Fantasy Football Logic

Posted on July 30, 2013 by russgriffiths

Being a bit of a veteran in the world that is Fantasy football, I thought that maybe there should be a blog on what goes on inside the mind of a would be manager who’s only real tilt at being a football manager is via the internet or the national newspapers… it’s called Fantasy Football!

So what does this mean? Well for the uninformed you are given, let’s call it a war chest (since that what a large amount of money is referred to in today’s game all the name of building a team or strengthening). So yeah let’s say for arguments sake 100 million seems to be a popular amount to build your Fantasy Football team, But who do you buy? Do you go for the big names the ones you know will almost guarantee you big points… but they come at a price!! Possibly at 15% of you budget! Or do you go for the cheaper options? I mean they will score you points but maybe not up there with the big names, but then you have more of your budget available!

There is no real skill or tactics in choosing a winning team as a lot of it comes down to luck, sure you can choose wisely and maybe spend big but then there’s always variables like injuries and suspensions that come into play of which no amount of skill or tactics will help if this occurs!

Right that out the way I come to the logic part? How do you decide who’s going into your team? Personally I want to win so if I have to choose players from another rival regardless of whether I like them or not I will… after all it’s a game, a competition to see who can win, sometimes there might be money riding on it either set by the terms of the Fantasy Football provider or a local bet between friends, But regardless it’s all about winning in my eyes, but there is a stubbornness out there that would disable the ability to choose players of a rival club! Why? Who knows! Everyone has their own logic on whom and why they choose a player!

One thing I know for sure is it makes me watch football matches in a different way…

Once I wouldn’t be too concerned if a rival or another team had scored a goal but now I want to know who scored the goal? Is he in my team? If not, who provided the assist, there’s points to be had here too! Then there’s clean sheets for a goalkeeper and defenders… coming up to those last few minutes, with “C’mon don’t concede now”! But if you’re going to make sure it’s another player in my team who scores it!

Anyway I love the football season for two reasons… One its nice to have football on the telly again, and Two I want to see how good my managerial skills (or luck) is for the upcoming season!
LP

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Its not about the glory, its the story

Posted on July 28, 2013 by russgriffiths

I feel that your hand is drawn from the location your were born in terms of team you support. As a kid there wasn’t much glamour going down the Vetch Field supporting Swansea, sometimes you would see the odd washed up big time player, but for me it was the atmosphere, it was affordable £60 quid for a season ticket and best if all it was fun.

Most of my mates were Man Utd or Liverpool fans, and most of which had never even been to their clubs grounds or even city for that matter. This isn’t football this is advertising and the press neglecting smaller clubs. In truth kids have no other choice but to support the big clubs as there is nothing hardly ever written or said about the smaller ones. Yes the internet has helped but more needs to be done.

I remember one season Swansea were on an atrocious run of form, probably hadn’t won in 7 games. But every home game I would give 3 pounds to my mates uncle to put a bet on the Swans. I would always go for 3 or 4 nil, at about 50-1. John Williams to score first, the irony of it all was that John Williams started about 3 games for the Swans that season and scored a total of about 4 goals. So thinking back now 50-1 was pretty smalls odds!! That bet slip really encapsulated my dreams, hopes and aspirations for my team……and I wouldn’t change a second of it.

As the new season approaches there are kids just like me when I was 11, anticipating the new season, intrigued by the new signings, awaiting the arrival of their new shirt for the season to commence. That first home match of the season, hot and sunny, big crowd always gets the butterflies going. And for me this is football…….get in there early have a burger, analyse the new players and have a good piss around.

