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Newcastle Fan Wants Premier League Play-Offs
I watched the Superbowl last night, seems to have become a tradition I have somehow started, and couldn't help but remind of my opinion that the Premier League and all domestic leagues across Europe should adapt the play-off system to determine the national league champions at the end of the season.
Most football fans turn their nose up at this and say it wouldn't work or it wouldn't be fair on the team that finishes top and then may go on to lose.
But who cares?
The most exciting time of the rugby league season is the play-offs...the most exciting part of the Football League is the play-offs...the exciting part of the NFL is the play-offs ended with the 'greatest show on earth'!
If you really are the best team in your domestic league then prove it by beating all of your closest rivals in the play-offs.
The Champions League is a cup competition so anyone can drop out at any stage, but does anyone argue that the eventual winner are the best team in Europe for that season? Very, very rarely.
How many times have we all watched the Premier League season end in a damp squib as a team wins the league with 3/4 games to spare? It's horrible. The play-offs take this all away.
The team that finish first can receive a trophy to recognise the feat, just like in the Super League, so it won't be totally ignored. But then let's get down to business as the play-offs begin!
You could have the play-offs with the top eight teams in the league similar to that of the Super League (if you don't understand how those work, look it up).
What this does is give teams a chance of becoming champions even thought they don't have the financial muscle of a Man City or the catalogue of advantages Man Utd have. It would also make up for the fact the FA Cup is dead. Nobody cares about it as much as they used to. Sad but true. The showdown at Wembley has lost its spark, but to showdown between the two teams fighting it out for the championship...now that's exciting.
I'll give you an example, if Man Utd win the league this year, then us NUFC fans will look at that and say 'well we took four points of them and smashed them 3-0...so what does that make us?'...it's a legitimate question that could be answered if the teams faced off again (perhaps) in the play-offs. If this season were to go into the play-offs and NUFC were to beat MUFC in the final...who would say NUFC didn't deserve it? Could MUFC genuinely say they were the better team? I don't think so.
Unfortunately it will never happen, or it won't for VERY long time, but bring on the play-offs I say!...because if Man City win the league this season after spending a billion quid on players and with 3/4 games to spare, as a football fan, I find this so sad and boring, it almost brings me to tears.
Banister9 (Leeds Rhinos finished fifth in the league last year, yet won the Super League...and not many Rugby experts thought they didn't deserve it.)
Some Premier League Thoughts
When are other teams going to start seeing Newcastle as a big game and start upping their game accordingly, or has this already happened and Newcastle have just batted away the increased challenge? Does anyone, including rival supporters, genuinely not want to see them in the CL next season? Being in contention for fourth for months is one thing, but after looking like they were slipping a bit, restrengthening their challenge in Febuary is pretty serious. I just hope Spurs manage to keep clear of the battle for fourth.
To the sarcastic Gooner in this Sunday's mailbox who seemed to be mocking the idea that Arsenal are a one-man team - three goals and two key assists. The Ox won't save you if RVP leaves.
Say what you like about the penalties, United's play leading up to them on both occassions reminded me of their free-flowing best.
So Robbie Keane's prolific now. Good to know. First Defoe, then Crouch (I count taking decent shots with his feet as a massive improvement) and now Keane, is this becoming a habit?
Did anyone else notice Rooney suddenly giving the ball away a fair few times in the closing minutes right when United should have been piling the pressure on?
I know Dan T didn't want biased supporters answering, but I just want to say I see Modric as more of an all-round centre midfielder than the other two. He's more often back receiving the ball off the defenders, but he's still upping his game in front of goal, with recent matches seeing him lurking around the edge of the box with Scholes-esque menace. He makes things happen from the centre of the pitch, not just up front, and can play defensively much better than the other two. In fact I still see the highlight of Redknapp's Spurs career as masterminding the back-to-back 2-1 wins over Chelsea and Arsenal that put us into the Champions League, with Modric and Huddlestone both shielding the back four whilst conceding possession. So yeah, Modric for me.
Indie, North London
...1 - It is entirely clear to me that the majority of footballers do not watch other games. If they did, Ivanovic wouldn't make the EXACT SAME MISTAKE as Djourou did, giving Giggs all the time and space in the world to cross the ball.
2 - Hernandez is just a joy to watch. Outstanding awareness, and his movement was very similar to his goal against Cahill/Bolton earlier in the season. Stunning player.
3 - One for the tactics gurus, when a team is under the cosh (technical term), why why WHY do they opt to play so deep that pressure is just invited onto them? Chelsea did it yesterday, Arsenal did it against Fulham, and countless other examples. Seems madness to me.
