Deemed as perhaps the biggest talent of his generation in Swiss football, 18 year old winger Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the 23 players named in Switzerland's provisional World Cup squad. Having featured in 48 matches for Swiss top side FC Basel and Switzerland U21 this season, Shaqiri has impressed enough to make the selection despite just recently making his international debut in a March friendly against Uruguay. This feat is even more impressive when you take into consideration that Shaqiri also made his club debut this season; previously, he had not played one game of senior football.
Standing at just 5 ft 6 in, Shaqiri has all the abilities you would expect from a winger of his stature. Quick feet, good technique and a low center of gravity makes him a dangerous dribbler, and on occassion he has proven to be capable of great end product. Already possessing very good physique, Shaqiri's future career is likely to be decided inside his head. And it's not just a matter of whether he will continue to apply himself and is able to cope psychologically, but also a matter of how much he can improve mental footballing attributes like vision and movement, where he yet hasn't excelled in his first season.
In the Switzerland squad, Shaqiri faces stern competition for a starting spot from West Ham's Valon Behrami, Bayer Leverkusen's Tranquillo Barnetta and Sampdoria's Marco Padalino. Having previously played just 45 minutes for the national team, Switzerland's June friendlies against Costa Rica and Italy are likely to decide the fate of Shaqiri's status in the squad for at least the intitial stages of the World Cup. Even if he doesn't make the starting eleven, we are very likely to see him make substitute appearances, given the type of player he is. At any rate, it should be a fantastic experience for the young winger, who couldn't have expected this one year ago when he had yet to play a game of professional football. For us, it will be a chance to see one of the most exciting prospects in Europe make his debut on the big stage.
G. Lindström
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
France
Confederation: UEFA (Europe)
Head coach: Raymond Domenech
Captain: Thierry Henry
Group: A
Keen astronomer Raymond Domenech has named his prelimanary 30 man squad, which involves some world class names. From goalkeeper to upfront, the French have genuine quality. 'Keeper Hugo Lloris, who will be playing in his first World Cup, looks to have all the attributes to be a great 'keeper, he is something that Les Blues have been missing in recent years. The French defense consists of very experienced defenders, Gallas, Evra and Abidal are ones who have played at the highest club level.
Domenech has shocked many people with his provisional squad, the omissions of Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri will have French fans scratching their heads. Benzema has had a disappointing first season in Madrid, however, on his day, he is one of the best strikers in the world. Also, Domenech has decided against calling up a replacemacement for the injured Lassana Diarra.
Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri was expected to be named in the 30 man squad at least. He is one who can create and provide a moment of genius, odd decision. Perhaps the stars told Domenech to do it, many people were surprised he didn't get the axe after a poor Euro 2008. The French Football Federation may regret not replacing the horoscope fanatic........
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux)
Defenders: William Gallas (Arsenal/ENG), Eric Abidal (Barcelona/ESP), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal/ENG), Patrice Evra (Manchester United/ENG), Gael Clichy (Arsenal/ENG), Marc Planus (Bordeaux), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla/ESP)
Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal/ENG), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Florent Malouda (Chelsea/ENG), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon)
Strikers: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea/ENG), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos/GRE), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona/ESP), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/GER), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
Watch France kick-off their campaign against Uruguay(6th June) on flashsportstreams.com/forum/
Ant Myers
Monday, 10 May 2010
Paraguay
Confederation: CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach: Gerardo Martino
Captain: Denis Caniza
Group: F
Roque Santa Cruz is perhaps the most well known Paraguayan player, but he plays in a team surrounded by quality players. Players like Christian Riveros and Óscar Cardozo may not be well known to some of you, but they have the ability and prowess needed for the world stage. Paraguay ended in the South American qualifiers in third place, finishing above Argentina. Paraguay have a very experienced defense, consisting of Sunderland's Paulo Da Silva and Denis Caniza, who will play in his 4th World Cup.
Unfortunately, striker Salvador Cabanas won't make the finals, after being shot in the head in Mexico. There had been talk of Cabanas making a miraculous recovery in time for the competition, but this was untrue. The Paraguayans have superb technical ability and like to keep possession. Paraquay should reach the second round, holders Italy are also in group F but minnows Slovakia and New Zealand are not likely to advance.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Real Valladolid, Spain), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin, Colombia), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno);
Defenders: Denis Caniza (Leon, Mexico), Dario Veron (Pumas, Mexico), Julio Caceres (Atletico Mineiro, Brazil), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland, England), Claudio Morel Rodriguez (Boca Juniors, Argentina), Antolin Alcaraz (Wigan, Eng), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo, Argentina);
Midfielders: Cristian Riveros (Sunderland, England), Enrique Vera (LDU Quito, Ecuador), Edgar Barreto (Atalanta, Italy), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg, Germany), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors, Argentina);
Attackers: Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City, England), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica, Portugal), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca, Mexico), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad).
