Love or hate him, it doesn’t hide the fact that Joey Barton is a top quality footballer who when fully focused is right to be considered for seriously selection in the national team. As a Newcastle fan I would be delighted if he was called up, as it must mean he is finally doing a job for the Toon.
Although I know some supporters still have a dislike of Barton, given what has gone on before, I truly believe that if Hughton can get hold of him and ensure that he stays disciplined then we have a top quality player on our hands, who alongside Nolan can drive us up the Premier League next season; he certainly owes us and maybe given what has gone on in the past three seasons, this coming year could be the making of him.
“First and foremost I want to do well for Newcastle but, after watching some of the performances in the World Cup, on form I’m as good as anyone in this country and I don’t say that lightly,
“I’m a much more rounded footballer than I was when I first came to Newcastle,
“I’m very confident of finding the form which got me into the England squad in the first place. That’s my goal. And if I can break into the England squad it will prove I’m doing fantastically well for this football club.” (Guardian)
Making no bones about it this really is Barton’s last real chance to establish himself and fulfil his massive potential and hopefully he won’t let this football club (who has been incredibly loyal in standing by him) down. With money in short supply at the football club, it is time that Barton started to repay the faith we originally showed when we first brought him to St James Park three years ago. I really believe he will, but only time will tell whether leopards can in fact change their spots.
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Initially I wasn’t at all sure why Edin Dzeko hammering in Manchester City’s sixth goal at Old Trafford left me feeling so flat. With no allegiance to either side and despite having been thoroughly entertained by the afternoon’s proceedings I found myself profoundly wishing the game had been a bit of a non-event where neither side had made any great strides or significant result been attained.
It wasn’t until I got into the car on the way back home that I finally put my finger on it. Listening as I was to the BBC conducting a post-match interview with City’s Vincent Kompany, I realised that the ludicrous over reaction to the result in the media would quickly crush any real pleasure I had taken from what was undoubtedly another incredibly exciting weekend in the Premier League.
Yet it has been this season that has taken things to a new height and, at the risk of myself sounding hyperbolic, been the most extraordinary I’ve ever seen. The last four weeks in particular have been like watching a hyperactive child fed nothing but energy drinks and jelly beans being taken to a theme park for the first time.
Where do we even begin? With Sky’s wall to wall coverage of the game and constant need to sell the jewel in their crown to any subscriber who was ever considering jumping ship the sport has reached saturation point.
Every game, every week is significant to the history of the game, every season of the Premier League is better than the last. At times it is hard not to feel like Adam Sandler in a remake of ’50 First Dates’ as every week the memory of the average football fan is wiped and a new set of established rules and truths are laid out.
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
This season’s cast of characters and ludicrous storylines have taken the whole concept to new heights. Targets of praise and derision are singled out with the same lazy attitude that means genuine stories and excited moments are lost in a sea of filler and rumour.
Phil “the new Duncan Edwards” Jones, Steven “He has barely played in 18 months but is a shoo-in for a starting berth at Euro 2012” Gerrard, Wayne “He left his exercise programme at home in the summer” Rooney and Frank “He’s had two poor games so must be retired” Lampard have all figured prominently.
Let us also not forget that Arsene Wenger may as well clear his desk at The Emirates, David Moyes has done all he can at Everton and Harry Redknapp is but a couple of months away from the England job and may wish to use any financial pay off he receives to help Steve Kean, Mick McCarthy, Owen Coyle and Steve Bruce feed their families through the winter (the coldest ever winter…of all time?). Absolute madness.
With the country is concerned by an unsustainable economic situation there should be more concern in the sporting world about an unsustainable attitude to football. I am almost expecting the boys doing ‘Sunday Supplement’ on Sky to take a collective valium after each advert break to stop Henry Winter short-circuiting when using the words ‘Kyle Walker’ too much.
Most of the hyperbole is pedalled to such an extent that it becomes established fact. The painfully weak Fabio Capello opted to slot the latest paper picks in the form of Chris Smalling and the aforementioned Phil Jones straight into his starting line-up for the most recent Euro 2012 qualifier. In that time Jones was promoted to next cab off the rank for the England captaincy and Smalling may have felt someone had paid the £35 necessary to record a name change as he has become known as “Can you believe he was playing non-league football in 2009?!”
