Alan Shearer's search for a remedy to the poison chalice that is the Managerial hot seat at Newcastle United, comes to a fruitless end, and with it the Magpies 16 year love affair with the Premier League.
Since their Promotion from the then Division 1, in 1993 Newcastle United have served up some priceless moments, such as Kevin Keegan's "I'd love it if we beat them rant" rant, Faustino Asprilla's rubber legs and his hattrick in the Champions League -yes Champions League! Its these kinds of moments over the years that have made Newcastle, many supporters, including myself, their second team. Being a Liverpool supporter, I will certainly miss the clashes with Newcastle, that so often produced a goal feast.
Despite all the sentimental values and moments of nostalgia from the past, at Villa Park today, and like so often over the course of the season, Newcastle fell woefully short of the standard needed to ply your trade in the Premier League, and what could be deemed an insult, even the Championship.
Watching the game, it was no surprise that Newcastle would end up being condemned to relegation, via a hugely unfortunate deflection that saw Damien Duff gifted with the misfortune of an own goal. When your battling away in the drop zone, bad luck has a tendency to follow you like a bad smell, literally rubbing your nose in it.
Quite how a club as large as Newcastle, that possess many experienced Premier League players even managed to get themselves embezzled in a relegation battle is astounding, and can only be attributed to the managerial merry go round that has seen no less than four managers at the helm of St James'. Of course, many questions will be posed to the commitment and desire of certain players at the club, but as we have seen in the past time and time again, managerial uncertainty so often fuels the descent, from previous lofty heights. I'm sure many Geordie's would disagree, but would Newcastle be in this predicament had they not fired Sam Allardyce? Allardyce may have been responsible for Newcastle's dismal start, but I think had he been given more time, he would have dug Newcastle out of trouble, albeit in the most ugly of agricultural fashions.
Prior to the anticipated mass exodus of players from St Jame's, as Newcastle begin to prepare for life in England's second tier, a decision will have to be made on the immediate and long term future of interim manager, Alan Shearer. His managerial career may have started with the unsightly stain of relegation being marked on his CV, but this could be a blessing in disguise for at least Shearer, if not Newcastle as a whole. Nobody wants to be relegated, but this will force Newcastle, if not only for financial reason, to restructure and rid some of the dead wood that has rotted in its old age.
Over the last year, more than fog has descended over Newcastle, and at times I would have rather have watched Gazza's one hit singing wonder, Fog on the Tyne, than some of the football Newcastle have offered. I hope for Newcastle sake, home town legend Alan Shearer is given a permanent contact at St James, where he can offer them some stability, before any temptations of a music career are explored.
Showing posts with label Aston Villa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aston Villa. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Monday, 6 April 2009
Who is Federico Macheda?
"Macheda sinks Brave Villa". That was all the Headline news I needed to read in my news feed, for me to quickly come to the realization, that Aston Villa had lost to United after apparently putting in a "brave" performance. Brave as it may have been, it was little consolation, falling woefully short of the motivation needed to open the article and delve for more information. The name Macheda, though it was not familiar to me, also didn't pique my interest, and I promptly started wasting time, aimlessly "checking" facebook.
At this point, with my mind preoccupied with Ferguson's mechanical ability to ensure the wheels have not fallen off the United wagon, I am greeted with instant messages from Jamie, enthusiastically demanding "did you see the game?"And irrationally stating, "this is game of the season and a 17 year old won it for united, the stuff dreams are made of!" I managed to resist reminding him that the game of the season had already occurred, happening just before the inconvenient International break when Liverpool thrashed United 4-1 at Old Trafford. The fact that I had not seen the United v Villa game, was a minor detail I was willing to overlook in my blissfully unbiased belief that the Liverpool game could not be bettered.
With my stubborn denial barely intact, after Jamie's barrage of instant messages, I received a phone call from another footballing Colleague in Jude, asking whether I had seen the game and the great goal that won it. Now, this may have just been a welcome distraction from the real purpose of the call which was arranging the collection of football kit left in my car over the weekend after consuming many victory beers on Friday evening, but two people singing the praises of this game, and in particular a talented teenager now had my full attention.
This led to the inevitable. "March Madness" was the marketing stroke of genius conceived by Setanta, offering free access to the Premier League for the month of March, knowing full well that it would take a strong will to resist signing up for the channel after the free access was cut, given that potentially one of the most exciting climax's of the Premier League was just around the corner.
