Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints

Putting the INT in International Series

On Sunday 2nd October, the NFL returns to London with the first game of the International Series taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As ever the match up brought to the Great British NFL public on paper when first announced looked like an intriguing one, and yet as we enter Week 4 of the season the sides start to take shape in terms of narrative and you can never account for injuries.

This season brings us Minnesota Vikings (2-1) versus the New Orleans Saints (1-2) in a battle between aspirational sides trying to usurp divisional heavyweights and for some people it is the last throw of the dice.

The Vikings had a great start to the season, dominating divisional rivals Green Bay Packers with an emphatic 23-7 home victory, although truth be told the Packers were depleted with two offensive line starters absent and Allen Lazard missing for Rogers, not to mention the easy touchdown grab dropped by Christian Watson which may have shifted momentum. However, Justin Jefferson shredded a depleted defence for 180 plus receiving yards and two touchdowns. 

However, as dominant as that victory was the next game saw a reversal of fortune as a road trip to Philadelphia saw the Eagles win 24-7 with Jalen Hurts ruling the roost and forcing Kirk Cousins to endure another painful prime time outing. Cousins threw for three interceptions, two sacks, a fumble and a completion percentage of 58.7. 

Last Sunday, the Vikings held on against a resilient Lions side 28-24 with Cousins showing more maturity and less mistakes, with two TDs off of 260 yards but still a low percentage rate. Yet the side did enough to gain another divisional victory and stay atop of the NFC North.

The New Orleans Saints are entering the first season of a new regime without Sean Payton and still attempting to gain an offensive identity post-Drew Brees. They decided to go with Jameis Winston, a former overall No.1 pick in the draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015 but for whom bad luck has followed him around with mistakes aplenty in his arsenal. This season after one game it was announced that he is suffering with four separate back fractures, which naturally, is not helping with his mechanics. this worry of his health has led to a return of poor play with bad decision making.

Following the fourth quarter week one comeback on the road at Atlanta - 27-26 with 269 yards for two touchdowns with no turnovers; the next week at home versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (his former team) bad Jameis returned with a nightmare performance - 25-40 236 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, 6 sacks and a fumble as they succumbed to a stellar Tampa D who won 20-10 on the road.

On Sunday, Jameis attempted to outdo himself in Carolina but threw for two more interceptions meaning five in two games and two further fumbles to gift the Panthers there first win of the season. Yet he still threw for 300 plus yards meaning the modus operandi of the Saints is to throw when possible, and he seems to have made a good connection with rookie speedster Chris Olave who had 147 yards off of nine grabs and thirteen targets of Winston's 41 total passes, that is a third of them. Michael Thomas had 49 yards off of five targets (no drops). 

Jameis played in Tottenham Hotspur stadium for the Bucs in the last season before Brady and famously threw a pick six on his first possession in a game versus the Carolina Panthers. That was one of the first games at the Premier League stadium and that pass was greeted by a mighty roar helping cement the North London venue as a leading location for NFL games in Europe; there is for the first time this season an NFL regular season encounter in Germany when Tom Brady faces off against Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs in a repeat of SuperBowl LV when he won his 7th ring.

Yet the Vikings and Saints are both undefeated in London, both 2-0 in their history, so something is going to give on this neutral territory.

What to expect this Sunday in London, well that is sometimes the beauty and curse of the NFL. In a quarterback driven league, it is hard to say what you are going to get from either of these guys under center. Cousins (when not on Prime Time) can manage this Vikings side to the playoffs, he has an abundance of talent around him to find; while Jameis' body is the big question mark. Luckily injuries to Thomas and Jarvis Landry are not considered to be long lasting and so both will be given the opportunity to star on Sunday.

What can be certain is that there should definitely be big plays - Olave had a 49 yard grab versus Carolina in defeat, and Justin Jefferson's scored two big TDs on opening week - so the potential for big plays under the lights is there. Can Kirk and Jameis deliver excitement and chaos that we adore about the NFL, or will they put the INT into the international series?

Colliison Course - Paul Gascoigne and Gary Charles

Following on from a tweet received from a friend on my timeline, the request came about stating your favourite footballing photo. A rush of memories came through my head from Pele and Bobby Moore embracing in 1970 after Brazil defeated England 1-0 in a World Cup group game, Maradona facing down five Belgian midfielders at once, Terry Butcher's face awash with crimson and flimsy bandages.

However, after a few moments thought, and when on social media you should give yourself a moment before replying, I struck upon the image below:

The image I selected was of the tackle in the 13th minute of the 1991 FA Cup Final when Paul Gascoigne recklessly tackled Nottingham Forest right back Gary Charles as he was moving across the Spurs penalty area.

In this moment of collision, impact and action - is one of the most famously bad attempts at a tackle in the late 20th century, but it also symbolises the moment the first half of an illustrious career came crashing to a shuddering halt.

Oddly, both the people in this image have strangely lived parallel lives despite being from different ends of the country, different positions, different races - both had amazing technical gifts, capped by England and yet have had to both fight their demons, both have had much documented battles with alcoholism, with one cutting short his career through this abuse and the other suffering time in prison due to drink driving.

