Angry Fans
This week Giles celebrates 70th birthday; You can never write Liverpool off; Chelsea defeat was coming; Rio and Twitter; David Silva’s introduction breathtaking; Mancini motives are poor; How are United unbeaten; Hargreaves The English Patient; Carroll for England on the basis of what; CL teams beaten; Wenger does dignity; Ballymena’s Rodgers has a future.
The Letter of the Week goes to Tony Murphy, Dublin. Get in touch with your postal address and our magnificent prize will be winging its way to you before you know it.
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HI Liam, wasn't it great to see the greatest Irish footballer of all time, John Giles, being celebrated on the occasion of his 70th birthday on The Late Late Show! It is a measure of his standing in the game that so many great footballers from the past made the trip over to Dublin for the event. Included amongst them was his brother-in-law and 1966 World Cup winner, Nobby Stiles. Did you know that Nobby is a fluent Gaelic speaker and once had his own chat show on Radio na Gaelteacht? It was called . . . (wait for it) . . . Nobby ag Caint. I'll get my coat . . .
Mad4City, Munster, by email
- OUR SHOUT: You do that. And I’ll just go and lie down in a dark room.
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IT’S been proven time and time again, and it happened again this weekend: you can never, ever write Liverpool off. Even some of our own less cool-headed fans have recently been predicting the downfall of the Reds as a superpower. With new owners who have a proven track record in sport and a calm approach to the challenges facing the club, we will rule the roost again pretty soon. Perhaps even more importantly, and in contrast to his predecessors and fellow countrymen, Mr Henry and Mr Werner have a record of listening to the fans.
Anthony O’Callaghan, West Cork
THAT Chelsea defeat has been on the cards for weeks. They have been playing complacently and at a low tempo, particularly in the first half. Terry was way out of position for the first Torres goal and Ashley Cole made a mistake when trying to make a break through the midfield. Add to that a lightweight line-up in the middle of the park and the fact that they didn’t switch on until the last 30 minutes and they can think themselves lucky that they weren’t on the receiving end of a real hammering. This preoccupation with the Champions League and husbanding their resources for the second half of the season could cost them the title.
Kerry Blue, by email
- OUR SHOUT: The biggest break for Chelsea is that none of the other main contenders look like they will be able to take full advantage. But it will be a different story in the Champions League.
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I WENT to see The Social Network this weekend – decent movie about how Facebook was set up. It has a strong message about how the internet actually alienates people while making them believe they’re more connected to each other. I bring this up because Twitter, that other social network of worldwide fame, seems to be taking over the Premier League. Rio Ferdinand can’t stop tweeting, Liverpool’s new owners communicate with the fans through tweets and Bolton Wanderers’ captain Kevin Davies has got a verified account. Soon we’ll have the likes of Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce and even ‘Arry Redknapp on there. A sure sign of the end of days?
Tim Daly, Dublin, by email
- OUR SHOUT: But not Sir Alex, of course. He’d only use up his 140 characters and then start demanding more.
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DAVID Silva’s adaptation to the Premier League is nothing short of breathtaking. Here we have a 24-year-old who has never lived outside his own country before, who moves to rainy Manchester, and has to get used to a very different brand of football. And yet when he has an inspired day City seem to see their way through every time. Contrast this with the equally brilliant yet totally insane Mario Balotelli. The Italian will surely get an impressive amount of goals throughout his career, but unless he learns to control his temper he’ll be seeing his fair share of red cards too.
James Whelan, Kildare, by email
- OUR SHOUT: All this talk about Silva and Balotelli obscures the fact that the one man without whom Man City cannot do is Mr C. Tevez. Keeping him at the club is a much bigger deal than trying to keep the Mario ‘Mr Grumpy’ Balotelli on the pitch.
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JUST how have Manchester United gone unbeaten this season? Rooney on what is fast becoming a season-long sabbatical, another streaky last minute goal. They might be two points off the leaders but there’s not a United fan who will tell you that they have played well for months. And you just know they are going to draw FC United in the third round of the Cup don’t you?
Red Devil, Limerick
- OUR SHOUT: And here’s a question for you: just how did you manage to get through a whole missive without using the line, “and you know what they say about teams who play badly and win”? Red card for missing an open goal.
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BAYERN Munich supporters used to call Owen Hargreaves “The English Patient” and, watching him limp away after only five minutes on Saturday, it seems pretty clear that his contract won’t be renewed next summer. He cost €20m, hasn’t played for the past 26 months, has made less than 50 appearances in three seasons. Whatever sympathy you feel for the player – they’re saying he suffered from an anxiety attack which led to his hamstring injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers – this wasn’t Alex Ferguson’s best bit of business.
Mick Kennedy, Clare, by email
- OUR SHOUT: No, that would have been Massimo Taibi.
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ANDY Carroll for England? On the basis of the not unique feat of being able to beat Lukasz Fabianski to a 50-50 ball in no man’s land? I am old enough to remember a similar campaign being waged to install Derek Hales in the number 9 shirt on the basis of the regular goal threat he carried at Charlton. That came to nothing too. Carroll is a big, raw, lad, but does anyone really see him having the skill to unnerve the likes of Lucio, Walter Samuel, Carles Puyol and Pique. That’s the trouble with the English, they’re always looking for a saviour. Keegan, Shearer, Rooney . . . the list goes on and on.
Dennis Greene, London, by email
- OUR SHOUT: Ah, come on, he’s at least as good as Messi. Or am I thinking of Gareth Bale? Or is it Stevie G? Oh well, let’s just agree that he’s the greatest Newcastle United player in the world, ever.
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ONCE again, all the Premier League clubs which competed in the Champions League, with the exception of Manchester United who were lucky to escape with a last minute victory at Old Trafford, have under-performed in the subsequent league game. There’s too much evidence now to make that a coincidence, and perhaps that was what Arsène Wenger was driving at when he accused the Gunners of complacency against Newcastle with yet another chance to close the gap on Chelsea being spurned. Those teams that play in the Champions League seem to imagine that the style of possession football punctuated by occasional fast attacks which is characteristic of Europe can somehow see them through against domestic opposition. It can’t, the pace has to be much higher. If you want to see who will win the league overlay the Premier League fixtures with the Champions League calendar and assess the degree of difficulty of matches before and after the group and knockout stage calendar. Chelsea only won the league last season because they were knocked out in the Group of 16. Whoever goes out early this season will have a similar opportunity.
Tony Murphy, Dublin, by email
- OUR SHOUT: Prize-winning letter of the week.
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ANOTHER season, and another spurious allegation against Arsène Wenger which will, no doubt, lead to some sort of rap chant on the terraces. Wenger says that “for 14 years ago I have been insulted everywhere in England and without any truth." One of the things the Frenchman does very well is dignity.
Gooner in Cork, by email
- OUR SHOUT: Except when discussing his team’s disciplinary record, of course. That’s when he does indignation very well.
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BALLYMENA’S Brendan Rodgers (did you know his son plays for the Republic’s under-17s?) may not have had a happy time at Watford and Reading but he looks like he could make the breakthrough at Swansea. I watched them beat Cardiff and they looked balanced and well-drilled. Here’s an Irishman destined for greater things I think.
Peter Nolan, Wexford, by email
- OUR SHOUT: Always nice to hear from Brendan.
