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Sports Saturday with Ben Holt, 2-6pm, Juice 107.2, www.juicebrighton.com
As far as defeats go, Saturday’s result at Dean Court wasn’t a terrible one. Most Albion fans have accepted that their side weren’t at their best, and Bournemouth, buoyed by Lee Bradbury’s first home game in charge, were impressive. It’s always disappointing to lose, but with Southampton also suffering a surprise defeat at Prenton Park (check out Dale Jennings goal for Tranmere if you get a chance), the League One table is still looking favourable for the Seagulls.
Tuesday night’s match against Colchester United is an opportunity to right the wrongs from Saturday, and with most of Albion’s challengers not in action, a win would see Gus Poyet’s team extend their lead at the top to six points.
John Ward’s Colchester have been rather inconsistent lately, unable to match the excellent run of results they managed at the end of October into early November. Since earning ten points from a possible twelve back in the autumn, the U’s have failed to get back to back wins, but the victory at home to Bournemouth and Saturday’s goalless draw at Huddersfield will give them confidence against the league leaders.
However, Brighton’s home form has been imperious: undefeated, with eight wins from twelve. Since the turn of the year, Albion have scored eleven in their three home matches, and the strikers have been responsible for nine of those goals. A lot of eyebrows were raised over the decision to relegate top scorer Glenn Murray to the bench for Saturday’s game, but Poyet has insisted there is no need for fans to worry about Murray’s future. It will be interesting to see the role he plays on Tuesday night.
Last 5 matches:
Brighton:
L (1-0 Bournemouth)
W (3-1 Peterborough)
W (3-1 Portsmouth)
W (1-2 Exeter)
W (5-0 Leyton Orient)
Colchester:
D (0-0 Huddersfield)
W (2-1 Bournemouth)
L (4-0 Swansea)
L (4-2 Leyton Orient)
D (3-3 Charlton)
Albion's starting line-up vs. Bournemouth (last game):
Ankergren, Greer, El-Abd, Calderon, Painter, Bennett, Sparrow (Dicker 66), Bridcutt (Murray 67), Noone (Kishishev 66), Barnes, Wood; Subs not used: Brezovan, Elphick, Hart, Holroyd
Monday 24 January 2011
Friday 21 January 2011
Bournemouth vs. Brighton, Saturday 22nd January, Kick-off: 3pm
Sports Saturday with Ben Holt, 2-6pm, Juice 107.2, www.juicebrighton.com
Build up to the game begins at 2pm, featuring interviews with Gus Poyet and keeper Casper Ankergren, and from 3pm we'll have regular updates from Dean Court and around the country. Plus, the chance to win 2 tickets for Tuesday night's match at the Withdean: Albion vs Colchester.
Albion’s 3-1 home win over Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough last Saturday continued their push for automatic promotion, putting them four points clear at the top of League One. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the Seagulls; Gus Poyet’s team survived a couple of late scares to secure their fourth win on the trot. It was Ferguson Junior’s first game of his second spell in charge of the Posh, making it a difficult game for Albion to prepare for, not knowing what to expect from their opposition.
It’s a similar scenario this weekend, as they travel to Dean Court, where Bournemouth have just appointed veteran striker Lee Bradbury as caretaker manager, after Eddie Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall announced their move to Championship side Burnley. It will be Bradbury’s second match in charge of the Cherries, after starting life as boss with a goalless draw at Spotland on Tuesday night.
It promises to be an intriguing match; Bournemouth’s league position is mainly down to their excellent home form, winning 9 out of 12, and scoring 31 goals, but Brighton have only conceded 9 goals in 11 away matches.
There is also an element of revenge in this match, as Albion were denied all three points in the reverse fixture back in October, when Tommy Elphick was ruled to have handled the ball inside the box, resulting in a penalty for the Cherries. Marc Pugh slotted it home, and Kazenga Lua Lua’s brilliant strike was cancelled out.
However, Gus Poyet insists that October’s controversy will have no bearing on the way his team approach the match; “if it was something between the two clubs or the players I would be worried, but because it was all about the referee, I think that it’s just history”.
