Usually the FA are about as competent as a small band of ants would be at winning an F1 Grand Prix, but their decision to show FIFA that they have no interest whatsoever in supporting two equally flawed candidates shows at least that the FA has started to realise that they cannot continue to ally themselves with an organisation with numerous problems. Those who follow international football betting will know that the World Cup being played in Qatar doesn't seem quite right.
However, despite already showing that they are starting to realise they cannot be associated with an organisation that offers them nothing and takes a fairly sizeable chunk of money each year, the FA has not yet made the move it needs to by talking seriously with other football associations about setting up a new governing body for world football that is not so content with keeping the status quo. Those following the football news will hope to see something change soon.
With the FA still without a serious leader, and still appearing gutless in most respects, the chances of us getting a new body that brings in changes that fans want while not choosing to take World Cups to countries that hand FIFA all the profit and leaves only a massive debt in the host nation as a legacy (take a look at the unfortunate South African legacy if you want a sober reading of "taking football to new markets") still appear sadly very slim in the short term.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Carroll to face Capello wrath?
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has risked facing the wrath of England boss Fabio Capello after the forward was snapped by a sharp-eyed passerby with a Sony digital camera enjoying a drink or two in Madrid prior to last night's Champions League clash in the city between Real and Barcelona. The Liverpool man was out in Madrid to watch the game with goalkeeper Pepe Reina, defender Glen Johnson, midfielder Raul Meireles, and Everton star Tim Cahill, who must surely have felt like something of a misfit!
Carroll scored a stunning goal last month against Ghana and drew instant praise for his exploits on the international scene after not even playing for one season at Premier League level. However, after becoming well-known in Newcastle for a few ill-timed and ill-advised drunken exploits, the player was warned by the England boss about his future conduct.
Capello stated: "His behaviour now is really, really important. Really important. He needs to be careful at every moment. I spoke with him privately. He needs to improve, to drink less".
This weekend, Carroll will experience mixed emotions as his new club Liverpool take on Newcastle at Anfield, a game many will want to follow online or via slingbox. Although the striker has revealed he wants to make the starting line-up despite still feeling a knee injury sustained a couple of weeks ago, any failure to perform may not be put down to nerves, but down to a little too much fun in the sun in the build-up to the game, and for a strict sort like Capello, that could contribute to the striker's international career coming to an end before it has really begun.
Carroll scored a stunning goal last month against Ghana and drew instant praise for his exploits on the international scene after not even playing for one season at Premier League level. However, after becoming well-known in Newcastle for a few ill-timed and ill-advised drunken exploits, the player was warned by the England boss about his future conduct.
Capello stated: "His behaviour now is really, really important. Really important. He needs to be careful at every moment. I spoke with him privately. He needs to improve, to drink less".
This weekend, Carroll will experience mixed emotions as his new club Liverpool take on Newcastle at Anfield, a game many will want to follow online or via slingbox. Although the striker has revealed he wants to make the starting line-up despite still feeling a knee injury sustained a couple of weeks ago, any failure to perform may not be put down to nerves, but down to a little too much fun in the sun in the build-up to the game, and for a strict sort like Capello, that could contribute to the striker's international career coming to an end before it has really begun.
Is the Premier League to blame for England's failure?
The England national football team has been handed yet another blow, as if any more were needed after last summer's World Cup humiliation, after an adviser to Michel Platini, the UEFA President, revealed that he believes the position football holds in English culture is holding back the long-term development and short-term international success of the sport.
William Gaillard believes that the manner in which professional football dominates the sport in England, with the Premier League one of the richest and most famous leagues in world football, leaves the English FA in a relatively weak position. His words were spoken to the government's culture, media, and sport committee, who were fairly shocked to hear that the FA are, in his opinion, in a weaker position than any other football association in the whole of Europe.
Possible solutions to this conundrum, according to the UEFA adviser, include introducing a technical director on the national football scene, who would be responsible for developing players and bringing them through into the country's senior first team. With countries such as Netherlands, who enjoyed such a good World Cup in 2010 in South Africa, employing such an individual to encourage the development of young talent, it could be that the government look at introducing such measures over the next five or ten years.
Grass-roots football in England has come under massive amounts of criticism over the last few years and a reliance in the Premier League upon foreign players, many of whom are more interested in accruing as many sponsors as possible or becoming the latest face of the new LED TVs or PS3 accessories than they are helping the development of UK football, has led to some youngsters born and bred in youth academies here to be ignored. If England want to win a major trophy within the next 10 years, they need to reverse what has become a damaging trend.
William Gaillard believes that the manner in which professional football dominates the sport in England, with the Premier League one of the richest and most famous leagues in world football, leaves the English FA in a relatively weak position. His words were spoken to the government's culture, media, and sport committee, who were fairly shocked to hear that the FA are, in his opinion, in a weaker position than any other football association in the whole of Europe.
Possible solutions to this conundrum, according to the UEFA adviser, include introducing a technical director on the national football scene, who would be responsible for developing players and bringing them through into the country's senior first team. With countries such as Netherlands, who enjoyed such a good World Cup in 2010 in South Africa, employing such an individual to encourage the development of young talent, it could be that the government look at introducing such measures over the next five or ten years.
Grass-roots football in England has come under massive amounts of criticism over the last few years and a reliance in the Premier League upon foreign players, many of whom are more interested in accruing as many sponsors as possible or becoming the latest face of the new LED TVs or PS3 accessories than they are helping the development of UK football, has led to some youngsters born and bred in youth academies here to be ignored. If England want to win a major trophy within the next 10 years, they need to reverse what has become a damaging trend.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Terry deserves support of England fans
John Terry is a man who many believe committed an unspeakable wrong when having an affair with a team-mate's ex-girlfriend and therefore thoroughly deserved to be denied the England captaincy in the lead-up to the World Cup. However, with that supposed affair never actually proved, with both player and the other party involved always denying it, could it be that Terry deserves nothing but honest praise for the way he has handled himself over the past year?