Ant Myers
Ghana
Confederation: CAF (Africa)
Head coach: Milovan Rajevac
Captain: Stephen Appiah
Group: D
The Black Stars will take part in their second World Cup finals in June, after topping group D in the African qualifiers. Ghana have a squad of undoubted quality, the likes of John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah are players that all feature in Europe's elite leagues.
Group D consists of four dangerous team, who all have a realistic chance of reaching the knock-out stage. Ghana will pose a threat to any team, with their power, pace and athleticism. Head coach, Rajevac has named his squad and has decided to include Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has switched his national allegiance from Germany to Ghana.
The loss of Michael Essien will be a massive blow to Ghana, as the Chelsea man is potentially the best box-to-box midfielder in the world. I'm sure I speak for most people in saying that Essien will be a big miss this summer.
Squad:
Ant Myers
Head coach: Milovan Rajevac
Captain: Stephen Appiah
Group: D
The Black Stars will take part in their second World Cup finals in June, after topping group D in the African qualifiers. Ghana have a squad of undoubted quality, the likes of John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah are players that all feature in Europe's elite leagues.
Group D consists of four dangerous team, who all have a realistic chance of reaching the knock-out stage. Ghana will pose a threat to any team, with their power, pace and athleticism. Head coach, Rajevac has named his squad and has decided to include Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has switched his national allegiance from Germany to Ghana.
The loss of Michael Essien will be a massive blow to Ghana, as the Chelsea man is potentially the best box-to-box midfielder in the world. I'm sure I speak for most people in saying that Essien will be a big miss this summer.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Wigan/ENG), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals/GHA), Stephen Ahorlu (Hearts of Lions/GHA)
Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (FC Basel/SUI), Jonathan Mensah (Grenada/ESP), Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea/GHA), Rahim Ayew (Zamalek/EGY), Hans Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), John Mensah (Sunderland/ENG), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim/GER), John Paintsil (Fulham/ENG).
Midfielders: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan/ITA), Derek Boateng (Getafe/ESP), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg/NOR), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese/ITA), Andre Ayew (Arles-Avignon/FRA - on loan), Stephen Appiah (Bologna/ITA), Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd/QAT), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth/ENG)
Forwards: Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda/NED) Asamoah Gyan (Rennes/FRA), Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim/GER), Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan/ITA)
Ant Myers
The World Awaits......
As the domestic leagues and cups are drawing to a close, football fans around the world are starting to prepare for the Globe's best sporting tournament. The World Cup is not just for football fans, it's for everyone. It unites nations and gives a country a good excuse to forget about troubles and join together to support their homeland. Flags on cars, packed pubs, John Barnes rapping and plenty of beer consumed.
With 31 days until the big kick-off, the participating countries are assembling their squads for the trip to South Africa. Most managers will now have a good idea who their 23 man squad will be, however some will have to make tough decisions. Managers will have to decide whether form or reputation should be the most important factor.
Over the next two months we will bring you news, previews, reports and much more........
You can watch all the games live online at flashsportstreams.com
Ant Myers
With 31 days until the big kick-off, the participating countries are assembling their squads for the trip to South Africa. Most managers will now have a good idea who their 23 man squad will be, however some will have to make tough decisions. Managers will have to decide whether form or reputation should be the most important factor.
Over the next two months we will bring you news, previews, reports and much more........
You can watch all the games live online at flashsportstreams.com
Ant Myers
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Fabio Capello: England's Historic Chance
They are but twice a decade, and so for that reason, World Cups always seem forever away. But for Fabio Capello and England, South Africa is more then just on the horizon. The Italian and his English Lions are staring face-to-face with what could prove to the biggest three months of their lives.
Less then a month ago England fans were asking if yet again before a major tournament, the media were going to prove to be our downfall before a ball had even been kicked. John Terry’s alleged infidelities prompted ‘experts’ to make predictions on what the future held for the Chelsea captain and the lasting impact it would have on the England side. For many it was already game over. Terry, Mr. Untouchable at Stamford Bridge, had betrayed his teammates and as a result there was no chance of him wrapping his hands around football’s biggest prize.
How wrong these so called critics and professors of the beautiful game, who sit, pen in hand each week ready to note the slightest mishap of one of the country’s best hopes, were. I fell in love with football as most of my generation did throughout the Euro 96 tournament. The three lions at Wembley against Holland, when Shearer and Sheringham tore Denis Bergkamp’s side apart to the tune of Jonathan Pearce’s now infamous commentary. Ever since that tournament, England has lacked something. A cutting edge? Maybe. A natural goalscorer who frightens the worlds best centre halves? Maybe. A manager who not only rules the dressing room but can also gives the pressroom a dressing down? Definitely.
