Rubberband man's blog

Brown backed to sustain Hull form

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:39:04 -0500

Brown and Duffen celebrate after Hull's promotion to the Premier League

Hull City chairman Paul Duffen has backed boss Phil Brown to build on the Tigers' impressive start to the season.

Newly promoted City are third in the Premier League table after back-to-back wins at Arsenal and Tottenham.

And Duffen told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The good thing is there is nothing about our tactics that can be sussed out.

"Phil has proved himself to be a tactical magician. He outmanoeuvred Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium and not many have done that."

Duffen, who took control of the Tigers in June 2007, feels Hull deserve more plaudits for their achievements, which included a win at Newcastle as well as at the Emirates and White Hart Lane.

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Just a word on Phil Brown and his Hull team - fantastic, what a breath of fresh air

misterredmist

"We have had three fantastic away wins so far this season," he explained.

"But after the Newcastle game the reportage was dominated by the mess that Newcastle are in rather than giving us credit for the victory.

"At Arsenal last week there was some sort of implication that because they had been beaten by Hull that it was humiliation for Arsenal.

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"Similarly, on Sunday, we go and beat Spurs and the news is all about Spurs' problems.

"But in some ways we quite like that because as long as we are off the radar we will keep surprising people."

Off the field too, Duffen feels that everything is in place at the KC Stadium for the Tigers to maintain their form.

"It's been a great start to the campaign and we are immensely proud of Phil and the boys," he added. "We have got a momentum at the club.

"We are not going to get ahead of ourselves but we are certainly going to enjoy it while we are up there.

"We have got a wonderful atmosphere at the club and a great team of people.

"Everyone is facing in the same direction and I don't think there is any limit to what we can achieve as long as we can keep that on the go."

If someone had said to me a fortnight ago that we would win at the Emirates and White Hart Lane, I would have thought they were talking crazy stuff

Hull manager Phil Brown

Brown, who steered Hull to promotion via the play-offs last season, puts his side's good form down to hard work.

"We have stuck to our gameplan to the letter," Brown told BBC Sport. "I've got some good loyal players who are willing to fight and die for the cause and, if you've got that as a manager, then you are a happy man.

"Our gameplan is 'we play, they don't play' - if possible.

"We employed that in the Championship too and it was a little bit easier to do - there are some good players out there in the Premier League.

"But if someone had said to me a fortnight ago that we would win at the Emirates and White Hart Lane, I would have thought they were talking crazy stuff.

"Would I have settled for three points between the two games? The answer's yes.

"We would have settled for four points, and I might have been dreaming but six points certainly is in dreamland and it is down to the players."

A spectacular Geovanni free-kick secured victory against Spurs but Brown feels their graft was just as important.

"The win was down to some Brazilian quality and some resilient quality as well - the resilience of the team, their togetherness. They are fighting for each other, running for each other."

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Blatter wants foreign owner rules

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:36:01 -0500

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has called for stricter rules on foreign ownership of clubs in the UK and abroad.

"Something has to be done about these billionaire owners," Blatter told reporters at the European Parliament.

"These days you can buy a club as easily as you buy a football jersey. There is something wrong and that's why I ask the European Union to act.

"This is not just about England where the problem is acute. This will spread across Europe."

The acquisition of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September made them the latest Premier League team to benefit from wealthy foreign investors.

There must be better control of football's finances otherwise there will be big financial difficulties in the future

Sepp Blatter

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are among other high-profile teams in the English top flight under foreign ownership.

Blatter, who is concerned at the fate of such clubs should the economic downturn affect foreign owners, met EU lawmakers on Monday to discuss overseas investment in football, among other issues.

"Some of these owners prefer horse racing, others like to buy a Formula One team, now buying a football club is the big attraction," he said.

Blatter added that while there was "no single remedy", he believed owners should have an association with the area before buying a club.

"There are national laws in Switzerland, for example, when you buy property or make an investment, you must prove yourself," he explained. "You have to prove your link with the area.

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Should Premier League owners have to prove a link to the club they own?

"We must ask ourselves about what motivates these owners and are they really interested in the game or just making money?

"There must be better control of football's finances especially in the difficult climate we are facing. I urge Uefa to work with the EU to tighten up the rules, otherwise there will be big financial difficulties in the future."

