England vs Belgium- The Final Chance To Impress

Posted by adammay132 on May 28, 2012Edit This

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England take on Belgium on Saturday 2nd June 2012, and it will see Roy Hodgson’s home debut as England manager. Hodgson was appointed as England manager on 1st May 2012. I think Hodgson will play his strongest side for this final warm up game, and bring on any players he feels he still needs to see., which could be a few! I thought that England looked quite lackluster in their game on Saturday in Norway, which they won 1-0 via an early Ashley Young goal. I thought Rob Green had a decent game when he was called into action, and he helped contribute to England’s clean sheet by tipping a few shots round the post. Phil Jones I was unsure about really, he seemed to play with too much fear throughout the game and looked out of his comfort zone for the majority of the match, although the one time he did burst forward, he won a corner for his efforts, it was so much better to see that sort of football, and if every player did that now and again we would look more of a force by showing a bit of incentive, and not being too defensive minded all the time. Phil Jagielka had a very decent game, and at times, looked like he could be a contender for a regular England place. He dealt with many crosses from Norway, and made some good tackles and clearances. I rate Joleon Lescott very highly, and he showed some class on Saturday night, and in my opinion is one of the best center backs we have got. Baines had a quiet night, and he was not bursting down the wings making crosses like he normally does, and I don’t think he is quite good enough to replace Ashley Cole just yet. In midfield, we played Parker, who showed his class yet again, sometimes though, I wish he was more attacking minded as well, but then again you do need a tough tackler in the center of the park to break up play now and again and control the pace of the game. Along side him was the captain Steven Gerrard, who I feel England have wasted for the past 10 years. He will definitely be an influential player in this years European Championships in Poland and Ukraine this summer.  Our starting wide men were James Milner of Manchester City and Liverpool winger Stuart Downing. Milner has only played 1 minute of football for the Sky Blues’ in 7 weeks, so why he is in the squad over Sturridge or Johnson I am unsure really and as of Downing, does anyone have a decent explanation as to why he is in the squad? Zero league goals and assists speaks for itself really. Up front we played Andy Carroll of Liverpool, and I have to say, he impressed me, and Hodgson should play him against Belgium this Saturday, and possibly try him with Defoe, as I can see that partnership flourishing, and its something that needs to be tested out. Roy Hodgson experimented with playing Manchester United winger Ashley Young just behind Carroll, and it gave Young a bit of freedom, and he bagged himself a goal too. The subs that came on didn’t really have much effect other than Adam Johnson, Walcott was non existant and Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t really find a way into the game, but he could be a key part of Englands plans in the future, but it could be too soon for him yet. Barry came on as a substitute, but had to be replaced as he suffered a groin injury, which today resulted in him withdrawing from the England Squad. It was a pleasing performance however, and Hodgson couldn’t have wanted anything else that to win his first game of charge. England previously hadn’t beaten Norway since 1980.

Roy Hodgson needs to field his strongest team possible, and he now needs to see how the Chelsea foursome of Ashley Cole, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Frank Lampard fit in after being given extra time off after their efforts in the Champions League Final, which saw them crowned King of Europe,the only English team to lift the prestigious trophy.  Belgium will prove a tough opposition for England, with Maroune Fellaini, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Lukaku and hot rated wonderkid Eden Hazard. It will be a tough game for the Euro hopefuls, and they need to be at their full strength to hold of this attacking Belgium Side. Goal line technology will also be making its debut at Wembley, where officials will be testing the new state of the art technology which will eliminate bad, goal decisions.

Picture: http://www.sportindustry.biz/resource/binary/cache/b82d54498792dc4055b37b51ee84ee6c/568

Announcement!

I am moving my blog to: http://adammayfootball.wordpress.com/, so please check it out and give some feedback if you can at adammay98@hotmail.com I may decide to keep this blog running along side my new one, but it depends on how it goes really! Sorry for any inconvenience but it will be better!

Cheers!

Adam 

Joey Barton

Today, Joey Barton was handed a 12 match  ban and a £75,000 fine by the FA for his actions in his teams 3-2 loss at the Etihad to champions Manchester City on the final day of the premier league season. I think the F.A have got the 12 match ban spot on, although personally I think he should be banned for life but that was never going to happen was it. His actions were perfect evidence of the 'Typical Barton' and this proves and shows why he doesn't play for England, how he is captain for QPR is truly beyond me. The actions he carried out were frankly a disgrace to English football, and his tweets were completely out of order after the game https://twitter.com/Joey7Barton/status/201730865850621952. I  think the £75,000 fine will not make a difference whatsoever, but when he's sitting on the bench or in the stands for 12 games, that will. If  I was Mark Hughes I would release him right now. We all know this is not Barton's first incident and probably not his last, unfortunately. 

