This time only one month ago, I was one of many Olympic critics. Yet now, they are seemingly a dying breed.
"I was dreading the Olympics"
I love sport, but for these Olympics, I had decided to temporarily disregard my affection for it. Difficulty purchasing tickets and overcrowding of the city and its transport networks were just two of my many worries. Greenwich Park, a short distance from my house, spent all of last summer closed and is spending all of this summer closed. The reason it's closed? To allow a few equestrian events to take place. Have I enjoyed watching equestrian events at previous Olympics? No. My local train station is in restricted use. Blackheath looks like a building site. All of these things left me dreading the summer of 2012, in fact dreading them so much that our family holiday was booked for the second week of the Games in order to escape them.
"This summer has been the most enjoyable of all my life"
Oh how wrong I was. This summer has been the most enjoyable of my life so far- Olympic fever has hit hard. I am yet to visit the Olympic Park, but the events I have seen so far at Horse Guards Parade, Wembley Stadium and in Greenwich Park were all fantastic. The events I have seen on television have been equally fantastic, even without the atmosphere of being there in the flesh. The Opening Ceremony, which I watched on one of London's many so-called 'Big Screens' was absolutely fantastic, which is due not only to Danny Boyle's hard work, but also the fifteen thousand volunteers who create one of the greatest shows on Earth. Admittedly, even after such a wonderful show on the Friday, I was not hugely looking forward to seeing the dressage in my local park last Sunday. But, even dressage, in a thunderstorm, was rather enjoyable. I had to leave that event early in order to reach Wembley by five o'clock to see Senegal defeat Uruguay 2-0, but more importantly to watch Great Britain beat UAE 3-1. However, it had to be noticed there were huge amounts of empty seats at venues and events that were supposedly sold out, which lead to resale on a huge scale on the London 2012 website. At midnight on Monday, I found tickets for show jumping at the equestrian eventing final. Living so close to the park, it was not a problem to have found the tickets at such short notice. The tickets were bought and the final attended. I sat only two rows in front of almost the entire Royal family, watching Great Britain's team of five win silver. Having had such great success with tickets on the first night of trying, I went about trying for more every following evening. My next ticketing success was in buying tickets for Beach Volleyball at Horse Guards Parade for Friday morning, which was great fun.
"This week has been wonderful"
As said previously, it hasn't only the events I managed to get tickets for that I enjoyed, but just as exciting were those that I have watched on television. For the best moment of the first week (of course not counting GB medals), you can't look past Chad le Clos's 200m butterfly win in the Aquatics Centre, and perhaps even more so the reaction of his father, Bert le Clos, live on the BBC. This week has been wonderful.
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Sporting CP 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Charlton will no doubt be delighted with a one goal victory over Europa League semi-finalists Sporting Lisbon. Johnnie Jackson's last minute header from a Danny Green free-kick won it for the Addicks, in a game that could quite easily have finished at least 0-3, if it weren't for three poor refereeing decisions.
Sporting controlled the ball for much of a quiet first period, but never really managed to threaten the Charlton goal. The men in red were very composed on the ball, in particular young Spanish midfielder Ruben Bover Izquierdo, who was linking the defence and midfield together very well. The first chance of the game fell to Sporting striker van Wolfswinkel, whose scuffed shot from the edge of the area was comfortably saved by Ben Hamer after ten minutes. Midway through the first-half, Charlton forward Danny Haynes was quite clearly brought down inside the area by former Liverpool left-back Emiliano Insua, however referee Calzada Morales denied the forward's strong claims, and booked him for dissent. With two minutes to go before the much needed interval in the Mediterranean heat, Yann Kermorgant played a clever long ball out of the defence, which allowed Haynes to run through at goal, however a heavy touch let a Lisbon defender to throw himself in front of the ball, for goalkeeper Marcelo to come and gather.
Similarly to the Welling game on Saturday, Chris Powell decided to field two different sides in each half, with the only real surprise of the second-half being full-back Chris Solly playing in central midfield, with young Jordan Cousins in Solly's normal position. Six minutes into the second half the Addicks had the ball in the net, after Jackson's cross was poked home by Yado Mambo, yet the Reds were dealt a complete injustice, as the linesman put his flag up despite replays showing the big central defender could not have more clearly been onside. Only five minutes later and Charlton had scored again, only for the assistant to put his flag up against an onside Jordan Cook, who finished wonderfully from a neat Michael Smith through-ball. Lisbon's first chance of the half came through a cleverly worked overhead kick, which never really looked like troubling John Sullivan, and flew straight over the bar. Scott Wagstaff was the next to shoot at the SCP goal, but his twenty yard left-footed effort was saved this time by the Lisbon goalkeeper, diving to his left. With ten minutes to go, Chris Powell made his twelfth change of the match, with former Rangers man and triallist Salim Kerkar replacing Jordan Cousins, allowing for Chris Solly to slot back in at right-back. Soon after, Sporting won a free-kick on the edge of the Addicks penalty area, only for them to squander a big chance to win the game, firing it straight into the wall. The Portuguese were left to rue their wasted chances, as in the final minute of the game Charlton won a free-kick. The David Beckham of the English third division (soon-to-be second) Danny Green swung in a fantastic free-kick from the left, letting skipper and ever-reliable Johnnie Jackson net the winner with a diving header from close range.
