The New 'Old Trafford'

The New "Old Trafford"

I would like to first of all say a very big HAPPY NEW YEAR to you guys.
Hope we all have our new years resolutions written down and have
already started defaulting on it as is the yearly ritual. Its funny how we
write a very long list of do's and dont's and only manage to follow
through on January 1st. Once its 2nd January its back to business as
usual. Well, personally after some years of failed new year's resolutions
I decided to call it quits. As the popular saying goes 'Doing the same
 thing over and over expecting new results is insanity'. So I guess you
can say that my new years resolution is  'not to act insane'.

Speaking of new year rituals. I had one ritual that I usually do at the
beginning of the season which like my new years resolutions no longer
holds. Not for the fear of insanely repeating the same event but simply
because things have changed. At the beginning of every season. I would
quickly go through a list of all the matches to be played, 'fearfully' mark one date
and cross it off 'shamefully' as a loss. That's the visit to the  dreaded
'coliseum of Nightmares' a.k.a. The Theater of Dreams.

Having seen team after team come to Old Trafford, play excellent football
and still fail to leave with anything. Just when teams thought they would
take something away from one of the worlds footballs true footballing
fortresses United would come from nowhere and snatch points from under
the oppositions nose. Those were the days when draws were extravagantly
celebrated as wins. Its all been replaced by a heightened sense of optimism
by opposition teams perfectly happy to attack a wounded animal.

This season another North West Team is instilling fear into the hearts of visiting
fans and as 'most' would agree (excluding the die hard united faithfuls)
Manchester City has given a lot of managers sleepless nights and broken the
hearts of a lot of fans this season.

I would suggest the Etihad be renamed 'New Trafford' just to keep up with
the tradition. The Noisy Neighbors have won every home league game
with an average of four goals a game. Not to forget the ever increasingly
intimidating squad of Manchester City 'Gladiators'. There really should be
a limit to the number of top footballers in a team. I mean City's bench has
more quality talents than most first teams in the league.

Coming from an Arsenal fan, you can understand that I have not yet recovered
from the six 'knife wounds' to my heart dealt by Aguero, Negredo, Silva, Yaya Toure
and fernandinho. But on a more serious note, with most teams piling up injuries like
sand on the beach, this city run might just be a sign of things come.

Finally, no one can rule out further additions to the already talented squad considering the infinitely deep pockets of the ever smiling Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan this January. I just pity the teams who are yet to visit the Etihad(New Trafford) there will be in for probably the longest 90 minutes of their careers.

Till next time guys, Stay TRUE to the BEAUTIFUL GAME.

Weekend Sights

Hello people, Happy new year. I am glad to be back and trust me I’ve missed you more than you’ve missed me. Hope you had a good weekend? I am not quite sure I did but I will tell you what I saw...

Finally, Happy new year…

Losing three games in a row is probably not something most united fans are used to seeing, but 2014 greeted the united supporters with zero points from 6 and a defeat in the capital one cup first leg. The banner that shows David Moyes face as the chosen one brings up the debate of if he was chosen to take united up or down. The united fans finally got to see 3 points and no goal conceded as Swansea returned to Old Trafford, a week after Kicking united out of the FA Cup. It is clear to see that with a new year and the transfer window open, United need a midfield resolution...this weekend may have relaxed some fans but with Chelsea away next Sunday....don't say I didn't warn you.

SAS returns…

Imagine Usain Bolt asking for more speed, in my opinion, that would be beyond greed. The most inform striker, by name Luis Suarez got a late new year’s present, the return of Daniel Sturridge. Suarez had already scored before Sturridge was on the pitch but the telepathic understanding between both strikers doesn't seem to want to end and the rest of the league may just suffer from it. They both managed to score and both strikers assisting the other in their goals...must be a long night as a defender, knowing that your next game would be against the SAS.

Hot on Top, hot at the bottom.

