Now I am not Greg Sharko of the 'SHARK BITES' fame,neither am I James Buddle--celebrated statistician of the ATP, but I am an avid supporter of Tennis and a passionate one too. So please don't be too critical of my analysis. 'shrugs'
Most of us are aware that assertably the most prestigious Tennis tournament of every season starts in a few days and this time it only concerns the BEST EIGHT PLAYERS IN THE WORLD according to the ATP-SOUTH AFRICA AIRWAYS RANKINGS. This explains the title of this article, 'THE BATTLE OF EIGHT WARRIORS'. Below is a quick run down of what they have done to reach the BARCLAYS-ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS aka WTF! which will be contested from 20th to 27th November 2011 at the O2 Arena in London.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Oh! what a man. that roar from me best describes the 24 year old, new WORLD NUMBER ONE of Tennis. A man who has gone from the aspiring to the aspired....from the mountain climber to the mountain itself...from the wanna be to the real deal....and lastly from the hunter to the hunted. Nole as he is fondly called by friends and colleagues alike, took the Tennis circuit by storm from December 2010 when he exhilarated the Serbian team to Davis Cup glory at France's expense(defeating Simon and Monfils in singles)....(although it was Victor Troicki who ensured victory with a deciding win over Michael Llodra.) till now. He has compiled a 69-4 record which is BLISTERING AND INCONCEIVABLE. It will not be out of place to say only one of those losses has actually been a DEFEAT....the French Open semi-final loss to Roger Federer which was decided in 4 sets. Two have been as a result of a niggling shoulder problem which affected him in no small measure against Murray (Cincinnati) and Nishikori (Basel)...while the last one was a retirement v Del Potro in a Davis Cup semi-final singles match, probably because of fatigue. His season can be summed up like this---he has won 3 grand slams (Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open), 5 ATP MASTERS 1000 crowns (Indiana Wells, Miami, Rome, Madrid,and Montreal) and the ATP events in Dubai and Belgrade. Don't get it twisted, he defeated Nadal in six of those 10 title matches, something he had never done prior to Indiana Wells, he also got the better of the Spanish Matador in 2 of the 3 slam finals------something again he had never before managed. The big ones probably were the two victories over Nadal in Madrid and Rome on CLAY where Rafa is KING. He won those clay encounters in straight sets which was a FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT. The djoker also came back from two sets downs to defeat Federer in the US Open semi-final, thereby becoming only the second man to do so since the Swiss Maestro become a pro.
By reaching the Wimbledon semis (where he beat Jo-Wilfed Tsonga), he took over the Number one ranking from Rafael Nadal, thus becoming the only man to have broken the Nadal-Federer duopoly which had existed since 2005. He started his reign as the UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONE MALE TENNIS PLAYER IN THE WORLD on 4th July 2011----a day after winning Wimbledon.
There is no doubting the fact that the Serbian Champion is the BIGGEST FAVOURITE to win the 2011 season ending Tennis Championships. Something he achieved in 2008 (d.Davydenko) when it was still played on carpet at the Qizhong City Arena in Shanghai.
TOMAS BERDYCH
Finishing in the top 8 for two successive seasons is a rare feat only managed by an exclusive set of Tennis phenoms. Czech big hitter. St Tomas or Berdman is now part of that assemblage. Seen as a talented under achiever in years gone by, he has come out of obscurity and taken his destiny into his own hands in the last two years, reaching the semi-finals of the French Open(l to Soderling) and the final of Wimbledon (l.to Nadal) among others. This year he has been in great form, reaching at least the quarter finals of most tournaments he has entered. He also became the first Czech player since Petr Korda (91-92) to finish in the top 10 for two years on the bounce.
Berdych started gaining the right praises when he shocked Roger Federer in the quarter finals of Wimbledon last year.....a few weeks after he reached his 1st GS semi-final in Paris. The difference between last year and this one is his consistency in the latter. He ended a two year trophy drought last month at the China Open, defeating Marin Cilic in 3 sets. At the Paris Masters, Berdych reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion, Roger Federer. In the quarters, he stopped Andy Murray's 17-match unbeaten run.(came from a set down). He will look to improve on his 1-2 round robin record earned on his debut last year when he faces off against the very best of his chosen career path.
DAVID FERRER
Rafael Nadal aside, no one embodies the 'never say die' attitude than the nimble World number 5, David Ferrer. The Alicante born Australian Open semi-finalist has been around the elite of Tennis for five years now. Since turning pro in 2000, he has grown in leaps and bounds, reaching at least the quarter finals in all GS(Grand Slams) except Wimbledon where he has reached the 4th round in the last two years. He is a perennial top 10 finisher and he also reached the final of the season ending tournament in 2007 (l.to Federer).
This year he has done very well, reaching the Australian Open semis (l.to Murray), the finals of Monte-Carlo and Barcelona(l.to Nadal both times) and winning the Auckland (d.Nalbandian) and Acapulco (d.Almagro) tournaments. He will hope to go one better this year by winning the World Tour finals event...easier said than done you know.
ANDY MURRAY
Muzza as he is affectionately called, has been terrific this year. I still believe he might have done a lot better if the British Press had given him a minute's rest. The pressure to become the first Briton to win a grand slam after 70 odd years is weighing him down and he has actually done his utmost.
