Paul Doyle says that the African Cup of Nations is more than just another tournament for the players.
Jonathan Wilson looks at Benin’s preparation for the tournament.
Here is another place where you can access the African Cup of Nations. You can buy per game, the group phase or the highlights. Muntari’s winner against Guinea was an absolute cracker.
A BBC article marking the 25th anniversary of Garrincha’s death. For anyone who has not read Ruy Castro’s book, get it and you will enjoy. It is an incredible story. Someone once said that before there was George Best there was Garrincha – that applied to the on-field and off-field exploits.
Harry Pearson's original review of the book contained the following: "It's hard to imagine the biography of any English footballer featuring cannibalism, masturbation contests and the subject losing his virginity with a goat inside the first twenty pages..."
A very sober and fair assessment of Kevin Keegan from Nick Townsend.
And Rob Hughes’ take on the Liverpool Boot Room, Hicks, Gillett, Rafa and possibly new owners.
The latest on cuddly Jack Warner from Andrew Jennings. It’s a pity that the larger CONCACAF nations can’t gather up the courage to take a run at this on-going embarrassment.
Here is some additional background to the Antigua story.
Celtic executive Peter Lawwell looks at what the dismantling of the G-14 means for his club as well as to club football in Europe.
Finally a massive thank you to all the people I met at the NSCAA convention in Baltimore. And in particular thank you to Charlie Cooke for his patience in listening to my boyhood memeories of his time in the dark blue of Dundee and Scotland.
Nice articles on th African cup Bobby thanks. Couldn't watch todays game coz I had to work but I'm definitely watching tomorrows games. Had it was entertaining and had a climatic ending good start for Ghana and the tourny.
Just watched the Atletico/Real game and I agree with you atleti but I would also add bad luck for Atletico.
Henry scores again for Barca and thank God the Messi... is back, watching the game right now.
Question for all Is that mid-field of Rosisky-Helb-Cesc and Flamini or whoever covering them the best in the BPL or what?
The way the pass the ball and move and dribble at the same time is incredible if the can stay healthy all three of them and Van. P. returns in form and Adebaooo stays healthy then the league is ours.
RINGO: I Loudly Laughed Out Loud - that's LLOL, you young webheads - at your tribute to...
FLASH!!! Ahh-ahh, Saviour of The Universe! I'm good, but not good enough to get my beloved GB Packers into the the Super Bowl.
Flash Gordon might have needed each of the 14 hours mentioned in the video clip to save Earth. I would have happily wasted half that bonking the young starlet in that clip senseless and letting the chips fall where they may with the remaining seven hours.
And may I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the passing of one of Bobby's neighbours, Winnipeg's own Giant of The Mike, Don Wittman, a legendary commentator with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. who died this weekend at 71 of cancer.
A phenomenal caller of action who had such great instincts at moments of peak action. Sadly, I can't recall him ever calling soccer action. But he became a household name through effortless calls of Canadian sports over the past two or three decades.
And above all, as I got to witness first-hand in various sports venues, a complete gentleman wherever his assignments took him. I will always recall him smiling and joking and always taking the time to chat and put ordinary folk at complete ease no matter what event he was working at.
With the prior passing of Don Chevrier this year, Canada has lost two of its greatest-ever sports commentators.
"All I was doing was expressing my relief..."
Sir Alex Ferguson
SAF was explaining his reasons for giving Reading fans the ol' forearm jerk, the up yours, the bras d'honneur, the f-off, after Ronaldo's goal. Of course, I'm sure the PL will find that to be perfectly good explaination as usual.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to see my boss to express my relief that it's finally Monday again.
That would be rather funny, and not entirely untrue either.
After spending a small fortune last summer in the pursuit of European glory, it must be very frustrating watching his team struggle against the likes of Reading.
Hey Bobby, greetings from Jamaica. Do you think this manchester united team is as good as people are saying. do you think they are serious contenders for the champions league meaning do you think they have what it takes. If not where do you think they are short.
Is Ronaldo just going through a purple patch or is he really the real deal.
Awaiting your thoughts
Last edited by carljamaica on January 21st at 7:41 AM.
BLUESTUFF
Osman and Hibbert have been resigned until 2012. Both helped Everton win the 1998 FA Youth Cup and are products of the Everton Academy. No longer are the Blues a selling club, a healthy investment in ourselves.
FERGUSON
Lies to the media again but is unlikely to get any punishment for his actions. Manchester United are of course the most important team in the world and we must not sully them with having to obey the rules that apply to other clubs.
Once a red faced, gobby, whingeing Scot, always a red faced, gobby, whingeing Scot – unless of course ‘er indoors needs some curtains hung.
