My blog is lasting longer than Moyes

Well, I didn't score, but don't worry loyal fans I am still writing this week as the World Cup does excite me with only 50 days to go. In other news, David Moyes won't be able to take my advice from my previous blog so it will be up to someone else to use my insight to fix Man United. I'm pretty certain they will be using it.

This weeks game we drew 2-2 with Elgin, somehow. I've never played a game when my team has missed 2 penalties, but just when we needed a win on Saturday it happened. We have only had 3 penalties this season, which is quite a low number, but we have missed them all now so I hope we don't have any shootouts if we make the playoffs. There was some easy chances missed and add to that a terrible goal lost on Saturday, so we have put ourselves under a bit of pressure, but I think we are good enough to get the points we need in the last 2 games to get into the playoffs. We have a good squad with lots of playoff experience, so it should hold us in good stead if we get there. It's at this time of season where it is important to be playing well and not making any mistakes, especially in playoffs where it can cost you promotion. Hopefully myself and Jordan can bag a few more goals before the season is done and get the team into League 1.

David Moyes grabbed the headlines this week again, but it was sadly the end of his 10 month tenure. Opinion seems to be split on whether he should have been given more time or if it was the right decision. For me it is the right decision, for some reason it just wasn't working. No doubt in my mind that Moyes is a top manager. For years at Everton he defied there financial situation to get them challenging for Champions League spots and competing against the best teams. Even this season I feel that Martinez is benefiting hugely from the solid base that Moyes built at Everton. Martinez is rightly getting a lot of praise, but if you look at his Wigan team, it was weak at the back, but good going forward. He has added that forward threat this season at Everton, but without the back 5 that Moyes will have coached defensively they would definitely be shipping more goals.
Sometimes a manager just doesn't fit a club, and that is Moyes at Man United. He never seemed to stamp his own personality on the team. He always wanted to try and please other people instead of being the same successful man he was at Everton. Perhaps the club was too big for him or the Fergie shadow was just too much for him to handle, but from day one, right through the transfer market, and every game at Old Trafford his team hasn't done what he has expected. Some people will blame the players who haven't performed for him. But there has to be a reason top players aren't performing and that must be down to the way they are being coached which has led to some poor results and that has bred a lack of confidence. Players have to be happy to perform, and if the training is not to their liking then the manager won't get the results he wants. I know his training must have been the same at Everton, but you have to remember that he was the main man at Everton for 11 years and therefore the players were used to it, they also knew it was successful, so they bought into it. Obviously the players at United have been trained completely differently under previous coaches and so they have found the adjustment hard, resulting in poor performances and disappointing results. Sure the squad isn't great, but they are seriously under performing and unfortunately for Moyes, something had to be done sooner rather than later.


The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group C

Group C(FIFA Rankings)
Colombia(4)
Greece(10)
Ivory Coast(21)
Japan(47)

On paper(if not the FIFA rankings) this group looks wide open, so lets look at each team and see who looks likely to get through.

Colombia- Colombia qualified for the WC by finishing second to Argentina by only 2 points in the South American Qualifiers. It shows that they could be serious contenders in Brazil with the conditions that they will be used to. The major problem they have though is Falcao. There biggest star and top scorer in qualifying(9) is a serious fitness doubt after he suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in January. It would be a seriously quick recovery if he makes it, so I doubt he will, and if he does he won't be fit. They do have 2 other strikers however that are in good form this season. Jackson Martinez has scored 27 goals with Porto whilst Adrian Ramos has 16 in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin and will move to Dortmund in the summer. Fredy Guarin is a very accomplished central midfielder at Inter and it will be his job for Colombia to pass the ball and start attacks.
Key Man - James Rodriguez. In the absence of a fully fit Falcao, his Monaco teammate will be the main threat from left wing. He has blistering pace, an eye for goal and can spot a good pass. With 10 goals and 11 assists this season for Monaco he has been in good form and will be hoping to have a huge tournament at only 22 years old.

 Greece - The European Champions of 2004 always seem to defy expectations in qualification for big tournaments. This time they beat Romania in a playoff after finishing second in a poor looking group to Bosnia. Their squad doesn't boast many if any big names, so it will be down to hard work and a solid defense if they are to get through this group. There squad is made up with quite a number of home based players that will know each other well and play together at club level which will help. Sokratis(Dortmund) at central defense will be a big player alongside Papadopoulos, and Torosidis(Roma) will be a big attacking threat from the left back position that he plays for Greece. Goals might be hard to come by if they are relying on the forever frustrating Samaras, especially if Mitroglou is still injured having hardly featured since a £12m move to Fulham in January.
Key Player - Giorgos Karagounis might be 37 years old, but the 132 capped midfielder is still the main playmaker in midfield. He has been a very good player for years if you can forget about his diving. His set piece delivery will be crucial for the Greeks if they are to progress. Will be interesting at his age if he can still have an impact on a big tournament.