Last 5 Matches:
Brighton:
W (3-1 Peterborough)
W (3-1 Portsmouth)
W (1-2 Exeter)
W (5-0 Leyton Orient)
D (1-1 Charlton)
Bournemouth:
D (0-0 Rochdale)
L (2-1 Colchester)
W (3-0 Plymouth)
W (3-1 Brentford)
W (1-2 Swindon)
Albion’s starting line up vs. Peterborough (last game):
Ankergren, Greer, El-Abd, Calderon, Painter, Bennett, Sparrow (Kishishev 73), Bridcutt, Noone (Dicker 58), Murray (Barnes 79), Wood; Subs not used: Brezovan, Elphick, Holroyd, Sandaza
Build up to the game begins at 2pm, featuring interviews with Gus Poyet and keeper Casper Ankergren, and from 3pm we'll have regular updates from Dean Court and around the country. Plus, the chance to win 2 tickets for Tuesday night's match at the Withdean: Albion vs Colchester.
Albion’s 3-1 home win over Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough last Saturday continued their push for automatic promotion, putting them four points clear at the top of League One. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the Seagulls; Gus Poyet’s team survived a couple of late scares to secure their fourth win on the trot. It was Ferguson Junior’s first game of his second spell in charge of the Posh, making it a difficult game for Albion to prepare for, not knowing what to expect from their opposition.
It’s a similar scenario this weekend, as they travel to Dean Court, where Bournemouth have just appointed veteran striker Lee Bradbury as caretaker manager, after Eddie Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall announced their move to Championship side Burnley. It will be Bradbury’s second match in charge of the Cherries, after starting life as boss with a goalless draw at Spotland on Tuesday night.
It promises to be an intriguing match; Bournemouth’s league position is mainly down to their excellent home form, winning 9 out of 12, and scoring 31 goals, but Brighton have only conceded 9 goals in 11 away matches.
There is also an element of revenge in this match, as Albion were denied all three points in the reverse fixture back in October, when Tommy Elphick was ruled to have handled the ball inside the box, resulting in a penalty for the Cherries. Marc Pugh slotted it home, and Kazenga Lua Lua’s brilliant strike was cancelled out.
However, Gus Poyet insists that October’s controversy will have no bearing on the way his team approach the match; “if it was something between the two clubs or the players I would be worried, but because it was all about the referee, I think that it’s just history”.
Last 5 Matches:
Brighton:
W (3-1 Peterborough)
W (3-1 Portsmouth)
W (1-2 Exeter)
W (5-0 Leyton Orient)
D (1-1 Charlton)
Bournemouth:
D (0-0 Rochdale)
L (2-1 Colchester)
W (3-0 Plymouth)
W (3-1 Brentford)
W (1-2 Swindon)
Albion’s starting line up vs. Peterborough (last game):
Ankergren, Greer, El-Abd, Calderon, Painter, Bennett, Sparrow (Kishishev 73), Bridcutt, Noone (Dicker 58), Murray (Barnes 79), Wood; Subs not used: Brezovan, Elphick, Holroyd, Sandaza
Thursday 20 January 2011
Arrogance in sport, and why Mr Balotelli really winds me up...
Arrogance can be charming. If someone is truly great at something, it can make them more memorable, and ambitious understudies and onlookers will stand up and take note. They want to be recognised for what they can do, and what they have achieved. It can be inspirational. And we all love to be inspired.
There have been some wonderful sporting figures who have exuded confidence and charisma, to the extent that they can be accused of being arrogant. This self-assuredness can be communicated in two forms: through words, and through actions. The former is a more blatant expression of egotism; if you are in the public eye, your words are read and heard to be analysed and examined.
Different sports breed different levels of arrogance in it’s performers. Generally, this is down to the traditions and popularity of the sport, the intensity in which it is conducted, and of course, money. Compare football with cricket: two very different sports with very different types of athlete. Sportsmanship in cricket is traditionally very important, and arrogance is often frowned upon, whereas footballers can, relatively speaking, get away with murder.
