Let's hear it for the Moyes

NEMANJA VIDIC has been widely tipped as a potential footballer of the year, which would make a nice change, given the award generally goes to a forward. Even John Terry failed to pick up the prize when he was outstanding in Chelsea’s back-to-back Premiership successes in 04/05 and 05/06.

Similarly, the manager’s award usually falls into the lap of the boss whose side finish as champions. Rightly so, some might say, but isn’t it time for those managers who achieve success on limited resources to be rewarded?

Surely Roy Hodgson leading Fulham to a top-half finish is as commendable an achievement as Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal finishing fourth. Likewise, David Moyes taking his Everton side, who incidentally, have been ravaged with injuries to key players all season, to the brink of UEFA Cup qualification, not to mention an impending FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

Unlikely, it may be, but an award given to a lesser light, would surely be welcomed with open arms throughout the whole football community.

Trouble brewing in North-East

THE current economic climate presents worrying times for us all, and nowhere more so than in the North-East. Football is an outlet in the area, a way of forgetting about more personal problems, like finding work.

Sadly, two of its inhabitants, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, could soon be playing Championship football. Both sides find themselves in precarious positions, and will struggle to get out of it. One win in eighteen for ‘Boro tells its own story, whilst poor home form, and a tough run-in, including games against Chelsea and Liverpool, will hardly do much to dispel the gloom on Tyneside.

Gareth Southgate and Chris Hughton have it all to do, but a late escape would propel them into North-East football folklore.

Not a King decision, Fabio

LEDLEY KING doesn’t have to justify his talent to anybody. Assured and comfortable in possession, imposing and dominant in the air, and good enough to play as a holding midfielder; when he plays, Tottenham seldom get beat.

His inclusion in the England squad has raised a few question marks though. If King is unable to train, how will this affect the team? If, for example, he is unable to take part in various set-piece drills, and adapting to different systems, surely he can only become a liability if called upon.

Another interesting conundrum is this. If Joleon Lescott trains well all week, but King is chosen to start without taking part in training at all, how will Lescott feel? Could the decision be a recipe for discontent? That is why Mr Capello is paid such a handsome salary, to make these decisions, and more importantly, to get them right.

Rome Mayor fights back

THE Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, has addressed a letter to the Times Online, in response to their campaign to have this season's Champions League final taken away from the Italian capital.

Alemanno says: “A Google search with the words ‘London’ and ‘stabbed’ brings up 2,670,000 pages, ten times those that appear for Rome.” Quite possibly so, Gianni, but how many of those stabbings in London have been football related? Nobody is trying to diminish Rome’s reputation in a cultural sense, but the statistics speak for themselves.

If, as expected, one or more English team does progress to the final on May 27, and the anticipated nightmare becomes a reality, all Alemanno’s feeble response has ensured, is that Michel Platini won’t be the only one with blood on his hands.

Beach football, anyone?

IT'S almost impossible not to be impressed with the way in which Arsenal striker Eduardo, has returned from that horrific injury which almost ended his career. After bagging a brace in his first game back against Cardiff a couple of weeks ago, the Croatian scored an outrageous volley at the Emirates during the Gunners’ 3-0 victory over Burnley on Sunday.

As Arsene Wenger alluded to after the game, the deft flick with the outside of his left boot wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Copacabana beach. The pint-sized hit-man seems to have taken to the FA Cup like a duck to water. What price on him scoring the winner at Wembley? You’d have to have a heart of stone to begrudge him that; or, like me, hate Arsenal.
Eduardo Vs. Burnley Goal FA Cup - Click here for more blooper videos

Ashley's own-goal

LET'S not beat around the bush here: Ashley Cole is not the sharpest tool in the box. Far from it in fact. Anybody who feels the need to cheat on a beautiful, genuine, successful woman, with a washed-up, gold-digging chav, deserves little sympathy.

Let’s put things in perspective though. He had too many beers, and shouted a few obscenities at a policeman. Of course, his behaviour was bang out of order, but it was hardly the crime of the century.

Over the festive season, Steven Gerrard was arrested, and charged, with assault, after a fracas in a Southport nightclub, but I don’t recall him being subjected to such widespread condemnation. You can’t have one rule for one, and one rule for another.