NICK TOWNSEND
But pretty lame and without any insight.
You can’t go back. Keegan is a huge mistake.
REDSTUFF
Is this as awful a debacle as Ashley / Keegan at toon or the Johnson fiasco across the park or Yeung at Brum.
Would the Dubai royal family be any better. #### is an investment company.
Thing is that Rafa; depsite having no clue when it comes to facial hair; is actually a good manager. He could very well be the first victim of a new broom.
JACK WARNER
Football has become a business worth millions, scum like him will naturally schlup their way to the top. Is the corruption of football any surprise when Blatter runs FIFA.
Now the English Lord of the Flies, laughingly annointed as head of Ethics for FIFA is being complained to about the Carribean situation.
All his oily genuflection and smarm (in England he’s lauded as an arse-licking but-boy with the morales of vulture) will be needed as he refuses to do his job and smarms and arse
CONTINUED
he refuses to do his job and smarms and arselicks his way through life.
Let’s get the nailguns out and crucify the smegs who are in football for themselves not for the game.
G14
Job done – now it’s official! Nice!
I would have let the smeggers have their European Super League. That’s what Darts did and they have their money making and meaningless World Championship every year and an Uber World Champion whose status in real darts barely registers.
Can you ever imagine the fans – the cornerstone of every football club – having eventh a bazillionth the ammount of weight when it comes to the decision making about football’s future. Can you bollocks!
ACoN
The US networks don’t show up for the biggest African tournament in years. Flush with great players from the major leagues in Europe the football will be brilliant.
You can just see richard in the head office of @@@@@ looking at the figures and saying, “we could make a little cash out of this tournament but not that much, anyway who cares it’s only Africa. We didn’t do Asia and no one really cared either.”
At least we’ll be spared some of the smegging awful packaging and commentary that US broadcasters seem to think helps sell football.
RED DEVIL STUFF
CarlJamaica – yes they are that good – even when they are playing below par they still have wins in the side.
Are they better than the 1999 side or the 95/96 side I dunno?
BOBBY
Was Probert correct to book Arteta? Has a card ever been used in that situation that you are aware of?
Does the lack of ACoN on any American network show the ignorance of the American networks as to the value of the tournament in Ghana?
Was it omitted for the same reasons that the Asia tournament was omitted?
What’s your impression of Lord Coe?
What’s your:-
Goal of the week
Save of the week
Game of the week
Referee of the moment
Favourite clip from Flash Gordon
What was your take on the teams and the result for the USMNT against a Sweden B team?
Will you and the boys try some colour this week?
Last edited by craigy_f on January 21st at 8:14 AM.
STEVE OVETT
A people's Champion.
A gracious winner and a good loser.
Not a slimy toe rag who has sleazed his way up the arses of England's elite and will continue to be a gross representation of one aspect of England we English hate to see.
GAME SUMMARY
DUnno about the blurbs but I posted them in the comments.
MAzMaz
continuing a theme from a while back...
Your opinion today after Cahill's terrible 'gerrard' against Wigan.
What would you like to see done to eliminate the "gerrard" from the game?
JJB PITCH
Warriors play home for the first time on 15th February. I wouldn't like to play Wigan at home after that.
WEMBLEY
Will yet again hold another NFL game. The pitch was an issue for the NFL teams and for the subsequent football game.
Why not play the NFL game at Twickenham?
As a committed Man U fan, I think this current team could definitely win the League and Champions League. They are, frankly, outstanding. When Rooney has a bad day (Newcastle), Ronaldo scores a hat-trick and Tevez gets a brace. When Ronaldo has a bad day (Reading), Rooney shows the touch of a master masseur to get a vital goal (and Ronaldo, thanks to Rooney's movement, still manages to pot one).
Can I remind you that the 99 treble side had such "legends" as David May, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt on the field against Bayern Munich. Would any of those players make the bench of the current squad?
If you go through the squads, I would say the treble side were stronger in goal (Schmeichel was simply the best ever for Man U), but Van Der Saar is no slouch (and certainly no Paul Robinson) and in the centre of midfield (Roy Keane and Scholes in his prime) but Hargreaves (when he decides his current hangnail is all better), Carrick, Anderson, and a, when fit, Scholes are more than capable.
Will they win the Champions League? Who knows? There are probably 6 teams that all have realistic beliefs they can do it. What hurts the English teams is the competitiveness of the EPL. The teams have to be "on" every game. In Spain, all the teams seem to be content with a draw away, even the top teams (perhaps why Rafa can't fathom the EPL), and Italy is just a dawdle for Inter.
How about opinions on possible rule changes? Bobby, you can certainly throw in your two cents, as well as everyone else.