Whilst the papers, TV and Radio stations frenzied around for interviews with Max Clifford and Vanessa Pernocell, and while photographers waited for a shot of Toni Terry at Heathrow and John Terry playing away (in football terms) at Hull City, Fabio Capello poured himself another glass of fine wine and put his feet up in Geneva as he recovered from a routine knee operation, a million miles away from the apparent meltdown of his England side. And when the Italian strolled through the arrivals gate at Heathrow, with his suitcase neatly packed onto his trolley, looking unfazed by a greeting of a thousand camera flashes, no one foresaw the awesome impact his silence was having.
John Terry quite simply had the week from hell. However, perhaps not in quite the same sense as any ‘ordinary’ adulterer. Let me be clear; not for one moment do I want anyone to read this and assume I hold England’s football players to any kind of higher purity and moral standard simply because they take home £100,000 a week for doing relatively little. Not on your life. In fact, if anyone thinks John Terry was receiving text messages from Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard condemning him for what he did to Wayne Bridge you have a seriously good opinion of the current breed of professional footballers. Be under no illusion, any texts JT did receive were more along the lines of ‘You idiot, how did you get caught!’ Instead Terry’s week was torturous because for all his off-field antics, he is a natural born winner. The thought of being denied the chance to have his photo in the history books, lifting the trophy with the cross of St George draped over his shoulders, of having the next five decades of England supporters bringing their children up into football showing them photos of John Terry lifting the World Cup trophy as we were shown the images of Bobby Moore, was a real source of heartache for him.
For too long, England fans and the media have complained that player power was too much in England. Under Keagan, the most inept manager of England (even worse then Graham Taylor) up to that point lacked the courage to drop misfiring players for fear of their wrath. This continued under Eriksson too. David Beckham was commander-in-chief of that particular squad. The Swede more content with his paychecks then tournament progression. And after Luis Philippe Scolari rejected us for fear of the media (what ever gave him hat idea) came the donkey under the umbrella in Steve McLaren.
Credit where credit is due, he dropped Beckham as captain and from the entire England squad. If ever there was a statement of who was boss look no further then a man who embarrasses the most famous football player to walk the planet. Trouble was, when he realized he had nothing better and so had to recall Goldenballs, he was not only undermined but also looked completely hapless. He then made the cardinal sin of walking out of a press conference before it had even started telling the media ‘to write what you want’. McClaren must have wished the next day’s headlines were in Dutch! They never made for pleasant reading and the pathetic sight of him drinking tea under an umbrella at Wembly while his side flopped out of the European Championships before Umbro had even had time design yet another Red England shirt that looked exactly the same as the previous ten, was pathetic in every sense of the word .
Needless to say then that Capello’s mandate for change when he was interviewed for the job was to address the disciplinary issues of the England side. In one of his first press conferences, Capello was asked whether he felt he was fortunate to inherit a squad littered with world-class players. The former Real Madrid manager asked the journalist who he thought was world class before following it up with a statement that proved, Gerrard had not registered the same amount of goals per game ratio internationally as he did in the premier league, same with Frank Lampard. Crazy too when you think the opposition more often then not is the likes of Andorra and Kazakhstan. John Terry world class? He hasn’t won the Champions League said Capello. Wayne Rooney? Good but on the same level as Messi and Kaka? Not according to the new manager.
For every England fan who had sighed miserably when they left work on a Friday evening to go home, looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and Barclays Premier League football, only to find it was international weekend which probably meant another underperforming, useless display in front of a Wembly crowd who had paid well over the odds for tickets to watch lackluster, chess-like football, a new era had broken. Capello wanted friendly games away from home against the worlds best. He got them. England played Spain, France, Holland and Brazil away from home. The best England’s ‘world class’ players could manage from these four fixtures was a draw in Amsterdam. The other three, all defeats.
Needless to say, Capello’s initial vindication of England’s part-time Gallactico’s was spot on. On the field results had spoken. If England were to win the world cup, then Capello’s mandate for change would have to be enacted on and off the field and the Italian would start with ‘discipline.’
Summoned like a schoolboy to the headmasters office, insistent upon players referring to him not as ‘boss’ or gaffer’ but as ‘Mr. Capello’ and ‘Sir’, the shrewd tactician negotiated John Terry’s fall from supremacy in 12minutes by doing what no one predicted he would.
Buses and trains stopped running the traffic came to a standstill, postman temporarily went on strike, the Prime Minister called an emergency session of parliament, her majesty the Queen came back early from walking the corgis, planes made emergency landings and Geordies put down their pints. John Terry had been fired in Godfather-like style but England’s new ‘big boss’.
It was a decision that sent shockwaves through, not only the football world but also the British showbiz scene. In an age where footballers wives are yearning to be glamour models, TV presenters, fashion designers and professional socialites by hanging off their husbands fame and fortune, the news that there was someone even bigger and more powerful who was willing to take their prestige away without hearing the case for the defence, brought Britain to an almost standstill and newsrooms buzzing with the excitements of unpredictability.
