Football’s Game Of Chess……
……or, “Clowns At The Circus?”
The set up with the England national team has been a farce dating back as long as Don Revie doing a runner off to the Middle East, it has to be the worst and hardest job in world football, not only has the manager have to find a team of quality player which year on year is decreasing, but he has to navigate the minefield of incompetent FA bosses and the wrath of the brain dead British press, more world cup and European championships have been lost before the team has even left the shores of our septic isle.
He then has to try to get players working together who spend 90% of their playing careers being bread to hate other members of the squad, once past that basic introduction, next is working on a formula that they all might just understand, whilst some are brain washed to 4-4-3, others are 3-5-2 or even 3-1-5-2 or 4-5-1, or even any number combination you care to imagine, then there is wing backs, wide strikers over lapping, tracking back forwards and this is just scratching the surface……
Now for some miracle we can mostly get our act together and qualify for the finals of most tournaments, but then the age old historical problems start….. First and foremost I lay the blame at the feet of our wonderful agenda seeking press, they are more interested in the stinking dog turd than the winner of crufts, its like having a family member with tourettes going to church on Sunday, you just know its wrong and the family member will say something to spoil the day.
The past competitions have all been dismembered by the press prior to departure. 2010 – (Terry witch hunt causing dressing room conflict), 2008 – MaClarengate, 2006 – Sven gate, 2004 – defence lapses and the continued penalty farce, 2002 – world cup failure to beat a 10 man Brazil we could go on…. if we can just get past the self destruct mode of the press just for one moment, and allow the footballers to stuff it up later.
I’m not great fan of Capello, its been dire at time watching England labour its way through games, however the man has got us to the finals with the best win record of our national team, and he does show incredible loyalty to his players even if the spectacle is painful to watch. Only once in my life time since 1966 did I think we were the real deal and ripping up trees and that was with Venables in Euro 96…. blimey that’s 16 years ago!…..
Plus as strange as this might seem, The FA have willingly undermined Capello, in fact its a deliberate attempt to get the man out. There is not a manager in the game that finds it acceptable for the chairman or owners to start picking who is captain and who players or not, … honestly its part of the problem at Chelsea. The manager’s position is untenable, so in a strange sort of way, I’d love Capello to tell the FA to shove it where the sun don’t shine, the FA have no defence to a court case of meddling, and it would be nice to see some of those fools get their asses kicked in court.
However the silver lining…. Old Harry used his get out of jail free card and would unite the press behind him in taking over, at least the honeymoon period would end after the European finals, it would take away the single most biggest problem a self destructive press, I would also advise JT to walk away now as he will be made the scapegoat if anything went wrong in the finals which in fact they will do at some point. Terry should support the manager who has continued to support him, regardless he is the best man for the captains job (on the pitch) by a country mile.
Our failure is already pre-planned by booking our team in a different time zone to where we are playing our matches, it would be quicker to fly from the UK on the day of the game than to take the coach from the airport to the stadium…. well done Bernstein and you other clowns at the FA!
So it leaves the press creaming themselves over Redknapp, who will somewhere drop a clanger, the image of “Mike Basset, England Manager” appears like a vision, Tottenham either lose their manager or, split duties dilute their season and they limp over the line in 4th or 5th, this allows us to sneak in undeserving 3rd.
We have a little bit of a press sponsored jolly for a couple of weeks before the olympics and by mid August the whole farce is forgotten as we continue our transformation back to a half decent football team again.
However, if any manager in the future can get England to win a major competition, then a knighthood will be the least of the awards.
Personally, I favour a reincarnation of Moses parting the Red Sea being more likely.
Posted by Voltaire
Switched on the laptop and just found top story Capello resigns!
I got the story to you before the news broke….. bit of a guess maybe, but a calculated one. Capello is his own man and has nothing to prove, he’s secure, and Bernstein’s meddling is a clear breach of contract, be this right or wrong the FA have really shown themselves up as low class idiots again. Capello will walk away with his full salary and the FA a tarnished reputation internationally.
However, as I said last night its likely Redknapp will take over, as caretaker manager whilst still doing the Spurs job until the end of the season, the press will give him an easy ride and we will settled going into a major tournament for the first time since 1996. The pressure will be off manager and players.
So was Bernstein stupid?…… I honestly think this was a calculated move, Capello was going to leave anyway, he is unpopular and his support for JT has been admirable. Maybe there is dressing room unrest, and for sure the press were going to give Capello and the squad a really hard time, more so because JT would have gone to the finals. I think what got it started was the England hotel location in Poland, its hours away from the location of the matches, Capello knows that and he’s no fool. Its on the lines of Geoffry Howe’s attack on Thatcher years ago…. ” about Cricket and its impossible to score runs when your captain breaks your bat before going out to play”…. The press have murdered England’s chances before most recent tournaments and now they will be so pro the new manager and will big our team up under the title “Against all odds” siege mentality, it will create public support and get everyone behind the team…… clever move if you ask me!
Anyway, what happens next……. JT now really has to announce his international retirement, Capello has shown him great loyalty, and I expect that Bernstein was against Capello taking JT to the finals. Now if JT can clear his name after the finals, he will be able to muller all those who were against him. The new manager will be under pressure not to pick JT anyway, that will be part of Bernstein’s plan, to take JT to the finals after all this witch hunting, the press will just use it as an excuse of any failure. JT really has no where to go, he has to support the man who supported him.
