Normal Service Is Resumed (Thank Goodness)

The season starts again. When did they sign him ? Oh he’s there now is he ? Christian Benteke seemed an expensive (£7 million) concept until he pulled on a Villa shirt  and nudged in a sitter to confirm Villa’s first win. Michael Owen, having weighed up all the options he said he had, signed for a place on Stoke’s bench. Remember Dimitar Berebatov ? Apparently he plays better when he’s happy & there were a lot of smiling Fulham fans admiring how well the shirt looked on him.

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This time last year Fulham had Zamora and Johnson up top. I will stick my neck out here and suggest that Berbatov and Rodallega is an improvement in quality. Dimitri  is now 31 now but has just had a couple of seasons rest. If there is to be a productive Indian summer to his career then Martin Jol has done well to keep him in the Premier League. He could have worked in the Bundesliga or in Italy. We all know he is a class act. It’s just that he’s been playing for clubs we don’t like. A happy and scoring Berbatov will entertain us all.

Manchester United, always following their own path, fielded three players with over 1500 appearances combined. When the veteran midfielders had softened up Wigan they made way, (looking knackered on the bench), for two shiny new signings to introduce themselves to the fans. Thingy Buttner and Nick Whatsit took their chance. They are both big strong boys. Alexander Buttner tried very hard to sign for Southampton despite “unspecified” demands from “unnamed” third parties. He now finds himself at the other end of the table with a club which will find plenty of work for a young athletic left back. Nick Powell won Player of the Year, Young Player and Goal of the season at Crewe last year…a winner then. He went to the same school as the best man at my wedding and played for my mate’s team. I have been aware of his work for some time. The pick and mix nature of United’s midfield, with Park/Nani/Anderson/Cleverley/Fletcher all hanging about looking for a game last season, would be improved if the boy Powell makes an impact in this first season. England won’t have to pick Jake Livermore as well.

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Criticism of Paul Scholes, his age, his tackling, his gingerness, is a cheap shot. The best midfield player of his generation, (which now includes that mis-matched pair, Gerrard and Lampard), just keeps on rolling. Any team would be glad of a player like him. He knows what’s expected of a top player and the only problem is that he may be over-used because United look a better team with him on the pitch. Everybody in the world knows that he will be 30 yards from the goal when the ball is played wide. Two or three touches later he is in space in the area and looking to score. We all know it but the keenest brains in football have not yet find a way to stop it happening.

Arsenal get 6 against a team struggling to adjust to the top flight. Southampton may not make that adjustment at all (at least, I hope, not next week when they play Villa). They were so poor that they made Gervinho look like a player, something no other Premier side had done. When Arsenal play like they did yesterday, with Arteta given an unchallenged freedom to pass as he pleases, it is a lovely thing to watch. Other teams that the Gunners will expect to beat will not lay down so easily at the Emirates.

Steve Bould is getting praise for re-establishing defensive solidity. (When 4 arms go up in the air in unison his job will be done). It can’t be too difficult with two solid pros like Mertesacker and Vermeulen in the centre of the back four. Finally, it is no surprise that Lukas Podolski looks the part. In the German side since he was 19, 103 caps at the age of 27. We have known he was a good player for a long time. The absence of RVP  may help him to get nearer the goal and he is already doing the right thing. He is certainly a better player than he is a singer as this Euro pop/rock monstrosity shows.

OK…City v Real Madrid on Tuesday. Let’s get going again.

Irish legends: The Football Stickers

Paul McGrath

This fresh-faced young man joined Manchester United at 22 years old from Irish football where, in his only season, he was the League’s player of the year & had earned the lengthy nickname “The Black Pearl of Inchicore”. At Old Trafford he became the first recipient of the man of the match award at an F.A. Cup Final. By the time Fergie arrived his career was interrupted by injury. He also played a prominent part in the drinking culture at the club. Arnold Muhren has written that the prevailing smell at morning training was stale beer. Sir Alex had to break this clique quickly as his captain & star player, Bryan Robson, was a part of it. Ferguson did not handle McGrath’s situation well. After a failed meeting with a priest. he offered the player a testimonial & a substantial cash settlement to retire.

In 1989, after 7 years & almost 200 appearances Paul left United to join Aston Villa. The move was seen as a gamble by Villa at the time. A 2nd place finish in the League in his first season indicates how he improved the side. Villa fans (myself included) were privileged to see him play the best football of his career. McGrath was a central defender who never appeared hurried but did not lack pace. His anticipation of the play was unrivalled in British football. Your gran could have played alongside him and he would have made her look a decent player.

A new manager, Ron Atkinson, had previously had Paul in his charge at United & was an admirer. Eager to prolong a career blighted by regular knee operations he allowed the player to train as he wanted. The stories of McGrath cycling around the perimeter of the training ground while his team mates sweated are hilarious. The level of consistency & quality he achieved in games is amazing. In 1994 he won the PFA Player of the Year award. In 7 years at Villa he made over 320 appearances & he became a beloved figure at the club. Even when Villa were rubbish you could go to a game & watch a world class player in action.

