Given the tough opposition and their recent divisive problems, the West Indies will suffer for the lack of “a father figure” to lead them on their forthcoming tour of Australia, Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain, cautioned on Thursday.”They really need someone like Clive Lloyd at this time, a father figure who can hold the team together and get the best out of them,” Chappell said. Based on what he saw of the West Indies team on the tour of Sri Lanka in July and August, Chappell did not believe Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies captain, could provide that kind of leadership. “Chanderpaul was predictable and reactive in Sri Lanka,” he said. “The only time you felt there would be a wicket was if there was a good ball or the pitch did something, not from anything creative from the captain.”Chappell noted the difference when Sylvester Joseph took over in Chanderpaul’s absence in the one-day series. “Things started to happen because Joseph was proactive,” he said. “The players aren’t stupid. They know when the captain has ideas and is confident enough to put them into practice. It’s a pity he isn’t a good enough batsman to be in the team because he was always looking to make something happen.”Chanderpaul, who was played 88 Tests, took over as captain when Brian Lara opted out of the team before the first Test of the home series against South Africa last April in solidarity with six players who were omitted because they held personal endorsement contracts with former sponsors Cable & Wireless, direct competitors of the new sponsors, Digicel.He led a team of mainly replacement players when ten of the originally chosen 13 refused to tour Sri Lanka because of the ongoing row over tour contracts between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). The return of most of those players, Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the reappointed vice-captain, among them, is a potential flashpoint that would test Chanderpaul’s leadership qualities.Chappell acknowledged that the reunification of the West Indies team after the split caused by Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket (WICB) almost 30 years ago was different to the present case in many respects. But he maintained that Lloyd’s captaincy was a major factor in ensuring that there were no residual problems and that the team developed into one of the strongest the game has known.”The West Indies at present don’t have that kind of experience and class and they’re coming up against an Australian team that has regained its confidence after the defeat in the Ashes series and haven’t lost a series at home in ages,” Chappell said. “They need strong leadership more than ever.”
Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, has started training again following a minor operation on his stomach almost two months ago.”I am starting to push myself, but I might be a bit low on strength because I am behind on my weight-training schedule," Smith told in South Africa. "It was quite sore where they cut through the stomach muscles and I had to go slowly when I started training again. I’ve had to learn to eat more slowly, because the op has made my stomach smaller."Smith had the operation, at Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town, to reconstruct a defective stomach valve. He has had the defect, which affects his body’s ability to filter stomach acids properly, since birth. While it is not debilitating, the faulty valve had caused him discomfort for several years, particularly during times of stress.”It got uncomfortable at times, especially when I was under a bit of stress. It got quite bad before and during our tour of New Zealand,” he said. “We have had a bit of a break so it seemed the best time to get it sorted out.”Smith will now join the South African squad at the Tukkies High Performance Centre in Pretoria on July 19 for a four-day training camp ahead of their five-week tour of Sri Lanka.
John Crawley has been named Hampshire’s captain for the 2003 season, finally bringing to an end the speculation and conjecture over the appointment to replace Shane Warne.31 year old Crawley who joined Hampshire last season, captained his former county Lancashire from 1999 until his departure two years later.Crawley replaces Robin Smith who retired from that post after five years in the job.Team manager Paul Terry also announced that there would not be an appointed vice-captain. “We have a number of experienced players within the squad that could fulfill the roll, should it be required”, said Terry.John Crawley will start his duties immediately by leading out the team in the opening pre-season friendly match at The Rose Bowl today (Monday) against Somerset.
