Shut Your Mouth

photo by notsogoodphotography	via PhotoRee

Did I mention that I'm cold?  Oh, yeah -- that was yesterday....  Still, I find myself in the heartland of this country -- college football country, to be exact --  and it's freezing here.  Not weather fit for football of the English or American variety, and certainly not weather fit for living.  But maybe weather fit for beer drinking (what weather isn't?), so even though this is not a game review article I'm dropping a beer review in at the end of today's blog.

Shut Up:  Cristiano Ronaldo called out the one-month wonder that is Mario Balotelli in an interview earlier this week.  After the Man City striker hit the trifecta by comparing his side's offensive output favorably to Barca and Real, denigrating Wayne Rooney's status as a Manchester-based striker, and elevating Roberto Mancini above Jose Mourinho in the pantheon of coaching greats, @Cristiano injected a bit of realism into the debate.  Now, I fully admit that I don't have the greatest control over the Portuguese language, but even I can translate what Ronaldo was telling Super Mario when he said to "talk less and play more."  'Nuff said.

Me Neither

photo by Nesster	via PhotoRee

Not much to say tonight, as I made the mistake of visiting a city where the wind chill is measured in the single digits, ice and snow cover the ground, and my fingers are basically too numb to type.  I'm not entirely sure why people, some of whom I even respect, would choose to live here....  But enough complaining, and to each his own.  Now, on with the show:

Pienaar to Spurs: It was a busy day in the transfer market, with Steven Pienaar shunning Chelsea to join cross-town rivals Tottenham Hotspur.  A year or two this story would have been unthinkable: who would dare join Spurs in the face of interest from Chelsea?  The fact that Pienaar did so tells the tale of how much things have changed between the two London sides in the past eighteen months.  Uncle Harry now holds the whip hand in London town, and there's nothing the Dapper Don can do about it.  Frankly, I can't figure out why Spurs want Pienaar -- a decent player, mind you, but aren't they already covered in midfield, and shouldn't they be more focused on bolstering their defense?  In any event, it'll make Correspondent Ed laugh, so we'll go with it and move onto the next piece of news, which also comes from the transfer market.

True Mediocrity

 Correspondent Ed and Friends Watching Spurs 
photo by johnsnape	via PhotoRee

And now for an alternate take on the Spurs vs. Manchester United game, this time from our fearless correspondent Ed.  Although farlieonfootie is publishing the article unedited, the company is looking into suing its own correspondent for blood libel.  Most of his statements are patently false with intent to injure reputations.  In the end, though, coorporate has decided that the only reputation injured will be Correspomdent Ed's own, as his pathetic plea for help will be recognized for what it truly is.

When a team's best case for winning a game comes down to arguing over shirt pulling, and they still can't win with a one man advantage at home for the final quarter of the game, they aren't winning the title.  End of argument; Full stop.

Without further ado, here's Ed:

Just in case you weren’t sure why most people who hear about Manchester United being undefeated react with a yawn, today’s game at Spurs should answer any questions you might have.  United were outplayed, outclassed, and at the end of the day did everything they could to secure one of those figurative sweet kisses with your sister – the zero to zero tie (sorry, Britain, just not ready to use that “nil” word quite yet).  In a league where teams like Blackpool risk their very place in the league every week by throwing all but the kitchen sink at opponents to get wins, Manchester United preferred to send their entire squad into the penalty area for most of the second half. 

Great going guys. 

Way to show heart. 

Woo.

Hoo.

Reflections on a Weekend Full of Football

photo by Mrs Logic	via PhotoRee

Some scattered thoughts from a scatter brain, after a weekend full of games, derbies and otherwise: 

Manchester City - Wolves: City finally figured out how to turn on the offense this weekend. Having scored only 11 goals at Eastlands so far the entire season, the addition of the big Serbian Edin Dzeko inspired City to put four past Mick McCarthy's Wolves on Saturday. The only problem with the game plan was that Roberto Mancini was speaking to his offense when he talked about playing "wide open football," not to his defense. 