Ivory Coast -

If any African team is going to win a World Cup this year it would potentially be this one, but I think it is asking too much to expect that. They have some top players in their squad but defensively they don't look strong enough and, as is often the case with African teams, they don't have a good goalkeeper. In attack there is no question of their quality, Didier Drogba might be 36 but he can still be a real handful with his strength and has proven he can score big goals. Wilfried Bony has been in great form for Swansea, as has Gervinho for Roma and Kalou for Lille. A big player however will be Cheick Tiote, who will be in charge of breaking up opposition attacks and getting the ball to all the threats in attack.
Key Man - Yaya Toure is one of the best players in the world. He can sometimes be quite lazy, but he has the ability to turn a game with a piece of brilliance, as he did in the Carling Cup Final this year. His strong runs from midfield with the ball can cause all sorts of problems for opposition defenses and hopefully he can produce the form he has been in for Manchester City this year. Will it be enough to take them to the Quarters and beyond though is a different question.

Japan - Japan qualified for their 5th World Cup in a row through the easiest continent to qualify by beating Australia, Jordan, Oman and Iraq in their group. They have been handed a relatively favourable draw in the groups which can give them a chance to go beyond the groups for the 3rd time. Most of their players now ply their trade in Europe, but there are still a few home based players such as 141 times capped Yasuhito Endō. They will always be hard working but they do have some quality in their squad too. Shinji Kagawa(Man United) and Keisuke Honda(AC Milan) are both really intelligent attacking midfielders who can spot a pass and know how to keep possession. Hiroshi Kiyotake(Nurnberg) is another one that can be a real goal threat from midfield. In defense they have Maya Yoshida(Southampton) at centre back and a very good attacking left back in Yūto Nagatomo(Inter). It will most likely be their hard work and attacking players that can get them into the next round.
Key Man - Shinji Okazaki is the main man upfront for Japan. He has been in good form for Mainz 05 this season scoring 13 goals, and has 38 in 73 appearances for Japan. He has good movement, is very sharp in the box and can finish. It will be up to him to finish chances created by their top attacking midfielders.

Teams to Progress -  Colombia and Ivory Coast


World Cuts

In 1994 the World Cup in USA will be remembered for a Diana Ross missed penalty, and a boring 0-0 final between Brazil and Italy. However, one man from the home nation was sporting an absolute classic ginger hair, beard, moustache combo. Alexi Lalas was part of the USA team that defeated a well fancied Colombia team thanks to Andres Escobar own goal, which sadly cost him his life. Unfortunately they lost their final game against Romania, so Lalas was only seen in the group stages but for me as an 8 year old his hair was never forgotten.

I Scored, My Bike Worked, And The Sun Is Out, Almost

So another goal after a week of blogging, I better keep this up for the rest of the season!
I reckon if it keeps up we might win promotion, I might even hit 10 goals which was pretty unlikely 3 weeks ago. Things might be looking up.
I even managed a 40k cycle yesterday out towards Roslin chapel and my tyres remained pumped up the whole way, what a relief. Mind you, it was a relatively nice day so I wouldn't have minded changing it so much. One thing that did happen though was that some guy on a much more expensive and lighter bike passed me like I was hardly moving on the way home up Comiston Road. I didn't feel like chasing him after 35km of cycling already, but to be honest I'd never have been able to anyway. I'll just blame it on the bike, it seems like the sensible thing to do.

Tuesday was by far the nicest day of the year in Edinburgh with the sun out all day. It coincided with Karen Anna's birthday which was ideal as we had a wander along the canal into town and had a coffee on the roof terrace on top of the National Museum. We have been to that museum 4 or 5 times now, and if anyone hasn't been to it since it got converted then go and have a look. It is on Chambers Street in town and is free obviously. You could basically spend a whole day in there and not see everything, so it is well worth a visit, and also the coffee is very nice. Showing my age a bit here.

Bubba gets his jacket from Adam Scott

After my blog last week talking about The Masters and predicting a big week for 3 players, it was Jordan Spieth who went as close as anyone with a fantastic debut at Augusta. He looked like he belongs at the top of Major Championship leaderboards and I'm sure he will be a name to look out for in the remaining 3 majors of the year. Bubba Watson was the eventual winner, and even though his swing is unconventional, he gives himself a lot of birdie opportunities because of the distance he hits the ball. He is, more often than any other player, hitting short irons into the greens which gives him a huge advantage around a course like Augusta. It wasn't the most exciting finish we have seen in a major with Bubba cruising the last few holes, but it was an impressive performance from the man from a small town in Florida called Bagdad. I'm willing to bet he is the most successful sportsman to come from that town. The next major of the season is The US Open which starts on 12th June, the same day as the World Cup starts, so that isn't great timing. It takes place at Pinehurst, North Carolina.