Its all a very clever bit of Football Chess…. with Capello and JT being sacrificed for press and public support! At home the FA will be regarded well and get press support if Redknapp gets the job. Internationally and globally we are a laughing stock.
Now if Redknapp can take Spurs to 4th and AVB get his act together enough we can slip in to a undeserved 3rd….. its been a win- win situation. As per England in the finals….. we are not good enough, but have foundations for the future, Lampard will get his swan song at the finals.
Regards,
‘Voltaire’
So far its all going to plan, Bernstein has read the situation rather well. Its been widely considered by most in the UK as a smart move, with many doing the respectable thing of acknowledging Capello’s efforts, though there are some press and Garth Crooks who are alledged on the BBC website as giving the impression of complete tools, Crooks comments were a touch ungracious at best, thankfully no danger of him being a real football manager. Several ex-players got close to perfect, whilst respecting the out going Capello’s did make noises about its better to have a man from our septic isle running the team as he understands our culture better. In truth our press hated Capello, he was very hard work for a hack and considering Capello once said of our press ” why should I waste time talking to people who are clearly less intelligent than me”…… actually you have to respect the man for just those 15 words a right royal kick in the gonads and much over due. For sure the hacks were after blood from day one.
Many current players have been very diplomatic, some quite complementary, which is refreshing, Capello did nothing wrong and to be fair did partly drag England and the FA kicking and screaming into the real world of the 21st century abit a few years later than everyone else but better late than never as they say. However the odd blast from a disgruntled player in Ferdinand senior that it was good riddance, well considering Capello worked out Ferdinand had limited ability as a leader and composed defender was something he was not, rabbit caught in a cars headlights more like and maybe not so distinguished between the ears,( referring to missed drugs test, due to shopping trip and being banned for a few months) something that might be a family trait, maybe we shall see confirmed in July?
Capello deserves much admiration, mangers just don’t resign anymore, even crap ones hang on until the death and the falling of the axe. Capello stuck to his principals, regardless if you agree with them or not, he is a man that deserves respect on principals alone, nobody walks away from a £6m contract. Truth be told I doubt it cost him a penny, the FA would be hung up to dry on their inspired actions or dirty deeds depending on which way you look at it, so to be fair you could see Capello had had enough of the FA and England, and accepted an early holiday. To be fair you can’t blame him almost 400,000 left the UK last year, the majority being UK nationals!
Bernstein has commented that England are in good shape and in fine fettle for the European Championships… who left them in good shape one Mr Capello it seems, anyway the press as a rule have bought the cloak and dagger events hook line and sinker,(Alfred Hitchcock eat your heart out) its got the FA out of a hole, now allows them to bring in a code of conduct for players which is well over due for such high profile individuals representing their country, well 50 years ago it was not needed as most players had a moral code of conduct installed with them at home and school, something which appears lacking in the modern UK, but that’s a different story.
Capello has left with his reputation mostly repaired after the farce of the last world cup where the press torpedoed our chances before we left our island home. Ferdinand proved he was not captain material and Gerrard’s character is too timid for the global captains stage, he does well at Liverpool and inspires the Northern provincial team.
Of course Happy Harry already on a high for avoiding the wrath of HM Inland Revenue who’s high profile £6m gamble to gain at best a £200k wind fall ( worth a press investigation all of its own ) must think all his Christmas’s and Birthdays have come at once, what has the fella to lose? Its been put up for him on a silver platter, cock it up Harry Basset England manager style and its all the previous fella’s fault exiting stage left at the last moment, and anything better than exiting via the group stages is a major success, he will have free reign on who he chooses as captain, (excluding JT who is likely not going even to get in the squad, I’m sure part of Bernstein’s discussions with Capello) and a who ever he wants in the team.
I’ll give old Harry some credit, his self assessment of himself in court was a priceless gem, a dyslic, technology challenged half wit, but a great football manager. He is very likeable (twitch included) he does get the best out of his players, well to get Tottenham in the CL once was bordering on an epiphany. He is very well like by the press (major advantage, so no turnip back page headlines) and he holds respect of the vast majority of professionals past and present…… I’d give him a go for off the field entertainment value alone, by christ do we need some cheering up in the UK at the moment.
However The FA are doing the bleeding obvious ” We need to make up a list viable candidates” Oh yes of course another smoke an mirrors game, but hey fella’s your dealing with Levy now who can unwrap a sweet in his pocket. He’s going to make you beg to release Redknapp or short of £15m in compensation, after the season has finished might just do the trick. Harry I’m sure would manage England for nothing, but hes much to clever with money to do it for free!
Anyway so many football fans are so biased, and many tweets and posts have been priceless or is that worthless? posting idiotic comments against Capello, many fans boo England players because they come from team they don’t like English people won’t support England because the captain played for a team they don’t like, and he had carnal knowledge an ex team mates, ex girlfriend and upset the moral of the team and and and in the terms of a 11 year old so up set he can’t get his words out he’s racially abused another player!….. Can we wait until July for that conclusion or are we degenerating enough as a nation to to start burning witch’s again…. no wonder most of the world think we are completely barking mad.
Contentious points:
Garth Crooks comments are on the BBC website, and rather ungracious.
Capello’s comments on the press are quoted from Tom Fordyce BBC Blog
Ferdinand’s comments are on the BBC from this morning.(tweet)
Redknapp’s comments about himself are in the reports of the court ( he was much harder on himself than I suggested)
Voltaire