Monthly Archives: March 2013

Tottenham: Can Spurs maintain their top four place come the end of the season?

  By O-Posts Team | March 22, 2022 - 14:38 | , , , , ,
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Last season, Tottenham were very close to securing a Champions League spot after they were 13 points ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal at one point. You could sense the white side of North London hungry for a place in the UEFA Champions League. The 10 points gap between Tottenham and Arsenal increased after the high-flying Spurs trashed Newcastle 5-0 and from Harry Redknapp’s post-match conference, his side were all but ready to secure a Champions League spot.

Come February 26, 2022 and a dream North London derby win would’ve seen Tottenham stretch their 13 points gap to 16 points. The dream was alive when Louis Saha and Adebayor put Spurs 2-0 ahead at the Emirates in less than 20 minutes. However, an inspired Arsenal side came from behind to win the game 5-2.

From then on Spurs were doomed and were left licking their wounds after losing their healthy 13 points lead to Arsenal, missing out on Champions League qualification in the process. In my opinion it was totally unacceptable, especially when manager Harry Redknapp was fully confident of finishing above Arsenal and also winning the title at some point.

End of season and Harry Redknapp was replaced by former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas. It didn’t take long for him to make his mark with a historic victory against the mighty Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Come January and Gareth Bale was turning into some Ronaldo- type player, scoring goals from all angles and dragging Spurs out of the mud. The signing of Moussa Dembele also added some creativity and guile to the Spurs’ side, ably replacing Madrid-bound Lukas Modric.

That form sparked Spurs to secure a 4 point gap ahead of Arsenal, and a win against Arsenal in White Hart Lane would extend the points to 7. Goals from Lennon and the red-hot Gareth Bale was enough to secure that victory. A similar come back goal from big man Mertesacker proved useless for Arsenal, and Spurs were now 7 points ahead of Arsenal.

Bale and Dembele.... crucial to Spurs' top four chances.

Bale and Dembele…. crucial to Spurs’ top four chances.

A win against Fulham at home and Spurs would extend the gap to 10 points, while Arsenal had to play a difficult and organized Swansea side at home. Well, that was never to be the case as a drilled Arsenal side beat Swansea 2-0 courtesy of goals from Nacho Monreal and the Ivorian Gervinho.

It was all left to Tottenham to beat Fulham and maintain a healthy gap ahead of their North London rivals. In the twinkle of an eye, a second half goal from Berbatov was enough as Fulham sunk Spurs 1-0 to reduce the gap to four points. In the most abhorrent manner, AVB eyes grew like wild fire during the closing stages of the game. His post conference talk after the game was a bit shocking especially in the manner Spurs lost.  He said something about his “big stars being tired” and that he isn’t “too concerned (worried) about the loss to Fulham. ”

Giving away 13 points last season was horrendous and with the same event likely to happen again this season, especially with AVB clearly stating that he isn’t too concerned about the loss is worrying to say the least in the final weeks of the season.

With 9 games to go and 27 points to play for, I won’t write them off too early. They have had a fantastic season. It is never easy  to gain maximum points at Old Trafford and to beat Arsenal in the North London derby was encouraging as well so you can’t possibly take anything away from Spurs. They have worked very hard this season and they need to start getting back to winning ways as soon as possible.

A win in their next game after the international break should be a tricky test for Tottenham’s top four ambition, especially with an in-form Arsenal looking ready and loaded to rip apart a struggling Reading side next, along with a game in hand in mind as well.

If Tottenham fail to secure a Champions League spot, it could be disastrous one for the club. AVB might actually lose his job and their big stars, especially Bale, might opt to leave for bigger clubs with the promise of trophies and Champions League football.

A top 4 place is a must for Spurs. Anything less would be a major disappointment. They have all the ability and personnel to do so, but they must regain their rhythm before it’s too late.

 

Written by @femi4arsenal

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Borussia Dortmund: The Curious Case of Nuri Sahin

  By O-Posts Team | March 21, 2022 - 17:22 | , , , , , , ,
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Nuri-Sahin-Real-Madrid-5

Once regarded as the best talents to come out of Turkey and one of the best products of the Bundesliga, Nuri Sahin completed a move back to German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund - where he became one of the most sought-after rising talents in Europe - during the recent winter transfer window.