Here are some of my thoughts:
1. Why do we need to get so fancy with goal-line technology. Chips in the ball? Come on. If you want to position cameras along the line, fine. But, why can't they just add a back-line official who is in charge of watching for balls crossing the line? He could also assist with fouls in the box. It seems to me this would satisfy the purists and be at least as effective as technology that often still doesn't answer the question 100%.
2. Get rid of this passive offside rule. It just adds to the confusion. Vassell's goal on Sunday was a perfect example. Since the ball does not go to him, is that the end of Phase 1? Then he is back onside by the time the ball ricochets to him, so that makes it a good goal. But this must be a nightmare for the linesmen. Especially when it seems standard practise for players to line up offside on deadball situations to try and confuse the defense. By the way, since you are supposed to play to the whistle, and, as a defender, a man is behind you heading for goal, therefore you have to make an attempt to catch him, pulling yourself out of position. But the ball never goes to that attacker so he is "passive" while the onside attacker takes advantage of the space left by the defender to score. How is this helping the game.
KEEP IT SIMPLE (which offside will never be). If anyone is offside, play is dead. Period.
Last edited by GSfromWinnipeg on January 21st at 11:23 AM.
Why is it that Man Utd supporters always forget about Alex Stepney?
I'd say he was just as good ,if not better than Schmeichel.
GS - I've said that before ,the offside rule should go back to the way it always used to be ,if you're in an offside position ,you're offside.
But I guess that would be too simple.
3. NO TO SIN BINS. As Harry Redknapp says, that will just encourage 10 minutes of time-wasting and defensive play. Just what football needs, 10 more minutes of 10 men behind the ball.
4. 3 YELLOW CARDS BEFORE YOU GET A RED. Encourage the refs to hand out a yellow everytime a foul deserves it. I think they often don't give a yellow, because they no how serious the ramifications a second yellow is. This leads to inconsistency. The good refs talk to a player first and warn him a yellow is coming next time, but we can get rid of that need. The "talking" will be the first yellow. This would especially be of use in internationals where language is often a problem.
Also, get rid of suspensions for accumulated yellows (or at least increase the number of yellows before suspension). This almost always ends up excluding the best players from the biggest games due to some idiotic decision by the player or the ref, three games ago. I am thinking of Roy Keane missing the Champions League final in 99, Ballack missing the 20002 World Cup final, Zidane missing a key match in the 98 Cup, etc.
5. GOLDEN GOAL IN TOURNAMENTS AND ENDLESS OVERTIME. I know, this is a pipe dream. But how about giving it a try. I agree with Bobby, penalty kicks is dramatic and a test of mettle and skill, but it isn't the game that was intended. I think overtime rarely works as is because at least one team plays for the penalty kicks, and both teams are so afraid of conceding, they hang back and trust to fate in the kicks. If there is no promise of penalty kicks,
Hi Bobby, I love reading and respect hearing your opinions.
1. Recently, a reader asked you about commentators and which ones you liked. What’s your take on BBC’s John Motson? I live in the states and don’t get BBC but I’m a huge fan. Just wanted your opinion on the matter.
2. Why have Thierry Henry or Premiership players like Christiano Ronaldo not won the FIFA Player of the Year award? Its always players from Serie A and La Liga, like Messi, or Ronaldinho.
3. Why does Ryan Babel not feature more in Liverpool’s starting 11? He’s a fantastic talent with loads of potential.
GSfW:
1. There is talk of using an additional assistants/linesmen specifically to monitor the goal line on set pieces, just as a trial.
2. There is no easy solution to the offside rule. There has to be an offside rule in order for football to be played as we know it. There has to be a passive rule because it is stupid to call an offside on a player who is tying his shoe laces by the corner flag. I can give you less stupid examples but I’m sure you get the point. The offside rule including the passive rule is good for the game. Unfortunately it is very subjective and referees are having a rough time being consistent, especially when Man City are playing.
3. I agree – Sin Bins would never work in a sport with no play clock.
4. The problem with have 3 yellow cards is that you will have a lot more professional fouls, and freedom to make wreckless tackles.
5. There is no “fair” way to resolve a tie in any sport. I have always felt that when a match ends in a draw you have two losers who do not deserve to advance – but unfortunately one has to advance – and I don’t care if they flip a coin – which is actually how Italy won their only Euro championship title (in the semi I think).
Hicks & Gilette know jack-#### about football, but the "TOM & GEORGE THANKS BUT NO YANKS" banners by some pool supporters are just embarassing. They need to wake up & start pointing their fingers at the manager & players. It's all too easy to scapegoat the foreign owners.
