John Terry Retirement Fiasco

(Picture Credit: Wikimedia)

(Written 25\9\2012 in Yorkshire)

Top England defender John Terry has announced his retirement from our national football team. He says his position in the side is untenable because the FA are making him undergo a trial for allegedly making racist comments. Should this ever have happened?

England Manager Roy Hodgson is still serving his apprenticeship. Being currently short of defenders, he needs all the help he can get from his employers, the English FA. So what have they done? They have put former Captain and rock-solid defender John Terry on trial for alleged racial abuse of QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

Don’t expect an unbiased account on this from me. Nor would you get an objective view from the supporters of Spurs, Arsenal, Manchester United etc. –who all hate his guts. They claim that he is arrogant, selfish, immoral and God knows what. I don’t see this myself. If you want arrogance try Chelsea ex-player Didier Drogba. I loved Drogba for his swashbuckling style, but I’d hate to face him in a fight down a dark alley.

As for morality, that’s about Terry having an affair with a team-mate’s girlfriend. Of course, footballers are generally highly moral: just ask Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs!

John Terry is an icon

John Terry is a hero to most Chelsea and England fans. As an iconic figure he is not too far from David Beckham’s level. John is a fearless defender who leads by example. He is simply great. Sure, Terry is getting long in the tooth now, and is not blessed with much pace, but his reading of the game remains world-class.

I say this as a Leeds United supporter who only forgave Chelsea their lucky 1970 FA Cup Final win over us in the l990s or thereabouts. But I love Chelsea now because they are a top threat against “Them” – Manchester United!

Terry innocent by law

It has not escaped my notice that John Terry was cleared of racial abuse in July by an English court of Law. For the FA to pursue the case again is ludicrous. My paranoid side wonders whether Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand put his brother up to this so that he (Rio) could claim the England captaincy. But then I recall it was an off-duty policeman who lip-read Terry on video and reported the matter in the first place. To be fair, Anton did not seem too keen to pursue this. And Terry had black team-mate Ashley Cole in his corner throughout this whole fiasco.

Indeed when Anton refused to shake hands with John recently, Ashley blanked Anton. In a similar situation, Evra (Man U) did shake hands with Saurez (Liverpool) last weekend.  In my view handshakes all round should have settled both these disputes on the day of each match. After all, I’m sure I have to take it on the chin if called “White Trash”, “Limey” or whatever.

Will England miss John Terry? Why of course. Has Hodgson dashed to Rio for help? Course not.

Paul Butters

Tags:      John Terry, England football team, manager Roy Hodgson, racism in football, Chelsea, Ashley Cole, football rivalry, Anton Ferdinand

Champions League Begins

(Photo Credit - Google Images)

The group stage of The Champions League got under way this week. That’s when it really is “league play”. Here is my take on those opening salvoes.

Let’s get one thing straight. If you are a Manchester United fan then never expect anything supportive about “Them” from me. As a lifelong Leeds United supporter it is in my DNA to support any team that might beat them. That’s why I Love Chelsea and Manchester City these days. Arsenal and Liverpool too, but neither are doing so well in recent seasons. So don’t expect an unbiased account here.

This week most of our teams in the Champions League got disappointing results. The exceptions were Manchester United and Arsenal. All the pundits agreed they both played badly but won. United won 1-0 from an early Carrick goal against Turkish side Galatasaray.

But they were very lucky. Galatasaray had at least one stone-walled penalty turned down. They also hit the post and bar. On the other hand Nani missed a penalty for Manchester, prompting lengthy discussions about why Van Persie didn’t take it (answer unknown).

Manchester City, on the other hand, contrived to lead 2-1 at Real Madrid after 85 minutes only to go down 3-2. Ronaldo scored a last minute winner as those City defenders ducked under the ball! All that great defensive work wasted! Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by City.

Meanwhile Chelsea let slip a two goal lead against Juventus. Young Brazilian debutant Oscar bagged two goals, the second a beauty into the top corner. But then Chelsea seemed to switch off and concede straight away. The rest is history.

To be fair, Celtic got a solid 0-0 draw at home to Benfica. A win would have been welcome, but they were satisfied to have matched a class side. These are not the days of Celtic being 1967 Lisbon Lions I’m afraid. A point is a point.

Like Real Madrid, Barca had to come back from 2-1 down to beat Spartak Moscow 3-2. They didn’t leave it as late as Real, but inevitably it was Lionel Messi who bailed them out with a final brace of goals. The pundits had much to say about Barca needing at least one new central defender in their squad this season. Messi can only rescue them so many times.

I have to say that overall these groups are not very even in strength. To be honest I’ve never heard of at least one team in Manchester United’s easy group. Arsenal have a relatively easy mini-league too. “Unseeded” City, however, are in a “group of death” along with Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and of course Real. The rest are sort of “middling” groups at this level.  

Tonight it’s the turn of the much maligned “Europa League”. Please don’t ask me why it’s named after one of Jupiter’s big four moons. Anyway, Newcastle are away at Maritimo (Portugal), Liverpool are at “Young Boys” (Switzerland) and Spurs are at Home to Lazio (Italy). Good to see Newcastle playing in Europe again. Nuff Said. Out.

Paul Butters

PS Spurs were aggrieved to have three goals dodgily disallowed as they were held 0-0. Newcastle were also unlucky to be frustrated at 0-0. However, Liverpool won 5-3!

Premiership Fantasy League.