Nuri Sahin was regarded as the final piece in the jigsaw to fit alongside Xabi Alonso, along with fellow Bundesliga graduates Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira to break Barcelona’s stranglehold on the La Liga. Real Madrid had acquired the player in top form, with Sahin winning Bundesliga Player of the Year before jumping ship to the Spanish capital.

“Sahin is going to become one of the best midfielders around in Europe in the next few seasons,” German legend Paul Breitner said at the time. “He will fit in perfectly at the club.”

Sahin arrived at the Bernabeu with an injury and a difficult preseason followed in which he missed out on the competitive edge that is required to challenge for a regular place. By the time he was fit, Real Madrid in superb form , crushing and mauling opponents at relative ease. It was always difficult to get into the team where Sami and Xabi had cemented a place in the team and in Mourinho’s eyes. Sahin got the occasional game, some as a substitute and some as a starter in the Copa del Rey.

Although at the end of the season he picked up the La Liga winners medal, he had played ten games and scored one goal. Too little for a guy dubbed as the best player in the Bundesliga. Mourinho was convinced of his abilities, but finding a place for him in this side was difficult with Lassana Diarra and Esteban Granero ahead of him in the pecking order.

Sahin.... struggled to impose himself in the presence of top quality players like Ozil.

Sahin…. struggled to impose himself in the presence of top quality players like Ozil.

Come next summer, Nuri was packing his bags again, albeit on a loan move to Liverpool. A team which never really replaced the departure of Xabi Alonso, Nuri seemed like a perfect man for the job. After 12 average performances for the Anfield club, Nuri decided to take a pay cut and move back to the Die Borussen once again.

Some of his performances for Liverpool lived up to the hype that once surrounded his name. At the end of December it was quite clear that he was unhappy. In one of his interviews he stated, “I’ve played my whole career deeper, that’s my position. But I have played as a No 10 here. It was new for me but I’ve tried my best. If I could choose a position it would be holding, as I feel more comfortable playing deeper and can give my all.”

German newspaper Bild reported earlier that the player felt “betrayed” by the lack of fulfillment of Brendan Rodger’s promises, while the player’s relationship with Gerrard had deteriorated as well.

He had no choice but to cut short on the Merseyside adventure and return home to Dortmund, where he belongs, where Jurgen Klopp has faith in him, and where he will always be loved.

BVB will be glad to have their prodigal son back and will provide the opportunity to reignite his career before it ends drastically.

 

Written by Mihir Upadhye

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Michael Owen: Saying goodbye to football’s most irrelevant, relevant player

  By O-Posts Team | March 21, 2022 - 16:01 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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As eyes turned to England and their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers, up stepped Michael Owen, the national team’s forgotten man, to provide some colour to the mundane vacuum of news that usually come with international week. He had decided to retire at the end of the season, in news that struck the headlines, but only those that ran along the side of the main narrative as a distraction, rather than the main, eye-catching story it could have been.

The Owen that is retiring is no longer the force who became the last player from UK shores to win the Balon D’Or, or even the one that sits as England’s fourth highest goal-scorer on 40 strikes. Instead, he is almost a complete irrelevance, a 33 year old Stoke City reserve who has made just one start this season, in the FA Cup at Crystal Palace.

You have to trawl back 15 years ago for the most salient memory of Owen’s career, his World Cup goal against Argentina in Saint Etienne that encapsulated football’s ability to deliver majestic wonder and hinted at what a bright career laid in wait for the 18 year old. That career has yielded just one FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 1 UEFA Cup and a Premier League winner’s medal that almost feels stolen after making just 11 league appearances and 1 start in Manchester United’s successful campaign of 2010/2011.

That game at Sunderland in the October of 2010, in which he was taken off at half-time, was his last league start. England’s shining light of France ’98, Liverpool’s precociously talented academy graduate who hit 158 goals in 297 games for the Merseyside club between 1996 and 2004, has failed to pass with the achievement and celebration his early days deserved. Instead, he has been shuffled out of the back-door in a shadow of ignominy.

Sven Goran Eriksson described Owen as a “cold-killer” after his hat-trick demolished Germany in Munich in 2001 and he was indeed a machine, sweeping all before him with his 28 league goals heading into the World Cup of 2002 in Japan and Korea. In the quarter-finals against Brazil, he sprung away from Lucio and put England ahead with an example of the ruthless finishing that typified his art.

Yet, England bowed out on penalties, just like they did in the European Championships of 2 years later when he put them ahead early vs Portugal.