This year has been simply tremendous for the 24 year old. He reached the Autralian Open final for the second consecutive year, this time losing to the bionic Djokovic. His first quarter was poor by his standards, but he picked up form during the clay season, enjoying his best clay court success yet, by reaching the semi-finals of Monte Carlo, Rome and the french open losing to Nadal, Djokovic and Nadal sequentially. He won the Stella Artois (Queen's Club)event(d.Tsonga) and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals (l.to Nadal)---for the 2nd straight year. Murray then won the masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and also reached the US Open semis where he again lost to Nadal. From then on, he kick started a novak-like run winning 17 straight matches from the Davis Cup manhandling of Luxembourg to the quarter-final of the Paribas masters in Paris (l.to Berdych). In that period he picked up three titles in quick succession and swept through the Asian wing with victories in Thailand (d.Young), Japan (d.Nadal) and Shanghai (d.Ferrer) where he hoisted his 8th masters 1000 shield. He will look to impress his home crowd by winning the title this year after almost nearly beating Nadal in last year's semi-final---a match described as the best 3 set challenge of 2010. The Dunblane native will look to finish the year as World number 3 for the first time--a position Federer also wants. For the first time in his astounding career, he reached the last four of all four majors.
JO-WILFRED TSONGA
The man popular referred to as the Mohammed Ali of Tennis because they look so much alike, I call him the Willy-man, some others call him the fat frenchman. Whatever name you choose to see him, Tsonga has cemented his place as one of the best players in the World of Tennis and he has worked extremely hard.
The man who rose to prominence in 2008 when he shocked the tennis world and alerted everyone of his burgeoning talent by giving Nadal a hiding in the Australian Open semi-finals, triumphing in straight sets (6-2, 6-3,6-2). He eventually lost the final to Djokovic in four sets,but a resounding message had already been passed.
This year has been a pretty good one for the lad. He has reached 5 finals---Rotterdam, London (Queen's Club), Vienna, Paris, Metz, and won two of them---Vienna and Metz defeating JMDP (Juan Martin Del Potro) and Ivan Ljubicic and losing others to Soderling (Rotterdam), Murray (London) and Federer (Paris). He scored a first at Wimbledon when he came from two sets down to defeat the Swiss magician (Federer) in the q-finals, thus becoming the 1st man ever to accomplish it. Federer revenged in Flushing Meadows at the US OPEN q/finals,making no mistake this time as he brushed the frenchman aside in straights.
Tsonga first participated at the season ending masters in 2008 and went 1-2 in round robin play. He is perhaps the most dangerous under dog in the eight-man group and has a chance to upset the odds.
MARDY FISH
The man who also bears Simpson as his middle name has been a hit this year. The top ranked American player for the 1st time in his career, he is making his first appearance in the tournament and it might not be his last, judging from the scintillating form he has been on all year long. He is something of a late developer considering his age (almost 30). Although he collected silver at the Athens Olympic games in 2004 (l.to Massu), and reached the final of Cincinnati in 03and '10 and Indian Wells in 08, he had never had such a fine year as this one.....2011 has been a very good year for Mardy--reaching the quarter finals of Wimbledon (l.to Nadal) for the first time, as well as winning his 6th career title in Atlanta (d.Isner). He also reached the Los Angeles and Montreal final losing to Gulbis and Djokovic. He however scooped the US OLYMPUS SERIES trophy by reaching the later rounds of all the tournaments he took part in during the US swing----including reaching the semi finals of Cincinnati (l.to Murray) defeating Nadal along the way for the very 1st time and the US OPEN 4th round (l.to Tsonga). He reached a career high World number 7 on August 15 and now occupies the number 8 spot on the rankings table. He has stated that he will play his very best at the Championships and I really fancy him to spring one or two surprises.
ROGER FEDERER
Finding himself in new surroundings as world number 4, The GREAT man has been called all the fanciest names in the world and he thoroughly deserves each and every one of them. Goodness gracious, the Basel native has redefined what it means to be a champion in any sphere of human endeavour. The name Roger Federer is synonymous with ABSOLUTE SUCCESS. He has won everything in Tennis. What more can you say about a man who has won 69 titles?????where will you begin to to delineate his awesome career? I will not finish today if I start spelling out his unmatched achievements. Perhaps if there was no Nadal, he might have reached heights even air planes will find a herculean task to get to. Such has been the BRILLIANCE of the man mostly referred to as FED-EXPRESS or FEDEx for short.
The 16 time grand slam winner rarely retires from a game and he has played almost a 1000. He has won an amazing 18 masters 1000 titles, his last coming just a few days ago in Paris (d.Tsonga). He holds the record for consecutive weeks as World number one at an awe inspiring 237 and was within 1 week of equalling Sampras' record of 286, when Nadal reclaimed it last year. Talk about a SUPERHUMAN and you wouldn't be exaggerating. It was Soderling who stopped him from reaching an astonishing 24 consecutive grand slam semi-finals at the 2010 French Open. His record of successive GS quarter finals continues as he has even bypassed Jimmy Connors' record of 29 straight appearances by setting his own (30) at the US OPEN earlier this year. There are many more which I cannot mention for obvious reasons.
In spite of the fact that this has been one of his poorest seasons, this year end tournament is the 10th in succession he is featuring in. Only Ivan Lendl (12) and Sampras (11) can boast of something better and he shares the record for most wins (5) with Lendl and Pistol Pete (Sampras). Fresh from winning two consecutive titles---Basel (d.Nishikori) and Paris (D.Tsonga), King Roger is the most in-form player on show and will look to extend his 12 match winning streak when he opens his campaign against a familiar foe, Jo Willy Tsonga. Asides that, he has 1500 points to defend as a result of his status as defending champion (d.Nadal last year) and is also aiming to finish as World Number 3---a position that he hadn't dropped to in 8 years until a few months ago.
RAFAEL NADAL
Without doubt one of the greatest tennis players in History, the majorcan powerhouse has found life difficult in recent time, no thanks to the effervescent Novak Djokovic who has accounted for six of his 13 surprising losses in 2011.
