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

From Kenny to Milla via Calzaghe

Posted by Ray Stubbs on 23/09/2009

Celtic's game at St Mirren and Arsenal's trip to Fulham are live games coming up on ESPN but just before the next fixture lists arrive there is the opportunity to look back over the events of the last week.

ESPN's coverage of the UEFA Europa League kicked off with Celtic's game in Israel and the arrival of Kenny Dalglish as an analyst created a similar reaction to Kevin Keegan's debut in the studio. Having such respected and authoritative figures as regulars in the ESPN team is a great bonus for our programes. When Celtic slipped to defeat from one-nil up it left me wondering why they hadn't pushed more for a second goal that would have settled the result in their favour.

There is a footnote to Europa League night. A post-match glass of wine discussing Celtic's performance included a chance meeting with former world boxing champion Joe Calzage - a very nervous Joe Calzaghe - on the eve of the bell going on his Strictly Come Dancing contest. It left Kenny and I smiling that the man who had no fear about entering the ring was quite wound up about climbing through the ropes into a ballroom.

Saturday brought the goalless draw in the SPL game between Kilmarnock and Hibs. ESPN's Colin Hendry was on "card counting" duty in the studio and was struggling to keep up. Fellow guest Mark Hateley was concerned that, for the second Saturday running, Rangers had let precious points slip away.

That all led to a debate that will continue. The physicality of the game is important but what is the right balance? Yellow cards over the ninety minutes went into double figures and led to two red cards. How long will it be before "enforced substitutions" will be a sanction at the disposal of referees to try and prevent three or more red cards a game?

An hour after the Kilmarnock-Rangers game finished, we were back in the studio for West Ham versus Liverpool. The moment former Hammers boss Alan Curbishley saw the West Ham team-sheet he warned that Zavon Hines could cause Liverpool problems with his pace. Kevin was keen to point out that every goal Liverpool had conceded had come from, or as a result of, a set piece. Both ESPN studio guests were proved right.

Post-match it was a race to Heathrow for me to catch the last flight to Newcastle so I could slowly trudge around the roads of Tyneside as one of the 50,000 entrants for the inspiring Great North Run.

Standing on the start-line brought an opportunity to talk to Hull City boss Phil Brown. Losing at home to Hull the day before meant the Tigers had four points from six games. After six games last season it was eleven.

The Hull boss is always approachable and I got the impression he is ready for the almighty scrap that lies ahead. It's anyone's guess who will be fighting for Premier League safety. At the finish line there was another Premier League figure to talk to. Whereas Hull have found points hard to come by so far, Burnley have nine from six games so former UK government communications chief Alistair Campbell is delighted with his team's start to the season but mindful of the storms that lie ahead. Burnley are away at Totenham this weekend while Hull play at Anfield.

For me it was another quick sprint to the airport to catch a flight to Switzerland. It was on Monday morning at FIFA headquarters in Zurich that I was able to meet Cameroon striker Roger Milla, the player who brought a smile to the world of football on its greatest stage.

It was during Italia '90 that Roger performed his famous celebratory dance around a corner flag. It set the world alight and took goal-scoring celebrations to a new level. For the 2010 World Cup, FIFA and Coca Cola are backing a special award that will go to the player performing the best goal-scoring celebration.

Helping launch this initiative which will result in Coca Cola investing in water "supply" and "purifying" projects all over Africa. Roger re-created his famous dance, and with a smile on his face lay down the challenge that to date he doesn't believe anyone has rivalled his goal-scoring celebration of just-on 20 years ago. Peter Crouch et al, the ball will be in your court.

Saturday will be here before we know it. A last-minute goal at home to Hearts puts Celtic top of the SPL table going into an away game at St Mirren that's live on ESPN. Frank McAvennie will be alongside Colin Hendry in the studio. It's a midday start for ESPN MatchDay Live and a 5 o'clock start for the live coverage of Fulham's home game with Arsenal. Moritz Volz will be alongside Kevin Keegan in the ESPN studio and we hope you'll be able to join us.

Regards to all.

Burnley can invoke "Wally's Law"

Posted by Ray Stubbs on 27/08/2009

Matches come thick and fast at this early stage of a new football season and the Chelsea-Burnley game will be here in no time at all.