Bugger sky sports and BT…..pay 5, 10 or 12 pounds for your son and take him to your local club. Let him fall in love with the game, get collecting the programs, wait for the players in the cold and rain to sign his shirt. Its not just a football match its a social gathering, meeting new friends and developing confidence. And of course brining in new fans to any club will bring in extra income, to help secure the future of your team. Enjoy the new season, smile, cry and dream for your club.
AP

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Gerardo Martino

Posted on July 24, 2013 by russgriffiths

It came out of the blue but wasn’t really a surprise. Tito Vilanova’s departure from Barcelona had an air of inevitability after spending a large chunk of last season absent due to an unfortunate relapse in the cancer he suffered in 2011. Understandably priorities for Tito clearly lie with continuing his treatment rather than football.
So after much media speculation about Guus Hiddink and Michael Laudrup, in steps Gerado Martino to fill the sizeable hole.

The Argentine guided the Paraguay national side to the quarter finals of the World Cup in 2010 and his last managerial post, Argentinians Newell’s old boys, to the Tomeo Final title. A modest if not spectacular CV compared to some of the names linked to the position, but In recent years a decorated track record has not been a necessity for the Catalans. Guardiola and Vilanova are perfect examples of this. As ever with Barcelona, philosophy comes first.
Tata (as Martino is affectionately known) shares many aspects of Barca’s style of play with his own. Martino was schooled playing under the great bespectacled tactician Biesla at Newells old boys, and Bielsa’s influence is clear to see. Gerardo’s team play a pressing energetic game where possession in key, intricate passing and moving the ball forward quickly are also paramount. All traits inherited from Bielsa and all traits the current Barcelona team will be very familiar with. But Martino is more pragmatic than Bielsa. A solid defence will usually come before the attacking flair for Tata’s sides, and given over the last year or so more and more teams are finding the vulnerabilities in Barcelona’s system (see Bayern Munich for reference) this may be no bad thing. Despite his pragmatism, given the talent and ability of the Barca side their style of play won’t change that much. Merely slightly tweaked. And this is why the appointment of Gerardo Martino may be another shrewd move by the Catalan Hierarchy.

So the question remains, can he make the jump from South America to Europe? Despite a brief stint at Tenerife, this is Tata’s first professional foray in Europe, and it’s not an easy transition to make. Given the quality and infrastructure of the club he’s inheriting, it could be an easy step to make. But add in the expectation of leading the best club side in the world, far greater have crumbled.
RG

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The Real Community

Posted on July 20, 2013 by russgriffiths

Most football fans will know the Real Oviedo story. Especially theTwitter aficionados, but the outcome of their fairy tale is an interesting one.
They currently reside in the third tier of Spanish football but a few short months ago they nearly disappeared out of existence all together. Staring liquidation in the face thanks to mismanagement, political wrangles, fraud, unpaid players and the general state of the Spanish economy, it was looking incredibly bleak for the Oviedistas. After spending the whole of the 90’s in the top flight they found themselves in Segunda Division B needing almost 2 Million euros just to keep the club alive. Let alone continue the following season.
A rallying cry was called and fans took there place on the board to guide the club to safety. Now they just needed cash. And fast.
Shares needed to be sold and thanks to some high profile former players, such as Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla leading by example, stakes in Real Oviedo started to sell. Real Madrid even snapped up a hundred thousand Euro stake in the club. Swansea forward and former Oviedo player Michu, who still has very strong links with the club, also contributed. Not only financially, but crucially, vocally. Michu, along with The Guardian Spanish football correspondent and much respected journalist Sid Lowe, really pushed the Oviedo cause and brought the situation to the attention of football fans worldwide. The global football community responded and in two weeks nearly 2 million Euros were raised by football fans from over 60 countries around the world, with Britain being one of the biggest contributors. A helping hand from one of the richest men in World also didn’t do any harm, but without the exposure from former players and journalists alike it could have ended very differently.