In the fourth test of the Ashes, Australia captain Ricky Ponting was fined 40% of his match fee for arguing with umpire Aleem Dar about a decision to not give England’s Kevin Pietersen out. It is against the rules to “argue or enter into a prolonged discussion with the umpire about his decision”; rules and traditions are there to be followed and respected. But Ponting’s punishment was not so much the financial loss, but rather the shame of going against the traditional good will of the game. Cricketers should never be bad losers.
In contrast, footballers are always seen “discussing” incidents with the match officials, and very often the disagreements turn aggressive. Punishment for improper conduct is often a fine, and occasionally a ban, but this rarely prevents a similar incident happening the following week. Because of their salary, footballers have no need to worry about either the fine, or the potential “shame”. Rightly or wrongly, it is expected that they will react angrily about a decision going against them. Footballers have the freedom to do as they wish, and very often get away with just a slap on the wrist.
It is perhaps this freedom which allows many footballers to be as outspoken as they like; they consider themselves to be bigger than the sport they participate in. Earning big bucks at the age of 17 or 18 can’t be good for the development of a young sportsman, and it is important that the individual is managed very carefully. It is difficult to be critical of a teenage millionaire whose actions are often irresponsible and naive, because I can never be put into their shoes, but when you compare two talented young footballers who have approached success in very different ways, it cannot be argued which of the two is the better role model.
Lionel Messi is currently the world’s greatest footballer, and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch is highly commendable. He must constantly get reminded that he is the best, yet he still manages to appear modest and deflect any personal attention onto his team-mates. When asked about being nominated for the Ballon d’Or once again, he responded, “I would love to get it, but I believe the World Cup will have a big sway in the final decision. What I wish for most is for the Ballon d’Or to remain in our changing room.” Millions of kids will watch him play and hear him speak, and as a result will want to be like him. He realises his responsibility as a role model, and embraces it.
But a lot of footballers don’t appear to understand their importance in popular culture, or perhaps they do understand it, and choose to abuse their power. Manchester City’s new Italian striker Mario Balotelli recently claimed that the aforementioned Messi is the only player in the world to be superior to him. He also claimed to not know who Jack Wilshere was, after the Arsenal and England midfielder was named second to Balotelli as the best young player in Europe. His comments showed an incredible lack of respect, and they were completely unnecessary.
If his words weren’t enough, his actions have added to his reputation. His reaction to being subbed against West Ham was unbelievable, ignoring his manager and marching furiously down the tunnel. He has also been photographed clashing with team-mates in training, and is happy to criticise others during matches if they aren’t performing to his high standards.
His reputation as a “bad-boy” won’t help him; in fact, we have already seen an example this season of it possibly hindering him. In the match against West Brom, he was sent off somewhat harshly after a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu, which led to a three match ban. It was a decision that was possibly influenced by the image that the Italian has created for himself.
It is clear that Balotelli is a gifted footballer; he looks capable of being a top player, but he is nowhere near the finished article yet. His actions and words on and off the pitch are unacceptable and disrespectful, regardless of his ability. If you think you are that good, then show us, don’t tell us. I think it is really important that players understand the role that they play off the pitch. Kids look up to these guys; they buy stickers with their faces on them, and try to emulate them in everything they do. That’s worrying if they’re idolising certain individuals.
Perhaps I’m being harsh on Mario Balotelli for singling him out; he’s certainly not the sole offender, but he has absolutely no right to come out and say the things he’s said. As a footballer, he has the luxury of being able to say and do what he likes (to an extent), and a fine is hardly going to curb his attitude. It is down to those around him to guide and advise him to concentrate on his job, because one day, he might just be the best in the world at it.
There have been some wonderful sporting figures who have exuded confidence and charisma, to the extent that they can be accused of being arrogant. This self-assuredness can be communicated in two forms: through words, and through actions. The former is a more blatant expression of egotism; if you are in the public eye, your words are read and heard to be analysed and examined.
Different sports breed different levels of arrogance in it’s performers. Generally, this is down to the traditions and popularity of the sport, the intensity in which it is conducted, and of course, money. Compare football with cricket: two very different sports with very different types of athlete. Sportsmanship in cricket is traditionally very important, and arrogance is often frowned upon, whereas footballers can, relatively speaking, get away with murder.