City’s win over United will of course be billed as a seminal moment in charting a football rivalry and the papers that six weeks ago hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s men as “unstoppable” will today be hastily shovelling their words down their throats before Charlie Adam has been given the chance to scare the children of Merseyside at Halloween. Maybe they are right to make such bold pronouncements, maybe not, but judging the importance of each passing result is becoming harder and harder.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
I cannot be alone in feeling that there has to be a tipping point. I’ve never been one to get annoyed at the finances in the game or the gap between the haves and have-nots but when genuinely exquisite moments of footballing theatre are lost under an avalanche of money spinning copy and Twitter induced rumour I feel the average fan has every right to be angry with a media that cries wolf every passing week and gets louder and louder in doing so.
I’m not asking you to turn Sky Sports News off or stop reading the papers- I’m not sure I will ever be able to do that myself. However, I urge you, when hearing how Chelsea’s penalty shootout defeat to Everton in the Carling Cup this week will represent a ‘crisis’ or if Wayne Rooney’s international career is over after he is given a week off instead of facing Spain in November, to take a deep breath and try and inject some perspective into what you are reading. Sadly, if you won’t do it, no one else will do it for you.
Luis Fernandez has been allowed to return to managing Israel after a ban from all football-related activity was lifted by FIFA.The former Paris Saint-German and Espanyol coach was handed the ban in February after becoming involved in a dispute with former club Al Rayyan, who claimed the Frenchman owed them 400,000 euros after quitting the Qatari outfit for Beitar Jerusalem in 2005.Fernandez was told he had until March 4 to settle his dispute with Al Rayyan, with FIFA announcing on Monday that they were satisfied the matter had been put to rest and the 51-year-old could resume his duties with Israel.”FIFA has announced officially that all the restrictions imposed on Israel’s national coach have been lifted,” a statement on the Israel Football Association’s website said.”We wish Luis success in the upcoming challenges against Latvia and Georgia.” Fernandez said he was looking forward to resuming his role with Israel, stating that ‘we all need to concentrate on one thing – winning all six points in the upcoming games against Latvia and Georgia’.Fourth in Group F of European Championships qualifying with four points from four games, Israel will play Latvia on March 26 and Georgia on March 29 in Tel Aviv.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has admitted he may have to sell up to five players before the end of next month in an attempt to balance the Molineux books.
Greg Halford, Matt Hill, Andy Keogh and Stefan Maierhofer are all likely to shown the way to the exit if McCarthy, who is still chasing Michael Mancienne and Guirane N'Daw, gets his way.
McCarthy said:"I can see a real scrum developing because I'm going to have to say to some of them 'listen, there's two weeks to go and you're not going to be in my squad'.
"I will be totally fair to them. I won't leave it until the last knock-ins. I'll tell them their futures will be sorted out a lot sooner than that.
"Don't get me wrong, I love all the lads and I've got respect for them all. But the last thing I want is anyone left here from the end of August until January who can't play.
"Let me say though there are no players here who would want to be here under those circumstances just collecting their money and it won't be our fault or anyone else's if we have anyone left here not able to play.
"Someone has given us a real test of man-management. We can't have more than 25 players, so we have to name those 25 which we can't change until January.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"Sam Vokes and Geoffrey Mujangi Bia are under 21 which means I can effectively have 25 others, provided eight of them have come through an English or Welsh academy system, which we'll be fine with.
"If you looked at the back of the programme last season, we had about 765 players – you had to unfold it at the bottom. But the reality was there were only about 25 who we used in a squad of maybe 30."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Today’s game is yet another ‘biggest derby ever’ in a growing list of must-win Man City clashes for United.
Last season every derby game was treated with the same hype, although this time round there is a little bit more substance to all the hysteria. City are top of the league, United haven’t dropped points at home in over a season and should City do the unthinkable and take all three on offer, then the title race would definitely swing in their favour. It wouldn’t be just the five points that United had to make up, it would be the psychological boost that an Old Trafford win would give City, the players, manager and fans.
