The Tactical Genius that Mourinho Is Not

It is quite noticeable that my blog has evolved and become primarily football in the last few weeks, which I guess is understandable what with me being a footballer and all that. Sorry to the people that don't like football, but I think the majority of readers do, so for the mean time I'll stick with it.(unless my cousin wins in the golf)

With the football season finishing for some at the weekend it was extended for us as we managed to make the playoffs after a 4-1 win at home to Clyde. We went into last nights game on the back of 5 wins and a draw, and I felt our confidence really showed. The first half performance was as good as we have played this season, so we take a 2 goal lead into the 2nd leg on Saturday. I managed to get another 2 goals which makes it 7 in 7 games, and hopefully I can keep scoring to help the team. We know it won't be easy on Saturday, but if we go down and play with the same intensity as last night we will be hard to beat. We have some good playoff experience in our squad, especially from the lower division. I managed to get up through the playoffs in 2007 with Queen's Park in a team that included Mark Ferry and David Crawford, also at Stirling. It would be nice to add another promotion to the CV, even though it is League 2, it is still a good achievement and very nice to be part of a winning team.

Jose Mourinho: The not so Special One

The man divides opinion like no other manager, with his touchline antics, strange interviews and defensive(sorry, counter attack) tactics. There is absolutely no doubting the fact that his CV is excellent in terms of trophies, but I personally don't really like him as a character, or with the way he sets up his teams.
Mourinho is an extremely bad loser, which is normal for somebody in football, but even worse than that is that he is a bad winner. His lack of humility in winning is something that really annoys me, constantly running on to the pitch celebrating, sliding on his knees, poking fun at other managers and taking full credit when they win. He seems to have the respect of his dressing room, which is something that all his teams have been built on and no doubt it is an extremely important part of his success, but whenever something goes wrong he is always first to shift the blame on to someone else. This season it has been Torres, Eto'o, Ba, Hazard, Mata, and anyone else that he has decided will take the blame for his latest loss. Also Sam Allardyce has been on the receiving end for his 19th century tactics. In the past it has been referees, who he seems to forget give his teams decisions too.
At Real Madrid he was seen poking then Barcelona boss, sadly now dead, Tito Villanova in the eye after a tackle on the pitch led to a touchline argument, showing his lack of class. He might dress well and look like a class act from a distance but, when you see his actions, it is all a front.
On top of all this, and to get back to him having a go at Allardyce for his tactics(admittedly they are boring), his tactics in big games are exactly the same. Defend deep in numbers and hope to steal a goal at the other end by playing long balls to a big striker. He has employed these tactics for years, and I am sick of watching them ruin big games. I know people will say they get results, but it is boring and not the football that people want to watch. It speaks volumes when Brendan Rodgers came out after the game 2 weeks ago, a man who worked under Mourinho, and was scathing in his attack of the defensive tactics set up. Against Atletico Madrid away from home was the exact same, they played 3 holding midfielders in front of a narrow 4 in defense, with Willian and Ramires playing as wing backs. The problem is that the media praised their performance so he will keep doing it, but in reality it is easy to defend with so many bodies in the area. Thankfully they lost the 2nd leg(Hazards fault, not Mourinhos, obviously) and therefore we will actually get a decent final to watch.
To see a genius on the ball like Hazard being made to track all the way back to his goal line, just because Mourinho wants his full backs tucked in so much, is hard to watch. No wonder Cahill and Terry get so much praise, they are so well protected by quality full backs whose only job is to defend the box and leave wide players to their 'wingers'. It will be interesting to see how Cahill gets on when he has to defend for England at the World Cup.

formation v Liverpool

For the people who say his style is counter attacking, have a look at Real Madrid against Bayern Munich in both legs. That is proper counter attacking football that can be so deadly against an open team. The transition between defense to attack has to be so quick, and Madrid did it perfectly quickly getting the ball into their attackers feet and breaking in numbers, sometimes 5 or 6 at once. Punting the ball to Demba Ba and hoping he holds it up and brings one of 2 others into play is not tactical genius.
I for one am sick of the British media falling over their feet to praise him, and hopefully they are just starting to turn. He has failed this season bringing no trophies to a Chelsea team that is very strong on paper and probably has the 2nd highest wage bill. I'd be surprised if Abramovich is happy to watch this style of play, and also win nothing, so if it happens again next year he will probably get sacked. But as Mourinho does, he will get a job in another country with a club who has a huge amount of money to spend, massive wage bill, and are the favourites for their countries league title. PSG anyone?