In the fourth test of the Ashes, Australia captain Ricky Ponting was fined 40% of his match fee for arguing with umpire Aleem Dar about a decision to not give England’s Kevin Pietersen out. It is against the rules to “argue or enter into a prolonged discussion with the umpire about his decision”; rules and traditions are there to be followed and respected. But Ponting’s punishment was not so much the financial loss, but rather the shame of going against the traditional good will of the game. Cricketers should never be bad losers.
In contrast, footballers are always seen “discussing” incidents with the match officials, and very often the disagreements turn aggressive. Punishment for improper conduct is often a fine, and occasionally a ban, but this rarely prevents a similar incident happening the following week. Because of their salary, footballers have no need to worry about either the fine, or the potential “shame”. Rightly or wrongly, it is expected that they will react angrily about a decision going against them. Footballers have the freedom to do as they wish, and very often get away with just a slap on the wrist.
It is perhaps this freedom which allows many footballers to be as outspoken as they like; they consider themselves to be bigger than the sport they participate in. Earning big bucks at the age of 17 or 18 can’t be good for the development of a young sportsman, and it is important that the individual is managed very carefully. It is difficult to be critical of a teenage millionaire whose actions are often irresponsible and naive, because I can never be put into their shoes, but when you compare two talented young footballers who have approached success in very different ways, it cannot be argued which of the two is the better role model.
Lionel Messi is currently the world’s greatest footballer, and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch is highly commendable. He must constantly get reminded that he is the best, yet he still manages to appear modest and deflect any personal attention onto his team-mates. When asked about being nominated for the Ballon d’Or once again, he responded, “I would love to get it, but I believe the World Cup will have a big sway in the final decision. What I wish for most is for the Ballon d’Or to remain in our changing room.” Millions of kids will watch him play and hear him speak, and as a result will want to be like him. He realises his responsibility as a role model, and embraces it.
But a lot of footballers don’t appear to understand their importance in popular culture, or perhaps they do understand it, and choose to abuse their power. Manchester City’s new Italian striker Mario Balotelli recently claimed that the aforementioned Messi is the only player in the world to be superior to him. He also claimed to not know who Jack Wilshere was, after the Arsenal and England midfielder was named second to Balotelli as the best young player in Europe. His comments showed an incredible lack of respect, and they were completely unnecessary.
If his words weren’t enough, his actions have added to his reputation. His reaction to being subbed against West Ham was unbelievable, ignoring his manager and marching furiously down the tunnel. He has also been photographed clashing with team-mates in training, and is happy to criticise others during matches if they aren’t performing to his high standards.
His reputation as a “bad-boy” won’t help him; in fact, we have already seen an example this season of it possibly hindering him. In the match against West Brom, he was sent off somewhat harshly after a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu, which led to a three match ban. It was a decision that was possibly influenced by the image that the Italian has created for himself.
It is clear that Balotelli is a gifted footballer; he looks capable of being a top player, but he is nowhere near the finished article yet. His actions and words on and off the pitch are unacceptable and disrespectful, regardless of his ability. If you think you are that good, then show us, don’t tell us. I think it is really important that players understand the role that they play off the pitch. Kids look up to these guys; they buy stickers with their faces on them, and try to emulate them in everything they do. That’s worrying if they’re idolising certain individuals.
Perhaps I’m being harsh on Mario Balotelli for singling him out; he’s certainly not the sole offender, but he has absolutely no right to come out and say the things he’s said. As a footballer, he has the luxury of being able to say and do what he likes (to an extent), and a fine is hardly going to curb his attitude. It is down to those around him to guide and advise him to concentrate on his job, because one day, he might just be the best in the world at it.