The Matador and winner of a record 19 ATP MASTERS 1000 shields, started 2011 as a man on a mission with the ultimate aim of winning all four majors successively. It was not to be as his run was halted by good friend and compatriot, David Ferrer at the Australian Open q/finals.....the same man who had earlier beaten him in the 07 US OPEN fourth round. Nadal was injured in the match, but that didn't make things any better for the KING OF CLAY who was very unhappy at the turn of events. He reached the finals of Indian Wells and Miami only to be beaten in three sets by Novak---a man who was soon turning into his worst nightmare. He was perhaps lucky that Djokovic pulled out of Monte Carlo as he won that for an unprecedented seven consecutive years,thus becoming the 1st man ever to achieve the feat in the Modern era. He also won the Barcelona open for the sixth time in 7 years (he didn't play in 2010)
His next stop was the Madrid masters where he was defending champion...he again lost to Djokovic and the same thing was repeated in Rome. The loss marked the 1st time Nadal had been defeated by the same player in two consecutive clay court matches, four consecutive times and four consecutive finals. Nadal must have seen enough of him by now, but there was more to come.
The Spanish master retained his french open crown by defeating Roger Federer in four sets and for the 5th time on Parisian clay (05 semis, 06-08 final, 10 final). This was the end of his trophy haul for the year as he was defeated at the Wimbledon and US Open final(s) by that man called Djokovic---again?????. Nadal alos lost in the third rounds of Montreal and the Shanghai masters to Dodig and Mayer. The losses did not end there. He also lost to Murray and Fish in Japan and Cincinnati....not forgetting the Doha semi-final loss vs Davydenko (for the 3rd time in succession) and the Queen's club q-final loss to Tsonga. He officially lost the number one ranking to Novak on the 4th of July after holding it for 56 weeks.
He vented his anger on Tsonga and Gasquet during the Davis Cup semi-final v France and withdrew from the Paris Masters to focus his attention on the season ending Championship in London and the Davis Cup final v Argentina next month.
On current form, Nadal is nowhere near any of the other seven contenders for the title and 1500 ATP-SA Airways ranking points, but no one should write him off as he has been in this situation many times before and for a man who reached the final here last year (l.to Federer) and accumulated 46 titles in his career, he might just have more than a lot to prove come Sunday when he squares up against Mardy Fish.
The draw for the Tournament was made some days ago and here is how they line up
GROUP A
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
ANDY MURRAY
DABID FERRER
TOMAS BERDYCH
GROUP B
RAFA NADAL
ROGER FEDERER
JO-WILFRED TSONGA
MARDY FISH
One can argue that the Nadal-Federer group is the group of death as football pundits will say. This is the first time that Nadal and Federer will meet before the later stages of the year end tournament....all thanks to the wondrous display of Novak and the persistence of Murray.
follow Ohis Eboreime on @ohiskaka1990
Thursday 17 November 2011
Wednesday 16 November 2011
EURO 2012 PLAY-OFFS....how the games went....
At long last, the D-day finally arrived. Friday November 11 was the most anticipated day in Football when the 11th month of the year started some fifteen days ago. It was the day in which the first episode of the play-off battle between 8 determined teams was to be played out and the day lived up to its hype with some explosive games on show. First of those combats to be analyzed is the Turkey-Croatia game which took place at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul.
TURKEY-CROATIA
Croatia and Slaven Bilic were on a revenge mission as Turkey, then managed by former AC Milan manager, Fatih Terim denied them the opportunity of qualifying for the semi-finals of Euro 2008 courtesy of a penalty shoot out victory. Despite the fact that Bilic & Corluka played down the revenge aspect of the game, it was the Media's own caption of the match-up which only made it more eagerly expected. In Guus Hiddink, the turks had a manager that had all the experience required at this level. His record with the Netherlands, South Korea, Russia and Australia are only bettered by a select few in World football. Coincidentally, Turkey and Croatia were the teams that prevented him on two separate occasions from collecting a bronze medal at the FIFA world cup (1998 (Croatia d. Holland), 2002 (Turkey d. South Korea) ).
Turkey did not call up one of its most influential players, Nuri Sahin as they felt it was too early...taking into consideration his recent return from a long term injury lay-off. But they still had the likes of Colin Kazim-Kazim or Kazim Richards as he was referred to during his time in England, Athletico Madrid's Arda Turan, and Skipper, Hamit Altintop to call upon for he needed quality. Croatia on the other hand, had to do without Niko Kranjcar and Mladen Petric, but welcomed back Bayern's Ivica Olic who had been out for a while.
The game started with the Croats on the front foot and it was no surprise when they took the lead courtesy of the enigmatic Olic who benefited from a Mandzukic cut back to stun the home crowd after just 100 seconds. Hiddink was dazed. That wasn't in the book and it all but punctured their well laid out plans for the game. Plan B had to replace the present one, but it was the same outcome as Mandzukic rose highest to divert a Corluka cross past Volkan Demirel in the Turkish goal. 2-0 after 32 minutes and the tie was seemingly out of reach for Hiddink's men. Turkey didn't carve out one clear cut opportunity with Srna and company limiting them to half chances and long rangers. The first half ended with Croatia holding on to a 2 goal lead.
The players had barely entered the pitch for the second half when Corluka rose highest to score his team's 3rd and game clinching goal. The match ended with Croatia taking a 3 goal lead back to Zagreb.
The second leg in Zagreb on Nov 15 was a very dull match. Shambolic with 8 yellow cards(5 for Turkey) issued. Turkey dominated possession (65%), but did absolutely nothing with it. You always had the gut feeling that it was going to be a very impossible mission for the team to defeat Croatia on their home turf and consequently overturn the deficit. The match ended 0-0 with Croatia qualifying for their 2nd consecutive Euro tournament. Modric and co will hope to improve on their last 8 finish achieved in 08.
ESTONIA-REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Giovanni Trapattoni aka Trap is no stranger to the big occasion. One of the most successful and revered tacticians in World football, he has managed in so many nations and had all the necessary tools to salvage the football situation in Ireland. That is why he was brought to Dublin. His record as manager, especially in European cup competitions can only be equalled by the likes of Ernst Happel and Udo Lattek. He has won at least one trophy everywhere he has been to and was Italy's manager for the '02 World Cup and the European Championships in Portugal two years later. He was denied by Thierry Henry's cheating tactic in the play-offs for the '10 World cup and he was well aware that the Irish had not won a play-off match or been to any tournament since the 2002 World cup (reached the second round only to be ousted by Spain on penalties).