The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group E

Group E(FIFA Rankings)
France(16)
Switzerland(8)
Ecuador(28)
Honduras(32)


Group E looks like a nice group for France and Switzerland judging by the rankings, but with the heat in Brazil, will it be the Central and South Americans who enjoy the conditions more and can take the game to the two favourites?

France - The last 5 World Cups have been a mixed bag for France with their 1998 triumph followed by failure to make it through the groups in 2002 and 2010, and a penalty defeat to Italy in the 2006 final. After the South Africa World Cup controversy with the player boycotting training due to Anelka being dismissed from the squad they have rebuilt under new manager Didier Deschamps and appear to have a team that are much stronger and more likely to compete in Brazil. They have good competition in defense with Sakho(Liverpool), Varane(Real Madrid), Koscielny(Arsenal), Mangala(Porto) and Rami(AC Milan) all vying for central defense spots. With Clichy and Evra, Sagna and Debuchy very capable full backs and Premiership regulars it looks like a strong defense will line up for France with top goalie Hugo Lloris in behind. In midfield, Paul Pogba(Juventus) has improved greatly the last 2 years and will be an important part of the midfield with Matuidi and Cabaye(both PSG). They also have fantastic wide players with places up for grabs for players like Nasri(Man City), Ribery(Bayern Munich) and Menez(PSG). This is a France team with a real chance of going far in the tournament.
Key Man - Karim Benzema is a top striker and has found his goalscoring form at Real Madrid the last 2 years. He will be crucial to the French team up front in providing the finishing touch for their creative players mentioned above. Olivier Giroud and Loic Remy are good back ups as well in case Benzema can't last 90 minutes in the heat and humidity.

Switzerland - Switzerland qualified for the WC by comfortably winning an easy looking group that Iceland were runners up in. They have qualified for the previous 2 competitions, making it to the second round in 2006. They have a better looking squad now than they did back then, but I still think they will struggle to get out the groups. Josip Drmic(Nurnberg) and Admir Mehmedi(Freiburg) are good young strikers and regulars in the Bundesliga, both scoring goals for their clubs. Xherdan Shaqiri at 22 has been getting plenty games at Bayern Munich this season and will be an important creative player from wide left and right. Diego Benaglio(Wolfsburg) is a good goalkeeper but I think the problem will be in front of him. Arsenal rejects, Senderos and Djourou, now at Valencia and Hamburg respectively, will potentially line up at central defense and that will be a weak point. Valon Behrami and Blerim Dzemaili have both been involved with Napoli this season and add some quality to the midfield alongside the key man...
Key Man - Gokhan Inler is a strong central midfielder also from Napoli that can have a big impact on games with his ball winning and strong runs from deep. He will be a crucial player in breaking up play for Switzerland and getting it to the creative players.

Ecuador - The Ecuador team qualified by edging out Uruguay on goal difference in qualifying and will be hopeful the conditions help them in Brazil. Their squad is very much made up of home based players and players in Mexico, with only 4 or 5 players playing in Europe. Felipe Caicedo, formerly of Man City, now at Al-Jazira, will be the main striker. He is very strong and can bring others into play, but he will need to score more goals and add to his 15 for Ecuador. Christian Noboa(Dynamo Moscow) is about as well known as they come in this squad, I can't pretend I know many of them. Noboa is a quick, creative player who can play anywhere across the midfield and will be important part of the team for creating chances.
Key Man - Antonio Valencia is the captain and the top player in Ecuador. He has lightening pace as we all see for Man Utd, but he will have to be at the top of his game to lead this team into the latter stages.

Honduras - Head coach Luis Suarez(not that one) has managed to qualify Honduras for their second successive World Cup and their squad contains quite a lot of familiar, if not top quality, players. Izaguirre(Celtic) and Peralta(Rangers) are the Scottish based contingent in the squad. There are 4 players playing in England, with Hull defender Maynor Figueroa(102 caps) and midfielder Wilson Palacios(Stoke) both regular starters. Roger Espinoza and Juan Carlos Garcia both of Wigan are the other 2 in what doesn't really look like a strong squad. I'd be surprised if they get a win in their 3 games even though they did out qualify Mexico.
Key Man - Carlo Costly, not just for his quality name, but the striker who plays for Real Espana in Honduras has 30 goals in 68 caps for his country, which is a very good record. He will be the main goal threat in a team that doesn't have many.

