Big Sam should just go for it

Posted by Jon Champion on 29/10/2009

The more I see of the Barclays Premier League this season, the more I'm beginning to believe those who suggest there's been a levelling out of standards. Which is not to say that the likes of Hull and Portsmouth are going to start beating Chelsea and Manchester United on a regular basis, but the difference between the top four and the next group of clubs does appear to have narrowed.

In part that's down to the investment of Manchester City, Tottenham and even Sunderland plus the continued development of Aston Villa, but it's also due to the losses suffered by the so-called "Big Four". Manchester United have sold Ronaldo and opted not to buy Tevez, Chelsea waved goodbye to Hiddink, Liverpool – or at least their manager – decided they were better off without Alonso, and Arsenal parted company with Toure and Adebayor.

Significant departures in every case – and the result is a title race that should be a contest all the way through to May. Chelsea have convinced this observer more than any of the others so far, but doubts over their ability to conduct future transfers and the exodus of Drogba, Essien, Kalou and Mikel to the African Cup of Nations in January mean their participation in the race comes with an inbuilt handicap.

They were impressive in swatting aside flu-ridden Blackburn at Stamford Bridge last weekend, so Rovers' Saturday's ESPN live game at Old Trafford offers a point of comparison. Can Manchester United deal with Rovers in similarly dismissive fashion?

My hunch is they can't, not least because Sam Allardyce surely won't allow Blackburn to play as badly again. He was withering in his criticism of those players who failed to follow instructions, and Tuesday's Carling Cup victory over Peterborough allowed others to press their claims. Having said that, the champions have spent the week hurting after their meek display at Anfield, so both teams are eager to show some "bouncebackability", to borrow Iain Dowie's contribution to the linguistic lexicon.

Allardyce is a rarity – a manager with a good record at Old Trafford. He won there in consecutive seasons with Bolton Wanderers, memorable winners from Michael Ricketts and Kevin Nolan helping seal Bolton's reputation as troublesome upstarts. Last season, in only his 8th Premier League game as Blackburn's manager, he saw his team push Manchester United all the way before going down 2-1. Cristiano Ronaldo decided that game, just as he decided so many others, but Big Sam will demand similar defiance on Saturday.

Sunderland showed the best way to flourish in the champions' lair when a spirit of adventure took them to within seconds of victory at the start of the month. Fixtures like this will not decide Blackburn's fate, so they might as well follow suit – and give it a go.

A bridge too far for Everton

Posted by Darrell Currie on 23/10/2009

It was a hurdle Everton's depleted team just couldn't clear – a night in Lisbon against a Benfica side who are starting to turn heads all over Europe.

The Portuguese outfit simply had too much for the Toffees, a mix of flair and ruthless finishing was the devastating combination that had David Moyes scratching his head on the sidelines – rarely have this Everton side left their manager so perplexed.

If Moyes had been able to field his best eleven then of course his side would have coped far better with the flowing attacks of Benfica, but sadly his inexperienced make-shift defence had no answer to the trickery of Angel Di Maria and Pablo Aimar in the Estadio da Luz.

Seamus Coleman will probably never forget his promotion to the first team; the Irish under-21 defender was drafted in at left-back in place of Leighton Baines (who withdrew late on after struggling with a calf injury). Coleman and Dan Gosling (at right-back) were exposed several times, but in fairness, not by any ordinary wing-play – the movement of Di Maria, the Argentinian international, would have caused far more experienced defenders a lot of problems.

Di Maria was the man Moyes mentioned by name after the game, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of Europe's top teams don't sign him up in the coming months. I spoke to some Benfica fans after the game, and they told me the 21-year-old is a different player this season – he's gained valuable playing time with the Argentina senior team under Diego Maradona, and he's much better for it. The winger is still very young, and I'm sure he'll continue to improve.

Everton on the other hand now face a gruelling few weeks, still without so many of their first team regulars, they'll have to re-group quickly. Next up it's Bolton away, then before they even have time to warm-down properly it's off to White Hart Lane for a game in the Carling Cup. Now that's a competition Everton would love to progress in, but the scheduling of the game just two days after the trip to the Reebok stadium, means Moyes will have to play many reserves – that's hardly fair given that the Scotsman is already having to borrow extensively from his youth-team. It's going to be a real test of character that's for sure.