The opponent this time was Estonia. The northern European country has been punching above its weight in recent time, beating the much fancied Serbia to the play-off spot in a group that was comfortably won by Italy. II Trap knew much better than to underestimate the threat they posed. The first leg was at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia and the coach knew his team had to take something from there to have any hope of making it to their first tournament in 10 long years.
If ROI had known that it would be so easy, they wouldn't have been sweating so much on the fitness of Shane Long, Leon Best and the suspension of Kelvin Doyle. It was a jolly good ride right from when Keith Andrews opened scoring until Robbie Keane scored his 52nd and 53rd international goals to seal a remarkable 4-0 mauling of the hosts right in front of their despondent fans. It was practically a walk in the park for the Irish with Walters also helping himself to an international goal.
The 2nd leg at the Aviva Stadium was only honoured by Estonia probably because they would be sanctioned or charged if they hadn't shown up. There was no way they could have clawed their way back. It would have been the biggest shock since human beings started existing. As predicted, the game ended 1-1 with Konstantin Vassiljev scoring the equalizer for the visitors after Stephen Ward put Trap's men in front. the final whistle heralded the start of WILD CELEBRATIONS for the entire people of the ROI. For the first time in 23 years (since Euro 88) they are back among the elite of Europe. Trap, Tardelli and co have etched their names in Irish Football History.
CZECH REPUBLIC -MONTENEGRO
Euro 96 runners-up and 2004 semi-finalists sure know their way around in European football. They might no longer boast of the likes of 2003 Ballon d'or, Pavel Nedved, Karel Pobosky and Jan Koller (all time top scorer with 55 goals in 91 apps), but they have a talented set-up led by former Borussia Dortmund midfield pearl, Tomas Rosicky. Youngsters like Tomas Necid, Vaclav Kadlec, Libor Kozak and Thomas Vaclik have all earned their places in the team, although the latter has to wait for some time, before he can stake a claim to the goalkeeper's gloves because in Petr Cech, Czech have one of the best GKs in the World. They also have Euro 2004's highest goal scorer, Milan Baros' in their ranks....Although he is now a shadow of his former self, he can still cause untold damage when he is on top of his game. The play-off draw pitched Michal Bilek's men against Montenegro. The small country which broke out from Serbia and Montenegro a few years ago, also possess weapons that are capable of hurting any squad. Individuals like Stevan Jovetic (jo-jo), Simon Vukcevic, and captain/talisman, Mirko Vucinic.
The first leg was hosted by Czech Republic and the venue was the Generali Arena in Prague. The Montenegrins had the better of the early exchanges, but they could not make their dominance count...Vucinic the chief culprit. However, the hosts began to settle and it was only a matter of time before they made their superiority and home advantage count as deep into the 2nd half, Pilar sent a beautiful curler past the surprised Bozovic for 1-0. The first didn't seem to galvanize Montenegro into action...the attacking trio of Vukcevic-jo-jo and Vucinic were lacklustre and couldn't fashion out any real opening. The midfield allowed Rosicky to stride along without pressure and it was the same player who hurt them in injury time with a well taken delivery that ended with Sivok heading Czech to a 2-0 aggregate lead heading into the return leg in Podgorica.
The 2nd leg in Podgorica saw Vucinic and co try all they could to come back from two goals down but their efforts proved abortive as the Czechs sealed passage into the Euro 2012 main draw with a goal from Petr Jiracek-his 1st for his country in 5 appearances. 1-0 on the night, 3-0 on agg.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - PORTUGAL
Safet Susic labelled himself a prophet and he said it to all those who cared to listen that there will be no repeat of the 2010 play-off loss to Portugal. He had every right to be bullish. In his armoury lay the likes of Zvjezdan Misimovic, Miralem Pjanic, Vedad Ibisevic and of course the most dangerous of them all, Edin Dzeko. Portugal on the other hand, weren't lacking in personnel.----With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (arguably the best footballer on planet earth), Luis Nani, Helder Postiga, Pepe, Ricky Quaresma, Nuno Gomez, Joao Moutinho etc. It promised to be an exciting duel.
The first game in Bosnia was marred by fans chanting Messi's name obviously to annoy and unsettle Ronaldo dos Santos. They even went the extra mile of directing lasers at his eyes. He couldn't stomach it anymore, so he gave them his middle finger.
The pitch was nothing to write home about. It is about the worst pitch in Europe. Despite all the complaints made by the Portuguese players and officials, UEFA didn't blink. The game went on with both teams carving out goal scoring chances, but none was converted, No one stepped up for either side and the game was wearing on until Ibisevic came on and he immediately missed two or three chances to give Bosnia the lead going into the 2nd leg in Lisbon. Ronaldo also missed a fine opportunity, but he blamed the pitch rather than his poor choice of placement for the horrendous miss.The 1st leg ended goalless much to the delight of both managers.
Before the commencement of the 2nd leg, Ronaldo and company warned their opponents that it will be a different ball game at the Estadio Luz in Lisbon, but Susic and Dzeko would hear none of it. The game began with Portugal asking all the questions and it wasn' t for long that they had to wait for the right answer.....Ronaldo was practically thrown to the floor by two Bosnians and from the resultant free-kick, he dispatched with customary panache to make it 1-0 Portugal both on the night and on agg. It was a goal worthy of winning even a World Cup final. Nani reminded everyone of his on and off ability midway through the 1st half with a pile driver which left Begovic scrambling. 2-0 and you couldn't see past the SELECCAO now. But in football, it is not over until it is truly over. The error supine Coentrao inexplicably handled in the box and Bosnia were deservedly awarded a spot kick and a route back into the tie. co-captain, Misimovic who hardly rejects favours duly sent Patricio the wrong way to make it 2-1. The 1st half ended with Paulo Bento very unhappy with the goal conceded. Susic on his part was elated with the scoreline as his team would have easily been 4 goals down.