Charlton fans went wild inside the San Roque de Lepe stadium, and at home behind their laptops. This win will give fans who may have been doubting this side's ability to compete at Championship level due to a lack of transfer activity a sense of reinstalled belief and confidence, and certainly give the players something to be proud of. Definitely an evening to be remembered.
Charlton (first-half): Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Cort, Evina, Pritchard, Stephens, Bover, Haynes, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.
Charlton (second-half): Sullivan, Cousins (Kerkar), Mambo, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Solly, Jackson, Wagstaff, Smith, Cook.
Sporting controlled the ball for much of a quiet first period, but never really managed to threaten the Charlton goal. The men in red were very composed on the ball, in particular young Spanish midfielder Ruben Bover Izquierdo, who was linking the defence and midfield together very well. The first chance of the game fell to Sporting striker van Wolfswinkel, whose scuffed shot from the edge of the area was comfortably saved by Ben Hamer after ten minutes. Midway through the first-half, Charlton forward Danny Haynes was quite clearly brought down inside the area by former Liverpool left-back Emiliano Insua, however referee Calzada Morales denied the forward's strong claims, and booked him for dissent. With two minutes to go before the much needed interval in the Mediterranean heat, Yann Kermorgant played a clever long ball out of the defence, which allowed Haynes to run through at goal, however a heavy touch let a Lisbon defender to throw himself in front of the ball, for goalkeeper Marcelo to come and gather.
Similarly to the Welling game on Saturday, Chris Powell decided to field two different sides in each half, with the only real surprise of the second-half being full-back Chris Solly playing in central midfield, with young Jordan Cousins in Solly's normal position. Six minutes into the second half the Addicks had the ball in the net, after Jackson's cross was poked home by Yado Mambo, yet the Reds were dealt a complete injustice, as the linesman put his flag up despite replays showing the big central defender could not have more clearly been onside. Only five minutes later and Charlton had scored again, only for the assistant to put his flag up against an onside Jordan Cook, who finished wonderfully from a neat Michael Smith through-ball. Lisbon's first chance of the half came through a cleverly worked overhead kick, which never really looked like troubling John Sullivan, and flew straight over the bar. Scott Wagstaff was the next to shoot at the SCP goal, but his twenty yard left-footed effort was saved this time by the Lisbon goalkeeper, diving to his left. With ten minutes to go, Chris Powell made his twelfth change of the match, with former Rangers man and triallist Salim Kerkar replacing Jordan Cousins, allowing for Chris Solly to slot back in at right-back. Soon after, Sporting won a free-kick on the edge of the Addicks penalty area, only for them to squander a big chance to win the game, firing it straight into the wall. The Portuguese were left to rue their wasted chances, as in the final minute of the game Charlton won a free-kick. The David Beckham of the English third division (soon-to-be second) Danny Green swung in a fantastic free-kick from the left, letting skipper and ever-reliable Johnnie Jackson net the winner with a diving header from close range.
Charlton fans went wild inside the San Roque de Lepe stadium, and at home behind their laptops. This win will give fans who may have been doubting this side's ability to compete at Championship level due to a lack of transfer activity a sense of reinstalled belief and confidence, and certainly give the players something to be proud of. Definitely an evening to be remembered.
Charlton (first-half): Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Cort, Evina, Pritchard, Stephens, Bover, Haynes, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.
Charlton (second-half): Sullivan, Cousins (Kerkar), Mambo, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Solly, Jackson, Wagstaff, Smith, Cook.
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Welling United 0-4 Charlton Athletic
In a similar vein to last year, Charlton ran out comfortable winners, despite a goalless first-half, over Welling United at their Park View Road home ground.
Charlton started with a mixture of younger players and those who had played a big role in the League One winning team last season. Young goalkeeper Nick Pope started in goal, behind a back four of promising right-back and England youth player Jordan Cousins, an experienced central defence pairing of Leon Cort and first-half captain Matt Taylor, and left-back Cedric Evina. Danny Green and Callum Harriott played out wide for the men in the new black away kit, with Ruben Bover Izquierdo and Bradley Pritchard in the middle. Last season's top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips started up top alongside fan's favourite Yann Kermorgant, who was playing for the first time at Welling.
The game began with a fairly even first-half, with Bover pulling the strings with some wonderful passes in the Charlton midfield and Bradley Pritchard looking as energetic as ever. It has to be said, Welling did play some good football in the first-half, and Wings player Fairweather-Johnson did manage to test Pope with a drive, but the goalkeeper handled it calmly. However the first chance of the goalless first-half came to young midfielder Callum Harriott, who squandered a Danny Green centre well wide of the goal, and eventually out for a throw-in. The best opportunity came to Bradley Wright-Phillips, who perhaps tried to do too much with Harriott's fantastic through-ball, and with his shot blocked the ball fell to Pritchard, who could only direct the ball narrowly wide of the Wings goal.