Groundsman Roy McLaren’s last Championship match at New Road appeared to be in danger of folding in two days as Gloucestershire crashed to 21 for 5 in their second innings.But McLaren, who is retiring after 18 years in the job, was spared an abrupt send-off when the West Country side rallied for long enough in a partnership of 35 by Jeremy Snape and Jack Russell.Kabir Ali came back to nail Snape for 25 and finished with a career-best 5 for 22 as the visitors were dismissed for 87. In two overs before the close Worcestershire safely made 14 towards a victory requirement of 70.Gloucestershire’s top-order collapse was the work of Andy Bichel and Kabir in exploiting a seaming pitch of uneven bounce. The new-ball pair bombed out the first five wickets in 39 deliveries, starting with a leading edge by Kim Barnett and peaking with two in successive balls for Bichel.Mark Alleyne became a first-ball victim for Bichel for the second day in a row and the Australian went on to take 4 for 32 for a match return of 10 for 86.Alleyne had some compensation for his “king pair” after claiming 4 for 30 when Worcestershire were dismissed for 240 after starting the day in an unbroken stand of 84 by openers Philip Weston and Anurag Singh.Ian Harvey had danger man Graeme Hick caught at slip in a morning spell of 10-7-12-2, but the other wicket-takers, James Averis and Ben Gannon, were much more expensive.Worcestershire finally scrambled a lead of 18 thanks to 45 by Paul Pollard in his first innings for a month and a rapid 25 by Kabir.
Wolves are reportedly interested in making a move for Valencia and Portugal winger Goncalo Guedes in the summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Guedes excelling at Valencia
The 25-year-old is enjoying an excellent season at Valencia, having joined the Spanish club from Paris Saint-Germain back in 2018.
Guedes has scored an impressive 11 La Liga goals in 26 starts in 2021/22 to date, also chipping in with five assists and proving to be one of his side’s most important players, ranking first in average Whoscored rating at the Mestalla.
The winger’s current Valencia deal expires next year, meaning this summer could be the last chance for them to receive a good amount of money for him.
[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]
The Latest: Wolves keen on move
According to Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Bruno Lage is personally keen on bringing Guedes to Wolves this summer, with Jose Mourinho also interested in taking him to Roma.
It is claimed that he is ‘on the way out’ of Valencia and Scott Sellars and co. have ‘positioned themselves’ for the winger.
[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]
The Verdict: Exciting summer signing
Guedes could be an exciting summer addition at Molineux this summer, with Lage arguably in need of more firepower, considering his side have scored just 33 goals in 31 league games this season.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
He could provide strong competition for the likes of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence out wide, coming in as a replacement for Adama Traore, should he move on permanently.
Guedes is valued at £36million by Transfermarkt, so Wolves could have to break the bank to get him, but his 16 goals contributions in the league this season suggest he would be worth it.
In other news, Tim Spiers has dropped a key Wolves injury claim. Read more here.
Ipswich Town have had a week of good news and bad news. The bad news is that Paul Jewell’s main transfer target Joel Ward turned down the chance to sign for Ipswich and chose to sign for Crystal Palace.
However, the good news is that Ipswich have now made their first summer signing in Macclesfield right back Elliot Hewitt. The young Welshman turned 18 years old on Wednesday and this signing shows Ipswich are heading in the right direction.
Joel Ward put in some very encouraging performances at the back for Portsmouth last season and at 22 years of age he looked like just what Ipswich needed. Many see the club’s failure to sign Ward as bad news but others are actually pleased that the club failed to lure the former Portsmouth man to Ipswich.
If Joel Ward did sign for Ipswich he would have been joining the club for the wrong reasons. Over the last few seasons the Ipswich squad has consisted mainly of players who clearly don’t care about playing for the club and are only playing for the money. Their lack of passion and desire to play for the club was always clear to see.
It was obvious that Grant Leadbitter never cared about Ipswich because he only started to play well when his contract was coming to an end and he needed to sell himself to other clubs by playing well. Joel Ward is not necessarily in the same category as Leadbitter as he turned down higher wages to join Crystal Palace and be closer to his family. However, if Ward did accept Jewell’s offer it wouldn’t have been for the right reasons and it would have showed in his performances on the pitch.
The great thing about this week has been that Ipswich have signed a player who looks like he will be proud to wear an Ipswich Town shirt. Elliot Hewitt is exactly the right type of player fans have been crying out for. A young lad with the desire to make a name for himself and more importantly a desire to play for Ipswich. Picking the gems out from the lower leagues is a far superior transfer policy to what Ipswich used to do when they only searched for players in Premier League Reserve teams.