Friday 14 January 2011
Brighton vs. Peterborough, Saturday 15th January 2010, Kick-off: 3pm
Build up to the game begins at 2pm on Sports Saturday with Ben Holt, followed by half time and full time reports, as well as regular updates from the Withdean and around the country - Juice 107.2, www.juicebrighton.com
The terrific FA Cup win against Pompey last weekend showed that Albion are capable of competing with Championship sides. Their reward for the 3-1 win is a trip to Vicarage Road in the 4th round, to face another Championship side; high flying, free scoring Watford.
But forget about that for now, it’s back to business in League One for the Seagulls, as Gus Poyet’s men look to continue their good run of form against fellow promotion hopefuls, Peterborough.
At the end of October, Albion secured the three points in the reverse fixture at London Road, with a convincing 3-0 win - Ashley Barnes with a birthday double, and Spanish full back Inigo Calderon completing an amazing October with his third goal of the month.
Halfway through January, and Albion still sit at the top of the table, but with other teams ready to pounce should they slip up. Nigel Adkin’s Southampton are looking the most likely to threaten Brighton’s three and a half month stay at the top - the Saints put six past Oldham on Tuesday night.
Whilst other clubs in League One (and elsewhere) continue to trade, sack and/or re-hire managers, it will be great for Albion fans that Gus Poyet seems to be staying put. One club caught up in the managerial merry-go-round is Saturday’s opponents, Peterborough, who have just named Darren Ferguson as manager, 14 months after leaving the club by mutual consent. Fergie Jr will be hoping for a better display than his predecessor Gary Johnson witnessed back in the autumn.
The Facts:
BRIGHTON
Unbeaten at home this season (7 wins in 11)
Scored 23, Conceded 8 at the Withdean
Since defeat at Huddersfield on December 11th, strikers Glenn Murray, Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and Fran Sandaza have contributed 11 goals in 4 matches.
PETERBOROUGH
Unbeaten in the league since the 4-1 defeat to Southampton on November 20th.
Lost half of their away games in the league.
Scored 13, Conceded 18 away from home
Top Goalscorers:
Craig Mackail-Smith (P’Boro) - 11 goals
Glenn Murray (Brighton) - 11 goals
Ashley Barnes (Brighton) - 9 goals
The terrific FA Cup win against Pompey last weekend showed that Albion are capable of competing with Championship sides. Their reward for the 3-1 win is a trip to Vicarage Road in the 4th round, to face another Championship side; high flying, free scoring Watford.
But forget about that for now, it’s back to business in League One for the Seagulls, as Gus Poyet’s men look to continue their good run of form against fellow promotion hopefuls, Peterborough.
At the end of October, Albion secured the three points in the reverse fixture at London Road, with a convincing 3-0 win - Ashley Barnes with a birthday double, and Spanish full back Inigo Calderon completing an amazing October with his third goal of the month.
Halfway through January, and Albion still sit at the top of the table, but with other teams ready to pounce should they slip up. Nigel Adkin’s Southampton are looking the most likely to threaten Brighton’s three and a half month stay at the top - the Saints put six past Oldham on Tuesday night.
Whilst other clubs in League One (and elsewhere) continue to trade, sack and/or re-hire managers, it will be great for Albion fans that Gus Poyet seems to be staying put. One club caught up in the managerial merry-go-round is Saturday’s opponents, Peterborough, who have just named Darren Ferguson as manager, 14 months after leaving the club by mutual consent. Fergie Jr will be hoping for a better display than his predecessor Gary Johnson witnessed back in the autumn.
The Facts:
BRIGHTON
Unbeaten at home this season (7 wins in 11)
Scored 23, Conceded 8 at the Withdean
Since defeat at Huddersfield on December 11th, strikers Glenn Murray, Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and Fran Sandaza have contributed 11 goals in 4 matches.
PETERBOROUGH
Unbeaten in the league since the 4-1 defeat to Southampton on November 20th.
Lost half of their away games in the league.