Real Oviedo’s journey genuinely warms the soul and puts a little faith back into football and its supporters. Proof it’s not just over paid fancy dans watched by drunk, over opinionated Sun readers lapping up the Rupert Murdock ‘product’

Similarities can be drawn to Oviedo with Portsmouth’s recent plight. The same old story of a badly run club, administration, and poor fiscal management also saw Portsmouth on the verge of disintegration. A supporters trust was formed and after years of negotiation and watching hapless owners come and go, backed by the Football League, the Pompey Supporters Trust gained the majority share and restructured the clubs hierarchy. The Trust has Pompey supporters as paid members and uses the revenue it gains to invest in the club and the local community. They may not of had the high profile exposure, thanks to former world class players and influential journalists, but the situation moved enough of the local people, and Pompey’s fan base is large enough, for supporters to rally and do something about what was, and is, important to them.

Again Portsmouth’s story, as heart warming as it is, is also an affirmation of the importance of football clubs to there supporters. Clubs can be hearts of community’s, influencing local area’s not only financially, but culturally. Social hub’s, where people converge and share their past times. Giving a sense of pride in your area and in your informal family.
And this is where football should be. Part of the community. Football is more than just a Super Sunday graphic or a slow motion HD montage, or a transfer deadline day multi million pound deal, as exciting as those can be. Football is about people.

If you haven’t seen it, watch the excellent short documentary about the Real Oviedo story by Copa90. It will re affirm your faith in our game.
RG

Real Oviedo Story

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The Rooney Conundrum

Posted on July 17, 2013 by russgriffiths

So Jose Mourinho’s kissy faces at Wayne Rooney has been made official following the Chelsea managers press conference during their preseason tour of Thailand.
Rooney’s nine years at United have been for the most part successful and fruitful for both parties, but in recent seasons the strikers petulance has come to the fore. Unhappy with not being centre stage at United, firmly in the spotlight, toys have been discarded from the pram and three tantrums later, it seems his exit is inevitable. But just as in Alex Ferguson’s tenure, United wont be bullied by either party. They’ll get what they want or Rooney will become the understudy he fears, and that some would say, deserves.

Even with all his ego, the England forward is still a quality player, and if Chelsea meet his valuation, they will be acquiring another top class footballer to add to there already formidable arsenal. With Mourinho insisting players going the other way won’t be involved in any deal, that would leave Chelsea with a forward line including Rooney, Torres, Mata, Hazard, & Oscar. And there’s still Ba and Lukaku waiting in the wings. Rooney would suit there fluid forward play but how Chelsea’s style will evolve under the ‘Special one’ remains to be seen.
Despite his stint at the anomaly that is Real Madrid, and the dressing room power struggles, Mourinho is known for his man management and building a team with great belief who will fight for there manager. He achieves this by making players feel important and wanted and part of the unit, and he proved this in his last term at Chelsea and at Inter. Massaging Rooney’s ego will be simple for Jose, and the same may also bring out the best in Torres, so would united be prepared to offload this talented nuisance to one of there closest rivals?
Mr Moyes may have slipped on sir Alex’s shoes, but can he swim in the deep end.
RG

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Men United

Posted on July 16, 2013 by russgriffiths

More and more often these days grown men are admitting to man crushes on footballers. I for an awful long time thought it was some kind of homosexuality, but to my reassurance it wasn’t just me who has got lost it Paulo Maldini’s eyes.

It all started for me back in 2001, Swansea signed a young, fresh faced French midfielder by the name of David Romo. At the time the Swans were in division 3, and would struggle to attract players from peterborough let alone paris.

I don’t know what it was maybe the mystery of a foreign country, the allure of tropical lands…..and to be fair I was 12 so had no idea north france pissed down like south wales. I even dedicated ‘the David Romo’ stand to my hero in my local park. Granted it was a corrugated sheet with ROMO painted on it in white paint, but it became iconic in the local area!

Let’s just understand that this concept dose not really work with the majority of british football players. Its not the same is it, how can a young boy fall in love with Gareth Southgate? The only thing I would describe mysterious about that man are his football management skills.

