Bill Nicholson - Football's Perfectionist by Brian Scovell

Bill Nicholson – Football’s Perfectionist by Brian Scovell

Bill Nicholson was, and remains, one of the true (and few) great football managers yet is possibly the most unsung of their number, considering how the names Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankley, Brian Clough and Jock Stein still frequently appear in the media.

A Yorkshireman who, it would appear, outwardly conformed to the dour stereotype. He embraced many virtues of his time being punctual, loyal, principled, dignified, immaculately dressed and hard-working; who set the highest standards and expected the same from his players. He was hard, he had to be, spotting before anyone else that star players were on the wane and replacing them without sentiment. He was tight with the club’s money, although only ever earned peanuts himself.

Yet, almost paradoxically, what emerges is a portrait of a lovely, warm-hearted man. He was a winner, but despite a league championship, three FA Cups, the first Double of the 20th century, two League Cups, a European Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Cup, was only ever satisfied by winning the right way – by playing entertaining, quick-passing, free-flowing, attacking football. He invariably reminded his charges that it was their responsibility to entertain as that is what the fans desire and it is they who have paid their wages. Oh, for his ilk now.

Brian Scovell is of a similar opinion and whilst it is one I absolutely agree with, his nagging digs at the modern game and its soulless, if not corrupt, personnel is one of the book’s faults. Once his position was stated there was no need for regular comparisons between Nic’s era and the modern day. The narrative speaks for itself and the reader can draw their own conclusions.

Lack of an index or a career stats appendix are other faults, but, unfortunately, this otherwise very enjoyable and overly-researched book is horribly let down by a great number of minor, and a few embarrassingly major, factual errors.

This is not the place to list them all, but Derby County have never won the European Cup; Charlie Nicholas could not have been considered a possible purchase from Arsenal, being that he was age 12, and nine years from being a Gunner, when Bill Nicholson resigned; Argentinian captain Rattin did not see a red card in the 1966 World Cup, nor was Dave Mackay threatened with one in 1967, as they were not introduced until the 1970 World Cup and not seen in English league games until the early 1980s; A picture caption is wrongly dated and there are typos and errors of grammar that should be picked up at the proof reading stage.

There’s more…

Margaret Thatcher did not become prime minister in the year that Bill left Spurs – Five years out. News of Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon did not interrupt Grandstand on the morning of the 1961 Cup Final – eight years out. And the US Civil War song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic (“Glory Glory Hallelujah”), adopted by the White Hart Lane faithful, was not written in 1965 – awry by a century.

We all make mistakes, but there are too many, and Brian Scovell should not necessarily shoulder all of the blame – Does the publisher not have editors and proof readers to check facts that any bright schoolchild would know? (I’m talking of the historical landmarks here, not the history of Derby County FC or the introduction of red cards – I spotted those because my head is full of near-useless football trivia!) They almost spoil what is still a good read of a decent gent.

Recommended, but football’s perfectionist deserves better attention to detail.

Bill Nicholson – Football’s Perfectionist by Brian Scovell is published by John Blake.

theo walcott

Maybe as a a consequence of missing out in the South Africa World Cup finals, Theo Walcott has started this Premier League season in sparkling form, easily the most dangerous of England’s wide men he has already bagged four goals in 187 minutes of football action.

He will surely have earned himself a starting place up in Fabio Capello’s team who take on Bulgaria this Friday in the first of the qualifiers for Euro 2012.

Castrol Performance analysis confirms that Walcott has compared very favourably to England’s alternative wide men, scoring more goals, mustering more shots, being more accurate with his crosses than all apart from Ashley Young and only behind James Milner in terms of successful dribbles.

Also Walcott will feel he has a point to prove and where better to do that than at Wembley in an England shirt.

With the statistics showing that Bulgaria were at their most vulnerable during the first 15 minutes of their World Cup 2010 qualifiers, Walcott may never have such an opportunity to prove his ability at international level.

Walcott shows lightening pace at the start of any game and the Bulgarians will have their hands full contending with the nippy Arsenal player as he runs at their defence at speed, hopefully creating chances of an early goal or two for himself or his colleagues.

