Confederations Cup 2013 Review: The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

                   Spain have fallen in battle. A day most in football never foresaw. But a day that marks the beginning of a new period of uncertainty, with several sides battling it out for the right to be World Number 1. And there are plenty of contenders, all of whom believe that they have a genuine claim to be heir to the footballing throne. This blog post will briefly review the events of the last two weeks, before outlining the heirs apparent in international football. I feel that this is a war that will drag on for many tournaments to come, with dominance akin to Spain's unlikely to be seen again for many years.

                     If I compare the standard of this Confederations Cup to that of the 2009 edition in South Africa, it is a whitewash. For starters, the stadia and infrastructure were better prepared (although the fans outside the grounds in Brazil seemed intent on changing that!). As far as I can see it, there is a bit of a problem with the logic of many of the Brazilian protesters. Many were outside football grounds, protesting over the excessive spending on the 2014 World Cup, and the even greater waste of public money on the 2016 Olympics. Fair enough, as there were times when I felt like taking a similar tack against last year's shredding of billions of pounds in London (especially when sections of the competition actually took place away from the capital). However, the sensible, and indeed logical, way to protest against this offence is not, as many Brazilians did, to riot and smash stuff up. Do they not understand that this will only cost the taxpayer a greater amount, and will only damage their cause? Personally, I have always felt that protesting over a decision that has already been made and is irreversible is pretty pointless, and this case is no exception. I simply found the irony of the actions of many of the protestors highly amusing.

                      After that slight rant, I will get back on track. Other reasons why this Confederations Cup has been better than the last include: the lack of annoying buzzing sounds (also known as vuvuzelas), the quality of the football (by this I mean the ball they kick around), and the quality of the football (the competitiveness of the matches and the eyecatching goals). There have been many moments that have caught the eye over the last two weeks. Here are a few of my favourites. The hype surrounding Brazilian superstar Neymar after his reported £50 million move to Barcelona, and the subsequent pressure heaped upon his young shoulders. A real sink or swim moment in his fledgling career, and one he passed with flying colours. Three goals in Brazil's opening three games, and four overall, has led the home nation's talisman to be a shoo-in for the player of the tournament award. Secondly, the moment Johnathan Tehau scored for Tahiti against Nigeria in their opening group game. The scream from the BBC commentator said enough. As the underdog, we Brits are programmed to cheer for them, despite the world's derision over their inclusion. Before the tournament, I too thought the inclusion of the tiny Oceanic nation undermined the competitiveness of the tournament. However, once I saw their plucky (albeit, naive) style of defending and their emphasis on attack, I willed them on. And despite losing 6-1, 10-0 and 8-0, Tahiti can hold their heads high after their first international tournament.

                      My final highlight has been the numerous thrilling matches that have characterised this year's competition. Although a significant proportion of the goals have come against the Tahitians, there have been many high-scoring contests. Shockingly, the Italians have been involved in two of them. Traditionally low scorers and a tight defence, the Italians were involved in a breath-taking 4-3 game against the Japanese, before a 4-2 reverse against the Brazilians in their very next fixture! Other less high-scoring, but equally intriguing matches include: the 0-0 semi-final draw after 120 minutes between Spain and Italy, where the two sides provided a penalty-taking masterclass, the 2-2 draw after 120 minutes between Italy and Uruguay in the 3rd place playoff, before the all-conquering Spaniards were dismantled on the pitch for the first time in 5 years by the home nation Brazil. A comprehensive 3-0 victory, with two goals from Fred and one from the talismanic Neymar, effectively ended Spain's reign as undisputed world kings of football.

                       So if we can agree that the Spanish domination has ended, who is most likely to replace them? Though I would argue that the domination has ended, we would be stupid to discount the abilities of the Spanish to win future tournaments. Though they may no longer be the nailed on choice, I still believe they have a decent shot at retaining their crown in Brazil next year. We mustn't forget that the Spaniards suffered a shock defeat to the USA in South Africa in 2009, only to sweep all before them aside the following year. The fact that the Spanish have also won the recent Under 21 World Cup also bodes well for the future. I have already said that we are unlikely to see such a domination as the one Spain has enjoyed in recent years in the near future. However, there are two further clear contenders for the crown.

                         Spain's vanquishers in Rio, Brazil, are the first. Though it could be argued that home advantage played a significant part in the demolition of the world champions, the fact remains that the hosts thoroughly outplayed their illustrious opponents for the full 90 minutes, and could concievably have won by more. Their side is formidable, with the likes of Neymar, Thiago Silva and Hulk harking back to previous glories, and with the majority of the side currently in their early twenties, there is a great deal of time for future growth. Being on home soil once more next year will give the Brazilians the boost they may need to reclaim the great trophy. Whether they can turn that trophy into a period of dominance would be the real test, with challenges from Uruguay and Argentina on a continental level, and Spain and Germany on the global scale. This weekend's result has sent a warning shot across the bows of many of the big nations worldwide, foretelling of a potential shift in power.

                          Though not involved in the last two weeks' competition, I still count Germany as one of the strong favourites to get their hands on the World Cup next summer. After the dominance of the German league in Europe this year, I must confess, I was ready to hand the trophy to them then. As the majority of the superstars in many of the big German clubs are home grown, they threaten to become the next Spain, building their national side around the squads of a few domestic clubs. After this weekend, I would very much like to see a Germany vs Brazil match, preferably on neutral ground, in an attempt to discover how far the Germans have come before embarking on what could be a glorious tour of South America next summer. Like Brazil, I doubt their ability to dominate global football, even if they do manage to beat the Spanish, however, a trophy would very much re-announce themselves on the world stage.

