The unlikeliest of saviours for English football

When news spread last week that former Dutch legend Edgar Davids had been appointed joint-head coach of League Two side Barnet, most would have found it impossible to take the story seriously.

Why would one of the most decorated and charismatic European footballers of the last 20 years, who had supposedly snubbed lucrative offers from clubs in Asia and the Middle East, decide to take on the club currently lying bottom of the English Football League, where he will earn less than £1,000 a week?

Besides, we’ve seen this all before. In the last few years, we have seen several high-profile players in the twilight of their careers join lower league clubs in a vain attempt to rekindle their youth and prolong the step towards their inevitable exodus from the beautiful game.

Paul Gascoigne with Kettering United, Sol Campbell with Notts County, Socrates with Garforth Town. These are just some of the examples. Even Davids himself had a rather unsuccessful spell with Crystal Palace.

Surely this appointment just adds to the ongoing list of monotonous, short-lived publicity stunts that continue to plague the modern game?

Well apparently, there is an ulterior motive towards this. Not only is Davids gaining some coaching experience, but he is also on a mission to improve English football.

Since leaving Crystal Palace two years ago, Davids has remained in London, living just a mile away from Barnet’s training ground. He has spent his time managing Sunday League side Brixton United.

He was eventually approached by Barnet chairman, Tony Kleanthous, to watch the team train, before being offered the job as joint-head coach alongside the current head coach, Mark Robson.

The challenge that falls at Davids’ feet is not an easy one. Over the last four seasons, the Bees have been involved in a constant battle to avoid relegation from the Football League. The last three seasons have seen them requiring results to go their way on the final day and on each occasion, they have narrowly survived.

This season, they are already looking like strong favourites for the drop. They are yet to win a match and find themselves three points adrift at the bottom of the league.

On Saturday, Davids watched his new side fall like lambs to the slaughter as they were trounced 4-1 at home by fellow-strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

It seems that he already has his work cut out. However, his aim has always been to replicate his fellow countryman Marco Van Basten and start his managerial career from the bottom and work upwards. In hindsight, he couldn’t ask for a better place to start.

But his appointment is about more than just learning to be a successful manager. Davids is aiming to completely restructure the youth development system in this country.

In a recent interview, Davids stated that he is not a fan of the English game. He does not deny that there is plenty of talent out there, but that it is not being developed appropriately.

In his youth, Davids developed his own footballing skills by playing ‘street soccer’ on the streets of Suriname where he was born. This is a brand of the sport that is hugely popular in continents like South America and Africa.

Up until his recent appointment, Davids was playing street soccer in an attempt to maintain his fitness. He believes that it is a good way to hone talent on grass and was one of the reasons behind Juventus’ success around the turn of the millennium.

Davids’ philosophy is that watching youngsters at the most basic level, whether it be street soccer, Sunday League football, 5-a-side football or simply kicking a ball against a wall, is the key to successful development. But due to a lack of focus of football at grass-roots level, this has resulted in a distinct lack of technically minded players in this country compared to the likes of Brazil, Spain and Italy.

It’s sometimes difficult to accept this kind of criticism, but it is this kind of mentality that the FA has been missing for the last 30 years. It’s in these environments where one learns the basic fundamental skills of football, and optimising these skills starts when you are a child, not when you are in your teens heading off to a football academy.

It’s all well and good for the FA to build a £105m ‘centre for excellence’ at St George’s Park and hire qualified coaches. But if you send 15 year-olds there without learning the basic fundamental skills, then they’re development will only go so far.

English football needs people like Edgar Davids to help the FA open their eyes and see what they have been missing.

Nobody can know for sure whether his own brand of youth development can be replicated within the physical confines of the English game. Whether his sporting philosophies can save Barnet from dropping out of the Football League also remains to be seen.

But nonetheless, it is refreshing to see one of the game’s most influential players not be motivated by money, but instead, put all of his focus on trying to develop the sport that he loves in a country that really needs it.

Why Dimitar Berbatov needs to get a grip on reality

For most professional footballers, playing for one of the world’s greatest football clubs would be considered a huge honour. Yet spending four years at Manchester United and winning two league titles all under the stewardship of one of the greatest managers of all time clearly means very little if you are Dimitar Berbatov.

Having spent pretty much all of last season warming up the Old Trafford bench, Berbatov has finally been given a glorious opportunity to play first team football again having completed a £5m move to Fulham. Yet his reputation as a sulky brat has once again got the better of him. Rather than express his delight at signing for one of the Premier League’s most up-and-coming teams, he has decided to focus on being shunned by Sir Alex Ferguson and the negative treatment he received by his former employees.

But can anyone really blame Fergie for overlooking him for over a year? Is it any surprise that he fell further down the pecking order as one of Old Trafford’s main strikers? Not really.

Firstly, when you spend over £30 million on a striker you expect goals and lots of them. Berbatov’s record at Manchester United reads just over a goal every three games. Not a poor record by any means, but when you compare that to Robin Van Persie, who scored approximately one goal every other game at Arsenal and cost Manchester United £6 million less than Berbatov, it comes as no surprise that he was overlooked.

Secondly, for £30 million you want a striker who is consistent. Berbatov was by no means a flop at Manchester United, but he never came close to justifying his price tag.