I am that weak willed person unable to resist the mere $14 a month fee required to have channel 429 bare its presence on my screen again. And, after a short phone call to the man who has the power to feed my unhealthy addiction to Football, I was soon scrambling through the channels schedule, eagerly looking for when the game would be repeated.
Unfortunately the schedule did not show any sign of the game being repeated, so I was left to watch highlights online (see below). Highlights never really give a true feeling as to how good or bad a game was, which was the case with this game. All I will say is, the turn by Macheda, was gravity defying. Poor Curtis Davies, is left facing the opposite direction as Macheda swivels and curls in a fantastic strike. I'm left wondering what was better, the turn or the strike? Curtis Davies is left, still inside out.
Who is Federico Macheda? I have no idea. Its too early to answer that question, maybe he is a flash in the pan, maybe he is the next star to grace the Premier League. Time will tell, but what is certain is the international break has not halted the momentum of excitement the Premier League conclusion has fast become.
Manchester United v Aston Villa
At this point, with my mind preoccupied with Ferguson's mechanical ability to ensure the wheels have not fallen off the United wagon, I am greeted with instant messages from Jamie, enthusiastically demanding "did you see the game?"And irrationally stating, "this is game of the season and a 17 year old won it for united, the stuff dreams are made of!" I managed to resist reminding him that the game of the season had already occurred, happening just before the inconvenient International break when Liverpool thrashed United 4-1 at Old Trafford. The fact that I had not seen the United v Villa game, was a minor detail I was willing to overlook in my blissfully unbiased belief that the Liverpool game could not be bettered.
With my stubborn denial barely intact, after Jamie's barrage of instant messages, I received a phone call from another footballing Colleague in Jude, asking whether I had seen the game and the great goal that won it. Now, this may have just been a welcome distraction from the real purpose of the call which was arranging the collection of football kit left in my car over the weekend after consuming many victory beers on Friday evening, but two people singing the praises of this game, and in particular a talented teenager now had my full attention.
This led to the inevitable. "March Madness" was the marketing stroke of genius conceived by Setanta, offering free access to the Premier League for the month of March, knowing full well that it would take a strong will to resist signing up for the channel after the free access was cut, given that potentially one of the most exciting climax's of the Premier League was just around the corner.
I am that weak willed person unable to resist the mere $14 a month fee required to have channel 429 bare its presence on my screen again. And, after a short phone call to the man who has the power to feed my unhealthy addiction to Football, I was soon scrambling through the channels schedule, eagerly looking for when the game would be repeated.
Unfortunately the schedule did not show any sign of the game being repeated, so I was left to watch highlights online (see below). Highlights never really give a true feeling as to how good or bad a game was, which was the case with this game. All I will say is, the turn by Macheda, was gravity defying. Poor Curtis Davies, is left facing the opposite direction as Macheda swivels and curls in a fantastic strike. I'm left wondering what was better, the turn or the strike? Curtis Davies is left, still inside out.
Who is Federico Macheda? I have no idea. Its too early to answer that question, maybe he is a flash in the pan, maybe he is the next star to grace the Premier League. Time will tell, but what is certain is the international break has not halted the momentum of excitement the Premier League conclusion has fast become.
Manchester United v Aston Villa
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Villa Breaking the Mold
As exciting and popular as the Premier League is, recent years have seen a steady and consistent top four domination by Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. The strangle hold has raised arguments that however thrilling the Premier League has become, it is some what predictable, especially from the point of view of the neutral or "lower" league team.
Manchester City may have accelerated there ambitions with now limitless financial backing that puts them ahead of any team in the world, let alone in the Premier League, but its Aston Villa who look most likely to break in to the top 4 the earliest.
Martin O'Neill's has slowly built his Villa squad since leaving Celtic back in 2005. In comparison to the top 4 teams, and quite a few teams outside that elusive group, O'Neill's has spent more conservatively. At the time, when O'Neill bought Ashley Young from Watford for around 10 million pounds, it seemed like yet another over inflated price for a young, unproven English player. However, with O'Neill's patience, Young has slowly began to provide a return on that investment, and is knocking on the door of the England senior team.
The theme of young English players runs through the Villa side, with players such as Curtis Davies, Zak Knight, James Milner and Nigel Reo-Coker all bought for reasonable figures, are now ever present starters for O'Neill's team. In addition to the purchases of these players- and more, we have seen the emergence of Gabriel Agbonlahor. O'Neill's has nurtured, and more importantly given the opportunity to Agbonlahor to graduate from the youth setup which is now providing dividends, with Agbonlahor currently the clubs top goal scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals.