These problems have existed even before their arrival anyway, haven't they?
Would there honestly be any difference if #### took over? They are like the Americans: businessmen with no sentimental feelings for the club. They're hardly going to give a manager like Benitez loads of money at a whim.
BLUESTUFF
Must get...oxygen....air....up...here too thin....oxygen...
RULES
No extra officials please
Back to basics, in offside position play is dead, I thought phase was a type of pistol in Star Trek not somehting remotley connected with football, if Pele was dead he'd be turning in his grave to see his 'beautiful game' so described.
Sin Bins - Big Nev might have be brought out of retirement.
3 yellows, er no, but a straight red for a 'kuyt' would be nice.
Remedy for the penalties - two defenders and a goalkeeper face two attackers with the ball, one minute to score, best of three.
REDSTUFF
Hey blokes up here, above you! And don't give me any of that game in hand smeg either! :P OMG a 'small' club is above you!
UEFA + FIFA + ECA
Clubs with players on WC or EC duty get compensation - abouut 130m(GBP) over 6 years
No mention of the Asian Cup, Copa America, Gold Cup or ACoN...
Bobby, I was just wondering how much have you seen of Angel di Maria. How goes his development at Benfica and why would he choose to go to Benfica over Arsenal?
atleti wrote: "Hicks & Gilette know jack-BLEEP about football, but the "TOM & GEORGE THANKS BUT NO YANKS" banners by some pool supporters are just embarassing. They need to wake up & start pointing their fingers at the manager & players. It's all too easy to scapegoat the foreign owners.
These problems have existed even before their arrival anyway, haven't they?
Would there honestly be any difference if #### took over? They are like the Americans: businessmen with no sentimental feelings for the club. They're hardly going to give a manager like Benitez loads of money at a whim."
I've been a happy lurker here for a while, but this warrants a comment. I don't know whether a #### ownership would make any difference to LFC- but "no sentimental feelings for the club" is not completely accurate ... see this piece by Auntie, for example (#### founder and chairman Sameer Al-Ansari is a lifelong LFC fan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foo tball/teams/l/liverpool/7194876.stm
So at least, can we agree that Benitez would probably NOT have to explain the January Transfer Window procedure to a new #### owner?! ;-) And given that Al-Ansari goes to matches whenever possible, perhaps the current cross-ocean managerial system might be relaxed a bit as well, which would be no bad thing. As for "scapegoating", if Atletico was owned and tightly controlled by football (and culturally)-ignorant businessmen living 5000 miles away, wouldn't you have some serious concerns (rightly or wrongly)?
My point is that the relevant question should NOT be whether similar problems existed before the
Last edited by Ursusarctos on January 21st at 7:42 PM.
Just love how things have evolved at Liverpool. With fans who were once the smash-and-grab scourge of Europe, now acting like hard-done-by soccer nobility.
Can't wait to see which Liverpool player's house gets burglarized next.
It's a great club, great history, but a lot more fun to watch with all the turmoil. Keep it up scousers.
Bobby, it was magic to meet you in Baltimore at the NSCAA convention. Sorry if the Toon top scared you a bit, but I could'nt help stopping by after you said the lads "may" have a problem stayin up! Nee worries now "god" is back!
Cheers for the mention on the Soccer Report tonight and if you are ever in Northern Michigan give me a shout and the beers on me!
I can bend you ear about Dave Smith's Testimonial in 1988 when NUFC played up at Dens Park! It was so foggy you could'nt see the other end of the park and we got bottles thrown at us from lasses after the game! Ahhh happy days! Oh aye, and we lost 2 nowt, so nothing new there!
My point is that the relevant question should NOT be whether similar problems existed before the arrival of the new owners, it is whether, in the absence of the specific problems recently associated with them, the team would have been playing better than it has been.
The supporters at Anfield obviously think that is the case, and maybe they have a point.
(are you sure you don't harbour any residual anti-Valencia/ Benitez feelings, Atleti? ;-)
I stand corrected! I didn't know that about Al-Ansari.
"if Atletico was owned and tightly controlled by football (and culturally)-ignorant businessmen living 5000 miles away, wouldn't you have some serious concerns (rightly or wrongly)?"
Ironically, Atlético have (and still continue to experience) problems with the higher-ups-- over the past decade! Problems that include, among other things, stealing from club funds (easily one of the worst things an owner can do to his club). Relegaton once during that time. A ridiculous number of manager sackings. You name it!
Unrelated, but if anyone's club is interested in signing any of the following Atleti players at any point: Reyes, Pablo, Cléber, Eller, Mista, Valera, Pernía, Perea...I'm so very sorry!!
