CROUCH, SCHOLES AND LAMPARD
- SO ARE YOU SURE YOU
STILL WANT REDKNAPP
AND HIS
DAD’S ARMY
ENGLAND?
SO NOW it can be revealed – ‘Arry Redknapp will, if made England boss, take England back to the future…with a ‘Dad’s Army revolution’. Yes, the man the whole country seems to want in the role (apart from me) will prove even less flexible and forward looking than the grumpy Italian tyrant who walked out of the job (on a tangent…did Capello really walk out – why the pay-off if that was the case! I reckon he was sacked).
I hate to have to be the odd man out here; the spoilsport who throws some much-needed realism into the pot of overflowing excitement and enthusiasm about the self-styled people’s manager ‘Arry. But isn’t everyone being a wee bit too naïve about his talents? Aren’t we actually about to employ another Kevin Keegan – someone who pumps out his chest and is as proud as Larry (well, ‘Arry), but actually has little nous when it comes to tactics?
I am told by pundits who know Tottenham well that ‘Arry actually has little input when it comes to the tactical side of the game and training. That Kevin Bond and the backroom boys look after that side of it all, thank you very much.
And now ‘Arry comes out and admits he would bring back Paul Scholes if he lands the England job in time for Euro 2012. And that he would stick with Lampard – while ‘sources’ suggest he could sort out any differences at the back between Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. Scholes, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand – jeez, are we stuck in a timewarp here…a time when Sven Goran Eriksson played them all together seven or eight years ago? All we would need added to the mix would be the dreadful Peter Crouch!
Funnily enough, the Swede has beem one of those pushing the ‘Arry for England bandwagon over the past week. Eriksson said, ‘I think Redknapp will be a very, very good choice. He's English; he knows his football. He is doing a great job with Tottenham and has done a great job with every team he's had in the past, so I guess it will be him. You need to be an experienced manager used to dealing with the big names and some knowledge about international football would help. I think Harry has all these things.’
So Sven is in ‘Arry’s corner – but if that wasn’t bad enough, old ‘Arry then went and admitted he would put out a slowing, ageing team in the Euros, saying of the Man United midfielder who last played for his country eight years ago, ‘Look at Paul Scholes. Let’s be honest, you would love to have him at the European Championships. He’s that good.’
I would never deny that Scholesy has been a true great…but a 37-year-old spearheading our campaign in Poland and Ukraine - against the youthful wizardry of say Spain and Germany - along with Lampard, 33, and, no doubt, the uninspiring Peter Crouch upfront? Crouch, who even Capello, eventually realised wasn’t good enough for the international stage?
Whatever happened to the idea that we would blaze the Euros with a team built around youth, pace and dizzy runs? A team with the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling at the back instead of the slowing Terry and the injury-prone Rio? A midfield fizzing with the energy and wit of the likes of Jack Wilshere (if fit), Tom Cleverley, Jack Rodwell, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ashley Young instead of Lampard and Scholes? And a dynamic front two permed from the likes of Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge instead of the dreaded Crouch (and even Heskey!)?
Not if ‘Arry gets the nod. With Capello we suffered wage concern – as he continually failed to justify his £6million a year – with ‘Arry, it’ll be age concern.
I’m telling you…be careful what you wish for…we could be heading for another Keegan-like era with England. And remember how that ended after the hullabaloo following his appointment…in tears.
MOURINHO’S
GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENT
HE’S won the Premier League with Chelsea, two Champions Leagues (with Inter Milan and Porto) – but Jose is well on course for what could surely be argued to be his greatest achievement yet.
Last weekend his Real Madrid team stood a massive TEN POINTS ahead of Barcelona at the top of Spain’s La Liga.
Yes, the very same Barca who most people consider to be the greatest club side the world has EVER seen.
I must admit I never expected Jose would manage to overwhelm Barca – but he will do it, and I have to tip my hat to him. This is why there will be a queue around the block looking to hire him when he quits the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
Jose Mourinho might be a pain and a moaner – but he is a fantastic football manager, who achieves results.
CYCLING
VICTORIA AND SIR CHRIS
GEAR UP FOR A
SPECTACULAR
OPENING BASH
THERE’S a brilliant opportunity for you to get in the Olympic spirit – a good few months before the spectacular Games begin in London.
This Friday (up until Sunday) the brand new Olympic velodrome will open for the first time, at the Olympic Park in East London, hosting a world-class cycling field.
The UCI Track Cycling World Cup will see the likes of Sir Chris Hoy in action for the British men’s team. He will be bidding for glory in the men’s team sprint, the men’s sprint and the men’s keirin. And the wonderful Victoria Pendleton will be the star for the women, as she attempts to land the women’s sprint title, and the women’s team sprint title with Jess Varnish.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
Real Madrid to win La Liga – and the Champions League. A really good double bet.
The big match in the Premier League this weekend is the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday. I have a sneaking feeling Spurs could snatch a 2-1 win. They are in fine form and will be more rested than the Gunners, who had a tough Champions League clash in Milan on Wednesday.
FRANK WORRALL
(For more information on Frank and his bestselling sports books, see www.frankworrall.com)
Weekly Sport readers can buy Frank’s insightful book on Sir Alex Ferguson for the special price of only £2.74 on Kindle (retail price £17.99 for the hardback)…go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Fergie-Wonderland-Biography-ebook/dp/B00603XJB8/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326291046&sr=1-7
CROUCH, SCHOLES AND LAMPARD
- SO ARE YOU SURE YOU
STILL WANT REDKNAPP
AND HIS
DAD’S ARMY
ENGLAND?