The relegation battle in the premier league actually shows how wonderful the league is. There are 5 points between 12th place and the last team in 20th.I personally think that trophies should be given to those who stay up at the end of the season because it is as nerve racking as the fight for the premier league title. The most joyful fans would have to be the Hammers, after humiliating cup defeats, they welcomed back Andy Carroll and got 3 points away to Cardiff. It is going to be a long long fight for premier league status but at least it’s hot both ways...

What really is Offside?

I know that if we stay on this topic, a lot of trees would have to be cut down because we can go on and on and still not have enough books to take down the explanation of what offside really is. The Newcastle v Man city game had a perfectly good goal ruled out because of some interpretation of an offside...Tiote hit the ball sweetly after a corner from Newcastle, the ball takes a slight deflection from a Man city player and goufrann avoids the ball and it goes in the back of the net. The assistant referee gives it as a goal and the referee says it’s a goal kick, try imaging that especially with my explanation....haha but I think a new set of laws for offside should be made or scrap the law and let football end up having rugby score lines…

Who will be crowned footballer of the year?

Well ideally, we will find out Monday 13th of January and I think Ronaldo should get some tissues because even as Messi has been injured, it might just go to Ribery. I might be wrong and Ronaldo might finally win it. but if he doesn't....well they say women always like men who cry..I think

In more words to come...sabi boi

How to beat Spain BY Luiz Felipe Scolari (Parody)

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Dedication:

I would like to dedicate this “book” to all football managers and team coaches. I would like to specially dedicate is those managers and coaches that have endured continual thrashing in the hands of Barcelona and Spain. The tiki taka style of football has for years now denied coaches sleep and has made players unnecessarily anxious and scared

Acknolwdgement:

I would like to thank all the members of the Bayern Munich team and my Brazilian team without whom the writing of this book would have been impossible. I still feel the need to mention a few players whose contributions in one way or another have made the writing of this book and other subsequent ones (I believe that people will write) achievable.

First, I would like to thank the Bayern Munich team, who first demonstrated to the world that the very entertaining and attractive tiki taka football style is not an end-all and be-all. I would like to at this stage state that I don’t believe that the tiki taka style of football has lost its potency. The men from Tahiti will attest to its effectiveness. My point is this, if you press with aggression, move as a team, take shots whenever possible, hold your position and most importantly believe then tiki taka style of football can be beaten and judging by the score from all three matches (Barcelona v Bayern Munich (both legs) and Brazil v Spain) beaten very well.

Next, I would like to say a very special thank you to my main muscle men in the midfield- Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo who made sure that even when they missed the ball (which was very rare) they didn’t miss getting both the leg and the ball.

Big shout out to Oscar, who spent most of the first half of the game following Sergio Busquets around in the very deep areas of the midfield. He made sure that whenever Busquets received the ball he found it difficult to make a good pass or dribble often starting attacks very close to the goal. Well as much as I would like to take credit for this fantastic tactic I must confess that I copied it from my dear friend and fellow coach Jupp Heynckes (by the way thanks a lot mate ) who, put Mario Gomez and later Thomas Mueller on ‘PI’ duties on Busquets thereby removing him as an option to pass to. By sealing the source from which Iniesta, Mata and co are fed thereby starving the playmakers of the much needed ball.

Another big shout out to David Luiz for being able to switch from centre back to left back position, freeing Marcelo to occupy the wide midfield position. It worked like a charm Pedro was now stuck between attacking Luiz or Marcelo. In one of his (Pedro) confused states Luiz could now hit the pass to Hulk that created the first goal.

This acknowledgement would not be complete without mentioning the man I really owe some of this victory to. Stand up ALVARO ARBELOA. Thanks to your inability to keep possession and love for playing out of position we found great joy in strolling in and out of that very porous right back.

In conclusion, I would like to offer some questions to the Spanish national team and Barcelona.

-       What about going into a game with more than just a plan a? (I mean there are still 25 other letters of the alphabet after ‘a’ to pick from)

-       Can you rely on Xavi and Iniesta come the world cup next year?