Teams to Progress : France and Switzerland



World Cuts

World cuts wouldn't be world cuts without Carlos Valderrama making an appearance. Everyone remembers him in the 1994 World Cup for his hair more than anything. He was a very good midfielder for years in Colombia, winning 111 caps. I have no idea how he managed to get his hair like this, maybe the humidity in USA, but he looks fantastic, and he would definitely put you off facing him.

Racism still exists in Football, not surprisingly

Wednesday has become blogging day for me, although it would be nice if more people read it, so please get retweeting, sharing and commenting!

Last weekend saw us beating Peterhead 4-0 away from home, which was a fantastic performance. They had already won the league, so it wasn't the same fighting performance they usually give, but it was a good win nonetheless. Fair play to them this year, they have had a great season and been so consistent at home in particular(this was their first defeat). They have the best player in the league in Rory McAllister(pictured) who just won the PFA player of the year award after his 30 league goals.

He has been the difference between Peterhead and the rest of the teams, and they have won the league comfortably because of that. Peterhead is a great example to other part time clubs in the way they are set up. They have a fantastic playing surface, good big changing rooms, great food after the game and a nice hospitality lounge. If all clubs had set ups like that it would make travelling to away games much more enjoyable.
We have given ourselves a great chance of playoffs now and need to get at least a point at home to Clyde on Saturday. It's 5 goals in 5 games for me now which has coincided with the team picking up 13 points in those games. Berwick keep on winning behind us, so it is up to us to make sure we don't slip up and miss out on the playoffs. We are in good form at the moment just at the right time in the season, so we are confident going into the last week.

Unfortunately racism has reared its ugly head again in football this week, but the response from the public and other footballers has perhaps shown that views are beginning to change in Spain. When Dani Alves got a banana thrown at him on Sunday night his action to pick it up and eat it became an instant hit on social media. However the big story for me this week has been over in the NBA, where LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned for life, fined $2.5m and will be forced to sell his franchise after he was recorded making racist remarks. This stance from the NBA commissioner is noticeably stronger than anything FIFA or UEFA has ever done, and must surely be used as an example to Sepp Blatter or Michele Platini. Maybe a life ban is a little bit strong, but it certainly leaves everyone else in no doubt, racism is completely not tolerated in the NBA.
The difference in football could not be more noticeable when you look at punishments handed out for racist behaviour. One that stands out is when former Spanish manager Luis Aragones was found guilty of racist remarks relating to Thierry Henry. He was fined 87,000 US$(1 week wage) and warned about future misconduct. This article from the telegraph shows the extent of fines handed out for racist behaviour, and none of them will even put a dent in the finances of the countries or clubs. It shows you how racism is viewed by UEFA, when the biggest fines are for Nicklas Bendtner wearing Paddy Power boxer shorts, and Chelsea not controlling their players properly in the Champions League Semi final versus Barcelona.
Hopefully this latest incident with Alves will help to improve what is still a problem in football and maybe the example from the NBA will make FIFA and UEFA think twice about the sanctions they are handing out.


The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group D

Group D(FIFA Rankings)
Italy(9)
England(11)
Uruguay(5) 
Costa Rica(34) 

This group looks like a real tough one for England to qualify from with 3 teams vying for the top 2 places. Costa Rica are not the worst team in the tournament, but it would be a surprise if they managed to get any points from the group.

Italy - The 4 time winners are always contenders at the World Cup, and this year should be no different. However, one big problem they have is venues of games and kick off times. They have the opening game in the amazon jungle at Manaus, then two 13:00 kick offs in Recife and Natal, both boasting tropical temperatures and unbearable heat at that time of day. If Italy make it through the group they could be physically drained by the latter stages. One advantage is they do have a strong squad, with all their players playing in Serie A, the exceptions being 3 at PSG(Sirigu, Verratti, Motta), Giaccherini at Sunderland and maybe Criscito at Zenit. They are always well organised and strong in defense, with Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci all playing together at Juventus as well as Italy. Balotelli is the main man upfront, although he might be frustrating he can produce in the big games, and did so at the Euro 2012's. He can score in big games, and with Guiseppe Rossi getting back to fitness they could both be important players upfront. Danielle De Rossi has always been a strong midfielder for them and will be again, and with the skill of Marchisio and Montolivo the Italians will be a big threat.
Key Man - Andrea Pirlo might be 34 now but he is still an unbelievable footballer. He hardly ever gives the ball away, is cool under pressure and a great set piece taker. His passing range will be a great asset, and in this heat when he might not be closed down as quickly he can be so dangerous. 