On one day, he would be unstoppable, just as he proved when he scored five goals in a 7-1 win over Blackburn in November 2010, but the next, he would be completely ineffectual. It was becoming more obvious that Fergie was only really using him against weak opposition, but when it came to the big clashes, Fergie deemed that there were other players more suited for the occasion. This was proven in May 2011 when Berbatov was completely left out of the squad for the Champions League final against Barcelona.

Thirdly, you want a striker who is adaptable to change. Sir Alex was looking to play a faster and more direct style of football last season, a style that Berbatov openly admitted wasn’t his. If this is the case, what did Berbatov expect other than complete neglect? What was he hoping for, that Fergie would build the team around him?! And if he knew that this was happening, why did he choose to sit on the bench for an entire season instead of looking for a new club?

Fourthly, look at Berbatov’s age. He’s not  by any means close to retiring, but at 31, he is not in the prime of his career either. When you compare him to the striker’s that Ferguson has at his disposal and the pace and ability they have, it’s no wonder he kept finding himself going down the pecking order.

Finally, look at his attitude. On the pitch, regardless of who he has played for, he has developed this lazy mentality of standing in the six yard box waiting for somebody to provide a decent cross. His desire to help out his team-mates has never really been there, but in his eyes, it didn’t matter because this was justified by his goalscoring record. Unfortunately for him, this has certainly never been Fergie’s style and quite frankly, no striker who has ever been considered as ‘world-class’ has adopted a similar attitude.

His attitude off the pitch speaks for itself. He has always had this negative attitude, even when he was at Spurs. When it was clear that he was about to leave to join Manchester United, Spurs put in a complaint against the Red Devils, which culminated in Berbatov sulking and being dropped for the start of the 07/08 season.

His recent outburst against Sir Alex Ferguson is typical of Berbatov. Rather than look back at his time at Old Trafford with positivity and pride and focus on the exciting prospect of starting with a new club, he uses the move as an opportunity to criticise Fergie for ignoring him for a year. Quite frankly, it’s an insult to both Fulham AND Manchester United.

Yes, one could argue that Ferguson’s treatment of Berbatov was a little disrespectful. But that’s modern football for you. A decent manager puts the needs of the team first, not the individual. If you don’t want to adapt, move on. Berbatov’s ignorance and his failure to accept this has been his downfall and he has nobody to blame but himself.

Personally, I believe that this transfer is the perfect opportunity for Berbatov to rejuvenate his career. He needs Fulham and I think Fulham need him. At least at Craven Cottage, he has a considerably better chance of playing regular first team football. And as far as the club is concerned, he is a more than adequate candidate to fill the goalscoring void left by Clint Dempsey.

I just hope that as the season progresses, Berbatov realises this and eventually he will look back with pride and remember that he once scored goals for one of the greatest clubs in the world.

Who would want to be a goalkeeper?

It doesn’t matter at what level of football you play, being a goalkeeper can be a really unpleasant job.

Even on the school playing field, it has always been the position that nobody wants to play. You pick sides one player at a time. You slowly pick off the best players until eventually your team is left with the weakest, least competent member of the group. So what do you do with them? Well, it’s obvious. You stick them in goal in a vain attempt to keep them out of harm’s way. Then when your team wins, the focus is on the goalscorer and the goalkeeper’s efforts go unnoticed. When your team ends up losing, there is only one person to blame, isn’t there?

But in the professional game, is it any different? When people think of the greatest goals of all time, they think of Diego Maradona vs England (not the first goal, obviously!), Marco Van Basten vs USSR, Cantona vs Sunderland, Bergkamp vs Newcastle, Henry vs Manchester United, Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen, Di Canio vs Wimbledon… the list goes on.

On the other hand, when people think of the greatest saves of all time… well, you’ve got Gordon Banks vs Brazil… and that’s about it. Take nothing away from goalkeepers such as Schmeichel, Zoff, Yashin, Khan, Van Der Sar, Buffon and Casillas. They have all produced mind-blowing saves during their careers, but it’s only ever Banks’ physics-defying save from Pele’s header that truly sticks out in the minds of the footballing public.

Sadly goalkeepers are rarely remembered for their heroics in front of goal. If anything, they are remembered for the exact opposite. If you type ‘great goalkeeping saves’ into YouTube, you will receive over 18,000 videos in response. But type ‘goalkeeping errors’, and the number of responses is almost trebled!

Yes, we all enjoy watching the old blooper every now and again (as long as it doesn’t happen to your team!), but it’s of little wonder or surprise that being a goalkeeper is one of the most stressful jobs in any sport. There is simply no margin for error. If a team has an off day and fails to score, the best they can hope for is a draw. But if the keeper has a bad day, his team could end up with nothing at all.

And the pressure just doesn’t go away. The new Premier League season is only just over a week old, and yet we have already witnessed no fewer than seven goalkeeping howlers. Even the League’s most reliable goalies, most notably, Petr Cech, David De Gea and Shay Given are amongst those to have fumbled already this season.

In the modern era, when every single match that is played is scrutinised right down to the finest details, goalkeepers always remain subject to criticism, scepticism and mockery.

The cynics amongst us might say that ‘they’re only job is to stop shots from going in to the back of the net. How hard can that possibly be?’ But being a goalkeeper is about so much more than that. It is about  being a master of your own state of mind. It is about conquering your own self-doubt. It is about not letting your mistakes affect your ability as a player.