Nowadays I must confess to having a soft spot for Michael Laudrup manager of Swansea and Danish legend, great hair and skills on that guy. Anyway let me know your thoughts and your crush below…….
AP

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The Broken Transfer Market

Posted on July 14, 2013 by russgriffiths

Buying a football player in the PL at the moment, is very much comparable to buying a second hand car the the 90’s. No idiot wants to spend their hard earned cash on a second hand Rover, when for less they can purchase a European comparable with leather seats and a cassette player.

That’s was the start of the UK economy going down the shite pan, and more shockingly this could be the start of the demise of English football. Naturally if you over price yourself in any market you will not sell your product. Meaning competitors will buy cheaper elsewhere.

What worries me is, if like the majority of PL clubs you over price all of your British players, they will not get the exposure they deserve. Thinking back over the last 5 years names like Ireland, Sinclair, Turnbull and Spearing come to mind. Because of the bounty’s placed on their heads, other PL teams would rather take a cheaper European gamble. And in turn hampering British youth players development.

The message is Buy British…….keep it real for Queen and for country. And for this very reason I hold the PL accountable for Wales’s FIFA ranking of 46. BASTARDS!
AP

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Simply Put… Thank you Sir Alex…

Posted on July 13, 2013 by russgriffiths

As a Manchester United fan being a blog novice, Where, No… Who better to reminisce over than in my opinion and I suspect many others too, The Greatest Manager of all time…

Love him or loathe him, you’d be hard pressed to not respect and admire what Sir Alex Ferguson has done, not just for Manchester united but for the world of football in general! Being a Manchester united fan of about 32 years I’ve barely known any different regarding the hot seat at old Trafford, but in 1986 when he was appointed the manager taking over from the much maligned big Ron Atkinson little did the united faithful or world football know what they had in store!

For he was about to turn what was widely considered a sleeping giant of a club from also ran’s to the global juggernaut it is today, not just transforming the clubs trophy cabinet from “a few trophies” here and there, to a “get the carpenter in, we’re gonna need more room” Although he won Two Champions League’s surely the First League title in the 92-93 season ending 26 years of hurt was his greatest achievement, Although some might point to the FA cup in 1990 as the trophy that saved his bacon allowing him the time to go on win the League!

He also helped to promote the brand that is Manchester United even more so around the globe, with fans coming from all walks of life and from the four corners of the earth to be part of the club.

There’s so much info, stats and data about SAF (as he’s commonly known in the world of twitter) that I could be writing this forever, I want to capture not only how I’ll remember him but talk about some of the highlights of his career as the gaffer, the boss, the godfather of world football!

One of the first things SAF wanted to do was, as he famously put it “knock Liverpool off their perch” (apologies Liverpool fans) by winning as many League titles as they had accumulated (18 in case you didn’t know) which as we know he went on to achieve.. and then some! Sometimes people can make bold statements but you have to be able to back it up and boy did he! Going on to take United to league title number 20 in his final season.

What about that piece of chewing gum… is it the same piece?? It seems like he’s been chewing it 27years, It wouldn’t surprise me if someone was to tell me that chewing gum sales hit a high during his tenure!!

Then there’s the famous plus somewhat controversial (only amongst the Non-United fans)” Fergie time” (this was the extra allotted time that only SAF was allowed at the end of a match, most notably when the score line wasn’t to his satisfaction.) Countless amounts of time’s would United score dramatic late goals to snatch victory or prevent a losing result and this can usually be attributed to “Fergie time” I’m pretty sure the referee’s checked their clocks with SAF watch at the start of each game! Amongst many other defining factors of his stint as the Boss I’m going to miss “fergie time” (hopefully he has passed his watch over the David Moyes)