He played 83 games for Ireland in the most successful period ever enjoyed by the country. McGrath was able to display his talents in a European championships & 2 World Cups. Only the legendary Franco Baresi would have kept him out of a World XI. In the 1994 tournament, though, it was Ireland who beat Baresi’s Italy. In the 1988 Euros a famous victory over England was followed by a 1-0 defeat against the eventual winners Holland, who scored a late & fortunate winner.

Paul McGrath had a troubled life from childhood. I hope the respect in which he is held by his fellow countrymen & by all football supporters helps him to understand that he has made a major contribution to his sport, his country & to many lives.

Liam Brady

Liam Brady joined Arsenal when he was 15 years old. The club had won the League & FA Cup double that year (1971). Brady became a first team regular at 18 in a side on the decline. He was the most elegant midfield player in the English League. On any visit to Highbury in the 70s he was a threat or a treat depending who you were supporting. Arsenal built a team around Liam, There was a strong Irish presence. Stapleton, Rice, Nelson & O’Leary all played at this time. The club reached 3 successive Cup Finals, winning the middle one in 1979. Brady was PFA Player of the year in this season, the first “foreign” player to win the award.

His cerebral approach to the game reflected his personality (not always the case). In 1980 he transferred to Juventus after masterminding that club’s defeat in a Cup Winners Cup semi-final. He was 24 years old & had contributed enough to his first club to be remembered a a “great” at a club with a long & rich history.

He flourished in Italy. In the first 6 years he played 2 seasons each for Juventus, Sampdoria & Inter Milan, holding his place at all 3. In 1987 he returned for a leisurely last hurrah at West Ham. His 72 caps for Ireland were mostly at a time when the team struggled. By the time Jack Charlton arrived to establish an organized & winning side he was past his exceptional best. I have always thought that if Brady had been 5 years younger & had been able to take a place in an Irish team with an already talented midfield then who knows what they could have achieved.

One night at Upton Park I was stood by the corner where Brady came over to take a kick. I went over to give him some stick. “Hang your boots up”, “You suck”…intelligent stuff. It was what you did. I thought that this guy was an cosmopolitan, multi-lingual man, a marvellous passer of the ball who had made his name in 2 countries. He was everything I wanted a modern footballer to be. I left it..it would have been wrong. Nothing stopped me slagging off Glen Hoddle though !

Steve Heighway

Steve Heighway was a footballer with a university degree, a rarity at any time. On completing his finals in 1970 he joined Liverpool as Bill Shankly was dismantling the successful side of the 1960s. He more than played his part in maintaining the club’s success, eventually playing in their greatest win. To keep Steve company Liverpool signed another graduate, Brian Hall. He did not have to discuss politics with Tommy Smith. They were nicknamed “Big Bamber” & “Little Bamber” after the host of University Challenge.

Heighway started as a winger, supplying Keegan & Toshack with crosses. He had outstanding pace and strength. James McLean, who seems to have the ability to actually cross the ball reminds me of him. He won his share of medals, 4 League titles & the UEFA Cup. he got his share of goals and he did not always have that beard. In 1977 Liverpool reached their first European Cup final and played Borussia Monchengladbach (give us a “B”). Were Liverpool good enough to be the best in Europe ? Heighway produced a pass of the highest quality for McDermott to score the opening goal. The question was answered.

In his 11 years at Anfield he was always a favourite. He left to play in the US in 1981, returning to Liverpool in 89 to run their youth academy. In those 11 years he played only 34 times for Ireland. His club was busy & a convenient “injury” allowed a little rest. There were some good Irish players in his generation though perhaps not enough. It is his career with Liverpool for which he is remembered.

3 songs about football

The season just gathers momentum & we stop for the World Cup qualifiers. Players who signed on Friday and have yet to learn the names of the blokes sat either side of them in the dressing room now have two weeks away before the respective coaching staffs try to remember their names. England players are dropping out of the squad like they are not really bothered whether they play or not. No football now for 4 days…it’s not good.

I intended to write about Liverpool but the world & her Auntie have a view on that. It remains that no club is two wins in the next two games away from a decent start. So…let’s bang a tune on.

In the 1980s the happening pop TV show in the UK was “The Tube”. They were eager to get Half Man Half Biscuit on to the show. Their funny, lo-fi, post punk was selling quite well. However “The Tube” was aired live on Friday evenings & HMHB were Tranmere Rovers fans. Tranmere played their home games on a Friday night at that time. The band were not prepared to miss a game just so they could be on TV.

The band wrote a few songs about football. The wonderfully titled “All I Want For Xmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit” is about Subutteo & Scalextric. They are still going & sometimes come up with a new song to match those of the first two LPs.

There is a song about George Best but it is very poor & the accompanying video is too grainy. The Spencer Davis Group provide a fine accompaniment to this tribute. It was said that defenders had “twisted blood” after playing against George & you can see why.

Man of the People Mark E. Smith & his band the Fall. An all-encompassing commentary on authorities, players (“his downfall was a blonde girl, but it’s none of your business !”). media and fans. It anticipates the adoption of a corporate ethos & all seated stadia by the clubs but maybe Mark has mixed feelings now that Manchester City are winning trophies. His book “Renegade, The Life & Tales of…” is a funny, irascible and intelligent rap about the music industry, the universe & everything.