The question is how does a goalkeeper deal with all of these issues? Well, nowadays the biggest clubs have all kinds of facilities to help players psychologically, however most players are apparently too reluctant to commit themselves to dealing with their own self-doubt, for fear of what their manager and team-mates would think of them.

One of the biggest fears for a footballer is rejection. One week, you think you are playing well, but the next week you find yourself on the bench. This can have a massive psychological effect on any player, but for this to happen to a goalkeeper, where there is only one place in the team up for grabs, the thought that your manager favours another player over yourself can be very damaging to the psyche.

Back in March, former England goalkeeper David James wrote an article in the Observer about the lack of psychological support in football:

‘There’s a misconception that all footballers are very confident, but it is the opposite for most.

‘It is a great irony that in a game where we routinely talk of  confidence on the pitch, psychological support off it is so appallingly neglected. When I was going through a bad time at Liverpool I approached the club for some support. Back then, I was told, “Shut up and deal with it”. Sadly, I don’t think football has moved on from that position.’

Every goalkeeper suffers from self-doubt, even if they won’t admit it. Even Edwin Van Der Sar, one of the greatest keepers of all time, has admitted to being prone to this. But the best thing they can do is simply try to brush it off, learn from that mistake and try not to let it happen again. Some are able to brush off their mistakes and move on even if their reputation takes a hit as a result.

Robert Green’s reputation has been completely tarnished by his error during England’s match vs USA at the 2010 World Cup. Massimo Taibi seemed to completely disappear off the radar following his howler for Manchester United against Southampton in 1999. Even David James has suffered a similar fate, inheriting the nickname ‘Calamity James’ during a torrid spell at Liverpool. But the truth is all of these players did not let their mistakes get to them. Despite another error recently, Robert Green is still a top flight goalkeeper at QPR, Massimo Taibi went on to have a successful career in Italy, and David James, despite not currently being attached to a club, is still playing in his 40s.

Sadly, some goalkeepers are never able to fathom the amount of responsibility that they have to deal with. The most prominent and tragic example being that of German goalkeeper Robert Enke, who committed suicide in November 2009. In Ronald Reng’s book, A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke, we examine the life of a man struggling to battle with his own personal demons and are given an insight into the pressures and fears of playing sport at the highest level. Enke’s story is a shining example of how it could all go wrong for today’s professional goalkeeper.

It’s easy to say that clubs could do more to support their players psychologically, and there is no doubt in my mind that they should. But players need to take it upon themselves not to let their self-doubt get the better of them. Thankfully, the example of Robert Enke is one of a kind. But all goalkeepers, regardless of how good they are, should learn from him.

Goalkeepers simply need to learn one thing: they are only human.  The chances are extremely high that a goalkeeper will make more than one mistake in his career. But this doesn’t mean that his reputation has to suffer. One mistake or one bad performance doesn’t define a goalkeeper. It’s how they bounce back from this mistake that defines them.

A tribute to the one-club men

On 30th March this year, former Millwall defender Barry Kitchener died at the age of 64 after a short battle with cancer.

To followers of top-flight English football, he may not be well-known, but in the lower leagues, he was something of a legend. As centre back, he was the epitome of reliability, tenacity and composure. He was strong in the air and confident and assured with the ball on the ground. He even had the occasional eye for goal, scoring a 30-yard screamer against Sheffield United in only his second game for the club. He was the centre back that all managers dream of.

But his most endearing quality was his dedication to Millwall FC. He started and finished his playing career at the Den, amassing a club record 602 appearances between 1966 and 1982. This included an astonishing 244 consecutive appearances, a feat almost unheard of for an outfield player. Despite never playing in the top-flight, and suffering relegation to the third tier of English football on two separate occasions, Kitchener always stuck with Millwall.

For a player to represent only one club throughout their career is very rare these days, especially outside the Premiership. It is only down to playing for the powerful, wealthy clubs that the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Tony Adams and John Terry have been able to stick by the club that they love. But in the lower leagues, where financial insecurity is a constant burden, it is almost impossible for a player to stick with one club for more than two seasons, let alone an entire career, regardless of their love and devotion to that club.

So, as a tribute to players like Barry Kitchener, here are a just a handful of ‘one-club men’, who dedicated their careers to the team they love:

John Trollope – Swindon Town (1960-80, 886 appearances)

Wiltshire born and bred, left-back John Trollope currently holds the record for the most number of league appearances for one club, with 886 appearances in all competitions for Swindon, including 368 consecutive matches. Swindon spent the majority of this period in the second and third tier of English football and Trollope never experienced the joys of playing top-flight football. Despite this, he was part of the Swindon team that won the 1969 League Cup, their greatest achievement to date.

Colin Cowperthwaite – Barrow (1977-92, 704 appearances)

While Kitchener and Trollope never played in the top-flight, Cowperthwaite never even got to experience playing in the Football League. He started out with Barrow five years after they were relegated from the Football League. He helped them win two Northern Premier League titles, and the FA Trophy in 1990, scoring in the final at Wembley. He also holds the record for the fastest goal in English football, scoring after just 3.5 seconds against Kettering Town.

John Askey – Macclesfield Town (1984-2003, 698 appearances)

Like Cowperthwaite, Askey spent the majority of his career in Non-League football. But during his spell, he helped guide Macclesfield to the Northern League title in 1986 and the Conference title in 1994 and 1997. He was part of the side that won back-to-back promotions in 1997 and 1998, which saw the club reach the third tier of English football for the first time ever. Askey scored in his final match for the Silkmen in a 3-2 win over Rochdale. He is currently manager of Macclesfield’s youth team.

