The Managerial Merry Go Round

The football world has been dominated in recent weeks by news of managerial changes.

Sir Alex Ferguson started it all off by announcing his shock decision to retire as manager of Manchester United.  United moved quickly to appoint David Moyes as his replacement which created a vacancy at Everton.  I'm not totally convinced that Moyes is the right man for the job but most United fans seem happy with him and believe that he deserves a shot at one of the big jobs.

My own opinion is that United don't need to take a gamble on anyone.  They're one of the biggest clubs in the world and could have pretty much anyone they wanted.  For me Moyes is an unnecessary risk and they should have went for someone with a proven record who could guarantee success. Time will tell how good Moyes is but for me his record at Everton is pretty much par as he has them performing at the level I'd expect Everton to be at.

The Everton board now have to look at who they want to replace Moyes.  Much of the talk has been about Roberto Martinez and Neil Lennon.  Of those two Martinez would be a better appointment but I think he might give Wigan another year as he won't want to end his time there as the manager who got them relegated.

That leaves Neil Lennon but as a Celtic fan I don't think he would be a great appointment for Everton.  His stock was increased by the Champions League run but from watching Celtic every week I'm not convinced by him.  He seems to struggle to motivate the players in certain games and some of the changes he makes during games are bizarre. 

Whilst I don't think Everton should appoint him, the Celtic fan in me would love it to happen.  I love Neil Lennon and he will rightfully be remembered as a club legend for his time as a player.  He played and later captained us through what was a very successful period in our history but I genuinely don't think he has the right attributes to be a long term manager at Celtic.  If he were to take the Everton job he could leave Celtic with his head held high.  I would hate it if he stayed at the club and ended up being sacked as it's the last thing he deserves for all the years service but unless the domestic performances improve it is a realistic possibility.

The man who I would like to see get the Everton job is Gus Poyet.  Poyet has done a fine job since his playing days ended, coaching at Leeds and Tottenham before taking on the Brighton manager's job.  In his time at Leeds he assisted Dennis Wise and whether it was coincidental or not, there was a huge drop in fortunes when Poyet left for Tottenham.  Personally, I think it was no coincidence and that Poyet was the brains behind the operation but we will never know for sure. 

In his time at Brighton he has took them from being a relegation threatened League One club to the Championship playoffs.  His CV is almost identical to David Moyes' at this stage in his career.  Moyes took over a struggling Preston before guiding them to promotion and then losing in the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League.  The move may have been made a little easier too with the news that Poyet has been suspended as Brighton manager for a "breach of contract."  In one of his interviews after losing in the playoff semi-finals to Crystal Palace he commented on his future, indicating that he did not know whether or not he would be at Brighton next year.  It may be messy but it certainly looks like Poyet's time at Brighton is coming to an end and Everton would be perfect move for both parties.

Another big job up for grabs is Manchester City.  Roberto Mancini was sacked on Monday following City's FA Cup Final defeat to relegated, Wigan Athletic.  In my honest opinion it was only a matter of time before Mancini was sacked and I think the club will be better off without him.  Mancini earned a reputation as a top manager after winning three Serie A titles with Inter Milan.  When you read it like that it looks impressive.  However, the fact is he never won the first title.  Inter finished third that year but Juventus and AC Milan were deducted points after being caught up in a match fixing scandal which meant Inter were awarded the title.  The following season saw Juventus playing in Serie B and AC Milan beginning the year minus eight points and understandably Inter romped to the title.  In Mancini's final season at Inter, he won another title, narrowly edging Roma to the championship.  Juventus were still recovering from the effects of losing half their squad the season before and Milan's ageing squad was finally catching up on them. 

On paper, Mancini's three Serie A titles look impressive but when investigated a little further, the record really isn't as good as it seems.  He also struggled to make an impact in the Champions League and made the Quarter-Finals on just one occasion.  He was eventually sacked after the 2007/08 season and replaced by Jose Mourinho.  This decision was criticised by many at the time but Mourinho went onto win the Champions League in his second season so the Inter board were proven to be right in the end.

