WeeklySport
Showing posts with label Frank Worrall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Worrall. Show all posts
Friday, 7 November 2014
Luis Suarez - the definitive biography by the Weekly Sport's own Frank Worrall
He's the best striker in world football today – but also the most
controversial. Banned three times for biting opponents including the shameful episode with Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup in
Brazil, Luis Suarez has also been embroiled in a race row with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and been public enemy number one at the 2010
World Cup after handballing on the line in Uruguay’s quarter-final against Ghana.
Yet on the field he has brought goals galore and glory to every team he has played for. He transformed Liverpool into a title-chasing team in 2013-14. Almost miraculously, he overcame an ankle injury operation to kill off England with two wonderful goals in the 2014 World Cup.
It was the prospect of such remarkable feats that encouraged Spanish giants Barcelona to offer a mind-boggling £75 million for his services in the summer of 2014 despite his four-month ban for biting Chiellini.
Yet what exactly makes this brilliant, but flawed, man tick? What demons
lie behind his cannibal acts, his cheating and his frequent bust-ups with fellow pros, and the clubs and managers who fall over themselves to employ him? Just why is Suarez incapable of steering clear of controversy?
In this first-ever biography of the Uruguayan superstar, renowned footballing biographer Frank Worrall reveals the good, the bad and the downright ugly traits that define Suarez the footballer and Suarez the man.
Thursday, 9 May 2013
DAVID MOYES: WHY IT COULD WELL END IN TEARS - says Frank Worrall
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| Golden handshake from The Boss. |
I THINK it may well end in tears: that David Moyes will find the job too big for him and that he will leave with Fergie stepping back into the brink, just as Sir Matt did all those years ago when Wilf McGuinness failed at Man United.
In my not too humble opinion, there were only two men worthy of the Utd job - Guardiola and Mourinho. Inexplicably, Pep was allowed to join Bayern Munich when everyone in the game knows he hankered after Fergie's job. That leaves Mourinho: he should have been chosen over Moyes.
In my not too humble opinion, there were only two men worthy of the Utd job - Guardiola and Mourinho. Inexplicably, Pep was allowed to join Bayern Munich when everyone in the game knows he hankered after Fergie's job. That leaves Mourinho: he should have been chosen over Moyes.
Worrall's warning to Man U.
Some random points as they zip through my head:
1. Moyes is Utd's Roy Hodgson. Just like old Roy, Utd took him on because he is cheap and he won't upset the applecart. He will keep the majority of the current backroom staff while Jose would have wanted a clean sweep. The Glazers like Moyes because he arrives without having to pay any comp and he costs half what Mou would cost a year.
2. But just as Hodgson is finding the England job a tad too big for him, so Moyes is in for a big shock. I tire of hearing Roy moan about England's lack of players etc - and how he has so tried to convince us we should be grateful to simply qualify for tournaments nowadays. Hodgson is Mr Average: a good boss at West Brom and Fulham, but never big enough for England. Similarly Moyes. Already, I hear people saying he should be given time...that Fergie took three years to bed in. But ask yourself this: would Mourinho ask to be given time? Or would he expect to hit the ground running and win at least one trophy, and probably two, in his first season at Old Trafford? That is the difference: a difference of perception and expectation.
3. If you were a big star in South America, would you want to sign for Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho...or David Moyes? Or would you say, 'who' when Moyes was mentioned?
4. Moyes never won anything at Everton and has a total lack of Champions League experience. Not so Mourinho. We are constantly told Moyes did well at Everton - but he didn't win anything. Yet, on even more limited resources, Michael Laudrup won the League Cup in his first season at Swansea City. I'll admit it: I would rather have Laudrup in the Utd hotseat than Moyes,
5. Why was Bobby Charlton instrumental in choosing Moyes? My sources say it was Sir Bobby and Fergie who decided on Moyes. But Bobby has a renowned antipathy towards Mourinho because he is not the politest of chaps. Well, I am sure any Utd fan would rather have a rough and tumble guy - like Fergie, by the way - than someone who is well versed in the noble arts. And Sir Bobby, for all his talents as one of the greatest footballers ever, was one of the lousiest managers ever when he tried his hand at the tiller of the coal face. Just check out his managerial record. He is hardly qualified to judge managerial potential when he had none himself.
6. Moyes' teams at Everton have always been functional. Never entertaining and cavalier as United fans are used to, and indeed demand.
7. Mourinho was still available when Fergie and Charlton plumped for Moyes. It is a dereliction of duty that - as England did with Hodgson - they installed the wrong man in the hotseat.
As I say, it could well end in tears, with Fergie stepping back in temporarily as Utd try desperately to avoid another repeat of the Busby/McGuiness/O'Farrell farce that dogged the club in the 70s. There's a saying that doing the same thing time after time and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity - have United indulged in insanity with their appointment of another O'Farrell so many years after the original blunder?
Some random points as they zip through my head:
1. Moyes is Utd's Roy Hodgson. Just like old Roy, Utd took him on because he is cheap and he won't upset the applecart. He will keep the majority of the current backroom staff while Jose would have wanted a clean sweep. The Glazers like Moyes because he arrives without having to pay any comp and he costs half what Mou would cost a year.
2. But just as Hodgson is finding the England job a tad too big for him, so Moyes is in for a big shock. I tire of hearing Roy moan about England's lack of players etc - and how he has so tried to convince us we should be grateful to simply qualify for tournaments nowadays. Hodgson is Mr Average: a good boss at West Brom and Fulham, but never big enough for England. Similarly Moyes. Already, I hear people saying he should be given time...that Fergie took three years to bed in. But ask yourself this: would Mourinho ask to be given time? Or would he expect to hit the ground running and win at least one trophy, and probably two, in his first season at Old Trafford? That is the difference: a difference of perception and expectation.
3. If you were a big star in South America, would you want to sign for Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho...or David Moyes? Or would you say, 'who' when Moyes was mentioned?
4. Moyes never won anything at Everton and has a total lack of Champions League experience. Not so Mourinho. We are constantly told Moyes did well at Everton - but he didn't win anything. Yet, on even more limited resources, Michael Laudrup won the League Cup in his first season at Swansea City. I'll admit it: I would rather have Laudrup in the Utd hotseat than Moyes,
5. Why was Bobby Charlton instrumental in choosing Moyes? My sources say it was Sir Bobby and Fergie who decided on Moyes. But Bobby has a renowned antipathy towards Mourinho because he is not the politest of chaps. Well, I am sure any Utd fan would rather have a rough and tumble guy - like Fergie, by the way - than someone who is well versed in the noble arts. And Sir Bobby, for all his talents as one of the greatest footballers ever, was one of the lousiest managers ever when he tried his hand at the tiller of the coal face. Just check out his managerial record. He is hardly qualified to judge managerial potential when he had none himself.
6. Moyes' teams at Everton have always been functional. Never entertaining and cavalier as United fans are used to, and indeed demand.
7. Mourinho was still available when Fergie and Charlton plumped for Moyes. It is a dereliction of duty that - as England did with Hodgson - they installed the wrong man in the hotseat.
As I say, it could well end in tears, with Fergie stepping back in temporarily as Utd try desperately to avoid another repeat of the Busby/McGuiness/O'Farrell farce that dogged the club in the 70s. There's a saying that doing the same thing time after time and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity - have United indulged in insanity with their appointment of another O'Farrell so many years after the original blunder?
Monday, 29 April 2013
MOURINHO 'CHELSEA BOSS' AND FALCAO 'SIGNED FOR HIM BY ROMAN' - says Frank Worrall
I HAVE been saying it for months - Jose Mourinho will be the next Chelsea boss - as many other Fleet Street hacks have put down money on Pellegrini or some other loser.
Now I can confirm that it is '95 per cent certain' that Jose will indeed be back at the Bridge in June.
Not only that - Falcao will also sign for Chelsea in June...and my spies tell me that he is coming in at Jose's request as his 'new Drogba'.
I predict that next year's Premier League will be a straight fight between Man United and Chelsea now that Jose is back. He needs a new left-back, a new centre-back and a midfield enforcer to join Falcao. He could also do with a class winger - Moses is not good enough.
Of the current squad these players are good enough to win the Champions League - Cech, Ivanovic, Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Ramires, Luiz and Falcao. Mikel is too laborious and slow and I am assuming Ivanovic will play right-back rather than centre-half. Ramires plus one will be the defensive twosome in midfield, the three creators are excellent: Oscar, Mata and Hazard and Falcao is indeed the business up front alone. I also think Lukaku is better than Torres and Ba as Falcao's stand-in.