John McDermott – Grimsby Town (1987-2007, 754 appearances)

At the peak of his career, McDermott was regarded as one of the most respected defenders outside of the Premier League. He was linked with Premiership moves to Sunderland and Ipswich Town, but chose to stay with his beloved club. McDermott experienced promotion and relegation on nine separate occasions with Grimsby, with his biggest success coming in 1998, when he helped them win the Auto Windscreens Shield (now known as the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy). McDermott was once quoted as saying: “If someone would rather sit in the reserves at a big club and drive around in a Ferrari rather than going out on-loan and playing, then I think it’s a sad day.”

Alan Knight – Portsmouth (1978-2000, 801 appearances)

Alan Knight currently holds the record for the most appearances for one club by a goalkeeper, beating the previous record held by Peter Bonetti at Chelsea. Unlike the others on the list, Knight did play in the top-flight, when Portsmouth won promotion in 1987. However, they were relegated the following season. His greatest success with the club was winning the Third Division title (equivalent of League One today) and helping Pompey reach the semi finals of the FA Cup, losing on penalties to the eventual winners, Liverpool. He was awarded an MBE in 2001 for his services to football.

It’s sad to say, but thanks to the strains of modern football, players like these are a dying breed. There must be thousands of professional footballers out there who would want nothing more than to play for the club that they love, and no-one else. But it is getting more and more difficult for clubs to justify holding on to their most dedicated players for this length of time. In this sense, players like Kitchener were privileged.

Kitchener played in an era when money was not the significant influence that it is today. Nowadays, the consensus is that if you play for a lower league club, play well for that club and show 100% dedication, you then look out for bigger and better things. With the opportunity to earn crazy amounts of money, it’s no wonder that players like this don’t exist anymore.

This did not influence Barry Kitchener. He played for his club through thick and thin. He never set his sights on playing for a ‘bigger’ club or vehemently pursuing titles and trophies. He simply played for the love of football and for the love of his club. It is because of this that he was and will always be a legend in the hearts of Millwall FC.

In April, Barry Kitchener’s daughter, Nikki, set up ‘The Big Kitch Appeal’ in a bid to raise money and awareness for local cancer charities. Nikki and other supporters will be taking part in a 134 mile bike ride from Gorleston in Norfolk to Millwall FC in memory of her father. For more information about this very worthwhile cause, or to make a donation, please visit www.bigkitchappeal.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter (@BigKitchAppeal).

Why Roy Hodgson is the right choice for England

We all expected it. We all wanted it. We all waited for it. And yet again, it hasn’t happened. Once again, England football fans, the media and the world are left scratching their heads in disbelief as red-hot favourite Harry Redknapp is overlooked for the England manager’s job in favour of the less popular Roy Hodgson.

The FA have ignored the pleas of fans, footballers, managers and TV pundits alike by choosing not to approach the man who has almost single-handedly turned Tottenham Hotspur into one of the most exciting teams in the country. Instead they have chosen the manager of (with all due respect) an average Premiership team. It’s the Steve McLaren saga all over again!

But before we all get on our high horse and slam the FA for making this decision, let’s put things in to perspective.

Almost every England fan out there wants an English manager, which is understandable following the reigns of Eriksson and Capello. But not only that, they want a manager with a wealth of experience and a history of success. They want a respectable manager who gets the most out of his players and in turn, they want a manager who commands respect from his players. They want somebody who is approachable and media friendly.

Roy Hodgson ticks all of these boxes.

Hodgson has 36 years of managerial experience behind him. He has been a club manager in five different countries and an international manager in three.  At club level, he has won seven Swedish league championships and two Swedish cups. He has also won the league championship in Denmark. He guided Inter Milan to the Uefa Cup final in 1997 and Fulham to the Europe League final in 2010.

At international level, he had huge success as manager of Switzerland. He guided them to the 1994 World Cup, which was their first major tournament in 28 years. He also helped them qualify for the European Championships for the first time ever in 1996. During his tenure, Switzerland climbed to an astonishing 3rd in the FIFA world rankings. He also guided Finland to their highest world ranking and came close to helping them qualify for a major tournament for the first time.

A lot of players who have played under Hodgson have nothing but praise for him and his managerial style. He is very technically minded and is renowned for his tactical expertise. When it comes to interviews with the media, Hodgson is always the epitome of politeness and honesty.

On paper, Hodgson surely is the right man for the job. He has more managerial experience than Redknapp, he has had more success than Redknapp and has experience on the international stage, whilst Redknapp has none.

The only blot on Hodgson’s otherwise impressive CV is his experience as manager of Liverpool. He oversaw a disastrous six months in charge at Anfield, which will certainly bring in to question his integrity as a manager of a big club. His fiercest critics will most certainly use this experience at Liverpool against him.

He was also an unpopular choice from day one, with many Liverpool fans preferring Kenny Dalglish. With most fans wanting Redknapp in charge of England, could lightning strike twice?

But let’s face facts. For too long now, the FA have relied too heavily on a quick fix to resolve England’s woes. Various managers have come and gone down the years in an attempt to eradicate the stench of mediocrity in the England camp. But there have always been issues. Unrest amongst the players, a lack of desire to represent their country, poor communication between managers and players and negative stories in the press are just some of these issues.