Yet who wasn’t fazed? Capello. On arriving back at his London house later that evening he was asked how his day at been by a pool of journalists at the foot of his stairs. “Busy” he replied with a smile on his face and a swagger in his step. Lets not forget, Fabio Capello made David Beckham train with the reserves for 7 weeks while he was at Real Madrid because he signed a pre-contract agreement with LA Galaxy. Capello is a man who has managed the best and brought down the best, and in his opinion, if that is what it takes to ensure England success he was willing to do it again.
Perhaps even more startling was how Capello, just 24 hours after the biggest footballing story since Glen Hoddle ws sacked over comments about the disabled, the England manager boarded a plane to Warsaw for the draw for the 2012 European Chamionship qualification process totally unfazed by the world’s most intrusive media. Seeing Capello’s command of the British media when he came out for his post-draw reaction, he stood toe-to-toe with the land’s biggest names, looked them in the eye, never shirking, and told them they would not be getting answers to their John Terry questions. It was a monumental moment in recent English footballing history. The men who are responsible for the demise of Premier League and England managers year after year, finally put back in their place by a man who has his eyes set firmly on the bigger picture.
There was a fear that even if Capello stripped Terry of the armband, that he would still run the roost in the dressing room. Whoever was made captain would always really be subordinate to Terry. But we learned something else here. Almost like Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford where no matter who wears the armband, no one is bigger then the manager, Capello is doing the same with his England. No voice in the changing room is louder and more powerful then his. No player gives better motivational speeches, or fires up the players better then Fabio himself. Rio may wear the armband now but that does not make him above the law as Shearer was under Keagan, Beckham was under Eriksson and Terry under McClaren.
What we are seeing is an England team who now has one sole focus going into the world cup; football. Wayne Rooney has proved against AC Milan that he is not only capable of taking on the best, but right now he is the best. There is competition for places in the England side like never before. Peter Crouch realizes with Darren Bent finding form at Sunderland, that when he gets his chance he needs to take it, so he bags a brace the first chance he gets.
Who really knows if England will win it again but one thing is for certain under Capello, they are in it again. Like all sides that win major competition, England will need luck and they will need to be 100% at the top of every game they play. But in Capello we trust. We trust that if there is an opening, if a team is there for the taking like Brazil in 2002, like Portugal in 2006, Capello is a good enough tactician that he will spot it and make sure England exploit it by picking the side he deems right for the game, not what the players or press dictate. There is no doubt we have some of the best players in the world right now, but perhaps what makes England different going into this World Cup is that there is a focus like never before and truly world class manager.
The story after Euro 2008 was of a Spain side that for so long had under achieve. A nation who had the potential to be devastating on the world stage, but always managed to choke. The same has been said of England since Italia 90. Football is the language of of this country. It is the topic of conversation in pubs and bars from the Quayside in Newcastle to the docks of Portsmouth. The Premier League brings a nation to a holt every Saturday at 3 o’Clock. We are a nation where more people know Jeff Stelling’s name then Gordon Brown’s. Football was our gift to the world. In South Africa, Fabio’s England perhaps, might just bring it home.
By Gavin Callaghan
Less then a month ago England fans were asking if yet again before a major tournament, the media were going to prove to be our downfall before a ball had even been kicked. John Terry’s alleged infidelities prompted ‘experts’ to make predictions on what the future held for the Chelsea captain and the lasting impact it would have on the England side. For many it was already game over. Terry, Mr. Untouchable at Stamford Bridge, had betrayed his teammates and as a result there was no chance of him wrapping his hands around football’s biggest prize.
How wrong these so called critics and professors of the beautiful game, who sit, pen in hand each week ready to note the slightest mishap of one of the country’s best hopes, were. I fell in love with football as most of my generation did throughout the Euro 96 tournament. The three lions at Wembley against Holland, when Shearer and Sheringham tore Denis Bergkamp’s side apart to the tune of Jonathan Pearce’s now infamous commentary. Ever since that tournament, England has lacked something. A cutting edge? Maybe. A natural goalscorer who frightens the worlds best centre halves? Maybe. A manager who not only rules the dressing room but can also gives the pressroom a dressing down? Definitely.
Whilst the papers, TV and Radio stations frenzied around for interviews with Max Clifford and Vanessa Pernocell, and while photographers waited for a shot of Toni Terry at Heathrow and John Terry playing away (in football terms) at Hull City, Fabio Capello poured himself another glass of fine wine and put his feet up in Geneva as he recovered from a routine knee operation, a million miles away from the apparent meltdown of his England side. And when the Italian strolled through the arrivals gate at Heathrow, with his suitcase neatly packed onto his trolley, looking unfazed by a greeting of a thousand camera flashes, no one foresaw the awesome impact his silence was having.