His was a devastating craft; pace and balance, arched predator-like on the shoulder of the defender to pounce away and make many a goalkeeper look helpless as he mercilessly stuck the ball past him. Yet he was so often embroiled by misfortune, the poster-boy perhaps, of the underwhelming era of England’s “golden generation”. Injuries gradually ebbed away at his talent to the point he was a pale shadow of the popular young striker that shared the hopes of a nation with David Beckham at the turn of the millennium.

Owen in his prime..... almost unstoppable.

Owen in his prime….. almost unstoppable.

In 2006, England again went out via the medium of penalties to Portugal in Germany, but Owen had departed before it, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a group game against Sweden. He was previously dogged by a troublesome hamstrings and ankle injuries, plus the metatarsal injury he suffered in the season leading up to the World Cup, but that twist of his knee proved pivotal, from that moment on he was never the same.

Newcastle received a total of £10 million in compensation from the FA for the injury that ruled him out until the following April, but hernia and thigh injuries followed. He made just 13 appearances in his first two years at Newcastle, as his time in the north east fizzled out with the expiration of his contract in their relegation year of 2009.

To illustrate his demise, his agents were forced to flog the player through a glossy brochure as his availability was met with a distinct lack of interest. Manchester United gambled and got 3 years out of him, but despite scoring a last minute winner in the Manchester derby, his time at Old Trafford was largely spent as a forgettable resident of the bench.

Owen last-gasp strike in the Manchester derby.... his final show-stopping moment.

Owen last-gasp strike in the Manchester derby…. his final show-stopping moment.

Fabio Capello had phased him out of England duty stalled on 89 caps and 40 goals, his last appearance coming in 2008 as the country found it easy to move away from the striker who promised so much, so young. Stoke gave him one last shot at the chance to go out on a high but that has also passed the 33 year old by, he has been restricted to just seven games at the Britannia as the stark realisation that his future no longer lies in the game, but with his family and his passion for horse-racing, has hit home.

The hat-trick against Germany, his status as Europe’s best player in 2001 and the goal against Argentina will live on, the South American website Ole hailed a “natural goal-scorer who worked wonders” in a eulogy that was unfortunately correct. Owen both scored goals and worked wonders but he didn’t do it for anywhere near long enough. The trouble is, when you don’t do it for long enough, memories fade, people move on and you’re left to go quietly and regretfully.

Goodbye Michael Owen, it should have been so different.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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AC Milan and the Balotelli Effect

  By O-Posts Team | March 20, 2022 - 17:05 | , ,
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Just 46 days into his career with the Rossoneri and the effect that Mario Balotelli has had on the club is clear.

Following his arrival in Italy, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said that the move for Balotelli was “a dream that has been realized [and] a transfer that everyone wanted; the club, the president and the fans.”

That dream got off to a fairytale start with Balotelli producing a match winning brace against Udinese, a win which lifted Milan above rivals Inter in the table at the time.

Balotelli scored in the next two games for AC Milan, including a stunning 30-yard free kick against Parma to maintain the Rossoneri’s resurgent push up the league. That strike at the San Siro proved enough to match Oliver Bierhoff’s record of four goals in three matches, but the Italy international has since kicked on.

Balotelli came off the bench to add to his tally with another goal against Genoa in only his fifth appearance for the club, whilst last weekend’s brace against Palermo took the controversial striker’s tally to seven goals in six games in Serie A.

Balotelli’s arrival has coincided with AC Milan’s unbeaten run in the league, which has seen five wins in just seven games, but the effect of ‘Super Mario’ has not been universally positive.

After hitting 15 goals prior to Balotelli’s arrival in January, Italian striker Stephan El Shaarawy has managed just one goal in the league since the controversial striker’s move from Manchester City.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy.... contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy…. contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

The ‘Pharaoh’ has lost his place at the pinnacle of the Rossoneri attack, with both Balotelli and Gianpaolo Pazzini now favoured ahead of El Shaarawy in the centre of the AC Milan attack.

The competition for places up front is something which Massimiliano Allegri will have to manage carefully, but Il Faraone will likely find himself more frequently positioned either side of a central striker, with the striker’s work rate and energy considerably higher than that of the enigmatic Balotelli.

With Mario Balotelli in the side, the Rossoneri have yet to look back and AC Milan’s hopes of a second place finish seem possible based on their form in 2013. Fixtures against Fiorentina, Napoli and Juventus next month make April a huge time of the year for the Rossoneri.