Ever since the foolish comments he made about the ‘paltry’ £55,000 per-week he was offered by Arsenal, Cole has been the victim of a media-fuelled hate campaign. Sadly for him, after the inevitable verbal assault still to come from a certain Geordie, a night in the cells will seem like a five-star trip to Barbados.

A right old knees-up

WHILST we’re on the subject of inspiring role-models, what the hell is going on at Oldham Athletic? A night out last week descended into chaos, as players fought amongst themselves, and, wait for it…with the manager.

Did I mention that it was in front of a selected group of supporters at a ‘meet and greet’ evening? Thought not. A club source said: “What has gone on is incredible. We should be working together to get promotion and, instead, everyone is fighting each other.”

Quite what the staff and fellow punters at the Belle Vue dog track in Manchester made of it all is anybody’s guess, but few people will be surprised to learn that Lee Hughes was in the thick of the action. Nice to see prison has changed him for the better then.

No way to carry on

IS somebody going to have to die before the clowns at the FA decide to take action against the ever-increasing horror tackles which continue to blight the game?

Brentford striker Nathan Elder, was left with a fractured eye socket and cheekbone after an ugly clash with Rotherham midfielder Pablo Mills at the weekend. This coming hot on the heels of Kevin Nolan’s sickening two-footed stamp on Everton’s Victor Anichebe a few weeks ago.

Anichebe’s operation was said to be a success, but nevertheless, he has been ruled out for the rest of the season. You have to feel for David Moyes, when he loses a player for the season, on top of all the other injuries Everton have had to deal with, whilst Nolan gets away with a three-game ban. Ben Thatcher was handed an eight-game ban in 2006, after the FA reviewed his brutal forearm smash on Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes, so what’s changed? If further action can be taken once, surely it can be taken again.

Wembley not the way

SO, both of this season’s FA Cup semi-finals will be played at Wembley. No doubt we will be told that it is for the benefit of the supporters; a bigger venue amounts to more tickets for the clubs taking part.

However, you would have to be very naïve to fall for that nonsense. The real reason, as always, boils down to money. The FA are still trying to pay for the new Wembley, and what better way to finance this, than fleecing the very people the stadium means so much to, the fans.

Atwell shocker

SO, yet another refereeing performance that has attracted a negative press, and yet again, it’s Stuart Atwell in the firing line. After a woeful display at the Wigan v West Ham game, which saw both Carlton Cole and Lee Cattermole dismissed, Steve Bruce claimed : “Mr Atwell at the moment is not quite ready to step up to the plate too often, with those type of decisions.”

All too often, managers are quick to point the finger of blame at the referee when points are dropped, rather than look at their own team’s failings. However, all we ask for is consistency. When a player performs badly, he is dropped; when a manager performs badly, he is sacked; when a referee performs badly, well, what exactly?

City too ambitious (again)

YOU think they would have learnt their lesson after the Kaka saga. The fact Manchester City offered the flamboyant Brazilian a reported £1m per-week, and still failed to get their man, tells its own story.
You have to chuckle then, when stories continue to emerge about the possibility of either Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger taking over at Eastlands in the summer. Finances aside, what can the second-best team in Manchester offer such highly-skilled managers? Champions League football? No. Uefa Cup football? No. A realistic shot of winning the Carling Cup? Quite possibly; but the ‘special one’ and his old pal wouldn’t even get out of bed for that sort of enticement package.

Can’t Beatt it

EYEBROWS were raised on transfer deadline day, when Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, shelled out £3.5m to take Sheffield United striker James Beattie to the Potteries. However, five goals in seven games have helped lift Stoke up to 15th, and given them a great chance of survival.

Beattie insists he was never given a fair crack of the whip the last time he played in the Premiership, at Everton, and is hell-bent on proving his critics wrong. If his rich vein of form continues, and Pulis’ men stay up, £3.5m will seem like a drop in the ocean to the Stoke faithful.

On the right (Carrow) Road

NORWICH CITY, who are staring down the barrel of relegation from the Championship, have announced that 17,000 supporters have already renewed their season tickets for the 2009/10 campaign. In these tough economic times, fans of the club should be applauded for their loyalty. I’m sure they will be able to cope with relegation; it’s the thought of any more rallying cries from Delia that will be sending shivers up their spines.