While the Castrol stats show that England were more potent later on in their World Cup qualifying games, Bulgaria will be mindful that four of England’s goals in the campaign were scored inside the first 15 minutes and three of those were scored at Wembley.

Bulgaria will have to be at their most focused if they are to get anything out of this game and England are massive favourites to get themselves off to a winning start on Friday.

castrol performance research

Castrol say England are 76% most likely to win, 15% for a draw and Bulgaria have a 9% of upsetting the odds and winning the match.

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks with a foreward by Jeremy Nicholas

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton is the classic account of one football fan’s obsession with West Ham United.

“Somewhere in a parallel universe there is another Robert Banks, who is a season ticket holder at Manchester United and is a highly successful novel writer and adored by everyone in the world, regardless of footballing, religious or racial denomination. But is he happy? You bet the hell he is”

But Robert Banks is not that man. Since childhood, he has been obsessed with West Ham United Football Club. A team of persistent and historical under-achievers.

After all, the only thing West Ham ever brought home was the 1966 World Cup, but that doesn’t count, apparently.

Originally published in 1995, An Irrational Hatred of Luton fast became a cult classic amongst Hammers and football fans in general. Spanning twenty years of matches home and away, it contains some of the most sublime writing on football and the irrational nature of fandom ever committed to paper.

“A rattling good read!” John Inverdale

Laugh out loud funny, and almost devastatingly poignant, An Irrational Hatred of Luton
is an odyssey through the world of a committed football supporter. A real-life Fever Pitch, and with a Hornby-esque deftness of tone, Banks’ book shows how intricately in the life of a true fan, football interconnects with the everyday. Banks’ friendships, relationships, work, emotions of joy and despair all take place against a backdrop of claret and blue.

Then Saturday comes and he watches his team get thumped again. A compelling and hilarious journey into the nature of obsession.

An Irrational Hatred Of Luton by Robert Banks with a foreward by Jeremy Nicholas
is published in paperback by Biteback priced £9.99.

Bob Bradley renews US contract

It looks as though the USA coach Bob Bradley has done the sensible thing and extended his contract with the US international team and put an end to any speculation linking him with the Aston Villa managerial vacancy.

Latest reports suggest that Bradley has agreed to remain in charge of the American team until 2014, a just reward for the achievements he has made with the international team during his current tenure.

Bradley has been responsible for the emergence of the USA as serious contenders at international level, their recent endeavours at the South African World Cup saw them reach the last 16 where they were beaten by Ghana.

It was at the 2010 World Cup where Bradley led the team to finish first place in their group for the first time in 80 years, having previously guided the team to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the final of the Federation’s cup in 2009 where his team lost to Brazil after ending Spain’s long unbeaten run in the semi finals.

There is no doubt that Bradley deserves the plaudits for his achievements with the US team, he has taken a fairly limited squad of players and turned them into a tremendous team full of spirit, who will not be humiliated by ‘bigger better’ teams and who are prepared to fight for their country and each other and of course their coach.

The reason I believe it is the right decision for Bob Bradley to stay in the US is simply that Premier League football is a very different animal to what he knows, while I have no doubt that he would do an excellent job at Villa given time and resources it is not so easy seeing him fit into the in your face style of English media reporting, something that has quickly taken its toll on other coaches making the switch from international to EPL football.

It is a sad reflection on the game today that these things have become widespread and there is nothing in football more cringe worthy than a player simulating injury after the slightest of touches as his team mates surround the referee brandishing imaginary cards.

In a joint study with Opta, Gillette found that 90% of players who hit the deck like a sack of potatoes are soon up on their feet and able to continue with the match.

