Bruce takes a moment, Rafa hits back, Players take blame and Austrians revolt
Steve Bruce was caught looking misty-eyed at the Birmingham City training ground this week as he prepared for an emotional reunion with his former charges Man Utd. Despite the tensions which surround the build up to an important league fixture such as playing the reigning league champions, Bruce was happily discussing old times with the fondness of a parent or old relative looking through a photo album, ‘At Man Utd we used to go in and have cups of milky coffee and there were dressing gowns, nice flip flops and heated floors.’ the former stopper sighed. Nice imagery Brucie, although Old Trafford sounded more like an old people’s home than the domain of the undisputed force of the 1990s. Bruce was attempting to draw a comparison as to how Birmingham City have improved and grown as a club since he first left Utd and joined the Brum as a player, and in fairness he did have a point, if laboured, to his trip down memory lane. He described training at St Andrews, ‘Before training we had to go and get rid of the geese. There was goose shit everywhere – and they shit like dogs, by the way. And you can’t chase them either, they are vicious bastards’. I think that it’s great to occasionally hear from Premier League managers, such as Bruce, something that is genuinely interesting, not pre-planned and that they actually want to say. I must applaud Bruce for this gem of an interview, and he continued in Ron Manager-like vein, ‘as far the training kit, I can remember Ricky Otto trained in a t-shirt that said “I’ve been to Benidorm” on the front “and I’ve shagged most of it” on the back.’ Top class stuff from Steve Bruce, I only hope he keeps Birmingham up so we can enjoy another seasonal sprinkling of locker room laughs.
If, not so long ago you thought our own national team was in dire straits (thank god for Micah Richards by the way), spare a brief thought for the Austrian national side. Despite qualifying automatically for Euro 2008 as co-hosts, fans in the homeland are petitioning for their country to be thrown out of the championships in a protest about their terrible performances on the pitch. Fans are convinced the national team will embarrass the nation at the tournament and cause them to be the laughing stock of Europe such is the team’s poor run of form. Maybe Steve McClaren can give them some fail safe advice, ‘trust in the oldies’. It worked for him with Emile, so maybe Austria coach Josef Hickersberger can track down the similarly heavyweight plunderer Toni Polster to give the team a boost. The only way is back!
You may have noticed a recent article on this site about the rotation system in place at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez, where I was critical of the goateed Spaniard’s insistence on keeping record signing Fernando Torres ‘fresh’ (i.e. on the bench). Rafa has been riled by all the attention his recently failing rotation policies have been getting in the media of late and came out fighting his corner this week, ‘If you say to me that I would have had to play Torres to be capable of beating Birmingham, then I’d say we couldn’t win the league. We didn’t win because Torres wasn’t playing, but because too many players did not perform at their level.’ A staunch defence indeed and Rafa will also point to his trophy-collecting successes at Valencia and during his time at Liverpool as a consequence of rotating squads. No doubt this is true, although, for all the memorable one-off nights in the cups, what Liverpool fans really desire is a league title. They last won the league back in 1990 and for many, visibly Alan Hansen, it is too long for a club of their stature. Steven Gerrard was probably caught in the cross-fire of divided loyalties with his manager and fans when he stated this week, ‘I don’t want to get involved in Rafa’s team selection, but I think any centre-forward who scores a hat-trick (as Torres did against Reading on Tuesday) really should be played in the next game because his confidence is so high.’ As is typical of the nature of football, Rafa was left perplexed at the weekend when Torres drew a blank and Liverpool only narrowly managed to beat Wigan 1-0. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t Rafa. So will Torres start next week? Watch this space…
Lastly, a refreshingly rare case of self-deprecation and tough criticism was both commendably and bravely displayed by a Premiership footballer this week as a player rightly held up his hands to a woeful display for his club. Modern day football is a profession swamped by ludicrous egos, where there is a general reluctance to accept blame when things go wrong at the expense of anything but themselves (referees, weather conditions, new balls, etc.). It came as a great pleasure and surprise then when Aston Villa’s new £10million defender Curtis Davies conceded, ‘You’re only as good as your last game – and my last game was that which doesn’t merit a pub game for me.’, following his contribution to the club’s Carling Cup third round exit at the hands of Leicester City. Villa fans will take heart from this admission, as it speaks volumes of Davies’ resilience, if not his present capabilities. My view is that Davies should be patted on the back for his honesty, while fellow professionals should also be taking note of his approach as it is something missing from the modern game. In an age where run of the mill Premiership players are earning £30,000+ I think this entitles us fans to the odd apology.
