Montenegro v England review

By David Lee Wheatley

Three Lions stutter to draw

Montenegro played host to England last night amid a hostile atmosphere and managed to grab the point they required to consolidate their position at the head of the group.

England looked as if they meant business from the off, when Rooney saw a slip by the keeper when back-peddling, which prompted him to send a delightful chip goalwards only for the ball to bounce back out off the left-hand post.

Glen Johnson then came forward to fire a storming right-footed effort that bounced off the top of the crossbar via a slight touch by the goalkeeper, according to the officials.

Captain Gerrard went over to take the resultant corner and he found Rooney completely unmarked in the box. The Manchester United forward nodded home to score for a fifth consecutive England appearance.

The away side largely controlled the remainder of the half without creating too many clear-cut opportunities and took a one-goal advantage in at the break.

The second half was a wholly different story, as Montenegro tweaked their formation to put England on the back-foot.

It was clear the Montenegrins had been given instructions to attack every time they gained possession and their vociferous fans got louder and louder in support of their heroes.

England survived several scares, but an equaliser had looked on the cards for the whole of the second period and it duly arrived late on after a massive scramble in the area.

England couldn't reproduce their first half superiority and paid the price in conceding that late goal. Now, they face an uphill task to qualify for the World Cup judging by current form.

The English face three prestigious friendlies followed by three home qualifiers and one away; Moldova, Montenegro and Poland all visit Wembley across September and October of this year, while a long round-trip to Kiev to meet Ukraine immediately follows the Moldova match.

It certainly means that England's fate is in their own hands; should they win all four qualification games then they'll top the group, thus booking a place at Brazil 2014. However, the concern is the lack of consistent performance levels amongst many of the players and that must be rectified to allow the English to appear in the upcoming World Cup finals.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Adkins tasked with saving Royals

By David Lee Wheatley


Reading opt for safe pair of hands

Premier League strugglers Reading today announced the appointment of the former goalkeeper and physio Nigel Adkins as their new manager. After trying and failing to lure Gustavo Poyet from Brighton & Hove Albion, owner Anton Zingarevich has turned to the ex-Southampton boss to lead the team away from the relegation trapdoor.

Adkins garnered plenty of experience of promotion campaigns with both Scunthorpe United and Southampton in the past, but has little success to point to in terms of keeping teams up when they’ve been in trouble. Admittedly, he got sacked unfairly by Nicola Cortese earlier this season before he could prove those credentials at St. Mary’s, but lost the fight against relegation from the Championship with Scunthorpe either side of gaining promotion from League One twice.

The back-to-back promotion campaigns he led Southampton through remain his most creditable achievements so far as a manager, but keeping Reading up would rank alongside that if he were to manage the feat. The Berkshire club are seven points adrift of safety with just eight matches remaining, which leaves the Royals in about as perilous a position as they could find themselves in.

More flamboyant men such as Poyet and Paolo Di Canio were strongly linked with the top job at the Madejski, but after negotiations with former Chelsea midfielder Poyet came to no avail, the decision was made to go with the sought-after Adkins. The new man will feel for his predecessor Brian McDermott, who was fired in similar circumstances to his own on March 11; Adkins had been dismissed in January when Southampton were three points clear of the drop zone and he will see the parallels with McDermott’s situation after the former boss led Reading to promotion prior to putting them in a position to possibly stay in the top-flight after a sticky start.

Adkins will have to work with a set of players who aren’t his own and get them suitably motivated to earn a second successive season in the Premier League. Obviously, with no transfers possible at this late stage of the season, the 48-year-old won’t have the opportunity to put his stamp on the playing staff and he may find it difficult to impose his ideas on a squad desperately lacking in confidence and belief.

There’s no doubting Adkins’ ability to get his teams playing attacking and winning football at lower levels, but it may well be too big an ask for him to come in and save a sinking ship. Reading are in dire need of two or three positive results and if they aren’t able to accrue those points early on, then it’s very hard to see the blue-and-white hoops escaping demotion to the Championship once more.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980   

RVW checks in at Carrow Road

By David Lee Wheatley

 

Canaries capture sought-after striker

Norwich City confirmed the signing of 24-year-old striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon on Friday, subject to the completion of essential paperwork. The promising Dutch forward has been linked with a number of Europe’s largest clubs over the last couple of years, most recently Tottenham Hotspur. Yet, it is the Canaries that have sealed the capture of a player who is set to enter the prime of his career.

The Dutch international started out with Vitesse Arnhem, prior to a switch to Utrecht that really set his career alight when plundering almost a goal in every two games; his form there prompting Portuguese Primera Liga giants Sporting to pounce on a player with a burgeoning reputation.

His move to Lisbon started wonderfully with 25 goals in all competitions, but the club have had a torrid year this time around and his form has suffered with 13 goals (8 in the league) so far. His potential is undoubted, though, and the player obviously feels now is the right time to step up to one of Europe’s biggest leagues in an effort to show exactly what he is capable of.

The brilliantly-named Van Wolfswinkel will officially sign a four-year deal on July 1^st, subject to the formalities of the move being completed. The one-time capped Dutchman will look to prove his worth to club and country on the commencement of his career at Carrow Road and he’ll surely turn out to be a fantastic signing for City if he fulfils the potential he possesses. The move to Norfolk suggests he’d rather play regularly in the starting line-up as opposed to sitting on the bench at a top-six side, showing a great eagerness which bodes well for his new club.

The transfer appears to be a win-win for the player and Norwich City, as the club will benefit from having a top striker in their ranks while the player will get a fair opportunity to show that he can mix it at the that level. If all goes according to plan, Van Wolfswinkel will begin attracting the attention of top clubs once again, but he’ll have garnered the required experience of Premier League football to allow him to prosper on the highest stage.

Canaries boss Chris Hughton trawled the world looking for quality new strikers in the January transfer window and he’s finally got his man with the capture of the Sporting star. The signing promises exciting times ahead for the Carrow Road faithful, as the club look to cement themselves in the top-flight of English football.  

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Montenegro challenge awaits England

By David Lee Wheatley

Crunch time

England put all the hullabaloo surrounding Rio Ferdinand to one side on Friday evening by thrashing minnows San Marino away 8-0.

Tomorrow night will be a very different proposition, as emerging nation Montenegro stand in the way of Roy Hodgson's men.

The group leaders will provide a stern test of England's credentials and the visiting side must block out the partisan crowd in an effort to concentrate fully on the task in hand.

England need to claim victory in Podgorica to claim top spot in a tricky group, which also includes Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, and they'll have to be at their level best.

Teams such as San Marino are still made up largely of amateurs and therefore they have struggled to make any progress since entering the international stage. However, the likes of Montenegro have risen from the ashes of the former Yugoslavia to make some positive inroads toward success. The squad have some quality footballers in the ranks and they've proved their capabilities by rising to the top of a tough qualifying group, alongside impressively drawing with England the last time the sides met at Wembley in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

The English will have taken some confidence from disposing of San Marino clinically in Rimini, but will be fully aware of the threat posed by their next opponents on Tuesday.