I hear Jose may bring Di Maria from Madrid as his No 1 winger and that he would dearly love to also take Ronaldo with him.
Under Jose's guidance I believe Chelsea could well win the Champs Lge trophy next season to end all this nonsense about a 'new cycle' emerging because Bayern beat Barca.
Barca will be back and I am more than a little bemused by all the talk of how brilliant Bayern are now and how Barca's tika-taka isn't really that wonderful.
For the last 5 years the papers have been telling us Barca are the best thing since sliced bread and that English football - with its power play - is on its death bed.
Now Bayern beat Barca in a distinctly English way - with power and speed - and they are the new gods!
Truth is Bayern are more English than some English teams and only Dortmund of the current Champs Lge semi finalists have been truly inventive - and their style is based more on Barca's creativeness and genius than your traditional power play.
Let's not forget that the feted Bayern were almost eliminated in the last 8....by Arsenal!
No, next season the challengers for the Champs Lge will be Chelsea, Barca, Real, Man United and Bayern. But the Germans could well go out before the semis as they are caught between two stools - wanting to continue their power play (English) but with a manager who wants them to be more inventive and creative (a la Barca). Pep Guardiola has an almost impossible job if Bayern win this year's Champions Lge - upon reflection in a year's time he may well have wished he had gone to Chelsea rather than letting Jose back in.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
BAYERN SIGN LEWANDOWSKI - says Frank Worrall
HAVE just heard from my friends in Germany that Bayern have also signed Robert Lewandowski, the Dortmund No 9.
That is a double blow for volatile Dortmund boss Klopp just hours before the start of their most important game for a decade.
Surely Bayern aren't trying to nobble their German rivals' chances of success against Real Madrid? Not.
That is a double blow for volatile Dortmund boss Klopp just hours before the start of their most important game for a decade.
Surely Bayern aren't trying to nobble their German rivals' chances of success against Real Madrid? Not.
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| Germany Calling : Bayern buy up Lewandowski. |
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
KLOPP RECONSIDERS CHELSEA / MAN CITY MOVE - says Frank Worrall
I HEAR that Jurgen Klopp - the German answer to Mourinho - is suddenly more amenable to talking over a move to Chelsea.
He turned down a request for talks earlier this year as he believed he could take Borussia Dortmund as far as he would Chelsea.
But he has apparently changed his mind after Dortmund agreed to sell their best player - Gotze - to biggest German rivals Bayern Munich.
It makes him feel that others will follow and that he will never catch Bayern if his own club become a selling club.
I had been told that Mourinho was odds on to return to the Bridge - but this may now blow the whole thing apart.
He turned down a request for talks earlier this year as he believed he could take Borussia Dortmund as far as he would Chelsea.
But he has apparently changed his mind after Dortmund agreed to sell their best player - Gotze - to biggest German rivals Bayern Munich.
It makes him feel that others will follow and that he will never catch Bayern if his own club become a selling club.
I had been told that Mourinho was odds on to return to the Bridge - but this may now blow the whole thing apart.
Don't be surprised if the odds on Klopp ending up at Chelsea - or even Man City - drop dramatically over the next couple of days.
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| Is Jurgen Klopp about to make a hop..? |
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
VAN PERSIE HAS GONE GREY AT MAN UTD!! - says Frank Worrall
What a difference Robin Van Persie has made to Man United. His goals have helped secure a 20th title and he has been inspirational.
But what a difference Man United has made to Van P! I have never seen a footballer age so much in one season. The Dutchman has gone grey overnight!
Fergie will have to tell him to stop worrying - his first Prem title medal is in the bag and other medals will follow over the next couple of years.
And maybe it's time for a bit of the old Grecian 2000, Robin, old chap!
BAYERN WILL BEAT BARCA
The Champions League semi finals
brings together three of the best four teams in
Europe.
And the fourth - Dortmund - are probably the fifth best so it is quite a tasty prospect.
I believe that Barca are ageing in central midfield and that they are no longer the best team in Europe. Both Real and Bayern are better on their day as Barca look increasingly like a one-man team (Messi)
I take Bayern to beat them over two legs and to set up a tremendous final against Madrid at Wembley.
And the fourth - Dortmund - are probably the fifth best so it is quite a tasty prospect.
I believe that Barca are ageing in central midfield and that they are no longer the best team in Europe. Both Real and Bayern are better on their day as Barca look increasingly like a one-man team (Messi)
I take Bayern to beat them over two legs and to set up a tremendous final against Madrid at Wembley.
I HEAR that Newcastle boss Alan
Pardew is ready to bring prodigal son Andy Carroll back to St James'
Park.
He is likely to return this summer after his loan spell at West Ham expires.
The deal will involved one Newcastle player heading to Liverpool along with a fee of around £7million.
That means the one Toon player will be valued at £10million - so you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out it is likely to be a top star at the club.
More than likely a midfielder who is French and whose surname is Ben Arfa.
He is likely to return this summer after his loan spell at West Ham expires.
The deal will involved one Newcastle player heading to Liverpool along with a fee of around £7million.
That means the one Toon player will be valued at £10million - so you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out it is likely to be a top star at the club.
More than likely a midfielder who is French and whose surname is Ben Arfa.
STOKE 'LOOK TO BENITEZ'
LAST week I said that Rafa Benitez
was eyeing up the opportunity of taking over at Aston Villa in the
summer.
Well, things have moved on since then.
Apparently Villa are going to stick with Paul Lambert even if they go down. They like the way he is working with the club's promising youngsters and want to give him time to turn things around.
That has prompted a new slant on Benitez's hopes of employment after his interim role comes to a conclusion at Chelsea next month.
It seems Tony Pullis may be leaving Stoke - and that Benitez is one of the leading candidates to take his place.
That suits Stoke and the Spaniard. He gets a job where he can go home every night (his family are based near Liverpool) and they get a manager who can bring a different style of football to the Britannia - but still keep them in the Prem.
Well, things have moved on since then.
Apparently Villa are going to stick with Paul Lambert even if they go down. They like the way he is working with the club's promising youngsters and want to give him time to turn things around.
That has prompted a new slant on Benitez's hopes of employment after his interim role comes to a conclusion at Chelsea next month.
It seems Tony Pullis may be leaving Stoke - and that Benitez is one of the leading candidates to take his place.
That suits Stoke and the Spaniard. He gets a job where he can go home every night (his family are based near Liverpool) and they get a manager who can bring a different style of football to the Britannia - but still keep them in the Prem.
Monday, 8 April 2013
MANCINI 'OUT OF CITY THIS SUMMER' - says Frank Worrall
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| Roberto Mancini : On the move? |
Even before tonight's Manchester derby, it appears City have decided to dispense with Roberto Mancini this summer.
It seems the club's new Spanish No 1 and No 2 (both former Barca head boys) do not want to continue with the Italian.
They would have liked Guardiola to take over but now that he has gone to Bayern, they are seemingly keen on Manuel Pellegrini, the Malaga boss.
I think it is a mad move - Mancini has brought the club their first title and FA Cup for years and may even win the latter again this term.
But the Barca boys obviously disagree if the noises coming from the Etihad prove to be correct.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
BENITEZ IS EYEING VILLA JOB - says Frank Worrall
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| Rafa Benitez : About to jump ship? |
MY SPIES tell me that Rafa Benitez would like the Aston Villa job if Lambert is dismissed.
His confidence borders on arrogance sometimes but he is a competent manager, whatever people might say. His assessment of the squad he inherited at Chelsea certainly supports that view.
Having said that, I would not want him in charge of the club I support. And I believe Villa would be better served sticking with Lambert.
His confidence borders on arrogance sometimes but he is a competent manager, whatever people might say. His assessment of the squad he inherited at Chelsea certainly supports that view.
Having said that, I would not want him in charge of the club I support. And I believe Villa would be better served sticking with Lambert.
DI CANIO WILL KEEP SUNDERLAND UP
I DON'T particularly like Paolo Di Canio - and I certainly don't like his politics.
But I believe he will prove to be a good manager at Sunderland.
He is young, organised and enthusiastic - and determined to be a winner. He also has an exceptional take on tactics.
I reckon he will keep Sunderland up this season and do well next season - if the board keep faith with him.
But I believe he will prove to be a good manager at Sunderland.
He is young, organised and enthusiastic - and determined to be a winner. He also has an exceptional take on tactics.
I reckon he will keep Sunderland up this season and do well next season - if the board keep faith with him.
