Category: Football

Wow! We did not see that coming! Newcastle and Spurs losing means Liverpool are back in with a chance for a top 4 finish. At the bottom there is only 6 points between the bottom 9. All in all it is a surprising season. Newcastle did better than expected but have faltered of late, Brighton continue their good form and Brentford have exceeded expectations. Everton are the flops but not surprising as they have sold their best players after years of poor purchases. Fulham have also done well whilst WHU have slumped (they made no new purchases in the summer).

I love the way they play on the pitch and their manager. However if they have breeched the rules they should be demoted and not fined monopoly money! Other clubs must be treated similarly – Chelsea seem to have some dodgy practices, and I suspect others are also feeding their shredders! Is this an opportunity to demand that all clubs pass 10% of equity to a fan base and have a supporter based person on the board. No club should ever be in the position of having a single person in charge, or a foreign government.

£558 million outlay by Chelsea in the years transfer windows. Premiership spending is £815m in the January window. (Cost of living crisis?) Chelsea alone have spent more than the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Series A combined. Where does this leave the rest? Football is about competition between a league of clubs, not just a few. Will we be de facto limited to a European Cup that will consist of just 10 clubs?

Will clubs like Ajax and Benfica become academies for the rich ones? Like globalisation generally I believe it is getting out of hand. I accept that clubs with grounds attracting 60000 week in and week out should have more finance and be able to perform at the top level more regularly. However it seems to be getting ridiculous. Newcastle have hardly entered the race, having spent £183m in the last year, but have the capacity to do so much more. ManU are reportedly up for sale for a few £billion.

But football is a game of some equality. As a team game, it is not always the best team that wins. May the FA Cup live forever! But even here the wealth comes to the top! So the top of football will continue to be dominated by capitalism’s worst aspects. Lower down teams are hoping for crumbs from the Lords Tables. There is no chance now of a Wimbledon or Northampton rising through the ranks to make the Premiership. What player would would refuse £100 grand a week to continue playing for say Plymouth for say £10grand?

Football’s investment in facilities also needs looking at. It is not just a football thing, but a health thing. Boys and girls are playing football more and more

This season is one of the mist interesting for ages. ManC losing at ManU today leans it is close at the top, and if Spurs beat Arsenal it bunches up at the top. Everton and West Ham bottom! Notts Forest climbing. Wolves, Leicester.and Leeds in danger zone along with Bournemouth and Southampton. Lower down, Sunderland lose at home again to mid-table Swansea, Bristol City gain some points against Birmingham whilst Burnley and Sheffield United seem to have the top 2 spots assured with 10 point gap to Watford. Division 1 was to see Plymouth keep the gap at the top with a draw at Ipswich although Sheffield Wednesday cut the lead to 3, the top 3 slots would seem to be between these 3 whilst at the bottom Forest Green Rovers continue to battle at the very bottom. Another draw means they are 3 points from safety with MKDons, Morecambe, Burton, Accrington and Cambridge all fighting to avoid the drop.. Then Div2 where the top three dropped points whilst Colchester moved away from the drop zone. Chelmsford lost on penalties.

And My footie game is also very close with Adam and Aaron swapping the lead. I have been abysmal this week – next week I will shine!

Edson Arantes do Nascimento – RIP. As a footballer he is amongst the very best there has ever been, but he was more than that. He promoted football in Brazil instead of taking the riches offered elsewhere (yes I know he joined NY Cosmos at the end of his career, but that was to promote football in the USA). In genius he may have some who could get close – Maradonna, Cruyff, Messi, Ronaldo – but when we consider the state of the pitches, the weight of the ball, the absence of protection from referees (1966 World Cup springs to mind) no one is able to make a concerted claim to be the best ever other than Pele.

His longevity as a player, his 1200 goals, the number of moves he instigated, and then his work post playing, make him the undoubted Number One.

We have our first tasty quarter final sorted – Argentina against Netherlands. I am not sure who will win this – Argentina have Messi but the Netherlands could be the team without a real star. No team has shown consistency so far. Traditionally Brazil will be one to beat.

England again looked brilliant going forward but a bit dodgy at the back. But what a test they have coming up – France for whom Mbeppe has looked majestic and ready to take the throne of best player in the world from Messi (although Messi shows no sign of relinquishing the throne yet!). I have Croatia to beat Japan today and Brazil to beat South Korea (defeat for Brazil would be calamitous for them). Then Morocco-Spain and Portugal-Switzerland. Will this set up an Iberian quarter final?

