Wednesday 22 February 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson's best eleven?

Listening to a fantastic interview with Sir Alex Ferguson on Radio 5 Live recently, it prompted me to come up with what I feel is Sir Alex Ferguson's best ever eleven during his time at Manchester United.

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel, 1991-1999, 292 appearances
Signed for just 530,000, Alex Ferguson once described him as the 'buy of the century' and I don't think that many will disagree with this statement. He is by far the best goalkeeper Man United have had in modern history and will go down as one of the greatest keepers to ever grace the game. His presence and influence in the penalty area is unrivalled and it took united 6 seasons to finally replace the big gloves that were left behind on his departure, surely there is no bigger compliment for a goalkeeper. 


Defender Left: Denis Irwin, 1990-2002, 368 appearances, goals
Without doubt the most underrated defender to ever play in the modern game and the best right-footed left-back ever. Fantastic free-kicks and penalties which gained the club numerous points over the years. Ahead of his time for a Premier League full-back and was always a constant threat down the left with Ryan Giggs. He had creativity, composure and was scarily consistent. His performances against Europe's best in the treble winning season ensure his reputation as a Manchester United great.  


Defender Right: Gary Neville, 1992-2011, 400 appearances, 5 goals
One word comes to mind for Gary Neville, reliable. He was without doubt one of United's most consistent performers for two decades at Old Trafford. In his prime he was always the first man on the team sheet for both club and country. Defensively sound, and never shyed away from his attacking duties, he was often further up the field than Beckham or Ronaldo and created numerous goals for the United forwards. 

Defender Centre: Jaap Stam, 79 appearances, 1 goal
Beats Gary Pallister and Rio Ferdinand on the basis that Ferguson admits that allowing him to leave in 2001 was one of the few mistakes he has made at Old Trafford. Admittedly he was only at the club for three seasons, but won the title in each of those seasons, in addition to the Champions League in 1999. Strong in the tackle, excellent reader of the game and had the much needed natural pace. 

Defender Centre: Nemanja Vidic, 2006-present, 167 appearances, 14 goals
Struggled when he first signed for the club but has gone on to be one of the worlds best defenders. He has the strength to match any opponent and is the talisman of the United defence. Any time he is not available United look very vulnerable to conceding goals. 

Midfielder Right: Christiano Ronaldo, 2003-2009, 292 appearances, 182 goals
Quite simply one of the best, if not the best, player to ever play for Manchester United. Signed from Sporting after a pre-season friendly as a winger with a bit of pace, and nurtured into the Premier Leagues best player in 2009. Ronaldo improved as a player every year he was at the club which culminated in the 42 goals he scored in the 2007-2008 European double winning season. In total Ronaldo scored 182 goals in 292 appearances which is an incredible achievement especially for someone who is technically a winger. He is without doubt the most exciting player Ferguson has ever signed at Old Trafford and the Premier Leagues loss was definitely La Liga's gain. Beckham would be the obvious choice for many and his efforts at the club deserve mention. But Ronaldo was crowned the world's best player during his time at the club. Just edges it. 

Midfielder Left: Ryan Giggs, 1991-present, 899 appearances, 162 goals
Legend. To have a career of 5 years at one club is becoming rare these days, to have a one club career spanning 21 years and counting is unheard of. But that is exactly what Ryan Giggs has got. An absolute phenomenon who has reinvented his game year after year to adapt to the modern game as he loses a yard of pace each season. However this has allowed him to stay at the top of his profession and still be as influential as ever. Giggs has changed from a flying winger, remember that goal against Arsenal, into a deep-lying play-maker, which has ensured he is still winning matches and displaying brilliance even in his 22nd year. United's all-time record appearance maker and the player who best defines the Ferguson era. A new contract at the age of 38 just backs his legendary status. 


Midfielder Centre: Paul Scholes, 1994-2011 & 2012-present, 471 appearances, 103 goals
Quite simply the best English player of his generation. Ferguson pulled him out of retirement less than a year after quitting which goes to show how much faith he has in him. A brilliant passer of the ball and, in his earlier days, a superb goalscorer when arriving late from midfield. Has always been a one-club man who will finish his career at Old Trafford, for a second time. His ability has been lauded by players so much that you have to take notice. He has rightly attained legendary status at Old Trafford. 