In the build up to the game on 18th May 1991, much had been made about this being a battle between two people. Two huge characters of the game at that time, one played on the pitch the other was on the sideline - this was a battle between the clown, Paul Gascoigne and the mercurial, Brian Clough seeking to obtain the one major trophy he has never won as a manager in his prestigious career. Clough would be denied again and within three years, he would resign from the City Ground club ending his long association with football and retreat into retirement.

Gascoigne had seemingly single-handedly pushed Tottenham Hotspur to the final, winning games by the sheer abundance of his talent bringing Spurs from deficits to amazing victories against teams in rounds three to six, before one of his greatest moments versus Arsenal in the first FA Cup semi-final to be played at Wembley Stadium in the month before. His fourth minute wonder free-kick gave Spurs a lead they never relinquished to take the white half of North London to their first FA Cup Final since 1987, and deny the eventual League Champions - Arsenal - a chance at a domestic double.

Gary Charles was born in East London, played for Clapton and was then signed by Nottingham Forest. Belovingly nicknamed the Brazilian due to his skills he made his debut in 1987 at the age of 17, a player of immense promise he was playing in a showpiece final at the age of 21. He would be capped by England twice. He was a forerunner for eventual attacking right backs such as Kyle Walker and Cafu, marauding down the right flank at a pace rarely seen while still showing great defensive capabilities when called upon. As Clough said himself, "When Charles plays a one-two, he goes like a gazelle. It's so effortless - at first it looks as if he's not moving, yet he's 40 yards up the field."

The funny thing is that the foul on Gary Charles, was not the worst tackle committed by Gascoigne on that day. Lore and myth has established that with Paul Gascoigne attempting to overcome minor injuries to be fit for the biggest game of his career - sports hernia, hamstring and lack of match fitness - Gazza effectively wound himself up in the build up the game so much so that he was not in control of his actions. In an attempt to put his stamp on the game, he was slow to a ball in a fifty-fifty with midfielder Garry Parker, and promptly embedded his studs firmly in Parker's mid-riff. A challenge which albeit in the first minute, went unpunished by referee Roger Milford - seemingly, the first minute get one for free adage coming to fruition, and Parker getting to his feet swiftly helped with Milford's decision making. Yet Gascoigne was clearly off the pace of the game typified by the last action he made in a Tottenham shirt, the lunge at Gary Charles - another tackle that evaded administrative action by Milford.

The tackle signifies this unenviable coming together of two parties at the crossroads of their careers. A talismanic individual seemingly wanting to self-destruct his career - the injury sustained in the challenge by Gascoigne would sideline him for one year and delay his proposed move to Italian club, Lazio for one season eventually debuting for them in September 1992. 

After a long delay from Gascoigne's treatment and eventual leaving the field on a stretcher, Stuart Pearce scored from the resulting free-kick to give Forest a one-nil lead which was the score at half-time. Tottenham would equalise in the second half from Paul Stewart (another individual who battled demons all his life) forcing the game to go into extra-time. Tottenham would win their record setting 8th FA Cup (and their last) thanks to an own goal scored by Des Walker to give Tottenham a 2-1 victory; and give their captain Gary Mabbutt the glory and redemption following his own own goal four years previously versus Coventry, as he lifted the Cup.

Gary Charles would have his own battles, overcoming alcohol abuse and depression and moving from Forest to Derby in 1993, then Aston Villa in 1995 before coming closer to his hometown of Newham by signing with West Ham in 1999 but constant injuries meant he only made eight appearances in three seasons for the East End London club. His drink driving charges came in 2004 and now he acts as an advocate with a business providing care and support for those experiencing depression and battling alcohol and drug dependency.

In one moment, two lives cross paths, they might be of different backgrounds but this contact together means more than people realise at the times and the impact on themselves and each other is more powerful than people would realise.

Stephen Carr - Golden Goal

STEPHEN CARR 

For a three year period, Stephen Carr was possibly the most consistent right-back in the Premier League. A robust, stout individual but one who despite the perception of being unathletic could and did not stop running for the full 90 minutes. A reliable defender who would hassle left wingers not allowing them opportunities to deliver killer balls, but it was in the other final third that he became a somewhat hidden gem.

On October 23^rd, 1999 he famously scored a rocket against Manchester United in a rain-soaked encounter, the goal soared past Fabien Barthez from a 45 degree angle from 30 yards out, the shot was as true as an arrow.

That goal won Carr great acclaim, and anytime he ventured forward he was encouraged to repeat the trick and while lightning rarely strikes twice, there is another goal he scored that deserves further appraisal.

On the last day of the season, Sunday 14^th May 2000 – the same season as the Manchester United strike - Tottenham were at home against a Sunderland side that had exceeded expectations finishing 7^th with Kevin Phillips scoring over 30 goals in a season.