John Terry quite simply had the week from hell. However, perhaps not in quite the same sense as any ‘ordinary’ adulterer. Let me be clear; not for one moment do I want anyone to read this and assume I hold England’s football players to any kind of higher purity and moral standard simply because they take home £100,000 a week for doing relatively little. Not on your life. In fact, if anyone thinks John Terry was receiving text messages from Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard condemning him for what he did to Wayne Bridge you have a seriously good opinion of the current breed of professional footballers. Be under no illusion, any texts JT did receive were more along the lines of ‘You idiot, how did you get caught!’ Instead Terry’s week was torturous because for all his off-field antics, he is a natural born winner. The thought of being denied the chance to have his photo in the history books, lifting the trophy with the cross of St George draped over his shoulders, of having the next five decades of England supporters bringing their children up into football showing them photos of John Terry lifting the World Cup trophy as we were shown the images of Bobby Moore, was a real source of heartache for him.
For too long, England fans and the media have complained that player power was too much in England. Under Keagan, the most inept manager of England (even worse then Graham Taylor) up to that point lacked the courage to drop misfiring players for fear of their wrath. This continued under Eriksson too. David Beckham was commander-in-chief of that particular squad. The Swede more content with his paychecks then tournament progression. And after Luis Philippe Scolari rejected us for fear of the media (what ever gave him hat idea) came the donkey under the umbrella in Steve McLaren.
Credit where credit is due, he dropped Beckham as captain and from the entire England squad. If ever there was a statement of who was boss look no further then a man who embarrasses the most famous football player to walk the planet. Trouble was, when he realized he had nothing better and so had to recall Goldenballs, he was not only undermined but also looked completely hapless. He then made the cardinal sin of walking out of a press conference before it had even started telling the media ‘to write what you want’. McClaren must have wished the next day’s headlines were in Dutch! They never made for pleasant reading and the pathetic sight of him drinking tea under an umbrella at Wembly while his side flopped out of the European Championships before Umbro had even had time design yet another Red England shirt that looked exactly the same as the previous ten, was pathetic in every sense of the word .
Needless to say then that Capello’s mandate for change when he was interviewed for the job was to address the disciplinary issues of the England side. In one of his first press conferences, Capello was asked whether he felt he was fortunate to inherit a squad littered with world-class players. The former Real Madrid manager asked the journalist who he thought was world class before following it up with a statement that proved, Gerrard had not registered the same amount of goals per game ratio internationally as he did in the premier league, same with Frank Lampard. Crazy too when you think the opposition more often then not is the likes of Andorra and Kazakhstan. John Terry world class? He hasn’t won the Champions League said Capello. Wayne Rooney? Good but on the same level as Messi and Kaka? Not according to the new manager.
For every England fan who had sighed miserably when they left work on a Friday evening to go home, looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and Barclays Premier League football, only to find it was international weekend which probably meant another underperforming, useless display in front of a Wembly crowd who had paid well over the odds for tickets to watch lackluster, chess-like football, a new era had broken. Capello wanted friendly games away from home against the worlds best. He got them. England played Spain, France, Holland and Brazil away from home. The best England’s ‘world class’ players could manage from these four fixtures was a draw in Amsterdam. The other three, all defeats.
Needless to say, Capello’s initial vindication of England’s part-time Gallactico’s was spot on. On the field results had spoken. If England were to win the world cup, then Capello’s mandate for change would have to be enacted on and off the field and the Italian would start with ‘discipline.’
Summoned like a schoolboy to the headmasters office, insistent upon players referring to him not as ‘boss’ or gaffer’ but as ‘Mr. Capello’ and ‘Sir’, the shrewd tactician negotiated John Terry’s fall from supremacy in 12minutes by doing what no one predicted he would.
Buses and trains stopped running the traffic came to a standstill, postman temporarily went on strike, the Prime Minister called an emergency session of parliament, her majesty the Queen came back early from walking the corgis, planes made emergency landings and Geordies put down their pints. John Terry had been fired in Godfather-like style but England’s new ‘big boss’.
It was a decision that sent shockwaves through, not only the football world but also the British showbiz scene. In an age where footballers wives are yearning to be glamour models, TV presenters, fashion designers and professional socialites by hanging off their husbands fame and fortune, the news that there was someone even bigger and more powerful who was willing to take their prestige away without hearing the case for the defence, brought Britain to an almost standstill and newsrooms buzzing with the excitements of unpredictability.
Yet who wasn’t fazed? Capello. On arriving back at his London house later that evening he was asked how his day at been by a pool of journalists at the foot of his stairs. “Busy” he replied with a smile on his face and a swagger in his step. Lets not forget, Fabio Capello made David Beckham train with the reserves for 7 weeks while he was at Real Madrid because he signed a pre-contract agreement with LA Galaxy. Capello is a man who has managed the best and brought down the best, and in his opinion, if that is what it takes to ensure England success he was willing to do it again.