How Milan manage Balotelli over the next four years could prove crucial, especially given the striker’s unmanageability in the past, but should Balotelli mature in his ways and add a higher level of work rate and determination to his game, then the effect of Mario may be long felt at the San Siro.

 

Jonathan Day is a leading football analyst who specialises in European and Premier League football. Jonathan currently writes for Sportingly Better, a football betting blog that offers free football tips and betting predictions. Follow Sportingly Better on Twitter or add them on Facebook for all the latest betting tips.

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Malaga: Dortmund next up for the Los Boquerones

  By O-Posts Team | March 20, 2022 - 15:15 | , , , ,
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The modern day game of football does not present many happy tales. However, in the case of Malaga one side is attempting to buck the trend this season and present all observers with a positive outlook on the game.

Before even a ball was kicked this season the outlook seemed rather bleak for a side that would be competing in Europe’s elite competition. After a summer of financial turmoil that witnessed the departures of several key players the coming season did not present one of promise. However, with a couple of new additions to the rather beleaguered and wafer thin squad the club have confronted their adversity and succeeded thus far.

Having qualified through their initial Champions League group they were drawn against Porto where a two nil home win at La Rosaleda saw them successfully through to the quarter finals. They have now been drawn against Borussia Dortmund and will now face one of the outside contenders for a place in the semi finals.

Whilst Dortmund have struggled a little for consistency domestically this season their European campaign has been somewhat of a revelation so far. When the initial draw for the group phase was made, it seemed unlikely they would qualify after being paired with Ajax, Manchester City and Real Madrid but they surpassed all expectations and won the group. It was not that they were not regarded as a force but it was assumed that their inexperience in Europe could cost them.

However, with the talented young players they have at their disposal they have turned themselves into serious contenders for the Champions League crown and will prove to be a serious threat for Malaga. Boasting a squad consisting of Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus, to name but a few, they have some seriously talented players. The Spanish side will have to be extremely well organised in order to maintain a level of control over the opposition attack, whilst still managing to pose a threat themselves.

One of the key players in the tie will be Isco who Malaga will have to ensure is fit and available for both ties. It was he who scored the opener against Porto in the previous tie and his movement and technical ability will be pivotal in opening up the German side.

There are very few weakness in Dortmund’s side at present and some individual brilliance could go along way to deciding the tie. As they showed in the last round against Shakhtar, their form at the Westfalenstadion is imperious so they will need to ensure they win in Spain.

Considering some of the views before the season began it is remarkable just to be thinking about Malaga competing in the last eight of the Champions League. Now though, having got there, they will face possibly their toughest opponents thus far which will severely test them.

So far this season they have defied the odds and proved the critics wrong and why start backing against them now?

 

Written by Andy Hunter

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Barcelona: What does the future hold for the Blaugrana’s defence?

  By O-Posts Team | March 19, 2022 - 17:04 | , , ,
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It has been a year of foreboding for Barcelona, sitting comfortable at the summit of La Liga by a margin of 13 points as they close in on the title, while also looking ominously potent in the Champions League, yet the first season post-Pep Guardiola his hinted at some of the problems behind the shield of invulnerability that has characterised the all-conquering Catalan club over the trophy-laden recent years.

Whilst Lionel Messi has continued his habit of smashing records and the midfield trio of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta continue their unmovable devotion to the brand of “tiki-taka”, questions have been raised over a defence that has, on occasion, appeared worryingly shaky.

This has come with the 31 goals they have shipped in the league, with ten games remaining just four less than the highest amount conceded in Guardiola’s four-year reign. In the Copa Del Rey, Real Madrid ruthlessly disposed of them in the Nou Camp with cutting counter-attack while AC Milan leeched on such weakness to establish a 2-0 lead in their Champions League tie, before succumbing to Messi and co. in the second leg.

Even in that game in the Nou Camp, Milan had enough chances to see the job through but were undone by wastefulness in front of goal. However, as Jordi Alba sealed the 4-0 rout from his position of left-back, there was a feeling that his defensive partners would have to tighten up considerably if they are to reach their second Champions League final in three years.

The central defensive partnership of Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué, that has often been so solid for both club and country, has suddenly appeared insecure. Piqué, as many would point out, has usually relied on Puyol’s excellent reading of the game to bail him out from his eccentric positional sense. The latter, at the age of 34, has started just 12 times this season as ageing limbs begin to take effect, leaving Javier Mascherano being asked to play out of position alongside Pique who has a tendency to look weak without his experienced captain alongside him.

Pique and Puyol partnership.... shaky at best this season.

The Pique and Puyol partnership…. shaky at best this season.

Tito Vilanova signed Alex Song for 19 million euros and has fielded him at centre-half on a couple of occasions despite being deployed in his natural centre-midfield berth at Arsenal. Underneath that four, which continues two centre-backs and two stop-gaps, there appears to be nobody able to gain the trust of Vilanova.

The Catalans have been linked with summer moves for Thomas Vermaelen and Daniel Agger as well as Real Sociedad’s highly talented 21 year old Inigo Martinez, but it is a prevalent question why the answer hasn’t appeared from the conveyor belt of supreme talent of which their success has been founded, the talent chamber of La Masia.

Andreu Fontas and Marc Bartra have both been educated by Barcelona’s highly fertile coaching set-up and are waiting in the wings to possibly provide the same defensive security as Vermaelen and Agger without having to pay a considerable fee. However, despite the vast array of appearances they both made for Barca’s “B” side, they have made just 16 appearances combined since Fontas was handed his debut by Guardiola as an 18 year old on the opening day of 2009.

Fontas is now 23 and on loan at Mallorca in a quest to find regular football after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage last winter, but he has also found regular game time hard to come by on the island, making only 8 appearances as he plays back-up to Joao Victor. Bartra meanwhile has been handed 6 substitute appearances by Vilanova, but he hasn’t appeared at all since mid-November’s defeat of Real Zaragoza when a muscle injury ruled him out for 3 weeks.

Now, with Puyol out for up to 3 weeks after surgery on his knee, it is possibly time for the 22 year old Bartra to step up to prove he can be the heir to the captain’s position. Jordi Roura, Vilanova’s assistant and stand-in coach whilst the manager recovers from his illness, has indeed suggested he can, “he obviously has a bigger chance to play” he said, “we love his hard work”.

In the league, where Barcelona a marching to the championship with consummate ease with ten matches left, there is no better chance for Bartra to prove Vilanova’s judgement correct when he, according to Roura, made the decision to block a possible sale last summer.

The La Liga title will be hoovered up barring a miracle but, after experiencing a concerning degree of turbulence in their passage past Milan in the second round, the Champions League may elude them just like it did last year when Chelsea exposed their lack of pace on the break. With Piqué liable to struggle and Puyol hitting the injury-torn autumn of his fine career, there is little doubting the Catalans must renovate their back-line of the summer or risk a serious malaise.

Despite Fontas’s injury troubles and Bartra’s worrying lack of game-time considering he has remained perfectly fit over the past four months, there will be a hope that at least one of them can join the extraordinary company of La Masia graduates to step up to regularly play in the first team. Barcelona definitely need a new defender or two, but the question is whether they come from within.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Swansea City: Are we there yet?

  By O-Posts Team | March 19, 2022 - 15:10 | , , ,
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That dreaded line for any parent on a long journey, a question we can also ask ourselves as Swansea City supporters as we too are on quite a journey. My answer would be ‘nearly’ there, so where next for our club?

Before we look ahead, let’s rewind and appreciate recent points of our journey.

It has been well documented that we were rock bottom a decade ago, at least it was our rock bottom. Thankfully we didn’t suffer the ‘Luton’ or ‘Oxford’ both of whom a generation previously had reached their Wembley cup finals, both winners of a major cup. It’s a volatile game this football thing.

Neither club has recovered to reach similar heights after losing their league status but after so long in the conference it was nice to see Oxford promoted back to the Football League. That fateful day against Hull could have delivered an entirely different direction for our club and we danced with the devils of non league. Would we have returned?

I believe so, I have considered a few reasons why but thankfully we will never know the answer to that question, one thing for sure is that we wouldn’t be parading cups around our city on a bus full of internationals stars.

Size counts for nothing in this ruthless game, the worst teams fall through the trap door, we are a much bigger club than both Luton and Oxford, boasting far greater fan bases and population but comparisons can be drawn between the clubs. Seven hundred and fifty thousand people live within a forty-five minute drive of Swansea, that’s a huge catchment area.

More importantly, the hands of our club are in the safest set in the entire football pyramid, and have been since 2001, two years before our judgement day. Huw Jenkins and Martin Morgan in particular have built this club with their hands dirty and through their heart and soul, for the city and its supporters, not themselves.

The board in the winter of 2003 recognised two things that could be done to affect the journey and change the destination, bringing in players and fans. They did both by running several cheap ticket schemes that doubled the attendances from 3500 to 6000 and beyond, the extra revenue generated was reinvested in Martinez, Britton and Tate, amongst others. History and survival has been well documented since.

So, acknowledging the past will always have our board and long term supporters appreciate the present and future. Accepting where we are in the pecking order of football hierarchy can bring perspective to what we have achieved when planning the next steps. So many managers become victims of their own success with Nigel Adkins and Brian McDermott recent examples. Thankfully our board see the hill in front of them and have one eye, not two, on the mountain beyond it.

If this was ‘bet in play’ would we cash in now? Have we peaked? How far can we develop our club? Are we now considered a big club? Are we there yet?

We were promoted in style, also in hope not belief that Premier League could be retained. Belief has now turned into expectation, as I predict a minimum five year run at this level.

If there was a check list of items necessary to develop in this league, I believe we tick every box , we can now set our targets even higher beyond the hill and towards that mountain.

We remain debt free, profitable, focused on developing a young squad under long contracts, under a manager committed for the next season at least, our profile grows month on month and the board have the investment priorities in the right order.  It’s all about the Liberty, the team and new training facilities absorbing the cash surplus, what we can afford and pausing what we cannot.

League Cup triumph.... a major feat for the flying Swans.

League Cup triumph…. a major feat for the flying Swans.

There is not another club in the Premier League that ticks every box, this leaves us in an enviable position where we can prosper and become a ‘big club’, this has to be the goal. There is no actual definition of a big club but the most common factor considered is attendances, also there is often no correlation between population and attendances so it comes down to history. Clubs like Norwich, Sunderland, Ipswich, Wolves, Southampton and West Brom punch well above their weight but this is down to a prolonged time in the top flight.

A top flight stay breeds a generation of fans, it becomes a habit and one that we all know well. Most remain through relegation and tough times therefore securing greater revenue at lower levels and the probability of a promotion. This is in the minds of the Swansea board as they embark on the investment for stadium expansion, the interest is not the revenue as there is enough of that swilling around, it’s the bums on seats for the future of the club.

Adding to this the fact that ‘we’re all going on a European tour’, again the few million yield on this adventure is of secondary importance, the raised profile attracts both players and fans, embedding our proud name in the media every Thursday across Europe. Iron the banner Mrs J, me and the fella are off to Latvia.

So, are we there yet? I don’t think so, but we do need to understand where we sit in the order of things. We will not be competing for the Champions League, firing our manager for not winning the league, booing our players off the pitch for not winning five nil or chanting ‘sack the board’.

Let’s not forget our values as a club as we become more successful, our recent history is now our best history but I believe there is more to come, lots more. The first ever top flight south-Wales derby perhaps? Let’s hope not!  A serious crack at Europe, an FA Cup and a decade in the best league in the world sounds like a great destination for me.

But let’s not forget, ‘we are Swansea, and we know who we are’.

 

Written by Alec Johnson

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Rising Greek Star Banned For Life For Nazi Salute

  By O-Posts Team | March 18, 2022 - 20:08 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Professional football players celebrate their goals in a lot of unusual and sometimes distasteful ways. For Giorgos Katidis, who plays with the Greek club AEK Athens, his celebration included a Nazi salute.

This proved to be so distasteful for those who witnessed it that the midfielder was immediately banned for life from playing for the national team. Katidis made the salute after scoring the game-winning goal for AEK against Veria on March 16.

The incident took place in a Super League game at the famous Olympic Stadium in Athens and a video of it quickly went viral and spread around the world. While Katidis is just 20 years old, he’s a star with the national junior team and was expected to break into the senior national side in the near future. In his defense, Katidis said he didn’t know what the gesture meant and it was just done at the spur of the moment in celebration of his goal.

Katidis claimed that he hates fascism and didn’t realize what the salute meant and what he was doing. The football federation in Greece said that the player’s actions deeply insulted the millions of people who were affected by the brutality of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime in the 20th Century.

Ironically the day that Katidis made the unfortunate gesture was the very same day that Greece was marking the 70th anniversary of the start of deportation of Greek Jews to extermination camps which were operated by the Nazis during the Second World War.

Katidis changed his story slightly, or simply forget to mention it, but later on he said he made the salute because he was actually pointing to one of his injured AEK teammates who was sitting in the stadium’s stands. He claimed that he’s certainly not a racist and doesn’t have any strong political views.

He said if he knew the salute had any deep historical meaning that he never would have done it in a million years. Ewald Lienen, the manager of AEK Athens, stuck up for his players by saying that the youngster is guilty of being ignorant of the past and nothing more.

Lienen, who hails from Germany, said Katidis is just a young man who is out of his teenage years and doesn’t have any political ties or beliefs. He added that the player probably saw a Nazi salute on television or the internet and didn’t know that it symbolized hatred or anything else.

However, fans of the soccer club don’t necessarily the manager’s views and many of them are insisting that AEK gets rid of Katidis from the roster. It’s expected that officials of the club will get together in the next few days to decide what to do with Katidis.

Due to his age, it’s certainly possible that Katidis didn’t have a clue what the salute meant. The Nazi regime was decades ago now. If youngsters don’t learn about such things in school it’s entirely possible they could live their lives without knowing the historical meaning of certain things.

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Rangers Outside the SPL: The Story So Far

  By O-Posts Team | March 18, 2022 - 16:27 | , , , ,
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Growing up watching Rangers I was used to the club winning titles and being at the top level of Scottish football alongside Celtic. Only five years ago the club embarked on a wonderful run to the UEFA Cup final. However, those perceptions all changed last year when the club entered administration and then ultimately liquidation.

The financial meltdown that occurred meant that from season 2012-13 onwards the club would have to work their way back up through the divisions, starting in SFL Division Three. Players that had been heroes to fans such as Allan McGregor and Steven Naismith decided to walk away, while others such as Lee McCulloch and Lee Wallace were lauded for staying for the fight.

At the time of writing, Ally McCoist’s side sit 20 points clear at the top of Division Three and the title should be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks. In any normal season, this would be considered a success and it can’t be denied that the club have certainly achieved their first objective for this season. However, the journey has been far from plain sailing and many fans are now asking what direction the club is going in and whether McCoist is the right man for the job.

In truth, Rangers players have never looked comfortable in their new surroundings in Division Three. To a certain extent, fans were prepared to forgive early slip-ups on the road at Peterhead, Berwick and Annan as everyone got used to visiting these grounds.

However, the 1-0 defeat to Stirling Albion in October was a watershed moment, especially since it came only ten days after Rangers best performance of the season when they defeated Motherwell (who currently sit 2nd in the SPL) 2-0 in the League Cup at Ibrox. Fans were outraged that this away day hoodoo had still to be broken against part-time footballers, considering players such as Ian Black, Dean Shiels and David Templeton had been brought in from SPL teams on SPL wages.

The management at the club seem happy to promote a mantra of ‘just do enough to win each game’ rather than trying to implement a lasting footballing philosophy at the club. Young players such as Lewis MacLeod, Barrie McKay and Fraser Aird have impressed, but there has still been too much of a reliance on experienced players doing the job. Many fans including myself would be happy with a team made up completely of Murray Park graduates.

The home defeat to Annan last week was arguably the worst in Rangers history and following on from further draws in 2013 at Ibrox to Elgin and Montrose, fans were rightly angry at players losing to a team that only train twice a week. Compare Rangers to Gretna in Division Three in 2004/2005 and you start to see how poor Rangers have been. Gretna won 32 out of their 38 games, scoring 130 goals in the process. This is exactly what Rangers should have been doing but instead they have looked vulnerable just about every time they have taken to the pitch.

The news that Rangers main signing targets once their embargo is lifted in September are SPL players such as Jon Daly, Nicky Law and Cammy Bell hardly get fans overly excited. Younger players should be brought in to be developed for the top league and then sold on at a healthy profit.

There isn’t a Rangers fan out there that doesn’t want Ally McCoist to succeed as a manager considering his 355 goals as a player as well as becoming something of a statesman last year in ensuring the club was held together along with the fans. However, he does seem tactically naïve and has been soundly beaten by Inverness and Dundee United in the cup competitions as well as losing to Queen of the South at Ibrox in the lower league Ramsdens Cup.

McCoist.... fantastic player, not so much as a manager.

McCoist…. fantastic player, not so much as a manager.

Being brutally honest, I can count on one hand the number of great performances under McCoist during his time as manager since May 2011. It might be unfair to judge him until his hands are untied from the transfer embargo but arguably only Lee Wallace, Sone Aluko and Carlos Bocanegra have been successful signings that McCoist has made.