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| Paolo di Canio : He wants to focus on the football not politics. |
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
THE TRIUMPH AND BETRAYAL OF ROBERTO DI MATTEO, CHELSEA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL BOSS EVER
He lasted just 262 days – 262 days that transformed the fortunes of Chelsea Football Club and finally laid to rest Roman Abramovich’s holy grail. Yes, by winning the Champions League, Roberto Di Matteo made everything Roman had done – and all the millions he had invested worthwhile. But six months later the Russian owner of Chelsea rewarded him for his brilliance…with the sack.
Di Matteo was the manager who took the club to its greatest ever triumph – one which marked him out as the club's most successful manager ever - that balmy night in Munich which now seems an age ago.
Even then, as Roberto celebrated, you could clearly see from the body language that Roman didn't really want to acknowledge his part in the triumph. He never really rated him; he only saw him as a stop-gap and was really forced into giving him a full-time shot at the job until he could get his own full-time next man in (ie Guardiola).
But what Di Matteo achieved that night in Munich was extraordinary - almost miraculous, as he urged on his men to a triumph they really had no right to expect. They were playing the hosts and favourites and emerged with the cup with the big ears against all odds (including beating Barca on the way).
Fast forward six months (to now) and Di Matteo has tried to implement Roman's desire for Chelsea to play a la Barca - with three little guys in Mata, Oscar and Hazard - and passing from the back (which meant keeping David Luiz at centre-back instead of the more reliable Ivanovic).
He has had three months (from August and the start of the new season) to implement a brand new, revolutionary change in playing approach and, as the players inevitably needed time to gell and get used to each other and the new system, he found it difficult to achieve overnight. His reward was to bestabbed in the back. Betrayed for not beating or drawing with Juve away - and let's not forget this is the team who could well go on to win the Champions League. OK, there have also been a couple of dodgy results in the league too, but as Istress again, he was trying to overhaul a way of thinking; from the time of Drogba and Co, when brute force won the day, to a more sophisticated style of play. There were always going to be lean spells as the change took shape.
In essence, he was expected to work another miracle from August to November (changing the mentality and style of play) after already working one in Munich in May. His sacking was the end game – a shocking way to treat someone who had done so much for a football club close to his heart.
RDM deserved better – and Chelsea fans certainly deserve better than the interim, defensively minded joker who will surely now take their team back to the dark ages…even if it is only for six months.
Forget the dreams of being the new Barca for the next few months – Rafa Benitez will underpin his team with a dour defensive edge. Ironic that when Roman wanted to move forwards with entertaining football, he ended up with a man whose philosophy is to bring about the exact opposite.
I wouldn’t be surprised if RDM is laughing in his beer at that irony tonight and probably saying, ‘They deserve each other!’
FRANK WORRALL @weeklysport
 |
| Roberto Di Matteo : robbed of his job. |
Di Matteo was the manager who took the club to its greatest ever triumph – one which marked him out as the club's most successful manager ever - that balmy night in Munich which now seems an age ago.
Even then, as Roberto celebrated, you could clearly see from the body language that Roman didn't really want to acknowledge his part in the triumph. He never really rated him; he only saw him as a stop-gap and was really forced into giving him a full-time shot at the job until he could get his own full-time next man in (ie Guardiola).
But what Di Matteo achieved that night in Munich was extraordinary - almost miraculous, as he urged on his men to a triumph they really had no right to expect. They were playing the hosts and favourites and emerged with the cup with the big ears against all odds (including beating Barca on the way).
Fast forward six months (to now) and Di Matteo has tried to implement Roman's desire for Chelsea to play a la Barca - with three little guys in Mata, Oscar and Hazard - and passing from the back (which meant keeping David Luiz at centre-back instead of the more reliable Ivanovic).
He has had three months (from August and the start of the new season) to implement a brand new, revolutionary change in playing approach and, as the players inevitably needed time to gell and get used to each other and the new system, he found it difficult to achieve overnight. His reward was to bestabbed in the back. Betrayed for not beating or drawing with Juve away - and let's not forget this is the team who could well go on to win the Champions League. OK, there have also been a couple of dodgy results in the league too, but as Istress again, he was trying to overhaul a way of thinking; from the time of Drogba and Co, when brute force won the day, to a more sophisticated style of play. There were always going to be lean spells as the change took shape.
In essence, he was expected to work another miracle from August to November (changing the mentality and style of play) after already working one in Munich in May. His sacking was the end game – a shocking way to treat someone who had done so much for a football club close to his heart.
RDM deserved better – and Chelsea fans certainly deserve better than the interim, defensively minded joker who will surely now take their team back to the dark ages…even if it is only for six months.
Forget the dreams of being the new Barca for the next few months – Rafa Benitez will underpin his team with a dour defensive edge. Ironic that when Roman wanted to move forwards with entertaining football, he ended up with a man whose philosophy is to bring about the exact opposite.
I wouldn’t be surprised if RDM is laughing in his beer at that irony tonight and probably saying, ‘They deserve each other!’
FRANK WORRALL @weeklysport
Friday, 27 July 2012
Live Football Online
No sport attracts the attention and glamour more than football. We British are proud of our football, our club teams as well as our national teams and we can`t get enough of it. With Euro 2012 concluded we eagerly await the start of the new season where we can follow the highs and lows of our team, hoping we can achieve success.
The one stumbling block to football in recent years is the cost, with season tickets in the premier league costing four figures for some clubs, not to mention away games and cup games. With a reduced disposable income and increased costs, many fans are looking for an alternative cost effective means of watching their favourite team.
Online streaming has become increasingly popular, with the internet giving users access to a host of domestic and internationally based football matches from the comfort of their own home. With many services offering completely free streaming it`s easy to understand why online streaming is now so popular. In conjunction with the free online streaming service many websites offer a link to online betting, so you can watch the match and bet whilst it`s in play.
Before looking at where to watch live football online you should first check your internet connection to ensure that it is capable of supporting live streaming, as there is nothing worse than the stream buffering when your centre forward is one on one with the goalkeeper. Speak to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) who will be able to confirm your current internet speed.
It may be worth upgrading your broadband speed, if possible, to give you the optimum experience online. A faster broadband connection will allow you to surf faster and stream with ease, whether you are watching your local team or watching the latest blockbuster release. Download speeds will also increase dramatically so you can get the latest music from the internet to your mp3 player faster.
Once you have checked your internet speed it`s time to find the right website for your streaming needs. Typing `live football online` into a search engine lists a number of websites but it`s important to choose the right one. Explore each of the websites and find out what you need to do in order to watch a match; you`ll get a feel for the best website for your needs. It`s also important to find a website which streams the games you want to see.
Finally, if you don`t own a Smart TV, think about hooking your laptop up to your TV so you can watch live streaming on a bigger screen and can soak in the atmosphere at the game. With a host of livefootball.net matches available online, just click, stream and enjoy the beautiful game.
The one stumbling block to football in recent years is the cost, with season tickets in the premier league costing four figures for some clubs, not to mention away games and cup games. With a reduced disposable income and increased costs, many fans are looking for an alternative cost effective means of watching their favourite team.
Online streaming has become increasingly popular, with the internet giving users access to a host of domestic and internationally based football matches from the comfort of their own home. With many services offering completely free streaming it`s easy to understand why online streaming is now so popular. In conjunction with the free online streaming service many websites offer a link to online betting, so you can watch the match and bet whilst it`s in play.
Before looking at where to watch live football online you should first check your internet connection to ensure that it is capable of supporting live streaming, as there is nothing worse than the stream buffering when your centre forward is one on one with the goalkeeper. Speak to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) who will be able to confirm your current internet speed.
It may be worth upgrading your broadband speed, if possible, to give you the optimum experience online. A faster broadband connection will allow you to surf faster and stream with ease, whether you are watching your local team or watching the latest blockbuster release. Download speeds will also increase dramatically so you can get the latest music from the internet to your mp3 player faster.
Once you have checked your internet speed it`s time to find the right website for your streaming needs. Typing `live football online` into a search engine lists a number of websites but it`s important to choose the right one. Explore each of the websites and find out what you need to do in order to watch a match; you`ll get a feel for the best website for your needs. It`s also important to find a website which streams the games you want to see.
Finally, if you don`t own a Smart TV, think about hooking your laptop up to your TV so you can watch live streaming on a bigger screen and can soak in the atmosphere at the game. With a host of livefootball.net matches available online, just click, stream and enjoy the beautiful game.
In association with your WEEKLY SPORT (c) copyright 2012.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
FRANK WORRALL SAYS - TIME ROMAN MADE JOHN TERRY MANAGER AT CHELSEA..!