Scored 13, Conceded 18 away from home
Top Goalscorers:
Craig Mackail-Smith (P’Boro) - 11 goals
Glenn Murray (Brighton) - 11 goals
Ashley Barnes (Brighton) - 9 goals
Tuesday 11 January 2011
No Premiership players made the 2010 FIFA World Team of the Year - Luckily, I'd rather have the best league in the world
2010 was a bad year for English football; no English side reached the last four of the Champions league, our national team were embarrassed in South Africa, and the FIFA Team of the Year included no English or Premier League players. The 2009 team featured FIVE players from the Premiership: John Terry, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Steven Gerrard, and Fernando Torres. For 2010, FIFA picked the majority of the Barcelona team (six players), plus a small selection of talent from Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
FIFA/FIFPRO WORLD XI 2010: Casillas (Real Madrid), Maicon (Inter), Puyol (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter), Pique (Barcelona), Sneijder (Inter), Xavi (Barcelona), Iniesta (Barcelona), Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Messi (Barcelona), Villa (Barcelona).
It’s hardly surprising though that no Premiership players made it, and to be honest I can’t really argue with the choices. Rio Ferdinand complained on Twitter about his team-mate not getting included, “Where was Rooney after last seasons performances and goals?”. Unfortunately for Rooney, injury and poor form prevented him from getting a place in the dream team. And who from the Premiership deserved to get in the team? The usual suspects are Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Cesc Fabregas, but none of these players were injury free, and/or consistently excellent. Also, as can be seen from the final list, it helps if you play for a brilliant team. And no Premiership team were brilliant last year.
Messi won the FIFA Balon D’Or (the FIFA World Player of the Year and Balon D‘Or have merged) - and quite rightly. The only reason it was ever a doubt that he would win, was because he isn’t Spanish. But it’s not his fault his national team was managed by the debt-ridden, former cocaine addict El Diego. If Messi was part of the World Cup winning Spain side, he’d be a shoo-in for the prize. Not that Iniesta or Xavi were anything other than wonderful, but the effect that the little Argentinean has had on football makes him a deserved winner of anything.
I also think it’s good that a player who didn’t lift the World Cup has won it. Normally a World Cup winner gets the World Player of the Year title - even defender Fabio Cannavaro won it after captaining Italy to victory. I’d like to see a player from a smaller footballing nation win it one day; maybe a Gareth Bale or Samuel Eto’o (the Cameroon international won Bronze in the 2005 World Player of the Year). I suppose the extra exposure of performing for your country boosts your chances of winning, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see Wales or Cameroon make a big impact in a World Cup. Although the fact that Messi won the award, despite his country’s failures in South Africa, suggests if you’re good enough, your club form is what matters.
Back to the World Team of Year, and will any Premiership players make the grade in 2011? That depends on three things:
1) Can they stay fit all year?
2) Can they be consistently excellent all year?
3) Can their team achieve great things?
If an English team wins the Champions League, we’ll be guaranteed of at least a couple of Premiership players making the team. But I think Barcelona will win it (unless Jose can thwart their rivals), and I can’t imagine Messi, Xavi and Iniesta losing their place, whilst Ronaldo has now scored more goals than appearances for Real Madrid (48 in 47), which is insane.
So there’s not much room for the likes of Rooney, Drogba and Fabregas, and Torres isn’t doing too much to suggest he deserves a place in the Liverpool XI, never mind the World XI. Plus, he plays for Liverpool. Defensively, the centre back pairing at Manchester United will surely be strongly considered if they stay fit, whilst Ashley Cole is always a good bet. And can Gareth Bale improve on his 2010? If he does, he could sneak in.
The 2010 World Team of the Year suggests that the Premier League cannot boast to have the best players in the world. I don’t think our league lacks talent, it’s just the Spanish national side are quite possibly the best national team ever, and it so happens that most of their squad also play for Barcelona, who are quite possibly the best domestic team ever. Man United are currently the best team in England, but who in their midfield or attack would get into the Barcelona side? In my opinion, no-one.
But the Spanish league is a two-horse race, whilst this Premiership season is proving to be one of the most exciting ever, with five sides in the hunt. Nine points separate 1st placed United and 5th placed Chelsea. In La Liga, 13 points separate 1st placed Barcelona and 3rd place Villarreal. I prefer a league where there are no guarantees. Barcelona and Real Madrid have won 31 from a total of 36 league games between them. The two top sides in the Premiership, the Manchester clubs, have won just 24 from 42 league games between them. Expect the unexpected.
