment. Emmanuel Adebayor scored the two goals, his second being one which any striker dreams of; the ultimate tap in. Spurs were omnipotent in their dismantling of Villa, a real signal of intent to all those who dare oppose their rise from non existence to real challengers this year. 

I suppose I must liken myself to those men in white, as my humble blog takes form after much deliberation and stalling, much like the slow start exhibited by Tottenham. Yet, I imagined my rise to the medium of blogging to be on the back of a monumental win; one which has befallen many of the top teams this year. This season has already been one of the most interesting, debate-worthy and confusing of the Premier League's illustrious history - I hope my offerings provide at least two of those features! 

Welcome to The Good, the Bad and the Ribery... It looks to be a bumpy ride!