Some good news on the injury front is the continued progress of Phil Jagielka. He and Phil Neville travelled out to Portugal with the young Everton squad, and Jagielka actually took part in the training session the night before the match at the Stadium of Light. Granted it was a light work-out for the England international, but I watched on as he moved around freely, taking shots at goal, even turning and twisting on the firm playing surface. That's a great sign, and his comeback in the coming weeks will spark Everton I'm sure.

Just think how much stronger the side will be when Jagielka, Arteta, Pienaar, Baines, Osman, Yobo, and Neville (and there are others) return. That's a formidable seven. Only then will we see the "real" Everton.

After the match when I spoke to David Moyes I asked him if he was looking forward to putting things right against Benfica at Goodison Park in a couple of weeks, and he said that unfortunately even then he won't be able to field his true side.

I know the Scotsman was not having a pop at those players he was forced to use in Portugal – rather he simply meant that Europe had not seen what his men really are capable of. I sensed his desire to put things right, and make amends for the thousands of travelling fans who represented the club so well abroad. Even at 3-0 down they were still singing the manager's name – they (like Moyes) know better days are ahead.

Carvalho cut down to size by Carlo

Posted by Jon Champion on 22/10/2009

Carlo Ancelotti bared his teeth for the first time this week since becoming manager of Chelsea. Ricardo Carvalho’s banishment to the bench for Wednesday’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid was a forceful response to the defensive frailty that has seen the team lose their last two away games in the Premier League.

Both Aston Villa’s goals during last weekend’s defeat emanated from Ashley Young corners. Of the eight Premier League goals conceded by Chelsea so far, six have stemmed from set-pieces. Contrast that with Manchester United – Chelsea’s prime rivals – who have yet to be breached from a corner or free-kick this season. For much of his tenure at AC Milan, Ancelotti could rely on Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini, and failing them Kakha Kaladze, to keep things sensible at the back. With Alex nearing fitness and Branislav Ivanovic proving himself a muscular replacement on Wednesday, Carvalho may be in for a lengthy wait before another chance comes along.

It was difficult to draw too many conclusions from the victory over Atletico, not least because the Spaniards were so poor. Blackburn are the next visitors to Stamford Bridge for Saturday teatime’s live ESPN game, and their best bet is surely to provide a more physical challenge. Assistant manager Steve Keen was amongst the crowd in midweek and his scouting report is sure to mention Chelsea’s recent fallibility against set-pieces.

Rovers will arrive having established a semblance of stability to their Premier League campaign. However, that all comes from their home results. I was lucky enough to get a seat for last Sunday’s East Lancashire derby. A third consecutive Ewood win took Blackburn’s points tally into double figures. The game against Burnley was a thriller and reminded me of the days before the gentrification of football when a wall of unremitting noise was a much more frequent backdrop than it is today.

Sam Allardyce professed himself delighted with Blackburn’s display. The player who caught my eye was hometown boy David Dunn, who’s form is close to that which earned him his solitary England cap six years ago. For too long injuries dulled his sparkle, but a period of sustained fitness and a role operating off the main striker appears to be coaxing the best from a man who is approaching his 30th birthday.

Performing with distinction against your local rivals is one thing, but Saturday’s game provides a broader stage for him to parade his talents. And Blackburn could do with some help on their travels. Having lost all three of their games on the road this season, their record now shows eight consecutive away defeats, Rovers’ worst run in the league for 27 years.

ESPN’s statistical guru, known to all and sundry as “Toddy”, has worked out that Blackburn fans have travelled 1,948 miles since their last away win in the Premier League. Furthermore, he confirms that Rovers haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since February, 2003 – but eagerly points out that the winner that day was scored by none other than David Dunn.
Allardyce’s Bolton team gained their most eye-catching results at the homes of the so-called ‘Big Four’. There is, as yet, little sign of that trait transferring itself to Blackburn – and if the visit to Chelsea doesn’t bring success, their next port of call is Old Trafford!

To Hull and back

Posted by Jon Champion on 15/10/2009

Football is a broad church - as my upcoming weekend demonstrates.

Saturday morning sees an appointment booked to take a look at Hull City in training as they prepare for the live ESPN game at Fulham on Monday night. Saturday afternoon will be spent at Bootham Crescent watching the game of the day in the Conference, York versus Oxford, then on Sunday lunchtime it's off to Ewood Park - Blackburn Rovers feature twice on ESPN as October unfolds, so for this commentator a trip to the East Lancashire derby against Burnley is a must.

