Posts Tagged ‘Manchester United’

Pooling Power

Posted: February 1, 2012 by thebhoymcclay in Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Referees, Uncategorized
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suarez

"Is it this way to the goal?"

Andy Carroll was a man in form and in demand last year – a goal every other game for Newcastle United, an England cap which alluded to a rising stock for the long-haired front man.

Now the much maligned young striker has failed to live up to the hype which surrounded his £35million move last January – A fee which Carroll immediately attempted to distance himself from, deep down knowing that the Anfield club had bowed down to Newcastle’s overzealous estimation of the player following his striking feats in the black and white.  I was of the belief that if Suarez and Carroll had a successful run in pre-season and both stayed injury-free, this could be a very rewarding partnership for Liverpool and a masterstroke from manager, Kenny Dalglish. The tall target man, initiating the knock downs for the wily and tenacious forward in the Uruguayan – a match made in footballing heaven on paper. In reality, it’s started off with nothing more than a whimper.

Luis Suarez @luis16suarez

Great win for keep gaining points! Last match that I can not play with my colleagues! A hug and thanks for all the support!

The partnership was already without a reasonable period of togetherness this season following derailment due to injuries and meandering form, prior to Suarez’s eight game sabbatical when found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United star, Patrice Evra during October’s Premier League clash at Anfield. Given the haste in which the Uruguayan was convicted, it seems the FA have pandered to their own Euro ambitions and desires by allowing John Terry the chance to captain the national team this summer – the evidence, witnesses in tow would seem more clear-cut than the aforementioned “altercation”.

Step forward the evergreen former Celtic forward Craig Bellamy, now in his second stint with Liverpool, to attempt and recapture some semblance of a strike force in the number sevens’ absence. Where the Anfield side would be without the Welsh hitman in his current purple patch is hard to say – but perhaps not sitting fifth in the league or still in the hunt for two trophies might be a starting point. He is also just one goal away from his total return at Anfield during his first tenure in the 2006-2007 season. When Bellamy is not in trouble with officials or on the treatment table, he is a veritable joy to behold – he can turn defences inside out and score a variety and abundance of goals. He probably scored one of the finest hat-tricks in modern-day history at Tannadice when in the hooped shirt of the Bhoys.  He is also not a penalty box striker – which could help propel his recent efforts to a whole new dimension when Suarez returns at Spurs next Monday evening.

One of the few times this season when all three were on the pitch, was at Goodison Park back in October – with Carroll and Suarez both on target late on following Bellamy’s introduction with twenty minutes remaining.

Their first league win of 2012 against Wolverhampton and a long-awaited goal from Andy Carroll completed a resurgence in form for Dalglish’s men after dumping the two sides of Manchester out of the League and FA Cup in the same week. But just prior to that, a three one defeat at lowly Bolton Wanderers had seemed to question King Kenny and his managerial capabilities. They have a League Cup final and the chance for silverware against Championship side Cardiff City to look forward to, along with the return of their captain and talisman, Steven Gerrard to full fitness, Suarez champing at the bit and a newly confident Andy Carroll – when your best players are all on form, it is nigh on impossible to drop them to the bench.

Liverpool have been reverting to a 4-3-3 formation and I believe for the club to build on their recent good form, a three-pronged assault with Bellamy and Suarez supplying Andy Carroll has all the ingredients for success. Part of the Geordie strikers repertoire is also laying on goals, and his flick on’s in previous matches for Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy have showcased this ability perfectly. The Reds, currently just outside the Champions League places, are on their day a tougher, and more consistent prospect than both Chelsea and Newcastle who sit above them currently. Also now installed as rightful favourites for the FA Cup, you wouldn’t back against a  domestic double trophy haul for King Kenny and his Merry Men.

Top Goal Scorers

  1. Bellamy
    9
  2. Suarez
    8
  3. Carroll
    5

Balotelli Gold

Posted: January 12, 2012 by thebhoymcclay in Celtic Football Club, Football, Manchester City, Manchester United, Travel, Uncategorized
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"Well...now you come to mention it..."

One of the first occasions I set eyes on Mario, was during a highly-charged Champions League semi-final where the young eccentric number forty-five was having what appeared to be a touch-line rant at his own boss at the time, Jose Mourinho. Following Seville, many Celtic fans and neutrals have had an ongoing dislike for the egotistical Mourinho. He not only sent his Porto side out with barely a hint of sportsmanship that evening – but also, quite shockingly, neglected to acknowledge Martin O’Neills’ sides colossal effort in what turned out to be an enthralling struggle in the Spanish heat.