The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group B

Group B (FIFA Rankings)
Spain(1)
Netherlands(15)
Chile(14)
Australia (59)

Diego Costa on his Spain debut

Spain - The reigning champions and winners of the last 2 Euro championships have to be the favourites going into this World Cup, but I think they are more vulnerable to being beaten than previously. They had to qualify even as defending champions, but came through their group with France, Finland, Georgia and Belarus, unbeaten. Stars like Puyol and Xavi are ageing and losing their influence, whilst the younger players still need time to develop into world class stars, and potential trophy winners. Players like Koke and Isco will be stars in the future, but I am not sure if they will be good enough yet to take Spain to another major trophy. I wouldn't write them off, but I think there are maybe 1 or 2 teams in slightly better positions. They still have players like Iniesta, Silva, Pedro and Xabi Alonso that are good enough to win any game, so we will see how they do when the competition gets towards the Quarter Final, if they get safely through what is a tough group. 
Key Man - Diego Costa, he might only have 1 cap, but the Brazilian born striker is going to be crucial for Spain this summer. With Torres out of form and Villa not quite where he was 4 years ago the Athletico Madrid striker will be likely to lead the line. He is tall, quick, strong and a good finisher, he should have a good World Cup with the service he will get from midfield. He has scored 33 times in 37 appearances this season, so confidence is high and he is in my top 3 for the Golden boot.

 Netherlands - In a repeat of the 2010 final, Netherlands will play Spain in the groups and they will be out for revenge. Add in Chile, and this group becomes very difficult to predict. They qualified by winning 9 of their 10 games, in a group containing Turkey, Romania and Hungary, so they get here full of confidence. The Dutch have a decent looking squad, but they don't look strong defensively, and they are without their star central midfielder Kevin Strootman through injury, so they look light in there. They have a lot of quality going forward with Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but in this heat and looking through their squad, I don't see them getting to another final. 
Key Man - Arjen Robben, his form will be crucial to how the Dutch get on. His pace and trickery running with the ball are as good as anyone in the world and he can cause defenses no end of problems. He has played a lot of games this year however, and he will be asked to do a lot more than what is needed at Bayern where he is amongst a host of stars. 

Chile - Chile qualified through the super competitive South American qualifying in 3rd place, just behind Argentina and Colombia. They recently showed their quality by beating England 2-0 in a friendly at Wembley, and they are definite dark horses heading to Brazil. They will be used to the heat and humidity more so than their European counterparts, so this gives them a slight advantage. Their last game in Sau Paulo against The Netherlands could be a decider for qualification with Spain. They might not have many household names, but they have a very experienced squad who are all generally aged between 25-30. They have amassed a lot of caps between them, and played together a fair amount so they will be dangerous. Arturo Vidal is the star midfielder who plays for Juventus will play alongside one of Chile's stars from the 2010 WC, Jean Beausejour from Wigan. 
Key Man - Alexis Sanchez might not play every week at Barcelona, but his blistering pace and eye for goal means he will be a massive player for Chile this Summer. At 25, he already has 65 caps and is well on his way to becoming their most capped player. He has played enough games this season to stay sharp, but not too many, so he will be fresh for Chile, and this is a big bonus for them as they try to improve on their last 16 appearance in 2010. 

Australia - The Socceroos are definite outsiders in this group having qualified through Asian qualifiers by finishing second in a group with Japan, Jordan, Oman and Iraq. It's hardly the same quality as Spain, Netherlands and Chile. Looking at their squad it is hard to see how they can cause trouble to the big boys. Tim Cahill is now 34, and their main striker Robbie Kruse looks set to miss the tournament through injury. I think they will be going home with 0 points and find it hard to pick out a key man.
Potential Key Man - Mile Jedinak the Crystal Palace midfielder has been in good form this year for the Eagles team which has thrived under Tony Pulis. If he can maintain his form he could influence the Australian team, but with a lack of cutting edge upfront and not looking strong at the back, it is a step up too much for the Socceroos. 

 Teams to Progress - Spain and Chile

World Cuts 

Thanks to my unsporting mates for the feedback on last weeks preview, I will be doing a look back on the best and worst hair cuts from previous World Cups. In this weeks edition the featured picture is the Romanian team from France '98. 
Sporting identical bleached blonde barnets against Tunisia, after they had beaten England in the groups, they went on to lose in round 2 against Croatia. They wanted to promote togetherness and in fairness, they look fantastic...

GK Bogdan Stelea was the only man left out as he was bald

 

Blogging proven to help goal scoring

It's been 3 goals in 2 games since I started blogging again, this can't be a coincidence surely. I like to think not, so here I am again on a Wednesday blogging away. This edition will feature a preview of group A in the World Cup and a bit on The Masters which starts tomorrow.