Midfielder Centre: Roy Keane, 444 appearances, 55 goals
A British record transfer fee when Fergie parted with 3.75million for the Irish-man, and he was undoubtedly worth it. An inspirational captain, Keane was the embodiment of the drive and desire that made United so successful under Sir Alex. He was always a fully committed player who delivered the finest ever individual performance in United's history in the Champions Leagye semi-final against Juventus when he was already suspended for the final and the club's treble dream looked to be all but over. Sums him up as a true team player and was dramatically missed when he departed the club. A figurehead and a player the team would rally behind time after time. To this day, captain fantastic has never been fully replaced. 


Forward: Eric Cantona, 1992-1997, 144 appearances, 64 goals
To Man United fans he was a legend, and I don't think many neutrals could disagree. There are very few players who have ever had an aura surround their every move on a football field quite like Eric Cantona. With his arrogant attitude and the turned up collar, he looked more like a star in a Clint Eastwood film than a footballer. His unrivalled skill and charisma were matched by his unpredictability, as shown when he walked off towards the Selhurst Park dressing room in 1995. Aside from this moment of madness Cantona led United's charge back to the top of English football. His 79 goals in 175 games may not be as good as the likes of RVN, but Fergie entrusted him to bring through his fledglings in the early to mid-nineties as he transformed United into the team they are today. 

Forward: Ruud Van Nistelrooy, 2001-2006, 220 appearances, 150 goals
150 goals in 220 appearances says it all really. Any striker with a goals to game ratio like this is going to go down as a club star. RVN is the definition of 'fox in the box' 149 of his 250 goals game inside the penalty area. Except for a barren spell in the 2004-2005 season, RVN had a natural instinct for where the goal was, something all world-class strikers are born with. Still the clubs record European goalscorer with 38 strikes, a record that will no doubt stand for many years to come. 


So there is my eleven. If I had to make a squad out of all the players that have played for Sir Alex Ferguson that would be it. There have been many other great players in his time in charge and that is why there is such a long substitute bench below.

Subs bench: Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Mark Hughes, David Beckham, Bryon Robson, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham, Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham, Steve Bruce. Paul Ince. Wayne Rooney.

It could go on!

Tuesday 21 February 2012

England back on form at the expense of Pakistan

After being blown away 3-0 in the Test match series, England turned the tide as they inflicted their own revenge whitewash on Pakistan in the limited overs arena. 


Being set an under-par target of 238 from 50 overs England got off to a stuttering start which was started by the early dismissal of captain Alastair cook for just 4 runs, before being reduced to 68-3 in the 16th over. However a solid century from Kevin Pieterson (130) ensured Pakistan went home without a victory on the board. 


Pakistan batted first on a wicket that should have produced a par score of at least 270. However disciplined bowling from England's attack restricted them to 237 in the final day-night game in the Dubai Stadium. 


Asad Shafiq top scored with 65 and useful knocks from Azhar Ali (58) and Misbah-ul-Haq (46) steered Pakistan to a below target 238 all out. England paceman Jade Dernbach finished with 4-45. 


Injury hit Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first a decision that was seen by many as correct. However constant wickets for England ensured that Pakistan were never going to set an imposing target. 


Experienced batsman Younis Kahn failed to recover after missing the third match and the left-handed opening batsman Imran Farhat was left out due to a groin strain picked up in Saturday's game. 


Paceman Junaid Khan, spinner Abdul Rehman and all-rounder Shoaib Malik were included in place of Farhat, Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema.


England were forced to leave out Ravi Bopara (sore back), Graeme Swann (calf) and opted to give Stuart Broad and James Anderson a rest, a decision made easier by the unassailable 3-0 lead England had going into the game. 


Their places were taken by Jos Butler, Jade Dernbach, Tim Bresnan and Danny Briggs.


The biggest positive from the game was the second successive century scored by Kevin Pieterson, the first coming in the previous game, his first since 2008. Also the pressured situation of already being four wickets down made the knock even more impressive. 


Also the introduction of Briggs and Jos Butler into the side showed that England do have strength in depth in the form of the game that they have always struggled. 


Becoming the number one Test side in the world was a massive achievement, to become the one-day international best team would be nothing short of a miracle. This series win is just the start of the marathon, but it should give this young England side the belief that they can win in the limited overs game, and if they install some consistency they can go on to become the best. 




Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Junaid Khan, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Umar Akmal, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Azhar Ali
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach,
Umpires: Kumara Dharmasena (SRI) and Zameer Haider (PAK)
Tv umpire: Simon Taufel (AUS)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Friday 17 February 2012

Referee Stuart Attwell removed from Premier League refs list

Football referee Stuart Attwell has been demoted from the select group of Premier League Match Officials (PGMO) after four years which have been dogged by controversy. 