Therefore your sympathies at the outset, were with Balotelli. At first glance, even though you were totally enthralled at the theatre which was orchestrating itself out with the beautiful game on the pitch, there was a sense of worry as to why such an event had manifested itself during such a fixture? After a few minutes had passed it was revealed that the Italian youngster was asking the Portuguese boss for a substitution due to alleged racist chants directed at him from his own supporters wearing the black & blue from one half of Milan. A truly disgusting, but not unexpected act ,from supporters in Italy where unfortunately for a time this behaviour was accepted as the norm – Balotelli had only came on as a substitute twenty minutes from the whistle and ended the match by discarding his match shirt and throwing it to the ground in front of the vitriolic home crowd.

We fast forward twenty-months and to the Etihad stadium in last nights Carling Cup tie with Liverpool where the controversial star is returning after a knock which left him out of the equally polemically Manchester Derby on the 7th of January.

 “You can’t take your eyes off him”

Not a truer sentence has passesd from the lips of the much maligned, but mainly self-inflicted,pundit, Mark Lawrenson. From the team bus to the tunnel, pre-match warm up to the handshakes, to the pitch and the sometimes more encapsulating antics off it – Mario Balotelli is a character the type which has been missing from the spotlight of World Football for many years.  Last night was typical of his turbulent footballing career, City who were missing a few key men anyway, did not start the game or end it, in any sort of positive manner – the man in question could not control passes, at times stood statuesque and only broke a sweat chasing Charlie Adam after a foul and a clip on the ear from the ex-Ranger.  Thirty-five minutes into the game, he was replaced by Samir Nasri, gingerly leaving the field to muted and confused applause. Only a few days previously, social media was ablaze with Balotelli  trending following reports that on filling up his car with petrol, he held the pump overhead in jubilant exuberance and vowed to meet the costs of all other customers on the forecourt at that time.  Tales of this caliber are rarely given enough airtime within the media these days with the majority of stories focusing on the negative aspects of football, be it extra-marital affairs, drug & alcohol abuse or “illicit chanting” from supporters.

The Italian born forward seems to be singe-handily attempting to enhance the sports image, but with a fair share of his slightly idiotic actions he helps re-address the balance. That in itself is by the wayside, as a public figure he has entertained on & off the field so far this season and has helped catapult his side to the top of the Premiership – every headline that has centred around Balotelli this season has put a smile on my face whether it be football or firework related. Ian Crocker was against lambasted on Twitter during the week when the possibility of a Celtic Scottish Cup tie at Inverness arose following the few mentions he gave it during the defeat of Peterhead. For pundits, presenters and television companies, these upsets and “feel good” shocks are the lifeblood of keeping the neutral viewer South of the Border and further afield interested (we all know the rest of Scotland wants us to lose!), for the prosperity of ESPN, Sky Sports and Scottish football. So for “Super Mario” to be making such a name for himself after only just over a year in Britain, it keeps a healthy momentum of interest building around the beautiful game.

In the purest sense he probably isn’t the idea role model for children –  he is by far the worst and children from a technical aspect could not fail to be impressed with his skills – perhaps his temperament and work rate could be re-assessed in order to make a more rounded player, but I think trying to iron out his slight deficiencies would backfire on any respective manager looking to get a decent strike rate from the single-minded man. Not since the heyday of George Best, Paul Gascoigne or Frank Macavennie, has there been such spotlight and comment on one individual – the difference so far with Balotelli, is that he does not have the demons to go with it. Ill-mannered, stupid and sometimes irrational but his extroverted activities are for the most, comedic and done for no other reason than enjoyment and laughter – whilst his share in the City coffers have meant that his spare cash is not always frittered away, but often donated (see Petrol station scenario above) to others less fortunate than himself.  Driving around Manchester chucking notes out of his car window, giving a grand to a homeless man, and not to mention a couple of hundred to a local church – his good nature and love of life seems to shine through.

“The problem is because of his age, he can make some mistakes. He’s Mario. He’s crazy – but I love him because he’s a good guy.