FOOTBALL -
TIME ROMAN ABRAMOVICH
MADE JOHN TERRY MANAGER
AND FRANK LAMPARD
ASSISTANT MANAGER
AT CHELSEA
OK, I accept I have been critical of the old-timers at Chelsea over the last few month. I felt that Frank Lampard, in particular, was not supportive enough of Andre Villas-Boas, and that both he and John Terry had acted as though they ran the club below the level of Roman Abramovich. Terry’s touchline gesticulations when he went off against Napoli suggested as much – that he was the REAL manager, not interim boss Roberto di Matteo.
Well, now I have decided to eat humble pie – of sorts – and am suggesting to you (and my old friend Roman) that the best thing Chelsea FC could do now is plan for the future – by making John Terry manager and Frank Lampard his assistant.
To an extent, they ARE already in those roles already – whatever they might say. Sure, Di Matteo is the man on the touchline and the man who is picking the team…up to a point. But you’re telling me that Terry and Lampard haven’t had much input into his decisions and tactical changes? Di Matteo himself has admitted he talks to the senior players and takes their views into account. He is not a stooge, but he neither has he the authority to do something that would cross Terry or Lampard.
The other week he ‘dropped’ Lampard – a signal many commentators claimed only highlighted his strength. But my insiders at the Bridge tell me that it was agreed with Frank – that Frank realised that resting is part of the game at this crucial juncture of the season.
Since Di Matteo took command, Chelsea have settled and done well – because Terry and Lampard have settled and done well. The old boys are back in the driving seat. Put it this way: do you really think the unimpressive Avram Grant was the reason Chelsea got to the final of the Champions League in Moscow in 2008? Do me a favour! Look at Grant’s record before and after Chelsea – he is a managerial flop. He was a mere figurehead at the Bridge as Terry, Lampard and Drogba psyched up the team and took them so close to glory.
So, surely it now makes sense for Roman to do the inevitable: you make John player-manager and Frank player-assistant manager. You mererly put on record the situation behind closed doors. Di Matteo? Well, he is another Steady Eddie and Frank and John like him – so why not make him, or Guus Hiddink, director of football? You use one of the two to attract worldwide stars because of their names and standing in the international game. Simple as that.
And I’m predicting that if Roman did give John and Frank the reins, they would be a major success. Frank is the ideal foil for John: a calm, composed, intelligent assessor to John’s more passionate, hand-on-heart approach. A sort of Clough and Taylor designate for the modern era.
Go on Roman – give them a go. They love you, too, and would work within your framework. I am sure it’s a move you would not regret…
--------------
MOTOR RACING -
Chinese Grand Prix
The Formula One show heads for China this weekend – and Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for a repeat of his super show in Shanghai last year. Then, he stormed home in front of Red Bull pair, runner-up Sebastian Vettel and third placed Mark Webber. Lewis drove brilliantly – but then so did Webber, the Australian pipping Jenson Button for third after starting 18th on the grid!
The Chinese GP is traditionally a thriller – last year Lewis and Jenson both stole a march on Vettel at the start – so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed that our two super Brits can come home in first and second. The last thing we want this year is another triumphant procession by German Vettel – and judging by what I’ve seen so far in Australia and Malaysia , Lewis and Jenson are BOTH going to have a major say in where the title ends up.
------------
FRANKIE’S FLUTTER
THE BIG footie matches are both in the FA Cup this weekend – with two semi-final derby clashes taking place at Wembley.
The first on Saturday sees Everton and Liverpool go head to head. The Mersey giants are also competing to see who can finish highest in the league with nothing between the two in recent weeks.
I am taking Liverpool to beat Everton 2-1 after extra time and continue their fine form in the domestic cup competitions this term.
On the Sunday it’s the turn of London ’s footballing giants to do battle – with Chelsea and Tottenham at Wembley.
I’ve got a feeling that Spurs will emerge victorious – by 3-2.
(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
TIME ROMAN ABRAMOVICH
MADE JOHN TERRY MANAGER
AND FRANK LAMPARD
ASSISTANT MANAGER
AT CHELSEA
OK, I accept I have been critical of the old-timers at Chelsea over the last few month. I felt that Frank Lampard, in particular, was not supportive enough of Andre Villas-Boas, and that both he and John Terry had acted as though they ran the club below the level of Roman Abramovich. Terry’s touchline gesticulations when he went off against Napoli suggested as much – that he was the REAL manager, not interim boss Roberto di Matteo.
Well, now I have decided to eat humble pie – of sorts – and am suggesting to you (and my old friend Roman) that the best thing Chelsea FC could do now is plan for the future – by making John Terry manager and Frank Lampard his assistant.
To an extent, they ARE already in those roles already – whatever they might say. Sure, Di Matteo is the man on the touchline and the man who is picking the team…up to a point. But you’re telling me that Terry and Lampard haven’t had much input into his decisions and tactical changes? Di Matteo himself has admitted he talks to the senior players and takes their views into account. He is not a stooge, but he neither has he the authority to do something that would cross Terry or Lampard.
The other week he ‘dropped’ Lampard – a signal many commentators claimed only highlighted his strength. But my insiders at the Bridge tell me that it was agreed with Frank – that Frank realised that resting is part of the game at this crucial juncture of the season.
Since Di Matteo took command, Chelsea have settled and done well – because Terry and Lampard have settled and done well. The old boys are back in the driving seat. Put it this way: do you really think the unimpressive Avram Grant was the reason Chelsea got to the final of the Champions League in Moscow in 2008? Do me a favour! Look at Grant’s record before and after Chelsea – he is a managerial flop. He was a mere figurehead at the Bridge as Terry, Lampard and Drogba psyched up the team and took them so close to glory.
So, surely it now makes sense for Roman to do the inevitable: you make John player-manager and Frank player-assistant manager. You mererly put on record the situation behind closed doors. Di Matteo? Well, he is another Steady Eddie and Frank and John like him – so why not make him, or Guus Hiddink, director of football? You use one of the two to attract worldwide stars because of their names and standing in the international game. Simple as that.
And I’m predicting that if Roman did give John and Frank the reins, they would be a major success. Frank is the ideal foil for John: a calm, composed, intelligent assessor to John’s more passionate, hand-on-heart approach. A sort of Clough and Taylor designate for the modern era.
Go on Roman – give them a go. They love you, too, and would work within your framework. I am sure it’s a move you would not regret…
--------------
MOTOR RACING -
Chinese Grand Prix
The Formula One show heads for China this weekend – and Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for a repeat of his super show in Shanghai last year. Then, he stormed home in front of Red Bull pair, runner-up Sebastian Vettel and third placed Mark Webber. Lewis drove brilliantly – but then so did Webber, the Australian pipping Jenson Button for third after starting 18th on the grid!
The Chinese GP is traditionally a thriller – last year Lewis and Jenson both stole a march on Vettel at the start – so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed that our two super Brits can come home in first and second. The last thing we want this year is another triumphant procession by German Vettel – and judging by what I’ve seen so far in Australia and Malaysia , Lewis and Jenson are BOTH going to have a major say in where the title ends up.
------------
FRANKIE’S FLUTTER
THE BIG footie matches are both in the FA Cup this weekend – with two semi-final derby clashes taking place at Wembley.
The first on Saturday sees Everton and Liverpool go head to head. The Mersey giants are also competing to see who can finish highest in the league with nothing between the two in recent weeks.
I am taking Liverpool to beat Everton 2-1 after extra time and continue their fine form in the domestic cup competitions this term.
On the Sunday it’s the turn of London ’s footballing giants to do battle – with Chelsea and Tottenham at Wembley.
I’ve got a feeling that Spurs will emerge victorious – by 3-2.
(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
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Liverpool losing their leader...
IS KING KENNY’S REIGN IN JEOPARDY AT LIVERPOOL?
I HAVE heard from reliable sources at Anfield that Kenny Dalglish has got one more season to get Liverpool in the top four of the Premier League - or he will be moved upstairs.
Of course, Liverpool would NEVER sack a legend like Dalglish - but he has much to do if he is to avoid becoming an ambassador for the club, or maybe a director of football.
It may seem ridiculous that a man who has landed the club’s first trophy in six years is under threat - and who may yet also land the FA Cup this season, too.
But that is the cut-throat name of the game nowadays.
The truth is this: most chairmen would rather finish in the top four and accept the Champions League spot that comes with it rather than win the Carling Cup.