It'll be a tight match, but if the stars of the England team perform to their usual standard, they will surely be capable of pulling off a tidy victory to send them a point clear at the top in their quest for a spot at World Cup 2014.

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Football Icons: Part 6 - Paul Gascoigne

By David Lee Wheatley


England's finest

Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne was the finest British footballer of his generation and there’s little doubt he would have achieved much more in the game if it weren’t for injury problems (some self-inflicted) that blighted his career from his time in the white of Tottenham Hotspur and onwards throughout the remainder of his career.

Born May 27^th 1967 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Gascoigne captained Newcastle United’s youngsters to an FA Youth Cup final victory in 1985. He made his first-team debut in April 1985 against Queen’s Park Rangers as a substitute and shortly after, the skilful 19-year-old was handed his first pro contract. He scored nine goals in the top-flight the following season and was earmarked as a potential star of the future by many observers.

Gascoigne’s reputation was further cemented when he was named PFA Young Player of the Year for the 1987-88 campaign amid furious speculation about his future. The Geordie maestro came close to a move to Manchester United, but joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1988 in a last-minute change of mind. Terry Venables was building an exciting side at White Hart Lane and he viewed Gascoigne as a pivotal player in his overall master-plan.

The move to north London helped Paul on to the next level of his career when breaking into the international team in September 1988. He featured in most of the World Cup qualifiers for Italia ’90 and made sure of his place at the tournament with a sublime performance in a 4-2 win over Czechoslovakia. His powerful build and nimble feet allowed Gascoigne to mix it both physically and technically with the best players in the world at that time. There was a clamour from media and fans alike for his inclusion at the World Cup and manager Bobby Robson duly obliged.

The period 1988-90 burgeoned into a special period for both the club and player; Spurs grabbed sixth spot in the top-flight during Gascoigne’s first season, before advancing to third spot the next year. Gazza’s attacking flair, keen eye for a pass and extraordinary ball control brought the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year award in 1990, just before he headed off to Italy for the first major international tournament of his career.

England went into the World Cup finals quietly confident of experiencing a successful competition and excitement back home had reached fever pitch, especially with a view to witnessing Gascoigne on the world stage. They battled through a tough group stage before seeing off Belgium in the second round. Gascoigne provided an assist with a fine free-kick for David Platt’s volleyed winner, but the maverick midfielder picked up a yellow card. Surprise package Cameroon were next up and the Spurs playmaker gave away a penalty before making amends with a through-ball that reached Gary Lineker, who was fouled for a penalty kick that Gazza’s Spurs team-mate converted.

The semi-final at the Delle Alpi in Turin was massively hyped due to the nature of the game, as well as the identity of England’s opponents, arch-rivals West Germany. Gascoigne already held a reputation for reckless tackling at times and the pressure was on him and his colleagues to produce as they approached the biggest match of their careers. What occurred during the game went down in football folklore and Gazza will always be remembered for breaking down in tears after receiving a yellow card for a rash challenge on Thomas Berthold. He immediately realised that he’d miss the final if England progressed, owing to the yellow he’d already picked up against Belgium. Television cameras showed close-ups of a devastated Gascoigne and Gary Lineker, who signalled to the bench that his young Spurs comrade had lost his head due to the booking.

Having collected his thoughts and refocused on the game, England’s lions pushed themselves to the limit in taking the tie to a penalty shoot-out, which West Germany won after poor spot-kicks from Pearce and Waddle. It was a shattering end to a competition that provided the England team and fans with so many high points.

Gascoigne stepped into superstar hysteria on his return and played a big part in Spurs’ run to the FA Cup final. The midfielder had already agreed terms on a move to Serie A club Lazio in the run-up to the final; it seemed from the first whistle that he was manically hyped for the game in his desperation to leave Spurs on a high. The adrenalin pumped as he ran around the field throwing in tackles, one of which was a highly dangerous challenge on Gary Charles. Ironically, it was Gazza that came off worst, resulting in the badly injured star going off on a stretcher. Stuart Pearce fired Nottingham Forest into the lead from the resultant free-kick, but Spurs managed to fight back and win the trophy 2-1 after extra-time.

For Gascoigne, his challenge delayed the move to Rome and caused him to miss the whole of the 1991-92 season.  Eventually, Lazio got their man in 1992 for £5.5 million and the former Newcastle starlet made his debut in the glamorous world of Italian football in September of that year versus Genoa. Despite an inconsistent season at the Olimpico, Gazza endeared himself to the Lazio faithful when scoring an 89^th-minute equaliser in the Rome derby against AS Roma. British interest in Italian football had blossomed after the World Cup that was held in the country and was at its peak during the Geordie boy’s spell there.

He was beset by injury problems during his time in Rome; fracturing a cheekbone in 1993 and then breaking his leg a year later. His boundless energy and enthusiasm had rubbed off on the club’s supporters, though, and he is still a revered figure at Lazio to this day.

In 1995, big-spending Glasgow Rangers offered Gascoigne a return to British shores and he completed a £4.3 million switch to the football-crazy Scottish city. It was a very successful stint at Ibrox as the England international won two league titles, a Scottish FA Cup and one League Cup during his time there.

Personal accolades also came his way and among many great memories, one that will be best remembered is the solo run from his own half resulting in a remarkable goal against deadly rivals Celtic in only his fifth match for Rangers. On the downside, the controversial side of Gascoigne reared its head in 1998 when he celebrated a goal with a mock flute, which is an insult of huge proportions to the Celtic faithful. He later claimed he’d been told by someone to do it and he wasn’t aware of the significance of the gesture. However, Rangers showed no sympathy by fining him for his indiscretion and there followed reports of violent threats against Gascoigne from certain sections of the public.

During Gascoigne’s time in the Scottish game, his former mentor Terry Venables had taken over as England manager and set about reconstructing the team around the midfield schemer in the run-up to Euro ’96, which was to take place in England.

Gascoigne had been written off in some quarters as washed-up and criticism came in abundance from the media when a pre-tournament training camp turned into a drinking binge one night in Hong Kong, involving several members of the squad. In true Gazza style, he bounced back with a fabulous strike in the group match against Scotland when bamboozling Scotland defender Colin Hendry with a flick of the ball over his head before firing low and hard past the keeper. Wembley went crazy and with tournament anthem ‘Three Lions’ blaring in the background, the nation started to believe.

After advancing through the group, England beat Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals (with Stuart Pearce scoring and erasing memories of Italia ’90), and then the hosts were matched with Germany in a semi-final once more. It was a fabulous contest that (predictably) went to the wire, despite Gascoigne’s best efforts to find a winner in extra-time. He missed a cross by a whisker when the slightest of touches would have put the ball into the net and England through to the final. So, as per usual, it was penalties and Germany won!

After several ups-and-downs at Rangers, a £3.4 million bid surfaced allowing him to move back to his native north-east in March 1998, helping Middlesbrough to promotion to the Premier League. He also featured in the League Cup final that year, which ‘Boro lost to Chelsea.