The 2nd stanza began in similar fashion as the first with Portugal dictating the play and creating chances....Joao Moutinho who hadn't really imposed himself in the game, had a say in the 3rd goal with a perfectly weighted through ball to Ronaldo who escaped past the sprawling Begovic to score his 2nd and Portugal's 3rd...the two goal lead was restored. A few minutes later, as if the mountain was not high enough already for Susic's wards, Senad Lulic was sent off to an early bath for dissent. Bosnia didn't let that affect them as co-captain, Emir Spahic pulled one back to make it 3-2. Bento could not contain his disapproval of the way his defense was opened up for the easy finish. This was like a wake up call for the Seleccao who immediately went to the other end to put 3 past the hapless Begovic who was also bamboozled by Bolton a week prior. Postiga was on hand to score his 18th and 19th goal for Portugal and Veloso added the 6th with a superb left footed free kick which the keeper watched helplessly. 6-2 it ended and Portugal made it to yet another Tournament. Susic the soothsayer was wrong this time around.
The four pots for the EURO 2012 (co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine) DRAW has been confirmed by UEFA and they are as follows:
POT1 - Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Netherlands.
POT2 - Germany, Italy, England, Russia
POT3 - Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Sweden
POT4 - Rep of Ireland, Denmark, Czech Rep, France
The draws for the group stage will take place on the 2nd of December 2011 at the Ukraine Palace of Arts in Kiev.
Meanwhile, England superstar, Wayne Rooney will have to wait until December 9 to know if his and the FA's appeal for a reduction of the 3 game ban will be reduced or upheld.
Follow Ohis Eboreime on Twitter @ohiskaka1990
TURKEY-CROATIA
Croatia and Slaven Bilic were on a revenge mission as Turkey, then managed by former AC Milan manager, Fatih Terim denied them the opportunity of qualifying for the semi-finals of Euro 2008 courtesy of a penalty shoot out victory. Despite the fact that Bilic & Corluka played down the revenge aspect of the game, it was the Media's own caption of the match-up which only made it more eagerly expected. In Guus Hiddink, the turks had a manager that had all the experience required at this level. His record with the Netherlands, South Korea, Russia and Australia are only bettered by a select few in World football. Coincidentally, Turkey and Croatia were the teams that prevented him on two separate occasions from collecting a bronze medal at the FIFA world cup (1998 (Croatia d. Holland), 2002 (Turkey d. South Korea) ).
Turkey did not call up one of its most influential players, Nuri Sahin as they felt it was too early...taking into consideration his recent return from a long term injury lay-off. But they still had the likes of Colin Kazim-Kazim or Kazim Richards as he was referred to during his time in England, Athletico Madrid's Arda Turan, and Skipper, Hamit Altintop to call upon for he needed quality. Croatia on the other hand, had to do without Niko Kranjcar and Mladen Petric, but welcomed back Bayern's Ivica Olic who had been out for a while.
The game started with the Croats on the front foot and it was no surprise when they took the lead courtesy of the enigmatic Olic who benefited from a Mandzukic cut back to stun the home crowd after just 100 seconds. Hiddink was dazed. That wasn't in the book and it all but punctured their well laid out plans for the game. Plan B had to replace the present one, but it was the same outcome as Mandzukic rose highest to divert a Corluka cross past Volkan Demirel in the Turkish goal. 2-0 after 32 minutes and the tie was seemingly out of reach for Hiddink's men. Turkey didn't carve out one clear cut opportunity with Srna and company limiting them to half chances and long rangers. The first half ended with Croatia holding on to a 2 goal lead.
The players had barely entered the pitch for the second half when Corluka rose highest to score his team's 3rd and game clinching goal. The match ended with Croatia taking a 3 goal lead back to Zagreb.
The second leg in Zagreb on Nov 15 was a very dull match. Shambolic with 8 yellow cards(5 for Turkey) issued. Turkey dominated possession (65%), but did absolutely nothing with it. You always had the gut feeling that it was going to be a very impossible mission for the team to defeat Croatia on their home turf and consequently overturn the deficit. The match ended 0-0 with Croatia qualifying for their 2nd consecutive Euro tournament. Modric and co will hope to improve on their last 8 finish achieved in 08.
ESTONIA-REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Giovanni Trapattoni aka Trap is no stranger to the big occasion. One of the most successful and revered tacticians in World football, he has managed in so many nations and had all the necessary tools to salvage the football situation in Ireland. That is why he was brought to Dublin. His record as manager, especially in European cup competitions can only be equalled by the likes of Ernst Happel and Udo Lattek. He has won at least one trophy everywhere he has been to and was Italy's manager for the '02 World Cup and the European Championships in Portugal two years later. He was denied by Thierry Henry's cheating tactic in the play-offs for the '10 World cup and he was well aware that the Irish had not won a play-off match or been to any tournament since the 2002 World cup (reached the second round only to be ousted by Spain on penalties).
The opponent this time was Estonia. The northern European country has been punching above its weight in recent time, beating the much fancied Serbia to the play-off spot in a group that was comfortably won by Italy. II Trap knew much better than to underestimate the threat they posed. The first leg was at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia and the coach knew his team had to take something from there to have any hope of making it to their first tournament in 10 long years.
If ROI had known that it would be so easy, they wouldn't have been sweating so much on the fitness of Shane Long, Leon Best and the suspension of Kelvin Doyle. It was a jolly good ride right from when Keith Andrews opened scoring until Robbie Keane scored his 52nd and 53rd international goals to seal a remarkable 4-0 mauling of the hosts right in front of their despondent fans. It was practically a walk in the park for the Irish with Walters also helping himself to an international goal.