Perhaps even more startling was how Capello, just 24 hours after the biggest footballing story since Glen Hoddle ws sacked over comments about the disabled, the England manager boarded a plane to Warsaw for the draw for the 2012 European Chamionship qualification process totally unfazed by the world’s most intrusive media. Seeing Capello’s command of the British media when he came out for his post-draw reaction, he stood toe-to-toe with the land’s biggest names, looked them in the eye, never shirking, and told them they would not be getting answers to their John Terry questions. It was a monumental moment in recent English footballing history. The men who are responsible for the demise of Premier League and England managers year after year, finally put back in their place by a man who has his eyes set firmly on the bigger picture.
There was a fear that even if Capello stripped Terry of the armband, that he would still run the roost in the dressing room. Whoever was made captain would always really be subordinate to Terry. But we learned something else here. Almost like Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford where no matter who wears the armband, no one is bigger then the manager, Capello is doing the same with his England. No voice in the changing room is louder and more powerful then his. No player gives better motivational speeches, or fires up the players better then Fabio himself. Rio may wear the armband now but that does not make him above the law as Shearer was under Keagan, Beckham was under Eriksson and Terry under McClaren.
What we are seeing is an England team who now has one sole focus going into the world cup; football. Wayne Rooney has proved against AC Milan that he is not only capable of taking on the best, but right now he is the best. There is competition for places in the England side like never before. Peter Crouch realizes with Darren Bent finding form at Sunderland, that when he gets his chance he needs to take it, so he bags a brace the first chance he gets.
Who really knows if England will win it again but one thing is for certain under Capello, they are in it again. Like all sides that win major competition, England will need luck and they will need to be 100% at the top of every game they play. But in Capello we trust. We trust that if there is an opening, if a team is there for the taking like Brazil in 2002, like Portugal in 2006, Capello is a good enough tactician that he will spot it and make sure England exploit it by picking the side he deems right for the game, not what the players or press dictate. There is no doubt we have some of the best players in the world right now, but perhaps what makes England different going into this World Cup is that there is a focus like never before and truly world class manager.
The story after Euro 2008 was of a Spain side that for so long had under achieve. A nation who had the potential to be devastating on the world stage, but always managed to choke. The same has been said of England since Italia 90. Football is the language of of this country. It is the topic of conversation in pubs and bars from the Quayside in Newcastle to the docks of Portsmouth. The Premier League brings a nation to a holt every Saturday at 3 o’Clock. We are a nation where more people know Jeff Stelling’s name then Gordon Brown’s. Football was our gift to the world. In South Africa, Fabio’s England perhaps, might just bring it home.
By Gavin Callaghan
Darren Bent – England’s Best
It seems that popular opinion amongst England fans is that Darren Bent is not good enough to play for England. I heard over the weekend him described by my own father as in the same class as David Nugent. Only when I relayed some facts about Darren’s record did my Dad stop in his tracks and even, rather stupidly, question the credibility of my stats. Now as we all know by now I don’t profess to be John Motson, of course not, i am better than him.
If Fabio Capello takes an England side to the World cup that does not include Sunderland’s top marksmen it would be a tragic injustice that makes a mockery out of the adage, ‘the players in best form get picked.’ And here is a sample of what I mean.
In football you cannot argue with the facts. Manchester United have been the best side in England for twenty years because they have won the most trophies in that time. Fact. Manchester City are the richest club in the world, you only have to look at their bank balance for proof. Fact. No one really cares that Chelsea are out of the Champions League because no one likes John Terry. Fact.
Now Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life (Fact. OK I’ll stop, I wouldn't want to sound like Rafa), proving in the game against AC Milan that he is, right now, the best out and out centre forward in the world. Last season he was used as a striker who played off a target man, whether it be Berbatov or Ronaldo. This year Rooney is the main man and it is paying dividends. His prolific goal scoring form is the result of this change of position.
Now are we seriously saying that come June and England’s big World Cup kick off against the USA, Fabio is going to take the world class Rooney and revert him back to playing as a striker off a target man? Are we seriously saying that target man should be Emile Heskey? If you are you answered yes you’re a either a cricket fan who is annoyed the World Cup is interrupting what is to everyone else a boring summer of test cricket that even the England cricket players would prefer not to be playing in so they could Watch England in South Africa, or you are German. England should have learnt by now that to progress in major tournaments we need to score goals. In all three of the last quarter finals, England have been undone by the fact they could only score once and failed from the penalty spot.
Now to make this point clear let me underling some more FACT.
Darren Bent has not missed a league game since joining Sunderland, meaning that he has been a paragon of reliability as well as his prolific goal scoring. In a Sunderland side that went a staggering 14 games without winning, Bent has never gone more than 3 games without finding the back of the net despite playing in a side hampered by injuries to their most creative players.
Bent has scored more goals in the opening fifteen minutes of games then any other player in the Premiership. So we can rule out the myth that he is a slow starter like, say, Emile Heskey?
This season Bent has scored goals against Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - who still like to be known as the Big Four - and other top-10 sides in Everton and Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney has fired home 26 goals in a league that is described as the world’s best, the only English striker to have netted more than Bent.