Monday 1 October 2007
Tradition calls for an England Number 9
We were all surprised by Emile Heskey’s bizarre return from the international football wilderness last month and happily so when he more than helped England to wins in the vital Euro qualifiers against Israel and Russia. However, many would agree that this is simply not a viable or forward thinking long term venture. Heskey may have an impact on mediocre teams such as Israel but at the top end of international football you need to have more quality and consistency (Heskey has just 5 goals in 45 caps). Indeed McClaren’s hand may now be forced to look for alternative solutions now that the man they call ‘Bruno’ has broken the infamous metertarsal. An answer is rapidly engulfing the horizon though, in the imposing form of Dean Ashton. The West Ham striker’s return to form, fitness and first class goals has re-ignited excitement and optimism that England may finally have a natural successor to Alan Shearer.
Ashton is a big favourite at West Ham, despite his relative lack of appearances for the club since his move from Norwich City in January 2006. His appreciation by the Hammers faithful is down to his undeniable talent, work rate for the team and the way that he makes himself the central component of all the team’s attacking moves. It is not so much that Ashton is greedy and demands the ball, but his side inevitably play through him because he rarely gives the ball away, can hold off defenders and creates as many chances for the team as for him self. He is a big lad and uses his frame very well to hold up the ball and is also dangerous in the air. His touch is one of the stronger aspects of his game and is a rare quality for a player of his size. Having Teddy Sheringham around the club when he signed for the Hammers must have rubbed off from him, as Ashton has a great football brain and awareness of whose around, which enables him to pick clever first-time passes into dangerous areas (combinations with Freddi Ljungberg are already bearing fruit). He likes to put power into his shots and has scored several goals from outside the box as well as the obligatory tap in.
These attributes and style of play Dean Ashton possesses are reminiscent of the England stalwart Alan Shearer and, injuries permitting, he may go on to have a successful career at the top level. A dominant, physical presence upfront is what England has been lacking ever since Shearer’s retirement and it is a ploy which has long been a successful aspect of England side’s historically. Ashton did once make an England squad, during the build up to World Cup 2006 and the tournament may have turned out differently had the powerful forward been available. As it was, Ashton was to be the victim of a cruel fate, breaking his ankle in an innocuous training ground tackle at the hands of the impish Shaun Wright-Phillips, ‘I was crying uncontrollably once I was off the pitch and into the dressing rooms because I knew it was long-term. I’ve missed the chance to play for England’. Instead England went to the World Cup that year with Peter Crouch and the child-like, unused Theo Walcott – main man Michael Owen damaged his cruciates and sadly the rest is history. Perhaps Ashton’s influence and quality is best represented by West Ham’s fortunes during his enforced spell on the sidelines - while Ashton missed virtually the whole of last season through injury, West Ham only narrowly avoided relegation to the championship in the final week of a season in which the goals seemed to go in exclusively at the defensive end.
Ashton has showed that he is now fit and raring to kick-start his England career once more, with a string of fine displays this season and clearly wants to put any fitness doubts behind him, ‘If people took the time to come and watch me they’d realise that I’m not actually fat and I’m not that slow’. If there were to be a criticism of Ashton, then you could point to his modest pace and lack of explosive acceleration. Due to his formidable frame he will also need to work hard during his career to maintain his shape and mobility, or West Ham may have another John Hartson on their hands. However, the way he plays the game does not incorporate speed work and he is simply not the type to go chasing lost causes into the corners. Paired with the likes of Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney for England this would not be his role anyway, as he would be looking to win the flicks and make the passes for his partner to run onto.
