Monday, 9 June 2008

From one extreme to another..

Football. It's a funny old game isnt it?

Seriously though, only in Football would we see two completely different games like today. Take France vs Romania for instance.

Bore draw doesnt even begin to describe this game. A sheer lack of fluency, urgency and ambition - and this was from both sides. It was played more like a pre-season friendly, not a group game from Euro 2008. With Italy and Holland to come later on, I expected one of the two sides to take the iniative, and not settle for a draw, but it wasnt to be.

Needless to say, I wasnt too hopeful for the next encounter. However I was to be proved wrong as both teams served up a feast of football.

Unlike the previous game, both teams came to attack. And both teams had chances as well, though it was the Dutch who won the game, showing some great counter-attacking football on two occassions, scoring two fantastic goals. Take nothing away from Italy though, who were unlucky not to score themselves. You'd have to fancy them against the pedestrian French and the unambitious Romanians.

Fantastic drama, great technical play, quick incisive football...what more can you ask for?

After a slow start to the tournament, it now feels as if Euro 2008 has actually started. Let's hope the rest of the tournament can deliver to a similar standard.

Friday, 6 June 2008

Euro 2008 - who to support?

With England out of the equation, everyone needs a team to support this summer. Here's my 2 picks..

Sweden:

Dont ask me why, but I feel a certain affilation to the Swedes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a true enigma up front, a real maverick. You just dont know which one will turn up - the inspired genius, or the lazy frontman. Then you have Henrik Larsson, the epitome of what a modern day footballer should be like. A true professional, who is held in high regard wherever he's played, and rightly so. You have the crazy in-fighting between Freddie Ljungberg and Olof Mellberg (maybe we'll see another training ground bust up!?) - and of course, the fit blondes that will turn up supporting the Swedes in their droves certainly helps matters.

Whats more, the Swedes gave us Ikea. And Ulrika Jonsson. What's not to love?

Lets not kid ourselves though, Sweden dont really stand out as potential winners, do they? Solid, but unspectacular. Putting money on the Swedes is throwing your money away. So while my heart will be following the Swedes, my wallet will be following..

Spain:

Yes, Spain. The perennial underachievers. The country who have bottled more tournaments than I've had hot dinners. The country who constantly, year after year, allow themselves to believe that this could be their tournament at long, long last. Ring any bells?

But honestly, I think it's *finally* going to be their year.

Looking at the squad, there's no shortage of talent. Iker Casillas is as good as they come between the sticks, and in front of him has the ever impressive Carlos Puyol holding things together in defence. Sergio Ramos will look to support the attack whenever possible down the right hand side, and with a lack of width within the team, his role will be vital.

Then the midfield.

Looking at the Spanish midfield, I'm hardpressed to name a better midfield in Europe. Cesc Fabregas, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso..to name but a few. The fact that Mikel Arteta cant even get close to the squad speaks volumes. At times it can be impossible to get the ball from this midfield, such is their ability to pass the ball and keep possession.

The strikeforce. We all know what Fernando Torres can do, after a phenomenal debut season for Liverpool, scoring 33 goals. David Villa is also a huge talent and will need to be watched closely, along with the impressive Dani Guiza, who notched 27 goals for Mallorca.

There are, of course, some concerns. Torres and Fabregas have seemingly been unable to produce their club form for their country, perhaps due to the change in style and pace from the Premiership. It's only natural with the players at their disposal that Spain deploy a tight, passing, possession based game with a 4-1-4-1 formation, which perhaps doesnt make best use of their talents, especially Torres, who some would argue isnt best suited to playing the long striker role, and has thrived on being able to run in behind defences with his blistering pace. Furthermore, Spain have been accused by some of 'overplaying' - pretty on the eye yes, but not always effective. Hopefully all of this can be addressed, and Luis Aragones can get the best out of his players. For the sake of my wallet if nothing else.

Maybe this really is the time Spain lift the trophy. Maybe they'll bottle it again? Maybe Sweden will suprise us all? One thing's for sure, it's going to be a hell of a tournament!

Thursday, 5 June 2008

French open serves up a feast of drama..

Now, contrary to what you regular readers might think reading this blog (Hi Mum!), I do actually appreciate sports other than football.

No, really.

For example, the tennis. One of my favourite sports...in fact, some of my favourite sporting memories come from this sport.

I remember Ivanisevic vs Rafter like it was yesterday. A thriller of a final, which produced an atmosphere that wont be seen again at Wimbledon for a long time. This final had everything, from fantastic stroke play to edge of the seat drama. It was billed as the peoples final, a final no-one could have predicted..and in the end was a fitting end to a fantastic tournament.