Let’s face facts though, titles aren’t won in October and we’ve seen United turn around much bigger deficit in a much shorter period of time over the years, so while a loss would hurt- especially to those of us living in Manchester, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Regardless of whether United could bounce back from a loss, or if a draw would be such a travesty, one thing’s for certain, should the Reds win tomorrow, it would give us a massive boost and remove much of the bravado from our ‘noisy neighbours.’ If the Reds are to prevail then we need all our players to be firing on all cylinders, and if we’re totally honest that hasn’t always been the case in recent weeks.
There’s a small group of players who’ve let their standards slip somewhat and who could do with regaining their early season form to help United grab a vital victory.
Anderson
The Brazilian was absolutely awesome at the beginning of the season, dominating the middle of the park and galvanising those around him. Lately though his performances have flitted between anonymous and wasteful as he seems to have lost his way. Many cite the absence of Tom Cleverley alongside him as a mitigating factor and with doubts over the United youngster’s chances of making the starting line-up tomorrow, Anderson cannot use that as an excuse, he needs to regain his early season form. City’s midfield is full of quality players and Unted cannot afford any passengers.
Rio Ferdinand
Ferdinand’s not had the easiest last few weeks, with injuries and a bit of a shocker against Basel, before giving away a free kick -albeit harshly- that led to Liverpool’s goal at Anfield. While I don’t for one second believe that Rio is ‘past it’ there’s no denying that a lack of football and all the injuries can cause him problems. With City’s strikers all scoring freely, Ferdinand, who was rested for the trip to Romania on Tuesday, will have his work cut out and needs to be at his best.
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
Ashley Young
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been very impressed with the former Villa player’s performances since he arrived at Old Trafford, but can’t help feeling his last few shifts in a Red shirt haven’t been quite as effective as the first few. I know he scored against Basle but overall since – and including- the Stoke away game, he doesn’t seem to be quite at the races. Young was something of a revelation when he arrived, with stunning performance after stunning performance, he needs to rekindle that form for the biggest game of the season so far.
Wayne Rooney
I know many of you will think I’ve gone in off the deep end saying Rooney needs to ‘pull his socks up’ after all he scored a brace in his last game. Let’s be honest though, going back to the Chelsea game, has he really looked the same player we saw at the start of the season? Against Norwich he was below par to say the least, while for the Galati game, he did convert his two penalties but it was hardly a vintage showing against what was very average opposition. Rooney seems to revel in the debry atmosphere- particularly at Old Trafford and we need him to show the sort of form we witnessed against the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
Tomorrow’s game is set to be a nerve jangling affair, but if these four players are at the top of their game, I think United can send City back to Eastlands empty handed, having recieved a lesson in football. Let’s just hope I’m right.
Have I been too harsh on the aformentioned quartet? Are there other players more worthy of similar questions? Feel free to comment suggest and abuse below:
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Article courtesy of Justin from the excellent Red Flag Flying High
[divider]
Fancy watching United at Goodison Park in a box – click on the banner below
Tottenham defender William Gallas is now in the middle of his tenth season as a Premier League defender, a long period of time for any player to consistently perform in the top flight it has to be said, which leaves me with the thought – does Gallas receive the plaudits that he so richly deserves?
Gallas signed for Chelsea back in 2001 for £6.2m from Marseille as a young, pacy centre back with raw potential. Over the years his game has developed and he’s proved to be one of the league’s most consistent defenders of the last decade. When talking about the best defenders to have graced the Premier League over the past decade or so, Gallas is rarely, if ever, mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Ferdinand, Carragher, Vidic, Hyypia and Campbell, which I find somewhat puzzling.
Part of the problem when discussing the merits of William Gallas as a player is that it inevitably leads to questions on Gallas the person, something which has proved to be his downfall over the years. The perceived lack of loyalty he has shown to his former clubs over the years has gone a long way to courting negative headlines, something which live longer in the memory than his exploits on the pitch rather unfortunately do.