Of the other four strikers Fabio Capello selected for international duty in the recent friendly against Egypt, Jermaine Defoe has 17, including five against Wigan Athletic and three against Hull City meaning he has scored 9 goals in 27 games – is that good enough? Carlton Cole has nine, Peter Crouch has five and Emile Heskey three.
So, in terms of form - and certainly in the context of the difficulties confronted by the club he represents - Bent’s record not only stands comparison with those of his peers, it is actually far superior, Rooney aside. Crouch’s league goals have come against Birmingham, Wigan, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham and Heskey’s against Burnley and Sunderland.
Now there will still be some skeptics amongst you that will claim Bent is a mediocre player having a good season simply because he is the number one striker. Wrong. Since World Cup 2006, no other English striker has scored more times in the Premier League then Darren Bent.
Bent has made 122 league appearances for Charlton Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur (most as a sub) and Sunderland, scoring 51 goals. Over the same period, Defoe’s tallies are 119 and 49, Crouch’s is 121 and 29, Cole has amassed 25 goals from 97 games and Heskey has 20 from 120. From Rooney’s 121 fixtures, he has scored 64 times (Michael Owen’s is 22 in 79).
Still not won you over? Well how about the fact that Bent is far from being just a goalscorer and nothing else. There is an edge to his game and deeper dimensions. Bent is a constant menace to centre halves, running the channels, winning headers. A point proven by the fact that in the five league games that target man Kenwyne Jones has missed this season, Bent has scored five times, which does not imply over dependence on a regular strike-partner.
Bent has proved capable of scoring goals. He is also a model professional, enthusiastic and eager to succeed, both for club and country.
Five international caps do not represent a fair examination of his qualities, nor does the 55 minutes he spent toiling in Qatar for November’s friendly against Brazil. As always, Bent will keep plugging away, but it would be nice to think that Capello might travel to Wearside - as he did for the Chelsea game in August - before the end of the season, if for no other reason than to offer Bent some deserved recognition.
On Wearside we have already had one of the greatest English strikers never to wear the three lions consistently in Kevin Philips. It is hard to know exactly what more Darren Bent has to do to ensure he doesn’t double our figure. I don’t buy the nonsense stereotype that because he is at Sunderland he won’t get picked. Having just seen Carlton Cole’s performance for West Ham let me tell you, even in Sunderland’s darkest days this season, Bent has been head and shoulders above him and is playing for a bigger club. All I will say, is if England are just moments away from the World Cup Final in Johannesburg and need to score, who do you trust going through one on one to score for England, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole or Darren Bent?
Now it is suggested that in recent history great strikers have never been selected for World Cups. Ian Wright, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Kevin Philips and now it seems Darren Bent. what is most surprising about the fact that England's top marksmen have never been selected is that it is not as though England have been doing so remarkably well that they haven't been able to get a chance. I mean, had Ian Wright had the chance in the Euro 96 semi-final that Gazza had, would he have scored? 99.9% of me thinks yes. If we have goal scorers at our disposal, and a system that has never produced a winning side, then why don't we change it to accomodate our most prized assets?
Sir Geoff Hurst remains the only man to ever score a hatrick in the world cup final, but before that he could barely get a game for West Ham. He was also rarely used for England, yet he was a natural goals corer. Had he been around today, conventional wisdom would suggest Hurst would never have been in the England squad let alone picked to play in the final. We can only hope Fabio Capello doesn’t overlook England’s most dangerous marksmen.
Then again in the modern day, perhaps Bent has more chance if he stops scoring, grows another foot, sleeps with Anton Ferdinand’s missus, is caught out in strip clubs to the earlier hours of the morning, texts prostitutes naked photos of himself, sleeps with his kids nanny, fails a drugs test, sleeps with a granny prostitute or marries Danielle Lloyd.
By Gavin Callaghan
If Fabio Capello takes an England side to the World cup that does not include Sunderland’s top marksmen it would be a tragic injustice that makes a mockery out of the adage, ‘the players in best form get picked.’ And here is a sample of what I mean.
In football you cannot argue with the facts. Manchester United have been the best side in England for twenty years because they have won the most trophies in that time. Fact. Manchester City are the richest club in the world, you only have to look at their bank balance for proof. Fact. No one really cares that Chelsea are out of the Champions League because no one likes John Terry. Fact.
Now Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life (Fact. OK I’ll stop, I wouldn't want to sound like Rafa), proving in the game against AC Milan that he is, right now, the best out and out centre forward in the world. Last season he was used as a striker who played off a target man, whether it be Berbatov or Ronaldo. This year Rooney is the main man and it is paying dividends. His prolific goal scoring form is the result of this change of position.