Chris Powell played a whole new eleven in the second-half, and a new formation to go with it. Spanish triallist Jacobo Sanz Ovejero started in goal, protected by 2011/12 player and young player of the season Chris Solly, powerful young centre-back Yado Mambo, Michael Morrison and Rhoys Wiggins. Powell played three in midfield, with Scott Wagstaff and captain Johnnie Jackson flanking Dale Stephens. Up front new signing Jordan Cook was given his first chance to shine alongside Danny Haynes and Michael Smith.
A fantastic move down the right between Jackson, Smith and Solly led to the opener, an own-goal by Joe Obersteller from the latter's cross. Five minutes later and Charlton had the ball in the net again, this time a Dale Stephens corner neatly headed in by big forward Smith. The next action came from the other end, with a long clearance misjudged by Morrison, allowing Ross Lafayette through on goal, but he could only find the near post, with Sanz Ovejero fast closing him down. A clever pass from controlling midfielder Stephens allowed Danny Haynes to run through on goal, but the striker was brought down by United defender Franks, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Jackson converted the penalty into the bottom right corner as calmly as ever, and with twelve minutes to go The Addicks were cruising. Seven minutes later Jordan Cook almost made it four, a long cross/shot from wide right hitting the crossbar. However in the 86th minute, Charlton did make it four. Another good corner from Stephens was headed home emphatically into the far corner from the near post by Haynes. The game finished soon after, and the away side will surely be satisfied with their comfortable victory.
Charlton (first-half): Pope, Cousins, Taylor, Cort, Evina, Green, Bover, Pritchard, Harriott, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.
Charlton (second-half): Sanz Ovejero, Solly, Mambo, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Stephens, Jackson, Haynes, Smith, Cook.
Charlton started with a mixture of younger players and those who had played a big role in the League One winning team last season. Young goalkeeper Nick Pope started in goal, behind a back four of promising right-back and England youth player Jordan Cousins, an experienced central defence pairing of Leon Cort and first-half captain Matt Taylor, and left-back Cedric Evina. Danny Green and Callum Harriott played out wide for the men in the new black away kit, with Ruben Bover Izquierdo and Bradley Pritchard in the middle. Last season's top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips started up top alongside fan's favourite Yann Kermorgant, who was playing for the first time at Welling.
The game began with a fairly even first-half, with Bover pulling the strings with some wonderful passes in the Charlton midfield and Bradley Pritchard looking as energetic as ever. It has to be said, Welling did play some good football in the first-half, and Wings player Fairweather-Johnson did manage to test Pope with a drive, but the goalkeeper handled it calmly. However the first chance of the goalless first-half came to young midfielder Callum Harriott, who squandered a Danny Green centre well wide of the goal, and eventually out for a throw-in. The best opportunity came to Bradley Wright-Phillips, who perhaps tried to do too much with Harriott's fantastic through-ball, and with his shot blocked the ball fell to Pritchard, who could only direct the ball narrowly wide of the Wings goal.
Chris Powell played a whole new eleven in the second-half, and a new formation to go with it. Spanish triallist Jacobo Sanz Ovejero started in goal, protected by 2011/12 player and young player of the season Chris Solly, powerful young centre-back Yado Mambo, Michael Morrison and Rhoys Wiggins. Powell played three in midfield, with Scott Wagstaff and captain Johnnie Jackson flanking Dale Stephens. Up front new signing Jordan Cook was given his first chance to shine alongside Danny Haynes and Michael Smith.
A fantastic move down the right between Jackson, Smith and Solly led to the opener, an own-goal by Joe Obersteller from the latter's cross. Five minutes later and Charlton had the ball in the net again, this time a Dale Stephens corner neatly headed in by big forward Smith. The next action came from the other end, with a long clearance misjudged by Morrison, allowing Ross Lafayette through on goal, but he could only find the near post, with Sanz Ovejero fast closing him down. A clever pass from controlling midfielder Stephens allowed Danny Haynes to run through on goal, but the striker was brought down by United defender Franks, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Jackson converted the penalty into the bottom right corner as calmly as ever, and with twelve minutes to go The Addicks were cruising. Seven minutes later Jordan Cook almost made it four, a long cross/shot from wide right hitting the crossbar. However in the 86th minute, Charlton did make it four. Another good corner from Stephens was headed home emphatically into the far corner from the near post by Haynes. The game finished soon after, and the away side will surely be satisfied with their comfortable victory.
Charlton (first-half): Pope, Cousins, Taylor, Cort, Evina, Green, Bover, Pritchard, Harriott, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.
Charlton (second-half): Sanz Ovejero, Solly, Mambo, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Stephens, Jackson, Haynes, Smith, Cook.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
EURO 2012 PREVIEW
I have that feeling of childish excitement buzzing in my gut again. Tournament football will return to our televisions this summer, and this year's European Championship looks set to be one of the most entertaining and competitive yet. Here is a preview, which, if you aren't already, will have you gleaming at the prospect of another summer of football.