Liverpool's American owners delayed the building of a new stadium as the global economic crisis took hold, and Manchester United's shirt sponsors, AIG, had to be rescued by the US Federal Reserve in September.

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Ramos facing Titanic struggle

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:33:06 -0500

Juande Ramos wandered across White Hart Lane's deserted car park with a companion's arm draped consolingly around his shoulder - a man who looked resigned even if he insisted he was not resigning.

An hour earlier a small group of fans gathered on Bill Nicholson Way and ordered Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to vacate the premises, a token protest that dispersed as quickly as this season's optimism as Hull again left north London with three points.

In the background we were brushing up on our history. It was the worst Spurs start since 1912 - the year the Titanic went down, the year Scott mounted a doomed mission to the South Pole.

As omens go they are not good. Take your pick, but whichever way you look the reign of Ramos at Spurs is in deep trouble as they prop up the Premier League.

Spurs did not play badly on Sunday, but there is a glaring lack of leadership on and off the pitch that is draining away any hopes they had of making a serious impression this season.

And in the centre of the vortex is Ramos, the man who knew only glory at Sevilla and who enjoyed a spectacularly false dawn with last season's Carling Cup triumph against Chelsea.

He told us, in faltering but improving English, that "all the people" were responsible for Spurs' almost unthinkable position at the foot of the table.

And yet he will know that if Spurs continue to lose, responsibility will ultimately be his - with director of football Damien Comolli possibly thrown in for good measure.

Ramos also struggles with the legacy of Martin Jol, with a straw poll among Spurs fans making it clear great affection remains for the Dutchman so ruthlessly and hastily dispatched by Levy last season.

They do not see Ramos as an upgrade on Jol and results bear out their opinion, with the latter flourishing at the Bundesliga summit with Hamburg.

Spurs have gifted players, but tactically there is no plan and Ramos's inertia was in sharp contrast to the pro-activity of his Hull counterpart Phil Brown as the media sat just yards away from the dug-out on Sunday.

Brown will empathise with the pressures placed on Ramos. After all, he was sacked in short order by Derby County (looks a great decision now does it not?), leaving with dignity before rebuilding his career at Hull.

But the two men looked poles apart when it came to motivation and body language as the rain lashed White Hart Lane.

Ramos was almost unmoved throughout the game, apart from the odd semaphore gesture. He wore a permanently mournful expression, and whatever messages he was trying to get across to his team looked to be falling on deaf ears.

Brown did everything apart from step on the pitch and play in the game. He warmed up in training kit with his players before switching to a sharp suit and fashionable ear-piece in time for the start.

He turned to his substitutes prior to kick-off and did a jig of anticipatory delight. An old-fashioned clearance from one of his defenders was met with a clenched fist and on one occasion he physically went through the motion of making a clearance for Michael Turner.

Brown provided almost minute-by-minute directions whereas Ramos looked lost as another game drifted away.

When Hull looked to the sidelines they got leadership, while Spurs got nothing apart from the odd wave of the arm and a quizzical glance from a man who almost seemed detached from the action.

Ramos's only contributions as the game slipped away were mystifying.

David Bentley came on for Chris Gunter and filled in at right-back. He actually did it with a measure of success but is this the sign of a considered strategy? The man who came for £17m from Blackburn to fill the right-flank role used as an auxiliary defender?

It is not going to improve his England chances, as he discovered shortly after the final whistle when he was jettisoned by Fabio Capello.

Roman Pavlyuchenko looked only vaguely interested before limping off, and with a faltering attack supported by a midfield lacking a general, it is only a matter of time before the defence comes under pressure.

And yet there were signs of promise amid the debris of another Spurs defeat. Jermaine Jenas drove them in the first 45 minutes, while Gareth Bale and Gunter form a promising young full-back pairing.

There is room for improvement and if Spurs repeat Sunday's performance on another day, then there will be occasions when they win, but this can be no consolation as they examine their current plight.

Spurs were backed by a hugely supportive White Hart Lane crowd, who were virtually unwavering until the final whistle, when they let out a frustrated chorus of jeering that was almost a reflex action.

But we get back to that lack of leadership and a transfer policy that looks more flawed with every passing week.

