Paw Felix

With just six weeks remaining in this scintillating Premier League campaign and the destination of the title marvellously undecided, each fixture brings with it an immense amount of pressure and consequence. Fulham’s defeat to Champions League hopefuls Everton had profound effects on the race for 4^th place as well as compounding Felix Magath to yet another defeat in charge of the beleaguered cottagers. The German has picked up just one victory during his time in London and comparing this to Tony Pulis’ record at Crystal Palace since taking control at the seemingly doomed Eagles makes grimacing reading for any advocate of finding the answers abroad in a relegation dogfight.

Magath has a fearsome reputation for maximising the potential of otherwise limited players and an ability to pull clubs away from the brink of relegation. Dubbed as “the firefighter”, the German has repeatedly proven himself to be a credible and highly respectable manager. On paper, the decision to hire Magath makes logical sense. Fulham have struggled this season and the consequent sale of the talented maverick Dimitar Berbatov has left the Londoners desperately short in attack. Staggeringly, the goals against column reads 73 conceded. Not scoring enough and terminally bleeding goals normally means relegation. Such an emergency surely calls for the firefighter, right?

A damning return of conceding 15 goals in Magath’s six games in charge however may suggest that the firefighter has ran out of water, but there is a stronger argument for duty of rescue being slightly different in England to the continent. A short glance eastwards to their London rivals at Selhurst Park supports this argument. Pulis’ Palace picked up a deserved victory over title contenders Chelsea at the weekend to put them 5 points clear with a game in hand over Cardiff City who occupy the final relegation spot. The Welshman’s style of football is not always entirely pleasing on the eye, but it is perhaps the British answer to Magath’s maximising the potential of players. The appointment of a safe pair of hands which could readily clench in to a punch packing fist has thus far proven to be favourable to Felix’s paw.

In truth, the teams which look to have the most heart and the greatest chance of survival are all led by managers with experience and knowledge of English football. Steve Bruce at Hull City has carefully steered the tigers to relative safety without ever truly being in a position of danger whilst West Ham’s faith in Sam Allardyce looks like it will, just about, pay dividends.  There is also a school of thought that if Cardiff had stood by Malky Mackay then they would perhaps be in a better position than they find themselves in. Hypothetical, sure, but there is no doubt that Solksjær’s lack of experience in such a position is threatening to ground the flight of the bluebirds.

Of course, managers need to be given jobs in order to gain such experience. Interestingly, Solksjær would perhaps have been more successful at a team in the relative comfort of mid table where he could hone his skills and develop a greater understanding of English management. The Norwegian can point to his successes at Molde FK as proof that he has the credentials to do well but to be thrown in to a relegation battle at this early stage of his career serves as the harshest of educations in football.

Pepe Mel is another example of a manager who boasts an impressive C.V and comes across as an insightful, intelligent man. His West Brom team are floundering at present and will be praying for the season to end as soon as possible. The confident “boing boing” of the baggies looks more like a desperate hobble towards the finish line and they may be more reliant upon the failures of three other teams than their own ability and sheer grit. His appointment and performance is in stark contrast to that of Roy Hodgson who guided the midlands team to safety from a position of danger, echoing his great escape with Fulham in 2008.

It must be noted that this is not a xenophobic rant at foreign managers being either not good enough or stunting the progress of British managers. Hodgson’s quite frankly inept reign at Liverpool, to take just one example, shows that nationality and success are not intrinsically linked in the Premier League. Furthermore, the massive improvement of Sunderland under Gus Poyet, who had managerial experience with Brighton and coaching experience with Swindon, Leeds and Tottenham, shows that a detailed understanding of English footballing culture is more crucial to success that just having a sense of “Englishness”, particularly on limited funds. Admittedly, Sunderland are still struggling. A cup run however and some hugely impressive performances have propelled them in to a position of having touching distance between themselves and survival. West Brom will no doubt feel the black cats breathing down their necks.  