And that is where Kenny faces a problem. He has done well in the domestic cups but has flopped in the league.
I agree with him that fatigue has played a part - as have injuries.
And I also accept that he needs a stronger squad. Which, in turn, means he needs more financial backing.
But Kenny has also been his own worst enemy at times. I won’t bother going over his approach to the Luis Suarez controversy again, save to say he was misguided and did himself no favours.
Yet I do believe he has messed up with two of his big summer signings, and that this has left him vulnerable.
Firstly, Jordan Henderson is simply not a £16million player. For me, he is a journeyman with little guile and craft and whose only real assest is that he can cover a lot of ground.
Secondly, Andy Carroll - well, the problem for me here is that Kenny stuck his neck out to buy him but now appears to have lost faith. My feeling is that Andy is still a class act - he was brilliant for Newcastle and for England when he has had the chance.
But, like all big men, he needs regular games to maintain his fitness and get to a peak. And Kenny is just not giving him them. The fact is this: when Carroll plays, Liverpool usually win - so trust the boy, Kenny, and I am convinced he will repay you.
Also, Kenny must improve his act when it comes to PR. He is THE public face of Liverpool FC and how he comes over on the TV reflects on the club.
He needs to be less defensive, less ready to rise to any supposed slight and more jovial and likeable. He needs to get the Press onside rather than antagonising them. And if he needs any help, I’d be glad to show him how to do it.
So come on Kenny - stop acting like a bitter old man who seems out of touch with modern-day football. You can be a king again - but it’s all down to you now.
SNOOKER
JIMMY’S WHITE ON
- EVEN AT 50!
I LOVE nostalgia and so when I learned that Jimmy White is making a concerted attempt to reach this year’s World championships at The Crucible, I was one of the first to cheer him on.
SNOOKER
JIMMY’S WHITE ON
- EVEN AT 50!
I LOVE nostalgia and so when I learned that Jimmy White is making a concerted attempt to reach this year’s World championships at The Crucible, I was one of the first to cheer him on.
The man known as ‘the Whirlwind’ has not managed to qualify for the event for the last five years.
And that’s a real shame given his exploits and glory there in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jimmy will be 50 on May 2, and what a birthday prezzie it would be for him if he could celebrate it by starring at the Crucible in 2012!
Jimmy starred in six finals in Sheffield - but won none of them.
Now I know it’s pushing it a bit too far into the realms of fantasy to pray that maybe he also ends THAT jinx this year.
But wouldn’t it be a real fairytale ending - if the Whirlwind not only finally qualified again, but lifted the darned trophy!
It’s a dream - but then that is where sport often comes into its own. By making unbelieveable dreams come true.
Come on, Jimmy, you can do it - all your friends here at the Weekly Sport are backing you. As Clint Eastwood once famously said - ‘Make our day....!’
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
LAST WEEK I called it right again. Well, in terms of the result if not the score! Yes, I predicted that the big London derby between Chelsea and Spurs at the Bridge would end with honours even - which it did, in a 0-0 draw. I had predicted 1-1.
This week’s big footie match comes on Sunday when Newcastle entertain Liverpool in what looks a crunch encounter in the battle for sixth and seventh places in the Premier League.
The Toon have done better than anyone (me included) expected this season while Liverpool have gone off the boil of late due to injuries and fatigue. I am going to go against the grain - and predict that Liverpool will win. They are due a big result in the league and I can see former Toon idol Andy Carroll being well revved up for his return to St James’ Park. So it’s Newcastle 1 Liverpool 3 for me.
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
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
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
We're all praying for you, Fabrice!
FABRICE MUAMBA’S COLLAPSE -
A DISTRESSING INCIDENT
THAT SHOWED THE
BEST SIDE OF FOOTBALL
I WAS as shocked and upset as anyone when I witnessed Fabrice Muamba’s collapse on the pitch at White Hart Lane on Saturday. The Bolton midfielder collapsed suddenly and was taken to hospital after suffering what was diagnosed as a cardiac arrest. As I write this on the Wednesday afterwards, the latest bulletin from the hospital appears to be uplifting – that he is recovering and is speaking again.
That in itself is brilliant news. Fabrice lives up to his name: he is a fab young man, a family man who has great morals and lives a good life. He is not your archetypical hedonistic Premier League footballer who splashes the cash and is always in the papers for the wrong reasons. Far from it, this is one of the good guys.
But his collapse and revival also has another uplifting side – and it concerns the more distastetul side of big-time football. For the aftermath showed another side to our national sport – a side that we do not see often enough. A caring, compassionate side that made me proud to be associated with the game.
First, a salute to the Tottenham fans at the match. They will brilliant, so quiet and clearly worried. Many of them laid scarves outside the hospital and showed that football and its various rivalries was irrelevant – all that mattered was that this young man receiced swift, expert treatment and that he recovered. I did not hear one moan or complaint from the fans that the match was called off.
Second, the medics were swift on the scene and excellent.
Third, the game as a whole – from players to fans – then went into overdrive to show they cared. Players tweeted their good wishes on Twitter, teams clapped before kick offs the next day to show their support and even Real Madrid played their part in Spain, as their big names, including Cristiano Ronaldo sent their support from miles away by wearing shirts wishing Fabrice a speedy recovery.
I found the widespread compassion and backing very moving – the incident itself was both dreadful and dreadfully upsetting, but the attitude of the big stars and their clubs and fans afterwards made me proud to be associated with what we term the Beautiful Game.
Beautiful indeed – and get well soon, Fabrice, from all of us here at The Weekly Sport.
ERIKSSON RATHER
THAN PEARCE FOR
ENGLAND CARETAKER
IN THE EUROS
MOVING into a more critical role, I must admit I am finding it hard to believe – but my spies in Soho Square tell me that the FA are seriously contemplating putting Stuart Pearce in charge of England for the European Championships this summer.
Surely the buffoons in charge can see that he is not up to the job?
They need only look back at how we fared against Holland recently when Pearce was given a run-out in the top role for clues.
Yes, we lost and were outplayed but that might have been expected against the World Cup runners-up.
More worryingly, we lost because Pearce did not pick the right men for the job. I was all for him going for youth – but then he left out THE young player of the moment…Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain!
And he started with Adam Johnson who can’t even get in the Man City first team!
No, if we must go with a caretaker at the Euros, why not ask Sven Goran Eriksson to step in? I know, he became a figure of fun at the end of his reign, but he did the business – getting England to two quarter-finals, much better than Capello ever did.
He knows the players well, he is cool and he is a good ambassador. Let’s face it, we’re not going to win it, not with the likes of Spain, Germany and France in our way. In fact, with Pearce in command, I would not be shocked if we even ended up bottom of our group and exited at the first stage.
We need an experienced hand at the helm. Not a novice, Pearce has no record of success as a manager at this level – or even at major club level - and he could well clash with the senior players like John Terry and Frank Lampard. Pearce is the type who likes to make a statement of intent and to stamp his authority – by dropping some big name or leaving someone out…as he did with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Better the devil you know in Sven than a bloke who is unproven and unpredictable. Trust me.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
LAST WEEK I called it right on the Formula 1 opening round at Melbourne when I said…‘And the F1 in Melbourne – call me a silly dreamer, but I’m going for Hamilton or Button!’ Button duly won and Hamilton came home in third.
I also predicted a big win for Man United at Wolverhampton.
So now you know…Frankie and The Weekly Sport can be relied upon to give you a reliable guide for when you head to the bookies!
This week I’m going for football and F1 again.
On Saturday the biggest match of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea take on Spurs in the Premier League. Both teams need the points if they are to grab one of the four all-important Champions League places on offer – and so the stakes couldn’t be higher. Given that, I’m going for a draw, a point apiece and a scoreline of 1-1.
On Sunday the new F1 season continues apace with the Malaysian GP in Sepang. I’m taking Red Bull’s Sebastien Vettel to repeat his win of last year and Jenson Button to also replicate his runner-up spot from 2011. Hamilton finished eighth last time, but he would surely be in the top four on Sunday.
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
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
THE SEQUEL TO THE DAMNED UNITED...
...NOW SHOWING
AT CHELSEA!
FRANKING WORRALL REPORTING
IN 1974 Brian Clough famously lasted just 44 days as the manager of Leeds United. At the time he was arguably the best football manager around, yet he failed to inspire one of the best teams around when he took over at the helm from Don Revie.
Why did he fail? He was too abrupt with and insensitive to the needs of the established players at the club. The likes of Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles didn’t take at all kindly to someone coming in and telling them to ‘throw their medals in the bin’.