4 - Interesting treatment of AVB by Geoff Shreeves and Sky in the post-match interview. I wonder if they would have dared to cut off Sir Fergie like that?
5 - Finally, a nice afternoon at the Emirates on Saturday to fully justify me forgetting my bin bag. Pleasure to watch players like The Ox. But I'm curious how many more mistakes Szczesny will make before being subjected to anything close to the barrage of criticism that befell his previous comrades. Beaten by a free-kick. Again. Beaten by first shot on goal. Again. Flat-footed. Again. Coming miles out of the goal to claim a cross and getting nowhere. Again.
Sandeep, London
Don't Let Draw Mask Problems
Let's be clear on several points after that game yesterday.
* Yes, it was a well-spirited fightback from a team reknowned for not giving up.
* Yes, the Welbeck penalty was a touch soft, not as soft as the Johnson one a day before mind, who clearly learned from Pires v Pompey in the Invincibles season.
* Yes, United could easily have had three or four penalties.
* Yes, Ivanovic ought to have seen red.
* Yes, Torres has become somewhat of a shambles.
The truth beyond this however, is that we were playing a very limited Chelsea side, missing their two best defenders, and who have struggled all season long for form. Yet again we are going to see the romance of the comeback overshadow yet ANOTHER defensive catastrophe...
* Jonny Evans simply isn't good enough to play for a side involved in European football. This was the player beaten for pace by Balotelli over four yards with a two-yard head start when he saw red against City earlier in the year.
* Rio Ferdinand has lost not only pace but seemingly all confidence. He routinely gives the ball to the opposition in a threatening area of the pitch with a lazy pass amongst the defenders game in, game out.
* Patrice Evra - ok - so the Suarez stuff has maybe affected him, but the guy is an asset going forward, but a disaster waiting to happen at the back. Almost everything against us comes from our left-back position. Shamed by Sturridge yesterday for the first. Giving the ball away for the free-kick for the Luiz goal, then stepping out by himself when the free-kick was taken. Nowhere to be seen to block Torres cross for the Mata goal. This after being caught playing statues for the Kuyt goal in the cup. I daren't mention Barcelona in the Champions League final, but again, he was the man at fault. It's time for Sir Alex to go shopping and bring in a new left back - preferably one who can defend.
In summary, we seem to have escaped Stamford Bridge with a sense of pride and our supporters for the most part are optimistic. I'm afraid I don't share that optimism. More so, the foreboding feeling that we are going to get a god awful slapping at White Hart Lane or The Etihad, or for that matter any other away ground we are yet to visit.
Sort the defence out Sir Alex!
Paddy, Craigavon
Defending Evra
Do any Utd fans have their own opinions on Evra, or do they all just love to go with the crowd? I've been a Utd supporter and football fan all my life and I've never seen a player who doesn't dip in form. Evra had a bad few months at the start of the season, but he is playing well these days. And apart from Sturridge passing him for the first goal, he did well on Sunday. It just seems to be fashionable these days to say that he is past it. Any United fans who aren't in danger of melting on a hot day (and that's a small percentage) will agree that Irwin also had rough patches, and just like Evra he came through it. Form is temporary, class is permanent.
Oh, and the same saying applies to Carrick, accept with the opposite result. Three avg. - good games in five years does not a good player make. He's not fit for the captain's no.16 shirt.
Lee (what's the point of Carrick?) Eire
Giggs Not The Ideal Teacher
Just a small thought for Silvio Dante.
A couple of years ago, my idol Giggsy couldn't provide a decent cross to save his life. He was running at full pace, tearing defences apart.
So to say that Evra needs to look him up to learn how to cross is ironic.
Rabih Nicolas
Sopme Chelsea Points
I'll get my Chelsea/Man U ramblings out of the way first.
1) If I'm ever very rich and decide to indulge in a bad taste mansion, I'm going to have a bronze statue of Juan Mata in the entrance hall. It's not weird. Unless I start talking to it, which I probably would.
2) My friend described the Evra/Sturridge penalty decision as 'forced contact'. What a great phrase.
3) I can't really hold my feelings in about Ashley Young in anymore. At Aston Villa, he would run the ball into the corner or play it off a defender so as to win a corner or throw-in: it was the kind of cynical percentage play that makes me want to spray deodorant into my eyes whilst holding a lighter to it. And now he's cemented his 'frequent diver' status. Well, Ashley, here's a little message from somebody who has been examining your play for a while now: I don't care if you have great crossing delivery or if you can 'bend one' from just outside the box: you're just another red-shirted try-hard, a one-trick cheat who isn't technically gifted enough. You're just effort and running - no wonder Fergie took you on, it fits with the run-as-fast-as-you-can counter attack plan, except with you Ashley it's 50-50 as to whether you'll pull it off or fall to ground, probably whilst spinning in mid-air looking at the referee. If next week Daniel Agger screams in your face/steps on your floor-bound pathetic wolf-crying body/holds his elbow out for your dog-chasing-a-rabbit face to run into then it will be utterly deserved. And the worst part? Young is still 147 times more effective than Florent Malouda.