So much of my job is about preparation. Fail to prepare…prepare to fail. Not having seen Hull or Blackburn in the flesh so far this season, I welcome opportunities to study the players at close quarters. The mainstays of Premier League squads are known to all of us, but the fringe players call for a fair bit of work on the recognition front. And it is identification that matters above all else for a television commentator. It's fine to have several pages of notes on the background and breeding of those on the pitch, but if you can't recognise them instantly then you're in trouble.

For the Barclays Premier League's managerial brethren, there'll be a sense of relief this weekend as they re-gather their flocks. International call-ups en masse are still relatively new to Hull City. They are rightly proud that for the first time next summer, they will have players taking part in a World Cup. Jozy Altidore is already assured of his place at the Finals with the USA. Kamel Ghilas is almost there with Algeria. Daniel Cousin, a scorer for Gabon last week, and Seyi Olofinjana of Nigeria are still hopeful of qualification - and so are the Irish trio of Paul McShane, Kevin Kilbane and Stephen Hunt. The club has come a long way since the day of homegrown talents like Ken Wagstaff and Chris Chilton!

However, as Phil Brown is finding, rapid progress brings with it raised expectations. This time last year, his Tigers were third in the League and had just won at the Emirates. Fast forward 12 months and he finds himself having to defend his record and his methods. It takes a brave manager to do things differently in the harsh glare of the Premier League spotlight. No-one could accuse the Hull boss of lacking courage. The other thing he has is perspective. I remember him as a journeyman full-back with Hartlepool and Halifax, playing in decaying old grounds in front of barely a quorum. To emerge from that background and go toe-to-toe with Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez and company is an achievement in itself. He deserves - and retains - the support of his chairman, Paul Duffen.

As a child growing up in Yorkshire I recall big White Rose derbies involving Hull. With Steve McClaren in their midfield and big bustling Billy Whitehurst up front, they would more often than not get the better of my local team, York. But the very fact they were competing at the same level serves as a reminder that nothing is forever in football. Hull's upward mobility has been matched by the Minstermen's fall from grace.

This week, the sides met again behind closed doors in a friendly arranged to help Jimmy Bullard's recovery from major knee surgery. He played 70 minutes of a well-contested 2-2 draw, so if Bullard makes it onto the pitch against his old club in front of ESPN's cameras on Monday night, then a group of Conference pros will have played their part...a point not lost on Hull's record signing, a non-leaguer himself with Gravesend and Northfleet during his days as a painter and decorator. Hope has sustained him during months of uncertainty and pain. Now comes his reward.

Wily Ferguson's Wiley attack all part of the game

Posted by Rebecca Lowe on 06/10/2009

It was pretty exciting for me to conduct an interview that everyone has been talking about this week: Sir Alex Ferguson’s outburst at Alan Wiley following Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.

Our post-match chat with Fergie was a long time in coming. The ESPN crew were all standing in the Old Trafford tunnel for quite a while and I think we would have been waiting for another hour if that late equaliser hadn’t gone in for United. All the time you are thinking about the right questions to ask, whether you will hit the right note, as an interview with Sir Alex Ferguson is a challenge at the best of times. When they have performed as badly as they just had against Sunderland, I had to make sure I was 100% on my game.

When he came out though he had a big smile on his face, which I thought was a bit strange. He seemed a bit distracted but then all was revealed as, after the first or second answer, he started talking about Alan Wiley’s fitness and it just all poured out. I knew straight away in my mind that this was a good story, this was a good, good story, so I followed up with a couple of questions to see how far he would go.

What was so interesting was that he walked out with that smile on his face. I think he knew he had an agenda. Everyone knows that Sir Alex is the cleverest manager in the business and his team did not perform so he talked about something else. It was very clever because we have all been talking about it ever since! I think it was designed to take the focus away from his team’s performance but that is not just Sir Alex Ferguson. All managers do it in different ways, he just does it in more dramatic ways than others. Kevin Keegan said that it was definitely a ploy to deflect attention, but Jose Mourinho used to do the same thing when taking the attention away from his players. It is all part of the game and it keeps us talking about it three, four and five days later.

The ProZone stats apparently show that Wiley ran 6.86 miles during the game - more than all but four of the Manchester United team! But I don’t think I would want to tell Sir Alex that particular stat. I wonder if there will be someone brave enough to? Everyone thinks that he is wrong in terms of the facts but I don’t think anyone is brave enough to say ‘Hang on a minute, Sir Alex, let me just read you these ProZone stats’! He has cultivated that atmosphere so he can’t lose. He will pay a fine and it will be loose change and ultimately it doesn’t matter a jot to him.