It seems a pattern has emerged in regard to live ESPN Barclays Premier League games, a sequence of "away wins" - Arsenal at Everton, Tottenham at West Ham and then Aston Villa at Liverpool.

If promoted Burnley win at Stamford Bridge and make it four out of four it will signal a sensational start to their first top-flight season for 23 years.

But even if Burnley lose they will still be in a great position. They will arrive at the Bridge with six points out of a possible nine and I am grateful to Wally Downes for an interesting statistic in regard to the quest of promoted clubs staying in the top flight and avoiding relegation.

Wally is a respected coach and was assistant to Steve Coppell during Reading's recent Premier League adventure. To date, not one club has been relegated that has taken nine points from the first six games of the season. Every club that has got to the nine-point mark after six games played has stayed up.

I trust my friend implicitly so I am not prepared to check this out, Wally is no Wally. So although it's a tough test for Burnley this Saturday, they already have six from three, one win from the next three would get them to the nine-point mark and going by "Wally's Law" they would stay up. Mind you, he did concede that Hull did their best to destroy the theory last season

Former Chelsea Frank Leboeuf will be in the ESPN studio alongside Kevin Keegan for the Chelsea versus Burnley game. Kevin's arrival last weekend gave everyone a great lift, his great knowledge, passion and enthusiam for football is infectious. It's great news thats he's joined the ESPN team.

Kevin was out of his seat when Carlton Cole scored a fantastic goal for the Hammers, and then mystified as to what was in the mind of the West Ham striker when he played the pass of the match to set up Jermaine Defoe for Tottenham's equaliser.

Away from club football for a moment, if both those players keep developing as they have been of late it could be Cole plus Defoe with Rooney behind them in a free striking role for England in a World Cup game.

Back to the sequence of away wins: Liverpool's performance at home to Aston Villa on Monday drew cause for concern from both Kevin and fellow studio guest Matt Holland. They both questioned the level of invention that Liverpool showed but the danger in these situations is to underestimate Aston Villa's excellent performance on the night.

It was good to learn that Monday's game from Anfield, with commentary from Jon Champion and Joe Royle and the half-time analysis from Kevin and Matt was broadcast in the United States. Thanks to everyone from across the Atlantic who has been making contact via Soccernet. One final thing to mention is that on the back of Saturday's Chelsea-Burnley game we are hoping to have the Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti as an ESPN viewer.

AC Milan and Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan face each other in a Serie A match at the San Siro, the game is live on ESPN and is a cracking match in prospect.

It's great to be here

Posted by Ray Stubbs on 21/08/2009

It was a long time since I had experienced pre-match nerves, but pre-programme nerves were evident when I arrived at the studio for ESPN's Premier League kick-off last Saturday lunchtime. New season, new channel, new job and a great sense of excitement.

Discussions over whether Joleon Lescott would play for Everton, the programme script and the technical questions that needed answering had to be put to one side while another issue was resolved. ESPN guest pundit Peter Reid was keen to show off his new voice-activated phone but was concerned that the latest technological advances weren't up to dealing with his Liverpool accent.

"Play Bruce Springsteen" he instructed the phone only to be dismayed that it called Sunderland manager Steve Bruce. Another attempt to play music ended with a phone call to a Manchester United director. "Call Stubbs R" was the next instruction and this time it worked only because I was sitting next to him. With the former Evertonian and Arsenal legend Ian Wright alongside me in the studio I was in the company of friends and former colleagues.

Steven Berkoff's oratory performed on the stage of Richmond theatre in south-west London had got us off to a flyer but Arsenal stole the show with a stunning performance.

There was a buzz around the studio before during and after the programme, everyone in the ESPN team are indeed delighted to be here but as one columnist wrote on Monday morning it was a case of "cheer up, Peter Reid".

Monday night seemed to arrive very quickly after Saturday evening and the first ESPN Scottish Premier League game supplied us with a highly entertaining match.

Dundee United's win over Hearts will be remembered for Danny Cadamarteri's debut brace and Hearts skipper Michael Stewart's red card but for me it was one of those occasions when a football result or a television programme were put into context.

Colin Hendry is part of the ESPN team, and he is trying to come to terms with the tragic death of his wife. We are delighted Colin is part of our ESPN team and out thoughts have been with him and his family of late.

The weekend is here before we know it and ESPN will show Premier League games on Saturday Sunday and Monday. I hope our UK readers will be able to join us.