Anyway onto interesting things. I am beginning to grow very tired of certain pundits singling out young centre-backs for over-the-top criticism, and in particular the old-boy network of Soccer Saturday. Specifically Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas keep laying into young centre-backs at the beginning of their Premier League careers, and have been doing it to the point of being dismissive of talented footballers. The players in question tend to be David Luiz and Stefan Savic, and the word they love to use is 'liability' when describing them: I simply cannot wait for these dinosaurs to eat their words in two seasons time when this evolving type of players (in particular Luiz) have solidified their reputations some of the best serious, ball-playing, footballing defensive players in world football.
My last point is a simple observation and criticism of the current state of punditry: Sky's Premier League analysis is now so obsessed with 'incident' and whether the game was exciting or not, that if you only watched the post-match stuff then you would have no idea if either team had played well/badly, if either manager had got it right/wrong tactically, or hear anything relating to the evolution or progress of either team from a football perspective. I honestly believe this growing obsession is designed to fuel headlines and the 606/ShoutSport nonsense: this simplification of football into attention grabbing headlines is a worrying and depressing trend.
Stu, Chiswick
I'd Take Modric
As a Manchester United fan, the one player I would prefer at United is Luka Modric.
The reason for this is because United's game is, and always has been, based on width and getting crosses into the box. Even though both Mata and Silva are arguable better players than what United currently have, it would be difficult to maintain the natural width with either of these players in the team. Both these players normally start from a wide position, but they are anything but typical wingers. This is why they both find so much space to create chances, defenders struggle to pick them up when they drift from the wing into central positions. Both players can play off a central striker, but this is where you will find Rooney, who is pretty much the jewel in the crown at United.
Modric, however, is the perfect type of player for United's style of play.
He can operate centrally as part of a two-man midfield and his main purpose would be to get the ball out to the wingers, which he could do with the greatest of ease. All of United's current crop of central midfielders are excellent at doing this and, despite their shortcomings, they contribute to United's style of play. Luka Modric would be able to do two things that the current United central midfielders cannot do. The first is being able to spot a through ball through compact defences in central areas. Currently, in the games when teams are dealing with United's crosses comfortably, no-one seems to be able to find a through ball in central areas (except maybe Giggs on a good day). Modric has the vision to spot gaps and the ability to thread the ball through them. The second, although hasn't actually been proven, I believe he would be able to control games (or at least give as good as he gets) in the games against the very best midfields. While United's midfield is comfortable again most midfields in England and Europe, they struggle against the very best, as has been shown in the games against Barcelona, Bayern Munich and, eh hem, Newcastle in recent years.
But any of the three would be more than welcome!
Kev The Clarke (Shearer-Esq cliche machine!) Skem
Very Little Sympathy For Pulis
So Tony Pulis wants action to be taken over the 'disease' that is an act of cheating against a fellow professional by pretending to be hurt. Which must somehow differ from cheating by instructing your players to put two arms around opposition players when defending corners and wrestle them to the ground, safe in the knowledge that penalties are extremely rare in these occasions. Or differ from stitching what is effectively a towel under a player's shirt to maximise a long throw, even though an actual towel would be against the rules. Or differ from teaching your players that it is appropriate to tackle by planting your studs halfway up someone's legs because they have a reputation for being a soft touch. Seriously, Pulis, have a word with yourself before moaning that a player got sent off when he probably shouldn't (Kaboul anyone?).
I find it offensive to the sport of football when I see someone rolling around on the floor when they've hardly been touched, and it's also embarrassing that a professional athlete apparently can't take the slightest amount of pain. I think there are areas of our sport which need solutions to improve the game, although finding these solutions will not be simple. But until these solutions are found, these things will continue to happen (although maybe if Stoke didn't have a well-deserved reputation for, let's say, being a little overenthusiastic, there might have been a different outcome), and we just get on with it.
That said, we've seen two instances of alleged racism recently, over 75 people be murdered at a match in Egypt, but simulating injury is a disease? Get your priorities straight.
Alex G, THFC (feel better after that)
What About Warnock's Assault?
Can someone explain why Warnock's knee-high, studs-up challenge, that came very close to breaking Ryan Taylor's leg, failed to merit a red card, an FA inquiry or any mention whatsoever on MOTD2?