FRANK WORRALL reporting for your WEEKLY SPORT!
SO NOW it can be revealed – ‘Arry Redknapp will, if made England boss, take England back to the future…with a ‘Dad’s Army revolution’. Yes, the man the whole country seems to want in the role (apart from me) will prove even less flexible and forward looking than the grumpy Italian tyrant who walked out of the job (on a tangent…did Capello really walk out – why the pay-off if that was the case! I reckon he was sacked).
I hate to have to be the odd man out here; the spoilsport who throws some much-needed realism into the pot of overflowing excitement and enthusiasm about the self-styled people’s manager ‘Arry. But isn’t everyone being a wee bit too naïve about his talents? Aren’t we actually about to employ another Kevin Keegan – someone who pumps out his chest and is as proud as Larry (well, ‘Arry), but actually has little nous when it comes to tactics?
I am told by pundits who know Tottenham well that ‘Arry actually has little input when it comes to the tactical side of the game and training. That Kevin Bond and the backroom boys look after that side of it all, thank you very much.
And now ‘Arry comes out and admits he would bring back Paul Scholes if he lands the England job in time for Euro 2012. And that he would stick with Lampard – while ‘sources’ suggest he could sort out any differences at the back between Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. Scholes, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand – jeez, are we stuck in a timewarp here…a time when Sven Goran Eriksson played them all together seven or eight years ago? All we would need added to the mix would be the dreadful Peter Crouch!
Funnily enough, the Swede has beem one of those pushing the ‘Arry for England bandwagon over the past week. Eriksson said, ‘I think Redknapp will be a very, very good choice. He's English; he knows his football. He is doing a great job with Tottenham and has done a great job with every team he's had in the past, so I guess it will be him. You need to be an experienced manager used to dealing with the big names and some knowledge about international football would help. I think Harry has all these things.’
So Sven is in ‘Arry’s corner – but if that wasn’t bad enough, old ‘Arry then went and admitted he would put out a slowing, ageing team in the Euros, saying of the Man United midfielder who last played for his country eight years ago, ‘Look at Paul Scholes. Let’s be honest, you would love to have him at the European Championships. He’s that good.’
I would never deny that Scholesy has been a true great…but a 37-year-old spearheading our campaign in Poland and Ukraine - against the youthful wizardry of say Spain and Germany - along with Lampard, 33, and, no doubt, the uninspiring Peter Crouch upfront? Crouch, who even Capello, eventually realised wasn’t good enough for the international stage?
Whatever happened to the idea that we would blaze the Euros with a team built around youth, pace and dizzy runs? A team with the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling at the back instead of the slowing Terry and the injury-prone Rio? A midfield fizzing with the energy and wit of the likes of Jack Wilshere (if fit), Tom Cleverley, Jack Rodwell, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ashley Young instead of Lampard and Scholes? And a dynamic front two permed from the likes of Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge instead of the dreaded Crouch (and even Heskey!)?
Not if ‘Arry gets the nod. With Capello we suffered wage concern – as he continually failed to justify his £6million a year – with ‘Arry, it’ll be age concern.
I’m telling you…be careful what you wish for…we could be heading for another Keegan-like era with England. And remember how that ended after the hullabaloo following his appointment…in tears.
MOURINHO’S
GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENT
HE’S won the Premier League with Chelsea, two Champions Leagues (with Inter Milan and Porto) – but Jose is well on course for what could surely be argued to be his greatest achievement yet.
Last weekend his Real Madrid team stood a massive TEN POINTS ahead of Barcelona at the top of Spain’s La Liga.
Yes, the very same Barca who most people consider to be the greatest club side the world has EVER seen.
I must admit I never expected Jose would manage to overwhelm Barca – but he will do it, and I have to tip my hat to him. This is why there will be a queue around the block looking to hire him when he quits the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
Jose Mourinho might be a pain and a moaner – but he is a fantastic football manager, who achieves results.
VICTORIA AND SIR CHRIS
GEAR UP FOR A
SPECTACULAR
OPENING BASH
This Friday (up until Sunday) the brand new Olympic velodrome will open for the first time, at the Olympic Park in East London, hosting a world-class cycling field.
The UCI Track Cycling World Cup will see the likes of Sir Chris Hoy in action for the British men’s team. He will be bidding for glory in the men’s team sprint, the men’s sprint and the men’s keirin. And the wonderful Victoria Pendleton will be the star for the women, as she attempts to land the women’s sprint title, and the women’s team sprint title with Jess Varnish.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS...
WEEKLY SPORT HOT TIP!! ++++++ Real Madrid to win La Liga – and the Champions League. A really good double bet.++++++
TIPPED THE WINK BY YOUR WEEKLY SPORT!! ++++++The big match in the Premier League this weekend is the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday. I have a sneaking feeling Spurs could snatch a 2-1 win. They are in fine form and will be more rested than the Gunners, who had a tough Champions League clash in Milan on Wednesday.++++++
FRANK WORRALL
(For more information on Frank and his bestselling sports books, see www.frankworrall.com)
Weekly Sport readers can buy Frank’s insightful book on Sir Alex Ferguson for the special price of only £2.74 on Kindle (retail price £17.99 for the hardback)…go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Fergie-Wonderland-Biography-ebook/dp/B00603XJB8/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326291046&sr=1-7
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