-       What about fresh legs like Isco and Thiago Alcantara? Can they spice things up?

Till we see again in Brazil next year please reflect on the lessons of this book.

Extracts from “HOW TO BEAT SPAIN by Luiz Felipe Scolari (Parody)”

Till next time always stay TRUE 2 the beautiful game. Later…

STOP-WATCH FOR ARSÉNE

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

First of all I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the break in communication. It was all done to improve the quality and structure of our articles for your reading delight.

A few days back I was surfing the net and came across this site name www.sincearsenallastwonatrophy.co.uk. First I thought it was some fake site trying to attract visitors only to open it and see a giant stop watch counting 8 years, 1 month 9 Days, 21 hours, 49 minutes and 3 seconds. Even down to the second?

Arsenals transfer activity so far this summer has left little room for excitement for fans. July is around the corner, meaning Arsene Wenger and company will have two months to complete the necessary deals to strengthen the squad. With Higuain almost all but confirmed an arsenal player.   

Arsenal's need for a true defensive midfielder is obvious, especially with the oft-injured Abou Diaby struggling again in 2012/13, Mikel Arteta aging, and question marks over Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong. In truth, Wenger should take the ruthless route and rid himself of Diaby, as he needs to do with others.

There are good options for Arsenal in the defensive midfield department, with Real Sociedad’s Asier Illarramendi likely to join the emirate boys next season.

In the dead-weight department, Sebastian Squillaci, Denilson and Andrei Arshavin have already parted ways with the club, but a handful remain. Those include Marouane Chamakh, Park Chu Young and Andre Santos

Along with those players, the futures of Gervinho and  Lukas Podolski  seemingly up in the air. All those players have been linked with moves away from the club. Johan Djourou already on loan to Hamburg it still remains to be seen how the club will deal with the others.

The likes of Chamakh and Santos won't be missed, but Wenger will be scrambling for replacements should Gervinho or Podolski go searching for greener pastures.

If the Higuain rumours are true, then Arsenal can be forgiven for seemingly playing the waiting game. It does render them subject to a more disastrous transfer folly, though, which is failing to pull the trigger.

Should that deal continue for another week, or longer, Arsenal will have less time to complete other incoming transfers. Then there's also the dead weight and possible departures to consider.

That may result in a similar situation to the Gunners transfer situation at the beginning of the 2011/12 season. The Gunners may have more money in hand this time around, but that won't necessarily play in their favour.

The Gunners may get a big signing by the end of next week, but that's still not enough to get excited about.

There will still be plenty for Arsenal to sort out before the transfer period ends in order to really change the status quo.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are all welcoming new managers next season and its only normal for new management to invest in new players. This will only make arsenal's hunt for players a bit more difficult given Arséne Wengers record of penny-pinching spending. 

Goodbye My Rooney...Goodbye My friend?

The common joke made about northerners in England is that they don't speak English  The different accents in the north may leave you thinking you are not in England but I in particular love it. One of the most famous is the scouse accent. In some interviews you may have heard Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher speak in that wonderful accent that tends to confuse journalists more than anything. Steven Gerrard once admitted that when he and other liverpool lads speak in the England dressing room,some of their team-mates don't get it. Imagine that. The scouser in question now is Wayne Rooney,wonderfully gifted footballer,plays for Manchester united and arguably one of the best talents in the country. But as the  common joke runs about the northerners,if Wayne Rooney can't speak English his own language,how is he going to cope with french? Rumors of him leaving for a French side have gained momentum, french side Paris Saint-German-PSG

The biggest reality show on TV related to football comes during the transfer window and before the next one opens in the summer,stories have began to come out to add fuel to the drama that usually goes with that period. PSG have reportedly shown interest in Wayne Rooney and there are rumors in the united camp indicating that Rooney hasn't been exactly happy. The player hasn't said anything himself but we all know everyone has a price and Manchester United firmly believes,no man is bigger than the club. The last time Wayne  was said to leave Manchester  United ,he actually came out to say it before changing his mind and admitting it was a mistake on his part. Presently, nothing has been said but there usually is no smoke without fire.