The 2nd leg at the Aviva Stadium was only honoured by Estonia probably because they would be sanctioned or charged if they hadn't shown up. There was no way they could have clawed their way back. It would have been the biggest shock since human beings started existing. As predicted, the game ended 1-1 with Konstantin Vassiljev scoring the equalizer for the visitors after Stephen Ward put Trap's men in front. the final whistle heralded the start of WILD CELEBRATIONS for the entire people of the ROI. For the first time in 23 years (since Euro 88) they are back among the elite of Europe. Trap, Tardelli and co have etched their names in Irish Football History.
CZECH REPUBLIC -MONTENEGRO
Euro 96 runners-up and 2004 semi-finalists sure know their way around in European football. They might no longer boast of the likes of 2003 Ballon d'or, Pavel Nedved, Karel Pobosky and Jan Koller (all time top scorer with 55 goals in 91 apps), but they have a talented set-up led by former Borussia Dortmund midfield pearl, Tomas Rosicky. Youngsters like Tomas Necid, Vaclav Kadlec, Libor Kozak and Thomas Vaclik have all earned their places in the team, although the latter has to wait for some time, before he can stake a claim to the goalkeeper's gloves because in Petr Cech, Czech have one of the best GKs in the World. They also have Euro 2004's highest goal scorer, Milan Baros' in their ranks....Although he is now a shadow of his former self, he can still cause untold damage when he is on top of his game. The play-off draw pitched Michal Bilek's men against Montenegro. The small country which broke out from Serbia and Montenegro a few years ago, also possess weapons that are capable of hurting any squad. Individuals like Stevan Jovetic (jo-jo), Simon Vukcevic, and captain/talisman, Mirko Vucinic.
The first leg was hosted by Czech Republic and the venue was the Generali Arena in Prague. The Montenegrins had the better of the early exchanges, but they could not make their dominance count...Vucinic the chief culprit. However, the hosts began to settle and it was only a matter of time before they made their superiority and home advantage count as deep into the 2nd half, Pilar sent a beautiful curler past the surprised Bozovic for 1-0. The first didn't seem to galvanize Montenegro into action...the attacking trio of Vukcevic-jo-jo and Vucinic were lacklustre and couldn't fashion out any real opening. The midfield allowed Rosicky to stride along without pressure and it was the same player who hurt them in injury time with a well taken delivery that ended with Sivok heading Czech to a 2-0 aggregate lead heading into the return leg in Podgorica.
The 2nd leg in Podgorica saw Vucinic and co try all they could to come back from two goals down but their efforts proved abortive as the Czechs sealed passage into the Euro 2012 main draw with a goal from Petr Jiracek-his 1st for his country in 5 appearances. 1-0 on the night, 3-0 on agg.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - PORTUGAL
Safet Susic labelled himself a prophet and he said it to all those who cared to listen that there will be no repeat of the 2010 play-off loss to Portugal. He had every right to be bullish. In his armoury lay the likes of Zvjezdan Misimovic, Miralem Pjanic, Vedad Ibisevic and of course the most dangerous of them all, Edin Dzeko. Portugal on the other hand, weren't lacking in personnel.----With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (arguably the best footballer on planet earth), Luis Nani, Helder Postiga, Pepe, Ricky Quaresma, Nuno Gomez, Joao Moutinho etc. It promised to be an exciting duel.
The first game in Bosnia was marred by fans chanting Messi's name obviously to annoy and unsettle Ronaldo dos Santos. They even went the extra mile of directing lasers at his eyes. He couldn't stomach it anymore, so he gave them his middle finger.
The pitch was nothing to write home about. It is about the worst pitch in Europe. Despite all the complaints made by the Portuguese players and officials, UEFA didn't blink. The game went on with both teams carving out goal scoring chances, but none was converted, No one stepped up for either side and the game was wearing on until Ibisevic came on and he immediately missed two or three chances to give Bosnia the lead going into the 2nd leg in Lisbon. Ronaldo also missed a fine opportunity, but he blamed the pitch rather than his poor choice of placement for the horrendous miss.The 1st leg ended goalless much to the delight of both managers.
Before the commencement of the 2nd leg, Ronaldo and company warned their opponents that it will be a different ball game at the Estadio Luz in Lisbon, but Susic and Dzeko would hear none of it. The game began with Portugal asking all the questions and it wasn' t for long that they had to wait for the right answer.....Ronaldo was practically thrown to the floor by two Bosnians and from the resultant free-kick, he dispatched with customary panache to make it 1-0 Portugal both on the night and on agg. It was a goal worthy of winning even a World Cup final. Nani reminded everyone of his on and off ability midway through the 1st half with a pile driver which left Begovic scrambling. 2-0 and you couldn't see past the SELECCAO now. But in football, it is not over until it is truly over. The error supine Coentrao inexplicably handled in the box and Bosnia were deservedly awarded a spot kick and a route back into the tie. co-captain, Misimovic who hardly rejects favours duly sent Patricio the wrong way to make it 2-1. The 1st half ended with Paulo Bento very unhappy with the goal conceded. Susic on his part was elated with the scoreline as his team would have easily been 4 goals down.
The 2nd stanza began in similar fashion as the first with Portugal dictating the play and creating chances....Joao Moutinho who hadn't really imposed himself in the game, had a say in the 3rd goal with a perfectly weighted through ball to Ronaldo who escaped past the sprawling Begovic to score his 2nd and Portugal's 3rd...the two goal lead was restored. A few minutes later, as if the mountain was not high enough already for Susic's wards, Senad Lulic was sent off to an early bath for dissent. Bosnia didn't let that affect them as co-captain, Emir Spahic pulled one back to make it 3-2. Bento could not contain his disapproval of the way his defense was opened up for the easy finish. This was like a wake up call for the Seleccao who immediately went to the other end to put 3 past the hapless Begovic who was also bamboozled by Bolton a week prior. Postiga was on hand to score his 18th and 19th goal for Portugal and Veloso added the 6th with a superb left footed free kick which the keeper watched helplessly. 6-2 it ended and Portugal made it to yet another Tournament. Susic the soothsayer was wrong this time around.