Paul helped England qualify for the 1998 World Cup under Glenn Hoddle, but was told that he hadn’t made the squad for the finals themselves due to injuries and disciplinary issues. Gascoigne responded by smashing up the room in a rage when told of the news and thus never played for his country again after amassing 57 caps. It was a shuddering blow to the player that he never seemed to fully recover from.

It was also a hugely frustrating period of Gascoigne’s club career, with a mountain of injury issues causing his time on Teesside to be less than satisfactory. Everton took him on a free transfer in the summer of 2000 and there were fleeting glimpses of the old Gazza, but ultimately he dropped down a division to finish the 2001-02 season with Burnley.

The footballing genius of Gascoigne puts him among the world’s most naturally-gifted players of his generation. Barring injuries, he would have been one of the greatest players of all-time.

 

For more sport, travel & music follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980 

The Ewood Park shambles

By David Lee Wheatley

What is going on at Rovers?

A once proud Lancashire club, Blackburn Rovers are in turmoil under the ownership of the Venky's organisation after the unexpected sacking of manager Michael Appleton yesterday.

The young boss was the third man to lose the Ewood Park hot-seat in six months following the dismissal of previous incumbents Henning Berg and Steve Kean.

Since Venky's took over the club in late 2010, they've managed to make a mockery of the previously good name of Blackburn Rovers while systematically dismantling the community connection that Rovers had fostered with the fans over many years.

The late Jack Walker, owner from 1991 and through the glory years of the mid-90s, would be horrified at the blatant disregard the current ownership have for the history of the club and its supporters.

Thanks to bad management and instability at all levels, Rovers have found themselves towards the foot of the table with a team overloaded on attacking players and thin in other areas.

Steve Kean was never liked by the fans after he took over from predecessor Sam Alladyce and they voiced their dislike of the man from day one. When he was given his marching orders earlier this season, there was a collective sigh of relief from most supporters that his reign was finally over; maybe Venky's had seen the light? Sadly they hadn't and things have lurched from bad to worse since, the club seemingly lacking any plan or direction from board level.

There's a power struggle ensuing between managing director Derek Shaw and Venky's 'Global Advisor' Shebby Singh, all the while the team are suffering from a complete lack of leadership. The conveyor belt of managers that have risked their reputations by joining Rovers all lie by the wayside as products of the boardroom battle.

Premier League champions in 1995 with probably the best squad they've ever assembled, Rovers are sailing dangerously close to the wind in the Championship and if they stay up it'll be more through luck than design.

It's a sad state of affairs at Ewood Park and begs the questions once more, what does the 'fit-and-proper' ownership test actually mean and what purpose does it serve? Because, as we can clearly see, it doesn't stop organisations such as Venky's from taking over at a football club and completely dismantling the very fabric of all it stands for.


Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Michael Owen announces end of career

By David Lee Wheatley

Owen retires from game

Stoke City striker Michael Owen today declared this his last season in professional football following a first-team career spanning 17 years and five clubs, after injury problems that blighted his career continually, beginning in his latter days at Liverpool and becoming progressively worse as time went on. He’s only managed six appearances at Stoke thus far, failing to establish himself as a regular at the Britannia Stadium during what will be his only season at the club.

Owen’s early days at Liverpool saw him burst on the scene as a 17-year-old, wooing the Anfield faithful with explosive pace and deadly finishing. He was instantly recognised as a superstar in the making and his reputation was further enhanced by ‘THAT’ goal for England at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina when he beat two defenders in the midst of a mazy run before finishing clinically; the media were purring at just how far he could go in the game.

The nippy striker succeeded in being the top scorer at Liverpool every year from 1998 until he left in the summer of 2004 for Spanish giants Real Madrid. The Castilian club had long admired Owen from afar, with rumours of their interest surfacing two years previous to his actual signing. He moved on from Merseyside having plundered 179 goals in 306 appearances.

He spent a solitary season at the Bernabeu on the bench for the most part, but still hit 19 goals in 43 games. It was a difficult time for the England international and Newcastle United offered him a way back to the Premier League in 2005. Owen reportedly hoped for swift return to Liverpool, but that move failed to materialise. Therefore, he was paraded by manager Graeme Souness and director Freddy Shepherd amid much fanfare at St. James’ Park after the north-east club captured the forward’s signature for £15 million.

Owen had some injury issues during his four-year stint with the ‘Magpies’, yet again he cultivated an impressive scoring record of 30 goals in 74 matches. Some sections of the media suggested his time at Newcastle had been a failure, but a record of a goal every 2.46 games suggested otherwise. However, a terrible knee injury which Owen suffered on England duty in 2006 did cause a large chunk of the 06-07 season to be a wash-out for the unfortunate striker.

At the end of his contract, the lack of initial interest in his services was a surprise to the player forcing him to take the unusual step of sending promotional footage of his goal-scoring exploits to several Premier League clubs in the hope of securing a new deal with a top-flight team. It was Manchester United, Liverpool’s traditional rivals, that took a chance on the striker. Owen spent three years at Old Trafford as a squad player, scoring probably his most important goal with a last-gasp winner in a 4-3 derby win over Manchester City.

He ended on 17 goals for United before declaring that he still felt he had something to offer in the Premier League, opposed to dropping down a division. Stoke City decided to pair him with former England colleague Peter Crouch this season, but a lack of match fitness and some injury problems have resulted in limited opportunities for Owen to contribute.

On 19^th March 2013, the 33-year-old announced an intention to end his playing days at the end of the 12-13 season.

The former Liverpool star will be remembered for his searing pace, some glorious moments with club and country and a natural instinct for goals. His international record of 40 goals in 89 games with England puts him fourth on the all-time list.    

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

What Arsenal need

By David Lee Wheatley

Arsene in search of winning formula again

Arsenal have suffered a torrid season amid an ongoing eight-year run without a major trophy. Fans used to the glory days of Wenger's reign have been calling for changes at the top and a new spending policy to allow Arsenal to compete for top players once again.

It certainly appears to be time for Wenger to get the cheque book open to recruit 4 or 5 top-class players to supplement a squad too heavy on young potential, but not proven world-class performers.

The January signing of impressive left-back Nacho Monreal was a step in the right direction, but there is still much to do for the Gunners to become title-chasing material once more.

The Arsenal defence has come under huge scrutiny this season with the solid Arsenal defence of old, marshalled by Tony Adams, still fresh in the memory.

Today's Premier League is played at the fastest pace it ever has been, but in Mertesacker and Koscielny there is a lack of rapid movement that is far too easily exploited by opposition forwards.

Meanwhile, in goal, Szczesny is a quality keeper but the options of Fabianski and Mannone don't push him hard enough. His inexperience occasionally causes mistakes and a well-travelled goalkeeper to battle for a place in the side would be helpful.

The midfield is kept ticking in the middle of the park by Mikel Arteta, while Jack Wilshere is fast becoming the main man for the north London club.

Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain are quick and tricky on the wings when played there, with the option of moving Walcott up front when required. The playmaker is stylish Spaniard Santi Cazorla, a player with magic in his feet and great imagination.