Of course SAF was the centre of Manchester united, The Heartbeat of the club, but he needed the players, the right players to have the same drive and ambition on the pitch that he had off it! Some of his signings were just breath taking, especially if you consider the fees, Eric Cantona 1 million pounds! 1 MILLION POUNDS seriously! What a steal thanks Howard Wilkinson! Denis Irwin from Oldham for £625000.00! Widely considered pound for pound SAF greatest signing?? Peter Schmeichel from Brondby for £505000.00, the great dane the best United keeper of all time in my opinion, how many points did he win for SAF! Of course, Not all of his signings were on the cheap, Rooney, Ferdinand, Veron, Van Persie to name a few all in the 25million – 30 million bracket, Whilst most of the players he bought were huge success’s there we’re also some proper flops, let’s not forget Taibi, djemba djemba (so good they named him twice apparently) William Prunier (ok he was on trial but seriously) and Bebe which is surely his latest and worst of the lot (maybe the jury’s still out on him but i don’t expect to see him again)

Again the list goes on but we’ll leave it there.

Anyway I’m done so…

Simply Put…. Thank you Sir Alex! You are a legend and my life and millions of other United’s fan’s been enriched thanks to you.
LP

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The most entertaining player on the planet.

Posted on July 11, 2013 by russgriffiths

If you ask the majority of football fans who they think the most entertaining player in the world is, they are overwhelming likely to be either ‘team Ronaldo’ or ‘team Messi’. The attributes these two goliaths of the game possess, with Ronaldo’s tricks, pace, ruthless finishes and the argentine maestros’ dribbling prowess and ridiculous goal scoring record provide substantial rational for this belief.

However ladies and gentleman (I imagine mostly gentleman) there is a third metaphorical camp which I invite you all to reside in, and that is ‘team Ibrahimović’. I can unashamedly say that I like to have my cake and eat it and ‘Ibra’ certainly gives you both the Disney and the explicit, one minute he’ll be singlehandedly winning the French title, giving PSG fans their first championship in nine years the next he’ll be bending Ryan Shawcross over and tearing him a new one.

Firstly and most importantly he is endowed with monumental footballing ability, with bags of goals in the Allsvenskan, Eredivisie, Serie A, La Liga and most recently Ligue One, 269 (cheeky) to date. He’s also racked up 40 goals for his native Sweden, that’s just as many as Owen has for England and who doesn’t like little Michael? Watch this nine minute forty three second video of Zlatan goals; all of them are ridiculously ridiculous.


The one performance that encapsulates the astounding ability that the 6ft5 Swede possess took place on the 14th of November 2012. Roy’s boys (and they were made to look like boys that night) travelled (a word that strikes fear into the hearts of any England fan) to mark the opening of the Swedish 50,000 capacity Friends Arena in Stockholm. Captain fantastic Ibra notched up a four goal haul, strikes which included a smash and grab toe punt amidst the panicking young England defence. Ghosting past a bumbling Shawcross like he wasn’t even there, more than likely ending his international career at the solitary one cap milestone, (the next time the potters skipper will be pulling on the England jersey will be in the Stoke branch of DW sports). A drilled free kick from long range past the blue nose Joe Hart and finally one of my favourite goals of all time, the finish that supports the ‘team Ibrahimović’ standpoint, ‘that’ 30 yard bicycle kick, I’ll say that again in capitals for added emphasis 30 YARD BICYCLE KICK. I would bet my house (I rent) that no other player in world football would attempt a finish like that, even Ronaldo would of taken a touch and shot, reigniting rumours of a return to Manchester (everything he does seems to do this). Messi would have played a one-two with every player on the pitch and then walked it into the net, securing his 1,405 successive ballon d’or.

The added off the field entertainment extras that the long locked assassin (by which he is not commonly known) exhibits really put the icing on the cake for me. When offered an Arsenal trial in 2000, the response from the 16 year old Zlatan was that ‘Zlatan doesn’t do auditions’; all I was concerned about when I was 16 was how to turn myself into a dinosaur! Perhaps more could have been done by Arsène Wenger to convince one of Europe’s most promising young stars to join the Gunners I hear you cry from the rooftops, well lets not go into that now, this is a blog virgins views, not a doctoral thesis on the outdated and flawed arsenal transfer policy.