The four pots for the EURO 2012 (co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine) DRAW has been confirmed by UEFA and they are as follows:
POT1 - Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Netherlands.
POT2 - Germany, Italy, England, Russia
POT3 - Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Sweden
POT4 - Rep of Ireland, Denmark, Czech Rep, France
The draws for the group stage will take place on the 2nd of December 2011 at the Ukraine Palace of Arts in Kiev.
Meanwhile, England superstar, Wayne Rooney will have to wait until December 9 to know if his and the FA's appeal for a reduction of the 3 game ban will be reduced or upheld.
Follow Ohis Eboreime on Twitter @ohiskaka1990
Saturday 5 November 2011
ALEXANDER CHAPMAN FERGUSON CBE----25 Hearty cheers...the story so far.
Wow!at long last, I finally find the courage and zeal to write this piece on SUCCESS's greatest custodian and an epitome of managerial ingenuity. I started writing sports and other related articles since I was 7, but never, I mean NEVER have I found it difficult to give a caption to any of the thousands of write-ups, until now. The reason is not far fetched. I mean how do you describe in a few words the unmatched accomplishments of the man dubbed the 'Scottish Wizard'. Hardly can I find words to exemplify the startling run of a certain MYTH called Alex Ferguson OBE CBE. But like all others before me, I will try my utmost.
Not many people know that I was once an Arsenal fan. Perhaps it will come as a huge surprise to those who know me as one of the most passionate MUFC fans who ever lived-----don't slate me just yet. There is an explanation for every action a man takes, however foolish or unconvincing it might sound or seem to be.
I am a Nigerian, born , bred and buttered and Kanu Nwankwo, who in my opinion is the greatest footballer to come out of the most populous black nation of the World, is one of my idols. Those who know the 2 time (96 & 99) African footballer of the year's rise to fame and rare ability to overcome a career and life threatening heart defect will of course share my sentiments. It was little surprise when after the recovery, he signed for London giants, Arsenal in February 1999, then I was already an Arsenal fan of 3 years standing, but Kanu's arrival even made my love for the club wax stronger. I also supported AC Milan and Real Madrid at that time, but the gunners topped the bill for me. To cut the long story short, I switched allegiance to Manchester United after watching video clips of Fergie's 13 years in charge just when he was being knighted in June 1999, then something struck me. Believe me, not even the recordings of my Parents' wedding was as captivating and spell binding as the phenomenal rise from grass to grace of the Manchester Club in just a short space of time. I didn't need any more convincing to join the band wagon of people singing the praises of the now knighted Alex Ferguson.
Now back to why we are here...... Scotland has produced some of the most talked about mangers in World football.----Shankly, Stein, Dalglish, Busby etc The Country has contributed at least 5 of the best managers in the history of football, but none can be compared to SIR ALEX FERGUSON. A friend of mine came up to me some days ago and asked why it is so special that this immensely gifted walking talking success story is so celebrated and revered and also that other managers have spent more years at various club sides in the world.....then came my question----who can spend such an amount of time at an ILLUSTRIOUS FOOTBALL TEAM like MANCHESTER UNITED??????he was tongue-tied. Then I concluded that he had found the answers to his questions.
Tomorrow, the Legends' Legend will clock 25 years as Captain of the Manchester United ship. Not all those years have been plain sailing, but you must agree with me that the better part of these unforgettable years has been filled with glory, passion and unrivaled eminence. From that fateful day in November 86 to this present time, it has been one victory or the other, one record breaking moment, one great player to another and indeed one great man. Ferguson has been the chief orchestrator and master tactician of different sets of players who have gone on to rewrite the history books and etch their names on the sands of time.
According to the MIRROR, the Messiah from Glasgow has signed a total of 100 players and by my reckoning, at least 70 of them have contributed in no small measure to the success that embodies the record English champions today.
We can decide to go into all what he has achieved as manager of MUFC. He has won just 37 trophies in his 25 years at the helm.JUST i said, well maybe I am being ungrateful, but on the contrary, it is a sarcastic statement of how he has performed in all of these years. A record 12 EPL Titles, 2 Champions League crowns, 5 F.A Cups, 4 League cups, 1 FIFA World Club trophy, 1 intercontinental cup, I European Cup Winners Cup, etc Perhaps his only regret till this very day will be that he hasn't equalled or eclipsed the European cup success of the late coaching spectacle, Bob Paisley. Whatever his weaknesses may be, his strengths and astonishing capabilities considerably outweigh them in all ramification. From the 750, 000 quid shrewd acquisition of Peter Schmeichel to the 19 Million pound signing of new Number one, David De Gea, Sir Alex has seen it all and done just about everything.
Like every other human being, he has made a few mistakes.....Massimo Taibi, the Italian who unfortunately is now a reference point when howlers and unforgivable mistakes are made not only by goalkeepers, but outfield players, is one of such noteworthy errors. When the indispensable Dane-Peter Schmeichel left just after the unprecedented and yet to be matched treble winning 98-99 season, SAF sought the apparent goal keeping dexterity of the then Venezia safe hands. It was one he would come to rue, as the dude was a complete shame, making only 4 league appearances for the treble winners......the last being the 5-0 whitewash by Chelsea in which of course he was the main culprit. Perhaps Sir Alex was trifled because he initially kept Milan's goal for a one year period. There were others like Juan Sebastian Veron who cost more than 25 million pounds from SS Lazio, but couldn't just become the player Fergie expected him to be, although he occasionally showed flashes of the unarguable quality he possessed, he never really lived up to expectation. Liam Miller, David Bellion, Eric Djemba-Djemba (who the supporters jeered with songs like he is so f*cked that they named him twice, in direct opposite of the Nigerian midfield maestro, Austin JAY JAY Okocha, who was praised for being named twice as a result of his immeasurable talent.)-----he played for, and captained Bolton Wanderers in that same period.- and a few others are examples of the rare loop holes in his celebrated 25 year reign.