The City players certainly appeared confused, as they gave up three goals to Wolves, and could easily have left their home ground with a single point, if not for a timely intervention of Vincent Kompany and another by the woodwork.  Having been criticized before for a lack of offensive effort, it will be interesting to see of Mancini can get his team playing on both sides of the ball in the same game.

True Grit

photo by Paul Garland	via PhotoRee

Now that's what I call a game.  Manchester United, showing True Grit and determination, survived a very tough cross examination by Tottenham Hotspur at the Lane this afternoon.   After spending all fall and winter bemoaning the points dropped on the road this season, this was well and truly a point gained for the Red Devils against a very talented Spurs side.

Playing nine against eleven for one death defying moment, United spent the last twenty minutes of the game a man short, thanks to yet another dodgy Mike Dean decision [Ed. Note: how long is one man allowed to keep officiating in the league, when it's obvious his decisions are biased against a team, to say nothing of his general incompetence?  See here and here for examples of me calling Dean out previously for his bias, as well as here for me noting his incredible incompetence.  It's time for this guy to go.]  Despite finishing the game without their right back, United hung tough on the road, and incredibly, had an opportunity to nick the full three points just before the whistle blew.  Sir Alex has to be well pleased with his side's fantastic effort.

On Having What it Takes to Win the League

photo by edwin.11	via PhotoRee

Another weekend, another footie match, and another opportunity for United to take its unbeaten status a game deeper into the EPL season.  I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to tire a bit of the mainstream media and so-called pundits singling out this current United squad as "unworthy" of the credit due for going the first half of the season without so much as losing a single match -- it's way easier to focus on the nasty draws (Arsenal's "Invincibles" had 12 during their season, by the way), close calls, and the fact that this United team hasn't hit "top gear" yet, rather than on the fact they are leading a very competitive league by an undetermined number of points (due to their status atop the league table with game(s) in hand) and have yet to suffer a defeat -- actually, to be fair, they haven't suffered a setback in the league since April, vs. Chelsea, going back to last season.

But all the carping and moaning in the mainstream media and from opposing fans is misguided.  I don't care if United goes undefeated this season, nor do I think that most Red supporters care.   I'm much more keenly focused on the team gaining the points necessary to take title number 19, as well as going as deep as possible into the Champions League knock out rounds (when a bit of luck often decides the ultimate winner), than I am on United winning or drawing the rest of the games on their EPL season schedule. 

Tangerine Dreams

photo by Smabs Sputzer	via PhotoRee

Not content to take Correspondent Ed's word for it, I journeyed down to Bloomfield Road Wednesday night to see the Tangerines take on the Reds from Liverpool in a mid-week EPL match up.  Ed has been raving about Blackpool for months now, but to know Ed as I do is to know that he raves about many things that aren't worth caring much about: for instance, his fetish with the body parts of small cloth dolls, and his strange habit of ordering a late afternoon lunch every Wednesday consisting of a polish hotdog slathered in peanut butter, cream cheese and celery salt, no bun (an "Ed Dog," we call it around the office) -- but I digress....

"You've got to see these guys play football," Ed shrieks, in his own inimitable way.  "When are they going to be considered the favorites instead of the underdogs?" he asks.  And based upon what I saw last evening, the answer is pretty damn soon.

These Blackpool FC Tangerines are an impressive, attacking football team, one that wins not by playing the game everyone else "thinks" a team just up from the Championship should be playing (that would be Stoke City's physical, "long ball over the top" game), but one that wins by playing the type of game everyone else "dreams" they could be playing.  Blackpool, as coached by the irrepressible Ian Holloway, is a mesmerizing, rollicking, swashbuckling football team that punches the accelerator to the floor and opens the throttle full for 90 minutes of edge-of-your-seat entertainment.  Win or lose, you're going to know you've seen a game, and you're going to love every minute of it.