Picture: ESPN

Exciting Weekend of Football

Over the course of this weekend, there have been 4 major finals, they were the Npower Championship Play-off final, UEFA Champions League, The Scottish Cup Final, the Blue Sqare Conference final, and of course the Copa Italia later on tonight.

 I will start with West Ham's 2-1 win over Ian Holloway's Blackpool at Wembley. West Ham took the lead through number 9 Carlton Cole on 35 mins, but to find that goal cut out via promising youngster Thomas Ince just after the break. I think West Ham's resolute defending earnt them the big prize, and Vaz Te sent the hammers into the Barclays Premier League. I hear many people saying that Blackpool deserved the win, but at the end of the day West Ham were 11 points ahead of the Tangerines, so thoroughly deserved promotion.

The Champions League final saw Chelsea take on Bayern Munchen at the Allianz Arena, and it was an incredibly close game. Muller opened the scoring on 83 mins, and I thought that would be the winner, but as usual, I was proved wrong. Didier Drogba (who else to score in a final) equalled the scoring, with a header from their first corner of the game on 88 mins, despite Bayern having about 16. The game then went to extra time, and Robben had his penalty saved by Cech in the early stages of extra time. Chelsea then went on to beat the German side 4-3 on penalties, and you can probably guess who scored the winning penalty, and no, it wasn't Torres. I was surprised that Bayern didn't win, but I suppose thats football!

The third final of the weekend was the Scottish Cup final between Hibbs and Hearts, the score ended 5-1 to Hearts, the score being 3-1 with only 48 mins played.

A place in the football league was up for grabs at Wembley as Luton took on York. It was a pulsating game, and a well fought one too. Luton took the lead inside the first 2 mins via Gray and the Yorkshire side looked like they hadn't woke up. In the 26th minute Chambers equalised to set the score 1 a piece. Then Blair scored to make it to 1 to York in the 47th minute, although there were hints that it was offside. All in all, a good day for the city of York, looks like Wembley is in the limelight again!

It was a great weekend for finals, and capped the 2011/12 season off, with and there are still a  couple more playoff finals to go.

Lets hope the Euros give us some entertainment, too.

 

Champions League Final Preview

On Saturday 19th May 2012 Chelsea take on German giants Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the Uefa Champions League final. I think it will be a close, well fought game, but I think that Bayern will edge it, what with the number of suspensions that the Blues' have in the likes of Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles, however Bayern have a few  suspensions too. I think Didier Drogba will be key if Chelsea are going to lift the trophy on Saturday night, as he has scored 5 goals in this seasons competition, 1 coming in Chelsea's win at Stamford Bridge against Spanish side F.C Barcelona. Arjen Robben will be hoping to add to his tally of 4 goals against his former side, and Mario Gomez also will be eager to add to his magnificent 12 goals. All in all it will be a good, quick paced game, hopefully not too much diving, all though in recent weeks it looks as if that would be impossible, but hopefully Portugese referee  Pedro Proenca will keep the game under control.
My prediction for the game is 3-1 to Bayern Munich

Liverpool Crisis 

Liverpool have shocked many this season, and for all the wrong reasons. Finishing in 8th place behind Merseyside rivals Everton, the 2011/12 season was a massive disappointment for the Kop.

The main sources of criticism were aimed at Kenny Dalglish and the midfield.

This Liverpool midfield are nowhere near the standard that people have seen before, in the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing and Jordan Henderson, but maybe they just need time to develop, but with the price tags they carry on their shoulders, especially Henderson, then they need to perform when asked. They just haven't clicked as a team, and I think that Kenny Dalglish has to take blame for this. I also keep hearing that when Stewart Downing was at Aston Villa last season he scored 12 goals and had the most assists in the Premier League, but this term has seen him with no goals and no assists. This must mean then that Dalglish's man management is poor, as it shows that he has turned a good player into a poor one.

Another factor that led to Liverpools downfall was the Evra Suarez row, as the way Kenny Dalglish handled it was not far short of a disgrace. Buying T-Shirts was a ridiculous idea and a man of that professionalism should be ashamed of himself, his arrogance in press conferences has given Liverpool Football Club a bad reputation that I am sure the clubs owners are not terribly impressed by.