Not all of the players at Villa fit in to the defined specification of young and English. The squad has been balanced with experience and flare with the likes of Petrov, Friedel, Carew and Heskey. Emile Heskey may prove to be a bargain and will provide a great foil for Agbonlahor's pace. While Heskey has never really been a prolific goal scorer, he more than makes up for it with his physical presence which others feed off. Just ask hungry Amr Zaki at Wigan, who's goal scoring touch seems to have deserted him, since Heskeys departure, an unlikely coincidence.
O'Neill's shrewd dealings in the transfer market, and his sheer stubbornness to keep the highly influential Gareth Barry, has proven that it is possible to assemble a team that can finally challenge the top 4's monopoly, without having to rely on the loose purse strings of an Oil Tycoon. They may have American entrepreneur Randy Lerner instead, who is by no means shy of spending a few quid, but the purchases have been reasonable and strategic.
All Villa's concentration is now focused on pinching 4th spot, which was further exemplified by the reserve team that played in the Uefa cup defeat to CSKA Moscow. The policy to treat the Uefa cup like a inconvenience and not an opportunity of silverware, echo's the kind of arrogance demonstrated by the very managers who O'Neill is trying to rub shoulders with. And, rightly so. I'm sure a few die hard fans who made the trip to sunny Moscow will be disappointed, but the priority has to be on the Premiership.
Can they hold on? Arsenal are back on form and have the timely return of Eduardo and Walcott, to help selvage their season, as they try to restore order in the top 4 elite. I hope for O'Neill's sake, that the gamble in Moscow pays off, and Villa are not left out of the final Champions league spots, and not left to wonder what might have been in the Uefa cup.
Manchester City may have accelerated there ambitions with now limitless financial backing that puts them ahead of any team in the world, let alone in the Premier League, but its Aston Villa who look most likely to break in to the top 4 the earliest.
Martin O'Neill's has slowly built his Villa squad since leaving Celtic back in 2005. In comparison to the top 4 teams, and quite a few teams outside that elusive group, O'Neill's has spent more conservatively. At the time, when O'Neill bought Ashley Young from Watford for around 10 million pounds, it seemed like yet another over inflated price for a young, unproven English player. However, with O'Neill's patience, Young has slowly began to provide a return on that investment, and is knocking on the door of the England senior team.
The theme of young English players runs through the Villa side, with players such as Curtis Davies, Zak Knight, James Milner and Nigel Reo-Coker all bought for reasonable figures, are now ever present starters for O'Neill's team. In addition to the purchases of these players- and more, we have seen the emergence of Gabriel Agbonlahor. O'Neill's has nurtured, and more importantly given the opportunity to Agbonlahor to graduate from the youth setup which is now providing dividends, with Agbonlahor currently the clubs top goal scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals.
Not all of the players at Villa fit in to the defined specification of young and English. The squad has been balanced with experience and flare with the likes of Petrov, Friedel, Carew and Heskey. Emile Heskey may prove to be a bargain and will provide a great foil for Agbonlahor's pace. While Heskey has never really been a prolific goal scorer, he more than makes up for it with his physical presence which others feed off. Just ask hungry Amr Zaki at Wigan, who's goal scoring touch seems to have deserted him, since Heskeys departure, an unlikely coincidence.
O'Neill's shrewd dealings in the transfer market, and his sheer stubbornness to keep the highly influential Gareth Barry, has proven that it is possible to assemble a team that can finally challenge the top 4's monopoly, without having to rely on the loose purse strings of an Oil Tycoon. They may have American entrepreneur Randy Lerner instead, who is by no means shy of spending a few quid, but the purchases have been reasonable and strategic.
All Villa's concentration is now focused on pinching 4th spot, which was further exemplified by the reserve team that played in the Uefa cup defeat to CSKA Moscow. The policy to treat the Uefa cup like a inconvenience and not an opportunity of silverware, echo's the kind of arrogance demonstrated by the very managers who O'Neill is trying to rub shoulders with. And, rightly so. I'm sure a few die hard fans who made the trip to sunny Moscow will be disappointed, but the priority has to be on the Premiership.
Can they hold on? Arsenal are back on form and have the timely return of Eduardo and Walcott, to help selvage their season, as they try to restore order in the top 4 elite. I hope for O'Neill's sake, that the gamble in Moscow pays off, and Villa are not left out of the final Champions league spots, and not left to wonder what might have been in the Uefa cup.
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