After an important win last week at Annan we somehow scraped another 2-1 win at home to Berwick on Saturday. Against 10 men for all of the second half we finally got an equaliser in the 89th minute followed by a winner in injury time. It was tough on Berwick, but that is football sometimes, and I'm sure it has happened to my team before. In the game, the red card was something I personally have never seen before. A player was sent off for aggressive celebrating(allegedly). Apparently some sort of aggressive gesture was made to the crowd, but I didn't see it as I was too busy shouting at defenders. Pretty standard really.
Anyway, with that win under our belt we moved 5 points clear from 5th place in our playoff spot. With 4 games to go it puts us in a good position now and we need to probably win 2 of our remaining games to make sure. Hopefully we are coming good at the right time of the season, personally I'd like to score a few more goals before the Summer.

The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group A

Group A (FIFA rankings)
Brazil(9)
Croatia(16)
Mexico(20)
Cameroon(50)

Brazil - Brazil have a fantastic selection of playmakers and attacking midfielders to choose from but they can be vulnerable at the back with the attacking football they play. Players like Ramires and Fernandinho will be crucial to the balance of the team in midfield if they play. They have fantastic attacking full backs in Marcelo and Dani Alves, and should have strong central defense pairing with 2 of Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Dante. They might lack a top class striker, but Fred performed well in last years Confederations cup and can provide goals. They are one of the favourites.
Key Man - Neymar, he is the star of the team with his skill and pace. He will be the pin up boy for Brazil this year and they are relying on a big tournament from him. He needs to have a good WC to prove to the world he is as good as the Brazilians have been saying. 

Croatia - Croatia qualified by beating Iceland in the playoffs as they struggled through a group containing Belgium and Serbia. They aren't as good as they once were, but they do still have some top players that on their day can make the difference. Mario Mandzukic is the top scorer in Bundesliga this season and is a big threat upfront with his strength and aerial ability. Nikica Jelavic might not be in his best form, but getting games for Hull will make sure he is match fit going into the tournament.Ivan Rakitic has been in great form for Sevilla this season also, as has Dejan Lovren for Southampton. They could spring a surprise, but they would need to improve drastically on their qualifying performances.
Key Man - Luka Modric, the little play maker makes things tick at Real Madrid alongside Xabi Alonso, he will have a huge part to play in this Croatia team, if he is on form he is a fantastic midfielder. He can make things happen and get Croatia out their group.

Mexico - Mexico just scrapped into the WC virtue of a playoff against New Zealand, after they were beaten by USA, Costa Rica and Honduras in qualifying. They lack any real stars with their stars of previous years, Rafael Marquez and Gerardo Torrado, both ageing. I'd be surprised if the get through the groups as they don't have stand out performers, although the 100 capped Andres Guardado(Bayer Leverkusen) could provide a threat from the left wing. They have plenty experience at the back with Salcido and Marquez, but they will be vulnerable to any pace from opposition.
Key Man - Javier Hernandez, the Man Utd striker hasn't had many games this season, but when he does play he is a pure goalscorer. He has good pace, and makes great runs in behind. He knows where the goal is and that is important in a tournament. Needs to service, might not get it in this Mexico team.

Cameroon - After winning a group with Libya, Congo DR and Togo, Cameroon went on to beat Tunisia in a 2 legged playoff to qualify for the WC. 'The Indomitable Lions' were always known as the biggest threat from Africa, but not anymore and I struggle to see them making an impact this year. They don't have many names that are familiar to British football fans, but Alex Song is one who can play holding midfield and will be comfortable on the ball and strong against his opponents. Stephane Mbia is a strong defender, but he isn't great, and unfortunately he might be their best. Maxim Choupo-Moting is a regular goalscorer in the Bundesliga, so he could provide a threat upfront, but Cameroon will need to play well as a full team if they have any chance of progressing.
Key Man - Samuel Eto'o is still the talisman of Cameroon. He is 33 now and has amassed 115 caps scoring 55 goals. He was one of the best strikers in the world, but not anymore. If he can find his form of old he could provide Cameroon with a spark, but Mourinho will tell you he hasn't been at it this season, and he might be 36, so I think it's too late for him to lead his country to a great WC.

Teams to progress - Brazil and Croatia 

 
The Masters

The golf season begins for real this weekend with the players heading to Augusta for the first major of the year. The green jacket is the thing everybody in golf is after, it is so iconic and winning at Augusta is every childhood golfers dream.
With Tiger Woods out injured and nobody really dominating golf in the way he used to this is a wide open championship. Rory Mcilroy will start as favourite but there are so many golfers who can win it that it makes the betting market wide open.
Avoiding the obvious, here is my 3 players to look out for this weekend!