Despite all the bad things that have been associated with Dalglish this season, he did win the Carling Cup, beating Cardiff City on penalties after Steven Gerrard's cousin missed to hand Liverpool the cup. But is this enough for Liverpool? Realistically (going on past seasons and past teams) then no, it's not good enough, they should be challenging for a top 4 finish at the least.  

It wouldn't surprise me if Dalglish was sacked, and if Roberto Martinez replaces him. Whoever gets the job, has an incredibly tough challenge ahead of them

Alex McLeish

Should have Alex McLeish been sacked as Aston Villa manager?

I think that many people were thinking that is was a bad move for McLeish, who left Birmingham to join the hot seat at fierce rivals Aston Villa on 17th June 2011. This caused spark and unrest between Villa supporters and I think they found it hard to warm to him. But it was not just this traitor like action that made Villa fans unhappy, it was that the team performances and results were simply not good enough for Aston Villa.
During McLeish's reign at the Birmingham based club, they were only able to grab  9 wins in 42 games, drawing 17 and losing 16. Villa finished 2 points above the relegation zone in 16th place, picking up only 4 wins and scoring 20 goals at home in the process.
 Many people feel that Aston Villa treated Alex McLeish very harshly, and me included. He needed time with this team, what with bringing in younger players such as Barry Bannan and Nathan Delfouneso. Even Robbie Keane couldn't get them out of a mess, in his short spell at his former club.
A serious shape up needs to be taken underway and they need to bring in a few new strikers as Heskey has left , but Darren Bent could propose a bit of freshness after coming back from injury.

The most likely people believed to take the managerial role are:
Mick McCarthy, Chris Hughton, Steve Bruce, Gus Poyet or even Roberto Martinez if the rumours are not true that he is due to take over Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool

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My England Euros Squad

What with the London Olympics this summer, many people are forgetting that the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine are only a few weeks away. Roy Hodgson took charge of the England national team on 1st May 2012 and names his squad for the tournament tomorrow. Here is my starting line up, and the bench/reserves to make up the rest of the 23 man squad:

Formation 4-1-3-1-1

Goalkeeper:

Joe Hart (Manchester City) Has been on fine form this season for title winning side Manchester City. At only 25 years old, he promises to be one of the top keepers in the world.

 Right Back:

Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) Harry Redknapp has brought Kyle Walker to life this season, his great attacking efforts will be a bonus for England, and his defensive work also needs to be credited.

Center Back:

Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Has played well under Roberto Di Matteo, especially in their first leg against Barcelona. 

Center Back:

John Terry (Chelsea) Although many feel this, and I get the impression that Roy Hodgson agrees,  that Terry shouldn't play a part in future national games, due to the Anton Ferdinand race row. But as the saying goes, 'You're innocent until proven guilty'. Him and Cahill have also seemed to form a good defensive partnership, this could help England massively.

Left Back:

Ashley Cole (Chelsea) Him, Terry and Cahill have played well together this season for Chelsea, so this means they will be familiar with playing along side each other and they know and understand how each of them plays, this will help consolidate a good defence to keep out teams such as Spain, Netherlands and Germany. 

Right Midfield:

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham) His pace will cause havoc between defences, and his crossing is along with the best. In my opinion, he has a better end product than Theo Walcott, but this doesn't mean Theo should not be going to Poland and Ukraine this Summer. 

Center Midfield:

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) When Gerrard came back from injury in the latter stages of the 2011/12 season, you could really see what he is capable of, and there are not many people better that him in his position. 

Center Midfield and Captain:

Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur) His tough tackling has been outstanding this season, he should play in a more CDM and sit infront of the defence with Gerrard having more of a free role in center mid. If he isn't injured, then he is a must take for me.

Left Midfield:

Ashley Young (Manchester United) He has been key for United this season, and he is really beneficial to England.

 

Forward:

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) When he is suspended I would play Jermain Defoe, but when he is not Rooney must play. He needs to be on his top form, though, and play just off of the other forward.

Forward:

Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers) Many people will disagree with me on this one, but Zamora can hold the ball up for other forwards who will play just off him, then lay them off. This will create a lot more chances for England, and will be a good change in tactics.

Subs/reserves

Goalkeepers:
Robert Green (West Ham)
Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Defenders:
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
Micah Richards (Manchester City)
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Joleon Lescott (Manchester City)

Midfielders:
Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

Forwards:
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

My Premier League Team of 2011/12 Season

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart (Manchester City) : I think that Joe Hart has been outstanding this season and has really come in leaps and bounds, also receiving the Barclays Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets through the season.