For many top flight clubs and managers in the Premier League this decision by Mike Riley, Professional Game Match Officials Limited general manager, has come just short of four years too late. 


Attwell became the youngest referee to officiate in England's top division, when aged 25, he overlooked the game at Ewood Park between Blackburn and Hull in 2008 after just one year on the national list. 


So why has he been demoted? 


The above game finished without incident, but this can not be said for many other games that Attwell has been in charge of. 


High profile errors. 
1. He incorrectly awarded the 'beach ball' goal between Liverpool and Sunderland in 2010. 
2. December of last year he sent off then Bolton defender Gary Cahill for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, despite the foul taking place on the halfway line. This was overturned by the FA. 
3. He was accused of 'losing control' of a Derby/Nottingham Forest Derby in which he disallowed two Derby goals in the final stages, booked eight players, and sent off Nottingham Forests Lewis McGugan. 
4. He awarded Sunderland a free-kick inside their own half against Liverpool. A Sunderland defender knocked the ball back for his goalkeeper to take the kick, however Attwell ruled the play to be active, and allowed Torres to take the ball and score. 


And obviously he allowed the infamous ghost-goal at Reading back in 2008. 




I shall let you make your own minds up. 


Removing an official half way through the season could be deemed as harsh, however the high standards that the PGMO referees strive for in today's modern game, are not helped by such high-profile errors. 


Hopefully he will grasp the chance with both hands, gain the necessary experience, and should bounce back to become one of England's top officials as he was once tipped to be. 

Thursday 16 February 2012

Football referees, we do not do it to make friends

Every weekend up and down the country thousands of football matches are played, but just a fraction of these are played with a fully qualified official.

Official, referee; you may know them better as 'the bastard in the black,' or yellow, red, blue, or white across Europe these days. 

I'm one of those, one of those mad breeds that give up their Saturday afternoons, Sunday mornings and afternoons, and my Tuesday evenings as well.

Personally I settle for 'bastard in the black' because I've been called much worse.

The reason I write this blog is for something I heard in the past.

''Referee, is taking all the abuse not part of what you get paid for?' (Yes that was a serious question!)

This was asked by a man who must have been in his 60s, probably watching his grandchild play. I was shocked by this comment, and just gave a small smile in reply.

It made me wonder why I bother.

So why do I?

I guess its through my love and passion for the game that keeps me going.  (And knowing I'm going home with the players money, something I don't think they've all worked out yet.)

Also the fact of knowing that they will still be criticizing me in the pub that evening, but ill be too drunk on beer  (vodka and orange) actually, to give them a thought. (Obviously paid for with their money.)

Yes, I promise it is my love of the game that keeps be going.

On a more serious note, the reason I carry on going is the respect that 99 percent of players and spectators do give you, and games when it is hand-shakes all round, despite ending the game 10 v 10.

It is just a shame there's still a minority who continue to verbally and physically abuse referees.

I still remember my first game, I was like a rabbit in headlights. A lot of criticism, and it got me down. But 4 seasons, 300 games and 1 promotion later, I block it out, and worry about my performance not the players.

I just keep reminding myself I don't do it to make friends, and that I'm never wrong, I just saw it differently.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Best Test team in the world, I don't think so.

Flown in but spun out. The venue may have been a one-off but the performance and headlines that greeted the 3-0 whitewash by Pakistan could have been taken from the 80s and 90s. England's performance on the sub-continent was consistent once again, consistently poor.

From beating the Australians down-under for the first time in 24 years to retain The Ashes, to white-washing the Indians to become the number 1 Test team, England showed once again how they easily crumble under any extra pressure to prove they are the best.

To achieve the feat of being the number one team in any sport takes a lot of commitment, careful planning and the need to consistently turn out good performances. In Cricket it arguably takes longer than most other sports, from five-day Tests in a five match series, to numerous days of limited over matches which often make up a gruelling 2 or 3 month tour, it can become to take its toll on any squad. However under the guidance of coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss it seemed English cricket had finally struck gold on a balanced combination which with it came constant success.

In just under three weeks, the countries most successful sporting team went from being the cream of the crop to once again the laughing stocks of the country. England's performances showed that getting to number 1 is only half the battle. The other half, staying there, is going to need a monumental effort.

However on the sub-continent, as has happened many times, England were out-played in all areas of the game and were quite comfortably span out in a 3-0 whitewash.