Fast forward 38 years and the story played out again - but this time at Stamford Bridge in West London.
Substitute Andre Villas Boas for Clough and Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole for Bremner and Giles and you get the picture.
The Portuguese was the manager in demand; he was young, had just won a series of impressive trophies with Porto - and he arrived at the Bridge with a mandate to modernise the playing staff.
To bring in new blood and to gently ease out the ageing legs of Lampard, Cole et al. Only it didn’t work out like that - like Clough he met fierce opposition to change from those very older players he had arrived to send off into the dark night.
And like Clough, he was ultimately hung out to dry by the club’s board of directors, or as it is in Chelsea’s case, the autocrat who runs Chelsea.
So it was farewell Andre and hello to...well, who knows. Di Matteo is the caretaker but the new man has not been signed up.
My sources close to Roman tell me it is likely to be one of two - Joachim Loew, the current boss of the German national side, or Athletic Bilbao’s Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa.
I personally would go for Bielsa. Look at the wonderful job he has done at Athletic Bilbao - creating a team of young players who destroyed Man United at Old Trafford last week. And he has the tough edge to show the old moaners the exit door - and quickly.
He is the ideal choice if Roman finally wants to lay down some solid foundations.
As for Lampard and Cole, I thought their behaviour under Villas Boas was disgusting and shameful. They are senior players who are quick to touch the badge on their shirts when they are on the pitch.
But their actions under Villas Boas were totally selfish - they seemed much more concerned about themselves and their petty little battles to put the new boss in his place than they did about the welfare of Chelsea FC. I can understand their ire at being dropped and suddenly no longer being the kingpins - but I believe they would have had a future under Villas Boas if they had knuckled down and accepted that time waits for no one.
In turn, Villas Boas would have had a future himself.
Now the whole issue has exploded, a man who has a lot of potential has gone and the likes of Lampard and Cole could well follow him out the door come summer. Everyone at the Bridge knows they haven’t come out of this with any credit - they are as much to blame as the Portuguese for the lamentable showings.
Now Chelsea need a hardman to knock them back into shape - and to make it clear to any dissenters that they will be on their bikes if they don’t toe the line. In turn, the hardman will need Roman to back him whatever happens: the short-term aggro will lead to long-term joy.
Roman has got to end this short-termism and see the bigger picture.
And, in my humble opinion anyway, Marcelo Bielsa is just the man needed to enforce the necessary revolution.
MOTOR RACING - THE AUSTRALIAN GP
THE FIRST season of the new Formula 1 season gets underway on Sunday – and everyone connected or interested in the sport is praying it is more competitive than last year’s damp squib. Last season was a victory march for German Seb Vettel for much of the campaign after other drivers simply lost their touch. Yes, Lewis Hamilton, we’re pointing at you.
This term the omens are better. Lewis, in particular, is a 100 times more fired up and concentrated in the job in hand. He is back with girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and appears happier and steadier. Now if only he could prove himself big enough to welcome his old dad back into the fold again… then he would surely be the complete deal.
As it stands, I can see Lewis pusing Vettel much harder – as I am sure will fellow Brit ace Jenson Button. For all his efforts, Button remains very much the McCartney to Hamilton’s Lennon: whatever he does he cannot seem to enchant the British public as Lewis does.
Last year at Albert Park in Melbourne Vettell began his run to glory, triumphing in his Red Bull from pole to chequered flag. And that is one of the keys to winning the Australian GP - the circuit is a tough ask if you don’t get off to a good start. If you do, you’re in with a good chance as long as the car keeps going. So come on Lewis and Jenson, pull out all the stop sin qualifying – and one of you is likely to come home first if you win pole.
Good luck lads from your No 1 sports paper…the Weekly Sport.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
PUT a fiver on the next full-time boss of Chelsea FC being Marcelo Bielsa or Joachim Loew.
Then on Sunday Man United travel to Molineux to take on relegation strugglers Wolves. United will surely walk it given the chaos at Wolves, with Mick McCarthy getting the boat and the players finding it hard to adopt to life under a caretaker boss and the animosity the fans feel towards the board of directors seeping down to the terraces.
I can only see a United win, the only thing in question is the score...and I’ll go for a 4-1 triumph for the Red Devils.
And the F1 in Melbourne – call me a silly dreamer, but I’m going for Hamilton or Button!
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
AT CHELSEA!
FRANKING WORRALL REPORTING
IN 1974 Brian Clough famously lasted just 44 days as the manager of Leeds United. At the time he was arguably the best football manager around, yet he failed to inspire one of the best teams around when he took over at the helm from Don Revie.
Why did he fail? He was too abrupt with and insensitive to the needs of the established players at the club. The likes of Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles didn’t take at all kindly to someone coming in and telling them to ‘throw their medals in the bin’.
Fast forward 38 years and the story played out again - but this time at Stamford Bridge in West London.
Substitute Andre Villas Boas for Clough and Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole for Bremner and Giles and you get the picture.
The Portuguese was the manager in demand; he was young, had just won a series of impressive trophies with Porto - and he arrived at the Bridge with a mandate to modernise the playing staff.
To bring in new blood and to gently ease out the ageing legs of Lampard, Cole et al. Only it didn’t work out like that - like Clough he met fierce opposition to change from those very older players he had arrived to send off into the dark night.
And like Clough, he was ultimately hung out to dry by the club’s board of directors, or as it is in Chelsea’s case, the autocrat who runs Chelsea.
So it was farewell Andre and hello to...well, who knows. Di Matteo is the caretaker but the new man has not been signed up.
My sources close to Roman tell me it is likely to be one of two - Joachim Loew, the current boss of the German national side, or Athletic Bilbao’s Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa.
I personally would go for Bielsa. Look at the wonderful job he has done at Athletic Bilbao - creating a team of young players who destroyed Man United at Old Trafford last week. And he has the tough edge to show the old moaners the exit door - and quickly.
He is the ideal choice if Roman finally wants to lay down some solid foundations.
As for Lampard and Cole, I thought their behaviour under Villas Boas was disgusting and shameful. They are senior players who are quick to touch the badge on their shirts when they are on the pitch.
But their actions under Villas Boas were totally selfish - they seemed much more concerned about themselves and their petty little battles to put the new boss in his place than they did about the welfare of Chelsea FC. I can understand their ire at being dropped and suddenly no longer being the kingpins - but I believe they would have had a future under Villas Boas if they had knuckled down and accepted that time waits for no one.
In turn, Villas Boas would have had a future himself.
Now the whole issue has exploded, a man who has a lot of potential has gone and the likes of Lampard and Cole could well follow him out the door come summer. Everyone at the Bridge knows they haven’t come out of this with any credit - they are as much to blame as the Portuguese for the lamentable showings.
Now Chelsea need a hardman to knock them back into shape - and to make it clear to any dissenters that they will be on their bikes if they don’t toe the line. In turn, the hardman will need Roman to back him whatever happens: the short-term aggro will lead to long-term joy.
Roman has got to end this short-termism and see the bigger picture.
And, in my humble opinion anyway, Marcelo Bielsa is just the man needed to enforce the necessary revolution.
MOTOR RACING - THE AUSTRALIAN GP
THE FIRST season of the new Formula 1 season gets underway on Sunday – and everyone connected or interested in the sport is praying it is more competitive than last year’s damp squib. Last season was a victory march for German Seb Vettel for much of the campaign after other drivers simply lost their touch. Yes, Lewis Hamilton, we’re pointing at you.
This term the omens are better. Lewis, in particular, is a 100 times more fired up and concentrated in the job in hand. He is back with girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and appears happier and steadier. Now if only he could prove himself big enough to welcome his old dad back into the fold again… then he would surely be the complete deal.
As it stands, I can see Lewis pusing Vettel much harder – as I am sure will fellow Brit ace Jenson Button. For all his efforts, Button remains very much the McCartney to Hamilton’s Lennon: whatever he does he cannot seem to enchant the British public as Lewis does.
Last year at Albert Park in Melbourne Vettell began his run to glory, triumphing in his Red Bull from pole to chequered flag. And that is one of the keys to winning the Australian GP - the circuit is a tough ask if you don’t get off to a good start. If you do, you’re in with a good chance as long as the car keeps going. So come on Lewis and Jenson, pull out all the stop sin qualifying – and one of you is likely to come home first if you win pole.
Good luck lads from your No 1 sports paper…the Weekly Sport.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
PUT a fiver on the next full-time boss of Chelsea FC being Marcelo Bielsa or Joachim Loew.