The Team of the Year is a good indicator of the best players in the world, but not the best league in the world; which is, without question, the Premier League.
FIFA/FIFPRO WORLD XI 2010: Casillas (Real Madrid), Maicon (Inter), Puyol (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter), Pique (Barcelona), Sneijder (Inter), Xavi (Barcelona), Iniesta (Barcelona), Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Messi (Barcelona), Villa (Barcelona).
It’s hardly surprising though that no Premiership players made it, and to be honest I can’t really argue with the choices. Rio Ferdinand complained on Twitter about his team-mate not getting included, “Where was Rooney after last seasons performances and goals?”. Unfortunately for Rooney, injury and poor form prevented him from getting a place in the dream team. And who from the Premiership deserved to get in the team? The usual suspects are Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Cesc Fabregas, but none of these players were injury free, and/or consistently excellent. Also, as can be seen from the final list, it helps if you play for a brilliant team. And no Premiership team were brilliant last year.
Messi won the FIFA Balon D’Or (the FIFA World Player of the Year and Balon D‘Or have merged) - and quite rightly. The only reason it was ever a doubt that he would win, was because he isn’t Spanish. But it’s not his fault his national team was managed by the debt-ridden, former cocaine addict El Diego. If Messi was part of the World Cup winning Spain side, he’d be a shoo-in for the prize. Not that Iniesta or Xavi were anything other than wonderful, but the effect that the little Argentinean has had on football makes him a deserved winner of anything.
I also think it’s good that a player who didn’t lift the World Cup has won it. Normally a World Cup winner gets the World Player of the Year title - even defender Fabio Cannavaro won it after captaining Italy to victory. I’d like to see a player from a smaller footballing nation win it one day; maybe a Gareth Bale or Samuel Eto’o (the Cameroon international won Bronze in the 2005 World Player of the Year). I suppose the extra exposure of performing for your country boosts your chances of winning, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see Wales or Cameroon make a big impact in a World Cup. Although the fact that Messi won the award, despite his country’s failures in South Africa, suggests if you’re good enough, your club form is what matters.
Back to the World Team of Year, and will any Premiership players make the grade in 2011? That depends on three things:
1) Can they stay fit all year?
2) Can they be consistently excellent all year?
3) Can their team achieve great things?
If an English team wins the Champions League, we’ll be guaranteed of at least a couple of Premiership players making the team. But I think Barcelona will win it (unless Jose can thwart their rivals), and I can’t imagine Messi, Xavi and Iniesta losing their place, whilst Ronaldo has now scored more goals than appearances for Real Madrid (48 in 47), which is insane.
So there’s not much room for the likes of Rooney, Drogba and Fabregas, and Torres isn’t doing too much to suggest he deserves a place in the Liverpool XI, never mind the World XI. Plus, he plays for Liverpool. Defensively, the centre back pairing at Manchester United will surely be strongly considered if they stay fit, whilst Ashley Cole is always a good bet. And can Gareth Bale improve on his 2010? If he does, he could sneak in.
The 2010 World Team of the Year suggests that the Premier League cannot boast to have the best players in the world. I don’t think our league lacks talent, it’s just the Spanish national side are quite possibly the best national team ever, and it so happens that most of their squad also play for Barcelona, who are quite possibly the best domestic team ever. Man United are currently the best team in England, but who in their midfield or attack would get into the Barcelona side? In my opinion, no-one.
But the Spanish league is a two-horse race, whilst this Premiership season is proving to be one of the most exciting ever, with five sides in the hunt. Nine points separate 1st placed United and 5th placed Chelsea. In La Liga, 13 points separate 1st placed Barcelona and 3rd place Villarreal. I prefer a league where there are no guarantees. Barcelona and Real Madrid have won 31 from a total of 36 league games between them. The two top sides in the Premiership, the Manchester clubs, have won just 24 from 42 league games between them. Expect the unexpected.
The Team of the Year is a good indicator of the best players in the world, but not the best league in the world; which is, without question, the Premier League.
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