Capello Losing Control

In the aftermath of England’s latest World Cup disappointment, one factor stands above the rest, that one man has seen an alarming descent in his performances. From the Italian general that ruled the fields of Zagreb and Berlin with such control and calmness to a lone authoritarian figure, refusing to name teams more than two hours in advance, and failing to do exactly what he is paid £6.5 million per annum to do; adapt his teams system and tactics to beat whoever is placed in front of them.
Fabio Capello started his tenure as England manager promising, like many before him, to pick players purely based on form. The cases of Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves suggest a manger that stuck to his word, but delve into Capello’s final 23-man squad and a worrying trend occurs.
Ask any EPL (English Premier League) fan to name a form English team of the year and Adam Johnson will make it into most sides, whether he plays on the right or left is the real debate. Since his reported £7 million pound move from Middlesbrough to Manchester City on deadline day in January he has often been the shining light of consistency in an inconstant and changing Manchester City team. Johnson has managed to overtake the once promising talent of Shaun Wright-Phillips at his club side, but was given only 6 minutes of game time to impress during the world cup warm up matches. With so little time to impress on the pitch one would think Johnson had been lacklustre in training, but not according to England captain Steven Gerrard; “Adam has looked fantastic in training,” Gerrard said. “He is a typical left-winger, he gets good crosses into the box, and is exciting on the ball. This leaves a rather strange collection of facts, with Johnson having been in constantly good form, trained well and impressed senior England figures but unable to make the final 23 man squad. The same argument can be used but to a lesser extent with the Everton full back Leighton Baines, who was overlooked for a man who simply hadn’t had the chance to put off the manager with an average performance, as Baines did against Mexico.
The worrying trend that Capello delivered in his final 23 man squad was not just his inability to pick and play the form players of the past 12 months, but his fear of youth and inexperience (lets face it, if your name is not Wayne Rooney and you have 60 caps before your 24th birthday, the two go hand in hand) and willingness to pick and play players older but not necessarily wiser. What made Capello so brilliant in his early tenure as England manager was his willingness to take risks and be bold, an ability he seems to have lost since the turn of the year. Classic examples of these are sketched in the memory banks of the eternal England fan, THAT night in Zagreb where so many memories were put to rest. The selection of Walcott, but not using him not as a defensive winger in a 4-4-2 formation (Shaun Wright-Phillips against USA anyone?), but as an attacker, using our strengths rather than concentrating on stopping the opposition.
Tactically Capello seems to have become as confused as his predecessor’s have been, failing to find the right combination to the Gerrard/Lampard debate, leaving England with a lopsided midfield and strikers playing so deep you wondering who on earth is keeping the opposition centre backs company all those yards away. What should really worry the England fan is not that Capello is making mistakes; mistakes are part of parcel of life, a learning curve, but rather the fact that Capello seems to have lost his bravery to make big calls. For too long now England have attended major tournaments with fear, too afraid to make any mistakes so happy to sit back and lets things happen in front of them. I wonder when the last time England really attacked a team in a major tournament was, for mine it was over six years ago at EURO 2004, when a young, fearless and inexperienced Wayne Rooney took on Croatia in Lisbon. Bravery comes in many forms, but one thing is for certain, if a group of individuals or a team are to show bravery then it must start from top, the leader, the manager. Capello has lost his bravery and with it England have lost there’s, if England are to start playing football at this tournament it needs to start with the manager making brave, bold and attacking decisions and to start influencing the game tactically once it has begun.
During this world cup Capello has either been so arrogant that he didn’t want to change his system or bring on players with time to influence the game or he was too fearful, both are very worrying indeed. English sport in general seems to suffer from a fear factor, with the Rugby Union team suffering from white line fever since that glorious evening in Sydney seven years ago and the cricket team famed for ‘playing within it’s shell’ (the T20 World Cup win being a notable exception, with England proclaiming a ‘no fear’ approach). Things can change, Italia’ 90 with three at the back is testament to that, but changing only the tactics wont rescue this world cup adventure for England. Capello needs to find in himself the leader that we once knew, forget the captain, England need to be inspired from the very top, the manager.
Michael Heslop

Manchester United Must Learn From Madrid Mistakes

So here we are, the end of another long and very fruitful footballing season, but before you wonder what on earth your going to do on Saturday evenings at 10:20 pm all summer, there is the destination of one last trophy to still be decided. That trophy is of course, the champions league, which will see FC Barcelona taking on Manchester United at Wembley on the 28th of May. 


For Sir Alex Ferguson's side to not only be premiership champions (for a record 19th time) but also looking forward to a champions league final is an incredible achievement for the club as a whole, and also one of Sir Alex's finest achievements in management. I refuse to go down the route of claiming this united team is 'not as good' as others previously, a view which many in the media have taken. Rather, I would prefer to concentrate on what this team has achieved already and what could be achieved in the future, in my view, you shouldn't be comparing teams from different era's until the era is over, this Manchester United team is very much still alive.