Then on Sunday Man United travel to Molineux to take on relegation strugglers Wolves. United will surely walk it given the chaos at Wolves, with Mick McCarthy getting the boat and the players finding it hard to adopt to life under a caretaker boss and the animosity the fans feel towards the board of directors seeping down to the terraces.
I can only see a United win, the only thing in question is the score...and I’ll go for a 4-1 triumph for the Red Devils.
And the F1 in Melbourne – call me a silly dreamer, but I’m going for Hamilton or Button!
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
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
THE BRITISH OLYMPIC GAMES - a commentary by FRANK WORRALL
THE OLYMPICS
- DO WE DESERVE TO HOLD THEM?
I’M looking forward to the Olympics in London this summer as much as anyone. But I can’t help but wonder if we really deserve to be holding them given the attitude of some people here.
Of course, sports lovers nationwide are anticipating the sporting feast with relish.
But not so the service industry workers who will (hopefully) transport us to the Olympic venues and provide safety cover for us at the Olympic Park in East London.
I only ask if we do deserve it after learning the following:
1. The London Fire Brigade has written to all firemen who retired in the last two years asking them if they are available to work inside the Olympic Park because of fears there will not be enough serving officers to do the job.
They have had to act because serving firefighters have been banned from working overtime by their unions.
2. Tube workers have threatened strike action after rejecting a £500 bonus to work during the Olympics. The RMT union have demanded more money for staff who have to work during the games – even though the tube drivers are already on around £48,000 a year, with rises guaranteed over the next three years to take them well over the £50k a year mark.
Now is it me, or isn’t this double strike threat out of order at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet in the worst recession in living memory?
And shouldn’t the staff involved be thinking about how they have a once-in-lifetime opportunity to show the nation - and the world - how proud they are of their jobs, and how efficient they are?
Rather than seeing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cash in on a major event in their region?
It does make me think - especially when my nephew and his girlfriend are excitedly making plans to travel down to London for the summer to work in part-time jobs at the Olympics.
Because they can’t get work in their native Manchester...and they are so proud to be part of the Olympics experience that will probably never happen again in their young lifetimes (they are only in their early 20s).
Maybe they could talk to the London workers - who by comparison seem to be acting like spoilt brats - and get them to think again...
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
WHO'D YOU HAVE FOR SPURS BOSS? ...
+++FOOTBALL+++
MOYES OR MOURINHO - WHO’D
YOU HAVE AS SPURS BOSS IF
WILY OLD 'ARRY DOES
GETS THE ENGLAND JOB?
HARRY REDKNAPP couldn’t have made it any clearer that he DOES want the England manager’s job. The Tottenham boss has given interview after interview saying how he just wouldn’t be able to turn away the job if he was offered it - but that, baffli
ngly, the FA haven’t yet been in touch.
Clever old ‘Arry is obviously trying to manipulate the FA into getting in touch and asking him to take over from the now departed Fabio Capello. His interviews have been aimed at the general public who have demanded he be installed - and quickly. The idea is that they will soon be up in arms that he has not been approached and DEMAND en bloc for his appointment!
As I have argued since Capello went, I do not think Redknapp is up to the job. He is another Kevin Keegan - all heart and no tactical nous and I fear he will be found out at international level. But what if clever old ‘Arry does get the job he so craves?
Or, more precisely, what happens to Spurs?
My view is that there are only two candidates for the job - and either can continue the sterling work ‘Arry has done at club level (for at club level, ‘Arry is a master). Put David Moyes or Jose Mourinho in at White Hart Lane and the good times would continue to roll. Moyes has worked miracles at Everton and I have no doubt he could do even better given the bigger resources and potential at Spurs.
Ditto Jose - who has proved yet again that he is a genius as he takes Real Madrid to a La Liga triumph few would have imagined given the brilliance of Barca.
So who would you choose? Well, I would go for Moyes. Because he would see it as a long-term project while Jose would always have an eye open for Fergie stepping down at Man United. And I think Moyes truly deserves a break - and a chance to prove he can cut it at the top of the league. I believe he would be a winner - possibly even surpassing ‘Arry. Yes, David Moyes is that good.
+++RUGBY UNION+++
And I don’t just mean for England - no, Wales showed once again that they are not that far short of having a team that can be considered contenders to take on the Al Blacks and the Aussies - and have a chance of winning!
But while Wales are not far from the finished product, England are still a work in motion. Which means the fact the gap between England and their Welsh conquerors is not that wide is truly encouraging for stand-in coach Stuart Lancaster and his men. I was particularly impressed by young centre/fly-half Owen Farrell, who belied his years to give a performance that dictated the promising nature of some of England’s play.
And wasn’t it pleasant to watch England - even in defeat - just get through a match without any controversy! After the fiasco and disgraceful incidents that smeared the World Cup team last year, Lancaster and Co did brilliantly in projecting a new, more youthful, cleaner and more honest England.
So even if you don’t get the job full-time, Stuart - and my money’s on former South Africa head coach Nick Mallet - you certainly do have the gratitude of a nation for reigniting our love of the game, and giving England a new, honey image after that World Cup nightmare. Here’s hoping Mallet puts you in charge of the Saxons (again) if he does get the top job.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
THE big match of the weekend is Sunday’s Premier League showdown between the teams currently second and third in the Premier League. Yes, third-placed Tottenham play host to Manchester United at White Hart Lane with much at stake. Victory for Spurs would take them a step closer to their big dream of a first Premier League title - closer to United and top-of-the-pile Manchester City. This Tottenham team are the best I have seen for many a year, well balanced and superb in attack. But it is also a team with defensive frailties - and that could let in United, who are masters of handling the pressure at this stage of the campaign.
All considered, I’m going for honours even - a 2-2 draw.
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
MOYES OR MOURINHO - WHO’D
YOU HAVE AS SPURS BOSS IF
WILY OLD 'ARRY DOES
GETS THE ENGLAND JOB?
HARRY REDKNAPP couldn’t have made it any clearer that he DOES want the England manager’s job. The Tottenham boss has given interview after interview saying how he just wouldn’t be able to turn away the job if he was offered it - but that, baffli
ngly, the FA haven’t yet been in touch.
Clever old ‘Arry is obviously trying to manipulate the FA into getting in touch and asking him to take over from the now departed Fabio Capello. His interviews have been aimed at the general public who have demanded he be installed - and quickly. The idea is that they will soon be up in arms that he has not been approached and DEMAND en bloc for his appointment!
As I have argued since Capello went, I do not think Redknapp is up to the job. He is another Kevin Keegan - all heart and no tactical nous and I fear he will be found out at international level. But what if clever old ‘Arry does get the job he so craves?
Or, more precisely, what happens to Spurs?
My view is that there are only two candidates for the job - and either can continue the sterling work ‘Arry has done at club level (for at club level, ‘Arry is a master). Put David Moyes or Jose Mourinho in at White Hart Lane and the good times would continue to roll. Moyes has worked miracles at Everton and I have no doubt he could do even better given the bigger resources and potential at Spurs.
Ditto Jose - who has proved yet again that he is a genius as he takes Real Madrid to a La Liga triumph few would have imagined given the brilliance of Barca.
So who would you choose? Well, I would go for Moyes. Because he would see it as a long-term project while Jose would always have an eye open for Fergie stepping down at Man United. And I think Moyes truly deserves a break - and a chance to prove he can cut it at the top of the league. I believe he would be a winner - possibly even surpassing ‘Arry. Yes, David Moyes is that good.
+++RUGBY UNION+++
ST GEORGE BOWS TO THE DRAGON
AS a proud Englishman I was, of course, sad to see England lose at home to Wales last Saturday. But putting aside the controversy over ‘the try that never was’, the match left much optimism for the future in its wake.And I don’t just mean for England - no, Wales showed once again that they are not that far short of having a team that can be considered contenders to take on the Al Blacks and the Aussies - and have a chance of winning!
But while Wales are not far from the finished product, England are still a work in motion. Which means the fact the gap between England and their Welsh conquerors is not that wide is truly encouraging for stand-in coach Stuart Lancaster and his men. I was particularly impressed by young centre/fly-half Owen Farrell, who belied his years to give a performance that dictated the promising nature of some of England’s play.
And wasn’t it pleasant to watch England - even in defeat - just get through a match without any controversy! After the fiasco and disgraceful incidents that smeared the World Cup team last year, Lancaster and Co did brilliantly in projecting a new, more youthful, cleaner and more honest England.