I'm in the Premiership Fantasy League for my second season now. We have a "Triond" mini league, which is fun. Am mid table with the Trionders. My current squad: Goalies: Vorm (Swansea), Howard (Everton\Reserve just now); Defenders: Kelly (Arsenal), Kompany (City), Bertrand and A Cole (Chelsea); Midfield: Yaya Toure (City - Vice Capt), Walters (Stoke), Sinclair (City); Forwards: Crouch (Stoke), Torres (Chelsea - Capt), Ba (Newcastle); Outfield Reserves - Hibbert (Everton), Etherington (Stoke), and Rosicky (Arsenal - currently injured badly). Not my best ever team but hey. Keeping to budget is so tough!

Don't Stop players challenging for ball

Just watched England draw 1-1 with Ukraine. Disappointing result but could have been much worse. What really annoyed me was that the referee gave so many free kicks and yellow cards against us for flailing arms. Indeed Gerrard ended up being sent off after being booked earlier for "use" of an arm. That's another thing, we can't Tackle any more! He took the damned ball FFS.

Can players go up to challenge for a ball without putting their arms wide for balance? Looks like they are going to have to find a way of doing so, or get penalised. Defoe scored a GREAT goal early doors but it was chalked off for an "arm offence"! Please referees, let us play.

Anyway, a point won rather than lost in the circumstances. Good old Frank saved us with another penalty. San Marino next, then a tough gig in Poland. Over and Out. Comments welcome.

2012-13 Early Season Report

(This posting was first published on Triond but I am using it to WELCOME you all to my new football blog. Enjoy.).

Last season ended with a bang: Manchester City winning the Premiership with two injury-time goals. But their rivals are plotting their downfall. Please read on.

The ending to last season’s English Premiership still takes some believing. Manchester City were 2-1 down to QPR after 91 minutes played. Then in the 92^nd minute Dzeko produced a bullet-header-equaliser from a corner. Surely too little too late.

As City attacked, QPR cleared their lines and Wright-Philips took the ball down QPR’s right wing. He lost it. City throw-in. Somehow the ball was worked into the centre of QPR’s 18 yard line. Balotelli had to stretch and just help the ball forward. Then Aguero pounced on it, dribbled neatly and scored!

Suddenly Aguero was running, waving his shirt over his head! I waited for that horrible offside decision or similar excuse to deny them. No, he was still running. “He’s done it!” I yelled to Mum (who was watching telly with me).

For the record former Arsenal player Paul Merson went berserk in the Sky Sports studio. He said there were, “Love bites and everything!” as the City players celebrated. 

Meanwhile Rooney, Ferguson and the rest of Manchester United stood bemused as the news reached them at Sunderland. Priceless.

But what now?

Since then, of course, Manchester United have signed the great Dutch striker Van Persie from Arsenal. He single handedly beat poor old Southampton with a late hat-trick the other day. A great signing. They also acquired the fine Japanese player Kagawa. Overall they've strengthened so much they could afford to get rid of Berbatov to Fulham. 

Berbatov got a raw deal there after being top scorer the year before last and dropped from favour like a block of stone.

Where does this put Rooney? Many months ago I wrote a joke blog saying Manchester United were letting him go! Well that blog might yet come true?

Incidentally there is much rumour about the wonderful Ronaldo being unhappy at Real Madrid. Plus of course further speculation that Man U manager Ferguson might be after him too. Just imagine Ronaldo and Van Persie together. Mouth-watering. Ferguson has also been linked with young Brazilian ace Neymar, but that has quietened down now.

Early doors

Anyhow, Manchester United have started this new season okay. They started with an opening defeat at the industrious Everton, but are back on track. City have made a similar start, being held at Liverpool. To be fair City have signed some decent players too, notably young midfielder Rodwell from Everton.

Chelsea

Chelsea of course lost Drogba to China at the end of last season. That makes Torres the main man, and at times he has scored well. I like the look of their young new Belgian signing Hazard. Aside: what with Hazard, Kompany, Fellaini, Vermaelen etc. Belgium must be a decent side! But yes, Chelsea are progressing nicely (if we forget their 4-1 humiliation in the Super Cup by Atletico Madrid). Bottom line is that Chelsea are top of the Premiership with three wins out of three.

The Rest

On the other hand both Spurs and Liverpool look in the doldrums. Liverpool’s board has apologised for not getting an adequate replacement for the outgoing target-man, Andy Carroll. Spurs have replaced their enigmatic manager Harry Redknapp with the frankly unsuccessful Chelsea-reject Andre Villas-Boas. Letting the influential player Modric go was not great either.

Nice to see that Swansea are still passing and doing well, in spite of last year’s manager Brendan Rogers going to Liverpool. On the other hand team that do look vulnerable (sorry Steve) are Aston Villa.      

In Spain

I mentioned European Super Cup Winners Atletico Madrid: well Barcelona are top of La Liga right now with three wins from three (like Chelsea). Barca’s big rivals Real Madrid have won 1, drawn 1, lost 1. Real did take the Spanish Super Cup from Barca, but for Barca I’d like to think that was a blip. Well done Spain in taking that Euro Crown during the summer months. Their 4-0 Final win over a skilful Italy was most emphatic. So too was England’s World Cup Qualification win over Moldova last Friday (5-0). But it’s back to league action this coming weekend. The plot thickens.

Paul Butters

Comments appreciated (below).