Luka Modric (or Luka Moderate as he was cruelly labelled by one critic) looks as if he is not enjoying the rough and tumble of the Premier League. He may blossom in a good team, but Spurs are not that team at present.

Giovani dos Santos looks a luxury Spurs cannot afford in the current climate. He does not appear part of any grand plan.

Ramos is under growing pressure, and he will not be protected by the lucrative terms of his contract forever if Spurs continue to lose.

So where has this Spurs malaise come from when the season was ushered in with such ambition and hope?

Ramos came perilously close to giving the game away when he said: "It is difficult for us to score goals. This is the main reason for no wins.

"The position of striker is the most weak. With only two strikers it is difficult."

In what was a harsh, but scrupulously fair, after-match interrogation, this was the question that drove at the heart of Spurs' problems.

If a lack of attacking options has taken Spurs on a voyage to the bottom of the Premier League, who is responsible for that?

Spurs chairman Levy must take his share, a man so intent on winning his battle for £30m with Manchester United for Dimitar Berbatov that he lost the war to boost his striking strength after the additional departures of Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane.

Comolli is also in the dock as the man who master-minds (a term used in its loosest sense admittedly) their transfer policy, and was reduced to accepting Fraizer Campbell on loan from United as part of the Berbatov deal with time ticking away before the transfer window closed.

Campbell looks exactly what he is. He is a promising youngster who is a work in progress and his presence drew more excitement from Hull fans than the home crowd after his loan spell on Humberside last season.

If he does well, United will take him back with thanks. A win-win in their dealings with the king of the hard bargain Levy.

If, as someone once said, you will not win anything with kids, there is another brutal footballing fact.

This states that you will not win trophies with an attack that is a blend of youth and mediocrity, which is currently what Spurs have at their disposal.

Pavlyuchenko looks a punt at £14m while Darren Bent carries the same demeanour that Chris Sutton had at Chelsea and James Beattie struggled with at Everton - right man wrong club.

Ramos cut a sorrowful figure as he faced the media. The downbeat, stony expression that passed for inner strength in his early days now looks like a mask of puzzled despair.

He needs to find it within himself to lead this talented but rudderless group of players and to stamp his own imprint on a squad seemingly fashioned by someone else.

Ramos summoned up his limited English to announce: "This is my job. I am the same whether we win or lose."

He was half right. It is his job if they win. If they lose, then it might be a different matter.

Poland settle dispute with Fifa

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:31:28 -0500

The Polish Football Association has settled a dispute with its government that threatened its right to co-host Euro 2012, says Fifa boss Sepp Blatter.

Fifa gave Poland a deadline of 1100 BST on Monday to reinstate their FA after it was suspended by the government.

Missing that deadline would have risked suspension from all competitions and losing their status as Euro 2012 hosts.

But Blatter has said that Fifa will not impose any sanctions on Poland if the agreement comes into force on Tuesday.

"We have received letters and documents that there has been an agreement between the FA and the Polish government," said Blatter.

"If this agreement comes into force tomorrow (Tuesday) it is sufficient for us. We will not impose any sanctions once the agreement comes into force."

The arbitration tribunal of the Polish National Olympic Committee suspended the FA (PZPN) last week after they allegedly failed to address corruption issues and named an administrator.

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Are you pleased that Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine is now set to get the go-ahead?

David O, BBC Sport

But Fifa and Uefa refused to recognise the new structure as they do not accept political interference in national associations, and the Polish National Olympic Committee must now withdraw the temporary administrator.

The Polish government has agreed to end its administration of the PZPN and adhere to a "roadmap" set up following a similar row in 2007.

Failure to comply would have meant Poland faced being handed automatic 3-0 defeats in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but those matches will now take place.

Uefa had also threatened to take Euro 2012 away from Poland - co-hosts along with Ukraine - if it failed to reinstate its Football Association.

That remains a possibility as Fifa says it will continue to "closely monitor the situation at the Polish FA and the implementation of the measures established in the roadmap".

The roadmap was created following discussions between the Polish FA, the Polish government, Fifa and Uefa and laid out the steps that should be taken before elections take place at the Polish FA.

The matter will be analysed and discussed at the next Fifa Executive Committee meeting on 23-24 October.

Liverpool rocked by Skrtel injury

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:30:03 -0500

Martin Skrtel may face a lengthy spell out after suffering posterior cruciate ligament damage to his right knee in Sunday's 3-2 win over Manchester City.