It seems that Paul Jewell may well have learnt the lesson that other managers have failed to. If he keeps up this transfer policy then there will be a different atmosphere at Portman Road next season. Fans will turn up to the games and see the team play with passion and determination whether they win or lose. It will be refreshing for the fans to see a new attitude within the team after so many years of seeing failed Premier League players lug around the fine pitch.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A change in the teams work rate and philosophy won’t come with just one signing though.
It is concerning to think that Paul Jewell once named Grant Leadbitter as his Ipswich captain. At the time myself and most other fans were unhappy with the decision as I can’t think of a worse player to captain the side. It can hardly be inspiring for the team to play under a captain who doesn’t care about the club. Thankfully Paul Jewell did strip Leadbitter of his captaincy later on in the season and all we can do is hope that he has learnt his lesson. The next few signings will shape the team for next season and whilst the signings don’t necessarily need be young they need to want to play for Ipswich.
Arsenal battled to a point at St James this evening, much to the frustration of Arsene Wenger. You did sense that the performance epitomised his side of recent seasons where the football is very pretty but lacking an end product. Gervinho was the one bright spark on the day; however his sending off will mean a three game ban for Arsenal’s big money signing this summer which clearly only added to Wenger’s disappointment.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include thanks to Cesc Fabregas, £12m reasons to question Wenger’s strategy, while Arsenal must not make the same mistake with Chamberlain.
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week.
*
Cesc Fabregas: Thank you and goodnight
Here’s hoping the press don’t destroy Arsenal ace
Are Ian Wright’s concerns justified?
£12m reasons why Arsenal fans may be questioning the club’s transfer strategy
Will this new transfer strategy see other Premier League clubs follow suit?
Why Arsenal must not make the same mistakes with Oxlade-Chamberlain
The ‘Cesc Fabregas Effect’ transforms future deals
Bremen star’s ‘Come and Get me’ plea to Arsenal
Clearly a blindspot for Arsene Wenger
2 players for the price of one
*
Best of WEB
*
The thoughts of a frustrated tourist – Gunnersphere
New Signings Imminent? Wenger to begin Spending Spree? Saga draws to a Close.. – Highbury House
Wenger press conference: The beginning of the end I’m afraid –Le Grove
Time to limit players’ wages – Online Gooner
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
One Of Us Speaks: The Not A Season Preview Blog – A Cultured Left Foot
Arsenal to replace Nasri with this Marseille midfielder? -Gunnersphere
*
[divider]
Click on Miss Blasi below to see her in all her glory
Never one to shy away from voicing his opinions, Arsene Wenger has been in the news again recently for condemning the FA for saying they will take the ‘strongest team possible’ to the European Under-21 tournament in Demark next year. The bone of contention Wenger has is that this will inevitably mean a call-up for 18 year-old Jack Wilshere, who may have already featured just a week earlier for the England senior side in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland on June 4th.
Wenger has noted that;
“Jack Wilshere will play more than 40 games this season and, at 18, you have to be conscious that every time he plays, when he goes into the fight, he has to put in 200 per cent to win the ball. When a guy like him has played 40 games in the season, he needs a rest.”
Whilst also stating that;
‘The FA have to decide if he is in the first team or the Under 21s. Personally, I don’t believe a player ever performs when he has been in the top team and comes back to the Under 21s.’
We are by now, very used to the Wenger take on things, and love him or hate him, he invariably has an opinion. But is he right to be worried about the national team’s utilisation of one of his side’s prize assets?
It seems to me rather demanding of the FA to expect Wilshere to play for both the senior side and the Under-21s, and as Wenger says, the FA should probably make there mind up as to where they want him, not that this is putting Wilshere himself off the chance to play for both. However, I feel Wenger has a point.
This is perhaps not a typical club vs. country row; for starters Wenger has not expressed his dissatisfaction with Wilshere playing for his country full stop, more that he dislikes the idea of a potential summer off for one of his young talents being dashed by two facets of the national side.