PS-- Maybe...I do hate all things Valencia (this season, when I feel miserable about Atleti's performances, I watch a Los Che game and I feel a little better! ;)
"this season, when I feel miserable about Atleti's performances ..."
Ah, I forgot to offer my condolences for Sunday.
I have family who have passed some pleasant times in Barcelona over the years, so (naturally enough) there are several Barça supporters hereabouts. Given current Liga standings, they were with you in sprit at the Vicente Calderón hoping to see that other Madrid outfit- whatever their name is- drop three points. Atletis for a day, so to speak ...
I should add that I am also a fan of La Liga- although far less knowledgeable than I should be! Thank you for your match commentary and general observations ... I'm slowly learning.
PS- an interesting take on El Derbi madrileño: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2 008/01/21/real_talking_titles_after _madr.html
Last edited by Ursusarctos on January 21st at 9:05 PM.
Ursus: Can't see how the owners are to blame for any perceived Liverpool problems. The team is sitting in their usual position in the standings, well off the leaders' pace and coming to grips with thoughts that this will be yet another title-free year.
They're playing their usual stingy defence at home, getting the usual mixed cup results and the manager is annoying fans with his rotation policies. What's different about this year's Reds? Are Hicks and Gillett merely guilty of getting expectations falsely raised?
Nice to see that you pay attention to Spurs. Always watchable in their glory days, they're worth watching again as their fortunes continue to improve. The man running the team, Daniel Levy, grew up in Norf London and he's guiding Spurs up and away from the trouble createc by Alan Sugar's decade of mismanagement.
And when the Spurs go marching into their new, mortgage-free 65,000-seat MEGA Lane stadium soon, things will look even better.
Last edited by flashman on January 22nd at 1:12 AM.
"It's Pablo that gets caught with his knickers down and Robinho dances around him...pulls it back for Raul. Raul says 'Thank you very much, Brazilian boy!' It's off to the races! Like a thoroughbred. Robinho's vision, Robinho's class, Raul's deadly dagger!"
Ray Hudson, GolTV Commentator during Atletico Madrid-Real Madrid
"You're getting sacked in the morning"
Luton fans to Rafa Benitez.
"You're going bust in the morning!"
Liverpool fans reply.
"There's only one Jurgen Klinsmann!"
Luton fans after Liverpool sang Benitez's name.
"Nice one Harry, nice one son, nice one Harry, for turning down the scum!"
Sunderland fans to Harry Redknapp.
"You Fill Up My Senses
Like A Home Game With Wigan
Like A Goal From Paul Scharner
Like a Goal From Teves
Like a peno from Unsworth
Like a bye bye to Warnock
Like Sheffield United
You ****** up again!"
Sheffield Wednesday fans teasing United in the steel city derby.
"And the score is West Ham 1, Fulham 1. Fulham's scorer was Simon Davies - at least someone from Tottenham has scored today!"
Chelsea announcer at half-time against Spurs.
Chris Coleman just left Real Sociedad after new management/ownership took over despite getting the team to within three points of promotion on the table. Coleman kept Fulham up even though he was not given a war chest of Funds (see Sunderland) last year. Do you see him coming back to the Prem anytime soon?
flashman: "Are Hicks and Gillett merely guilty of getting expectations falsely raised?"
If you remove "merely"- the Dynamic Duo are certainly guilty of much more than that, to date- than you might have a point. Like many a new owner, the masked pair left the distinct impression a year ago that higher expectations were warranted by their plans for the club. Part of the difference in Liverpool is that LFC supporters see those expectations as a birthright (which may be part of the issue, of course), at least more so than most other clubs.
flashman: "Nice to see that you pay attention to Spurs. Always watchable in their glory days ..."
Oh my. I call a foul- using the words "Spurs" and "glory days" in the same paragraph is blatant hyperbole. I'll leave it to our resident gooners to come up with a better replacement for "glory" ... ;-)
Last edited by Ursusarctos on January 22nd at 6:18 AM.
Craigy-I know you said none of that game in hand #### well then none of that "we have more points than you(because we've played more games)" #### from you.
Fair? :)
By the way, your small club finished above us in the 2004/5 season...of course its just an afterthought now since what we did that year and I wouldn't mind history repeating itself.
RINGO: "And if you really know nothing of Tottenham's glory days ,you must be another who thinks football was invented along with the premier league."
Relax, RINGO, just gently yanking flashman's chain after he had a go first.
I've been "paying attention to Spurs", as flashman puts it, at some level since around the time Ray Clemence made the trip South from Anfield. Does that predate the Premier League sufficiently for you?
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
Thank you to all who take time to visit this blog and especially to those of you who post your comments and thoughts.
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