Ireland choose familiarity over flair

By David Lee Wheatley

Following links with several potential managers, the Republic of Ireland are set to appoint Martin O'Neill as the new man entrusted with taking the nation to the European Championships of 2016.

Former boss Mick McCarthy was also heavily linked with a return to the role, but it seems clear favourite O'Neill has always been the number one option.

The Northern Irishman appears the right age for an international job and certainly holds the requisite experience to handle the task. However, his tactical approach doesn't represent a departure from the familiar sight of Irish sides from the past employing a direct style and hitting more technically-gifted teams on the break.

A sensational development this morning suggests ex-captain Roy Keane will team up with his fellow former Sunderland manager in the position of assistant. Keane's mooted installment back in the Republic fold would provide him with a shot at redemption after that much-publicised falling out with Mick McCarthy and the FAI during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. Having stormed out of the camp and throwing away his last opportunity of leading the nation to tournament success, many will be massively surprised to see him back.

Despite the lack of flair and invention on offer from O'Neill's teams over the years, there'll definitely be an upturn in motivation for the players he picks due to the 61-year-old's legendary man-management skills when compared with the rather mismatched characters of outgoing head coach Giovanni Trapattoni and the Irish people, media and players. The Kilrea-born boss will be able to identify with his men in a way that the Italian elder statesman simply could not.

And the debate over whether Ireland should pursue a change of direction from the tired and trusted ways of playing each game is governed by the choice of footballers open to the manager. Going for a new boss with a penchant for passing, attacking football wouldn't fit with the majority of Republic internationals currently plying their trade mainly in the top two divisions of English football. What the FAI need is a man who knows how to push players on to produce their best performances within a rigid system based on defensive organisation and direct attack; who better than Martin O'Neill to undertake that remit?

Although his 18-month stint in charge of boyhood heroes Sunderland ended in dramatic failure, O'Neill had fantastic success at Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa previously and will bring a wealth of experience to bear on a squad that will be reinvigorated by the leadership qualities of the likeable European Cup winner from his Nottingham Forest playing days.

Plus, Roy Keane still possesses that great aura which surrounded him as one of the very best midfielders in the world during his time controlling the all-conquering Manchester United side of the 1990s. With that level of inspiration emanating from the duo, die-hard Irish football supporters will be hugely expectant of a return to the days when upsetting illustrious rivals on the biggest of stages became the norm.

Jack Charlton was the last man to truly harness that spirit within the country, which was only fleetingly revisited under McCarthy, and Martin O'Neill would truly cement a place alongside Charlton in the hearts of the nation should he facilitate a resumption of those glory days of yore.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Bale bags brace at the Bernabeu

 

 

By David Lee Wheatley

 

Gareth Bale bagged two goals of his own and set up another two for Real Madrid as they romped to an emphatic 7-3 victory against Sevilla at the Bernabeu last night.

After a listless display in El Clasico last Saturday versus arch-rivals Barcelona, many in the Spanish media seemed determined to denounce Bale as a waste of money. This was in spite of the fact that he’d hardly played for Los Blancos since his world-record end of summer transfer from Tottenham through a catalogue of injuries that severely hampered his ability to settle into his stride in the Spanish capital.

Despite such strong and unwarranted criticism, the Welshman didn’t appear to be letting it affect him when playing an instrumental part in everything good about the home side yesterday evening. The winger was the chief reason they held a handy cushion to fall back on when Sevilla made a concerted effort to get back into the match from three-down, at one stage advancing to within one goal of their illustrious opponents.

Just 27 minutes in, Bale had already notched a nifty double to put his new club in command of the clash, before goalscoring phenomenon Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a third. A few jittery moments ensued when Sevilla brought the score back to 3-2 with five minutes of the first-half remaining through a Rakitic penalty and a Bacca strike. However, Benzema and Ronaldo stretched the lead further after the break prior to Sevilla grabbing a third, before the Portuguese superstar completed a fine hat-trick and Karim Benzema sealed the game with his second through a neat header.