They have not always seen eye to eye, but the words above of Roberto Mancini show that the Italian manager shows that the Italian manager has a real connection and belief in Balotelli’s abilities and maintains a fatherly outlook for the twenty-one year olds wellbeing. Mancini’s faith has been restored with a positive goal return of eleven so far this season, which is already one more than last term, and some startling performances to parachute the Blue side of Manchester into top spot. The return of the dark side to Carlos Tevez’s psyche has seen City’s three other star strikers given more of the limelight – which may in hindsight, have solved a possible selection headache for the manager. This positivity directed toward the Palermo-born star from the higher echelons is a far cry from his stint with Mourinho at the San Siro – a strained relationship which led to disciplinary problems and a public slaying by the Special One was not conducive to a productive player. If Balotelli can keep his focus on the pitch and enjoy his life in this country, I am certain he can fire his side to the Premiership title come May.

Alan Pardew’s High Flying Birds

Posted: November 11, 2011 by thebhoymcclay in Football, Manchester City, Newcastle United
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Everyone with a keen eye on the Premiership will have been astounded by Newcastle United’s unbeaten start to the league campaign.  Of all the teams they took points from, you could argue that their opponent’s position in the table and form was also poor – only their home draw at Spurs was against a side in the upper echelons of the league. Even though these games have primarily been against teams in the lower half of the league, the performance level and set up of the side have been very impressive. You would never normally class them as being previously good on the road, but they have excelled with wins at difficult and imposing stadiums such as the Britannia and Stadium of Light, whilst also securing valuable points away to Villa, QPR & Wolves – the latter two teams will rely on home victories to secure their top flight status.

Alan Pardew has turned Newcastle's fortunes around

What has been as equally as impressive as the togetherness and spirit of the Newcastle United side, is the way they have coped with the loss of some seemingly invaluable players to their team. Joey Barton played two league games before moving to Loftus Road at the end of August, following former club captain Kevin Nolan, defender Jose Enrique & striker Andy Carroll who left in the summer and January transfer windows respectively. Barton, who even caused controversy in his two appearances before leaving this season, was a player that other teams loved to hate and the Toon Army adored – a combative, marauding midfielder who gave everything when he pulled on the Black & White jersey. The fans must have feared a gaping hole would be left in their battling midfield but with Yohan Cabaye & Danny Guthrie filling the central voids and the ever willing running of Jonas Gutierrez down the left flank, the energy and passion shown has been inspirational and provided the platform for the team to build on their amazing run. You can only beat what is put in front of you and Newcastle have professionally and effectively dispatched their opponents so far – coming up in November & early December though, they will have to dig even deeper.

In their next two games they are taking on Manchester & England’s top two at the Etihad and Theatre of Dreams – high-flying City are in no mood to give out favours and have fired in twenty goals in their last five in all competitions, whilst United – being on the end of six of those strikes – will be eager to find their feet in the title challenge again. Following some cagey performances in United’s last few outings, there is going to be a side on the wrong end of a Red Devils’ thrashing – but Newcastle’s water tight & ever-present back line have only conceded three in five away fixtures and they could prove an extremely hard defence to breach. Another positive for the Toon army in these upcoming fixtures is the space which can be created and will be available when on the counter attack – Manchester United capitulated spectacularly when chasing a goal against their rivals last month and whilst City have improved their against column figures, they will still be susceptible to a slip up.  Alan Pardew’s side have added some different dimensions to their attacking prowess this year and even without Andy Carrolls’ height and presence, Demba Ba, Leon Best and Shola Ameobi have all proved they can be a danger at this level. Of Ba’s eight league goals so far this season, four have been headed conversions and the Frenchman is oozing confidence given this purple patch of form. The versatility offered from direct route one football has seldom been used, but given the targets available to aim at in the offensive third, this could be an invaluable plan B in the forthcoming fixtures – John Terry and David Luiz have looked anything but imposing at the heart of the Chelsea rearguard so far and I predict an equally tough afternoon when they visit St J…I mean the Sports Direct arena(it’s not going to stick!) in early December.

Discipline & confidence have been qualities instilled into seemingly ordinary players by Pardew and his ability to let the team express their footballing talents has proved rewarding. Prior to the season kick off, you wouldn’t have been alone if you predicted the Magpies would be languishing in the bottom half of the table, flirting with another possible year in the Championship – you would be mad to think they could soar any higher in the table, but the groundwork is there for an impressive standing come May. Pardew’s predecessor Chris Hughton, was lauded for the job he did in the North-East, at this rate the former West Ham boss will get the freedom of the Metro Centre. Geordies and football fans alike rightly lambasted owner Mike Ashley for his treatment of Hughton & his general day to day running of the football club, but the appointment of Pardew will have clouded over his colourful past – well perhaps today’s announcement will have reminded them!