Patrick Reed - At 23 this is his first Masters, but he doesn't lack confidence and he went to university at Augusta State and therefore he has played the course before. He won the WGC Cadillac earlier this year at Doral which is a big tournament at which he proclaimed afterwards that he is one of the top 5 golfers in the world. He has won 3 times in the last year, and goes into this confident he can compete. Don't be surprised to see him up there. Odds - 55/1

Jordan Spieth - Another youngster who burst onto the PGA Tour last year with victory at the John Deere Classic. He also lost a playoff at the Wyndham Championships against the aforementioned Patrick Reed. He finished 10th on the money list and finished the year 23rd in the World rankings, after starting the year at 810. All this and he is only 20. Confidence will be high, he has the right game for the course setup at Augusta, and the fans will be behind him. Watch out for his name in the leaderboard, it won't be a surprise. Odds - 40/1

Stephen Gallacher - The Scotsman is 39 now, but he is in the form of his life it would seem the last year. This will be his first experience of Augusta, but he should have a game that suits the course. He has already won this year, defending his title in Dubai. He won't be one of the favourites this weekend, and if I'm honest I'd be surprised if he wins, but a place isn't unlikely. He is one of the best long iron players which suits Augusta, so if he can get his putter hot you never know. It is a shame Martin won't be there to support, but I can support Stephen instead and hope he has a great 4 days. Odds - 200/1

Last year Adam Scott finally got himself a major championship by beating Angel Cabrera in a playoff, lets hope this year is as exciting as that come Sunday night!

Football, football and more football

A nice response last week from facebook was an encouragement so here we are again, and I did say I felt like a bit of form was coming in the football too. Maybe I gave myself some belief to go and grab 2 goals at the weekend. According to the paper they were "2 tap ins", but they were both decent finishes from good run and crosses from the fastest man in football Phil Johnston.
Scoring is the best feeling in the world at any level, so it was good to get 2 and also an important win. We have a good squad and very strong starting 11, so we should be pushing for promotion, hopefully we can rectify what has been an average season by getting to the playoffs and winning promotion.
It was 2007 I last won a promotion with Queen's Park, and that was via the playoffs, so we will wait and see.
Elsewhere I obviously keep my eye on my old teams, and with the introduction of playoffs to the first division(Championship) it has kept my old teams Falkirk and QOS very much in the hunt for promotion chances. I really do wish those playoffs had been brought in 5 years ago. My teams finished top 4 in every season I played in that division, except one 5th place in 2008-09 with Queen of the South.
Falkirk had a great result at Dundee on Saturday to keep them in with a slim chance of 1st place, but a playoff spot is more likely and who knows what can happen there. It looks like Dundee and Hamilton will be battling it out till the end. I personally think Dundee will just steal it, but Jason Scotland is a great signing for Hamilton and could provide the firepower to get them over the line.

What is Happening at Man United?

Although the Premiership has been and still is very exciting at both ends, the main talking point has generally been the problems at Man United. David Moyes has found it very tough going and the team he inherited has let him down badly. He hasn't done himself many favours with signing of Fellaini, the slightly cautious tactics and team selection, but something has to change drastically in the summer to improve his team. It is so important to have a strong back 4, it is what Chelsea build there success on, and what Man City will have next year when they get somebody in beside Kompany, Zabaleta and Kolarov. Unfortunately for United, Ferdinand is past his best, so are Vidic and Evra. Plus Rafael isn't good enough defensively and Jones/Smalling aren't quite there yet. It is a tough transitional period, but Moyes needs to act in the summer transfer market.
Here is what I would do if I was him, and the team he could play next season;

OUT:
Vidic is leaving along with Evra to go to Inter on free transfers, add Ferdinand to that so we need a new defense.
Nani, Young and Zaha all have hardly played this year. They can get good money for all 3. Zaha is an interesting one, but something must be seriously wrong with his training or attitude or something, because he hardly got any minutes, and then was loaned out. Nani hasn't had a good season for 3 or 4 years, and Young has been poor except his first 6 months at United.

RVP is picking up injuries and might be worth selling

Hernandez and Van Persie. Chicharito hasn't had many minutes, but he clearly doesn't fit into the system that Moyes plays, and he could get some good money for him since he is a goalscorer. He is a good striker, and if he leaves will score goals somewhere. Van Persie has not been near his best this year, as age and injuries are catching up with him. Somebody will still pay good money for him, but you need to have a top striker that is playing all season, and in my opinion anyway, Rooney can play that role and always shines when he is the main man upfront. Plus with Mata in behind Rooney, it gets the best out of both of them.