Anyhow, I digress. This year's French Open has produced its own fair share of drama and excitement.

The shock of Justine Henin's retirement before the tournament left many fans flabbergasted, but also left space for a new number one in women's tennis.

That woman was Maria Sharapova, who disappointingly crashed out in the 4th round to her fellow Russian and suprise package, Dinara Safina.

With her back against the wall, Safina has been particularly impressive, saving match points on not just one..but two occassions in this tournament. With impressive form on clay previous to the French Open, Safina appears to finally be escaping his brother Marit Safin's shadow, and this could well be her year.

Elsewhere, the Serbian pair of Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic have continued to impress, and their semi final tomorrow promises to be a classic. With both women's different styles bound to clash, both women will have to play tactically, which may suit Jankovic, who contuinues to search for her first grand slam final. Whatever happens, the two Serbians look set to dominate woman's tennis for a long time.

In the men's draw, who would have thought lightning would strike twice? Rafel Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in the French Open semi-finals for the second straight year, with the winner facing Roger Federer or home grown hero, Gaël Monfils in the final.

Nadal has been ominious form throughout the tournament, and is the undisputed king of the clay circuit due to his superior stamina and perseverance. Because of this, Nadal will always be happy to stay at the baseline, which suits the slower clay surface. It remains to be seen whether Djokovic can unseat Nadal and produce a shock, and the Serbian will need to use everything in his reputoire to do so. If Djokovic is at his aggressive best, anything can happen.

On the other side of the men's draw, Roger Federer is at anything but his best. The Swiss star has struggled for form all year, but we shouldnt count out Federer just yet, though he faces a tough ask against Gael Monfils in the second semi final.

The Frenchman has been in scinsillating form throughout the tournament, not least in his last match against David Ferrer, a match in which his talents were gloriously evident. The crowd will be right behind Monfils from the very off, and Federer will need to be on top of his game if he's to reach a second consecutive final.

So, there we have it. Some classic tennis awaits us, and I for one cant wait to see it all unfold.

Finally, a word on Andy Murray. Though he did crash out in the 3rd round, the British hope shown some signs of improvement on the clay surface, and can now focus on Wimbledon. No pressure there then..

Tuesday, 3 June 2008

A bright Spark..

So, after dispensing with both their managers services, despite relatively succesful seasons, it appears Chelsea and Manchester City are after the same man to transform their fortunes.

His name in Mark Hughes, a man who slowly has built a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in the game.

Hughes did brilliantly in his first management job, transforming Wales from an awful national side to a team fighting for a place in Euro 2004, only to be defeated by Russia in the playoffs despite beating Italy en route. Nonetheless, an impressive achievement.

Next came Blackburn, as the lure of day to day management became too much. And Hughes contiuned to impress, taking Blackburn to FA Cup Semi Finals, and three top 10 finishes, including one 6th place finish, taking Rovers into Europe.

His shrewdness in the transfer market has also been something to admire, with Benni McCarthy, Roque Santa Cruz, and David Bentley being rather astute signings indeed.

Hughes builds teams in his own image: tough, hard to play against, but with plenty of guile and class. As a player he proved capable of winning trophies and, although he hasn't won any silverware yet as a manager, it seems to be a matter of time.

But is Manchester City the right move for Mark Hughes? In my opinion, yes.

Looking at Blackburn, Hughes has taken them as far as they can go. Realistically, there's no chance of breaking into the elusive 'big 4', not with their crowds or budget.

Compare that to Manchester City, who have the financial clout, the big shiny stadium, and the big fanbase to gatecrash the big 4 party.

No contest.

Yes, City is being ran by a madman, who could well sack Hughes by Christmas if things arent going his way. If so, so what? He's just another victim of a ridiculous regime - it wouldnt tarnish his reputation too much. Succeed and Hughes is a hero, his glowing reputation furthered.

Hughes has achieved all he can at Blackburn, now is the time to jump ship, albiet to an unsteady one.

Exeter, the FA Trophy, and everything else in between..

First of all, congratulations to Exeter City. All jokes and rivalries aside, you didnt let your heads drop, and your character and determination was there to see. You threw the kitchen sink at us, and we surrendered. Good luck to you in the Football League - after years of near misses you deserve your chance.

So, after being in control for so long...we managed to blow it. A second trip to Wembley was within our grasp, but after 20 minutes of madness the dream was over.

So what went wrong?

For one, I firmly believe had we not scored, the match would have finished 0-0. We were soaking up Exeter's pressure well, with Exeter's only clear cut chance the clearance off the line in the first half. The goal allowed complacency to creep in, and as a result, the players switched off from their defensive mind set. After the first goal we panicked, and from then on it was a total shambles.