The bowlers will walk out of the series with the heads held reasonably high as they once again proved that as a unit they are the best in the world, but the batsman will need to have a long and hard think about what went wrong. If the top 6 come out unchanged for England's next Test series then it will be an injustice to every English batsman there is.

So, just how did England's players actually perform.

Andrew Strauss (captain) - 150 runs at 25.00 - Bat 3/10 Captain 4/10

Contribution with the bat was poor. As an experienced opener he knows the importance of setting a platform for the whole innings and seeing off the new ball. But he failed in both respects but did save himself with a well-fought half-century in the final Test. As captain he was good but not his usual assertive self. Played two spinners in second and third test but only after learning from mistake in first test.

Alastair Cook - 159 runs at 26.50 - 4/10

Shown himself to be one of the best batsman in the world throughout 2011 and would have had high hopes of performing even better in 2012. However he let himself and the team down against Pakistan. A solid 94 in Abu Dhabi should have set up and England win but the team let him down. Overall not a good series and will be hoping to at least double his average by the end of the year.

Jonathan Trott - 161 runs at 26.83 - 3.5/10

The title of Mr Reliable may have disappeared after this series. Usually dependant to hold an innings together coming in at number 3, however he looked uncomfortable throughout the whole series and this is reflected in his average.

Kevin Pieterson - 67 runs at 11.16 - 2/10

Left-arm spin once again his undoing. England's star batsman failed to perform in every innings. An average of 11.16 at any level of the game is far from acceptable. Will be looking for better performances later in the year or his place will be under serious threat.

Ian Bell - 52 runs at 8.5 - 1.5/10

Not even a shadow of his usual self. Quite literally spun out of the game. Makes constant claims that he could become England's number 3, but after this performance he will be lucky to have a place in the England side when they travel to Sri-Lanka in March. Not knowing which way the ball is going to turn left him guessing from the first ball of his innings to the last.

Eoin Morgan - 82 runs at 13.66 - 2.5/10

Not staking a claim to become a consistent Test player. However coming in at 6 should be in a position to boost England's score with some quick fire runs. This wasn't the case as the top order consistently failed. Definitely a limited overs player. Will probably lose his place to Ravi Bopara for the Sri-Lanka series.

Matt Prior - 150 runs at 37.50 - 7/10

Kept wicket very tidily as always and showed why he is the best wicket keeper in the world. Had to come into bat in some horrible circumstances with the top 6 failing time and time again. Did make some useful knocks which once again shows he would be able to bat at 6 which leaves the option of playing 5 bowlers. England's batsman of the series but needs to turn more of his good knocks into match winning centuries.

Stuart Broad - 105 runs at 21.00, 13 wickets at 20.46 - 8/10

Definitely my man of the series for England. Pitches should not have helped him with the ball but bowled consistent line and length which made him look like he would take a wicket with every ball. Another forceful fifty which cements his role as England's all-rounder.

Graeme Swann - 105 runs at 17.50, 13 wickets at 25.07 - 6/10

Slightly disappointing series for Swann. Going to the sub-continent as the Test arenas number 1 spinner he would have liked more wickets on spin-friendly pitches. Stiff competition from Monty Panesar which will make him aware that he needs to up his game for the rest of 2012.

James Anderson - 54 runs at 10.80, 9 wickets at 27.66 - 6.5/10

Always going to be difficult for seam bowlers on flat pitches and this was no different for Anderson. Stuck to his usual game plan but despite the title of England's lead bowler he was out-bowled by Broad and Umar Gul throughout the series. However he was still as reliable as ever for his captain but would have liked a few more wickets.

Monty Panesar - 14 wickets at 21.57 - 7.5/10

Was finally given his chance back in the Test team and took it with both hands. Played extremely well and was very reliable whenever asked to bowl. Tied his end down for the skipper and took more wickets then any England bowler. Spin-friendly conditions but you still have to bowl consistently and aggressively to take wickets and he done this very well.

All in all changes need to be made in the England team for the up-coming series against Sri-Lanka in Sri-Lanka and the West Indies in England. The selectors need to show that they are not afraid to drop the likes of Kevin Pieterson and Ian Bell. Averages of 11.16 and 8.5 respectively are far from acceptable. Overall the bowling unit tried their hardest to keep England in the series but the batsman ruined the hard work time and times again.

Yes, England are still the number 1 Test side in the world, but only just. A quick and serious improvement is going to be needed to stay there.