Luke Shaw looks like the potential England left back for many years

IN:
A full back four is needed in my opinion, and I would start with Seamus Coleman from Everton, and Luke Shaw from Southampton as my full backs.
They have experience in the league, many years ahead of them and both attack very well from full back. They are quick and can defend, and will improve.
I'd get Mats Hummels from Dortmund as my first centre back. He is 25, good on the ball, and very strong. He should be comfortable in the Premiership. I'd probably play Phil Jones beside him for his pace, and because he should improve, but I'd maybe try and get someone else. Steven Caulker might be available if Cardiff get relegated, so he could come in and improve the squad and add competition.

Hummels(left) and Gundogan(right) would be quality signings

In midfield it is important United get a good central midfielder, and at least one wide player in the Eden Hazard mould. Ilkay Gundogan was a standout for Dortmund in midfield last season, I would be desperate to get a player like him in there. With Mata playing in behind the striker and Kagawa as another option they don't need a number 10.
Wide options include Welbeck, Valencia and Januzaj so they need someone else. Iker Muniain at Athletic Bilbao is young and extremely talented. He is known as 'The Spanish Messi' and he would be a fantastic signing to play on the left wing. Welbeck could double up as a striker, but they would need someone as back up to Rooney, and potentially as a starter if the team is shuffled around. Mario Mandzukic is surely moving in the Summer since Lewandowski is coming to Bayern Munich, so he would be my choice.

Admittedly, this would cost a fortune, but with the sales of the other players, and the promised transfer budget that Moyes has, it is potentially possible. Ok, he won't go for all those players as I am probably talking nonsense. but if he did, this could be his team:

Potential team?

That team looks much stronger than what he has in my opinion, and with decent options on the bench would have to be doing better than this season.
Let me know what you think? What would you do?

Thanks for reading, next week, World Cup group A gets a run down, and whatever else pops into my head.

The Curse of the Flat tyre

Ok, so admittedly it has been ages since I sat down and typed out a blog, but my last 2 trips out on my bike have inspired me to get on here and have a life update. To anyone still committed enough to read what I have to say, thanks.

As some of you may know I got myself a nice budget racing bike in September and I must admit I should have done it years ago. It is a great feeling getting out into the countryside of Edinburgh and climbing hills. I have found myself some nice little routes that involve some nice little steep climbs and decent quiet roads.

My bike, hopefully get plenty miles done in the Summer

It is great for fitness but also good to just be outside and working hard. Unfortunately there is one problem that has hit me on both my last cycles, and just my luck it's happened about as far away from home as possible, the flat tyre. The first time around I was up beyond Balerno, and last week I was past Penicuik. Thankfully I haven't ventured any further than a 50km cycle or I could have been even further away. Now, I remember being young and watching your old man fix a flat tyre was no bother. Not so easy when it's cold and wet, in the middle of nowhere and you have never done it before. Even worse when you had your bike serviced and went out without the repair kit so had to walk home 10km in your bike gear after being sweating on a cold day.
So after the first one was fixed(with help from Dad, I know how to fix it now though, honest) I went back out, and on my way up a long hill out of Auchendinny I noticed my back was flat again. So I stopped and got to work with my new found skills. I'd been given a little patch that was apparently self stick. So after getting my tube off and finding the tiniest of holes I used the patch. I can confirm however that in the rain it doesn't stick and therefore I had to walk into Penicuik and try and get a bus home. Unfortunately Lothian buses didn't want to let me on with my bike, I even tried the pity card which failed miserably. So, luckily for me my old man (common theme here getting saved by my Dad) was in town for lunch with us, which I was late for by now, so he came and picked me up, took me home and that was that.
So, what have I learned? Well, next time I go out I will have a spare tube so I can just use that instead of making a repair. Maybe it is just bad luck and it won't happen again for a while, but if it does happen again, I'll be prepared and I hopefully won't be standing in the freezing cold waiting to be saved.

Football

To get on to football matters, the season is coming to an end. It seems to creep up on you every season unexpectedly. Suddenly there is less than 10 games to go and you have to start worrying about next season and also wonder what you will do in the Summer. I haven't planned anything as yet although a trip to Norway will definitely be on the cards. I have thought about taking my boots over and doing some training but we will see if that is possible later and we can decide if it would be a good idea to try and play football over there. Hopefully I can score a few more goals in the last 6 weeks and get some confidence up going in to the Summer. I feel I am training well and sharp enough, but not quite getting going on Saturdays, although I can feel it coming, maybe a bit late in the season!


For all you haters of footballers out there, I can make you all breathe easily, at 27, I went for my first ever job interview a couple weeks ago. I'm pretty sure it is the most nervous I've been. Well out of my comfort zone of walking out on to the training pitch. I'm pretty sure i didn't get the job based on the fact it was nothing to do with what I have done all my life, but still it was good experience for me. Hopefully next time I can relax and try to sell myself a bit better. I completely forgot most of the things I planned to say, but next time I should be better prepared. 