There is room for a powerful midfielder, a la Patrick Vieira, to challenge Arteta for a place in the side. Unfortunately, the players in the background don't fit the bill.

Abou Diaby has the physical attributes, but is nowhere near the level Vieira reached, plus he has suffered numerous injury problems during his time at the club. Rosicky has not lived up to expectations and there are doubts over Ramsey's ability to improve sufficiently to become a top-class operator.

Up front, Giroud and Podolski are both quality players, but when assessed alongside stars of the past such as Bergkamp, Van Persie and Henry, there is no comparison. The lack of quality in reserve is opitimised by the flighty Gervinho. His inconsistency is frustrating and has led to a strictly bench role for the Ivorian.

Arsene Wenger will require possibly two new strikers to sweep through the doors at the Emirates Stadium providing stern competition for the guys currently entrusted with grabbing goals for the Gunners this season.

Wenger has improved the strength of the squad with the two signings from Malaga, but there is still much to do. Having lost a large amount of star turns over the last few years, it is now or never for Arsene to invest in new blood to raise Arsenal back into championship contention.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Champions League credentials

By David Lee Wheatley

Quarter-final stage

The draw for the last eight of this season's UEFA Champions League took place yesterday and it threw up some mouth-watering clashes. Here, I assess the clubs involved and their chances of European glory.

Paris St-Germain (France)
French league leaders PSG topped group A, before knocking Valencia out of the competition in round 2. The introduction of Beckham to the squad has given them a lift, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is banned for the quarter-final 1st leg against Barcelona. Ominously, Barca locked into gear in the 2nd leg of their last-16 tie with Milan, overturning a two-goal away loss with a 4-0 thrashing of the Italians at the Nou Camp; PSG are up against it.

Barcelona (Spain)
Catalan giants Barcelona lead La Liga at a canter, but have suffered an indifferent 2013 on all fronts so far. Winners of group G above Celtic, the draw for the round of 16 paired them with Milan, prompting the bookies to install Barca as favourites to progress. However, the Blaugrana looked disjointed and off-colour in the San Siro as AC Milan punished them 2-0. Barca's demise was widely predicted, but they bounced back with penache in a resounding 4-0 second leg victory. PSG lie in wait in the quarter-finals; the outcome depends on which Barcelona team turns up. The Parisians won't be able to live with their Catalonian foes if they hit top form.

Bayern Munich (Germany)
The Bundesliga is 99% sewn up, so Bayern have no distractions in their quest for Champions League glory. Last year's losing finalists topped their group joint on points with Valencia, then scraped past Arsenal on away goals in the first knockout stage. Much like Barcelona, the Bavarian giants showed two completely contrasting sides to their play with a convincing 3-1 first leg win in London, but stuttered over the line at home when losing 2-0 for a narrow victory by virtue of an extra away goal. Serie A leaders Juventus are up next, providing Bayern with a stern test of their credentials. Munich must perform to the maximum over both legs if they wish to advance.

Juventus (Italy)
Coach Conte still has allegations hanging over him from the ongoing match-fixing investigation in Italy, but there appears to be no let-up from his Juve team domestically or in Europe. They have a healthy lead in Serie A, while they won group E ahead of stiff competition from Shakhtar and Chelsea. The round of 16 threw up a tricky-looking match-up with Glasgow Celtic, but Juve dismissed them with ease. Bayern will be a massive step-up in class for the Turin giants, however it's hard to separate the two evenly-matched teams; it could go either way.

Real Madrid (Spain)
Real may not have been able to keep pace with Barca in La Liga, but they've been looking increasingly strong in recent weeks. Madrid beat deadly rivals Barcelona twice in a week, firstly in the Copa del Rey and then in the league. Real trailed Dortmund in group D, but knocked Manchester United out last round thanks largely to inspiration from former United favourite Cristiano Ronaldo. Next up is surprise package Galatasaray in the quarter-finals. It would be a major shock if Ronaldo and co. fail to reach the last four.

Galatasaray (Turkey)
The Istanbul club slipped through in 2nd spot from group H behind Manchester United and on the same points at minnows Cluj, who just missed out. Drogba and Sneijder came in to bolster Gala in January and it has paid dividends. Schalke got a 1-1 draw in Turkey to put themselves in the driving seat, but dark horses Gala shocked the Ruhr club 3-2 in the 2nd leg. The trio of Drogba, Burak Yilmaz and Sneijder are extremely important to Gala's hopes of progression, but Real should have too much.

Malaga (Spain)
The other surprise quarter-finalists are Andalucians Malaga. Beset by financial problems forcing the sales of top players, the Spanish side have promoted some young guns into the team including the hugely impressive Isco, while signing tried-and-tested experience such as Roque Santa Cruz to supplement the squad. Coach Pellegrini has moulded them into a team capable of beating anyone, as illustrated by their current 4th spot in La Liga. Having qualified top of a group containing Milan and Zenit, the underdogs saw off former champions Porto in round 2. Malaga showed fighting spirit to win 2-0 in the 2nd leg after losing 1-0 in Portugal and they will need all of their battling qualities to brush Borussia Dortmund aside in the last eight.

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Former winners Dortmund are a distant second in their domestic league, but have displayed fine form in Europe when beating Real Madrid to top spot in group D. It was possibly the toughest group of all, featuring cash-rich Manchester City and total football advocates Ajax of Amsterdam. The reigning Bundesliga champions dismissed the challenge of Mircea Lucescu's Shakhtar in the last-16 and now face stylish Spaniards Malaga. It's another tough tie to predict and both sides have looked very strong in this competition thus far. Dortmund have more experience as a club in the Champions League, but that didn't help Porto in the last round; Malaga might just sneak through.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Football Icons: Part 5 - Gianluca Vialli

By David Lee Wheatley

Luca the Great

The birth of Gianluca Vialli took place on 9^th July 1964 in Cremona, Italy. He was born into a privileged background, but wanted to make it on his own and playing the sport he loved for a living was his aim.

Luca’s professional career began at hometown club Cremonese in 1980. He scored 23 goals in 105 appearances leading to a big move to Genoese giants Sampdoria four years after his pro debut.

At Sampdoria he teamed up with childhood friend and fellow striker Roberto Mancini, forming a partnership that earned the pair the nickname ‘The Goal Twins’. They made up part of a formidable squad at Samp which delivered the club’s first-ever Scudetto success in 1991, as well as a Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in 1990, a European Cup runners-up medal in ’92 (after a loss to the ‘Dream Team’ of Barcelona) and three Coppa Italia triumphs in a golden era for the ‘Blucerchiati’; Vialli himself ended the league-winning campaign as Serie A top-scorer with 19 goals.

It was while at Sampdoria that Vialli made his international debut for Italy against Poland in 1985. The young striker made it into the squad for the World Cup of ’86 before his first goal for his country arrived in 1986 versus Malta in a qualifying match for the European Championships. He featured and scored in the Euro ’88 finals and went on to represent his nation at the 1990 World Cup in his homeland, helping Italy to a third-place finish in that competition.