Since Mancini arrived in Manchester he was well backed by the owners who spent millions to give him all the tools he required to make City a top team not only in England but also in Europe.  In three and a half years he managed to pick up an FA Cup and the Premier League title but for the money he spent I don't think the City owners got value for money.  Once again his European record was terrible with City twice failing to make it out of the group stages of the Champions League.  Many will point to the groups they have been drawn into and there is no doubt they have had tough draws but for the money he has spent and the squad at his disposal it was nowhere near good enough.  Last year Bayern Munich and Napoli made it out of the group ahead of City.  Bayern Munich was fair enough but Napoli weren't world beaters and City should have been able to get the better of them.  This year people will say that Dortmund and Real Madrid went onto reach the Final and the Semi-Final which is a fair point but they finished bottom of the group behind those two and Ajax who went on to get knocked out of the Europa League by Steaua Bucharest. 

For me it was the right decision and thoughts now turn to who will replace him.  Manuel Pellegrini appears to be the hot favourite and I think he would be a decent man to get the nod.  His record since coming to Europe has been impressive.  In his time at Villarreal he took a small provincial club to the Champions League Semi-Final before losing out narrowly to Arsenal.  He also guided them to a second place finish in La Liga.  After leaving Villarreal he had a year at Real Madrid were he never done much wrong but just finished behind the best team in the world.  His Real Madrid team finished the year with ninety-six points which was a club record at the time but Barcelona managed ninety-nine to pip Madrid to the title.  After being released from Real Madrid he moved to Malaga.  Malaga were another provincial club but once again he managed to guide them to the Champions League and they were extremely unlucky to be knocked out by Borussia Dortmund after conceding two goals in stoppage time. 

Pellegrini is yet to be officially confirmed as City manager but it looks as though it's just a matter of time before he gets the job and if the board give him the financial backing they gave Mancini, I expect the trophy cabinet at Eastlands to have a few pots in it by the end of next season. 

The other big job opening in England is the poisoned chalice at Stamford Bridge.  The only thing Roman Abramovich loves more than winning trophies is appointing new managers and Chelsea will have yet another new man in the dugout when the 2013/14 season kicks off.  Rafa Benitez has done a decent job as interim manager, qualifying for next years Champions League and winning the Europa League but his position is untenable as he has a fractured relationship with the Chelsea fans which dates back to his time as Liverpool manager.  It's a pity as Benitez has done well and deserves a crack at it but there's no chance of it happening. 

The media and pretty much everyone in the footballing world seem to think that the job is Jose Mourinho's.  He has had a rough spell in Madrid and in typical Mourinho fashion he has clashed with players, media and fans.  It seems that he has decided that enough is enough and he will leave at the end of the season.  He always said he felt there was unfinished business at Chelsea and it looks as though he feels now is the time to go back and finish what he started. 

I am a big Mourinho fan but I do have a few reservations about this appointment.  Everyone knows about Mourinho's ego and for anyone that doesn't I've no doubt Jose himself would be only too happy to tell you how great he is.  The problem is Chelsea already have a huge ego at the club and Mourinho's biggest problem is the other big ego sits in the board room and is the guy who signs all the cheques.  It didn't work out between Mourinho and Abramovich the last time so why is it going to work this time?  As I see it, nothing has changed since last time.  If anything they've both got worse and I just don't see this story having a happy ending. 

If Mourinho does leave Real Madrid, that will be another huge job that needs a big name manager.  Rumour has it that Carlo Ancellotti may be in line to leave PSG to take it which in turn would leave another huge job to be filled. 

Whilst all this managerial merry go round is happening there is one man who I would like to see make a move to one of the bigger clubs.  That man is Borussia Dortmund manager, Jurgen Klopp.  Klopp has done an amazing job at Dortmund and many people will ask would he leave the Champions League finalists but with the news that Mario Gotze is leaving for Bayern Munich and rumours circulating that Ilkay Gundogan, Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus and Mats Hummels could also be moving on you would wonder will Klopp want to rebuild the squad again.  Gotze on his own is a huge loss to Dortmund but if the others leave too then surely Klopp will have to consider his future.  The one thing standing in the way is Klopp seems to be one of the few in football who have loyalty and respect for their contracts but I just wonder how many more players he can afford to lose and still feel he can keep Dortmund competitive. 

Right now there seems to be more questions than answers and with the Premier League finishing this weekend there may be even more managerial casualties and as the weeks pass things should become a little clearer.  With new managers usually comes new signings so despite the fact that the league is coming to an end at the weekend, the real drama is just about to get under way. 

GJ Sports Blog - Sportzine Volume 1

Welcome to the new style GJ Sports Blog were I will be doing a twice weekly look at the main stories in the sports world.  I will still be looking to write longer blogs on occasion but this feature will be used mainly as a home for opinions on subjects that I don't want to write a full blog on but that I want to say more about than just random Twitter rants.  If you have any subjects you would like to discuss feel free to contact me on Twitter, @gjsportsblog.