Using a selection of ten Premier league games, along with the World Cup final, the findings from Gillette make interesting reading;

• Over 25% of footballers who fall to the ground following a challenge are theatrically diving, averaging over 8 dives per game.
• Only one in ten players (9.9%) who remained on the ground claiming injury were later substituted as a result.
• In the World Cup Final, over 5 minutes was wasted on the 15 occasions players stayed down with injury in normal time, yet all were able to continue.
• Players spent an average of 52 seconds per match whingeing at the referee, with the World Cup Final witnessing 1 minute and 31 seconds of this behaviour.
• 168 yellow cards were shown last season in the Premier League for dissent, simulation and swearing, with Birmingham City the worst culprits with 16, followed by Portsmouth (14), Aston Villa (12) and Hull (11).
• Referee Alan Bennett clamps down most on theatrics, dishing out by far the most yellow cards (24) for these offences.
• Birmingham City defender Roger Johnson topped the individual list with four yellow cards, followed by a host of players with three including Ashley Young, Emmanuel Eboue and Ricardo Fuller.

As the stats show this is not merely a Premier League problem, there were plenty of examples during the World Cup in South Africa and certainly in the final itself, as the figures above make clear.

Speaking about the report, Nathan Homer, Gillette Brand Manager said, “While Gillette tackles sensitivity on guys faces with the Fusion razor, we thought we could take that approach onto the football pitch too.  We have a longstanding involvement in football. Many people watch Jeff and the team on Gillette Soccer Saturday berating footballers for diving and play acting. This research is part of our campaign to give sensitivity on the pitch the red card.”

Along with everything mentioned above, I would personally like to call an end to the constant jostling and shirt pulling at corners and free kicks, it makes me wonder how we allowed these things to creep into the game in the first place.

Top 10 Of Football by Russell Ash & Ian Morrison

Top 10 Of Football
by Russell Ash & Ian Morrison

Top 10 Of Football is a great little book of no less than 250 lists of Top 10’s covering everything to do with the game of football – beautiful and not so beautiful.

Thinking I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to English football I was given a surprise or too.  For example, did you know James Milner was the most capped England Under-21 player of all time? And could you name, in order, the top 3 England managers when worked out as a percentage of games won? And what about the top 3 England goal scorers of all-time?  Just three England Top 10’s I failed miserably on.

But the book covers much more than England and English football.  There are chapters devoted to the World Cup, European Championship, African Nations Cup, international club tournaments in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa as well as international sections on Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. There is even Top 10’s on football managers, football trivia, money, non-league football and Women’s football.

How many could you names in the Top 10 latest occasions that the British transfer record was broken? (as of 1st November 2009).  Now that was a surprise!

Top 10 Of Football is a perfect book for a train journey, to take on holiday, reference or fun to pull out with some friends after a few drinks.

Top 10 Of Football by Russell Ash & Ian Morrison is published by Hamlyn in Hardback priced £10

Martin O'Neill The Biography by Simon Moss

Football needs its characters. It needs surprise, people who can take the breath away, it needs beauty, skill and imagination, and it needs people who can express an opinion, perhaps even start an argument.

Martin O’Neill is one of the very few people within the ‘industry’ (players, managers, administrators, journalists or broadcasters) worth listening to. A lad from Northern Ireland, whose relatively unsung playing career saw him achieve far more than most present day kiss-the-badge mercenary millionnaires ever will. It included a successful world cup campaign for a start, when the journeymen of Northern Ireland defeated hosts Spain and made it to the last twelve in 1982. Add to this a league title and two European cup medals. A successful career in management has followed from Wycombe to Leicester, Celtic and, until this week, Aston Villa. He is an erudite and usually outspoken pundit on the box. He should also have got the England job when it was offered initially to Scholari and then to the hapless Steve McClaren.

Martin O’Neill is one of the present-day game’s few characters and, of course, he played for the biggest character of them all – Brian Clough OBE.

It is for all of these reasons that a biography of O’Neill should arouse the interest of anyone true football fan.

However, I am sorry to say that he is poorly served by this book. For a start, there is neither an index nor acknowledgements. All biogs should, at the very least, have an index. It is unclear from the publisher’s blurb whether the author has ever met or spoken to his subject (The Unauthorised Biography?). In fact,all quotes seem to have come from various newspapers. It would appear that the author has not spoken to a living soul in the writing of the book and instead produced it by spending diligent hours in a newspaper reference library.  Surely a first-hand quote or opinion could be gathered by picking up a phone to a former team mate, current player, fellow journalist or broadcaster? Just to add a little colour to the dryness of yellowing newspaper cuttings?