After the loss to FC Barcelona in May 1992 at Wembley, Vialli decided to move on to Juventus in a massive £12.5 million deal, a world record fee at the time. The powerful forward possibly felt he’d gone as far as he could with Samp and a switch to the Turin-based giants was tempting enough to prise him away from Genoa.

Despite the exciting move to a new club, Vialli’s international career was on a downward spiral. Though one of the most feared strikers in world football, a disagreement between the player and his national coach Arrigo Sacchi resulted in a final international appearance for his country in 1992, in which he scored against Malta in a World Cup qualifier. He was left out of subsequent squads, including the line-up that travelled to the USA for the World Cup finals of 1994.

His club career was still on the up, though; Juventus clinching a league and cup double in 1995, along with a runners-up spot to fellow Italians Parma in the UEFA Cup of the same year. Vialli plundered 16 goals that season to propel Juve to that hugely successful year, including a fantastic strike in the second leg of the UEFA Cup final.

The following season, Vialli’s painful memories of European Cup heartache four years earlier were banished by his captaincy of Juventus on their way to Champions League triumph over Ajax, capping a glorious spell with the ‘Bianconeri’.

The next move of his illustrious career was to join the exodus of many top Italian league players to the English Premier League in 1996, joining Chelsea at the age of 32 for a bargain sum of £600,000. Another former Samp favourite Ruud Gullit was at the helm of the Stamford Bridge outfit and Vialli formed part of a stylish team that the Dutchman was trying to construct at the time.

Vialli, the bald-headed assassin, enjoyed something of an ‘Indian summer’ with Chelsea, winning the FA Cup in his first campaign with the club. Unfortunately, due to differences of opinion with Ruud Gullit, he became an increasingly peripheral figure, especially in the second season. However, Gullit got canned by the club in February 1998 and Vialli was installed as player-manager of the Blues in his place.

Gianluca Vialli was a strong presence up front, with a fabulous instinct for goals, and he is fondly remembered by fans of all the clubs he played for to this day; Luca was one of the greatest Italian strikers of all-time.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980  

Bayern v Arsenal: Champions League round of 16 review

By David Lee Wheatley


Pride won, battle lost

Arsenal travelled to Munich seemingly without hope of overturning a 3-1 loss in the first leg of their last-16 clash with Bayern a fortnight previous. However, manager Arsene Wenger insisted it was still possible for his side to come back and advance into the quarter-finals of the world’s most prestigious club competition.

The usually vociferous Bayern support were stunned into silence after only three minutes in a snowy Munich when Olivier Giroud finished from inside the six-yard box after a fine cross from the right by Theo Walcott. It was a sign of intent from the away side that they’d come to do everything in their power to make it through to the next round.

Bayern Munich seemed subdued and there was none of the swagger that they displayed at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps due in part to the lack of key players such as Ribery, Schweinsteiger and Boateng in their team. Despite that fact, there remained plenty of quality in the German league leaders’ ranks to allow them to capitalise on their winning position, but instead they chose to sit tight and rarely threatened the Arsenal defence.

Arsenal went in with a 1-0 lead at half-time having enjoyed a comfortable opening period of play and there was little change in the second half, as Bayern struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Arjen Robben got clean through after 67 minutes, but was thwarted by a decent save from Arsenal stand-in keeper Fabianski. Barring that opportunity, Bayern lived off only half-chances and Arsenal’s players visibly grew in confidence with every moment that passed.

One particularly noteworthy point from the Arsenal display was their defensive discipline, which of course has been a problem for them for the majority of this season. The back-line of Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Gibbs worked well together as a unit and the much-criticised Fabianski made a fine comeback into the starting line-up with some smart saves.

Arsenal knew as the final ten minutes approached that they had to do something quickly in a bid to grab a place in the next stage of the competition. On 83 minutes the twisting-and-turning of sub Gervinho almost produced a breakthrough with his toe-poke effort trickling just wide. Three minutes later the Gunners managed to bring the tie level on aggregate at 3-3 when Koscielny headed home from ten yards inside the unguarded right-hand upright. Bayern failed to put a defender on either post and it proved costly once the French centre-back nodded home ahead of Dante.

It was a nervous few moments for Bayern until the final whistle came three minutes into injury-time, signalling the end of Arsenal’s Champions League hopes. The Munich giants advanced on away goals, but will have to markedly improve their performance level from what they produced last night if they want to go much further.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980  

Barca bite back

By David Lee Wheatley


Magical Messi mesmerises Milan

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg in the San Siro, Barcelona were faced with the knowledge that no team in Champions League history had come from two-down without the aid of an away goal.

Milan arrived in Catalonia full of heart after their rousing display of the first leg had seemingly put the Rossoneri in control of the tie. The Milanese giants were missing striker Pazzini, but still felt confident of progression.

From the outset, the home side attacked relentlessly, as most had predicted, in search of an early breakthrough. After 5 minutes it was already 1-0 on the evening through a spectacular goal from the world's greatest player, Lionel Messi. He rifled the ball past a helpless Abbiati to set Barca on their way.

A mistake by makeshift centre-back Javier Mascherano almost let the advantage slip, as a misplaced header sent Niang through one-on-one with Valdes. The Milan striker steadied himself before firing a low effort off the left-hand post. The all-important away goal Milan sought could've swung the tie back in their favour, but seeing the ball rebound off the woodwork and away signalled the end of their quarter-final dreams.

Barcelona stepped it up even more, assisted by Milan's insistence on giving the ball away in their own half. Lionel Messi was their nemesis again when he stepped back from an offside position that the referee's assistant failed to spot, before hammering home a left-foot thunderbolt to level the aggregate scores. The man is that good, I found myself forgiving him immediately for being offside!

All-square in the tie at half-time swiftly turned into 3-2 in Barca's favour with a sweet, arched finish by David Villa inside the box to send the Nou Camp into raptures.

Milan looked bedraggled by that stage and late on Jordi Alba ran an incredible 85 yards to latch on to a through-ball and end the tie as a contest. He slotted home low under Abbiati to complete the most remarkable of comebacks.

Barcelona were truly back to their best and no-one will want to face them in the last eight having witnessed their demolition of AC Milan.


Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Italian maverick set for Premier role

By David Lee Wheatley

Is Di Canio ready for top-flight management?

Controversial Italian Paolo Di Canio has shot to the top of the bookies list to replace recently sacked Reading boss Brian McDermott, but is the passionate former Swindon Town manager ready for the rigours of the Premier League?

During an illustrious playing career taking in Italy, Scotland and England, Di Canio certainly showed his ability to perform at the highest level. His time spent at the likes of Lazio, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham United has the makings of an epic movie storyline, with Di Canio classed as a villain to just as many people as he is a hero.

His first steps into management with then League 2 side Swindon were equally eventful as numerous altercations with players (often his own), managers, opposing fans and referees all added to the glaring attention surrounding the flamboyant former striker.