In a drab typical end of season affair not much is memorable in a 3-1 home victory apart from near the end in the 82^nd minute.  With Sunderland throwing bodies forward for an equaliser, Carr intercepted a cross from the right hand side and pounced on his own interception 30 yards from his own penalty area. He headed the ball clear away and gave chase when others would have deemed it a lost cause, he kept the ball in play by the touchline and found open space ahead of him due to the over-commitment of Sunderland going forward. Then Carr found himself alone 25 yards from goal devoid of support from teammates.  As he entered the penalty area he tried something.  

Ahead of him the Sunderland keeper Thomas Sorenson is off his line not sensing danger and with the ball at the corner of the 18 yard box, he attempted to pull off an audacious chip to the far corner and has the chip went in the air, a hush descended around the stadium as they waited for the ball to land.

When it landed in the far side of the net, a beautiful roar of disbelief, admiration and joy.  Stephen Carr had just put the icing on a convincing win with a goal that was more unbelievable due to it being achieved by a right back - it was a goal of speed, determination and at the end pure grace akin to another former Tottenham hero who scored a wonderful chip – Glenn Hoddle (v Watford, 1984).

Being Tottenham fan, it seems without the promise of glory in competitions, we still have great goals to savour and remember from Hoddle to Waddle and Gascoigne to Ginola.  Stephen Carr provided it not once but twice in a season; the United goals is more fondly remembered – the opposition, the weather, the surprise of the strike and it lives on in the annals of Sky Sports’ coverage. Yet the only clip of the goal is a grainy YouTube clip that seems to be running at a different speed, yet you can see how audacious the goal is. A goal scored by a player at the height of his confidence capable of taking on a whole team on his own as if you were in the playground.

 

 

Playing right back yourself growing up there is an affinity towards players like Carr and those who came before and after him; at Tottenham there have been some good versions of the right back from Dean Austin and Alan Hutton to the modern day Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier.  Carr was at the forefront of an altering landscape for full backs. Gone were the days were you were meant to just defend like Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn, a full back could venture forward if your end product of crossing or shot was worthwhile and you can see it now in the development of players such as Gareth Bale, Seamus Coleman and now Trent Alexander Arnold – these players dazzle and entertain but all bomb forward seeking to score goals but they can do so due to the initial ventures of players like Stephen Carr.

Tottenham v Arsenal

This is the original post, read the full link at THE HISTORY BOYS website

In North London, there is a rivalry that stretches the length of Seven Sisters Road. At the South of it are Tottenham Hotspur, founded in 1882, two-time English League Champions, the first British team to win a European trophy and winners of the FA Cup eight times.


At the other end are Arsenal, recently of Highbury, but now at the Emirates Stadium in Islington. Founded in 1886 but not in North London, and there in lies the birth of the rivalry. Arsenal were founded by munitions workers in Woolwich, South East London as Dial Square before being renamed Royal Arsenal, then Woolwich Arsenal. The famous emblem and nickname of the club, the Gunners comes from the association with the munitions workers.


However, in 1914 after a flirtation with bankruptcy before the start of The Great War, they moved to a ground north of the river and dropped the Woolwich due to the transplant to become just Arsenal.

As our current socio-political climate with a mass global pandemic bringing professional sports to a standstill, the first World War suspended all sport until it reconvened in 1919. At the end of the 1914-15 season, Arsenal were languishing in 5^th place of the Second division. The First Division was expanded to 22 teams with the two clubs atop the second division, Derby and Preston duly promoted.  Yet Tottenham were relegated, with Arsenal promoted in their place.

VAR - Reinventing the Wheel

The Premier League has a problem, and I am not writing this as a disgruntled Tottenham Hotspur fan whose team lost the possibility of a 2-0 lead away at Leicester. We were still 1-0 up and conspired to lose a game we were in the ascendancy of.  Tottenham as a team has problems, and you cannot blame VAR.

I also write this piece as a football referee, one who has done the job for 20 years. Not since the back pass rule have we seen such a stark change at the top of professional football - a rule change that is changing the nature of football so much that it is all we talk about at length.

I accept the VAR decision (eventually), yet I am flummoxed that the FA, UEFA and FIFA are treating the utilisation of video technology with such difficulty as if it is the first time anyone has seen such technology before, as if they are reinventing the wheel.

Football feels it is the global sport, and to a great extent they are right. It is played everywhere, even Greenland, with over 200 nations in its world rankings attempting to qualify for Qatar 2022 where the final 32 nations will converge for the ultimate accolade.

Yet there are smaller sports in terms of global reach and power that utilise their own version of VAR to a greater benefit of integrity and professional standards.

Cricket take the border line fine margins such as LBW appeals, run out and stumpings to be clear in those matters; yet they broadcast it to the paying public at the ground to show the decision, they are also involved then in the theatre of the moment. At this moment, the public at the ground for football are oblivious of the video being shown to the VAR officials - this is disrespectful and ignorant of the masses.

Rugby Union is enjoying its own World Cup in Japan, in the England game versus Tonga there were three possible tries in the first half; one given, one denied and one resulted in a kickable penalty. However, again the screen in the stadium was shown the footage; yet the difference is the referee is mic'd up talking to the man in the booth conversing on the decision at length but with intelligence and clarity to make sure the correct decision is reached.

It helps that rugby has a foundation of respect towards match officials, but the official is given the space to think and come to the correct conclusion. Unlike football where you would be encircled by both sides wanting their preferred outcome. In that instance you have 22 voices shouting at you and one in your ear, when you should be focusing on hearing the one in your ear. No wonder the pressure is so high, how can you concentrate when you have so many voices baying at you.

The problem is not so the fact that VAR does not work, it does work and gets the decisions right; it is the culture of football fans not being able to accept decision immediately and then hating about officials, opponents and law makers on social media instantaneously. You do not see this from rugby or cricket fans though, it is more of an 'it is what is mentality' while in football to quote Mario Balotelli it is a 'why always us?' mentality.

Yet the arrogance of football, as the global commodity it is which comes with a global currency is intrinsic to the problem. Football is a universal language as all high class sports are, a language that crosses boundaries, cultures and dialects to be played by all; yet the arrogance with which they have gone about implementing video technology - from the reluctance to utilise goal-line technology at World Cups to the unwillingness to address visual and verbal dissent towards highly pressurised match officials smacks of governing bodies standing still while the world sped up, even throwing the collective full VAR muscle at the Women's World Cup smacking of hypocrisy and sexism making the women mere guinea pigs for the more important male subjects.

Football is game that is simple to play, simple to coach and if done right, simple to referee. Yet the game has slowly been stripped off its values as bank balances swelled and popularity soared to unseemly levels.

While VAR will become more expected as creases are ironed out over the season - a number of games have gone by without incident - yet they need it to alter initial penalty decisions overturn errors and have a referee go to the video itself to see the error of his or her ways.

Football should realise it is not reinventing the wheel, just added a better tyre to help with the tread.

Spurs-y: When is a Choke not a Choke

You have a lot of ups and downs being a Tottenham Hotspur fan, more downs than ups in my lifetime. Things could be worse, I've never seen my team get relegated but they have only won three trophies in my lifetime since I started going - 1991, 1999 and 2008. I don't count the cup trophies of 1982 and 1984 as I was busy rolling around myself.

Yet the most recent Spurs defeat in an FA Cup semi-final to Manchester United (21-4-18) was not your typical Spurs-y performance; it was not the sort of game where they went all Spurs-y and threw it away.  The only circumstance was they threw away a position of superiority and did not see it out, but this was against a team who wanted to win the game versus a side who wanted to play football.

This has been the criticism of Tottenham in recent years, they like to play football and yet cannot do the things you need to do to win vital football matches. For all the stats of possession and territory translating to shots on target, there remains a lack of composure in the final third.

In the season when Leicester City won the league, they came to White Hart Lane and won 1-0 due a set-piece goal after Tottenham had dominated. Leicester soaked up pressure, got one chance and converted it. At that moment, the game did not seem important until it was important.

Tottenham again find themselves in moments of superiority and yet cannot convert into dominance or victory, before they took the lead on Saturday they were in the ascendancy and yet did not force De Gea into many saves with off-target attempts.  They finished the first half on the front foot including an Eric Dier effort hitting the bottom of a post.

In the second half, more pressure was undone by Manchester United converting their first chance of the half and then it was down to Tottenham to breakdown a stoic resistance of a familiar Mourinho side.

And yet the team struggled to find an fluidity or cohesion, trying to pass through a resolute back-line without little success failing to utilise the width and delivery of Kieran Trippier.  Whilst Pochettino may be at fault for not starting Toby Alderwield on Saturday, there were not many options on the bench to change the game - Erik Lamela has had an indifferent run of form, Lucas Moura is good on the ball but not electric in the box and there was no out and out striker to score a goal.

The reliance on Harry Kane reared its head again and he was unusually absent throughout the game, Christian Eriksen was hounded in possession and Moussa Dembele was outmuscled and below par.

Oddly, the goal came from a long ball from Davison Sanchez which found Eriksen in acres of pitch to pass to Alli unmarked in the box to convert the first goal.  Reminiscent of Alli's goal versus Chelsea which also came from a long ball; the pragmatism to remain loyal to the passing and movement led to our downfall as we were over-run in midfield by Pogba, Matic and Herrera.

Pochettino can do only so much to prepare his troops for these big games, but until they win a big one, those questions will circulate constantly from naysayers and critics.  Another season without a trophy leaves a bitter pill, but a close season with more additions may make it easier to swallow. I have been lucky enough to see Tottenham captains lift trophies three times at Wembley. It has been 10 years since the last, how long must we wait for the next?

There's Bad, then there's Moussa

It seems like every time I go to Wembley to watch my beloved Tottenham Hotspur, I feel compelled to write a blog. This is good for thinking and putting thoughts down on paper. When I wrote before Christmas in criticism of Brighton's negative restrictive play in defeat, unfortunately this piece is again going to be in the negative.

However, it is not a negative piece about the FA Cup losing its lustre - seeing 7000 Newport County fans travel to London on a freezing evening shows that the competition will never lose appeal in the lower leagues because of days like this; it is not negative about Pochettino's team selection - this was necessary because of the forthcoming North London Derby three days away, it was correct to give Lloris, Vertonghen, Dier, Dembele a complete night off with the insurance policy of Eriksen, Alli and Kane on the bench.

No, this piece is about quite possibly the worst player I have ever seen wear a Tottenham Hotspur shirt which in watching the team for nearly 30 years I feel is quite a statement. I have seen some bad players - of varying positions and talent. Some could not step up to expectation and got found out (Neil Sullivan), some were not worth the exorbitant transfer fee (Sergei Rebrov/Dean Richards), some were just not good but showed endeavour (David Tuttle/Stuart Nethercott), some could be called donkeys but at least they produced (Gary Doherty) but never have we bared witness to a player of such staggering ineptness and cringe-inducing confidence. This player is more capable of passing the ball out of play than passing to a team-mate.

The player's name is Moussa Sissoko. The man who was paramount in France's gallop to the European Championship final in 2016, who put this same Tottenham side to the sword in a swashbuckling 5-1 defeat on the last day of the 2015/16 season in his last game for Newcastle United.

When playing for Newcastle, Sissoko played off the right wing and could run at the defence whilst dribbling at speed linking up with a front man effectively. This has not translated to the Spurs side which has featured numerous occasions of wasteful possession, misplaced passes and skewed shots.  I have seen him unable to pass to a team-mate from three yards away, he runs into defenders thinking he can go through them like Superman however his feet are like two blocks of kryptonite when in possession.  He runs ungainly, like a floppy limbed hurdler who has hit the penultimate obstacle in a 110m hurdle race falling unelegantly for the line and still landing five metres short of the finishing line.

Perhaps as a club we were guilty of signing a player who made our team look stupid on a bad day; he is capable of good days just not when wearing white.  Perhaps he is not capable of succinct effective passing in a team used to counter-attacking at pace and precision.

It is a shame that this piece has to be written but when fellow supporters and viewers, keep uttering 'He's bad isn't he', 'He's awful' and words such as embarrassing are thrown about for a professional footballer it is important people are told. Sissoko will not (hopefully) be on the bench on Saturday afternoon, mostly because we have better players who will be better options.

Pochettino rung the changes last night to give players a breather from the workload of a season with continued involvement within three competitions; you trust that he will give the spectators a breather from Sissoko on Saturday.

Stubborn, Tense, Boring - English football on a Wednesday night

Having had the pleasure to go to Wembley Stadium, it might be a ball-ache to get to, but it is still Wem-ber-lee; to watch Tottenham Hotspur defeat Brighton 2-0 in the Premier League. It became quite apparent that there is a shifting between the top teams when they play at home versus the supposedly weaker teams of the division.

Tottenham especially have found it hard to break down disciplined defences at home on a wider pitch, coupled by a change in personnel and teams taking the calculated risk of defending for long stretches and hopefully be clinical in the final third should they ever reach it.

Dropped points at home to Burnley, West Brom and Swansea meant that Brighton followed the same song sheet; defend in two lines of four in defence and five in midfield with one lone striker running around forlornly.

Tottenham however seemed to play into their hands, perhaps a level of complacency, but also the re-introduction of Erik Lamela into the side following a long injury lay-off. What is most perplexing is that the Argentinian is a dominant left-footed player yet he drifts to the right hand side of the field, forcing him to stop and then cross allowing defenders to be ready to intercept passes by feet or head.

Son played with his usual zest running into channels but too often the team wanted and got the ball played to feet, not allowing pace in behind forcing defenders to turn and lumber into bad decision making.

Another surprise was the immobility of Harry Kane, who made little runs off the ball forcing midfielders - Harry Winks especially - to pass the ball continually sideways. The pace of Trippier might have unlocked the wing, and the team were slow to respond to the weakness of Brighton right-back Schelotto who showed little in the way of deftness and plenty of lead foot when up against Son and Rose down the left wing.

The lack of originality and imagination in breaking down a stubborn defence was indicative of the aural response to another backwards pass by Winks when there was space for him to move forward into and threaten the final third.

Is this a fear of making a mistake or a fear of taking responsibility? Once Winks was substituted for Dembele, there was an impetus within the side, seconded when Dele Alli arrived for a short 15 minute cameo which provided some drive.

Spurs appear to be a better side on the counter attack and soak up pressure themselves which is something they may well do versus Manchester City on Saturday night; however, there is a worry of this defence being able to sustain the constant barrage of City offence. The match should allow the opportunity to play in gaps between the defence and midfield with the ball at the feet of gifted players.

Tottenham will continue to have this problem, the first Premier League game at Wembley in the New Year will be West Ham; a team that soaked up Arsenal on Wednesday night followed by Everton and Sam Allardyce who did a number on Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool last weekend.

Yet Tottenham must come up with an answer to breaking down these stern defences if they want to maintain a Top four challenge whilst City runaway with the title. My worry is that Tottenham were boring on Wednesday night, although Brighton were frustrating in that they were two goals down in injury time away from home and they allowed Tottenham to pass to their hearts content and settle to concede no further. This is indicative of football in this day and age; West Brom away at Liverpool, Bournemouth at Manchester United all settling before the game plays out for a best case scenario of no goals and one point.