Cristiano’s treble elevated him above the great Ferenc Puskas into fourth spot on the all-time scorer chart with an incredible 157. It’s a mark of the player that he’s reached such a landmark at the relatively young age of 28 and with many more years in the tank. At just 24, Bale will look to emulate his feted colleague in becoming a living legend in the eyes of those fans that behold him at the Bernabeu during his spell there; on this evidence, he may well have a realistic chance to do just that.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Time to get tough on racism in football

By David Lee Wheatley

UEFA’s punishment of CSKA Moscow for the latest in a string of racism-related incidents inside various football stadia is far, far too lenient.

What do the ‘fans’ involved care if they must uproot themselves from their usual position to another part of the stadium in order to continue conducting their vitriolic abuse of opposing players from other ethnic groups and races?

The only way for the leaders of European and world football to make a clear stand against such hideous prejudice is to begin deducting points and even banning clubs from European competition altogether.

Actions such as those will send a strong message that such vile behaviour will not be tolerated and will truly strike at the very core of clubs and their followers. A lack of top-tier continental action would harm them from a financial point of view, as well as taking away the prestige which taking part in the Champions League and Europa League delivers. Only then will it prove the zero-tolerance policy that UEFA claim to have for this kind of situation actually exists, as partially (or fully) closing stadia does absolutely nothing at all to deter the morons who perpetrate these heinous crimes.

More drastic and assertive measures from the powers-that-be would also act as a kick up the backside for the clubs themselves, making it impossible for them to ignore what is going on in front of their very eyes. Piffling fines and stadium bans serve not as a deterrent, but more as a way of proving just how toothless the aforementioned organisations are.

Tough new regulations must be put in place swiftly and what a legacy it would be for either or both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini if they were to spearhead a disciplinary revolution leading to the eradication of such abusive and unwanted behaviour in the seating decks of football grounds across the world.

As we currently stand, the degenerates causing all of the aggravation and trouble are simply laughing at the governing bodies at present and have been doing so for a very long period of time. They would be laughing on the other side of their faces if their beloved clubs were kicked out of European competition for such offences.

With the assistance and backing of lawmakers and the police forces that patrol matches, it’s now high-time FIFA and UEFA got a grip to help rid this disease from the sport we love as soon as possible.

Twitter: @davewh1980

Are the wheels coming off for Wenger?

By David Lee Wheatley

 

 

With Arsenal losing key home contests twice in the space of a week, could it be that the red-and-white juggernaut has ground to a shuddering halt?

The Gunners went an impressive 12 matches unbeaten across all competitions, sitting pretty at the top of their tough Champions League group and the Premier League table to boot, when met by the prospect of facing last season’s European surprise package Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates.

A pivotal match-up that could have all but confirmed Arsenal’s spot in the knockout phase of the tournament turned sour when Dortmund deservedly took home the spoils thanks to a late Lewandowski winner.

Fast forward seven days and the League Cup clash between the Premier League’s top two teams took place at the Gunners’ north London residence, with a resumption of the intriguing battle of wills between Arsene Wenger and his arch-nemesis Jose Mourinho.

Portuguese tactician Mourinho hadn’t lost against his French counterpart during eight previous games and therefore the first meeting between the pair since his much-hyped return to Stamford Bridge was viewed as a prime opportunity for the Arsenal boss to begin setting that particular record straight.

However, the Blues had other ideas and took the lead midway through the first-half through Azpilicueta following an awful headed back-pass from right-back Carl Jenkinson under little pressure.

Matters worsened in the second period when stylish Spanish playmaker Juan Mata sealed Chelsea’s progression into the last eight with a swerving shot from distance that gave Fabianski no chance. It was a sweet strike to settle a tie that was reasonably even in terms of possession and shots at goal, but with the hosts severely lacking a cutting edge.

Star man Mesut Ozil and striker Giroud sat on the bench for three-quarters of the clash, as Wenger’s hopes of ending a long-running trophy drought were dealt a mighty blow. Even though the long-serving Arsenal supremo insists confidence within his squad remains firmly intact, his claims cannot disguise the fact his line-up looked fragile and thin on the ground without the likes of the missing Arteta, Walcott and Flamini, plus subs for the night Ozil and Giroud.

When all Wenger’s top men are fit and in place, they are an awesome side capable of defeating any foe; however, shorn of stellar names it’s a whole different story.

Twitter: @davewh1980