In the way of Manchester United completing the double this season is arguably the best team the world has seen over the last 20 years, FC Barcelona. For Manchester United to have a chance of winning the final they need to do what Real Madrid failed to do, believe they can win. For all Mourinho's complaining and play acting during the semi finals, one thing stood out above all the rest, that Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho in particular feared Barcelona, they didn't believe they could win and it showed. From the criminal lack of ambition shown in the first leg by selecting Pepe in the centre of midfield and playing Cristiano Ronaldo as a exceptionally lonely centre forward, United must avoid planning for the opposition too much and play their own, fact paced, counter attacking game.


This is of course all very easy to say, forget about the opposition which includes Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Dani Alves and David Villa, but that it the point, if you tried to make specific plans for barcelona you would have one for every player!Sir Alex Ferguson has already stated that Utd will 'play their own game' at Wembley on the 28th, but he must stick to his word for Utd to stand a chance of an upset. With the game being on 'home soil' and Barcelona looking increasingly tired with every game they play, stranger things have happened...

My Premier League Wish List...

Five players i would love to see strutting there stuff on a saturday afternoon in a stadium near you!

Lionel Messi - Obvious isn't it, but how can you start a list like this without mentioning the greatest player of our generation. Domestically Messi has won it all, two champions league titles, four la liga titles, one coppa del ray all at the ripe old age of 23. The last two seasons at Barcelona have yielded 85 goals and 32 assists in 104 appearances, in anyone's book thats world class. But its not the stats that get you jumping out of your seat for a player like Messi, its the way he does it. Blistering acceleration, a low centre of gravity and exceptional ball control mean that Messi is almost impossible to stop in full flight. I think this video of Messi as a 14 year old says more than words ever could...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI8GC6bqnpM

Xavi Hernandez (above) - Xavi has been and continues to be the most complete footballer in the world. The driving force behind Spain's Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 triumphs, he has it all and would be a joy to watch in the EPL. Xavi has lit up every major competition in the world game over the past two years. What is most interesting is that he is a player which English clubs do not seem to be able to develop. He plays in an almost quarterback role, distributing perfect pass after perfect pass, gliding up the field and then producing the killer assist. The chances of Xavi ever playing in the ELP is very slim, but with Manchester City's endless pot of gold you can never say never...

Sergio Aguero (above) - The Atlético Madrid frontman is renowned around Spain for his quick-feet, finishing ability and close ball control, making him a fans favorite at the Vicente Calderón at the ripe old age of 21. Although Aguero struggled to make an impact at the recent World Cup dont be fooled into thinking this man is not one of the worlds best footballers, he is and will be even better in the future. With Aguero plying his trade at Atlético Madrid the chances are he could be on the move within the next 2 years, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all chasing his signature.

Danielle De Rossi - A tough tackling central midfielder in the mould of Roy Keane no less, De Rossi is renowned for his physical approach and powerful midfield displayers. Whilst being a very tough character De Rossi is also blessed with a fantastic passing ability and a wonderfully powerful shot, regularly scoring up to ten goals a season for his club, AS Roma. This wonderfully cheesy video from youtube should show all you need to know about De Rossi;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzsxCOZWWM

Ronaldo (above) - Okay i know he is past it now, but he really is the one that got away for the ELP. In his peak he was the best around, holds the world record for most goals scored in World Cup matches and overcame 5 knee operations to play for some of Europe's biggest clubs, but none from England. Ronaldo had it all, with his best years generally regarded as having occurred before his first knee injury, during his time at PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and early years at Inter Milan. He was literally the perfect striker, pace and power, wonderful finishing ability, great strength and majestic in the air as well as wonderful ball control. He was Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole and Paul Gascoigne rolled into one. He is now still (apparently) playing in Brazil for Corinthians of Sao Paulo, although anything more than one game a month in considered to be stretching it. One last video link from youtube displays what the EPL missed out on;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXOMPo7cEI

Great Expectations

By our Master in charge of Rugby Union Sam Forbes:

Sam speaking to Martin Johnson earlier this week

When England’s beloved Red Rose stands arm in arm against the Haka on Saturday afternoon, Twickenham as ever will expect a dramatic upset...

I put a question upon you: How many other countries in the World, apart from England, have a consistently competitive team in all major sports? I’m sure I will hear a resounding ‘none’. Our cricket team are holders of the ashes, we finished second in the medal tables in this summer’s Commonwealth Games, our rugby team were finalists in the last two World Cups, and our football team... Well I don’t need to go into that. With competitiveness comes expectation, and with expectation comes pressure, and this is exactly what has affected our rugby team since that glorious evening back in 2003.

Since that day, the England management have issued out no less than 75 new caps. In my view this is ridiculous. If one takes a look at The All Blacks, since the World Cup in 2003, they have built their team around a core eight players in all key positions- Woodcock, Mealamu, Thorne, McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Rokocoko and Muliaina. This has helped them maintain a consistency in team management- selection, and therefore a consitenecy in results. In contrast to this, the England selection team has not settled for these same values. The cause for this perhaps is the constant pressure from the fans, therefore causing the management to panic and make drastic changes. A perfect example of this is Matt Tait, in my view one of the most talented players in world rugby, yet after one UNLUCKY (not bad) game, Andy Robinson was pressured into dropping him. If the pressure was eased and the expectation was not so much, perhaps it would have been a different story for Tait and equally England since 2003. 

