Category: sport

Notes on the death of football

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A quick post which I can use as an “I told you so” link when football dies in the future or ignore completely should football not die in the future.

As I tweeted last night about the football:

It saddens me. If the “best team in the world” have to play act like that, what hope is there for football?

What should have been a passionate, entertaining game of football between two great teams was ruined by (mainly) Barcelona’s players diving, feigning injury and trying to get opposition players sent off. I’m not saying that other clubs are any less guilty of such unsporting behaviour, but when this much-adored and obviously talented Barcalona team feel that they have to resort to such tactics, exactly where is football going?

The referee lost control of the game last night, but who can blame him when ever minor touch between players lead to a triple somersault with pike? And yes, one or two of the Madrid challenges deserved action to be taken, but one can understand (but not excuse) their frustrations when every single decision went the home side’s way.

Football needs to keep up with modern technology. FIFA’s refusal to institute goal line technology is ridiculous and has ruined many a game. Now they need to allow the reviewing of video evidence after the game for players diving and then suspend them. Either that or maybe make some more big bucks by researching, developing and marketing whatever it is that allows players like Pedro and Javier Mascherano to miraculously recover and get on with the game 5 seconds after what appears to be a career-threatening injury.

But what hope is there of video reviews when the Barca line-up last night featured Sergio Busquets, a player who just last week was caught on camera apparently, allegedly (but actually, definitely) racially insulting Marcello while trying to hide his actions behind his hand. Malice aforethought, anyone?
However, as the lack of action against him shows, there’s actually no point disguising such foul behaviour when the authorities do nothing about it anyway. It seems that the same goes for diving.

If the betting odds are anything to go by, Barca will be facing Man U at Wembley on 28th May. And despite the fact I harbour an intense dislike for both clubs, this could be the second time in my life I have supported Man U. The good news for Reds’ fans is that I have a good record at this particular activity: the only other time I did this was in the incredible 1999 Champions League Final – ironically played at the Camp Nou. Memories of a very arrogant German family in the White Horse pub in Headington, Oxford and spilling an entire pint of guest ale over Dr Kyle Knox are brought back to mind.

In the meantime, I’ll be hoping for an somewhat unlikely Schalke 04 double tonight and on the 28th.

Bravery in the face of defeat

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(post title borrowed from The Streets’ track Has It Come To This? [youtube] which is also quite apt)

After the upset of Saturday evening, it was heartening to read the first few paragraphs of this:

Instead, the team went to every corner of the ground, acknowledging the supporters who had stayed behind to sing ‘We love United’ and cheer them to the rafters.
As the team finally disappeared down the tunnel, the strains of Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley drifted through the emptying stands like a sad mist. It was a very special moment indeed.

Which confirms what I said here and is in stark contrast to our neighbours across the city whose fans have never seen anything happen after the 85th minute, because they’ve gone home already. Pride and passion often seems limited to S2.

The rest of the article, however, makes for grim reading.

This week the board will go through the club’s budget, line by line. Nothing will be safe. The club’s highest earners — players such as Ched Evans, Darius Henderson, Richard Cresswell and Mark Yeates — will be moved on.
The owners have made positive noises about building a team around the youngsters who have got the team to the FA Youth Cup final this month, but the truth of the matter is that if a decent price can be found for the likes of Jordan Slew and Harry Maguire, they will go too. These are bleak days indeed.

So we need some continuity.

One man who may be staying put is manager Micky Adams. Adams has two years left on his contract and it would cost the club around £500,000 to sack him, as well as the ignominy of having to appoint a fifth manager in the space of a year.
If he stays, Adams will be forced to build a promotion-winning side virtually from scraps, but it was a challenge he was prepared to take on.

“I’ve had a history of taking football clubs to a higher division,” he said. “I’m determined to resurrect our fortunes. But it won’t be my decision. Those types of discussions are not for the public at the moment.”

It is hard not to sympathise with United’s plight, especially when you consider their wonderful fans, 10,000 of whom have already signed up for a 2011/12 season ticket.

“Keep the faith, keep coming,” Adams urged them. “There’ll be better times around the corner. Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward.”

Look, while I agree with Micky’s sentiment, I cannot think of many situations in which it would be beneficial to take a step back to go forward. This seems like a bit of a… well… backward step to me. No gold medal has ever been won by the Olympic athlete who took a step back at the starting pistol before heading off down the (now) 101m track, has it?
Management speak like this is utter BS. The Blades are in a horrible situation and they don’t need to “make the best of it”, they need to accept that this is where they find themselves and start fighting to get back up right from the first whistle of the new season.

Expensive season

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Incoming from my Dad as Sheffield United’s bizarre and frustrating season drew (literally) to what was a long foreseen, but still wholly unfortunate and disappointing close on Saturday:

Just been doing some stats on the home games; not good reading.

And he’s right.

While my Dad is a long-time season ticket holder at Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane and a die-hard, die-cast, dyed in the wool supporter of the Red and White Wizzzzaaards, he’s had a busy few months nipping around the globe: France, Switzerland, the Isle of Man, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, to name the ones I can remember. As the Ad Wizard once commented: “I want his air miles”.
Anyway, because of these travels, he only managed to attend 61% of United’s home games this season:

As you can see, in the games I went to The Blades were disproportionally poor.

And he’s right.

He managed to see just 43% of the games they won yet 72% of the games they lost. He only saw 52% of the dismal 27 goals they scored, but 64% of the 36 that the leaky defence… leaked. But it’s when it comes down to applying those stats to the price of the tickets that you one can see how he really lost out:

To add salt to the wound, this season cost me around £18.50 per United goal and £21.50 a point.
Not what I’d call value for money.

Enough evidence there to suggest that my Dad might want to take up watching a different sport, or at least consider supporting a different team. But that’s not how it works. While he and I (and many others) would be much happier if The Blades were riding high in the Premiership, it still doesn’t alter the passion and support we have for our team. As my Dad said:

Still, there’s always next season to look forward to…

And he’s right.

Advice for Spurs…

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I was going to write this before the game tonight, but now I find myself writing while the game is on and already Spurs are behind to the mighty Real Madrid. Look, we’ve seen some amazing heroics from Spurs this season, and I’ve been wrong about football scores before: who hasn’t? If I knew the result before every game, my life would be very boring, although the MASSIVE amounts of money I would have might take the edge off that boredom.

Anyway, my advice for Spurs is even more pertinent now:

Settle for a draw,
Well you’re not gonna get no more so you should settle for a draw.

Actually, with Peter Crouch sent off, I’m guessing that might even be a bit of an ask.