The amount of success achieved by foreign managers in Britain and relative strangers to these shores shows that there is an immense amount of talent on the continent that English football can only benefit from. However with relegation meaning more financially to clubs this season than ever before, surely if a change in manager is required, clubs are better suited to employing somebody with experience and intricate knowledge of how to handle such a position? If managers like Magath and Mel are to survive, their respective clubs may benefit from their approaches next year where relegation battles are just a distant memory. But such is the magnitude of this “if” that the distant memory of a relegation battle may instead be a nostalgic reminder of the halcyon days in the Premier League as Fulham prepare from trips to Barnsley and Doncaster.

Tips for relegation:

18^th West Brom

19^th Fulham

20^th Cardiff City

Bowled Over

On a cold, Friday night in South Dublin, UCD recorded their first win of the season over recently promoted Athlone Town. Goals from Robbie Creevy and Ayman Ben Mohamad saw the students leave the Belfield Bowl with a valuable three points in what is already shaping up to be a tough season for Athlone.

Question marks were raised during pre-season as to how Athlone would fare at the top level without the leadership of the controversial Roddy Collins, but a bright start from the visitors appeared to quash any doubts over their credibility in the Airtricity League. An early penalty shout was correctly ruled out when Philly Gorman was brought down inside the box, only for the linesman to rule that he had strayed offside.

The atmosphere in the bowl was lively with the visiting supports impressively vocal in their contributions. The entrance of a drum to the proceedings only riled up the fans further, with the fantastically pronounced “A’ lone” being the main source of chanting.

It was UCD however who grew in to the game and despite great energy levels and intensity from the visitors, the students struck the first blow in a game of few chances. The hugely impressive Robbie Creevy, who in the opening half hour gave a master-class in dictating possession and tempo, latched on to a Mulhall free kick to open the scoring.

Gorman remained a constant threat in attack for the visitors and UCD were relieved to come in at the break a goal to the good. Following the half time interval however, the blues controlled the game and began to look a very classy outfit.

 UCD opened the second half passing the ball with greater authority and some intricate triangles on the left hand side repeatedly threatened to break the stubborn Athlone defence. It took a moment of magic however from Ayman Ben Mohamad to finally penetrate the defensive barrier. After picking the ball up on the halfway line, the Tunisian’s mazy run was completed with a fine finish, coming in from the left wing to slot home from the edge of the box.

The goal settled the nervous UCD crowd who grew louder in voice as the banging of the Athlone drum was silenced. UCD continued to apply pressure and the slick Bowl surface benefitted the blues who’s impressive passing football will stand them in good stead throughout the season.

However with such glorious possession football comes great vulnerability when passes are astray and runs are not met. Some sloppy play in midfield allowed Athlone back in to the game when the dangerous Gorman was rewarded for a fine performance when he looped a header in to the net from a deflected cross.

The formerly impressive UCD invited pressure on to themselves for the remaining 20 minutes and resorted to parking the bus against a committed Athlone Town outfit. Gone was the short, sharp passing game which preceded the goal and each clearance was cheered like a goal from the anxious home crowd. Against stronger opposition, the students may have been punished for such a mentality, something recently appointed Aaron Callaghan will no doubt want to work on in the coming weeks.

But the Athlone efforts were not enough and UCD held out to gain a crucial three points, condemning the visitors to a third straight defeat. Whilst life at the top level may be proving more difficult than ever imagined for Athlone, UCD proved themselves to be capable of playing some scintillating football, well out of context with their annual tag of relegation favourites.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening in Belfield where the warm, lively atmosphere more than made up for the freezing, spring conditions. At just 5 Euro for a student ticket, the teams provided a wealth of entertainment and an attractive alternative to the typical Friday night plans. Next up at the Bowl are Limerick FC, following a trip to Bray Wanderers, where the students will look to build upon claiming their first three points of the season.

Oh, and the chips aren’t bad either!