So even if you don’t get the job full-time, Stuart - and my money’s on former South Africa head coach Nick Mallet - you certainly do have the gratitude of a nation for reigniting our love of the game, and giving England a new, honey image after that World Cup nightmare. Here’s hoping Mallet puts you in charge of the Saxons (again) if he does get the top job.
FRANKIE’S FLUTTERS
THE big match of the weekend is Sunday’s Premier League showdown between the teams currently second and third in the Premier League. Yes, third-placed Tottenham play host to Manchester United at White Hart Lane with much at stake. Victory for Spurs would take them a step closer to their big dream of a first Premier League title - closer to United and top-of-the-pile Manchester City. This Tottenham team are the best I have seen for many a year, well balanced and superb in attack. But it is also a team with defensive frailties - and that could let in United, who are masters of handling the pressure at this stage of the campaign.
All considered, I’m going for honours even - a 2-2 draw.
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
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Breaking news - exclusive report from our sports desk!
FRANK WORRALL brings you insider news for the WEEKLY SPORT!
BARCA’S PEP GUARDIOLA TO
REPLACE SIR ALEX FERGUSON
AS THE MANAGER OF MAN UNITED
(…thanks to Sir Bobby Charlton!)
AT THE end of the festive period, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that he plans to stay on as Manchester United manager for another three years.
That got the boys in the Press boxes up and down the country scratching their heads about who would replace him – and whether he would actually stay in the hot-seat for those 36 months.
Well, after nattering with some sources at United, I can now exclusively reveal WHEN Fergie will retire – and WHO will replace him.
My information is that he will go before the end of the three years – that that was a smokescreen to prevent a repeat of the fiasco in the 2001-02 season when he announced he would retire at the end of that season, before changing his mind.
That announcement back then had the effect of plunging the club into chaos – with subsequent poor results. Inevitably, some players began to tread water, not pulling their weight as much as usual – with the mindset that, ‘What does it matter – the boss will be gone soon…so he’s hardly got the inclination or the time to sack us!'
So this time the official line is that he will go at the end of the 2014-15 season.
My information is that has been stated to avoid a repeat of the situation in 2001-02 – and that the boss intends to actually hang up his chewing gum a year before…or even at the end of next season if United should somehow manage to dethrone the wonderful Barcelona from their perch as European Champions in 2012-13 (assuming as I do that they will most likely retain their crown in Munich in May).
So that is the WHEN, what about the WHO?
Realistically, it was only ever going to be one of two men who would have the charisma, talent and, most importantly of all given the players they will have to lead, the WINNING MENTALITY and RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS needed for the job. The likes of Wayne Rooney are never going to look upon, say David Moyes (who has also been touted for the job), with the utmost respect – simply because Moyes has not won anything big with Everton. Of course, that is not David’s fault – he has worked wonders at Goodison with limited finances, but he would need to prove himself at a step higher than Everton – or somehow miraculously win trophies there – if he were to be considered for the United job.
No, realistically the only two men who could walk into Old Trafford tomorrow and say to a sceptical set of players, ‘We have done all you’ve done and more – and we have won more’ are Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho.
I myself would have been tempted to employ Mourinho. He is a larger-than-life character, arrogant and a winner. Guardiola is also a winner, but I could probably have managed Barca to some of the trophies Guardiola has won…given the extraordinary quality of players he inherited from the famed Barca academy.
But United have plumped for Guardiola – and I understand discreet talks have already taken place to assess whether he would be interested in taking on the United job in 2013 or 2014…and that positive vibes were received.
It makes sense. Guardiola has often said he feels his work is almost complete at Barca and he has also often spoken of his admiration for the Premier League, and United in particular.
So what has swayed United to him rather than Mourinho? My understanding is that United prefer his humility and calmness as well as his belief in attacking football and his fierce belief in establishing an academy that nurtures top young talent. Sir Bobby Charlton, in particular, is said to like the work Pep has done – while he is apparently less enamoured with Mourinho’s confrontational style of management.
In that sense, I can understand United’s decision to go for Guardiola. He brings a dignity that Mourinho could never match – and he is a great believer in the academy process. United’s owners the Glazers also admire that - as they know it will save them the massive transfer budget Mourinho would demand as one of the planks of his move from Madrid to Old Trafford.
Put it this way – when has Mourinho ever moved to a club and put forward a 10 or 20 year plan? One that DOES NOT not involve big money buys – and one that DOES involve planning ahead with a conveyor belt of homegrown product?
Just look at his work at Chelsea, Inter and Real for the obvious, undeniable answer - yes, never.
So although I think Mourinho would probably bring more immediate success to United, I would also concede that Guardiola is the better long-term bet. He brings stability, dignity and is a true sportsman (unlike Jose) – but also is a man who could stay around for a generation.
Hey, he could even be the new Sir Alex Ferguson at United and be there for 20-odd years…
BARCA’S PEP GUARDIOLA TO
REPLACE SIR ALEX FERGUSON
AS THE MANAGER OF MAN UNITED
(…thanks to Sir Bobby Charlton!)
AT THE end of the festive period, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that he plans to stay on as Manchester United manager for another three years.
That got the boys in the Press boxes up and down the country scratching their heads about who would replace him – and whether he would actually stay in the hot-seat for those 36 months.
Well, after nattering with some sources at United, I can now exclusively reveal WHEN Fergie will retire – and WHO will replace him.
My information is that he will go before the end of the three years – that that was a smokescreen to prevent a repeat of the fiasco in the 2001-02 season when he announced he would retire at the end of that season, before changing his mind.
That announcement back then had the effect of plunging the club into chaos – with subsequent poor results. Inevitably, some players began to tread water, not pulling their weight as much as usual – with the mindset that, ‘What does it matter – the boss will be gone soon…so he’s hardly got the inclination or the time to sack us!'
So this time the official line is that he will go at the end of the 2014-15 season.
My information is that has been stated to avoid a repeat of the situation in 2001-02 – and that the boss intends to actually hang up his chewing gum a year before…or even at the end of next season if United should somehow manage to dethrone the wonderful Barcelona from their perch as European Champions in 2012-13 (assuming as I do that they will most likely retain their crown in Munich in May).
So that is the WHEN, what about the WHO?
Realistically, it was only ever going to be one of two men who would have the charisma, talent and, most importantly of all given the players they will have to lead, the WINNING MENTALITY and RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS needed for the job. The likes of Wayne Rooney are never going to look upon, say David Moyes (who has also been touted for the job), with the utmost respect – simply because Moyes has not won anything big with Everton. Of course, that is not David’s fault – he has worked wonders at Goodison with limited finances, but he would need to prove himself at a step higher than Everton – or somehow miraculously win trophies there – if he were to be considered for the United job.
No, realistically the only two men who could walk into Old Trafford tomorrow and say to a sceptical set of players, ‘We have done all you’ve done and more – and we have won more’ are Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho.
I myself would have been tempted to employ Mourinho. He is a larger-than-life character, arrogant and a winner. Guardiola is also a winner, but I could probably have managed Barca to some of the trophies Guardiola has won…given the extraordinary quality of players he inherited from the famed Barca academy.
But United have plumped for Guardiola – and I understand discreet talks have already taken place to assess whether he would be interested in taking on the United job in 2013 or 2014…and that positive vibes were received.
It makes sense. Guardiola has often said he feels his work is almost complete at Barca and he has also often spoken of his admiration for the Premier League, and United in particular.
So what has swayed United to him rather than Mourinho? My understanding is that United prefer his humility and calmness as well as his belief in attacking football and his fierce belief in establishing an academy that nurtures top young talent. Sir Bobby Charlton, in particular, is said to like the work Pep has done – while he is apparently less enamoured with Mourinho’s confrontational style of management.
In that sense, I can understand United’s decision to go for Guardiola. He brings a dignity that Mourinho could never match – and he is a great believer in the academy process. United’s owners the Glazers also admire that - as they know it will save them the massive transfer budget Mourinho would demand as one of the planks of his move from Madrid to Old Trafford.
Put it this way – when has Mourinho ever moved to a club and put forward a 10 or 20 year plan? One that DOES NOT not involve big money buys – and one that DOES involve planning ahead with a conveyor belt of homegrown product?
Just look at his work at Chelsea, Inter and Real for the obvious, undeniable answer - yes, never.
So although I think Mourinho would probably bring more immediate success to United, I would also concede that Guardiola is the better long-term bet. He brings stability, dignity and is a true sportsman (unlike Jose) – but also is a man who could stay around for a generation.
Hey, he could even be the new Sir Alex Ferguson at United and be there for 20-odd years…
Friday, 22 July 2011
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