He did a lot of good in Wiltshire while in charge at the County Ground, leading Town to promotion from League 2 and into contention for a second successive upward leap from League 1 to the Championship before leaving last month. He clashed with the owners of the club after they sold Matt Ritchie without Di Canio’s knowledge amid further financial constraints that were placed on him as he attempted to keep hold of other star players.

Reading have no financial worries having been efficiently ran over many years by John Madejski before the recent take-over by Anton Zingarevich, who sacked Brian McDermott yesterday. Despite the debate over the rights and wrongs of McDermott’s forced departure, it remains clear that Reading have 9 games left in which to save their season and therefore the club can’t afford to hang around to find a suitable replacement.

In Di Canio, the Premier League strugglers will get a man with unrivalled passion, top-level playing experience and the requisite qualifications as a coach, with the Italian having passed his UEFA Pro Licence some time ago. His record at Swindon was impressive, but he left under a cloud due to disagreements with the board and Reading will be mindful of the ‘baggage’ that the hot-headed native of Rome brings with him.

Di Canio and his many fans will firmly believe that he’s ready for a crack at Premier League management and I would be inclined to agree with that. Meanwhile, the majority of the media will be licking their lips at the prospect of the outspoken, sometimes outrageous, Italian coming to the top-flight. If he is handed the reins at Reading, the biggest question is...will the Premier League be ready for Paolo Di Canio?! 

 

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980 

Tartan Army on a roll

By David Lee Wheatley

Strachan's Scotland mission

 

Former Manchester United midfielder and Celtic manager Gordon Strachan was appointed Scotland national team manager on 15^th January 2013 and is about to embark upon the first two competitive matches under his leadership against Wales and Serbia later this month.

His task as far as the next two fixtures go are to win them both if possible, but also to try-out new blood in a bid to get the team ready for the longer term. With this in mind, Strachan has picked a squad that includes Hull City playmaker George Boyd, Brighton holding midfielder Liam Bridcutt and exciting winger Gary Mackay-Steven of Dundee United. Other young stars such as James Forrest and Jordan Rhodes can give Scottish fans further encouragement that they will finally make it to the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1998.

All hope had dissipated under former boss Craig Levein, with defensive tactics and disappointing results leading to the Scots sitting bottom of World Cup Qualifying Group A after 4 matches.

Now, enthusiasm amongst the Scottish public has largely been restored with the appointment of ‘people’s choice’ Strachan into the role of team manager. His record as boss of former clubs Coventry City, Southampton and Celtic was relatively good and despite a spell at Middlesbrough turning sour, ‘Strach’ is seen by most fans as the right man to take the nation forward and on to better times.

Eight points separate Scotland from Belgium, who sit proudly perched atop the group on 10 points alongside Croatia. It seems unlikely that the Tartan Army will be able to make up the points difference with the quality that the top two possess, but a home win over nearest rivals Wales would be a great boost if such a result could be achieved. Keeping in-form Gareth Bale at bay will be difficult, but the two sides appear evenly matched otherwise and it’ll be a tight encounter that the Scots will look to edge with home advantage.

Beating Serbia away in a partisan environment is no easy task and Scotland will do well to snatch a point. However, a positive and hard-working performance could see them do just that given the right circumstances.

The likelihood of Scotland surging up the group table to grab a spot at Brazil 2014 is minimal, but if Strachan gets his young side playing with more freedom and attacking flair in the short-term it would at least give the public renewed belief in the direction that the team is headed. The good feeling surrounding the team can be further strengthened with the expected return of experienced campaigners Darren Fletcher and Scott Brown from ailment and injury.

Scottish football is in desperate need of a big lift and many supporters and commentators see Strachan as the answer to the problems of yesteryear. Everyone with the Scottish national side at heart will pray that it isn’t another false dawn.

For more sport, travel & music...follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Moyes ready for pastures new?

5th March 2013

By David Lee Wheatley

Everton boss set for a change

David Moyes has been widely hailed for the job he's done over 11 years at Everton with the constraints of a tight budget an ever-present issue. Now, with his contract up soon, the Scot has insisted that he will wait until the summer to decide on a new deal.

Inevitably, this has led to widespread speculation that Moyes will be on his way come what may. Everton are realistically in with a shout of Europa League qualification through their league placing, as well being in the hunt for the FA Cup. There's no doubt that the manager will be desperate to take the Goodison Park outfit to a trophy win no matter what his future plans are.

The observation of sections of the media is that Moyes feels he has taken Everton as far as he can. He remarked earlier this season that he has the strongest squad he's assembled during his whole time at the club, so whatever they achieve this year may well be the best they'll manage for the foreseeable future.

Having been long-touted for top jobs around the British Isles, it'd be no surprise to see the sought-after Scotsman join a top club such as Chelsea. They will be in need of a new manager in May when Benitez steps down and Moyes will be a name in the frame. Meanwhile, Arsenal are likely to stick with Wenger. However, if that situation swerves in a different direction, then the Everton boss would be a front-runner for the role. Again, current reigning league champions Manchester City will probably stick with Mancini, but would likely be interested in the highly-rated former Preston man Moyes should they decide on a change.

Another train of thought suggests the 49-year-old fancies a crack at a foreign league challenge, such as the Bundesliga. He's said to be a big fan of German football and with the fact that the league is fast emerging as one of the strongest in Europe, it may well be the next destination for Moyes.

There's been long-standing rumours of Manchester United having earmarked Moyes as a future replacement for Fergie.

However, Moyes can't wait around forever and it seems he is keen for a fresh challenge that may take him abroad. Eleven years at one club is a long time these days and Moyes may feel he requires a new stimulus in his life and career as he approaches 50 years of age.

Everton fans and directors surely wouldn't begrudge him the opportunity of a fresh challenge should he decide to go after all he's done.

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

European leagues - The final stretch

By David Lee Wheatley

Battle for the title

The top six European leagues are nearing their final stages of the 2012-13 season as we speak and today I look at the battle for the league title in each one in a bid to assess which teams are in the driving seat in their respective domestic league.

The English Premier League is a one-horse race with Manchester United sitting pretty 11 points clear at the top from their local rivals Manchester City, with ten games remaining. Last season is still a haunting memory for United having lost the league on goal difference to the men from the Etihad; the Red Devils will be determined to wrestle superiority in England back from their nearest and dearest.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: MANCHESTER UNITED

Over to La Liga in Spain, it’s another runaway leader in the form of FC Barcelona. The Catalonian super-club have experienced a sticky few weeks in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, but have managed to consolidate their dominance in the Spanish top-flight by the margin of 13 points from Real Madrid. Long-time chasers Atlético Madrid have failed to keep in the hunt and are now in third position a further point behind.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: FC BARCELONA

Serie A looks signed, sealed and delivered to Juventus with their nine-point lead looking enough to hold off challengers Napoli. Milan appear more focused on finishing the job in the Champions League against Barcelona and are too far back from Juve to mount a late surge.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: JUVENTUS

The most dominant side domestically across Europe’s top leagues are Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian side have decimated all opponents in developing a 20-point lead over Borussia Dortmund and there seems no let-up from the league leaders in their pursuit for the title. Mathematically, the championship hasn’t been sealed just yet, but with only nine matches left it won’t be long.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: BAYERN MUNICH