He left Chelsea under a cloud back in 2005, with the West London club even issuing a statement saying that Gallas threatened to score own goals unless allowed to depart for Arsenal. It was a sad way to end a 5-year spell at the club, during which he became praised for his versatility, calmness when in possession and pace, as he became a vital ingredient to Chelsea’s back-to-back title winning sides.
His controversial move to Arsenal saw him eventually rewarded with the captain’s armband in 2007 after Thierry Henry’s departure to Barcelona, ahead of the likes of Gilberto Silva and Kolo Toure.
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
But yet again, after the horrific leg break suffered by Eduardo away at Birmingham, Gallas was criticised for his petulant behaviour and refusal to leave the pitch at full-time after a late Birmingham equaliser left the player deflated, emotional and lost for words. Most observers thought that this sort of behaviour simply wasn’t befitting of an Arsenal captain and Gallas lost the captaincy the following season after revealing tensions within the Arsenal squad to the media, while also simultaneously criticising the hunger of some of the squad’s younger players.
Gallas was also sighted as a motivating factor behind Kolo Toure’s move to Man City in 2009, with the Ivory Coast defender later divulging that the pair were barely on speaking terms. It appeared that instead of uniting the dressing room, Gallas was playing a pivotal part in dividing it.
Injuries played their part as he wound down his time at Arsenal and amid rumours that the player was thought to be demanding £80,000 a-week in a proposed new two-year deal; a ludicrous sum of money for an injury-prone 32 year old defender, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger allowed him to depart on a free transfer at the end of last season.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp then snapped him up, describing the move as a “no brainer” and during his time at White Hart Lane so far, Gallas has proved to be an astute signing, forming a solid partnership at the heart of the Spurs defence alongside Michael Dawson.
He’s also gone some way to displaying the leadership qualities that saw Arsene Wenger place so much faith in him during his captaincy spell at Arsenal. With the other centre-halves in the Spurs first-team ravaged by injury for much of the campaign, Gallas has been involved in 20 of the club’s 28 league fixtures, with his fitness proving a valuable asset to Harry Redknapp in times of need.
Controversy always seems to lurk just around the corner with Gallas though, such is the tempestuous nature inherent in his personality, and were it not for these public fallings out, he’d surely be regarded in much higher esteem among his peers than he already is now.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
In 280 league games in the Premier League Gallas has scored an extremely helpful total of 24 goals. He’s quick, decent in the air and fantastic on the recovery, not to mention his reliable distribution skills. Gallas is often overlooked for praise by most, which is a shame; he’s been a fantastic servant to the English game, if not the clubs that he has played for.
He remains a divisive figure, of that there can be no doubt, but the Frenchman is often overlooked when it comes to the debate about the greatest centre-halves to have graced the Premier League over the course of the last decade. A questionable character, most definitely; but a questionable player – not a chance.
With the acquisitions of Martin Petrov and Robbie Blake it seems clear that Bolton Wanderers manger Owen Coyle is trying to change the philosophy at the club from being a hard working and physical side, to making them more exciting and adventurous.
They are both technical footballers and will offer a change to the usual types of signings Bolton fans have been accustomed to over the last few years. The signing of Petrov particularly is a coup for the club, as without disrespecting Bolton he could have signed for a bigger club as he is a very talented player. He will be able to give Bolton a lot of options as he can play anywhere in the midfield in an attacking position. Petrov is an exciting player is equally capable of providing goals and assists for his side and will undoubtedly be one of Bolton’s star players next season, manager Owen Coyle has said about him:
“He’s someone I’ve admired for a long time because he’s a top-class player and this is a tremendous signing for the club.”
He added: “As far as I’m concerned he’s probably one of the best Bosman transfers available. To try to purchase him on the market last year then it would have cost you four or five million pounds easily.”
The signing of Robbie Blake will also give the team experience and different options upfront and Bolton will be able to use his creativity if needed. Despite Burnley’s relegation from the Premiership, Blake had a decent season for the club, Coyle has said on the capture of Blake:
“He has proven Premier League ability and adds to our striking options. He is a bubbly character who will be a great lad to have in the dressing room.”