But if Alan Wiley was briefly considering his future, as was suggested in some reports on Tuesday morning, then I think it is sad because I am yet to read a single person’s point of view that supports Sir Alex Ferguson. I think Alan Wiley has the support of the referees, has the support of other people in the game, he is an excellent referee and is very rarely criticised. He probably knows in his heart it was unfair and that he has been made a scapegoat. But that is why Sir Alex Ferguson is so successful: he is ruthless.

I’m 50-50 on whether he overstepped the mark. Yes, because he upset Alan Wiley and that is not a pleasant thing to do, but we are in an industry where that happens. That is why football fills the columns and fills the blogs like it does, because it is a lot more interesting with characters like Ferguson in it.

Mind you, I’m not quite sure why the FA have asked Ferguson for an explanation of his comments. He explained what he meant when he said it. He will think this is a bit ridiculous as his explanation will be that he does not think the referee is fit enough. Do I think the FA will come down hard on him? No. I think Sir Alex Ferguson is the single most powerful man in English football and I think that carries a huge amount of weight. They will probably fine him but I don’t think it will be any more than that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if, one day in the future, and I’m talking ten years or so down the road, Ferguson has a quiet word in Alan Wiley’s ear and says ‘It was part of the game, Alan.’

Do you want to ask ESPN's Premier League co-host, Rebecca Lowe, any questions about life behind-the-scenes at England's elite clubs or any wider issues affecting the game? Leave all your comments and queries below and we will ask Rebecca a selection of the best in the next few weeks.

Smith's Gers cannot afford derby defeat

Posted by Darrell Currie on 03/10/2009

The outcome of the first Old Firm game of the SPL season rarely reveals which direction the trophy will be heading in at the end of the campaign, but I think this game in particular will show us who is on pole for the race ahead.

It’s hardly been an ideal start to the season for either of the Glasgow rivals, but Tony Mowbray at least can plan for the game knowing his men will still be top of the table even if they lose at Ibrox, and mentally that is important. On the other hand, a defeat for Rangers would be disastrous for Walter Smith and the fans – slipping seven points behind even at this stage would mean an uphill battle the rest of the way. Quite simply, the Gers cannot afford to let that happen.

Rangers have not scored in three SPL games, and against Sevilla in the Champions League they were put to the sword in the second half, so it will be intriguing to see what kind of a response they will produce on Sunday.

One man who needs to step up his game is Pedro Mendes. The former Portsmouth man hit the ground running when he arrived in Scotland, scoring a cracker against Celtic in an emphatic win at Parkhead. There have been few glimpses of that kind of form in the past few weeks, and at Rugby Park he was sent off against Kilmarnock, leaving Rangers a man down for the majority of the game.

Mendes links play together brilliantly when he’s on form, but since Barry Ferguson departed he seems to have dropped deeper, taking the ball from the defence rather than receiving it where he is at his dangerous best – near the strikers. Ferguson was always the man who brought the ball out from the back and that allowed Mendes to take on a more forward position, but right now the Portuguese playmaker seems all too content to just receive and make simple passes in the middle of the park and inside his own half.

Perhaps this game will bring out the old Pedro Mendes – he seems to operate on a higher level on these occasions anyway. It’s the other games though that so often decide the league championship, and therefore Mendes must perform more consistently. If he is on-song, expect Rangers to create a lot of chances – he’s the key figure for the Gers in my opinion.

Celtic arrive at Ibrox off the back of a home draw with Rapid Vienna on Thursday night, and they too have yet to hit top form this season. A week ago live on ESPN they defeated St Mirren, but it wasn’t vintage Celtic, and Mowbray made it clear to me after the game that he expects better – an honest assessment from the manager.

I admire Mowbray for attempting to get his team to play slick, attacking football but his frustrations suggest his players aren’t executing his game-plan well enough. Mowbray is still experimenting with his side in defence as well, his centre-half pairings have changed in the past few weeks, and that is another area he’ll have to think long and hard about ahead of this game. Does he pick McManus and Caldwell (as he did midweek), or is it Loovens and McManus (as at St Mirren Park last week)? It’s something he’ll have to get right, and it’s a big call.