One can’t help but think that appointing Redknapp, with his spontaneous and glossy approach to the game, may result in a respectable showing at Euro 2012, but would produce very little beyond that. These characteristics make Redknapp an excellent Premier League manager, but on the international stage it is a completely different kettle of fish.

The decision by the FA to appoint a manager who will help develop the international game from the youth system upwards is a very welcome one. With the opening of England’s new training centre in Burton in August, they need a manager who can be based there at all times rebuilding England’s fragile infrastructure and can help develop players at an early age as well as improving the current squad. They need a manager that fits long-term strategy, one that goes far beyond Euro 2012.

Hodgson fits this mould better than Redknapp. He is already based in the Midlands whilst Redknapp is based on the South coast with little desire to move away. Hodgson also works out cheaper. The FA would need to fork out £10m in compensation for Redknapp while Hodgson is out of contract in the summer. But there are other reasons that go far beyond practicality.

Hodgson will thoroughly scrutinise every member of the squad, strip the squad down to its bare bones and re-build it from the bottom upwards. He will ensure everyone plays as a team, not as individuals. He has never been one for favouritism in his squad, so any egos in the England squad will be removed from the equation. Hodgson will bring in functionality, organisation and discipline. Just what England don’t have.

But ultimately, he will instill belief into every single player at his disposal. This is the one quality that Hodgson has ahead of almost every other manager in the league. As well as his unprecedented success with Switzerland, he guided a very average Blackburn Rovers side into Europe, he defied everyone by taking Fulham from relegation certainties to the final of the Europa League. And he has turned West Brom from a yo-yo team in to a stable Premier League club.

In short, he has the ability to make average teams look good. And that is exactly what England are at the moment: average.

The pressure surrounding Hodgson will be massive from day one, purely because he is not Harry Redknapp. One bad result or bad performance, and the media will be all over him. But given the country’s recent history and the need for a long-term solution, it is the right decision at this time.

Blackburn v Aston Villa: Battle of the disgruntled supporters

This weekend’s Barclay’s Premiership action promises to produce some mouth-watering encounters. We start off with a pulsating match between Liverpool and Arsenal, with both sides fighting to secure the 4th Champions League place. Sunday sees Spurs host Man Utd, a match which could prove vital in the race for the Premiership title. And let’s not forget that local pride is also at stake in the North East as Newcastle and Sunderland prepare to do battle in the Tyne-Wear derby.

But there is another match that will undoubtedly intrigue the masses this weekend and it’s not a fixture that would usually stand out as a mouth-watering encounter.

At Ewood Park, there are bound to be banners and placards-a-plenty as Blackburn Rovers, a club that has been forced to endure season-long protests from its long-suffering supporters over the running of the club, face an Aston Villa side whose fans are beginning to show the same level of frustration against their club’s hierarchy.

Blackburn Rovers are, as they have been all season, in a complete mess.

On the pitch, they have a very average squad that currently sit in the relegation zone, having recorded just five wins all season. They have shipped 59 goals, meaning they boast the Premier League’s worst defence and they are the only team in all four divisions not to have kept a clean sheet all season.

Their 11-year stay in the top flight is in serious danger of coming to an end and their bid to avoid relegation has recently been dealt a huge blow, as arguably their best player, Christopher Samba, was recently sold to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

The club’s precarious situation on the pitch has resulted in major problems off the pitch.

When Venky’s Group took ownership of the club in November 2010, the future looked very promising for the Lancashire club. But the decision to sack Sam Allardyce and promote the little-known Steve Kean as full-time manager has turned out to have had a hugely negative impact on the club.

Kean is not and has never been the experienced, world-class manager that the owners ensured the club would get and his record speaks for itself. His win ratio as manager is just 26% and the club have lost half of the games they have played during his tenure.

This has resulted in a vote of no confidence against the manager and the owners. Almost every match this season has been accompanied by supporters protesting against the running of the club and Steve Kean has been the subject of abusive chanting from the terraces and hate campaigns that have been condemned by the League Manager’s Association.

There are strong rumours that the club’s supporters will stage their biggest protest yet prior to the Villa game. One can only hope that when 3:00 comes around, the supporters turn their attention away from the owners and get fully behind their team.

And it has to be said that the timing of this fixture could not be better for them, given the dire situation that their opponents currently find themselves in.

Aston Villa have, for a while now, been heading down a very slippery slope. The club have never really got over the departure of Martin O’Neill as manager over 18 months ago. During this time, two managers have been at the helm, with the current manager, Alex McLeish, proving to be the most unpopular manager for years.

The club’s supporters have always made their feelings clear about the controversial appointment of McLeish from arch rivals Birmingham City.

The club currently lie in 15th place and, while they currently have some breathing space between them and the teams below them, they look set for yet another season of under-achievement. Judging from this, it would seem the supporters are justified in their protests.

On the pitch, star players such as James Milner, Ashley Young and Stuart Downing have all moved on and the club has been unsuccessful in replacing them.

On top of this, top scorer Darren Bent looks set to miss the rest of the season through injury, Robbie Keane’s successful loan spell has now come to an end and this now means that their strike force is looking very sparse for the remainder of the season. Taking Bent and Keane out of the picture, it has been four months since one of Villa’s other available strikers has scored a goal. It’s now got to the point where they may have to rely on Emile Heskey to actually score a goal or two!