Here are a few highlights of Ibra’s memorable quotes which will, if anything, tickle you:

A reporter asked “you’ve got some scars on your face, what has happened?”, Zlatan replied “Well…I don’t know…you’ll have to ask your wife about that”.

He also has the time to have digs at ex Aston villa players, having been quoted as saying ‘what John Carew does with a football, I can do with an orange.”

He is quite the lothario also, in response to a female reporter who questioned Ibra on the rumours that he is gay his response was “Come over to my house with your sister, and I’ll show you who’s gay!”

Loves a beer with the lads! ‘“It was the fault of David Trezeguet, who made me do one drink of vodka after another. I slept in the bathtub. Now I hold my vodka much better.”

Modest. “An injured Zlatan is a pretty serious thing for any team.”

And finally my two personal favourites from his time at Barca: “Then Guardiola started his philosopher thing. I was barely listening. Why would I? It was advanced bullshit about blood, sweat and tears, that kind of stuff.”

“Guardiola was staring at me and I lost it. I thought ‘there is my enemy, scratching his bald head!’. I yelled to him: ‘You have no balls!’ and probably worse things than that. I added: ‘You are shitting yourself because of Jose Mourinho. You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad. I threw a box full of training gear across the room, it crashed to the floor and Pep said nothing, just put stuff back in the box. I’m not violent, but if I were Guardiola I would have been frightened.”

What Ronaldo and Messi offer in terms of footballing ability is second to none, but for sheer off the cuff, shoot on sight, don’t give a fuck persona on and off the pitch, look no further than Zlatan Ibrahimović .

OW

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Brazil 2.0

Posted on June 30, 2013 by russgriffiths

World cup hosts Brazil faced all conquering Spain in the final of the Confederations cup at the revamped Maracana. The 22nd ranked team against the top dogs. Of course this means nothing, other than highlighting the irrelevance of FIFAs ranking system, because Brazil, albeit far from the finished article, still have a lot of ability crammed into those yellow and green shirts. And they proved it with a 3-0 victory, but are they ready to lift the World Cup trophy next year?
Because this isn’t the Selecao we we have come to expect. Brazils legacy from the 60’s and 70’s has left an expectation on the national side that still resonates today. Flair, skill and fluidity are not just expected but demanded by the Brazilian people and football fans worldwide. But not Scolari’s Brazil. This is an organised, drilled, even disciplined Brazil playing a system. A tactical system. But it would be unfair to say they are not still creative, just different. Modern.

Right from the outset of the final against Spain, Brazil pressed from the front denying the Spanish time and space, which admittedly they don’t usually need, but the sloppy World champions couldn’t deal with the hosts high tempo pressure. The Selecao also were not afraid to use there physicality either, which is something that’s not often said of the 5 times world champions. Now Brazil are a cohesive unit pressing without the ball backed up by the unexpected solidity of the Thiago Silva, David Luis partnership.
A settled squad with big Phil’s organisational nous is not all Brazil have to offer. They attack with pace and with players like Neymar and Oscar, can produce the traditional Brazilian brilliance from nothing. Fred is also hitting form at an international level just at the right time, and then there is Hulk. A battering ram of a forward who seems more like an old fashioned British center forward than a South American. Big, strong and physical willing to put a shift in. Not exactly Pele, but still an important role in the new look Brazil.

So a new, modern Brazil are ready to dominate the football world once again? Not quite. Though now they are probably one of the favourites to lift the World Cup along with Spain, Germany, and Argentina, and with home advantage it wouldn’t be that unprecedented, but work in progress they still are. A lack of real quality in depth to the squad is slightly concerning. Especially when looking at players available to Spain and Argentina. There may also be an over reliance on Neymar. Brazil do have world class players but Neymar may be the only one that can change a game on his own. A off day for Neymar could see an early exit for Brazil.
RG

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