SOCCER

Luis Suarez 

Much has been said on the subject and if I'm honest I don't agree with what seems to have become the common attitude,  that he is being harshly treated.  My own opinion is that ten games is about right for the offence.

 
When I was finished replaying the incident multiple times on Sunday evening my thoughts began to turn to an appropriate punishment.  I knew he had been punished for a similar offence in his time in Holland but couldn't remember exactly how long his ban had been.  A quick Google search showed that he was banned for seven games on that occasion and using that as a precedent and taking into consideration that this was his second offence, I felt a ten game ban would be fair enough although if I'm honest I didn't think the FA would have the balls to give him such a long ban. 

Many Liverpool fans have argued that the ban is too long when compared to some of the bad tackles that have been made this season.  My argument to this is bad tackles are a part of football.  It's very easy for someone to commit themselves to a challenge and with the speed that the top players are playing at in the modern game these challenges can often be mistimed and players can suddenly become public enemy number one simply because an attacker was too quick for them.  I'm not saying that every bad tackle is accidental but I would say that quite a few of them are and it's an impossible task to expect a disciplinary committee to get inside a players mind to be able to judge a players intent when making a challenge. 

The Suarez case is completely different and you don't just bite someone by accident.  For me the two lowest places a man can go are if he bites or spits on another man.  Both are absolutely disgusting and both are extremely cowardly.  Had Suarez stood up to Ivanovic like a man and punched him he would have no doubt got a ban but deep down he would have earned a small bit of respect as he took issue with a bigger man and had the guts to stand up to him.  As it was though Suarez sunk to lowlife, corner boy tactics and as good as he is on the field any bit of respect he was still owed after his other misdemeanour's has been lost. 

Many argue that Suarez is being punished because of who he is and not what he done but why is that wrong?  In any other circumstance he would be judged on his past character whether that be in a court of law or an employment related disciplinary hearing.  When making a judgement people will want to know are the actions out of character for the person and on this occasion they certainly were not. 

Suarez now misses the remainder of this season and roughly the first month or so of next season and that will be a big loss for Liverpool.  What would be an even bigger loss to Liverpool would be if he decides to leave the Premier League due to the "harsh treatment" he receives.  Luis Suarez, the footballer is an asset to Liverpool and the Premier League and it would be bad for everyone if he were to leave.  English football has lost a lot of it's star players in the last few years and the league would be worse off without him but the time is long overdue for Suarez to realise that he isn't being victimised and that his situation is 100% his own making. 

Champions League Shocks

When the draw was made for the Champions League semi finals many fans were licking their lips at the prospect of an El Classico at Wembley to decide who were the best team in Europe.  After the first legs though it's looking highly unlikely.  Barcelona went to Munich to play FC Bayern and got absolutely spanked 4-0.  In the second semi final it was Real Madrid's turn to go to Germany and they too were on the wrong end of a beating, losing 4-1 to FC Bayern.

 

The Bayern v Barca game was something that will live long in the memory.  Barcelona have been the best team in Europe for the past few seasons and when Messi, Xavi and Iniesta click they are simply unstoppable.  Many teams have tried to find the formula to stop Barcelona but nobody had really managed it until now.  Not only did Bayern find a way to stop Barca but they also managed to find their weak spots in defence and in the end were fully deserving winners. 

That result was surprising enough but many fans were even more surprised when Dortmund handed out a similar beating to Jose Mourinho's, Real Madrid.  Most fans expected Madrid to have too much strength for the German's but if I'm honest I was less surprised at this result than I was at the Barcelona one.

 

I think I'm blinded with Barca bias but I have bought into the notion of Barcelona's invincibility and always believe that they can overcome any team in the world.  In the other tie, Dortmund had already got the better of Real in the group stages.  A 2-1 win in Germany and a 2-2 draw in Spain thanks to a late Mesut Ozil equaliser were enough to see Dortmund finish top of Group D with an unbeaten record.  They have managed to maintain that unbeaten record and with Real Madrid's up and down season I always believed they would have a chance.  

As it was Robert Lewandowski produced a master class, scoring four goals to give Dortmund a huge lead and one they are more than capable of defending in the Bernabeu.