The 23-year-old defender needed oxygen and left the field on a stretcher after falling awkwardly late on at Eastlands.

"He will see a specialist on Tuesday to assess the extent of the injury," said club spokesman Ian Cotton.

"We will then have an accurate idea of the timescales involved before he is back playing again."

Skrtel, who was signed from Zenit St Petersburg in January, has forged a solid partnership with Jamie Carragher at the heart of Liverpool's defence.

The Slovakian has kept Daniel Agger out of the side but his injury may open the door for the Dane to return.

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You just cannot legislate for this type of thing - defeats, suspensions yes but this was out of the blue

horshamred

Liverpool have conceded only four goals in seven Premier League matches this season and they sit second in the table behind Chelsea on goal difference. Rafael Benitez's side have also made a fine start to their Champions League campaign, with victories from each of their opening two Group D matches.

Owen handed England future hope

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:29:05 -0500

England coaching assistant Ray Clemence says striker Michael Owen still has an international future. Owen, 28, was overlooked by England boss Fabio Capello for the World Cup qualifiers with Kazakhstan and Belarus. "What Michael has to do is continue to play and score goals and I'm sure an opportunity will come his way again," Clemence told BBC 5 Live. "If he is playing at the best of his ability then I am sure that Fabio will be seriously considering him." Owen, who missed the World Cup qualifying wins over Andorra and Croatia, has scored 40 goals in 89 games for England and has netted five times for Newcastle so far this season. But Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey have been picked ahead of him for the home game against Kazakhstan on 11 October and the trip to Belarus on 15 October. "At the moment the four strikers ahead of him are all in form and scoring goals. Therefore, they are there on merit," added Clemence, the former England goalkeeper. 606: DEBATE I think Capello has made a pretty big mistake - fair enough the games are not against the hardest teams but Owen should be playing broomfield1446 "I just think that Fabio wants to have the best 23 players that he possibly can. "At this moment he believes the four strikers that he has got are really in form and have done well for him. Therefore, he is being loyal to them." Wales assistant manager Roy Evans was Owen's boss at Liverpool and is surprised by the exclusion. "He (Capello) must have a really great team if he can leave the likes of Michael Owen out," he said. "But I suppose there is competition for places and I assume Michael will step up to the brink and fight for his place. "But I am surprised he has left him out because he's been doing all right for Newcastle even in a struggling team. "It could be one of those things - that Capello is saying 'okay, I am prepared to leave anybody out of this squad, everyone has to fight for their place' which is how it should be of course."

Windass eyes talks on Hull future

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:50:11 -0500

Hull striker Dean Windass has said he wants talks with boss Phil Brown after being left out of the squad last week.

Windass, who scored the goal which won the Tigers promotion to the Premier League, made the comments on his own internet blog.

When asked to make comment about the story the 39-year-old told the BBC he "stood by every word".

And City chairman Paul Duffen told BBC Look North: "I know Dean well enough to know he wants the best for this club.

Windass has appeared only once this season, as a substitute in the Tigers' 5-0 defeat to Wigan.

And Duffen added: "I'm sure he'll find a way of coming to terms with whatever he decides to do next in his career.

"If it comes to a time when Dean decides he wants regular first-team football elsewhere then it's quite possible.

"It's not a shock, not a divorce, it's a normal part of evolution in a footballer's career and from time-to-time they decide to move on."

Nigeria group keen on Magpies bid

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:48:38 -0500

The Nigerian consortium interested in taking over crisis-torn Newcastle has talked up its plans to buy the club.

Frontman Chris Nathaniel told BBC Sport: "It's a serious offer, they're very serious business people and passionate football fans.

"We're still at the early stages, but hopefully in the next 48 hours we'll be in a position to make a statement and take the situation further."

Newcastle have appointed investment bank Seymour Pierce to handle the sale.

Kevin is a hero on Tyneside, he'd be a great choice but I can't say too much

Chris Nathaniel on Keegan

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who has pumped £250m into the club, wants to sell the club after fan protests against him following the exit of Kevin Keegan as manager earlier this month.

Since Keegan left the club over a dispute regarding control of player transfers, Newcastle have lost their last three league games and on Wednesday crashed out of the Carling Cup after a home defeat by Spurs in front of a less than half full St James' Park.