Will we have an all European semi-finals? Or will it be Brazil and Argentina and Morocco with only one European side?

Gutted for Stirling and full praise for him returning home. But pleased that Rashford, Saka and Bellingham have stepped up to the mark – and Henderson.

What a brilliant performance by England. Rashford especially. They look very good on the attack against rather weak sides (Wales and Costa Rica) and we will see how they cope with stronger opposition. If they beat Senegal it is likely to be France. European sides have done well with only Belgium under performing, given that Germany are very likely to get through although if Spain lose 1-0 to Japan Germany would need to win by 7 (I think). Group C is close with Argentina and Mexico through if they both win, whilst Saudi Arabia and Poland will go through if they win – and other permutations available.Group D is Australia to go through with France unless they lose to Denmark.

It started off politely with Gary Lineker making a very sensible statement/broadcast/whatever about Qatar. But will be will be. Iran players then showed their bravery (footballers should not need to be brave in the FIFA World Cup) by refusing to sing the anthem. TBH not a big deal, I doubt any English players could sing the 2nd or 3rd verses – I could not! However these guys (is this a sexist word? Can I refer to girls as guys? – I think so, but may be I am not woke enough) risked possible horrific retribution on return to Iran. And the England tried to humiliate them – fortunately they got 2 goals back which may have stymied Englands World Cup progress (more later).

Back to football. It all started off very politely with referees being on the ball and tackles being largely fair. The second round has been much more combative! But the first round., Ecuador comfortably beat Qatar who frankly seem to be out of their depth. Netherlands beat Senegal with some difficulty, but easily by the end. England thrashed Iran with a free flowing attacking game, but the manager criticised the giving away of 2 goals. Personally, and not being an ultra-nationalist moron (I hope), I would be happy with 6-2 very week, or 4-3, 5-4, 5-1, etc. However Southgate may know better than me!!! (at least I fucking hope so!).

USA totally trounce Wales in first half and then it is reversed in the second. At least Wales should go home with a point (will I regret this comment). Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites go down to Saudi Arabia. In my view they were unlucky with3 offside ‘goals’ disallowed fairly but on fine margins – I expect them to go further. Mexico-Poland was a bore, as was Denmark-Tunisia. France looked good against Australia with Mpappe coming of age with more experience.

Spain started off the group of death with a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica who looked like a minnow in the ocean. Another surprise was Germany losing 2-1 to Japan. TBH Japan were not that good, or Germany that bad. We will see. Morocco-Croatia was easily missed and Belgium – Canada not a lit better. Belgium have and have had so many good players but have never gelled as a team at the height of the World Cup (like the great Netherlands teams of the past, and some English and Spanish and Argentinian ones). where was I, oh yes, Switz-Cameroon looked like good middle table premiership sides and Brazil did what they needed against Serbia. Lastly Uruguay did a normal 0-0 draw against South Korea who must be missing Son. Then Portugal squeak past against Ghana.

So the second round.Senegal prove to be too good for Qatar -n not that difficult TBH. Ecuador hold the Netherlands (are they a team with great players who are not a team)? It seems that the tackles on the pitch are becoming a little more feisty! Referees having to be more pro-active. Anyway Group 2 which should be a doddle for England became more difficult with a dull 0-0 draw. Southgate must be listening to the dullards in the press and hooligan terraces. With a squad of immense talent he plays the same 11 as against Costa Rica despite it being a completely different side, and the impact of the heat. Wales loss to Iran was of a team not really up to the standard required – they may raise themselves against the English though? Hennessy sending of was deserved!

Argentina came through against Mexico in an emotional match. Messi scored again in his swanson World Cup. Personally I do think they are that good but would not write them off. Poland could be a dark horse with Lewandowski one of the best strikers in the world? Interesting games to come. France are through carnets players which could be important in the desert heat (although north said about this?). Australia in pole position. Costa Rica made Germany’s progress easier if G beat Spain tonight. An interesting game as I think that Germany are not that bad and Spain have a very young squad lacking experience. I think the first 20 minutes will be vital. A Spain win will mean Germany might need to score a few against Costa Rica, not too difficult I believe.

Belgium have just lost to Morocco and have a difficult game against Croatia to come. All up for grabs here too! I think France are the only side through so far!

That is all for now. So far no team has won two in a row.