If Rooney does leave United,he should leave with his head held high,he would have had 7 years with the red devils,winning 2 carling cups,4 premier league titles,1 champions league,1 super cup,1 club cup and of course personal trophies. He is still considered a very important player to the team and continues to show passion for the game even if he has been used in different positions over the years. The  fans love him and even after he said he wanted to leave, United penned Rooney to a new contract reportedly worth £200 000 a week. Rooney was blessed at a young age to be able to play among the best in the world and establish himself as one of the best.

If Rooney does stay at united,it will be good news to the fans as he would dedicate the peak of his career to the red devils,joining the likes of Rio Ferdinand,Giggs,Scholes in staying way over a decade in the red side of Manchester. He will need to understand though that he is a player valued as a game changer,a player that should stand above all when the chips are down and should understand that he has set a standard that he shouldn't fall below.He has 141 goals in 273 games for united.

As it stands now,Rooney has two years left on his contract, come the end of the season United will be looking to get him to extend his contract. If he wants to leave,he should boldly say it,so life-after-Rooney can begin and united isn't dragged into the drama of the transfer window. Regrettably coming to a television near you,this summer.....what will Wayne Rooney do?..tune in...

In more words to come..Sabi Boi

A Different Conversation....

I have had countless conversations, arguments and unashamedly very close to getting into a fist fight with men on different topics on football. The fight part was me doing my usual wind up(tease) of a particular guy about his opinion on certain football matters, luckily there were people to separate us...he was a big fellow, I probably wouldn't have been writing this now...

It is often said that what a man can do, a woman can do better, so I decided to ask a lady a couple of football questions, just to get into a conversation to see if it differed from a man's point of view...the problem is which woman would I ask...eventually I settled on a friend here (can't say her name) to help me out...so a conversation about football from the other side..

Hi...does this feel strange, seeing as am interviewing you about football instead of trying to buy u a drink?

Me: What are you drinking though?

Her: Something not too strong and not to weak..something just right....so water will do.

Me: There's the general misconception that women like the sport because they want to admire men’s abs and biceps and other parts..what drew you to football?

Her: well, my Dad is a big fan of football and his love for the game is contagious. I couldn't help but appreciate it too.

Me: How long did it take you to understand the offside rule?

Her: Well just when I think I understand it the rule seemingly gets an 'upgrade'. At first a player is considered to be in an offside position when he is nearer the opponents’ goal, ahead of both the ball and the opponent. A player can't be offside in his own half. There is a tricky bit though, I'm sure you have heard he wasn't interfering with play? A player can be offside but once he hasn't touched the ball his team mate can run and kick the ball into the net and the goal stands. The trickier bit is say when Player A originally offside is overtaken by Player B, his own team mate, who has run ahead of him, the ball and the opponent. Player B now validates player A's position, rendering him onside even though player A is still ahead of his opponent. Makes sense kind sir?

At this point I ordered a drink and it wasn't water..

Me: What team do u support and why?

Her: Manchester United and seriously there is no need to explain.(Says that with a big smile)

Me: What teams do you hate and why? 

Her: Hate is such a friendly word in this instance. Let’s replace it with 'loathe' and it will be Arsenal. They make it too easy now though. Chelsea takes the cake too.

Me: Who is your worst player ever?

Her: Asamoah Gyan!!!!!!!!(She is clearly Ghanaian or from Sunderland)

Me: Champions league or World Cup?

Her: Odd question...why not World Club Cup and World cup or Champs League and African nations cup?? But ok ok..I love the World Cup simply because not all players get to play in Europe. Some players can push for a national team call up and make it to the World Cup. It's a multicultural event. Evokes passions every 4 years. I loooveee it!

Me: Messi or Ronaldo?

Her: RONALDO...two-footed player...who does well for both country and club!!

Me: Best moment in football? 