"Newcastle should be achieving more than they are," added Nathaniel of NVA management.

"There is long-term potential at the club, there is a lot wrong at the club at the moment but they are determined to put that right by getting the right people in and using the right structure."

But Nathaniel remained tight-lipped over suggestions the consortium would try to tempt former manager Keegan to return to St James' Park.

"Kevin is a hero on Tyneside, he'd be a great choice but I can't say too much," said Nathaniel.

Vela Wary Of Strong Competition

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:18:36 -0500

Carlos Vela is fully aware that he will need to replicate this week's hat-trick heroics several times over to ensure his future at Arsenal...

galleria zoom

Vela led the Gunners' Carling Cup rout of Sheffield United on Tuesday night, netting three of their six unanswered goals in an astonishing performance from Arsene Wenger's youngest-ever XI.

The Mexican forward wasn't the only one who caught the eye, however, as Nicklas Bendtner bagged a brace and 16-year-old Jack Wilshere also scored to put the icing on a fine display in midfield.

And with the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott also making their mark at the Emirates, Vela knows competition for places will be fierce over the coming years.

“All of the players looked as though they have a great future here, but none of us can be certain of that,” he said in The Sun.

“Some will make it with Arsenal but we all know that others won’t.”

However, Wenger has stated that he is determined not to break up his current crop of young Gunners, claiming they are the best batch of kids he has ever worked with.

Vela hopes the French tactician is as good as his word, as he has slotted in seamlessly to the Arsenal set-up after spending the last two years on loan in Spain.

“We are very close as a group of players. Our friendship is so strong that it’s almost like we are a family,” the 19-year-old said.

“The manager has a great reputation for working with young players. That was the main attraction for me to sign for Arsenal.

“He has given us all a lot of advice and the benefits of his work were shown against Sheffield United.”

Yorke called up despite Keane row

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:15:49 -0500

Trinidad and Tobago and Sunderland could be set for another war of words after Dwight Yorke was named in the next World Cup qualifying squad.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane withdrew Yorke from international duty earlier this month, sparking an angry exchange with Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.

Keane called Warner "a clown" for writing a letter blaming him for Yorke missing a Trinidad and Tobago match.

The Fifa vice-president accused Keane of "insensitivity and disrespect".

Yorke, who has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, played against Guatemala on 6 September but was then recalled by his club, causing the forward to miss a World Cup qualifying game against the US four days later.

Yorke is retired. I've told Jack what I think of him and where to go

Roy Keane

Warner, an advisor to the Trinidad Football Association and viewed as one of the most powerful men in world football, initially accused the former Manchester United midfielder of being disrespectful for allegedly withdrawing Yorke from a match.

But Keane retorted: "Yorke is retired. I've told Jack what I think of him and where to go. He's a clown, a disgrace."

In his follow-up letter responding to Keane's comments, Warner was even more critical of the Sunderland manager.

He said: "The disrespectful tone of your reported comments further demonstrates the total disrespect that you and others of your ilk have generally for players and officials from 'small' countries.

"It is obviously difficult for you to accept the fact that someone from a 'small' country could rise to become a vice-president of Fifa."

In March 2007, Yorke announced he had retired from international football to concentrate on the Black Cats.

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Angry Keane labels Fifa rep a 'clown'

Earlier, Keane warned that the player could be reprimanded as Yorke had allegedly told him he had retired from internationals.

"Yorke has got to look at himself as well, mind," said Keane.

"He's told me he's retired from international football about five times and then I switch on the TV and he's running about with the squad. I don't know if it's an ego trip or whether he likes the odd cameo.

"But I do know, for example, that we wouldn't have offered him a one-year deal this season if he'd said he was going to be playing for Trinidad. I'll be speaking to him."

Trinidad and Tobago, currently third in their qualifying group, face Guatemala on 11 October and the US in the Port of Spain four days later.

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Give your reaction to Yorke's call-up

Yorke will be joined in the Trinidad and Tobago squad by Sunderland team-mate Carlos Edwards, Southampton forward Stern John, Coventry midfielder Chris Birchall, St Johnstone winger Collin Samuel, Falkirk playmaker Russell Latapy, Swansea's Dennis Lawrence and Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince.