When A Ban Is Not A Ban...

A lot of footballing water has passed under the bridge since my last blog, and we would be here for weeks trying to pick the bones out of the majority of it. So let's highlight just one of the things to pass on my radar as I enjoy a new house, new job and new surroundings...

Sir Alex Ferguson, the most decorated manager in the history of English football and the man who many armchair supporters deem untouchable (incorrectly of course) has been issued a five-match touchline ban for his remarks following United's defeat at Chelsea.

I have no issue with the punishment. Ferguson has ridden his luck over the years and already had a suspended ban following allegations of Alan Riley's lack of fitness. His words to MUTV this time were not malicious, and many people in the game would have agreed with them.

But he has talked the talk and now will not be able to walk the walk in United's next five games, including the all-Manchester clash at Wembley.

My grievances come with what a touchline ban entails. A UEFA ban - like the measly one-match suspension issued to Arsene Wenger following his outburst last week - means that, before and during the match, a manager is not allowed in the dressing room, tunnel, or technical area as well as being prohibited from communicating with his team at all.

This is a real ban, not permitting a manager to manage. Like a ban for a player prevents him from playing. Ferguson will still be able to influence his team massively during the month of April, despite being 'banned.'

He - and any other banned manager for that matter - should not be allowed to step foot inside the ground on such a matchday, this would stop him influencing the game directly. This would be a stronger punishment and would certainly make managers think twice about biting their lip before unleashing fury on the headline-hungry media.

The punishment should fit the crime and simply not allowing a manager on the touchline is almost pointless. Even the strict UEFA policy can be breached, who can forget Jose Mourinho apparently sneaking into the Chelsea dressing room in a laundry bin back in the day?!

So the ban, for this particular Fergie misdemeanour, may be harsh. But what the ban stands for means that it is likely to have little to no impact on United's run-in, and the £30,000 is like taking your kid's £5 pocket money for swearing at his grandma, only for her to give it to him behind your back.


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Diagnosis For The FA Cup? Just A Shot In The Arm Required

So the Football Association bigwigs have started to conjure up magnificent ways of rejuvenating the world's oldest knockout competition. Traditionalists are up in arms, but who should we be listening to?

Truth is both sides have a point or two. These will no doubt be bandied around in the media over the coming weeks as any future changes to the competition could be implemented as early as next season.

Firstly the problems we're currently witnessing with the FA Cup. It has clearly fallen well below the Premier League and Champions League in the pecking order of the elite clubs. But now relegation-threatened sides are fielding weakened teams in the cup and even those Championship promotion-chasers have started to re-prioritise, with the FA Cup missing out time and again.

Fans have cottoned on to this fact and have started to stay away from the games, saving their hard-earned cash to spend on something seen as being worthwhile. With attendances dwindling, advertisers have started to drum up panic as they shy away from investing in the tournament.

So what are the options? Changing the kick-off time to 17:30 or maybe even 20:00 on a Saturday evening seems most likely to happen. Great! The Champions League final worked a treat last year in its innovative Saturday night kick-off.

The traditionalists will scream foul, but it wouldn't affect supporters or teams and could only really help to improve future advertising revenue. So that is 1-0 to the bigwigs.

Next was the idea of midweek games during the earlier rounds of the competition. I don't really see this working what with packed fixture schedules already existing. Weekends are earmarked when the fixture lists are drawn up at the start of the season. Squeezing them in between weekend league fixtures, alongside Carling Cup, Johnstone Paint Trophy and Champions League football wouldn't make sense. So let's call that 1-1.

Abolishing replays is another idea that has been suggested. I think that this idea has both good points and bad. The idea is to eradicate replays thus causing less fixture congestion, pretty simple really. But what about those small, non-league clubs who can get a big payday if they can take one of the 'big boys' to a replay? I think we need to look at the good of the competition rather than the good of the clubs involved. Therefore I agree with this principle, so the bigwigs have re-taken the lead: 2-1.

The final point that seems to be being mooted is the idea of seeding the 'bigger' clubs, especially in the earlier stages to avoid a 3rd round brimming with all-Premier League ties. But why is that even a suggestion? Mainly because advertisers will want a Manchester United v Chelsea final rather than Macclesfield v Hartlepool. (No offence Jeff)

But that takes away the fairness of the competition, the fun of sitting and watching two mediocre ex-footballers rattling the balls in the bowl and drawing out dream ties for the small fry. This would be the single worst idea if implemented and should be roundly rejected.

So that's it. A hard fought 2-2 draw, stalemate. Back to the drawing board FA, any more ideas?

The thing is the competition doesn't need overhauling, it requires a small amount of tinkering. No replays and/or a 17:30 final, not massive changes in the grand scheme of things, but changes that can rejuvenate the FA Cup and give it a much needed shot in the arm.

Money Talks

As I write this David Craig is trying to keep up the momentum of Sky Sports News' 'Deadline Day' extravaganza. He is struggling.

Yes there are a large number of big deals to be completed. But we know (barring a miracle) that they ARE going to be completed! But what should we make of the biggest deals of this particular January window?