Premier League: Age of Entitlement

 The Premier League has seen a teutonic shift in its landscape due to the achievements of both Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in rocking the apple cart. Some are flummoxed and perplexed that two teams; one a perennial under achiever and the other a team that flirted with relegation to the Championship last season, are now challenging for the title.

Those who are most perplexed are the typical top four contenders - Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United - at one time or another this season, each side has flattered to deceive their credentials to be in the top four.

Chelsea, the title holders, were in trouble by the end of September and ultimately sacked Jose Mourinho in December. Since inserting Guus Hiddink they have not lost a game, yet they will not be playing European football next season unless they win either the FA Cup or the Champions League - a task made more difficult by the unfavourable draw versus a rampant Paris St. Germain this week.  Yet Chelsea fluffed their lines by not strengthening their squad in the close season and reinforcing a squad that may have won at a canter but did so because nobody challenged them.  Nowadays, football is about squad rotation keeping players fresh and motivated but healthy and vital at the same time.  Chelsea did not add a striker to help Diego Costa, did not sign another central defender to fill the obvious problem of an ageing John Terry nor get quality cover in midfield yet allow Mohammed Salah and Cuadrado go to Italy; whilst their former player Kevin De Bruyne signed for Manchester City.

Whilst Chelsea and here Mourinho is at fault, did not bolster a squad that was thin on paper, they were seemingly surprised that Manchester City and Manchester United did strengthen their squads albeit by splashing the cash in their reserves and mocking the financial fair play system.

Manchester City were the second best team in the country, yet they also did not fix a problem of defence and a prestigious central defender to sit next to and replace the injury prone Vincent Kompany. Instead, the attractive signings of flair players Raheem Sterling and De Bruyne indicated a direction to succeed in European competition at the expense of domestic success.

Manchester United however, are suffering for not doing the correct managerial appointment following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and not giving David Moyes the necessary time or funds to succeed.  When Sir Alex retired they should have thrown the money pot at Jose Mourinho to maintain the culture of success and victory at Old Trafford or promote Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt to do a partnership whilst they waited for a more illustrious manager as Pep Guardiola became available.  By inserting a manager who has never won a trophy into the most trophy laden club of the last twenty years was both naive and incorrect, Moyes is not a winner for a reason and it showed although he will one day win a trophy with someone.

Arsenal did not strengthen their squad either besides the signing of Petr Cech as goalkeeper, therefore not putting the blame on the outfield players but on Wojech Sczeceny at fault a number of times but the problem was a defence that was slow and an overwhelmed midfield and a less than potent strike force over-reliant on too many passes before taking a shot at goal.  By not injecting a squad with competition for places and saying to the same players, what you did last season was okay by me and not making them angry it invites the continual notion that Arsenal are not going to win the league based on 38 games, but you won the FA Cup so that is okay.

All four clubs were guilty of gross arrogance by thinking that we as the four biggest clubs in the country are good enough year-in and year-out, so we can play anybody and we will be good enough to beat the also rans of Liverpool, Tottenham and Southampton.

And then Leicester City showed up.  Claudio Ranieri, the tinkerman, became the manager who entrusted in his small and inexperienced squad a notion of responsibility and system.  If you have decent players and give them a role to fit into a system of invention and robustness, you will get results.  Players do only what they are good at, the defenders defend; the midfielders win the turnover ball and distribute efficiently and the forwards shoot at goal and score.

Leicester show you can be inventive and have flair whilst being difficult to break down and physical in the midfield without being aggressive.  Leicester show what you can do on a budget and when you entrust a young squad with a mandate.

Tottenham have a younger squad and follow much the same blueprint; defending from the front, winning turnover ball in the midfield, a reliable defence with a world-class goalkeeper to beat.  Much is made of a spine in the old top four sides, yet Tottenham have two good central defenders, two good midfielders and a prolific striker. As do Leicester. Gone is the spine and now you need the magnificent seven.

The arrogance of the top four is due to the wealth of riches and income they have not just from television deals but worldwide global sponsorship. This age of entitlement has been ripped up by Leicester and Tottenham and fittingly, both sides have a wealth of English and British talent in their best starting XIs; do you see that in the top four.  A mixture of European flair and British grit can get you places.

This age of entitlement might well be coming to an end, yet the new television deal might bring it back in years to come until another team - do not ignore what Ronald Koeman is doing at Southampton; undervalued keeper, young academy outdoing itself and potent strikers - comes along and rips up the rule book. That is the continual fascination with football in England, there is no recipe for success, you have to adapt or watch the world fly by you as you stand still in corporate boxes.

Spurs v Liverpool Observations

In an all too familiar outcome between these two sides, Liverpool ripped Tottenham Hotspur apart at White Hart Lane.  In a battle between two Bielsa inspired coaches, the British overcame the South American as Brendan Rodgers charges out thought the team from North London.
Here are my takeaways from the game:

1. A Sterling performance
Raheem Sterling showcased perhaps his best overall performance of his career today. His pace was lightning but coupled with technical nuance and intelligence.  Sterling provides a touch of flair and pizazz to the team and has an eye for goal to add to his repertoire. It is safe to say that Rodgers is nurturing his talent correctly and if he remains at this level he will become one of the great English players.

2. No Dier call up
A few people were surprised by the exclusion of Eric Dier from the most recent England squad of Roy Hodgson this week, however, on a few occasions Dier's naivety was in evidence against the incisive passing of Liverpool. This lead to him conceding the penalty leading to Liverpool establishing a two-nil lead. His outstretched arm on Joe Allen was rightly penalised but it was more an indication of the training method employed at youth football, where players are taught to pull a shirt to stop forward progress. It might have been a 'soft' penalty but you will be surprised if Dier attempts again.

3. Mario will soon be Super
Mario Balotelli failed to score on his debut and he was quite ring rusty with some headers and a long range shot that he shanked terribly, but there were glimpses of a new emphasis on teamwork for the 24 year old Italian; he tracked back to tackle and do the nitty gritty and his strength was his strength against Younes Kaboul although his lofted pass was counter productive for the run of Sterling. The link up will prosper eventually and Super Mario shall return.

4. Over-manned midfield
Mauricio Pochettino was out manned in his midfield selection. His attempt for continuity in selection by starting the same XI that defeated QPR so convincingly last weekend, played into the hands of the Anfield club who had captain Steven Gerrard, the motor Jordan Henderson and Rodgers lynchpin Joe Allen faced the less than fearful Capoue and Nabil Bentaleb, who were outgunned and overpowered. Whilst he is out of favour the presence of Sandro might have made Liverpool think about a more combative approach. However, even an under par Gerrard did not have much to do as no pressure was forthcoming from a weary Tottenham side.
Perhaps Pochettino needs to focus more on motivation rather than tactical philosophies as Tottenham seem to currently freeze against fellow top 6 sides.

5. Mouth watering versus Madrid
The Champions League draw threw up the tantalising prospect of Real Madrid v Liverpool in back-to-back games at the Bernebeu and Anfield. These two encounters promise to be played at a neck break pace full of speed and passion at two footballing cathedrals, no need to pray, the prayers have been answered.

Follow me on twitter @JamieGarwood

AVB's people problem

The Tottenham Hotspur manager, Andre Villas-Boas, is facing a crisis of some sort at White Hart Lane. After having off-loaded the club's best player in the usual Spurs way and getting the most money you could for that same player, AVB promptly bought seven players of varying position and quality to help with the club's bid for a top four finish and the ultimate goal of returning Champions League football to the other North London club.

However, for want of a better word, this season has started to become a bit unstuck for the Lilywhites following a second consecutive Premier League defeat.  And when we say defeat a 6-0 away lose to Manchester City is still only a defeat as only three points were lost.  Of course pride and confidence will take a bruising for those players involved, and AVB himself looked a little bit more than stunned at the game's conclusion as he zombie-walked down the tunnel looking for some consolatory handshakes from City staff.

Yet not all can be put at the door of AVB, he has at his disposal a squad that in essence has two starting XIs in them and perhaps too many players to keep happy. Of course, his stubborn-ness in maintaining his 4-2-3-1 formation is causing all manner of problems for Roberto Soldado up front; who too often finds himself isolated from play and with little or no chance of making an impression on the game.  His only open play goal, away at Aston Villa in a 2-0 victory came from one of the only occasions when Spurs passed forward and with fluidity.  It came from harassing Villa defenders forcing an error and in two passes giving Soldado a shooting opportunity in the opposition penalty box which he duly converted with aplomb. 

AVB prefers the slow-tempo build up offense of passing teams to death and force openings by moving defenders out of position.  Unfortunately, by being so stubborn in his formation and tactics, opposition have grown accustomed to this practice and drop deep saying to Tottenham try and break us down, knowing that the pass will go sidewards or backwards wasting Soldado's runs into space with no ball forthcoming.

However, whilst a lot has been made of Bale's absence, AVB has been scuppered by the loss of Danny Rose at left-back to injury.  This has forced Jan Vertonghen to play in that position when his best role is at centre back, the role that got him into the Premier League Team of the Year last season. Younes Kaboul's return to centre back after two injuries last season, has not gone well and Michael Dawson looks to have lost a yard of pace. 

An injury to Capoue in the middle of the park has meant that Sandro and Moussa Dembele play more often, whilst Paulinho is not showing the Brazilian flair expected of him.  The elevation of Andros Townsend to the right flank has been good, yet he has evolved into a one trick pony coming onto his favoured left foot too often to attack when he should maybe deliver. Lewis Holtby is all guile without any end product and now Christian Eriksen has an ankle injury.  Nevermind his refusal to even use Jermain Defoe in his system, despite the fact the striker can score goals and has been reduced to taking on European teams instead on Spursday nights.