One of my first live matches was at St James’, pre fancy all-seater stadia days, standing with a few thousand die-hard Geordies watching Killer Kilcline rampaging through a 2nd division match against Barnsley on what can only be described as a mud bath with my uncle and father. I was astounded at the transformation just a few years later come the mid 90′s, names such as Cole, Shearer, Asprilla, Ginola, Clark & Lee were all household and Newcastle United were challenging for honours – this time around the big players have been swapped for a team with a great work ethic built on hard work, diligence and pride for the club they are representing.

My three favourite non-Celtic football books

Posted: October 13, 2011 by thebhoymcclay in Books, Celtic Football Club, Football, Travel
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I have chosen two biographies – one you could say had a Celtic connection – Paul McGrath’s autobiography almost signed for Celtic & would have probably went down in Bhoys folklore as he did at Villa and Manchester United . These three books had an amazing impact on my reading, all extremely eye-opening - to the level of destruction in two of them and also the level of obsession and pride in another.

Barca – A People’s Passion

The other being a cultural & historical look at the “Mes Que en club” and Catalan region. The book gives you a real connection to Barcelona -the lifestyle, politics and identity it gives its supporters. Over 100 years of history and political oppression draws similarities between Celtic’s beginnings in Glasgow’s East end and Barcelona’s own war against “the establishment”. Barca regales about 20th century Spanish history, Catalan regionalism, & cultural psychology between the area and the rest of Spain. 

The players themselves, managers and games sometimes play second fiddle to the city and the role its people played in the continuing development of the club and its ongoing struggle with the Los Blancos. Akin to the Bhoys, Barcelona are seen as second-rate citizens in their country and the gladiatorial battles they endured with Franco’s regime give you a sense of “Braveheart” pride and spirit when reading. It is certainly more than a history, it’s like a handbook for what it is like to be Catalan and a Barcelona fan – written before the Guardiola successes of recent years it also predicts how the club can move forward in this century and beyond.

Hilarious but predictably tragic ,The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw - Robin Friday epitomised the enigmatic figure – whenever he “played” he was undoubtedly the best on the park by a country mile – thought at many points throughout a season he was either too intoxicated to make it or lost on a train somewhere trying to make his way to the particular ground for kick off. He played at around the same era as George Best, the original rock n roll footballer, but due to his lower league status his off the field antics were kept at bay – if he had been at Manchester United on the other hand, Georgie boy would have been considered a mere social drinker.

A character who trained at 100mph and had to be dragged off the training field on many occasions due to the injuries he was dishing it – he also lived his social life at a similar pace. Another player who could have been world-class (he played his few days at Reading & Cardiff) had he reined in his lifestyle off the pitch, the Super Furry Animals dedicated a song to him which explained why; ” The Man Don’t Give a F***”.  He also died on my 10th birthday – this does not have any relevance to the book or why you would read it, I just take an odd comfort from it.

Back from the Brink is an amazing tale which leaves you at many points checking back to the front cover to remind you this is the life and autobiography of a footballer, as desperate as it gets at some junctures. The car crash of calamitous feats and let downs his family endured should not be trivialized & I believe that reading this, Paul accepts he was anything but a saint, but he also has a lovable roguish streak akin to Tony Soprano, which had you willing him to get through his life unscathed even with the damage done to those around him.  His upbringing through orphanages in Ireland was tough & unpleasant and as a black kid in Dublin during those days, made it all the more of a struggle.

Demons is a word banded about rather loosely these days but in “ohh ahh Paul McGrath’s” case,  it was a life long tussle through isolation and devastation.  He is extremely honest and  overly critical which again reiterates the feelings of sadness and empathy which gnaw at you whilst reading. The most unbelievable part of this tale though, is that he managed to still play through blind drunkenness and crippling knee problems – you can only imagine what he could have achieved if his upbringing had been more stable.

 

I hope if you have not already, you will have a read of at least one of these. If you wish, I could dig them out the back of the cupboard, dust off the cobwebs and send them on – tweet me @thebhoymcclay to join the book group.