EDIN DZEKO - WOLFSBURG - MANCHESTER CITY £27m
The Bosnian front man has a fantastic goal-scoring record and the Bundesliga is now a league which is developing into a front-runner of European football. A goal poacher, he may be just what City need to get out of the tricky fixes they so often manage to find themselves in. A good buy.

DARREN BENT - SUNDERLAND - ASTON VILLA £24m
A lot of money on a player with no international or European goal-scoring pedigree, but Bent could be just what Villa need to fire them away from the drop zone. However there could have been cheaper options to do a similar job. A risk and remains to be seen if he can drag Houllier's men away from the relegation scrap. Another good buy, high fee though.

LUIS SUAREZ - AJAX - LIVERPOOL £23m
More of a like-for-like replacement for Fernando Torres than Andy Carroll. His goal-scoring record in Holland has been fantastic, but so was Dirk Kuyt's. It does appear that the majority of forwards brought in from the Netherlands are signed in the hope that they can replicate the goal-scoring feats of Ruud van Nistelrooy. Potentially a great piece of business.

DAVID LUIZ - BENFICA - CHELSEA - £21m+
A good player and a necessity as Chelsea appear threadbare at the back. On-and-off nature of the transfer meant that the deal was done late, but could be as big a signing for Chelsea as Torres. Essential purchase.

ANDY CARROLL - NEWCASTLE UNITED - LIVERPOOL - £35m+
Where did this one come from? All the talk was of a move to Spurs, but Liverpool acted swiftly when it became apparent they were about to make a small fortune off of the sale of Torres. Not signed as a replacement, but as an investment. Still a lot of money for a player with little Premier League experience and a solitary England cap. But no-one questioned Manchester United's stellar investment in a certain Wayne Rooney when he was in a similar position many moons ago. 50/50, could be new Torres or new Keane.

FERNANDO TORRES - LIVERPOOL - CHELSEA - £50m
A real piece of retro-Abramovich spending. Torres seemed restless all season and remains trophyless in England. Could very well kick-start Chelsea's mediocre season, all hinges on his relationship with Didier Drogba. Interesting to see if he makes his Blue-shirted bow in this weekend's 'Super Sunday' against...Liverpool. Great business for both clubs.

BEST OF THE REST-
Steven Pienaar: Smart business for Redknapp.
James Beattie: Helped Stoke consolidate Premier League football, could do same for Holloway.
Anders Lindergaard: With Van der Sar announcing his retirement a replacement is required, relative unknown Lidergaard looks to be set to have the first chance of doing so.
Daniel Sturridge: Coyle will be hoping Sturridge can have a similar influence on the team as Jack Wilshere was last year.
Robbie Keane: Record speaks for itself, can he rescue West Ham or is it too late?
El-Hadji Diouf: Good riddance...

OTHER GOOD SIGNINGS-
Gary O'Neil: West Ham, Stephen Ireland: Newcastle, Andy Reid: Blackpool.

My highlight of deadline day was Ian Holloway's take on the deadline day: "Everyone wants a bag of carrots, and I've got a bag of carrots..."

After all of Sky's over-the-top presentations including swearing, stuttering and Simon Thomas' showering it was an interesting deadline day. More interestingly will be how all of these new players settle into their new clubs and whether those who haven't made major signings will live to regret it.


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There Are No Exceptions To This (Silly) Rule Avram

Would we even be discussing Freddie Piquionne's red card if Everton hadn't managed to salvage a point against a struggling West Ham side?

Probably not.

Should there have been a red card for Freddie Piquionne in the first place?

Definitely.

My girlfriend was very much at odds with Match Of The Day's Alan Shearer, as she correctly surmised: "How can he say it is against the rules before saying he shouldn't have been sent off?!" Or at least words of that ilk.

At the end of the day all players know that jumping into the crowd or removing their shirt after a goal is a bookable offence. Whether we like it or not (none of us do) that is the law of the land.

It could be the goal which keeps West Ham up, the goal that wins a trophy or earns promotion, it does not matter. It is classed as enticing the fans, after all if a supporter decided to run onto the pitch to celebrate with the goalscorer the chances are he would never be allowed to watch live football again.

I do not agree with the law however. Football is supposed to be passionate and create moments of elation that can only be equalled in the bedroom. So if a player over-reacts to an important goal he should be praised, not punished.

Not only did Piquionne's dismissal indirectly lead to West Ham surrendering the lead he had given them, it also means he will miss their next game through suspension. The rule itself is as baffling as Mike Ashley's managerial policy, or Kenny Dalglish's belief that Jonjo Shelvey will make it as a first team player at Anfield.


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Bruce's Price Was Right, But Only Because Bent Is A Brit!

Strip away the anger and ill-feelings occurring after the recent Darren Bent transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa and some very interesting points are brought into light.

Firstly, despite all of the newspapers running the same story regarding Bent's goalscoring record since August 2005 (for those of you who avoid the 'red tops' only Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney have scored more Premier League goals since that magical date) £24million for someone unproven at the elite level of the game is madness.