Knobbling Best was accidental, but the challenge on Taylor was, at best, reckless endangerment and, at worst, downright deliberate. Oh, I forgot, Warnock is an English player and so will automatically escape any opprobrium from the media or sanction from the FA.
This game is now as close to beautiful as Susan Boyle.
Alex Swift, York Mag
Arsenal's Not-So-Magnificent XI
Arsenal are a profitable club but have some advantages in that respect. It does not follow to me that they are well run. Arsenal miss David Dein. Arsene doesn't get involved in transfer fee and contract negotiations and never has. Dein used to do all of this, I have no idea who does it now. Can't be Gazidis? Famously Dein's negotiation skills nearly killed Ashley Cole in a road traffic accident but he still convinced the player to sign a new contract (a reasonable 60k per week one at that) AFTER this betrayal. I have looked at the current squad and produced an Arsenal team sheet in an attacking 3-4-3 formation that is full of goals for sure.
Almunia, Gibbs, Squillaci, Djourou, Rosicky, Denilson, Diaby, Vela, Bendtner, Chamakh, Park.
Yes, all of these players were signed by Wenger but I imagine if their contracts had been negotiated by Dein they would be a hell of a lot easier to shift. I would not miss a single one of them. Anyway, given the current situation I've run some numbers here which I think are reasonable. I estimate that is about 600k per week or £30million a year in wages. I estimate there are potential transfer fees there totalling about £10million. However I would cancel the fees out because you would probably have to pay out about £10million to get some of them to leave (basically a wage subsidy/bribe to leave the club).
So the club would instantly free up that 600k per week/£30million per year. If you convert that to say £120million over four years you can now look at what that might buy directly. Just an example: Four players at £10million each = £40million, leaving £80million over four years for four players' salaries (£20m pa = £5m pa each = £95k per week each). This is just for replacing the players shown, it wouldn't affect any other existing funds or affect annual operating profits Arsenal have.
I haven't played Championship Manager in many years so thanks for indulgling my email version of the game. With the exception of Park and Vela, those players have all been basically first-choice XI for Arsenal at some point in their careers. I'm not sure any other clubs could boast such an XI...
Chance G
Capello Out Please
Wow, could be a bumper week for England fans if Capello really has breached his contract and with Terry (hopefully) now out of the picture. I know this is a view that won't be popular at F365 (where Capello = Good, Redknapp = Bad), but I genuinely believe that even if Redknapp was drafted in at the end of the season the England team would achieve more at the Euros than we would under Capello. I can't argue with Capello's dour efficiency in qualifiers, but surely the last World Cup showed how horrendously lacking in self-belief, team spirit and general camaraderie we were? Redknapp would engender that team spirit and general good feeling amongst the players, and no, we probably wouldn't make it past the quarters, but the football would be better and we'd all have more fun trying.
Come on FA, get your lawyers on the fine print and if there's a way to oust Capello then seize the day! To be honest, anything would be a welcome break to the utter soul-sapping predictability of the Capello reign...
Ian (one eyed partisan fan and proud of it) - wondering whether Smyth still categorises Luis Suarez alongside Nani and Ronaldo in terms of general despicability?
Captaincy: The Other Side Of The Coin
Thinking about Jonny Nich's question about England's obsession with lion-hearted players - I'm guessing this obsession has grown because there are occasionally performances where one man (usually the captain) single handedly drags their team through a game kicking and screaming to victory. While these games are few and far between the nature of them makes them stick in our memory. Think David Beckham against Greece in 2001 or Steven Gerrard in the 2005 CL final. Both busted a gut to get a result out of a game where their team had been bobbins in the first half.
While it may not be such a big deal in other countries, many still have this kind of player (in pretty much any position). For example Oliver Kahn in Germany's 2002 World Cup - getting his team to the final through sheet determination not to lose. Or Diego Maradonna getting a poor Argentina side to the 1990 final. If either of those players were English they would have been venerated as the lion-hearted leaders we so desperately love. I suspect that to the countries they led they were not just the man who shook hands and tossed a coin - they were the inspiration that got them so far.
Mike, League 2, BRFC
Blame Ledley's Knees
I can't help but feel that the blame for the fiasco around John Terry's England captaincy is misdirected. It's clear that the blame should lie with Ledley King and his brittle knees. If Ledley been able to stay fit throughout his career JT would have about 5 England caps, and the understudy to Rio and Ledley could hardly be considered for the captaincy.
Phil, Reading
Those Penalty Cliches
Damien (Staying on his feet since 1985) Hunter, I see your "There was contact!" and raise you "I've seen them given!"
George (Emoticons are creeping dangerously into F365) Murray , Edinburgh