It seems now that Johnson and his staff have settled on a ‘core’ team, with the likes of Sheriden, Moody, Easter, Youngs, Ashton and Foden. The talent is certainly there and I hope that if we lose to New Zealand on Saturday (and i believe we will), Johnson does not feel pressured into making changes for Australia the following Saturday. After all, in 105 years, we have only beaten the All Blacks six times. 

So, back to the original point, Twickenham will expect an upset as always. However I ask otherwise of you, I ask you to not to have great expectations as it will inevitably end in bitter disappointment. Believe in the team we have, ease the pressure and perhaps something great might happen in the coming weeks at Fortress Twickenham.


Comments welcome...

What Next For Manchester United?

With the 'Rooneygate' saga now behind us, it seems the burning question is where do Manchester United go from here? With the future of Rooney secure (for now at least) United have the chance to silence the doubters who claim that there is no money to spend at Old Trafford. With the £80 million the club received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo still (apparently) lying unspent surely United must now strengthen there squad. Here we are going to have a look through the possible transfer targets of the Old Trafford club.

Wesley Sneijder (above) - Linked with Manchester United over the summer after a sterling world cup where he finished joint top scorer. Would seem to be able to adapt to the ELP if the form of his fellow Dutch international Rafael Van Der Vaart is anything to go by, it begs the question as to why there wasn't more interest in Van Der Vaart before he signed for spurs. Can play either central midfield or as the 'link' between midfield and attack, would seem to fit the perfectly for what United need at the moment with their midfield struggling to impose themselves on games. Scholes and Giggs can not be expected to produce performance after performance anymore and with Hargreaves still struggling to gain fitness it leaves Anderson and Carrick - enough said. Fergie has bought on reputation before and been bitten (Veron, Kleberson), therefore its unlikely he will splash the cash, preferring in my view to buy potential and develop it, like he has done so successfully over the past 24 years.

Arjen Robben - Teammate of Sneijder and fellow World Cup runner up, talk seems to have died down linking Robben with a move back to the EPL since it was first mooted early in 2010. Robben's sparkling form for FC Bayern, lifting them to the final of the Champions League almost single handily last season, raised his credibility once again after a indifferent spell at Real Madrid. Robben's reputation as being a difficult personality to control may count him out of a move to Old Trafford.

Kaka - I am sure i am not the only one who would love to see Ricardo Kaka strutting his stuff on Match of the Day on saturday evening, but i cant see this move ever happening. In my mind if Kaka wanted to move to England he would have signed the golden and oil smelling cheque Manchester City offered him last year. With Jose Mourinho now in charge at Madrid it seems unlikely any player in their right mind would leave the club unless told too. 

Steven Defour (above) - The Standard Liege midfielder has been out of action for more than a year after breaking his foot, but now coming back to fitness United seem ready to pounce. A Belgian international renowned for his physical pedigree is exactly the type of player United require and desire. In my eyes highly likely to make the move to Old Trafford sooner rather than later, providing he proves his fitness.

Alexis Sanchez (above) - A highly rated front man who prefers to operate from wide positions, Sanchez has been in europe for more than 4 years and is only 21 years of age. After a good world cup showing for Chile it seems the stage is set for Sanchez to make a move from Udinese to one of Europe's elite clubs. His size may count against him moving to England, with spain a preferred destination for many of the world's smaller, more skilful players. Having said that he is exactly the kind of player Fergie loves, quick, an eye for a goal and mature beyond his years, dont be surprised to see Sanchez end up at Old Trafford.

Ibrahim Afellay -The highly regarded 24-year-old playmaker is another player off the conveyer belt of production at PSV. Blessed with two strong feet and an eye for a goal this is another who seems to be destined to play in the EPL at some point, whether or not United are willing to pay a large fee for him remains to be seen, must impress in Europe over the coming months to gain a move away from Holland.


In conclusion, dont expect Manchester United to splash the cash in January or the summer of 2011, Sir Alex will do what he has always done in my mind, have faith in the development of young players (Hernandez) ready to create his final team to take on the ELP and Europe. The next question is really how long does Sir Alex have left in him... 


Comments Welcome...

Hello and Welcome

Hello and Welcome to the exiting new All Sports Blog! As i am sure you can guess from the title this blog will be covering the burning issues in a variety of sports, specifically concentrating on football, cricket and rugby union from a British and European perspective, although no sport is out of bounds! The blog will also aim to explore the role sport plays in todays society around the world and to air the views and opinions of our writers, readers and followers! The blog will also feature guest writers and publications, anyone wishing to contribute to the All Spots Blog should contact me @ mtheslop@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting and enjoy the site!