Coyle also said: “I worked with him for two fantastic years and I am pleased to link up with him again because I know a number of clubs were interested in securing his signature.”
It’s clear from the signings that the Scotsman made last season that he is trying to change the team’s dynamic as the likes of Jack Wilshere and Stuart Holden allowed the team to produce some fluid passing last season. If Coyle can persuade Arsenal to loan them Wilshere again then it’s possible that we could amazingly see an entertaining Bolton side next year.
Owen Coyle’s Bolton could well be a surprise package next season if they continue to make signings of this magnitude. There are definitely some exciting times ahead for the club and with Coyle at the helm boring, predictable Bolton might actually become one of the team’s to watch.
Follow me on Twitter
Get the latest Bolton Wanderers news on Twitter
**
Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Everton picked up their first home win of the season soundly beating Wigan at Goodison Park who will have concerns over striker Hugo Rodallega who was stretched off late on.
Toffee’s boss David Moyes will be breathing a huge sigh of relief after his side won at home for the third time of asking inflicting a second consecutive defeat on the Latics.
It also justified his decision to play midfielder Tim Cahill as a lone striker at the expense of Louis Saha who wasn’t even named in the squad.
Royston Drenthe and Apostolos Velios scored their first goals in English football to secure all three points after captain Phil Jagielka had equalised following Franco Di Santo’s deflected opener.
The Argentinian was heading towards the corner before suddenly turning inside and lashing an angled effort which clipped Tony Hibbert and flew past Tim Howard to give Roberto Martinez’s side a 31st minute lead.
It didn’t last long though as Jagielka nodded home from close range to level the game and it stayed that way until the 84 minute with Velios popping up to put the Toffee’s in front.
A pin point cross from Hibbert was met by the 19-year-old Greek forward who was making only his fifth substitute appearance for the club.
Rodallega then clashed with Denis Stracqualursi and after lengthy treatment was stretchered off prompting referee Peter Walton to add on seven minutes of injury time.
That gave Drenthe the opportunity to open his account for the Toffee’s firing home from the edge of the area to put the gloss on a hard fought victory.
[divider]
The goals are flying in around the Football League today and it took no fewer than 10 minutes for the six Goaldash numbers to come flying in.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Are you in the money? Have you won a Million? Check the Goaldash numbers below:
A late-winter break is a no-brainer. This week I learned that Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott will both miss this weekend’s League Cup Final Against Birmingham. Arsenal are still in 4 competitions this year, an impressive feat, but could fall victim to their own success. They have already played 43 games this year, and sadly for them, could still play another 23. The amount of games will surely put pressure on players and will not only lead to injuries but also burn-out. This could be solved by a winter break.
Their fixture list for the rest of the season is a bizarre one. They will have a 13 day break between the end of March and the beginning of April, only to go into April having to play 8 games. Similarly, Tottenham have more than 10 days off until their next game, but could also have 9 games in April.
The timing of these two ‘natural’ breaks at this stage of the season is an odd one. No doubt it was planned by the FA to allow players to recover. But such sporadic breaks will no doubt affect every club in a different way, depending on when they come in a season. Would it not make more sense to have an organised break at the same time, for every club, every season?
The idea of a winter break is a contentious one. Although almost every other league in Europe does it, the FA have always been reluctant to follow suit. And I can see why.
The Boxing Day and New Year’s day football matches are synonymous with Christmas for many families across the UK and the festive period just would not be the same without them. It is tradition in English football and not something I would want to see changed.
Arsene Wenger agreed recently but stressed the need for a winter break. He proposed that a break should come in January, following the festive frenzy. I can’t argue with a single word he said.
“I would like a winter break but after Christmas. Create a break after January for two weeks. We can go on holiday for one week and prepare for one week.”
[ad_pod id=’fox-mpu’ align=’right’]
There would be no league or domestic cup games for two weeks, giving the players a chance to recharge their batteries. This seems to make so much sense.
A club should not get a break, depending on how well or badly they do in a cup. This will only give the smaller Premiership sides, whose main focus is to retain their league status, a reason to not try and win their cup ties.