GROUP A
Although Group A doesn't look the most thrilling group at face value, you can be sure it'll still entertain. Co-hosts Poland will be determined to better their first European Championship showing after being eliminated in the group stages in 2008. In front of their own fans they shouldn't be doubted, and playing in probably the weakest group of the competition should, in my opinion, just about take them through to the knockout stages. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny would be key to any success they have, as the three other teams in Group A all have an experienced striker in one shape or form. Russia, the surprise semi finalists of 2008, should be tough opposition for the other sides in their group. Unfortunately, the success of 2008 hasn't sparked a new era of Russian football, as many expected. Instead, the stars of that year have grown old, and no revolution materialised. Qualification was not necessarily achieved in style by the Russians, but more with efficiency. Only four goals were conceded in their ten qualifiers, and if they can match their great defending displays of those qualifiers with the spectacular attacking displays of 2008, then who knows what this they could achieve. Captain Andrei Arshavin will look to inspire, after struggling to hold down a first team place at Arsenal this season. Alan Dzagoev, 21, who is expected to play alongside Arshavin in attacking midfield, could step up as one of the very few young players in this Russian side. After playing Champions League football with CSKA Moscow, he will want to shine in his first major tournament. Greece would love to repeat their shock success of 2004, but that is highly unlikely. Like Russia, Greece had a tight defence in their qualifying campaign, conceding only five goals in ten games. This could probably largely be put down to them having one of the up and coming stars of the Bundesliga, Schalke 04's Kyriakos Papadopoulos. The 20 year old central defender carries high expectations, and it wouldn't come of surprise to me if some good performances this summer don't go unnoticed by some Premier League clubs. I don't expect the Greeks to make it through to the knockout stages, but they won't go out without a fight. The Czech Republic's uninspiring qualification has hardly set them up for a hugely inspiring European Championship this summer, with real problems in the striking department. Only eight goals were scored in their twelve qualifying matches, and with Milan Baros having played in the majority of qualifiers, he seems to have lost the touch of his past. A repeat of his 5 goals at Euro 2004 looks highly unlikely. I won't completely write them off, but I expect very little from this Czech Republic team.
PREDICTIONS
June 8- Poland 2-1 Greece (BBC)
June 8-Russia 2-0 Czech Republic (ITV)
June 12- Greece 1-0 Czech Republic (ITV)
June 12- Poland 1-1 Russia (ITV)
June 16- Czech Republic 1-1 Poland (BBC)
June 16- Greece 1-2 Russia (BBC)
GROUP B
This year's 'Group of Death' is simply unmissable. Holland will be desperate to win only their second ever major tournament. Don't expect the Dutch to be at all goal shy this summer, having scored a remarkable 37 goals in just ten qualifying matches. In September they beat San Marino 11-0, and that came without top scorer Klaas- Jan Huntelaar getting a goal. However things aren't all good for the Dutch. At face value, a team with players such as Van der Vaart, Robben, Sneijder, Huntelaar and Van Persie should have no problems reaching the final. Yet, their defence has struggled greatly recently. A 3-0 friendly loss to group stage rivals Germany did not go down well in Holland, and although they managed to beat England at Wembley in February, England did manage to score two goals, and this could hinder Dutch progression this summer. I do still expect Holland to go far in this competition, but can they win it with such a leaky defence? Germany stand in Holland's way, and they will be a huge obstacle for any team to overcome. Having won all ten of their qualifiers, and beaten Holland 3-0 in a November friendly, expectations of this German side are high, and so they should be. But, in a similar vein to the Dutch, the Germans struggle defensively. Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm are undoubtedly two of the best in their position in the world, yet it's the other three positions that are undecided. Per Mertesacker for one has struggled this season for Arsenal with form and injuries, which is not a good sign. If the other teams can exploit Germany's defensive weaknesses, then they could be in for a difficult time this summer. Yet if they improve defensively, I could see Germany going on to win the tournament. Portugal started the qualifiers poorly under Carlos Queiroz, drawing 4-4 with Cyprus and losing 1-0 to Norway. Queiroz was then replaced by Paulo Bento, the 42 year old former Sporting Lisbon manager. Things then improved, winning every game bar a 2-1 away defeat to Denmark. Beating Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-offs, Portugal were showing signs of improvement, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo was moved from a centre forward role back to the wing, where he plays best. Portugal will not be easy opposition, but I expect Germany and Holland to be too much for them. Denmark, despite them supposedly being the 'easy' team of the group, could possibly shine amongst the best. Former Charlton man Dennis Rommedahl, 33, is still flourishing in an attacking role for the Danish, despite his age. Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen, 20, is likely to start alongside Rommedahl, and this could be his time to prove his worth on the biggest stage in Europe, with 21 international caps already to his name. They couldn't have been put in a more difficult group, but I do still expect them to be in with a chance.