The constant changing of personnel is doing the team no favours, AVB needs to stick to his best starting XI and give those players the confidence to take the team forward. This Sunday they are at home to Manchester United, a team likewise going through changes and dropping points.  However, both teams are only two points off of fourth place.  All is not lost for the teams, although judging by betting patterns and rumour mills it may be a whole lot more than three points that Villas-Boas may lose come Sunday evening.

In praise of...Paul Gascoigne

Following on from the latest documentary into the latest sorry chapter of Paul Gascoigne's ongoing battle with off-field demons involving alcohol and substance abuse; this writer felt it necessary to correct the balance and remind readers of why Mr. Gascoigne is held in such esteem by writers, fans and now gossip columnists.

For many, Gascoigne or Gazza as he became to be affectionately known, is the once in a generation player and talent who transcends the sport he plays in, becoming known to millions of households, bringing new supporters to the sport.  He follows in the footsteps of Pele, Cruyff, Zidane and now the modern day duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

This is not to state that Gascoigne is as great as those aforementioned players, far from it.  Yet he remains the most gifted player from the British Isles since that other player who had a drinking problem, George Best.

That is why every time I talk about Gascoigne in glowing terms with my father, the question is asked 'How good was the Belfast boy?' and how sad to hear that Best wasted the peak years of his career when he was early to mid 1930s with his desire for booze and birds instead of scoring goals and winning trophies.

In this day and age, that is why a player like Ryan Giggs should be applauded because he has maintained such a high standard of performance and application for 20 years and over a 1000 games.  Giggs' resume of trophies is one of immense achievement.  What did Paul Gascoigne win apart from the affection of millions? An FA Cup winner's medal for which he could not collect and a Scottish Premier League title with Glasgow Rangers.

My point though is that Gascoigne's first great purple patch, late 1988 to May 1991 with Tottenham was one of the most amazing periods of football performance witnessed by this writer.  Being a Spurs season ticket holder was helpful and perhaps a bit myopic to ignore such talent elsewhere in the league at Liverpool (Barnes, Rush, Beardsley); yet did any one player carry the weight of responsibility with such blasé nature and passion as Gascoigne.

Being a passionate individual helped Gascoigne when he moved to London - you do wonder what might have happened if he had gone to Manchester United and worked with Alex Ferguson, how many trophies would they had won together - yet Gascoigne's weekly highlight package for Tottenham helped him get on the plane to Italia'90 when his tears in the semi-final versus Germany endeared him to the nation and made football cool again. 

Whilst it was England's best finals performance since the 1966 World Cup and the team had the goals of Gary Lineker, the inspirational defence of Mark Wright without the industry and guile of Gascoigne, England might not have made the knockout stages.  His free-kick deliveries to Mark Wright and David Platt versus Egypt and Belgium respectively in the dying minutes of both games, helped save English blushes.  Not forgetting his through ball to Lineker in the quarter-final versus Cameroon that dissected the defence and led to the goalkeeper upended Lineker from which he converted the winning penalty in extra time.  Gascoigne along with Lothar Matthaus was the stand out performer of the tournament. 

His first game of the new season was a home game versus Derby at White Hart Lane, where he scored a treasure chest of three long range efforts all past his England team-mate Peter Shilton.  However, injuries became a problem throughout the season; ankle knocks, hamstring strains caused Terry Venables to manage him effectively.  The FA Cup run was systemic of his handling of Gascoigne as performances at home to Oxford, away at Portsmouth, home to Notts County and subsequently the semi-final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, made it Spurs' year.

Against Portsmouth, Spurs trailed 1-0 at half-time yet Gascoigne scored twice including a rare header to win 2-1.  Against County, Gascoigne's hamstring was so bad he played virtually on one leg but his mere presence again turned around a half-time deficit. Then the semi-final when Gascoigne won the game after 4 minutes with his memorable free-kick, that every knew he would score.  Again injury meant he did play the whole game but his influence was never in doubt.

The final became less about Brian Clough v Venables as Cloughie v Gazza as the main event.  Yet as well known, Gascoigne's self-destruction came to the surface as his two assaults on Garry Parker (which was not cautioned) and then Gary Charles (again not cautioned) led to him being stretchered off with the first serious knee ligament damage of his career.  Spurs conceded from the subsequent free-kick and looked like they had a mountain to climb.

Yet this is where I thank Gascoigne the most.  Spurs were a lesser team without him undoubtedly, and yet they stuck at it despite having a Lineker penalty saved by Mark Crossley and a legitimate goal chalked off incorrectly for offside.  A team that contained such names as Steve Sedgley, Justin Edinburgh and Vinny Samways played out of their skins.  The industry of Paul Stewart elevated the team to better things culminating in Stewart's second-half equaliser and subsequent Des Walker own goal under pressure from captain Gary Mabbutt.

Who knows what would have happened if Gazza had been fit and played the whole game.  Yet for me his absence brought to the fore for me the ideal and ethos of the team ethic in the sport, no one man is greater than the rest of the team.  A team is a sum of all its parts, not made up of just four or five good parts.  Tottenham gave me one of the greatest days of my life and they did it without their best player, should not that team be remembered with more fondness than just the team that won it without Gazza.