The French championship has lost a lot of the better players from the league, many of whom joined Newcastle United in the England in January! However, the glamour and ‘pzazz’ has been partially restored by the arrival at Paris Saint-Germain of world superstar David Beckham. His new club top the table by four points from nearest rivals Lyon, but there are ten games remaining and PSG’s continued participation in the Champions League could cause their attention to be taken away from Ligue 1. A rejuvenated Steed Malbranque has sparked Lyon into title contention, while Marseille lie seven points adrift of PSG in third and probably won’t have enough to catch them.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: LYON

The closest race of the six featured leagues is taking place in the Dutch Eredivisie with four clubs in with a chance of glory. Ajax went a point clear at the weekend from both PSV and Feyenoord, while fourth-placed Vitesse are in touch only three points behind the Amsterdam-based leaders. FC Twente were in with a great shout of the league title only a few weeks ago, but have fallen away from the pack alarmingly. The Dutch league is by far the hardest to call and realistically it could go one of three ways.

CHAMPIONS VERDICT: AJAX (only just!)


For more sport, travel & music talk you can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Euro '92 - An underdog story

By David Lee Wheatley


Victory against all odds

Denmark failed to qualify for the European Championships of 1992, held in Sweden, but they were given a reprieve when asked to replace war-torn Yugoslavia after their omission from the tournament finals.

It was the last Euro Championships to feature only 8 teams before the expansion of the competition and the last to award 2 points for a win; Euro ’92 was also played shortly before the introduction of the ‘back-pass rule’.

Yugoslavia got eliminated from the tournament due to the civil war situation developing in their country, which affected the Yugoslavian FA’s ability to govern football there. Denmark came second in Yugoslavia’s qualifying group and UEFA chose the host’s Scandinavian neighbours to fill the void.

It had been a turbulent qualifying campaign for the Danes, as after three matches the brothers Laudrup (Michael and Brian) fell out with coach Neilsen and opted to withdraw their playing services from the national team. There followed a disciplinary matter involving other stars Jan Mølby and Jan Heintze that resulted in the two being omitted from the Danish set-up by the under-fire head coach. The media were clamouring for his sacking and that didn’t cease despite five wins on the trot to end the campaign with at least some pride intact.

The situation looked bleak with only the top team in the group able to qualify for the finals, but the unexpected opportunity to replace the Yugoslavia came as a last-minute surprise allowing Denmark to compete. Of course, from a human point of view, the Danes would not have wanted to gain entry into Euro ’92 in such circumstances. However, no team would have passed up a chance to play in the championships whatever the background to it.

The rumour goes that the Danish FA were practically dragging players off the holiday beaches of the world to get them into training after the announcement was made just 10 days before the start of the Euros. It wasn’t quite like that however, as the players had a pre-tournament friendly with the CIS (former Soviet Union) to play before heading off on holiday. The squad members believed their season to be nearly over, though, so mentally they had little time to focus before they had to cancel/postpone their vacations and concentrate on a major tournament they thought they were out of!

Brain Laudrup came back into the fold in April 1992 and along with Peter Schmeichel and his solid defence, the Danes embarked on a journey that was to last far longer than they’d dared to hope! The Danish squad had to be submitted by June 4^th and the 20 players that were selected were as follows: Schmeichel, Sivebæk, Kent Nielsen, Olsen, Andersen, Christofte, Jensen, Johnny Mølby, Povlsen, Elstrup, Brain Laudrup, Piechnik, Larsen, Frank, Arensøe, Krogh, Christiansen, Vilfort, Peter Nielsen, Bruun.

It was a tough group they were drawn in with hosts Sweden, England and France being the other sides to make up Group A. Playing with Richard Møller Nielsen’s heavily-criticised defensive style, the ‘Danish Dynamite’ started with a creditable 0-0 draw with England. Things looked to be on the wane early on when Sweden’s Tomas Brolin struck to snatch a 1-0 victory over the Danes in the second game to go top of the group.

So, needing a win to advance in the third match, Denmark beat the French 2-1 in Malmö thanks to goals from Pisa striker Henrik Larsen, who was on loan at Lyngby at the time, and substitute Lars Elstrup. The Danes took an early lead, only to be pegged back by superstar Jean-Pierre Papin, before Elstrup struck with 12 minutes remaining to seal a famous victory and second spot in the group ahead of favourites England and France. Hosts Sweden made it a Scandinavian double by topping the group to make it through to the semi-finals.

An unlikely fairytale story began to develop, but surely the reigning champions Holland would see to it that the Danes would be dumped out at the semi-final stage?

The match ended 2-2 after an 86^th minute equaliser from Frank Rijkaard denied the Danes victory in normal time. Rejuvenated striker Larssen scored a double to firstly bring the scores level after Dennis Bergkamp had put the ‘Oranje’ into the lead, before nudging his nation into the lead just after the half-hour mark. It appeared enough to win, but Rijkaard had other ideas and so it came down to penalties to decide the fate of the Euro ’88 winners and the Euro ’92 underdogs Denmark.

Incredibly, star striker Marco Van Basten failed from the spot for the Netherlands, while Denmark scored 5 out of 5 to go on to the final. The pressure on the kick-takers must have been immense, but it was the rank outsiders that collectively kept their cool to reach the Gothenburg showpiece against either Sweden or Germany.

Stockholm played host to the other semi which produced an exciting encounter, with the German machine proving just too good for the host nation in a 3-2 win for the ‘Nationalmannschaft’. Germany would now face Denmark for what appeared to be a real David v Goliath clash at the impressive Ullevi stadium.

Germany were massive favourites to win the trophy and practically no-one outside of Denmark gave the tournament dark horses any hope of winning. Remarkably and against all odds, the Danes rallied one more time to put the Germans to the sword with a 2-0 win elevating the Danes to the title of European Champions.

A fantastic strike from John Jensen from outside the area in the first half set them on their way before Kim Vilfort finished the match as a contest with a second goal on 78 minutes. The Jensen strike made the whole day even more magical, as he wasn’t renowned for scoring goals from that holding midfield position he occupied. 38,000 fans looked on as the competition winners strode up to the podium to receive the Henri Delauney trophy as Champions of Europe 1992.

One of the Danish stars of the tournament was Henrik Larsen, who ended as joint-top scorer alongside Riedle, Bergkamp and Brolin. He’d had a hard time in Italy with Pisa and been loaned back to former club Lyngby, before helping them to the Danish league title and his country to European glory both in the same year.

The feat achieved by Denmark would rival any other story of sporting achievement by a rank outsider and will live on forever as the embodiment of how much glory can be gained in team sport through sheer hard work and collective spirit.