This is before we even begin to contemplate the fact that Villa Park is in the midst of a mini-crisis which could still easily be upgraded to a full, red-alert catastrophe. The players don't like the management, Houllier is struggling to enliven the fans and they are still swimming in the murky water of the relegation zone.

Then add to the equation the fact that Steve Bruce is taking Sunderland to heights not known at the Stadium of Light for quite some time, and has significant backers to keep them there, and it becomes stranger still.

Bent obviously feels he has joined a bigger club and is almost definitely collecting a bigger, bulging pay packet each month, so in that respect his decision isn't that odd.

But Randy Lerner lost one of the best managers in Europe because of his tight grip on the purse-strings and his cashing in of his most valuable assets. Now he is allowing a huge sum of money to be spent on one individual, Martin O'Neill must be finding it all quite baffling.

Steve Bruce should be contented, especially if he is allowed to reinvest a large chunk of the transfer fee on improving his squad with three of four quality players.

The last thing that seems evident from this transfer (I keep wanting to call it a 'saga' but there has been no hint of such a protracted event occurring) is that English players, regardless of how many international caps, goals or call-ups will be overpriced when compared to their overseas equivalents. Especially now we have the new quota system in place.

So the only question that remains is which players will Bruce replace Bent with? If he wants value for money, chances are he is better shopping abroad.


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Sorry Kenny, Liverpool Need Much More Than Belief To Get Out Of This Mess

"Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe."

This is a quotation from self-proclaimed 'Ambassador of Possibility' Mark Victor Hansen. If Kenny Dalglish feels a lack of belief is the problem at Liverpool he would do well to pin this quote beneath the immortal THIS IS ANFIELD sign leading onto the pitch.

Trouble is Kenny, that simple self-belief is just one of a number of problems with this once-great football club.

Never before have the Kop turned on a manager quite like they did to Roy Hodgson, who inherited a poor squad, down on confidence and with owners who were destined to fly the nest as soon as they got enough millions to make their initial stake worthwhile. Hodgson didn't do a great job and even he would admit that, but what else could have been expected of him? He was allowed to dip his toes in the transfer market; nothing more.

The squad is poor, there are no two ways about this fact. Dalglish is already filling round holes with square pegs (Johnson at left-back?) and that is not the way forward. The new owners need to back their new manager if they are to achieve anything more than mid-table mediocrity this season, but even that is not guaranteed.

After losing to Blackpool for the second time this season the five-time European Cup winners sit only four points ahead of Aston Villa who occupy the final relegation slot. They are surely to big a club to be sucked into that battle? Why are they?! Villa themselves have a European Cup win and a decent pedigree in the history of English football, but ask any Villa fan at present and they will admit trepidation that their beloved club could fall through the Football League trapdoor.

Four or five quality individuals are required to turn things around, improving the squad must come before installing the self-belief that Dalglish so desperately yearns for. His current side can play better, of that I have no doubt, but just how much better remains to be seen.

King Kenny has been seeking a return to the Liverpool helm for so long, and now he has it he must realise it has come at the worst possible moment. Good luck Kenny, you're most definitely going to need it, along with that belief.


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Calls For A Break During The Bleak Midwinter

Happy New Year!

My first blog of 2011 is a little late in coming, but the points are (hopefully) still valid. After my fill of Turkey and Quality Street fudge (the ones the missus doesn't like) I sat down to write a blog regarding the idea of a winter break in the English game.

Now this premise has been banded around since the turn of the millennium, but it has gathered pace in recent years, due in no small part to the inclement weather and therefore the Saturday morning decimation of our football fixtures.

Here, presented in an argumentative style, is the proposition of a winter break in England:

GOOD:

No more games being called off; this season has seen some shockingly boring editions of Soccer Saturday, Match of the Day and The Football League Show due to the sheer amount of games abandoned due to snow/frozen pitch/frozen pipes etc. It also destroys the accuracy of a league table when every club has played a different number of games.

The safety of supporters should also never be overlooked. But as the Jeremy Clarksonites among us would point out the health and safety nuts would have games postponed due to a badger straying onto the side of the M6, causing it to be closed for several hours and having a knock on effect on any north v south fixture.

BAD:

Gary Neville made an interesting point on MUTV the other night (he seems to be appearing on the channel more and more as both he and Sir Alex realise he has lost his footballing ability quicker than Michael Ricketts) if we introduce a winter break the fixtures have to be squeezed in elseswhere and how would that work?

There is also the simple TRADITION of the festive period being a boom time for football. Boxing Day games and all those before and after have an extra spice due to the time of year.

SOLUTIONS:

If a winter break is to be a viable option certain aspects of our game would have to alter alongside it. For example there is no way a break would work for Football League divisions, there are simply too many fixtures. Even the Premier League would struggle and therefore a reduction to 18 teams would be the only way to fully accommodate the changes.

Another radical step would be all those teams involved in European competition foregoing entry into the Carling Cup, thus freeing up valuable midweek fixture slots for Premier League games to be contested.

I think a break would be a bad thing for the game, but it would be understandable if it were to happen...and thanks to the masterminds at FIFA it looks like we will get to see what a winter break would be like when our beloved Christmas schedule is replaced by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.


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