The Football Pyramid

Friday 1 March 2013

Rafa Benitez- A Losing Battle

Since Benitez took the reins of Chelsea Football Club, the once Liverpool boss has struggled to win over a 'minority of fans with an agenda', that agenda being Rafa out. He's constantly barraged with banners, unfavourable chanting and boos and that can have adverse effects on the team.

Photo- metro.co.uk (AP)

Benitez once had an undoubted rivalry with the club he is now employed by during his time with Liverpool. And that didn't stand him in good stead when he was appointed interim manager, which he himself has labelled as a "mistake".

I felt that Benitez was always the second choice of Roman Abramovic, but the Russian's plan has backfired somewhat. Everybody knows that as soon as Josep Guardiola announced he was leaving the post of Barcelona manager, with whom he won fourteen major trophies, he was the one that Chelsea thought could lead the club forward. The Blues were left with a real kick in the teeth as Bayen Munchen snapped up his signature.

You always felt that Rafa was a last resort and the fans were unfortunately on the Spaniard's back right from the first minute. He hit out at the club and the clubs fans in a press conference on Thursday whilst also stating: "I won't be here at the end of the season, so why should they [the fans] be worried?"

He's clearly frustrated and I'm sure many managers would react in a similar way if they were met with such hostility. Many football pundits alike have shown some sympathy for the Blues' boss, agreeing that his position at the club is largely untenable. I think that this debate is much more than just the players performances, although, given the quality of the squad, they too are underachieving. Benitez has admitted that confidence throughout the team is low and said: "We have young players in their first year in the Premier League.

"If you cannot cope with the physical demands of the game, you cannot show your quality so we have to give them confidence".

I also feel that the Lampard saga has been an unwelcome distraction, and some fans have vented their frustrations about how the situation was handled. I'd have to agree. Lampard has been showed little respect by the club but, should that be down to Benitez? Should a manager have to deal with that side of things; contracts, agents, transfer fees etc? Is that right for a modern day manager? A need, in fact? With all the retrospective positions at the club, managers should not be drawn in to that specific area of the game. A minority of Chelsea fans have taken advantage, I feel, of this situation that Rafa's been dragged into.

It's out of the former Valencia and Inter man's hands though, and there have been talks of him not even making the end of the 2012/13 campaign. It's not all doom and gloom though, as his side are in the quarter-finals of the F.A. Cup after their 2-0 triumph at Middlesborough, and are still in with a shout of the Europa League. I do feel though that Benitez is facing an even steeper hill to climb his way up to earn the respect of the Chelsea fans.

That's not going to happen though, is it?

By Adam May.

Sunday 17 February 2013

Loui Fazakerley believes that the title race is "in our hands".

Picture: Dave Budden.

Welling United favourite Loui Fazakerley, who can play in either defence or midfield, believes that the Blue Square Bet South title race is far from over just yet.

Salisbury looked to have won the league during the winter months after putting in convincing displays at home to Chelmsford City and Eastleigh, but Welling kept their foot on the pedal and are now in contention for promotion.

"We could go on a great winning run and close the gap. Now it's in our hands and we just have to win our games in hand and then match their results for the rest of the season", said Fazakerley, 28, who has been at the club since 2008.

Welling made the play-off final last season, but unfortunately lost 1-0 in front of a sell-out crowd at Princes Park to the hands of Dartford, but Fazakerley believes that Welling are in a great position to not need the play-offs. "We were unlucky to lose in the final so this season we are aiming to win the league outright and we are in a great position to do so. The play-offs would be a last resort for us."

Chelmsford City have been in impressive form in recent weeks, despite the 1-0 loss at the hands of Eastleigh at Siverlake Stadium on Saturday, but Loui, the fans' Player of the Year for 2011/12, thinks that the Clarets are still in contention. He said: "Chelmsford have been on a good run of form recently and have got a couple of games in hand so you can't write them off. It will be a very interesting end to the season!"

If the Wings were to go up, Loui has no doubt that the squad can cut it at Conference Premier Level. "I definitely think we could hold our own in the Premier as we have already shown this season with wins against Newport County and Woking. We also did well against Grimsby Town in the Trophy. We probably would need to make a few extra signings to boost our current squad but I don't think we are far off at all."

Loui Fazakerley holds an impressive honour to his name. Apart from player-manager Jamie Day he has the most appearances of any current outfield Welling United player with 127 league games. And Day, who has been praised for his managerial style, is great to work under according to the former Bromley F.C player. "He has done a great job ever since he came in. He is a great man-manager; he knows how to get the best out of each player and has built a great team spirit at the club. He also brought a great management team in with him which helped. Barry Ashby, Dean Frost and Stacey Beckham have all played a massive part in our success too."

Welling have two tough fixtures in the next week as they play host to Farnborough on Tuesday before making the long trip to 7th placed Weston-Super-Mare on Saturday, but there are is no room for slip-ups as we enter the ‘business end’ of the season.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Robins' departure leaves Coventry "disappointed".

Coventry City were dealt with an almighty blow as boss Robins deserted the npower league 1 side after less than five month in the job.