Many players would have taken Fabio Capello's decision to take away the captaincy in a way that would be to many of us entirely understandable. We all make mistakes, we're all accused of things that are never as black and white as they are made out to be, and we all have to deal with our actions in private. However, being human also means that we're liable to take criticism in entirely the wrong way. It therefore is admirable that a man in the public eye and for whom playing for his country and wearing the armband is the ultimate honour took Capello's decision without questioning, the Chelsea man apparently ending the meeting with a promise to continue to do everything he can for the team and those concentrating on the international football betting should remember this.
Terry has excelled this season at Chelsea and showed at the weekend against Manchester City that rare quality in central defenders nowadays: the quality of preventing the opposition from scoring even if it means risking injury. With Terry captaining Chelsea for the best part of a decade now, he has the experience that not many other defenders for England can boast and anyone who has bet on football will recognise this.
Self-belief is obviously one thing the defender possesses in abundance, and that's what England need at the back, especially when coming up against superior teams. If Terry can convey this self-belief to his younger team mates on the pitch and perhaps lead his team to success in the Euros, it could be that he does go down in the England history books after all, despite what may or may not have gone on off the pitch.
Many players would have taken Fabio Capello's decision to take away the captaincy in a way that would be to many of us entirely understandable. We all make mistakes, we're all accused of things that are never as black and white as they are made out to be, and we all have to deal with our actions in private. However, being human also means that we're liable to take criticism in entirely the wrong way. It therefore is admirable that a man in the public eye and for whom playing for his country and wearing the armband is the ultimate honour took Capello's decision without questioning, the Chelsea man apparently ending the meeting with a promise to continue to do everything he can for the team and those concentrating on the international football betting should remember this.
Terry has excelled this season at Chelsea and showed at the weekend against Manchester City that rare quality in central defenders nowadays: the quality of preventing the opposition from scoring even if it means risking injury. With Terry captaining Chelsea for the best part of a decade now, he has the experience that not many other defenders for England can boast and anyone who has bet on football will recognise this.
Self-belief is obviously one thing the defender possesses in abundance, and that's what England need at the back, especially when coming up against superior teams. If Terry can convey this self-belief to his younger team mates on the pitch and perhaps lead his team to success in the Euros, it could be that he does go down in the England history books after all, despite what may or may not have gone on off the pitch.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Jarvis out to impress on international stage
Matt Jarvis has become the first Wolves player since Steve Bull in 1992 to earn a call-up to the England squad. The winger is rightly over the moon with his inclusion and has described it as "a dream" after Fabio Capello finally decided the 24-year-old is international class. Jarvis will be in contention to pick up his first cap this weekend against Wales and again in the following friendly against Ghana. Jarvis proved a point again this weekend, scoring his the only goal in the 1-0 defeat of Aston Villa at Molineux.
The call-up has been long deserved after storming the league this season. Jarvis seems to be the perfect winger, with pin-point crossing ability combined with lighting pace and quick feet. While the wingers in the England team always seem to have weaknesses in one area of their game, Jarvis looks to have all the attributes to needed to succeed at the top level. Those wondering how to use Betfair may want to back him to do well on his debut.
An excited Jarvis expressed his delight at his call up while speaking to the club website.
He said: "It's great for me and I'm delighted but having been named in the squad it will be a case of meeting up tonight and aiming to impress. Like every player it's been a dream of mine to try and play for England since starting off in the game and getting into the squad takes me one step closer."
Jarvis' impressive performance at the weekend was just the latest in a string of quality displays for a struggling Wolves side. The former Gillingham youngster has taken to Premier League football like the proverbial duck, and a number of the big boys are closely monitoring Jarvis' situation come the summer. If Wolves do go down, then holding on to their star player would be a seemingly impossible mission for Mick McCarthy and those looking for a little Betfair help probably understand this.
Until the end of the season though, Jarvis will be doing all he can to help Wolves start climbing away from the relegation zone. With nearly half the sides in the league in real danger of being dragged into the battle at the bottom, Wolves will be hoping to build on their Villa victory and put together an important run.
The call-up has been long deserved after storming the league this season. Jarvis seems to be the perfect winger, with pin-point crossing ability combined with lighting pace and quick feet. While the wingers in the England team always seem to have weaknesses in one area of their game, Jarvis looks to have all the attributes to needed to succeed at the top level. Those wondering how to use Betfair may want to back him to do well on his debut.
An excited Jarvis expressed his delight at his call up while speaking to the club website.
He said: "It's great for me and I'm delighted but having been named in the squad it will be a case of meeting up tonight and aiming to impress. Like every player it's been a dream of mine to try and play for England since starting off in the game and getting into the squad takes me one step closer."
Jarvis' impressive performance at the weekend was just the latest in a string of quality displays for a struggling Wolves side. The former Gillingham youngster has taken to Premier League football like the proverbial duck, and a number of the big boys are closely monitoring Jarvis' situation come the summer. If Wolves do go down, then holding on to their star player would be a seemingly impossible mission for Mick McCarthy and those looking for a little Betfair help probably understand this.
Until the end of the season though, Jarvis will be doing all he can to help Wolves start climbing away from the relegation zone. With nearly half the sides in the league in real danger of being dragged into the battle at the bottom, Wolves will be hoping to build on their Villa victory and put together an important run.
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