To add insult to injury, this week the club has announced annual losses of almost £54 million. Truly these are the most worrying times in recent years for Aston Villa and you can’t help but feel that the protests against McLeish and owner Randy Lerner are only going to become more frequent.

Needless to say, there is plenty riding on this match. Blackburn need a win to help them in their battle against the drop and Villa need a result to prevent themselves from being dragged into the same battle.

Blackburn vs Aston Villa is unlikely to be one of the most attractive games this weekend, but it is sure to be one of the most competitive and a 0-0 draw will simply not do.

Forget the title race. Forget Champions League qualification. Forget local derbies. This match is a battle of the two unhappiest teams in the Premiership.

Burying the Tevez hatchet has given Man City the edge

The Etihad’s prodigal son has finally come to his senses. After months of brawling, bickering and back-stabbing, Carlos Tevez has issued an unreserved apology for his ridiculously childish behaviour over the last five months and is ready to put on a Manchester City shirt again and help guide them to their first league title in 44 years.

Tevez’s apology, and Mancini’s acceptance of said apology, has surely put an end to one of the most ludicrous, soap-opera inspired stories in recent seasons. Without a doubt, it has put a huge dampener on what has otherwise been a magnificent season so far for Mancini’s team.

But it’s fair to say that the club has got on just fine so far without Tevez in their squad. They are currently two points of clear of their arch rivals in the title race, they have a squad overflowing with world-class players and this squad has produced some awesome performances throughout the season. Lest we forget the thrashing that they gave to Manchester United at Old Trafford back in October. But the Tevez saga has certainly been an unwanted distraction off the pitch. After all, the club have enough to deal with in Mario Balotelli! But thankfully, the players have not let this affect them on the pitch.

Up until December 12th, when City lost their first league game of the season, it seemed as though nothing could stop them in their quest for the title. However since that game, a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, they have lost league games at Sunderland and Everton and have also been dumped out of the FA and League Cups. Their once commanding lead at the top of the table has been compromised and the title race is now looking like it could go right to the wire.

We all know that once Manchester United get going in their push for the title, there really is no stopping them. So Manchester City could really do with a boost to keep their arch rivals at arm’s length. Could Carlos Tevez be that boost?

Few people would argue that Tevez has behaved appallingly since that ill-fated evening in Munich back in September. He has shown a complete lack of respect to his manager, to his club, to the fans and ultimately to himself. Thanks to this saga, he has played no football all season and has lost nearly £10 million in salaries, fines and lost bonus payments. His reputation has been completely destroyed. No club in the world were willing to sign him during the January transfer window, and it’s hardly surprising given his behaviour and lack of football. Ultimately, for the sake of his career and his reputation, Tevez had absolutely no choice but to apologise.

Now that he has apologised unreservedly and accepted responsibility for his actions, Mancini is now prepared to welcome him back to the first team, albeit very gradually. But of all the players that you could bring back to your squad, you could do a lot worse than Carlos Tevez.

Like him or not, he is still a world-class striker. He has the ability to turn a game on its head, can score from anywhere and was highly influential last season in helping City win the FA Cup and guiding them to the 3rd place in the league, their highest league position in decades. Once he has completed a few training sessions, got a few matches under his belt and earned the respect of everyone associated with the club, there could be no stopping him.

As far as the club is concerned, this is a win-win situation. Not only have they received the apology they were expecting from Tevez, but also the club have earned themselves another world-class striker without having to pay anything extra. Essentially, and out of nowhere, their squad has just got a little bit better. They now have more fire power up front and this could easily be the boost that they need to help them win the league.

Tevez however has some fierce competition to deal with if he is to claw his way back to the starting XI. After all, he will have three other world-class strikers to compete with in Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Džeko.

It will not be easy by any means, but if he can claw his way back in, perform like we all know he is capable of doing and play his part in helping City win the title, all will surely be forgiven.

The biggest taboo in football

Over the years, the game of football has been forced to endure and combat all kinds of prejudice and anti-social behaviour, such as racism, hooliganism, sexism etc. Yet whilst football is more tolerant these days when it comes to stereotypes, there is still one prejudice that the modern game is far from dealing with: homophobia.

It has been well documented in recent weeks about the fact that there are no openly gay footballers in the British game. There are 5,000 professional footballers in Britain and approximately 1 in 10 men are homosexual. Statistically, there should be 500 players out there who are gay, but choose not to admit it. So why are they not willing to come out?

Of course, we are all familiar with the tragic story of Justin Fashanu, the only professional British footballer to be openly gay and who later committed suicide. There seems to be a rather overblown generalisation amongst the footballing world that his story would deter today’s players from coming out, in case they followed in Fashanu’s footsteps. However, there were several other factors surrounding Fashanu’s suicide that go far beyond his sexual orientation.

For example, Fashanu played in an era where homophobia and racism were a notorious problem in British society. Britain has become much more liberal and any incidents of inciting homophobic or racial hatred are minimal and dealt with without clemency. There were also allegations that Fashanu sexually assaulted an American teenager. It was this allegation that ultimately led Fashanu to take his own life.

Given the allegations about Fashanu and the kind of environment that he played in compared to today’s modern footballer, it would be naive to suggest that if a player were to admit he was gay, he would end up going down a similar path. So, despite the fact that we live in a more tolerable society, why still no gay players?