The league will be won but there are far bigger issues surrounding the club at the moment and the summer needs to be used very wisely. This time the club will have a pre-season and hopefully there will be a more positive style of play introduced for next season. If not, then McCoist could well be collecting a P45 and the club could soon be in a sense of limbo again.

 

Written by Ewan McQueen

Follow Ewan on Twitter @ewanmcqueen_91

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Adam’s Premier League Column: Aston Villa widen the gap in five-goal thriller

  By O-Posts Team | March 17, 2022 - 20:50 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Aston Villa 3 QPR 2

Aston Villa sent out a warning side to their fellow relegation-destined sides after coming out on top at Villa Park. However, they didn’t do it the easy way.

It was an end-to-end game- one that both teams could not afford to lose. It was Harry Redknapp’s rejuvenated QPR who took the lead though, this time through Jermaine Jenas, as he netted his second goal in as many games. That didn’t dampen the mood at Villa Park and, on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel Agbonlahor headed in Matthew Lowton’s in swinging cross.

I was impressed with Agbonlahor’s performance in this match actually. He was always looking at driving on, speeding up the play and making dangerous diagonal runs, which ultimately caused Rangers all sorts of problems. If he could do this week-in week-out, he could be Villa’s star-man. Although, his work-rate and approach can, at times, be questionable.

On 58 minutes, Andreas Weimann, who was been  a key part of Paul Lambert’s team,  converted a ferocious shot from the edge of the box to give Villa Park some newfound hope. However, QPR didn’t let that strike get the better of them and Andros Townsend, who scored a stunner in last weeks’ tie against Sunderland, levelled the scoring. His driving effort took the slightest of deflections off Ronald Vlaar’s boot to wrong-foot Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.

However, that wasn’t the end of the drama. Some terrific work by Weimann on the by-line enabled him to slot a pass into the path of the on-running Benteke, who coolly passed into the open net with all but ten minutes remaining.

A few weeks ago now I mentioned that I felt Queens Park Rangers had enough about them to survive in the Premier League, although I now simply feel that they have left themselves with too much to do. No doubt Aston Villa will take confidence from this vital win and, if they can keep up these levels of performances, they may just stay up.

 

Southampton 3 Liverpool 1

Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton supplied the goods as they stunned in-form Liverpool at St Marys. The Saints got off to the best possible start as after six minutes, Morgan Schneiderlin  steered home after he was played through by Jay Rodriquez. Rickie Lambert, who didn’t make Roy Hodgson’s England squad, doubled their lead, sending a message out to the England manager what he’s missing out on. His free-kick took a heavy deflection off of the Reds’ wall to fool Brad Jones in goal after thirty-three minutes.

Former Inter Milan playmaker Philippe Coutinho pulled one back for the visitors before the interval, calmly slotting home after being presented a rebound as a Daniel Sturridge effort was blocked.

The Saints put in a hardworking shift against a Liverpool side who have won four out of their last four games in all competitions. They were once again rewarded for their efforts as Steven Gerrard’s lapse in concentration in the centre of the park set-up the Saints for a counter-attack. Jay Rodriquez danced his way through the Liverpool defence, his initial shot saved by Jones; however the rebound fell kindly to the former Burnley man who then tucked away.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers said after the defeat:  “It certainly wasn’t how we have been playing in the past few weeks.

“We didn’t get going until it was 2-0 down. We conceded poor goals which has been unlike us and we are disappointed at that.”

 

Everton 2 Manchester City 0

The final game of this week’s column saw a depleted Man City side concede everything but the Premier League title.

The Blues, without influential players such as YayaTouré, Sergio Agϋero and Vincent Kompany, struggled to get a foothold of this match.

Everton, on the other hand, were superb. They pressed the ball and never gave City a moment on the ball which evidently presented the Toffees with some wonderful opportunities. Their first goal was courtesy of Leon Osman. It was a delightful strike from distance which gave custodian Joe Hart no chance behind the sticks. City then had a couple of chances, although Carlos Tevez and co. couldn’t take advantage.

Everton were reduced to ten-men early in the second-half as Steven Pienaar picked up a second-booking for a lunge on Man City midfielder Javi Garcia. That didn’t phase the home-side and, in second-half stoppage time, Nikica Jelavic converting an impressive counter-attacking move.

That means that City now sit fifteen points behind leaders Manchester United, after they saw off Reading at Old Trafford. It’s now all but over.

 

My Team of the Week

 

Written by Adam May

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