PREDICTIONS
June 9- Holland 3-2 Denmark (BBC)
June 9- Germany 2-1 Portugal (BBC)
June 13- Denmark 2-0 Portugal (ITV)
June 13- Holland 3-3 Germany (BBC)
June 17- Denmark 1-2 Germany (ITV)
June 17- Portugal 1-1 Holland (ITV)
GROUP C
Group C has the potential to be incredibly interesting. Holders of not only the European Championship, but also the World Cup, all the expectation is on Spain's shoulders. They arrive in Poland and Ukraine with a 100% win record in the qualifiers. Yet, can they win three successive major tournaments? Their side seems to have no weaknesses. Take goalkeepers, for example. They have to leave one of Pepe Reina, David de Gea, Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes at home. This proves the incredible strength in depth this Spain squad possesses. Yet maybe, Spain's biggest strength could be their only weakness. Choosing the right players will not be easy at all for Vicente del Bosque. In midfield, who does he play? With a choice of David Silva, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Iker Muniain, Sergio Busquets (the list goes on), it will be incredibly difficult for him to pick no more than five starting midfielders. The competitiveness for a starting place may cause tensions in the squad, adding to further tension that could be caused by the Madrid/Barcelona divide. Or the most likely outcome may come true, no tension arises and Spain win the cup. Time will tell. Italy have almost been forgotten about since their World Cup win in 2006. An exit at the quarter final stage in 2008 and group stage in 2010 have left many wondering what happened to the Azzuri since 2006. Italy did progress comfortably through the qualifiers in all fairness, bar a goalless draw in Northern Ireland. However, perhaps Euro 2012 will prove whether manager Cesare Prandelli was right to be patient with Mario Balotelli. The Manchester City striker undoubtedly has fantastic talent with the football at his feet, it's just what he does without it that is worrying. Croatia are another team that have struggled in times of late. After beating England to claim qualification to Euro 2008, Croatia were the team to look out for, but everything has gone rather quiet since then. A failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup could however be the catalyst for a Croatian revival. Their team certainly has the talent, with Modric and Kranjcar in midfield, and Olic and Mandzukic up front. Whether they can make the most of these players and reach the knockout stages remains to be seen though. The Republic of Ireland may just have the experience to carry themselves through this incredibly difficult group. Under Giovanni Trapattoni they have lost only two of twenty-four competitive matches, a very impressive record. The Irish too have strength in depth, with a choice of Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle for strikers. The central midfield positions however may be a slight worry, with Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews likely to struggle for possession in the middle when playing against Spain and Italy. They may still be an outside bet to reach the knockout stages though.
PREDICTIONS
June 10- Spain 3-1 Italy (ITV)
June 10- Republic of Ireland 1-0 Croatia (ITV)
June 14- Italy 3-0 Croatia (BBC)
June 14- Spain 4-0 Republic of Ireland (ITV)
June 18- Croatia 2-3 Spain (BBC)
June 18- Italy 2-1 Republic of Ireland (BBC)
GROUP D
Co-hosts Ukraine have lost friendlies to France, Sweden, Uruguay and the Czech Republic in the last two years, which suggests they may have little effect on the tournament. Their team includes a few ageing stars of the past, Tymoshchuck and Shevchenko to name a couple, but no real talent for the future, except Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko. He has scored 12 times in 20 appearances this season and has supposedly attracted the attention of Arsenal and Liverpool. He is another that we may be watching in the Premier League next season, if he plays well enough this summer. For England, many hope this could be the start of something good. New manager Roy Hodgson didn't make any hugely surprising selections in his first England squad, other than there being no place for Micah Richards. For new captain Steven Gerrard it may well be the last chance to shine in Europe's biggest football competition, so he will without a doubt be hugely influential in England's final standing in the tournament. They will also be without star man Wayne Rooney for the two opening fixtures against France and Sweden, so a makeshift frontline may be led by one or two of Andy Carroll, Jermaine Defoe and Danny Welbeck. Euro 2012 will be key midfielder Scott Parker's first shot at tournament football, and after a fantastic season with Tottenham Hotspur and captaining the England side against Holland it would surprise many if he wasn't to be one of the first on Roy Hodgson's team sheet. The athleticism and youth of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott will frighten any ageing opposition full-backs. England on paper should definitely progress to the knockout stages, but what England should do is often very different from what they actually do. France's qualifying campaign was somewhat unconvincing. A loss to Belarus and draws with Bosnia & Herzegovina and Romania are rather uninspiring for this summer for the French, yet look behind these results and there is a new picture. Yohan Cabaye and Yann M'Vila will want to bring what they've shown in domestic football to the bigger stage. An in form Karim Benzema will be a real threat to opposition defences. This newly united French team will be driven on by the atrocities of the 2010 World Cup, and who knows, maybe this could be their time to shine once again. After missing out on the last World Cup, Sweden will want to prove their worth once again. The experience of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be important, but it's whether he's on form that may be a deciding factor. If so, the Swedes could be in with a chance of grabbing that second knockout spot. If not, that looks quite unlikely. Whatever happens, it looks probable that Sweden will have to beat Ukraine and get a result against one of France and England.