Right Back: Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur): He has been in fine form, and going out on loan to Birmingham outfit Aston Villa last season has really aided his development. This year saw Walker named  Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year. He beat of the likes Sergio Aguero, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge,  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gareth Bale to win the award.



Center Back: Vincent Kompany (Manchester City): Kompany is one of the main reasons that title winners Manchester City only conceded 12 goals at Etihad Stadium this season. He has been in superb form this term, netting vitally important goals along the way, too.










Center Back: Joleon Lescott (Manchester City): Lescott often gets overshadowed by Kompany, but the shifts that Joleon puts in week in week out are truly magnificent, and in my opinion, should be a key player for England in this summers European Championships in June.




Left Back: Jose Enrique (Liverpool): Was a bargain buy from Newcastle, and he proved to be one of the best left backs in the league. His hard work down the flanks both in the attacking third and when asked to put a defensive shift in should be credited.




Right Midfield: Antonio Valencia (Manchester United): His crossing this season has been outstanding, resulting in numerous assists, and his pace has been terrific, giving his opponents a torrid 90 minutes



Center Midfield: Yaya Touré (Manchester United): The powerhouse in Manchester City's midfield, he has been the source of their triumph. I think that if he had not gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, the sky blues could have had the title wrapped up a long time ago. The're going to struggle without him I think, although he wasn't part of the second half in which Manchester City sealed the title vs QPR today.



Center Midfield: Clint Dempsey (Fulham):The American has sprung to life this season, netting 23 goals in the process. He played his last game for Fulham in their game against Tottenham today.



Left Midfield: Juan Mata (Chelsea): The Spanish winger has been in fine form for Chelsea, but I feel he has hid away in the Champions League, although in the premier league he has been very impressive.



Striker: Robin van Persie (Arsenal): Scored a magnificent 37 goals this season. That speaks for itself




Striker: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City): Scored the winner in today's game, and has been prolific in front of goal this season.



Bench:

Goalkeeper: Tim Krul (Newcastle)
Right back: Micah Richards (Manchester City)
Center Back: Jonny Evans (Manchester United)
Left Back :Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Right Midfield: Victor Moses (Wigan)
Centre Midfield: Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle)
Left Midfield: Bran Ruiz (Fulham)
Striker: Grant Holt (Norwich)
Striker: Papiss Cissé (Newcastle)

Football Supporters

Lately, I have been watching quite a bit of foreign football, in tournaments such as the Europa League and the Champions League. In England, we tend to think that we are the worlds best supporters and, in truth, we really are not. When you watch Spanish football for instance, they are singing and dancing non stop for the whole game, cheering every tackle, every pass, every cross, every header, every goal, supporting their team. They are also wearing everything they possibly can with their team's badges on, whereas in England, some supporters even wear clothes which belong to others !  We should really give credit to foreign supporters as there is nothing 'artificial' about their support, they don't have to have  flags laid out on their seats like they do at Chelsea, they just go and buy them. They are all standing up too, and when you watch a Premier League game, the 'supporters' are more 'observers' or 'viewers', hardly any passion. As you go down into non-league though, its a different story, their is passion, and standing up!. Non League football needs to be advertised and recognised more for all the good it does not only for football, but it brings communities together, too. 

Are You Free On 8th July?

As a supporter of Blue Square South team Chelmsford City Football Club, I think our supporters club are fantastic, and grace the Blue Square South and would sweep awards in the Conference National too! Our supporters club are holding a Cricket match against the clarets squad on 8th July. It really promises to be a good day out. Why not try a new sport? Get yourself on the official website http://www.chelmsfordcityfootballclub.co.uk/news/1205/players-vs-supporters-cricket-challenge if you live near and of course support the mighty clarets, give them some of your hard-earned cash to help with projects around the well supported club. These events are very family friendly and great fun too! See you there!

Goal-line Technology?

This subject has been going around for as long as I can remember. But will it actually help football short term? 

I am wondering about this because to get the technology in, surely it is going to cost a lot of money, and teams in leagues such as  the Blue Square North/South and equivalent leagues or even lower will not be able to afford this. Surely this gives teams an unfair advantage?

However, introducing goal-line technology will help officials in their decisions, as the speed of the game seems to get faster every season, the officials have a near impossible task. It will eliminate bad decisions in key games and tournaments such as the World Cup which no one needs telling about, as well as in the F.A Cup. No doubtedly their will be an incident at this years European Championships. But I seriously think it could have more negative effects than positive of certain teams.