With the second legs to look forward to all signs are pointing towards an all German Final but I have watched enough European football over the years to know that it's not quite that straight forward.  At least one of the two are going to get a very tough time of it.  Barcelona and Real Madrid are top class sides and they will throw everything they have at the German sides.  If one of them could get an early lead to get the crowd fired up it could suddenly become a lot harder than it should be to protect three and four goal leads.

BASKETBALL

NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs got under way this week and so far they've went pretty much as expected.  The vast majority of games look like going with the higher seeded team with only the Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors looking like causing an upset.  

The Bulls lead 2-1 over the Brooklyn Nets at present with Game 4 due to take place in Chicago tomorrow.  Golden State are currently tied at 1-1 with the Denver Nuggets after splitting the first two games in Denver.  There's still a long way to go but the Warriors have given themselves a chance of progressing by taking home court advantage from the Nuggets.  

At this stage in the NBA playoffs it's mostly about gathering momentum.  With over half the teams in the league qualifying for the post season there's a lot of teams in there who have no real chance of winning a title and it'll be another round before things start to heat up.

In terms of teams that can win the Championship, it's impossible to look past the Miami Heat.  They won it last year and they look even better this year.  LeBron James is unplayable at times and in the unlikely event that one of their opponents find a way to stop him they can fall back on Dwayne Wade who is also capable of winning games on his own.  To win the title the Heat will most likely have to get past Chicago, New York and Oklahoma City.  Those three are all capable of beating Miami but not in a seven game series.

ICE HOCKEY

NHL

With the Stanley Cup playoffs just around the corner we are reaching a very exciting time in the NHL.  In the Eastern Conference there is little to play for with the eight teams already decided but things are a little more exciting in the West.  

Two of the Detroit Red Wings, the Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators will be in the playoffs.  With places in the playoffs up for grabs, the stakes are high enough but for me it's much more than that.  I'm a Detroit Red Wings fan and for me it's not about reaching the 2013 playoffs, it's all about keeping "the streak" alive.  

The Red Wings have reached the playoffs in twenty one seasons in a row which is a remarkable record but there's still room for improvement.  The Red Wings hold the current record for longest active streak by quite some distance but they still have a long way to go to match the Boston Bruins record of twenty nine consecutive playoff appearances throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. 

The Red Wings have given themselves a fighting chance of reaching the playoffs and a win in their final game of the season against the Dallas Stars would see them into the post season.  If they can pass that test then you just don't know how they might do.  Last year the Los Angeles Kings were playing desperation hockey in their last few games which led to them coming into the playoffs with a lot of momentum.  Could the same thing happen to this years Red Wings?  In hockey, you just don't know. 

Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this opening edition of the GJ Sports Blog Sportzine.  As this is my first time doing this I would very much appreciate some feedback.  I have a few ideas for other features to include in future editions such as a quiz and a look at lesser known leagues or clubs around the world.  I'm working with a blank canvas at the moment and would like to know what people enjoy reading, don't enjoy reading and what you would like to see in future editions.  Feel free to add comments here or on my Twitter page, www.twitter.com/gjsportsblog.

Michael Owen - The Striker I Shouldn't Like

Michael Owen announced earlier today that he is to retire from football at the end of the season.  To be honest it's not surprising as he has been ravaged by injuries throughout his career and he has been making less and less of an impact in the limited game time he has had in recent years but it is still a sad day for football.  I don't feel entirely comfortable saying that as everything about Owen's career should make me hate him but strangely I don't. 

Owen played for five club sides throughout his career as well as having an excellent international career with England.  At this point it might be useful to know that I am a Leeds United fan so it seems fairly obvious that I didn't appreciate his spells at Liverpool and Manchester United.  I also hold a grudge against Newcastle as they were one of the teams who gained the most from scavenging amongst the wreckage of Leeds financial meltdown.  His spell at Stoke may seem inoffensive but let's be honest nobody outside the Potteries likes Stoke.  He also had a spell in La Liga with Real Madrid and yes you've guessed it, I have a soft spot for their biggest rivals, Barcelona.  As if all that's not bad enough I am also a proud Irish man and at the risk of offending my readers, us Irish don't really like England.  Hopefully, anyone who reads this will be mature enough to understand sporting rivalry and I don't think it's news to anyone that there's nothing us Celts love more than seeing England players readying themselves for a penalty shoot out.