 

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980 

Top 10 greatest football stadiums

By David Lee Wheatley


World's great stadiums - my top 10


Camp Nou, Barcelona - spectacular home of FC Barcelona steeped in history (capacity 99,354);

San Siro (Giuseppe Meazza), Milan - shared by local rivals AC and Inter (capacity 80,074);

Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid - played host to so many Real Madrid 'Galacticos' (capacity 85,434);

Allianz Arena, Munich - stylishly-designed home of FC Bayern Munich (capacity 71,137);

Wembley, London - venue for England national team games (capacity 90,000);

Maracana, Rio de Janeiro - the old version was decaying, but will be renewed for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (capacity 82,238);

Estadio da Luz, Lisbon - Benfica stadium rebuilt for Euro 2004 (capacity 65,647);

Old Trafford, Manchester - the 'Theatre of Dreams' housing Manchester United FC (capacity 75,765);

La Bombonera, Buenos Aires - atmospheric, steep-sided cauldron of Boca Juniors (capacity 40,318);

Azteca, Mexico City - picked in this list for the sheer size of the place & its World Cup history (capacity 105,064).

The above list contains some traditional, some contemporary stadiums. All of them evoke fantastic memories of glorious football moments.

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Football Icons: Part 4 - Michael Laudrup

By David Lee Wheatley


Dane who crossed the divide

Stylish Danish midfielder Michael Laudrup achieved a feat that few others have managed by playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid and still holding the respect and affections of both sets of fans to this day; the fact that Laudrup was a fine player is one of the few subjects the arch-rivals can agree on!

Born June 15^th 1964 in Fredriksberg into a footballing family, the young Michael started playing for Vanløse IF before the family moved when Finn Laudrup, Michael’s father, became player/coach at Brøndby IF in 1973. Both Michael and younger brother Brian began playing for the youth side at the club setting them both on a journey to fabulous careers in professional football.

Three years later, Finn was on the move again to Københavns Boldklub in the Danish first division and Michael made the switch with him, while brother Brian remained with Brøndby. Michael made his senior debut for the club in 1981, before returning to Brøndby IF in ’82. The promising Laudrup scored 15 goals and won the Danish Player of the Year award that year; already he was showing how much potential he possessed.

His international debut came in 1982 for Denmark, with Laudrup becoming the second-youngest national team player in his country’s history. He played a portion of the 1983 season in the Danish league before Serie A giants Juventus of Turin came to prise him away from his homeland.

Due to the two-foreigner rule imposed on Italian clubs at the time, Laudrup was the odd one out of the three foreign players on Juve’s books. Boniek and Platini were important first-team players for the Bianconeri and that led to the young Dane going out on loan to Lazio for his first two seasons in Italian football. Lazio weren’t very strong at the time and narrowly avoided relegation in Laudrup’s debut season in Rome. The second season was even more of a struggle and they finished bottom of the table, sealing relegation to Serie B. Despite his adopted club’s troubles, Michael starred on the international stage and played a fine Euro ’84 tournament, playing in all four of Denmark’s games.

It had been a harsh introduction to life in Italy, but he remained undeterred. His situation dramatically improved when he returned to Turin to replace Boniek and became the second foreign player alongside French international star Michel Platini. The 1985-86 was hugely successful for the club as they won the Scudetto and the Intercontinental Cup. Laudrup’s form for Juve earned him his second Danish Player of the Year accolade; it seemed he’d finally arrived on the Italian football map.

Denmark went to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and Laudrup will be remembered for a fine solo run and goal in the 6-1 demolition of Uruguay. It was further proof of the starlet’s ability and poise on the ball.

Unfortunately, injury setbacks the season after restricted Laudrup and his form suffered. He struggled to regain the high standards of the Scudetto-winning campaign and with Platini’s retirement in 1987 there came pressure to become the leader of the team, which didn’t materialise. The 23-year-old failed to live up to the fans’ expectations during the 1987-88 season, playing 30 games without a goal. There followed a disappointing Euro ’88 competition for Denmark, but at least Laudrup managed to notch one strike there.

After six indifferent years in Italy, Laudrup thought the time was right for a move and in 1989 he joined Catalonia’s finest FC Barcelona. Laudrup’s childhood hero Johan Cruyff was the head coach at the Nou Camp and it was he who convinced the Dane to make transfer to a club that was making big plans to recapture success at home and in Europe.

Laudrup became a massive part of the so-called Barcelona ‘Dream team’ that swept all before them with four consecutive La Liga titles between 1991-1994, a Copa del Rey triumph in ’89 and the crowning glory of a European Cup victory in 1992. It was a golden period for the club and the technically-gifted playmaker Laudrup was integral to the side’s success. His skill, poise, passing and dribbling ability marked him out as one the most gifted footballers of his generation.

His international career went through a highly turbulent era while playing in Spain when he and others fell out with coach Richard Møller Nielsen three games into qualifying for Euro ’92. It was November 1990 when Laudrup announced his retirement from national team duty and his country missed out on tournament qualification initially. But, of course, Yugoslavia were omitted from the competition at the last-minute allowing Denmark a reprieve as replacements. Against all odds, Denmark went all the way to trophy-winning glory, while Laudrup watched from afar on holiday. After much consideration, he returned to Nielsen’s squad in 1993 but couldn’t help his country to qualify for the ’94 World Cup.

Back to club duty, the most controversial move of his career occurred when the attacking midfielder joined Real Madrid. The Spanish media were convinced that Laudrup had moved to the capital simply to upset Johan Cruyff, whom he’d fallen out with towards the end of his time with Barcelona. The Dane strenuously denied this by pointing out that Real Madrid were a club hungry to win, much like Barça had been when he signed for them. Laudrup liked the challenge of getting a club back on top after a few years of playing second fiddle to their rivals; he’d done just that with Barça, but now he had switched to Real in an attempt to achieve the reverse.

It proved to be a great call as Real Madrid put an end to the dominance of Barça in La Liga, which also meant the Dane became the first player ever to win the Spanish league five years in a row with two different clubs. It was a huge achievement with significant repercussions across the Spanish game, as the country now had two titanic clubs both good enough to win the title and Laudrup was the player that linked them. Would the Barcelona fans turn against their one-time hero?

A disappointing second season in Madrid was to follow, as Real failed to maintain their supremacy in La Liga. However, Laudrup helped his country to qualification for Euro 1996 by scoring 4 goals in 10 matches, but the tournament itself was a let-down for the nation.

The J-League in Japan was a burgeoning football league at the time, much like MLS now, and Laudrup decided he would like a new adventure with Vissel Kobe. He took his fledgling club to promotion to the top-flight of Japanese football, before ending his club career back in Europe and in sparkling fashion with a title-winning season with Ajax in Holland.

His swansong as a player came at the French World Cup of 1998 where he captained the national side on the road to the quarter-final stage. They narrowly lost out 3-2 to eventual runners-up Brazil at the last-eight stage in one of the matches of the tournament.

Laudrup was a remarkably skilful, stylish player that transcended the rivalry between two of the world’s biggest clubs and enjoyed a hugely successful time with both. The fans of both Real Madrid and Barcelona hold Laudrup in such high esteem that the majority of supporters would happily see him back at their respective sides in a coaching capacity in the future. There aren’t many people in the world of football that can truly say they are an icon at both clubs!

 

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980