                            Other than the big three, there is a small chasing pack that will be eager to punish any slip-ups (sorry England fans, we are not even close!). I consider that group to include nations such as: Italy, Argentina, Holland, Portugal, Uruguay to name a few. Whilst none of these show the potential of the three superpowers, all have the potential on their day to win a tournament. The next few years will prove to be a tussle for power around the globe (let us hope we are simply talking in footballing terms). I for one am very much looking forward to seeing who claims the crown.

                             So the King is dead. Long live the King. But who is the King?

                            

Stoke City: The End to the Long Ball Game?

2012/2013 Season Review:

                Stoke had a relatively calm summer as far as transfers are concerned, with Charlie Adam being the only high profile incoming. This had the additional benefit of leaving Stoke’s squad practically untouched, giving them the stability so obviously lacking from rival squads. A traditional strong home form, brought about in part by their raucous home support, and partially via their unique long ball game, normally aids Stoke’s push towards the top 10. This season, however, this was not to be.

                An four game unbeaten start to the season gave Stoke a promising start, including home draws against Arsenal and Manchester City. Whilst a disappointing exit by Swindon of the Capital One Cup punctured this good early season form, only two league defeats by the end of October gave Potters fans further reason for optimism. However, it is worth noting that games that they would ordinarily have won the previous years at home, they drew this campaign, a factor that certainly contributed to their late season perils.

                November was more typical in terms of the traditional Stoke results, namely good at home but appalling away from the Britannia. Home wins against QPR, Newcastle and Fulham were interspersed by poor away performances against Norwich and West Ham, a run that ended at the beginning of December with a 1-0 win away at West Brom. December in general was a highly successful month for the Potters, remaining unbeaten throughout the whole of the busiest month of the season. Taking simply this month into consideration, it seems ridiculous that Stoke would find themselves in a relegation battle come the end of the season. January saw an emphatic end to the good form, with three heavy defeats against Manchester City, Chelsea and Swansea, before exiting the FA Cup at home to Man City.

                Further polarisation in terms of home vs away form continued, with Stoke picking up no away points for the whole of the first three months of 2013, a run that put even more importance on the games at the Britannia. Unfortunately, ordinarily winnable games began to be drawn, or even lost, at home, pushing Stoke slowly down the table. Home draws against Wigan and West Brom were followed in April by defeats against Manchester United and, more critically, Aston Villa, in what had been described pre-match as a relegation ‘six-pointer’. These results were indicative of relegation form, and Stoke badly needed to snap out of this run in order to extend their 5 year stay in the top flight. Their traditionally infallible long ball game, relying heavily on set pieces, was failing to create the chances the Potters fans were so used to, and soon their was considerable discontent in the stands. Pundits best summed up the situation by stating that no-one cares if you are playing unattractive football and winning, but it becomes a big problem when the results stop coming.

                Fearful of alienating their usual vociferous support, Stoke’s form took a timely peak. Successive wins away at QPR and at home to Norwich gave the Potters a little more breathing space away from the dreaded bottom three, but they remained within touching distance. This ensured that the side needed to remain at the top of their game for the remainder of the season. Two points from their last three games, coupled with their rivals inability to capitalise on their slip-ups, allowed Stoke to limp over the line, amassing 42 points and finishing in 13^th place.

                Overall, Stoke fans and management will consider this season a disappointment, after 5 years of comfortable mid-table success. The board’s disappointment with this year’s results was clearly illustrated with the sacking of manager Tony Pulis at the end of the season. However, I genuinely fear for their survival next year, as Pulis instilled a unique philosophy upon his players, and one that very few coaches appear to be implementing. Having seen how long it often takes to ‘re-train’ the players in a new style of football, the next manager at the Britannia will have a tough job, and I fear may be leading the Potters down next year.

 

Player of the Season: Asmir Begovic – Another consistent season from the Bosnian keeper, without whom Stoke would have been on the receiving end of many more hammerings. He has been a valuable asset to the Potters, and with Tony Pulis having left and the club being in a state of instability, I fear that Stoke may struggle to maintain his services for the coming season.

 

Game of the Season: Stoke 3-3 Southampton – A rollercoaster game at the Britannia, where a stunning last minute equaliser by Cameron Jerome rescued a point for 10 man Stoke. A poor first half performance from the Potters saw them slip 3-1 behind, before staging a rousing comeback in the second half. Despite Steven N’Zonzi being dismissed for a full-blooded lunge, Stoke managed to claw their way back into the game, with goals from Matthew Upson and Jerome’s speculative 30 yard effort saving Stoke’s home record.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Having dispensed of Tony Pulis, Stoke’s summer transfer dealings very much depend on the type of manager that comes in. If they manage to find a similarly oriented manager in terms of tactics, a new striker is a must, with Jonathan Walters being the club’s top goalscorer on 11 goals. However, if the style of play changes, any transfer targets could be vastly different.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Anthony Pilkington (Norwich City, CM), Luis Pedro Cavanda (Lazio, RB), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace, CM), Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace, LW), George Waring (Free Agent, CB), Guilherme Siquera (Granada, LB)

Out:

Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City, ST), Peter Crouch (West Ham United), Thomas Sorensen (???, GK), Tony Pulis (Sacked, Manager)