Well, the first question I would ask would be this: Who cares?!

If a player from your club were to admit to the world that he were gay, would it really matter? Yes, it may initially come as a shock, but provided he still plays well and gives 100% week in, week out, who cares what his sexual orientation is? If he played well as a closet homosexual, why would outing himself have an impact on his performance?

A footballer’s personal life is just that: personal. Just hours after the announcement that John Terry had had an affair with the wife of an ex-team mate, he scored the winner for Chelsea in a 2-1 win over Burnley. I’m sure at that point, most Chelsea fans would not have cared in the slightest about the affair. To this day, even with all the other accusations against him, he is still one of the most popular players at Stamford Bridge, not because of his reputation off the pitch, but because of his reputation as a footballer and his undoubted dedication to the club.

This is the way it should be if a player were to announce that he was gay and in a perfect world, this is what every genuine football fan would think. Of course, it’s not as simple as that. It may not be an issue to you, but fans of other clubs will not be so forthcoming and would still, even to this day, use homosexuality as a way of taunting the opposition, even if those fans are not necessarily homophobic.

Brighton & Hove Albion do not have any openly homosexual players in their squad, yet because Brighton is renowned as being the ‘gay capital of Britain’, this is enough to encourage opposition supporters to use this fact against them. For years, Brighton fans have been subject to chants, such as: ‘Does your boyfriend know you’re here?’ and ‘We can see you holding hands’.

There have also been several players in recent years who have been subject to horrific homophobic chanting, despite being heterosexual. Sol Campbell is a prime example. He was taunted for years by Spurs fans about his sexuality, even though most of them would acknowledge that there is little to no evidence to suggest that he is gay. The abuse that he received was simply down to resentment at his decision to move to bitter rivals Arsenal.

It’s fair to say that any act of homophobic abuse in the modern game is not based on fact, but is simply a way of taunting the opposition. Of course, this does not make it acceptable.

So what can be done to get rid of homophobia in the modern game? Well in 2007, any homophobic chanting at football grounds was explicitly outlawed by the FA. Following on from the abuse towards Sol Campbell, Spurs now have a system in place to allow fans to report any anti-gay chanting and Manchester City became the first Premiership club to have been recognised by the gay and bi-sexual charity, Stonewall, as a gay-friendly employer. The FA also have in place a four-year plan aimed at encouraging more gay players to participate at grassroots level.

A lot of people are saying this is not enough to deal with the problem. The way I see it, what more can they realistically do? I mentioned in a previous article that racism will always exist in football. It doesn’t matter how many campaigns you throw out there, all it takes is for one incident, and the whole issue comes back to everyone’s attention. The same applies with homophobia, or any other kind of prejudice for that matter. The issue of homophobia will not just go away with a poster.

When players from different ethnic backgrounds started playing in Britain, this began the era of racist abuse from the terraces. Only when this started happening could the governing body deal with the problem. It’s sad to say, but I believe that until a footballer in Britain decides to take that brave step and announce that he is gay, then the FA or any football governing body are limited in what they can do to prevent genuine homophobic abuse.

However, when the time comes for a player to come out, I believe it will have a positive impact on the sport. It will change people’s attitudes towards homosexuality in the sport, encourage other players to follow suit and improve the reputation of football as a whole.

I just hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Is Henry’s comeback a distraction from the problems at Arsenal?

Last night marked the return of arguably the greatest player to have ever played in the Premiership. The eyes of the footballing world were focused solely on the Emirates Stadium as, after nearly 5 years away, Thierry Henry once again put on an Arsenal shirt and scored one of his trademark goals to help the Gunners into the 4th round of the FA Cup.

Only in their wildest dreams could Arsenal fans have envisaged that their hero would one day return to the club where he made a name for himself and guide them to victory once again. And despite returning as a 34-year-old, sporting a fairly untrendy beard and not looking quite as fit since his first spell, Henry played as if he had never been away. And his goal last night, as so many of his previous 226 for the club, was nothing short of clinical. Even if you are not an Arsenal fan, it would be difficult not to be humbled seeing Henry return to the club where he became a hero and score the winning goal. This was truly one of the most romantic footballing moments in recent years.

But I can’t help but think what the back pages would be saying if Henry had never been involved. Of course, the headlines were all about Henry, with phrases like ‘The Return of the King’ and ‘Va Va Voom’ used emphatically amongst the tabloids and various famous Tweeters. But had Henry not made such a memorable impact, the focus would surely be on an Arsenal side struggling at home against lower league opposition.

Prior to Henry’s introduction in the  68th minute, Arsenal were woeful. Despite their injury concerns, one would feel that they had enough experience in their squad to win comfortably against an albeit stubborn Leeds United side. Yet they were restricted to half chances for the majority of the match and the longer they struggled to find a breakthrough there was a strong sense that Leeds were in with a chance of causing an upset. With top scorer Robin Van Persie rested for the match, this was the perfect opportunity for Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin to prove themselves, having found themselves slowly being ignored by Arsene Wenger. Yet their presence proved ineffective, with Chamakh’s performance being described by one news report as ‘playing like Thierry Henry’s statue’. On the whole, the squad was simply lacking in imagination, desire and flair.

For 68 minutes, it was the same old story of Arsenal underperforming and underachieving. But once King Henry returned to action, all those concerns were completely forgotten. We all know that during his first spell, Henry was capable of turning a match in an instant, and that is exactly what he did.