 England - England will go into this World Cup apparently with little chance and with expectations seemingly at an all time low. However, their squad is not any worse than other tournaments, and I'm sure if they get a result in their first game against Italy the media will go crazy. No doubt they have good players, but it will be interesting to see how they perform on the big stage. Steven Gerrard has been excellent for Liverpool all season(forget about his slip on Sunday), but will he have the energy to play all games for England after a tough season? Sturridge has scored plenty goals, but his form has dipped recently with Raheem Sterling looking like England's best player at the moment. Adam Lallana has been a star for Southampton, same goes for his teammate Ricky Lambert. Walcotts pace and energy will be a big miss, so they need to get that from elsewhere, maybe from Chamberlain. Cahill and Jagielka will be important players at the back, but maybe they lack a bit of pace at the highest level. Joe Hart will need to be on form and not make mistakes that have crept into his game at club level. 
Key Man - Wayne Rooney has failed to perform at a major tournament so far in his career but surely this year, if he goes in fit, that won't happen again. There is no doubting Rooney has quality, but he needs to show he is world class on this stage. His goals record for England(38 in 89) and United is excellent, so they need him to be at his best.

Here is the squad that if I was Roy Hodgson, I would pick.
GK - Hart, Forster, Foster
Def - Johnson, Jagielka, Cahill, Baines, Shaw, Flanagan, Jones, Smalling,
Mid - Gerrard, Wilshere, Henderson, Sterling, Chamberlain, Milner, Lallana, Barkley,  
Att - Rooney, Sturridge, Welbeck, Lambert 

There is a good mix of youth and experience in there, plenty energy and hopefully for their sake, some goals. It will also help with future tournaments that players like Shaw, Barkley and Sterling get World Cup experience.

Uruguay - The Uruguay team looks fantastic going forward and have some good defenders, so they should be a threat this Summer. Being South American they have the advantage of the conditions(No team from Europe has won a WC in South America). They qualified virtue of a comfortable playoff win against Jordan, after they had finished 5th in the South American qualifying table. Player of World Cup 2010, Diego Forlan, is 34 now but can still be a goal threat and will be required this year in the heat. Edinson Cavani(PSG) is a top player and adds pace and strength to the attacking line. Walter Gargano(Parma) will be an important holding midfielder in front of the defense, with Diego Lugano(West Brom) still playing at 33 and the excellent Diego Godin(Athletico Madrid). They have good strong fullbacks as well in Caceres(Juventus) and Pereira(Benfica) both good defensively.
Key Man - Luis Suarez might not be the most liked footballer in the world, but he has certainly turned his game up a notch this season. His quick turns, good finishing and great link up play means he is one of the best players in the world. He is so sharp and nutmegs defenders more than anyone I have ever seen play football, so if he plays well, Uruguay will be a huge threat.

Costa Rica - The Costa Ricans qualified by finishing second behind USA in the North American qualifiers. This is their 5th World Cup, but with this group they won't be expecting much. The squad doesn't boast many recognisable names, but one is Bryan Oviedo, who unfortunately broke his leg in January this year, and could well miss out on his place in the squad. Cristian Gamboa the right full back is someone I have seen live playing for Rosenborg, and he is a very attacking full back and someone who I was very impressed with, hopefully he can have a good tournament. Striker Joel Campbell became a household name after his goal against Man United for Olympiakos, and the on loan Arsenal Striker looks quick and could cause opposition troubles, but at 21 it is a big ask for him to take his team in the knockout stages.
Key Man - Bryan Ruiz is the main man for this team, and although he only showed glimpses of his talents at Fulham there is no doubt that he is someone with great ability. He isn't a regular goalscorer, but he does score spectacular goals, and he can produce a bit of magic to create chances for his teammates.

Teams to Progress - Italy and Uruguay 


World Cuts

 This weeks edition of World Cuts takes us back to the 1998 World Cup in France and to one of Championship Managers finest players, Taribo West. He was well known for sporting some form of dreadlocks, or other noticeable hair styles, but in the World cup of 98, he produced a spectacular green effort that is difficult to describe and is best shown in picture.