Her: Gosh so many... But overall Manchester United v Bayern Munich 1999 champs league final and I loved AC Milan v Liverpool too,2005. Arsenal v Liverpool 2008/2009. Ghana beating the Czechs to win their first World Cup game.

Worst moment? uhmmm....Barca beating United champs league final. Ghana missing that Penalty in the quarter final of the World Cup.

At this point she was fired up and started giving me. The look of is this all you got? so I thought to myself, I need one question to at least make her confused or try to make her confused....

Me: Ferguson has been with Man united for 27 years and he has won only 2 champions league titles,Mourinho has been in management for less than 15 years and won 2 champions league titles as well.....who would you say is a better manager? and why?
Her: On champions league alone, Mourinho will be better than Fergie because he did it with two different teams. That's impressive. Takes a whole lot more than just champs league to determine success of a manager. Let Mourinho be in charge for 27 years and then we can make a fair comparison.

You should see the smug look on her face...and the water she ordered, she still hadn't had a sip and I was ordering my second glass .so was about to hit her with another question, then her phone rang and as she picked up I heard hello darling...with a smile as wide as it was on her face, I assumed it was her husband, whom happens to be a Chelsea fan...

To be continued...

In more words to come....Sabi Boi.

This Years Excuse...One Man Team..

There are 11 men that stand in line to represent whatever team you support. These 11 men among others,train everyday to develop their skill in order to fight for the ultimate 3 points to put them in a good position that either wins them the league,qualify for Europe and for others to acquire more points to keep them from being relegated. These 11 men differ sometimes as there is a pool of 25 men to pick from. Sometimes even with 11 men,there is one that stands out,the one that his touch and skill is superior than the other 10 that make up the team. The one that when absent there is a significant difference to the entire team. There are a couple of teams that have such players but are not necessarily a one man team...unfortunately...Tottenham isn't one of them. This season in particular for Tottenham one man that has stood tall has been Gareth Bale,he has stood out that even in games that he didn't play his best,his presence on the pitch has contributed to Tottenham's pursuit for a european spot come the end of season. Make no mistake,there are top players in tottenham that can make a major difference, the likes of Moussa Dembele and Adebayo but Gareth Bale's form this season has shown that Tottenham is a one man team.
 
The fight for fourth this season has drawn more attention than before as there are a possible 4 teams battling for the positions. The four teams are Arsenal,Tottenham,Chelsea and Everton. Over the years,the European positions have been business as usual as the likes of Tottenham and Everton were not in the running but things have changed and from what I have seen or what Tottenham have shown,if you want to be a one man team,make sure or hope he doesn't get injured.

 
On Thursday when Gareth Bale went down in the europa league match against Basle,there were heavy hearts in the white side of north london as yet again,a possible reason for why spurs wouldn't finish 4th had evolved,the one man that has been making things happen for spurs had gotten injured. You could say it was harsh to say that Tottenham would struggle without him but there were games even with Bale in the team,spurs did struggle. Tottenham v Everton,a match clearly defining the battle for an European spot. Spurs took the lead early but with Everton coming back to lead 2-1,there was no magic. No one to create that extra touch to give Tottenham a fighting chance ,they did manage to get a draw. The score ended 2-2 but the answer to the question of why tottenham couldn't win is simply because there was no Gareth bale.
 
Every team hopes to have that one man that can make the difference but it will be safe to say that without that man,you would like to know that your team can raise themselves and win if that one man isn't in the team. The excuses or hard luck that Tottenham has used has gone from lasagna to Chelsea being lucky and I wonder if Bale getting injured will be the talk this year...

 

There are 6 games to go and we shall see if spurs qualify for the champions league spot but from what I saw against Everton,if the struggle goes on...it would be without a doubt to say Tottenham is a one man team and they most certainly better have a plan B.

Till then i would like to thank everybody that has been with true2soccer up until now,this is our one hundredth post and wouldn't have been possible without your eyes,reading what we have to say,Thank you and have a good week.

In More words to come..Sabi Boi