Both managers have tough decisions to make ahead of the game, but Walter Smith’s dilemma may be at the other end of the pitch. Up front his men have not been firing on all cylinders and Kris Boyd has not been sharp of late. The Rangers boss will need to decide who the best partner for Kenny Miller is on Sunday, assuming the Scotland international is fit enough to start.

Of course Smith has seen it all in these derby matches, and his experience (and the fact that Rangers are at home) perhaps gives the Gers a slight advantage. The fact that they’ve also had one day more rest than Celtic may also be a factor. Then again, who knows what will happen, it is after all the Old Firm, the derby of all derbies, and the outcome is almost impossible to predict.

Everton in Minsk condition

Posted by Darrell Currie on 02/10/2009

When I arrived in Minsk with the rest of the ESPN team on Tuesday we were pleased to see that the Belarus winter still hadn’t quite set in, but our optimism was short-lived. We were soon informed that the harsh cold was just about to arrive, and in the end it did come on the day of Everton’s Europa League game against Bate Borisov.

At kick-off there was an ice-cold wind, and the rain that followed was severe to say the least. It wasn’t exactly ideal for football, and Bate used it to their advantage, seizing control of the early exchanges. When Bate’s captain Dmitri Liktarovich rocketed in the opening goal I began to wonder if a threadbare Everton squad would have enough about them to come back.

David Moyes was forced to travel to Minsk with a bunch of kids and few had first team experience. It meant he had to start the game in a 4-4-2 system, something I’m sure the Toffees manager would have not chosen to do if more of his regular starters were available.

It says a lot though about his fighting side though that they did go on to win the game, it really was a battling display on the soaking pitch, and as Moyes said to me after the game – the performance of Tony Hibbert at centre-half summed up the evening. Hibbert is not tall, in fact just a few inches over 5 feet, and he was playing out of position, but he fought for everything on the night, and was constantly making last-ditch saving tackles (as was Leighton Baines – who I thought had an outstanding 90 minutes).

Marouane Fellaini headed Everton back on level terms before the terrific Tim Cahill won it for the away side with a typical finish. He reacted sharply to a flick-on, and lobbed the keeper expertly. Tim is known for his heading ability, but I describe this strike as typical because of his timing. He makes fantastic runs into the box when he rises to head home, and his goal in the Dinamo stadium was all about timing. He was right on the shoulder of the last defender, so his run was measured to perfection, and he even had to use the slick pitch to slide onto the pass through, which made the finish even more impressive.

Tim is a top guy, a pleasure to interview, and it was fantastic of him to dedicate his winner to those in Samoa (some of Tim’s family are from there) who have suffered during the Tsunami. I wasn’t sure what the celebration was all about at the time, but he cleared it up in my interview with him after the game, and it was a really kind gesture.

Everton headed back to Merseyside right after the game, and I’m sure the atmosphere on the flight was fantastic, as the Everton players could hardly believe they had come away from Belarus with all three points, when at one stage in the second half you wondered if they would get one.

It wasn’t a good start to the season for Moyes (the ESPN cameras witnessed Arsenal dismantle them at Goodison Park on the opening weekend), but he has his side back on track, and on a winning run. Those who wrote them off , or dismissed their chances of finishing in the European places in the Premier League this season will now remember why Everton have finished 5th twice in a row. They win games when they look like they’re not going to, and the spirit in the dressing-room is tremendous. In my opinion that all comes from David Moyes – he continually gets the best out of his small squad, and hardly utters a word in anger when he’s told year-in year-out that his transfer budgets are significantly less than the teams he’s competing against. It’s little wonder he was named League Managers Association ‘Manager of the Year’ again last season – there are few better than the Scot.

Everton can now all but seal qualification through the Europa League group stages with a win away against Benfica in a few weeks time, and that would be ideal for Moyes, as he could then give some of his stars a rest, and play some of the youngsters who gained experience out in Minsk.

A job well done for Everton, and a trip I won’t forget – largely because of the drenching my producer (Matt Smith) and I took throughout the 90 minutes.

Sunderland to end their sentence?

Posted by Jon Champion on 01/10/2009

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the City of Manchester Stadium on Monday. It was an opportunity to assess Manchester City's progress as they step up their attempt at world domination, and whilst that is clearly some way off, there were plenty of promising signs as they put West Ham to flight.