Another issue for me was the substitutions/team selection. The omission of Lee Phillips was baffling - if he's fit enough for the bench, he's fit enough to start the match. Phillips allows us to defend from the front, and without him Exeter were allowed too much time to work the ball.

Secondly, the substitution of Steve Woods. Woods was holding things together at the back with his experience, and when he went off we lost our shape and our organization.

So to collapse like that is bad enough in any match, but to your main rivals at home in a playoff semi? Cant say I've felt that deflated after a match in a long, long time.

Then came Wembley. A chance to salvage something from the season? To be honest, we looked a team desperately short on confidence, naturally..but we went there and gave it a good go. I think Ebbsfleet edged it on the day, but both teams had chances and Ebbsfleet took theirs, taking advantage of yet another error at the back. I felt for Toddy when he made his mistake, so consistent all season, you could tell how much it meant to him at the end as well.

For me though, the highlight of the day had to be Hilly breaking the all time appearance record. What a stage to break the record, and the standing ovation was well observed from both sets of fans. Well done Hilly, you're a dying breed in today's game.

So there we have it. A disappointing end to the campaign, but all things considered, it's been a fantastic season for us. To look at where we were 10 months ago and see where we are now is nothing short of remarkable, and all credit has to go to everyone connected with the club. Everyone's pulling in the right direction now, from the players to the directors, and its good to see, especially after last season's shenanigans.

This season? It's going to be a lot harder, that's for sure. Wrexham and Mansfield should be strong coming from the Football League, and the parachute payments will certainly help them. I also expect Stevenage to do well - Graham Westley may be a shady character, but he knows this league, and Stevenage are geared up for the Football League. Oxford and Rushden should also improve after disappointing finishes last time around, with Rushden in particular spending big.

It will be tough, yes, it's always harder to get out of this league if you dont manage it first time..but I think we've got just as much of a chance as anyone.

As for OUR squad, the rebuilding has already started. The deadwood such as Mullings, Bedeau and Hockley has already been shipped out, and in an attempt to freshen things up, Lee Phillips has been sold to Rushden for 17.5k.

Coming in, the exciting Nicky Wroe, who will add guile and creativity to a somewhat predictable midfield. Tyrone Thompson and Matt Green will give us pace and goals, and Wayne Carlisle is the genuine winger we've been crying out for. Michael Brough will provide competition in the centre of defence, and with the imminent signing of Shwan Jalal, hopefully the goalkeeping position has finally been sorted for good.

The new signings would indicate a change of tactics for next season, with all the signings comfortable in possession, and technically very sound. I believe we DID become too predictable at times last season, with no plan B in place. Hopefully we'll become a bit more flexible next season, with more emphasis on keeping the ball on the floor. Exeter and Aldershot have shown you can play your way out of this league.

And that's the important thing. The Football League. Promotion has to be the aim now, with things moving forward in all areas at the football club now. The youth set up is back, attendances continue to increase..all well and good, but the Football League has to be the aim.

Let's make it happen.

Monday, 5 May 2008

Judgement day..

..is upon us.

Ok, so its only a football match, but its not just *any* football match. It's Torquay vs Exeter, playoff semi-final. It doesnt get any bigger than this...well, for me anyway.

I'll be honest straight from the bat, this blog is only happening because I CANT SLEEP. Too excited, you see. Football does that to you.

So, can we do it? Do the Excretia over 2 legs, and book our 2nd outing to Wembley in the space of 8 days. The cynic in me is wanting to say no....but I think we can pull this off.

You see, Exeter have to attack. Admittedly, that doesnt suit us, our defending this season has generally left a lot to be desired. That's not to say we *cant* defend, but we're much more at home when we're attacking, and taking it to teams. It's been our philosophy from day one of Buckle's reign.

But lets cast our minds back to York away, in the FA Trophy Semi-Final 2nd leg. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, we went to the Kitkat Cresent and did a job. Yes, York did score, but we held firm and did the job. It's something we need to take heart from. We've dealt with high pressure matches already this season, it will stand us in good stead for tomorrow, which will be as intense as it gets.

So lets keep our heads, be professional, and finish the job.

COYG!

Sunday, 4 May 2008

Advantage Torquay..

Let's see it again, shall we? Greeks, you *might* want to look away now..

http://www.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/05/01/Blue-Square-Unsavoury-scenes-follow-Torquay-win/?facets/sport-space/football/great-britain-locale/

Brilliant.

In all seriousness though, there's still a lot of work to be done on Monday. It's in OUR hands though, and thats all you can ask for.

COYG!