Sturridge and Suarez have been deadly together

In real football, the Premier League looks like it is going to be an exciting climax this season. Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool all within 3 points of each other with not long to go now. I personally would like to see Liverpool do it for a wee change and also because the football they have been playing is great to watch. More goals in a season than anyone has ever scored already and Suarez and Sturridge have both got themselves 20+ league goals.

There is no doubting that Suarez is one of the most hated players on earth. My mate Gerry has hated him since his 'save' against Ghana in the WC Quarter Finals 4 years ago. Everyone else since his constant diving, biting and horrible face, but the reality is he has become one of the best 5 players in the world. He isn't as good as Messi or Ronaldo but he definitely has a claim to be the 3rd best. He probably deserves a title, and at the moment they have a very good chance.



The excitement is building towards the World Cup in Brazil, it is so good to watch the best countries in the world playing, 3 games on a day, and hopefully England losing on penalties. I think I'll do a World Cup preview/countdown of my own like the BBC are doing with videos. It is good to see old clips from World cups of old, although I sense the England bias and think I might have an idea what number 1 will be...
I personally can't wait!

In other news, Karen Anna's Mum made me a new hat that is the Norway Winter Olympic hat, and I bloody love it and like to think I am the only one in Scotland with one!

Part Time v Full Time

In this edition I will be comparing the advantages and disadvantages of full time and part time football. I'll also be touching on a subject that has always annoyed me a bit, the feeling supporters have about footballers and also player power after the sacking of Di Canio.

After my first 2 months back at part time training I have finally started feeling as sharp as I should be and training the way I have when I was full time. It is not easy turning up for training twice a week and getting to the same levels you are when you train at least 4 times a week. I have been finding it difficult to adapt to the lack of football, but keeping busy in the gym and on my bike has at least got my fitness up and I feel stronger as a result. Part time and full time both have their advantages, but it probably isn't noticeable from the outside as to what they are.

One of the big differences for me is that when you get a touch of a ball every day and get used to passing and playing with teammates it is noticeable how much better your touch gets and your understanding with teammates. When you only train twice it isn't as easy to know what your teammates are doing and where they usually run or pass into. It has definitely taken longer to get into our stride at the start of the season as you try and get your touch and learn how everyone plays.
Also the fitness aspect is something that is always talked about when full time teams play part time. I personally don't think there is a massive difference, but I think sharpness is the big difference. Training every day really sharpens up movement and gives you an extra yard of pace. I feel like I have that yard back now after 2 months training, but I'm sure without the extra work in the gym and bike I would still feel slightly sluggish.

football friends

Another huge difference is the bond between teammates and a camaraderie when you see them every day. You become best mates and talk about everything together. You laugh together every single day, push each other hard and encourage. It is a strong friendship and you would basically trust your mate with anything. When you only see each other 3 times a week for a total of 6/7 hours it is totally different. There is still the same banter, but the difference is you don't have spare time together between double sessions or in the morning where you talk every day. There is a different atmosphere, it is still a fun place the dressing room but it isn't quite the same. Luckily for me I have always been in good dressing rooms with no real problems, no 'bad eggs', and no in team fighting, so it has always been a good place.

I think the main difference with part time is the fact you do less work time wise, the muscles recover better and therefore there will be less muscular injuries. Nothing can be done about impact injuries, but if there are less strains and pulls of muscles this should help players play more games, and extend careers. Obviously some people are lucky and never get injured anyway, but I do think there is less in general from part time.

With the inevitable sacking of Paulo Di Canio hitting the headlines this week it brought up a topic that has always annoyed me, the attitude fans have towards footballers. There seems to be a general feeling that all footballers are overpaid, lazy and don't deserve all the riches they get. This feeling doesn't just come towards the top players, it is even the same in Scotland in both full time divisions. It is understandable that people think the top players are overpaid, they earn 100's of thousands of pounds a week. But at the other end of the scale is the players who play football to earn a living and keep their families housed and happy. Having worked with quite a high number of players, the percentage of 'lazy' players is so small it is almost insignificant. Occasionally you get some players who don't try hard at training but this is so uncommon. Having played football I think it is much easier to appreciate how much hard work has gone in to become the best players. The Premiership is so elite that you just couldn't get away with being lazy and get a game every week. Even 'lazy' players like Berbatov must have worked endlessly on his touch for it to become one of the best in the world. He is also extremely strong and isn't as slow as some people think. It isn't by luck players become stronger and quicker, improve their finishing, touch, passing and heading. It is through hard work and like any other job, if you don't work hard, you don't keep your job. Add on pre season to that, where players will be hammered at training for 2/3 weeks 2 to 3 times a day, and they will all push each other to their limits. It isn't easy and most supporters couldn't do it, so maybe we aren't as lazy, overpaid and under worked as some people think.

The fact that Di Canio was sacked due to player power led some fans to inevitably blame the lazy players and that he was right to work them so hard. But it showed on the pitch he was wrong, and his attitude towards his players was completely unacceptable, the way he talked about them in the press. It is no wonder they got him sacked by speaking to the board, he isn't a good manager if he isn't a team player and thinks he is better than his team. Sunderland are better off without him and it wouldn't surprise me if they went on and moved up the table from now on in.

The International break

The first break of the season comes early in September with the International break. It is a time for me to sit and struggle through a couple of Scotland games and wonder how we will ever be good enough to qualify for a tournament again. Since I don't really have a club team I support Scotland more than most players. It really bothers me how bad we currently are and it is hard to see when, or if, we will come through the other side of this lull and make it to a tournament. Not since 1998 in France have we qualified, and that turned into a glorious failure with a close defeat by Brazil and a draw with Norway followed by a spectacular 3-0 defeat to Morocco.

After watching the Belgium game on Friday it is obvious how far away we are. We have no world class players, and if we are honest, we don't really have any top class players. There has to be a reason for this somewhere deep in the Scottish football system. There is no way that there is no talented young players, but where do they all go. It is noticeable that there isn't as many young people playing football in the streets and parks every day around Scotland like they did 10-15 years ago. But there is much more organised football for young players and many football camps held throughout school holidays. But I think that is the problem, there are no coaches in schools. School is where you spent most of your time as a kid, but at P.E you get taught nothing basically. The teachers aren't coaches and therefore you never progress at all at school, so you are only learning skills for football 2 or 3 times a week if you are lucky, under the age of 15. In other countries across Europe young players are receiving many more hours of coaching from top coaches and this make a huge difference to their technical ability.

Defour scores opener for Belgium

Another noticeable difference between Belgium and Scotland on Friday was the fitness levels and strength of the players. Every Belgium player looks like an athlete, they are all strong, quick and fit. Meanwhile we have players who look slow and get bullied. Obviously in relation to Scottish League football most of the players are good enough, but when it comes to stepping up to Premiership or international football it becomes difficult for them to compete. It can only come down to personal commitment and determination to get to the same levels as the top players. I personally think it is the Scottish footballer culture that has a big influence on this. Nights out, gambling and not enough training are all factors that stop players moving to the next level.


Something I really don't understand about Scotland managers that keep coming in, and eventually leaving with no tournaments reached, is that they all seem to want to play the exact same formation, the same way, with the same players. Nothing ever changes in the way we play (except once with the famous 4-6-0) with the team constantly setting up in a 4-5-1 formation. I know this is the modern formation of choice throughout Europe, but the way Scotland play it with 3 flat holding midfielders and 2 wide midfielders (not wingers) is far too defensive and leaves whoever is upfront on their own totally isolated. The top teams all play it with out and out wingers plus a playmaker in the number 10 role.

Hanley looking like he might have made another mistake

Take Belgium as an example since they beat us so comfortably on Friday. They had Benteke up top, then De Bruyne and Chadli playing as wingers with Defour (the goalscorer) in behind getting into the box whenever possible and linking play. We had Griffiths up front all on his own with Snodgrass and Forrest playing wide in midfield. A central defender played centre midfield beside Brown and Maloney which is so defensive. Maloney tried to get forward but likes getting on the ball so kept dropping deep. As for the defense, which is a huge weakness of Scotland and has been for years, Strachan continues to play Grant Hanley, who must be the worst Scottish defender in the squad, if not that's ever been in it!

It would be nice to see a change in formation just to see if something different helps. I'm not saying 2 upfront, but definitely one off a striker would be nice to see, and a slightly more attacking outlook. We have goalscorers in Steven Fletcher and Jordan Rhodes, we need to utilise them and create chances for them. But most importantly we need defenders who know how to defend, not constantly get caught out position and barge around like a rugby player with no brain. Mulgrew is Celtics best defender when he plays central defense, so we should play him there, it makes perfect sense.

One day it would be nice to see a Scotland team playing the way they used to when they had top class performers like Lambert and McAllister. Until we start nurturing our talent properly though, and progressing them consistently through their youth and into their careers then it could be a long long time before we get 'lucky' and bring through a group of players capable of qualifying. With the under 21's losing 6-0 and 4-0 to England and Netherlands respectively in their last 2 games, the future doesn't look bright! Nevertheless, we live in hope, I was born Scottish and I'll support them whatever the weather.

We have another game on Tuesday against Macedonia on Tuesday and here is what team I'd start with based on the current squad:

 Marshall

Hutton   Martin  Mulgrew  Whittaker

Brown  McArthur

Anya  Dorrans   Maloney

 Fletcher

It might not win, but it looks more attacking I think, and hopefully stronger at the back with Mulgrew. Hopefully we can get a win and get off the bottom of the group. It would be embarrassing to finish bottom and would seriously affect future campaigns with the pot seeding.