PREDICTIONS
June 11- France 1-1 England (ITV)
June 11- Ukraine 2-2 Sweden (BBC)
June 15- Ukraine 0-2 France (ITV)
June 15- Sweden 1-2 England (BBC)
June 19- England 3-2 Ukraine (ITV)
June 19- Sweden 2-4 France (ITV)
GROUP A
Although Group A doesn't look the most thrilling group at face value, you can be sure it'll still entertain. Co-hosts Poland will be determined to better their first European Championship showing after being eliminated in the group stages in 2008. In front of their own fans they shouldn't be doubted, and playing in probably the weakest group of the competition should, in my opinion, just about take them through to the knockout stages. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny would be key to any success they have, as the three other teams in Group A all have an experienced striker in one shape or form. Russia, the surprise semi finalists of 2008, should be tough opposition for the other sides in their group. Unfortunately, the success of 2008 hasn't sparked a new era of Russian football, as many expected. Instead, the stars of that year have grown old, and no revolution materialised. Qualification was not necessarily achieved in style by the Russians, but more with efficiency. Only four goals were conceded in their ten qualifiers, and if they can match their great defending displays of those qualifiers with the spectacular attacking displays of 2008, then who knows what this they could achieve. Captain Andrei Arshavin will look to inspire, after struggling to hold down a first team place at Arsenal this season. Alan Dzagoev, 21, who is expected to play alongside Arshavin in attacking midfield, could step up as one of the very few young players in this Russian side. After playing Champions League football with CSKA Moscow, he will want to shine in his first major tournament. Greece would love to repeat their shock success of 2004, but that is highly unlikely. Like Russia, Greece had a tight defence in their qualifying campaign, conceding only five goals in ten games. This could probably largely be put down to them having one of the up and coming stars of the Bundesliga, Schalke 04's Kyriakos Papadopoulos. The 20 year old central defender carries high expectations, and it wouldn't come of surprise to me if some good performances this summer don't go unnoticed by some Premier League clubs. I don't expect the Greeks to make it through to the knockout stages, but they won't go out without a fight. The Czech Republic's uninspiring qualification has hardly set them up for a hugely inspiring European Championship this summer, with real problems in the striking department. Only eight goals were scored in their twelve qualifying matches, and with Milan Baros having played in the majority of qualifiers, he seems to have lost the touch of his past. A repeat of his 5 goals at Euro 2004 looks highly unlikely. I won't completely write them off, but I expect very little from this Czech Republic team.
PREDICTIONS
June 8- Poland 2-1 Greece (BBC)
June 8-Russia 2-0 Czech Republic (ITV)
June 12- Greece 1-0 Czech Republic (ITV)
June 12- Poland 1-1 Russia (ITV)
June 16- Czech Republic 1-1 Poland (BBC)
June 16- Greece 1-2 Russia (BBC)
GROUP B
This year's 'Group of Death' is simply unmissable. Holland will be desperate to win only their second ever major tournament. Don't expect the Dutch to be at all goal shy this summer, having scored a remarkable 37 goals in just ten qualifying matches. In September they beat San Marino 11-0, and that came without top scorer Klaas- Jan Huntelaar getting a goal. However things aren't all good for the Dutch. At face value, a team with players such as Van der Vaart, Robben, Sneijder, Huntelaar and Van Persie should have no problems reaching the final. Yet, their defence has struggled greatly recently. A 3-0 friendly loss to group stage rivals Germany did not go down well in Holland, and although they managed to beat England at Wembley in February, England did manage to score two goals, and this could hinder Dutch progression this summer. I do still expect Holland to go far in this competition, but can they win it with such a leaky defence? Germany stand in Holland's way, and they will be a huge obstacle for any team to overcome. Having won all ten of their qualifiers, and beaten Holland 3-0 in a November friendly, expectations of this German side are high, and so they should be. But, in a similar vein to the Dutch, the Germans struggle defensively. Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm are undoubtedly two of the best in their position in the world, yet it's the other three positions that are undecided. Per Mertesacker for one has struggled this season for Arsenal with form and injuries, which is not a good sign. If the other teams can exploit Germany's defensive weaknesses, then they could be in for a difficult time this summer. Yet if they improve defensively, I could see Germany going on to win the tournament. Portugal started the qualifiers poorly under Carlos Queiroz, drawing 4-4 with Cyprus and losing 1-0 to Norway. Queiroz was then replaced by Paulo Bento, the 42 year old former Sporting Lisbon manager. Things then improved, winning every game bar a 2-1 away defeat to Denmark. Beating Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-offs, Portugal were showing signs of improvement, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo was moved from a centre forward role back to the wing, where he plays best. Portugal will not be easy opposition, but I expect Germany and Holland to be too much for them. Denmark, despite them supposedly being the 'easy' team of the group, could possibly shine amongst the best. Former Charlton man Dennis Rommedahl, 33, is still flourishing in an attacking role for the Danish, despite his age. Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen, 20, is likely to start alongside Rommedahl, and this could be his time to prove his worth on the biggest stage in Europe, with 21 international caps already to his name. They couldn't have been put in a more difficult group, but I do still expect them to be in with a chance.