New Rules Needed

photo by Unlisted Sightings	via PhotoRee

farlieonfootie's Correspondent Ed has initiated a hunger strike until two new rules are incorporated by FIFA.  Given the light-speed at which FIFA moves, I'm thinking he'll be pretty thin by the time these are actually enacted....

It’s as good a time as any to suggest some new rules.  I know what you’re thinking:  “Egads!!! How can you possibly think of changing the beautiful game? !!! ”  Well, it’s happened before – I remember, for example, the days when “even was off” -- so I think it’s appropriate, but only so long as it’s done pursuant to the following conservative principles:


First, the change should be made only to rectify an egregious problem that affects the fairness or playability of the game.  Second, the change should occur only if it both materially alleviates the problem at hand, and has no more than an immaterial and collateral effect on the game as it stands.  Got it?  Okay, here are two potential rule changes for your careful review -- feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section, and I'll be sure to take them up with Sepp ("Der Blattermeister" to his friends) when I see him next.

1.  Post-match Dive Review.  Following each game, the game film should be reviewed to determine if any players fell to the ground with the intent of causing a penalty. 

On Senseless Violence

photo by Myrrien	via PhotoRee

I found myself profoundly saddened this weekend by the sickening events in Tucson, Arizona, in which 20 innocent people were shot Saturday morning, including U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  Six of those shot were killed and multiple other lives hang in the balance, all due to the actions of a lone deranged gunman.  I was saddened not only by the shocking and senseless loss of life which occurred, but also by the horrific new low we've reached in our public discourse: if you don't like your opponent, it's acceptable in today's world to hurl ugly invective and hatred at them, even to the point of wishing -- or more dangerously committing -- acts of violence in the name of supporting your cause.

That there is hatred in this world is not new.  Political violence has occurred in this country in the past, and will unfortunately occur again in our future.  But that does not mean we have to accept it or encourage it in any way through our thoughts, language or action.  And the same evil which has infiltrated our daily dialog is also present in sport, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't reject it there, as well, and demand better of ourselves and others.

Notes On Blackpool, Spurs, Howard Webb and Correspondent Ed's Twitter Account

photo by @boetter	via PhotoRee

Correspondent Ed is back, imparting upon us his dangerous, naive and uninformed opinions.  Make of them what you will:

NOTES AND ASIDES (Blackpool)

1.   Blackpool Loses to Southamton 2 to 0 in FA Cup.  Well, Coach Hollaway says that Blackpool couldn’t win the FA Cup anyhow, so he benched his starters in favor of the youngsters and all but fell on his sword in the FA cup.  This one’s a tough one, but I have to agree in part with the Coach.  While I think they could have won the FA cup, the team doesn’t have the depth to do so while simultaneously putting forth the effort required into staying up in the EPL.  The team must out-hustle their opponents every week to win, and cutting down the number of games is not necessarily a bad thing for them.  That said, the FA cup is probably the only cup they have a shot at, so leaving early just isn’t much fun. 

2.   Interest in Charlie Adam.  Apparently both Aston Villa and Birmingham have expressed interest (2.5 million pounds of interest by the Villans, and 2MM for Birmingham) in Blackpool captain Charlie Adam, but both offers have been rejected.  Adam was purchased by Blackpool for 500K pounds, and currently has 18 months left on his contract.  When questioned, Coach Holloway has stated that while the team would not be interested in dealing him to lower level teams, he has spoken with Adam and would feel obliged to consider offers from top six teams for the right price.  It’s tempting to review the best fit for Charlie for these teams, but also a bit cynical.  While it may be true that the bottom clubs are somewhat like the junior varsity squads, sometimes it’s better not to think about it.  Let’s face it, there’s really only one league in the world that has it right when it comes to fairness and parity, and that’s the National Football League.  But its salary cap is impossible on an international level so it’s hard to even dream . . .