Credit must go to Arsene Wenger in his acquisition of Henry. After all, it can only be a good thing for Arsenal. If his performance last night was anything to go by, he and Robin Van Persie could prove to be a deadly strike partnership for the next six and a half weeks, especially for the visit of Manchester United on 22nd January. But Henry will be so much more than just another striker. Much has been said (including by myself) of Arsene Wenger’s stubborn attitude of ‘youth over experience’ and Henry is the perfect role model for Wenger’s still very young squad and you would expect all of them to learn a great deal from him during his second stint at the club. He can teach them to love the club that they play for, as he still does, and like him, they can learn to play, not just with their feet, but with their hearts.

On the other hand, Wenger’s decision to bring in Henry could also be seen as an act of desperation. Arsenal had an awful start to the season and have only really been rescued recently by the sparkling form of Robin Van Persie. They currently lie 5th in the Premiership, 12 points adrift from the league leaders and are in serious danger of not qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 15 years. These statistics clearly do not meet the expectations of the club and its long-suffering supporters and it does not look good that Wenger has had to resort to bringing in a player from the glory days in an attempt to rejuvenate his squad. Especially seeing as Henry will be gone by the end of February.

But for now, we should celebrate the return of a legend. We should remember Henry’s goal as a wonderful moment for Arsenal and for football in general. But it will take a lot more than the return of the king to pave over the cracks at Arsenal. And while Henry’s status as a legend will be around forever, he sadly will not.

Gary Speed: A Footballer and a Gentleman

It seems crazy that just under four months ago, I was writing about the huge task that was laid at the feet of Gary Speed to turn the fortunes of Welsh football around. Given what has occurred in the last couple of days, it all now seems completely irrelevant. The news of the death of Gary Speed at the age of 42 has shocked us all and the world of football has united in grief as it tries to come to terms with the loss of one of the sport’s true gentlemen.

One of the most admirable and endearing qualities of Gary Speed as a footballer was his professionalism and his likeability. He wasn’t a player blessed with silky skills and, unlike many players in the modern game, was never interested in the lifestyle of a celebrity sportsman. As a youngster at Leeds United, he earned his reputation simply by working hard on the training ground, improving his technique and working on his fitness levels. This level of dedication did not go unnoticed by his manager, Howard Wilkinson, who handed Speed his professional debut at the age of 19. From then, Speed went on to become a vital part of the Leeds squad, helping them to win the League title in 1992.

His hard work and approach to the modern game never changed and every club that he went on to play for benefited from his workman-like performances. At Everton, he was named player of the year during his first season at the club. He helped Newcastle United reach two successive FA Cup finals and whilst there, enjoyed his only experience of Champions League football. In 2007 he helped guide Bolton Wanderers to European football for only the second time in their history. For his country, he played 85 times, making him the most capped outfield Welsh player of all time.

Another notable quality of Gary Speed was his versatility. Although most renowned as a central midfielder, he could also play left midfield and left-back. Throughout his career at Leeds United, he ended up playing in nine out of ten outfield positions. He possessed fantastic tactical awareness and was the creator and scorer of goals. Not only was he quick with his feet, he was also extremely powerful in the air.

He had a fitness level that most modern players could only dream of. His inspirational approach to diet and fitness meant that he played the majority of his career without picking up any significant injuries. This level of fitness helped him to become the first player to reach 500 Premiership appearances. Only Ryan Giggs and David James have played more Premiership matches than Speed.

Whilst his managerial career was still in its infancy, he had all the attributes to become a very successful manager. Even though his time as Wales’ manager was tragically cut short, he still helped them to wins against Montenegro, Switzerland and Bulgaria and most recently, a 4-1 win over Norway just 16 days ago. During his tenure, Wales climbed from 117th to 45th in the FIFA world rankings.

He was simply a hard-working, inspirational figure, who adopted a no-nonsense approach to the game and, because of this, was hugely respected by those who worked with and for him.

As for the likeability factor, you only need to ask the people who worked with him and the tributes that they have given in light of his death to find out what he was like:

“Gary was a magnificent person, bright, fun and a wonderful family man – he lit up every room he walked into. I am proud to have been his friend” – Alan Shearer

“Gary Speed was one of the nicest men in football and someone I am honoured to call a team-mate and friend” – Ryan Giggs

“He was a privilege to work alongside and call a friend.” – Mark Hughes

“Today the world has lost a great football manager but even more sadly a great man.” – Aaron Ramsey

“I knew Gary Speed as a fantastic footballer but more important than that he was a decent man and there will be a lot of people very saddened by what has happened.” – Kenny Dalglish

Speed’s death has left a massive hole in Welsh football. One can only hope that his successor can build on the solid foundation that he has created and the players are inspired by how Speed devoted himself to the beautiful game. Qualifying for the World Cup in 2014 would undoubtedly be the ultimate tribute.

For the many who knew him and for the millions that watched and admired him, it will be impossible to fathom the circumstances surrounding Gary Speed’s death. For the majority of us, it will remain a mystery as to why this seemingly trouble-free and happy person, with an exciting managerial future ahead of him, would take the ultimate sacrifice. But for now, let’s remember him for who he was: a gentleman, a family man, a professional, a hard worker and one of the great ambassadors of the modern game.