Result: 2-1

Goals: UCD- Creevy, Ben Mohamad, Athlone- Gorman

Man of the Match- Creevy 

Up for the Cup

After another thrilling weekend of cup action, football’s greatest soap opera entertained us with the kind of plot twist we have come to cherish in the FA Cup. Wigan Athletic’s 2-1 victory over potential champions elect Manchester City left Arsenal fans surely dreaming of ending their barren trophy less run. But with the impressive Hull City hoping to book a place at Wembley with victory over League One  Sheffield United, could the trophy be heading to Humberside come May?

It is worth remembering that Arsenal have been in a similar position before. On paper, they are overwhelming favourite for the trophy, with competition coming in the face of a recently promoted team, a Championship outfit and a League One club emerging from the depths of a relegation battle. Compare this to 16 consecutive seasons of Champions League football and there is certainly reason to be optimistic this year in London.

However a journey to 2011 and the scene is the very one that will stage the Gunners’ effort to claim silverware in May. A late Obafemi Martins winner for Birmingham City prized the trophy away from the overwhelming favourites and the oasis once again became a mirage for the parched Arsenal fans.

They must first get past the holders, Wigan Athletic, which in itself will be no mean feat. The Latics have already proven themselves as a formidable cup team, defeating the star studded Manchester City in the final last season and this season’s quarter final. As a result they already have experience of the big game atmosphere and how to handle opposition of a supposedly higher calibre.

Wigan are also in good form following the arrival of Uwe Rösler. 7 wins from a possible 8 have put the Greater Manchester team firmly back in the chase for promotion and with young talents like Josh McEachran, Callum McManaman and James McLean, they will go in to the Arsenal game full of confidence.

It is a similar story for Sheffield United. Nigel Clough’s men flirted dangerously with relegation and seven years after Premier League football, very nearly faced life in the bottom tier. The Blades, however, haven’t dropped a point since a 3-0 defeat to Crewe on the opening day of February and, like Wigan, are gazing skywards at a potential promotion. United also have relative giant killings on their record this season. The Bramall Lane outfit have triumphed over Aston Villa, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic to reach this stage. They will by no means bow down to Hull.

Both teams will face the Premier League clubs knowing that the pressure is off and expectations are low in comparison to the opposition. The cup has offered the two teams an escape from a season riddled with turbulence and disappointment and is now looking altogether brighter for both outfits. The old adage that success breeds confidence has been proven true in the case of the two underdogs. Rösler and Clough have capitalised on the liberated style of play often seen in cup competition and transferred these successes in to league form.

It is Hull City however who could emerge as the most legitimate challengers to Arsenal’s success. Steve Bruce has done a very good job at the KC stadium this year and is surely close to securing Premier League survival in a season where they have never truly looked in danger of the drop. Curtis Davies has had an impressive season in defence whilst the acquisitions of Nikica Jelavić and Shane Long appear inspired signings. With Tom Huddlestone dictating play in the centre of the team, Bruce has created a strong spine to a squad which many tipped for a relegation battle at the start of the season.

Instead the Tigers sit 13^th in the table with a place in the FA Cup semi-final and given some of their impressive results this season, they will believe that they stand a strong chance of victory. There is also no doubt that Hull will be aware of the pressure upon Arsenal. The Tigers find themselves in a relatively comfortable position in that they are a Premier League team and therefore have an air of superiority over Wigan and Sheffield United, but they are newcomers to the division and still hold, to a degree, the tag of minnows.

All four teams will fancy their chances for varying reasons. In an ironic twist, it is arguable that Arsenal will have the greatest mountain to climb in that this young team must break the mantle of perennial underachievers. The trophy is essentially Arsenal’s to lose and this could work in Hull’s favour as they provide an intriguing middle ground between favourites and underdogs. If Arsenal are already envisioning the famous trophy in red and white, they could be in for a bitter surprise to find it clad in orange and black on the day. There’s many a slip between a cup and a lip. 