Let me give further examples of disappointment. By page 10, the young O’Neill, a bright lad from a tolerant nationalist household, has already left school with enough qualifications to study law (his other great passion) at university. However, he is playing senior football for Distillery and everyone know’s he is going to “make it” as a footballer. On page 12, “Terry Neill rewarded O’Neill with his first cap for the national side and teams from England started to send scouts to assess him.” That was it – Your debut for your country warrants half a sentence. How old was he? (He was 18 or 19 according to Wikipedia). Who did they play? What was the score? Did the young man play well? Did he impress the manager? What were his feelings? Was his Mum and Dad proud? Nothing.

Chapter two is Brian Clough and the Forest years. Oh goody. I have read every book by and about Clough, but there is nothing here I haven’t already read or heard. On page 17, O’Neill tells the Irish Times, “I have often said that it would have been difficult to work with that man (Clough) for five years and not to have learned anything from him.” On page 21, “you would have had to be really bone stupid to be with Brian Clough for five or six years and not learn something from him…”

O’Neill’s first managerial job was actually at Grantham Town. “Despite an inauspicious start, Grantham rapidly improved …as they began to play the style of football their new gaffer demanded. The squad responded to his methods, training and ideas of how he wanted the game played.” So, what was his style, his methods, training and ideas? How did they differ from those learned under Clough? Again, we are left to guess.

I could go on. As I’ve said, his story is a good one and one I was eager to read it, yet this book provides few answers and gives so little insight into this talented, strong-willed and principled man. A man who gave up his Celtic job to spend time with his sick wife. Here, Simon Moss rightly states the fact without delving deeper into what must have been a distressing time for all of the family.

The 58-year-old O’Neill spent five years at Celtic, yet this period fills half of the book. The author would have done better to make this the main focus of the book – bulk out the Celtic era to around 200 pages, with an additional 40 pages of background covering his previous career/life, then call it ‘Man of the Bhoys’ and you would still sell the print run to the thousands of Celtic fans worldwide.

The book also lacks a career record/stats appendix – another minimum requirement in a sporting biography.

To conclude, as if I have to, this is a very disappointing look at an engaging and intriguing football man.

Martin O’Neill The Biography by Simon Moss is published by John Blake.

England started well with a fluent 4-3-3 system that gave Steven Gerrard a free roaming role, often dropping deep but always looking to push up to support of the loan striker, Wayne Rooney. But by half-time the initial enthusiasm and head of steam had run out, and England left the pitch to a chorus of boos.

Four changes were made by Fabio Capello at half-time.  Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs, Ashley Young and Bobby Zamora for Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Theo Walcott; and second-half substitutes saw Wayne Rooney replaced by James Milner and Steven Gerrard, after scoring England’s two goals for the 18 year old debutant, Jack Wilshere.

Wayne Rooney was substituted midway in the second-half while England was 1-0 down to the biggest boo of the night.  Rooney had become frustrated as England’s midfield increasingly left him isolated.

Phil Jagielka looked comfortable in central defence and of the debuts and young players on show for England, in what has been dubbed ‘the beginning of a new dawn’, Kieran Gibbs made a great impression in both defending and rushing forward when he replaced Ashley Cole.  And though he made a nuisance of himself with darting runs and a couple of decent crosses from the right-hand side, I still believe Theo Walcott shows naivety and immaturity by continually running into defenders or cul-de-sacs when he should have his head up, looking to pass the ball.

But like Fabio Capello, who didn’t once get out of his seat, let alone stand in the technical area, throughout the whole match, let’s not get over excited to see England looking to its passionate youth.  After all, this is only a meaningless friendly match.

Next month England will begin their Euro 2012 Qualifying campaign, and it is only then that we will see if Fabio Capello is ready to back younger players like Ashley Young, Adam Johnson, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere. Though it looks likely he is going to make Joe Hart his first choice goalkeeper, as long as Manchester City is prepared to show similar faith. Hart had a good game and looked ready to pull on the vacant England gloves.