Going forward, Mark Hughes' men were irresistible. The return of Martin Petrov couldn't have come at a better time with Robinho still three weeks or so away from match fitness. Craig Bellamy played his role as perpetual pest to perfection, and he wasn't the only former Hammer inflicting pain.

Carlos Tevez saved West Ham from the drop in 2007, his goal at Old Trafford completing an unlikely escape, yet his presence at the club nearly sank them, what with Premier League fines and compensation payments to Sheffield United once the circumstances of his arrival became clear.

The agent who took him to Upton Park, Kia Joorabchian, watched Monday's game at Eastlands from the comfort of the posh seats. Every time ESPN's cameras looked in his direction he seemed more pre-occupied by his mobile phone than the football. But even he can't have failed to notice his player's remarkable apology to the travelling fans after he had scored. It was a big gesture from the little Argentine, met with applause from those in claret and blue, and it contrasted starkly with the antics of Emmanuel Adebayor after his goal against former employers.

Monday Night Football on ESPN this coming week again involves Manchester City as they tackle the M6 motorway in search of points at Aston Villa. If there was a downside to their win over West Ham, it lay in the fact that they're still pretty open at the back. Villa's pace should be enough to discomfort them. Martin O' Neill's troops had won six in a row prior to last weekend's defeat at Blackburn. The game should be a good test of both their powers of recovery and their European ambitions.

Before that, we pay our first visit of the season to Old Trafford for the live Saturday tea-time meeting of Manchester United and Sunderland. Last season, Sunderland arrived just 2 days after the departure of United hero Roy Keane as their manager and held out until Nemanja Vidic broke their hearts in stoppage time. This time, Steve Bruce's side may show slightly more adventure. Buoyed by their best ever start to a Premier League season, they are a much more assured outfit than any Sunderland side since the days of Peter Reid.

Darren Bent's goals have helped breed confidence, whilst at the other end of the pitch, I particularly like the early performances of the Ghanaian, John Mensah. Captain of his country, not for nothing is he known in Africa as "The Beast". Whether the Black Cats can really upset the champions is a moot point, but at least it's an issue for debate rather than the foregone conclusion of recent years.

Maybe modern Sunderland teams are still suffering for the actions of their predecessors. The last time the Wearsiders won at Old Trafford was in May 1968 when goals from Colin Suggett and George Mulhall denied Manchester United the title – and worse still, helped hand it to Manchester City. For that heinous crime, Sunderland have been condemned to make 22 subsequent visits to United's lair without conspicuous success. Saturday may tell us whether they've finally served their sentence.

Play your cards right

Posted by Ray Stubbs on 01/10/2009

When players start waving imaginary cards in the air it is guaranteed to cause a massive row.

Trying to get an opponent sent off has always been deemed out of order or would the correct phrase be "unsporting behavior"?

But what is the difference between appealing for a "corner" and asking the referee to apply the laws of the game and appealing for a player to be shown a yellow card for one of the myriad offences that warrant a caution as laid down by the laws of the game? Demands for consistency have seen a move towards "uniformity" in handing out yellow cards.

We ask that referees apply common sense and show discretion but also criticise inconsistency. Players "draw" fouls with skill and positioning. The sanction is a free-kick but in today's game it's a free-kick "plus". We see referees signalling to players that they have committed three or four offences and its clear they are on a last warning. Next offence is a yellow card and with that comes a tightrope.

Two yellow cards equals a red and a team is a man down, theoretically an advantage to the opposition so why is it unsporting to remind, appeal, ask the referee to apply the laws of the game?

In football's dark ages, when I was a player, you had to go close to "grevious bodily harm" to get a caution but it didn't pay to take the mickey too much.

"Ref, can you get booked for thinking?"

"No" came the reply.

"Good because I think you are useless."

"I dont think, I know you are cautioned for dissent" was usually the full stop on that incident.

In those days, getting sent off was a stain on your character. Today, yellow and red cards are occupational hazards to be expected, part and parcel of the game.

Petty fouls and offences are in there with horrible two-footed tackles, vicious elbows, going over the ball. That's what we should get wound up about. And we haven't even started to discuss simulation. The code of conduct is that we appeal for everything whether it was or wasn't; it's a corner, its our throw-in, it was offside.

In such a competitive atmosphere as the game is these days, appealing for a yellow card to be shown and placing an opponent on a tightrope is inevitable. Though considering some of the theatrical performances of the card wavers, now they deserves at least a yellow.

Regards

Ray Stubbs