I for one, can sympathise with Wenger, because how many times have we seen prodigious young talent have their career’s ruined by overzealous managers and officials, wanting to utilise their talents at every turn? The issue I believe is that Wenger himself is not in control of England’s usage of Wilshere. Wenger can use Wilshere as much as he likes, after all, Arsenal pay his wages, but with the youngster at the mercy of the FA all summer long, the decision is taken out of his control, and right or wrong, isn’t this the crux of the issue?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
If you liked this, then why not check out my blogs, or follow me on Twitter.
[divider]
Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Chelsea v Aston Villa and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!
There is a popular belief in society that all the best artists are crazy, for it is only these individuals who have the capability to produce something we’ve never seen or even considered before. What about footballers? Do they have to be mad to be brilliant? Surely the best players are those who can conjure something completely unique on their grassy canvas.
For all their positive attributes, the ‘workhorses’ or ‘no-nonsense’ defenders will only ever be truly loved by their own managers. As fans, our idols are those who dazzle further up the pitch, always flirting with the idea of doing some entirely unconventional. If I were to offer you the choice of a glass of tap water or a brash cocktail – containing equal measures of flamboyance and frustration – which one would you chose? The water is without question better for you and infinitely more reliable but you’ll still find yourself opting for the beverage with the umbrella sticking out of it, because of the unexpected excitement it might bring.
A perfect example is Paul Gascoigne, a player of effortless genius who had the unfortunate ability to match every extreme high with an equivalent low throughout his career. His lust for the ball when others shied away from it was inspirational and that was before he started to weave his magic. ‘Gazza’ is still idolised today, partly because of his exploits on the pitch but also because his off-the-field antics resonated with so many ‘normal’ individuals. You’ll often hear him described as a proper ‘character’ in football, as if he played the lead role in your favourite television programme.
Players like Paul Gascoigne, Paolo Di Canio and even the likes of Tino Asprilla all attracted legions of fans during their time in the Premiership. They were by no means perfect in the way they played football, nor did they dominate at the end of season awards, but they all possessed the uncanny ability to try something beyond the normal realms of comprehension. Instead of looking for the easy option, they would seek the most entertaining one and because they had the talent to execute such unusual moves, everyone fell in love with them.
Mario Balotelli undoubtedly represents the next talented star to blend both the brilliant with the bizarre. The Italian is blessed with flair, pace and textbook technique but he is not adverse to a fireworks display in his bathroom or leaving the house disguised as Feathers Mcgraw. Despite a series of ill-disciplined outbursts, the 21-year-old has notched 17 goals in 31 club appearances this season and deserves credit for carrying the torch in the absence of Carlos Tevez.
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
Having endured a turbulent first season in the Premier League with more ups and downs than a typical rollercoaster, an air of doubt has surrounded his future at the club after a petulant display against Arsenal. He certainly lacks the composure of his elder team-mates but when he has the ball he is such a rare and intriguing spectacle that English football would be far less attractive without him.
Elsewhere in the world of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both seem able to be exceptional on the pitch without the accompanying acts of ludicrously. Messi may have a tattoo of his mum on his back and Ronaldo may be guilty of pantomime reactions when he’s fouled (and even when he’s not), but these appear futile compared to throwing darts at youth team members or an unannounced visit to a women’s prison.
In fact Messi can be further admired by the way he conducts himself on the pitch, he rarely complains, rolls around on the floor or waves an imaginary card after he’s been fouled for the umpteenth time. His maturity is an example to all young footballers but it will be interesting to see how he copes with the increasingly desperate measures the opposition will employ to try and stop him. Need I remind you of the legendary Zinedine Zidane at the 2006 World Cup.
The very best players compete without any boundaries or limits, they thrive on the adulation of the supporters but when the whistle blows and the lights go out, some will search for that same buzz in those less desirable recreational activities. Perhaps there is an argument that the modern day culture of the sport drives certain players to commit such acts of outlandish behaviour. We as a nation are more than willing to propel players to such dizzying heights of stardom only to berate and criticise them the moment they make an inevitable mistake.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With sensationalised media coverage and the growing levels of expectation for club and country, players are constantly walking a tightrope of their own success. You may not have to be crazy to be brilliant at football, but some would argue that it certainly helps.