Ashton feels he is in ‘the best shape ever’ and must surely be a strong candidate to start in England boss Steve McClaren’s next game against Estonia on 13th October. With Heskey injured, Owen struggling for fitness, Rooney, Crouch and Defoe goalless, and the hapless Andrew Johnson and Darren Bent virtually ruling themselves out by default Ashton has become not only a potentially beneficial option, but maybe the only one too.
Ashton is a big favourite at West Ham, despite his relative lack of appearances for the club since his move from Norwich City in January 2006. His appreciation by the Hammers faithful is down to his undeniable talent, work rate for the team and the way that he makes himself the central component of all the team’s attacking moves. It is not so much that Ashton is greedy and demands the ball, but his side inevitably play through him because he rarely gives the ball away, can hold off defenders and creates as many chances for the team as for him self. He is a big lad and uses his frame very well to hold up the ball and is also dangerous in the air. His touch is one of the stronger aspects of his game and is a rare quality for a player of his size. Having Teddy Sheringham around the club when he signed for the Hammers must have rubbed off from him, as Ashton has a great football brain and awareness of whose around, which enables him to pick clever first-time passes into dangerous areas (combinations with Freddi Ljungberg are already bearing fruit). He likes to put power into his shots and has scored several goals from outside the box as well as the obligatory tap in.
These attributes and style of play Dean Ashton possesses are reminiscent of the England stalwart Alan Shearer and, injuries permitting, he may go on to have a successful career at the top level. A dominant, physical presence upfront is what England has been lacking ever since Shearer’s retirement and it is a ploy which has long been a successful aspect of England side’s historically. Ashton did once make an England squad, during the build up to World Cup 2006 and the tournament may have turned out differently had the powerful forward been available. As it was, Ashton was to be the victim of a cruel fate, breaking his ankle in an innocuous training ground tackle at the hands of the impish Shaun Wright-Phillips, ‘I was crying uncontrollably once I was off the pitch and into the dressing rooms because I knew it was long-term. I’ve missed the chance to play for England’. Instead England went to the World Cup that year with Peter Crouch and the child-like, unused Theo Walcott – main man Michael Owen damaged his cruciates and sadly the rest is history. Perhaps Ashton’s influence and quality is best represented by West Ham’s fortunes during his enforced spell on the sidelines - while Ashton missed virtually the whole of last season through injury, West Ham only narrowly avoided relegation to the championship in the final week of a season in which the goals seemed to go in exclusively at the defensive end.
Ashton has showed that he is now fit and raring to kick-start his England career once more, with a string of fine displays this season and clearly wants to put any fitness doubts behind him, ‘If people took the time to come and watch me they’d realise that I’m not actually fat and I’m not that slow’. If there were to be a criticism of Ashton, then you could point to his modest pace and lack of explosive acceleration. Due to his formidable frame he will also need to work hard during his career to maintain his shape and mobility, or West Ham may have another John Hartson on their hands. However, the way he plays the game does not incorporate speed work and he is simply not the type to go chasing lost causes into the corners. Paired with the likes of Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney for England this would not be his role anyway, as he would be looking to win the flicks and make the passes for his partner to run onto.
Ashton feels he is in ‘the best shape ever’ and must surely be a strong candidate to start in England boss Steve McClaren’s next game against Estonia on 13th October. With Heskey injured, Owen struggling for fitness, Rooney, Crouch and Defoe goalless, and the hapless Andrew Johnson and Darren Bent virtually ruling themselves out by default Ashton has become not only a potentially beneficial option, but maybe the only one too.
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