PREDICTIONS
June 9- Holland 3-2 Denmark (BBC)
June 9- Germany 2-1 Portugal (BBC)
June 13- Denmark 2-0 Portugal (ITV)
June 13- Holland 3-3 Germany (BBC)
June 17- Denmark 1-2 Germany (ITV)
June 17- Portugal 1-1 Holland (ITV)
GROUP C
Group C has the potential to be incredibly interesting. Holders of not only the European Championship, but also the World Cup, all the expectation is on Spain's shoulders. They arrive in Poland and Ukraine with a 100% win record in the qualifiers. Yet, can they win three successive major tournaments? Their side seems to have no weaknesses. Take goalkeepers, for example. They have to leave one of Pepe Reina, David de Gea, Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes at home. This proves the incredible strength in depth this Spain squad possesses. Yet maybe, Spain's biggest strength could be their only weakness. Choosing the right players will not be easy at all for Vicente del Bosque. In midfield, who does he play? With a choice of David Silva, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Iker Muniain, Sergio Busquets (the list goes on), it will be incredibly difficult for him to pick no more than five starting midfielders. The competitiveness for a starting place may cause tensions in the squad, adding to further tension that could be caused by the Madrid/Barcelona divide. Or the most likely outcome may come true, no tension arises and Spain win the cup. Time will tell. Italy have almost been forgotten about since their World Cup win in 2006. An exit at the quarter final stage in 2008 and group stage in 2010 have left many wondering what happened to the Azzuri since 2006. Italy did progress comfortably through the qualifiers in all fairness, bar a goalless draw in Northern Ireland. However, perhaps Euro 2012 will prove whether manager Cesare Prandelli was right to be patient with Mario Balotelli. The Manchester City striker undoubtedly has fantastic talent with the football at his feet, it's just what he does without it that is worrying. Croatia are another team that have struggled in times of late. After beating England to claim qualification to Euro 2008, Croatia were the team to look out for, but everything has gone rather quiet since then. A failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup could however be the catalyst for a Croatian revival. Their team certainly has the talent, with Modric and Kranjcar in midfield, and Olic and Mandzukic up front. Whether they can make the most of these players and reach the knockout stages remains to be seen though. The Republic of Ireland may just have the experience to carry themselves through this incredibly difficult group. Under Giovanni Trapattoni they have lost only two of twenty-four competitive matches, a very impressive record. The Irish too have strength in depth, with a choice of Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle for strikers. The central midfield positions however may be a slight worry, with Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews likely to struggle for possession in the middle when playing against Spain and Italy. They may still be an outside bet to reach the knockout stages though.
PREDICTIONS
June 10- Spain 3-1 Italy (ITV)
June 10- Republic of Ireland 1-0 Croatia (ITV)
June 14- Italy 3-0 Croatia (BBC)
June 14- Spain 4-0 Republic of Ireland (ITV)
June 18- Croatia 2-3 Spain (BBC)
June 18- Italy 2-1 Republic of Ireland (BBC)
GROUP D
Co-hosts Ukraine have lost friendlies to France, Sweden, Uruguay and the Czech Republic in the last two years, which suggests they may have little effect on the tournament. Their team includes a few ageing stars of the past, Tymoshchuck and Shevchenko to name a couple, but no real talent for the future, except Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko. He has scored 12 times in 20 appearances this season and has supposedly attracted the attention of Arsenal and Liverpool. He is another that we may be watching in the Premier League next season, if he plays well enough this summer. For England, many hope this could be the start of something good. New manager Roy Hodgson didn't make any hugely surprising selections in his first England squad, other than there being no place for Micah Richards. For new captain Steven Gerrard it may well be the last chance to shine in Europe's biggest football competition, so he will without a doubt be hugely influential in England's final standing in the tournament. They will also be without star man Wayne Rooney for the two opening fixtures against France and Sweden, so a makeshift frontline may be led by one or two of Andy Carroll, Jermaine Defoe and Danny Welbeck. Euro 2012 will be key midfielder Scott Parker's first shot at tournament football, and after a fantastic season with Tottenham Hotspur and captaining the England side against Holland it would surprise many if he wasn't to be one of the first on Roy Hodgson's team sheet. The athleticism and youth of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott will frighten any ageing opposition full-backs. England on paper should definitely progress to the knockout stages, but what England should do is often very different from what they actually do. France's qualifying campaign was somewhat unconvincing. A loss to Belarus and draws with Bosnia & Herzegovina and Romania are rather uninspiring for this summer for the French, yet look behind these results and there is a new picture. Yohan Cabaye and Yann M'Vila will want to bring what they've shown in domestic football to the bigger stage. An in form Karim Benzema will be a real threat to opposition defences. This newly united French team will be driven on by the atrocities of the 2010 World Cup, and who knows, maybe this could be their time to shine once again. After missing out on the last World Cup, Sweden will want to prove their worth once again. The experience of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be important, but it's whether he's on form that may be a deciding factor. If so, the Swedes could be in with a chance of grabbing that second knockout spot. If not, that looks quite unlikely. Whatever happens, it looks probable that Sweden will have to beat Ukraine and get a result against one of France and England.