It has been reported that there are four times as many injuries in the Premiership between April and May than leagues that do have winter breaks. Furthermore, Wayne Rooney highlighted that “Towards the end of the season the intensity in some of the games which is normally there is missing”. A winter break could reduce injuries and keep the intensity of matches high.
Another alternative to a festive break has been to scrap international weekends. This is something I would love to see happen. International weekends do little but reduce my interest in the national side. Players do not seem up for it, and if they are the opposition are not. They are just not fun to watch.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A break in January would be beneficial in a commercial way too. Steve Bruce highlighted this week that clubs manage to draw in their biggest crowds of the season over the festive period. January on the other hand is not a busy time at matches as people are recovering from the excesses of Christmas. A January break would allow the Christmas period to carry on how it is, but then give payers a rest after a frenetic month. It just seems to make sense to me.
The other option, as proposed by Sir Alex Ferguson, is to have the winter break and then extend the season on into June. This might reduce the summer holiday, but would also reduce the accumulation of fatigue on players. All these reasons give a very strong case to a break in January. Surely it is only a matter of time before we see it come into existence?
You can follow me on at www.twitter.com/joeaustin8
If anyone thought that a minor event like the World Cup would overshadow Barcelona’s public pursuit of Cesc Fabregas, they were mistaken. Xavi, emblematic of Barcelona’s ethos, has again unequivocally stated where his compatriot’s future lies.
“Two years ago, I said that Cesc would end up playing for Barcelona and now it’s clearer than ever. In addition he has already expressed publicly that he wants to come to Barcelona. It is clear that Cesc will come to Barcelona.”
Last week I questioned if FIFA should adopt the NBA’s stance to tapping up players (see here) and, as the days roll by and Barcelona’s talk of ‘respect’ bears the veracity of a serial seducer preaching monogamy, I can only hope that new measures are drawn up. Whilst Xavi is a splendid player, without parallel in his position at present, his newest supplement to the Fabregas-Barcelona love affair is paradigmatic of the Catalan club’s only obvious shortcoming; arrogance.
Invariably Xavi handles himself, on and off the pitch, with the tenets of sportsmanship that La Masia instils in its youth: being prudent, humble, fair and – above all – respectful of your team mates and the opposition. The club have commendably produced an array of elite players who remain unaffected and grounded – Lionel Messi is without doubt the finest individual talent in the world but harbours none of the failings such talent usually begets. But, and this is a big but, their actions at moments which test these principles have left them wanting on more than one occasion.
// <![CDATA[
document.write('’);
// ]]>
The club’s fans derided Real Madrid for their players publicly psyching one another up prior to the second leg clash with Lyon in the Champions League. The consensus from Barcelona was supercilious; if Madrid were good enough, they wouldn’t need to announce their intentions publicly. Yet when Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique publicly voiced their desire to make the Inter players ‘hate their profession for ninety minutes’ or the sweet joy that would accompany reaching a final being hosted at the Bernabeu no less, were they not guilty of the same crime? Valdes tried accosting Mourinho in his brazen celebratory pitch invasion but, though lacking class himself, it was an understandable retort to the local press’ haughty undercutting of the Portuguese’s achievements as a manager (continuously referring to him as ‘the translator’). When teams employ highly defensive tactics to counter Barcelona, especially in Europe, there is a tangible sense of being wronged that emanates from the Spanish giants if they don’t win – the fans resent the success that Manchester United and Chelsea had at the Nou Camp with their conservative approach.
In fairness to Barcelona however, a degree of arrogance is not only expected when you produce the football they do, but it is a prerequisite; to recognise how good you are is imperative in sustaining standards and attempting to improve. But that is on a footballing front whilst Xavi’s latest words are more to do with etiquette. If Barcelona genuinely respected Arsene Wenger and Arsenal they would not comment in the public sphere. It remains as simple as that. This is why Pep Guardiola’s silence on the issue underpins his dignity and just why it is he who fully encapsulates the best of Barcelona without a hint of their only shortcoming.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.