Vincent Kompany Barclays Player of the Year

Belgium center back Vincent Kompany picked up the Barclays Premier League player of the year last night.  Kompany has been outstanding this season and took over the captaincy from controversial front man Carlos Tevez this season. He started his senior career at Anderlecht in 2003, making 73 appearances in 3 years at the club. He then moved to German side Hamburger SV, playing only 29 times.

Manchester City then signed him in 2008, and has been a big part of their defence ever since, and scored a vital winner in the Manchester Derby a few weeks ago.  

Alan Pardew Named Premier League Manager of the year

Alan Pardew has been named the Premier League Manager of the year tonight. He has taken Newcastle United to 5th place (could be 3rd if they win and others lose on the final day) and also potential Champions League qualification. He has arguably signed the signing of the season in Pappis Demba Cisse, who has scored 13 goals in only 13 appearances. 

Will The Blue Half or Red Half of Manchester Flourish This Sunday?

Manchester City could win the Barclays Premier League for the first time in their history by Sunday evening. They currently sit top of the division on 86 points along with Manchester United, but the sky blues have an 8 goal cushion. The red devils thought they had the title all wrapped up, but a loss to relegation threatened Wigan and a 4-4 draw at home to Everton gave the blue halve of Manchester some incentive. 

Manchester United also lost away at City 1-0 via a Vincent Kompany header from just outside the 6 yard box, and Sir Alex was blamed for playing too defensive.

Last week, saw a tough game for Manchester City away at high flying Newcastle United. Two vital goals in the last 20 minutes from Yaya Toure sent City to the top of the Premier League. Mancini was the hero of the game though, as he decided to put Nigel De Jong on for Nasri, to allow Toure to get forward, and the gamble paid off. Manchester United also won that day, beating an impressive Swansea 2-0 at Old Trafford thanks to veteran Paul Scholes and Ashley Young. 

Manchester City are entertaining Queens Park Rangers this Sunday, who themselves need a win to ensure top flight football next season on the final day. The game also marks a return to the Etihad for Mark Hughes, Nedum Onouha, Joey Barton and Shaun Wright-Phillips, as they enjoyed spells at the club, while Manchester United play away at Martin O'Neil's Sunderland. 

It will be an exciting end to the season, and who ever doesn't get the title, will wonder how they let it slip. All the Sky Blues have to do is equal or better united's score. No pressure then.

Stale Solbakken Manager of Wolves

The Norwegian will take charge of Npower Championship side  Wolverhampton Wanderers on 1st July. This appointment took many people by surprise as people like Chris Hughton, Ian Holloway or Terry Connor were expected to take charge for the 2012/13 season.  Previously, Solbakken played for Wimbledon in the Premier League and earned 58 caps for his native Norway. 

After suffering a cardiac arrest in 2001 during a training session in his spell as a player at F.C Copenhagen under Roy Hodgson, he returned to Copenhagen in 2006 as manager, taking them to the last 16 in the Uefa Champions League, and winning the Danish league title 5 times in 6 years. He lead Cologne to relegation this season.

After the sacking of Mick McCarthy after Wolves' 5-1 home defeat to West Brom, assistant manager Terry Connor took over as interim coach till the end of the season, but did not win in 12 games. It has been said that Terry will stay at Wolves as a coach, and manage their last game of this season.

Time will see how Stale Solbakken will cope in English management, this may prove a tough test, as many Wolves players have never heard of Solbakken.

Europa League Final

Last night saw Spanish giants Athletico Madrid take on giant killing side Athletic Bilbao in Bucharest. The night rounded of a good tournament for Madrid, fending of teams such as Lazio and Valencia in the final stages. Falcao opened the scoring for the team in its custom red and white strip, and a fine effort it was too. A wonderfully weighted through-ball  by Diego was controlled perfectly by Falcao, who made space for himself to expertly curl the ball into the top corner via his left boot on 7 mins.

Bilbao had previously knocked out Manchester United, but their in-form striker Fernando Llorente could not add to  his 7 goals in this terms competition, and the whole team paid for missed chances.
Falcao added to Madrids tally on 34 mins, another great strike, saw him fake and turn, then finessing past Iraioz and the helpless defence.

The second half was mostly spent in Bilbao's final third, but after hitting the post and more several missed oppurtunities and some resolute defending by Madrid, Diego struck in the 85th min, calmly slotting past the helpless Madrid keeper' leaving most Bilbao players in tears.


This night capped off a good season for both teams, and Bilbao can be proud of what they have achieved in this seasons Europa League, but Athletico Madrid proved just a step too far...

Falcao celebrating his first goal of the night