PREDICTIONS
June 11- France 1-1 England (ITV)
June 11- Ukraine 2-2 Sweden (BBC)
June 15- Ukraine 0-2 France (ITV)
June 15- Sweden 1-2 England (BBC)
June 19- England 3-2 Ukraine (ITV)
June 19- Sweden 2-4 France (ITV)
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Euell heads list of 5 released
The inevitable post-season transfer rumours are starting to litter the internet yet again, and today it was announced Charlton Athletic would be releasing five players. Jason Euell, an Addicks legend, Gary Doherty, the experienced central defender, Freddie Warren and Tosan Popo the former youth team players, and mystery man Mikel Alonso.
Euell is the stand out name from the list. Although it may not be a surprise to most fans, this does signal the end of his Charlton career and possibly his career itself, yet Powell did state that him coming back in a coaching role is a possibility. Gary Doherty never really hit the heights of fans expectations, and it is of no surprise to me that he will be departing the club, after signing in 2010. I know very little of Popo and Warren as neither of them were given a real first team opportunity, other than Popo's cameo outing against Preston North End near the end of the last calendar year. Now for Alonso, I, for one, was absolutely delighted to hear that he had signed for Charlton last year, yet it never crossed my mind that he would go down in the history books as another Omar Pouso or Cory Gibbs. Alonso only managed one first team appearance in a Charlton shirt, against Brentford in the Johnston's Paint Trophy, which happened to be one of the first home games I had missed in a while, and thank God I missed it, a 3-0 defeat and a supposedly awful appearance by the mystery man knocked Charlton out of the cup. I can only deduct one thing from this... Alonso never existed.
Euell is the stand out name from the list. Although it may not be a surprise to most fans, this does signal the end of his Charlton career and possibly his career itself, yet Powell did state that him coming back in a coaching role is a possibility. Gary Doherty never really hit the heights of fans expectations, and it is of no surprise to me that he will be departing the club, after signing in 2010. I know very little of Popo and Warren as neither of them were given a real first team opportunity, other than Popo's cameo outing against Preston North End near the end of the last calendar year. Now for Alonso, I, for one, was absolutely delighted to hear that he had signed for Charlton last year, yet it never crossed my mind that he would go down in the history books as another Omar Pouso or Cory Gibbs. Alonso only managed one first team appearance in a Charlton shirt, against Brentford in the Johnston's Paint Trophy, which happened to be one of the first home games I had missed in a while, and thank God I missed it, a 3-0 defeat and a supposedly awful appearance by the mystery man knocked Charlton out of the cup. I can only deduct one thing from this... Alonso never existed.
Monday, 7 May 2012
I'm back, we're back.
I've neglected this blog for almost a year now, but I saw it fitting to start writing again as Charlton start writing history again. Saturday was a fantastic day. Never in my lifetime have I seen Charlton lift a trophy, so it meant a lot to me. This season has been wonderful, and that can be put down, primarily, to one thing. No, not Chris Powell. I think our fans will forever be in debt to what Tony Jiminez and Michael Slater have done for our football club. Who knows, if they hadn't come in, there may have been no Charlton Athletic.
Of course, Chris Powell has played his part too, a fairly big one at that. At the end of the 2010-11 season, Charlton had just nine contracted players. Everyone expected a few players coming in, but nothing like the turnover of players that occurred. A total of nineteen players were signed between the end of May and the early September (not including those signed/sold in January), and two of those contracted players at the end of the season had left the club by the end of August. The vast majority of those that were signed, were young and determined players with League One experience, some of whom Chris Powell knew already. Michael Morrison has epitomised Chris Powell's methods. Signed for an undisclosed fee in early July, Powell knew exactly what he was getting, having played with him and coached him at Leicester City. Aged 24, and having already experienced winning a League One title, he fit the bill perfectly. After falling out of favour at Leicester, Morrison had joined Sheffield Wednesday in January 2011, but a change in manager no sooner had he arrived meant that Morrison was yet again struggling to hold down a place in the first team. Powell stepped in, and there was no need to ever look back. Almost an ever present this season, he has proven exactly what signing the right players can do for a club.
Of course, Chris Powell has played his part too, a fairly big one at that. At the end of the 2010-11 season, Charlton had just nine contracted players. Everyone expected a few players coming in, but nothing like the turnover of players that occurred. A total of nineteen players were signed between the end of May and the early September (not including those signed/sold in January), and two of those contracted players at the end of the season had left the club by the end of August. The vast majority of those that were signed, were young and determined players with League One experience, some of whom Chris Powell knew already. Michael Morrison has epitomised Chris Powell's methods. Signed for an undisclosed fee in early July, Powell knew exactly what he was getting, having played with him and coached him at Leicester City. Aged 24, and having already experienced winning a League One title, he fit the bill perfectly. After falling out of favour at Leicester, Morrison had joined Sheffield Wednesday in January 2011, but a change in manager no sooner had he arrived meant that Morrison was yet again struggling to hold down a place in the first team. Powell stepped in, and there was no need to ever look back. Almost an ever present this season, he has proven exactly what signing the right players can do for a club.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
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