The notion of standing in football stadiums immediately conjures up thoughts of disasters.
A number of accidents involving British sides have left a permanent scar on the game and resulted in the condemnation of terraces in football stadia around the world.
Of course there are still standing specific areas in stadiums around England and the world but regulations mean that you won’t see legal standing in lets say a World Cup or Champions League game.
Last season over on The Busby Way we looked at the possibility of reintroducing standing at Old Trafford. The terrace at Old Trafford is famous and prior to the Taylor Report in 1990 there were plans for the Stretty End to be all standing with a cantilever roof to link with the rest of the ground.
Of course the idea we suggested was met with scepticism and responses of it’ll never happen but what if I was to say there is a safe way to return standing to football stadiums in England?
When we looked at bringing it back to Old Trafford we cited the German model of ‘safe standing’ and having had the chance to meet Jon Darch from the Safe Standing Roadshow and Malcolm Clarke of the Football Supporters Federation it is apparent that not only is there a market for standing at games but that it can also work.
German football is member (fan) controlled and they believe that standing is an integral part of football support thus have designated areas in stadium specifically for standing and as long as the game is run that way in Germany it will never be outlawed.
But as expected they encountered problems.
In the late 1990s UEFA outlawed standing in stadia that wanted to host European football competitions like the Champions League and the then UEFA Cup so the Bundesliga teams were faced with a problem, how would they convert their standing areas into seating areas to satisfy UEFA regulations?
Hamburg came up with an idea convert every second step in their standing areas into a fold up chair. When folded down it was just a metal step but in event of European football it could be flipped up into a seat.
It wasn’t a popular idea though as more teams chose to go with the ‘rail seat’.
Approved of by UEFA and FIFA, the variositze or rail seat consists of one step or two depending on preference to be stood on, then a rail with seat in front and behind.
The seat can be unlocked and folded out with a key but when in the locked position the rail in front and behind prevents the spectator from being pushed forward and toppling, unlike the danger presented when standing in stadiums today with the low back or even no back chairs.
This railway chair is what the Safe Standing Roadshow want to bring to English football and personally I was sold by their presentation.
The actual ruling behind standing in itself is quite daft, standing is prohibited only in the top two flights of football so League 1 and below can have terraces whilst if you are fortunate enough to be promoted into the Championship from League 1 then your stadium will need renovation.
I find it hard to see the correlation between fan safety and the quality of football you play yet the ruling still stands.
Another interesting point raised was the fact standing is only prohibited at football games. So you may find yourself expelled from Old Trafford for standing at a football game but if you go back the following week for the rugby that Old Trafford can be found to host, the same stewards won’t bat an eyelid as you stand and cheer.
Although attempting to make the game safer the ruling on standing at football games for me does not actually address the real problem.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
When Trafford Borough Council threatened to reduce Old Trafford’s capacity due to persistent standing they commissioned a report to show just how dangerous standing is.
Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out like that and instead the report found:
Jumping up and down when celebrating Squeezing through narrow aisles when going toilet Taking the stairs out after a game
were all more dangerous than just standing during a game.
Most footballing disasters have occurred due to poor crowd control at entry or exit. Very rarely have accidents occurred due to standing during action.
Standing during games is something that will always happen and although stewards will try to enforce it early on very rarely is it strictly adhered to. At the FA Youth Cup semi final first leg between Manchester United and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge we were threatened with expulsion in the Shed End but after a while the stewards gave up and allowed us to stand for the whole 90 minutes whilst at Bramall Lane for the final we were allowed to stand for 90 minutes unopposed.
John Darch and the Safe Standing team believe as fans we should get the choice whether we stand at games, there is a misconception that they are trying to return to the days of terraces but simply they want to give fans the option to stand at games safely and having seen their model for doing so if given the choice I would like to.