Heads

Newcastle United’s second consecutive win at the weekend marked a resurgent recovery from a period where the Toon army had picked up just one point from a possible 12 and failed to score since victory over West Ham in January. However the impressive 4-1 victory over Hull will be remembered for the wrong reasons. Alan Pardew’s 71^st minute head-butt on David Meyler has been, unsurprisingly, blown out of proportion by the media and he has been attacked from various circles in the footballing world. The Magpies’ manager must now, however, use this incident to nail his colours firmly to the Newcastle mast and endear himself to the Geordie faithful.

Reaction to the incident has been incredible. Some have suggested Pardew should resign whilst others have even called for a criminal case to be held against him, with accusations of assault labelled against the Londoner.

The incident itself was by no means serious enough to warrant questions over the security of his job. Even the term “headbutt” exaggerates the nature of the offence. A swift apology and a statement by the club should be the end of it. Opposition manager Steve Bruce has accepted the apology and Pardew appeared genuinely remorseful in the aftermath. So why is his job still in doubt?

Well firstly Pardew has previous. Use of offensive, abusive language towards Manuel Pellegrini has already blotted his 2014 copy book and an altercation with an official last season further damaged his reputation. Clashes with Arsène Wenger and backroom staff at Newcastle, West Ham and Southampton have tarnished his otherwise impressive managerial record to the point where BBC’s Phil McNulty claimed that “his track record suggests the apologies, contrition and promises to change merely provide a delay and a shield between this transgression and his next”.

Furthermore Pardew is still in the early stages of a financially lucrative contract that runs until 2020. If Mike Ashley did want a change of direction at St James’ Park, he would have to pay Pardew for the remainder of his contract, with some figures reaching up to £10 million. Ashley could manipulate this incident to either force Pardew to openly resign or indeed claim gross misconduct and a breach of conduct to terminate relations. The infamous egomaniac in Ashley would suggest that this is a highly possible option.

Alongside Southampton, Newcastle are perhaps the only genuine “mid table” team. They almost categorically will not get relegated and a push for European football would require a remarkable run of form. The sale of the talismanic Yohan Cabaye coupled with the form of Everton and Tottenham suggests that such an outcome is unlikely. So Ashley could realistically “get away” with relieving Pardew of his duties knowing that Newcastle will finish either in 7^th, 8^th or 9^th place come May. A caretaker manager could look after proceedings until then before signing a high profile figure to take over with a substantial transfer kitty to play with in the summer. An easy, dignified way out for all parties.

Pardew however needs to use this incident to launch an attack on the upper echelons of the Premier League table. Newcastle fans have not had a great deal to cheer about in recent years. The Tyneside outfit last tasted silverware 45 years ago and a spell in the Championship represented a bitter trough in the flight of the magpies. The anonymity of mid-table almost seems alien to a club who enjoy the roller-coaster more than most.

The head-butt could be a defining moment for Pardew. With Manchester United looking vulnerable and Southampton seemingly happy to consolidate their position, Newcastle have a real opportunity to use the passion and incandescence of the head-butt for positive means. Pardew’s all action reputation may be the platform to truly unite the Newcastle fans behind the cause and if they are able to maintain intense levels of performance until the end of the season, there will certainly be reason to believe that not only is the spirit in the squad strong enough to fight tooth and nail for every point available, but that Pardew is unequivocally the man to take them forward. He is the man who will, quite literally, fight for his people and demand the highest levels of grit, belief and determination from his players. In a world where the roots of the beautiful game are becoming more and more distant, some traditional methods could be the catalyst for unity and progression at Newcastle.

Of course nobody is condoning the behaviour. Pardew has been rightfully lambasted and will now face further discipline; his actions were not befitting of a man in such a position at such an institution. After years of relative mediocrity however and so soon after selling their prized asset Newcastle are in need of a centralizing figure. If Pardew negotiates this incident correctly and gains momentum in the remaining weeks of the season, there is reason to believe that a European push next season is a somewhat tangible dream.