The West Midlands based club find themselves in a healthy position in the league and are only seven points off a play-off spot, so his departure has bewildered many. The decision has not gone down well with the club's chief executive, Tim Fisher, who has asked for answers. He commented: "To say we are disappointed is an understatement. We gave Mark a three-year contract which we saw as a long-term appointment.". That's even more disappointing. To see a club have trust in a manager like Robins and give him three years in which he could rebuild the team, bring in his own players, contest for promotion and cement their place in the league is rare in football at league one level, but you can see why teams give managers shorter contracts because they know loyalty doesn't exist in the modern game.

Loyalty.

Is there any loyalty in football nowadays? I would say no without a breath of hesitation. What's even more infuriating is that it's not like Coventry are struggling, in fact, since their relegation from the Championship only last season, they have drastically improved their stability and have become more consistent despite their recent last two games which ended in defeats to Yeovil and Crewe. Players such as David McGoldrick, who's scored 18 goals this season for The Sky Blues, have stood out this season. It suggests that there was something special occurring down at the Ricoh Arena, but it remains evident that Robins failed to recognise.

Robins, who took Coventry to the Area Final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy; which left the club two games away from Wembley, has since been appointed Huddersfield Town manager in what's been a hectic period. Robins previously said that "it's (Coventry City) in my blood". Really?

The lure of the Championship is a hard offer to turn down for many managers as it represents a big opportunity to play against some top clubs, namely Leeds and Cardiff.

In his short period as First Team manager Robins became a firm fan favorite after launching the relegation dubbed side within sights of the Championship. Now, they will undoubtedly be wondering why. Why he has left them in the way he has?

Since his departure, Lee Carsley has been named interim First Team manager at Coventry City.

Coventry fans, I'd like to know your reaction to this saga. Would make for some interesting reading. Is there a sense of anger, or do you think that no club should stand in the way of someone managing in higher leagues? Please leave a comment if you so wish.

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Ömer Riza sits in the hot-seat.

Most recently of Boreham Wood, Ömer Rıza has had a football career at one of the world’s top clubs, Arsenal. An experienced centre forward, now a free agent, answers my questions on all things football.

1) You've had a whole host of different clubs, most notably Arsenal, Barnet and Trabzonspor. At what club did you learn the most about football that you still use in your game today?

OR: I have been at a few clubs in my career and they have all given me something to take away with me. I think the biggest part of my career was when I was at Arsenal where you learn a specific way of playing and a way which is very much team orientated, this gave me a few problems when I left as not many teams, as you can imagine, can play like Arsenal and the players they produce.

I then moved to West Ham and it was again very different, it’s as I have said, different pieces of the puzzle that I have had to put together in order to get the best out of myself. Playing abroad was a very good part of my career in Holland and Turkey as they gave me different perspectives on how to play in different ways.

2) For this season you were playing alongside former Barnet striker Cliff Akurang, how did you find your time playing with him?

OR: Playing with Cliff this year has been good, when we had the opportunity to do so, he is a player that likes to bring people into play and that for me is perfect to work off, it’s been unfortunate that we didn't really get a prolonged crack at playing together. He is honest, hardworking and someone I can relate to.

3) Did you enjoy your stay with Boreham Wood?

OR: I was at Boreham Wood for ten months and I enjoyed myself. I managed to score 19 goals in 40 games or so, it was a successful period and it’s nice to go to a team that had previously struggled at this level to consolidate in the league to a team that is now competing for promotion. I hope they continue and that the club make the right decisions along the way.

4) Are you pleased with your individual performances this season and did you set yourself any personal targets at the start of the campaign?

OR: I feel that my performances this season have been of a standard that has mirrored the team itself, I have played well and given 100% but on the odd occasions things haven't quite gone the way I/we wanted. This is football and how you deal with these periods is what is important. To get through sticky patches and not just change a player or players in order to hit form again is also important.

5) Now that your time with Boreham Wood has come to an end, what level do you feel like you can play at? Would you like to stay in the Blue Square South?

OR: I'm 33 now and feel great; sometimes people can judge others on their age when performances dip but for me it is important to judge on performance and issues arising in games more than anything else. I still feel like I can play in the league and will continue to push on and believe that no matter what age I am, I will continue.

6) Who have really impressed you so far this season in the BSS?

OR: To be honest I have tried to watch players during games but when you’re involved with the game and focused on you own team and performances everyone else doesn't matter. There are good players in both north and south and all deserve to be coached in order for them to progress in their careers, so to your question, no one in-particular.

7) Who has been the toughest opponent you've faced?

OR: I think my toughest opponent in my career would have to be Roberto Carlos or Lugano whilst playing at Trabzonspor, but this year I think Kenny Clark contained me well, who is currently at Chelmsford City. I will make sure I give him a tougher time next time I play against him!

8) For any aspiring footballer, what advice would you give them?

OR: For young players who are aspiring to be professional footballers, it is important to keep working hard at your game because you will keep improving. Always stay true to yourself, try not to get dragged into the politics of football and don't talk about other people or players in a negative way. Do not settle for people telling you that this is your level; always push yourself to the next level.