Now are we seriously saying that come June and England’s big World Cup kick off against the USA, Fabio is going to take the world class Rooney and revert him back to playing as a striker off a target man? Are we seriously saying that target man should be Emile Heskey? If you are you answered yes you’re a either a cricket fan who is annoyed the World Cup is interrupting what is to everyone else a boring summer of test cricket that even the England cricket players would prefer not to be playing in so they could Watch England in South Africa, or you are German. England should have learnt by now that to progress in major tournaments we need to score goals. In all three of the last quarter finals, England have been undone by the fact they could only score once and failed from the penalty spot.
Now to make this point clear let me underling some more FACT.
Darren Bent has not missed a league game since joining Sunderland, meaning that he has been a paragon of reliability as well as his prolific goal scoring. In a Sunderland side that went a staggering 14 games without winning, Bent has never gone more than 3 games without finding the back of the net despite playing in a side hampered by injuries to their most creative players.
Bent has scored more goals in the opening fifteen minutes of games then any other player in the Premiership. So we can rule out the myth that he is a slow starter like, say, Emile Heskey?
This season Bent has scored goals against Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - who still like to be known as the Big Four - and other top-10 sides in Everton and Birmingham City.
Wayne Rooney has fired home 26 goals in a league that is described as the world’s best, the only English striker to have netted more than Bent.
Of the other four strikers Fabio Capello selected for international duty in the recent friendly against Egypt, Jermaine Defoe has 17, including five against Wigan Athletic and three against Hull City meaning he has scored 9 goals in 27 games – is that good enough? Carlton Cole has nine, Peter Crouch has five and Emile Heskey three.
So, in terms of form - and certainly in the context of the difficulties confronted by the club he represents - Bent’s record not only stands comparison with those of his peers, it is actually far superior, Rooney aside. Crouch’s league goals have come against Birmingham, Wigan, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham and Heskey’s against Burnley and Sunderland.
Now there will still be some skeptics amongst you that will claim Bent is a mediocre player having a good season simply because he is the number one striker. Wrong. Since World Cup 2006, no other English striker has scored more times in the Premier League then Darren Bent.
Bent has made 122 league appearances for Charlton Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur (most as a sub) and Sunderland, scoring 51 goals. Over the same period, Defoe’s tallies are 119 and 49, Crouch’s is 121 and 29, Cole has amassed 25 goals from 97 games and Heskey has 20 from 120. From Rooney’s 121 fixtures, he has scored 64 times (Michael Owen’s is 22 in 79).
Still not won you over? Well how about the fact that Bent is far from being just a goalscorer and nothing else. There is an edge to his game and deeper dimensions. Bent is a constant menace to centre halves, running the channels, winning headers. A point proven by the fact that in the five league games that target man Kenwyne Jones has missed this season, Bent has scored five times, which does not imply over dependence on a regular strike-partner.
Bent has proved capable of scoring goals. He is also a model professional, enthusiastic and eager to succeed, both for club and country.
Five international caps do not represent a fair examination of his qualities, nor does the 55 minutes he spent toiling in Qatar for November’s friendly against Brazil. As always, Bent will keep plugging away, but it would be nice to think that Capello might travel to Wearside - as he did for the Chelsea game in August - before the end of the season, if for no other reason than to offer Bent some deserved recognition.
On Wearside we have already had one of the greatest English strikers never to wear the three lions consistently in Kevin Philips. It is hard to know exactly what more Darren Bent has to do to ensure he doesn’t double our figure. I don’t buy the nonsense stereotype that because he is at Sunderland he won’t get picked. Having just seen Carlton Cole’s performance for West Ham let me tell you, even in Sunderland’s darkest days this season, Bent has been head and shoulders above him and is playing for a bigger club. All I will say, is if England are just moments away from the World Cup Final in Johannesburg and need to score, who do you trust going through one on one to score for England, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole or Darren Bent?
Now it is suggested that in recent history great strikers have never been selected for World Cups. Ian Wright, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Kevin Philips and now it seems Darren Bent. what is most surprising about the fact that England's top marksmen have never been selected is that it is not as though England have been doing so remarkably well that they haven't been able to get a chance. I mean, had Ian Wright had the chance in the Euro 96 semi-final that Gazza had, would he have scored? 99.9% of me thinks yes. If we have goal scorers at our disposal, and a system that has never produced a winning side, then why don't we change it to accomodate our most prized assets?
Sir Geoff Hurst remains the only man to ever score a hatrick in the world cup final, but before that he could barely get a game for West Ham. He was also rarely used for England, yet he was a natural goals corer. Had he been around today, conventional wisdom would suggest Hurst would never have been in the England squad let alone picked to play in the final. We can only hope Fabio Capello doesn’t overlook England’s most dangerous marksmen.
Then again in the modern day, perhaps Bent has more chance if he stops scoring, grows another foot, sleeps with Anton Ferdinand’s missus, is caught out in strip clubs to the earlier hours of the morning, texts prostitutes naked photos of himself, sleeps with his kids nanny, fails a drugs test, sleeps with a granny prostitute or marries Danielle Lloyd.
By Gavin Callaghan
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