Yes it was clearly a goal, and yes it could have changed the course of the dismal England performance against Germany, and ultimately the game.  However, it cannot be used in an attempt to gloss over the fact that, apart from the first 10 minutes in their opening game against the USA England were not bad, they were shocking!

Capello should be slating his players for being absolutely crap in the same way fans and pundits have; and as a show of intent be addressing the issue by dropping more so-called ‘star players’, not just for this meaningless friendly, but by delivering a statement to all England’s young players – if you are playing regularly in the Premier League for your club, you will be considered for England!

Promoting the likes of Arsenal’s youngsters Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs from the Under-21 team is a start but doesn’t go far enough.  After England’s World Cup disappointment there should be a wholesale clearout of any disruptive personalities and prima donnas who feel it their right to play for England, rather than be proud to do so.

The international retirement of Paul Robinson and Wes Brown after their inclusion in the squad to face Hungary raises another issue.  This comes after Paul Scholes stated he may not have turned down the chance to come out of international retirement and go to the World Cup if only Fabio Capello had bothered to call him personally instead of leaving it to his assistant.

When Capello took charge of England he immediately brought a much needed air of discipline to the England camp and stated no one would be guaranteed a place in the team because of previous achievement or star factor, but that he would pick the team on merit.

I believe, for whatever reason Fabio Capello lost the players after England qualified in style for the World Cup by a series of blunders.  Firstly, he went back on his words by enticing Jamie Carragher out of international retirement after Carragher played his worst season for Liverpool for several years.  He also decided to take the almost disabled Ledley King ahead of his Tottenham team-mate Michael Dawson.  Neither Carragher or King had played for Fabio Capello.  For me that suggested panic on his part, and also a wrong signal to other defenders who had already played for Capello’s England.  How did that make Mathew Upson feel?

Why take one-and-a-half old boys ahead of young talent like Michael Dawson and Phil Jagielka?

Furthermore, with the exclusion of both David James and Robert Green from this week’s squad, and the retirement of Paul Robinson, Capello has now given England a ‘real’ goalkeeping crisis.  Ben Foster’s move from Manchester United to Birmingham will give him the chance to stake his claim as England’s no.1 while it is still uncertain if Joe Hart will be first choice goalkeeper for Manchester City, ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s excellent Shay Given.

For me, time has run out for the England players who showed no commitment in the World Cup, and time will soon be up for Fabio Capello too, unless he makes some big changes and shows he is building an England team for the future. Capello needs to return to being strong and focussed.  Forget offering a golden ticket to old or unfit players like a FastPass at a Theme Park and go all out for youth.

Move over Rover and let Jack Wiltshire take over!

Milner’s transfer looks to be a ‘done-deal’ and follows Gareth Barry’s departure this time last year.  And with rumours circulating of a move to Tottenham Hotspur for Ashley Young, it appears Martin O’Neill rightly sees there is no way forward for a team that in the past two years has clearly suffered in the latter stages of the season due to a lack of squad depth.

With Spurs and Manchester City finishing above Aston Villa last season, and already adding to their larger squads for the new Premier League season that starts this weekend, Martin O’Neill has probably decided that he will not be able to better three successive top 6 Premiership finishes and a Wembley Final if Aston Villa continue to sell their best players without buying good quality replacements.

With Randy Learner at the helm, one of the frontrunners to replace O’Neill is fellow American and current USA national manager Bob Bradley, who has previously stated he would love the opportunity to manage in Europe.

Martin O’Neill has never been one to keep his opinions to himself and appears to be someone who sticks to his guns.  What appeared to be a strong, close owner – manager relationship following his appointment, seems to have become very strained over the past 12 months or so.  I believe this has been caused by O’Neill taking Aston Villa to the brink of Champions League football without further backing and available money to strengthen a small squad.

His departure follows reports early this year suggesting Liverpool were interested in signing Martin O’Neill as a possible replacement for Rafa Benitez.

Martin O’Neill will probably now have a relaxing August while Randy Learner is left with less than a week to find a quick replacement.