I should maybe point out that I think a lot of the anti-English feeling is brought on by the media.  As I see it the English media are the most over reactive bunch I've ever had the misfortune of experiencing.  When it comes to major tournaments the media would treat a 1-0 win over San Marino as the greatest result of all time but once they suffer an often unlucky defeat to one of the top teams on penalties they instantly become failures and a national disgrace.  It's not fair and the players deserve better but the media love nothing more than to build up their team just so they can get stuck in when it all goes wrong. 

Getting back on topic, Owen's career has took him to what seems like a who's who of teams I don't like but I can't find it in myself not to like him.  He comes across quite well in his media appearances which perhaps helps his cause but I think it's a case of the memories I have of his early career. 

Many younger football fans will think of Owen as the guy who sat on the bench for Manchester United or as the guy who grew a fantastic moustache in aid of the Movember campaign but for the rest of us, Owen is the one who got away.  In his early years Owen was an exceptional talent and it is sad that he and we were robbed of watching that talent grow into what should have been one of the best players in the world.  Unfortunately the injuries took there toll and although there were flashes of genius he was never able to reach the peaks he did in his years at Liverpool. 

Owen is the only Englishman in my lifetime to win the Ballon d'Or and his international record of 40 goals in 89 games is exceptional.  If Owen had stayed free of injuries I have no doubt that he would have smashed Bobby Charlton's record as England's top goalscorer. 

However, the biggest compliment I could give to Owen is that he is the only player in over twenty years of watching football that made me want England to win a match.  I can remember sitting as a thirteen year old watching him score "that" goal in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina.  He was breathtaking that night and it's rare to see a player play that way.  With Alan Shearer providing the focal point of the English attack, Owen was able to drop deep.  When he collected the ball he would set off at pace, taking players on and to this day it is still one of the best performances I've ever saw.

After the game when England had lost on penalties and I had finished sulking my dad said to me "I didn't know you were an England fan" and I replied "I'm not but I just wanted to see Michael Owen again in the next round."  My dad said to me, "Sure the Premier League will be back soon and you can watch him every week" and I replied "Yeah but it won't be the same" and unfortunately it never was.

Manchester United v Real Madrid Preview

Tonight should be a great night for football fans as two of Europe's giants go head to head in the Champions League.  Manchester United and Real Madrid are arguably Europe's biggest clubs but there's only room for one of them in the Quarter-Finals of Europe's elite competition.  They drew 1-1 three weeks ago in Madrid to set up what should be a breathtaking night at Old Trafford. 

The game is packed with some of the best players in the world with players like Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie going head to head with Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo.  It's not just on the pitch that world class competitors will be going head to head.  There will be another heavyweight battle in the dugouts as Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho do battle.  These two are right at the top in the management game and although there is a mutual respect between them, both are ultra competitive and would love to add the others scalp to their already overloaded CV's. 

I am a complete neutral in this one and have no love for either club.  In England and Spain I follow Leeds United and Barcelona so I am used to cheering against both sides.  Having said that, as a football fan I have a lot of respect for the players and coaches on show as there's not many better in the game.  All I can hope for is a good game, played in the right way by two world class sides with two world class coaches. 

My biggest fear is that the two sides will take a cautious approach and cancel each other out.  As much attacking quality as there is between the teams, the two coaches are more than capable of setting up their teams not to lose.  Fortunately, the 1-1 draw in the first leg means that a dull game would benefit Manchester United more and I simply cannot see Sir Alex setting up his team to play defensively against anyone at Old Trafford.  I have no doubt however that Mourinho will have a plan in place to spoil the game if his side score the first goal. 

Tactically, I would expect to see them both line up in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  United are without Phil Jones and I would expect Tom Cleverley to take his place alongside Michael Carrick in midfield.  Kagawa, Rooney and Welbeck should line up across the attacking midfield area supporting Robin Van Persie in attack.  Defensively, I would expect to see De Gea in nets behind a back four of Rafael, Evra and two from Ferdinand, Vidic and Evans.  For Real, I would expect to see Lopez in goal behind Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos and Coentrao.  In midfield Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira should provide the muscle to allow Ronaldo, Ozil and Di Maria to join Benzema in attack. 

I can see this game being one of the classics but as far as predictions go, I'll leave that to someone else.  It's almost impossible to call.  United could simply roll over a Madrid side who have struggled on their travels all year or Madrid could outclass United with their technical superiority.  Equally Ramos could throw the head up and get himself sent off or Ronaldo could once again grace a stage he has many happy memories of and send Madrid into the last eight.  You want a prediction?  Get a coin and flip it.  Heads says United win and tails says Real win.  It really is that tight.