He has also made some astute signings- rare gems like Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andre Kanchelskis, Jaap Stam, Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Javier Chicharito Hernandez, Fabian Barthez, Wayne Rooney, etc are some of the exceptional purchases he has made. Add that to his very well talked about 'FERGIE FLEDGLINGS' comprising of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt, and the unmistakable David Beckham. One memorable accomplishment of the youngsters was when they went on to overturn Newcastle's seemingly unreachable lead of 14 points to win the 95-96 EPL Title and FA Cup, making it even more impressive. What made it all the more fantastic was that the team was dismissed as kids by former Liverpool defence stalwart and MOTD (Match of the day) pundit, Alan Hansen who quickly sent a firing shot at the youthful Manchester United team after only the first match of the season where they lost 3-1 at Villa Park----little did he know that it was a learning process.
The sobriquet 'Fergie Fledglings', coined by the media, was seen as a re-incarnation of some sort, of the 'Busby babes'.(of which 8 members painfully lost their lives in the infamous Munich air disaster in 1958)
It is very uncommon these days to find your enemies or rivals eulogize your sterling endowments even if they were/are as glaring as Gervinho's forehead. But just like his impeccable Mancunian journey, the praises and tributes have been flying in from different areas of the World. Coaches, former players of the club, active players, football association bosses...just mention it, have all contributed their views as regards this significant day in the life of the Scot, Manchester United and the World of Sports in general. Arsene Wenger argued that SAF's record is remarkable and will be very difficult, if at all possible to match. Today's opposing manager (we play Sunderland later today) and former captain, Steve Bruce was always going to offer kind words in respect of his former manager and a man he still calls BOSS. He said Fergie has been a mainstay and a colossus and that he often used anger to get the best out of his players. He also added that his attitude and passion for the job is unparalleled. In his words, 'how can you just describe a man who had a champions league game the previous night and is back at work at 7.40 am in the morning?' I would say Divine. El Tel (Terry Venables) wasn't left out in admiration of the British knight. He put him above the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and others and called him the PERFECT MANAGER. Even old foe, Kenny Dalglish could not hold back his adulation of the most successful British manager living or dead....calling him all the nice things on planet . Players like Javier Hernandez, Ryan Giggs etc, also made their voices heard in appreciation of what Fergie has done in the past 25 years. Although Chicharito Hernandez was not even conceived when SAF took over from Ron Atkinson, the period he has spent with him is enough to adore the veteran coach. Even David Beckham who perhaps bore the worst brunt of Fergie's fearsome rage (famously called the hairdryer treatment) in 2003, when after an F.A Cup 4th Round loss to Arsenal, the great Scot kicked a boot which hit the former England skipper just above his left eye and required stitches, never hides his love and admiration for the Sir of Carrington. At any given opportunity, he says very wonderful things about the man who everyone can't help but revere.He was again full of encomiums for his former manager when asked about what he felt concerning his forthcoming SILVER JUBILEE, calling him a great man and one of the few people (alongside his parents) who made him the SUPERSTAR he is today.
Aston Villa great, Dion Dublin has also laid claim to the fact that he is the reason why Fergie is so successful. He pointed out that had he not been injured, Fergie wouldn't have signed Eric Cantona from Leeds United. A few people might have agreed with him, but majority are of the view that a certain Mark Robbins,scorer of the late winner against Nottingham Forest in the 1990 Fa Cup third round clash, was the man who saved Fergie's job and now the rest is history.
Journalists and sportswriters also had their say in glowing admiration of the man who has defied logic and cemented his status as one of the greatest sportsmen who has ever lived. Perhaps, amongst all the people who said very esteemed things about Sir Alex, one person's statement of fact stands out in unequivocal terms. His son and now Peterborough manager, Darren Ferguson who was also under his tutelage as a player, was of the opinion that his father wouldn't have accumulated all these many titles if not for his mother, Lady Cathy Ferguson. I totally agree with him. It was SAF's wife who persuaded him to have a change of heart when he decided to resign his position as manager of the most successful club side in England (in terms of domestic titles won) at the end of the 2001-2002 season in which the team came 3rd behind Liverpool and champions, Arsenal (won the EPL AND FA CUP double). Nine years on, it has been a jolly good ride and he will continually thank his wife for convincing him to continue as he immediately claimed back the title in the very next season 02-03 after upturning the 10 point lead Arsene's Arsenal enjoyed 3 months to the end of the season. Ruud Van Nistelrooy being the main catalyst with 25 league goals (44 in total). From that time to this day he has added 5 EPL Titles, 1 FA Cup,I UCL, I FIFA World Club trophy among others. Such has been the devastatingly unbelievable run of Manchester United that all other clubs have been left in its wake, except recently, FC Barcelona. In that same year, after going back on his decision to abandon his managerial commitments with the red army, he made it categorically clear that his main priority was to 'KNOCK LIVERPOOL OF THEIR PERCH'. True to type, he has finally done that this year and he is in no mood to stop as Manchester City and Barcelona have brought upon him an entirely new, intense and very uphill challenge which he intends to rise to and be victorious before he finally calls time on his DISTINGUISHED AND OUTSTANDING CAREER. Who can bet against him??? I wouldn't even waste a penny.
This is my IDEA of FERGIE's FINEST XI---
Van Der Sar, G.Neville, Vidic, Bruce, Irwin, Keane, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Ronaldo, RVN (Ruud Van Nistelrooy)
Subs- Schmeichel, Stam, R.Ferdinand, Evra, Butt, Kanchelskis, Rooney, OGS(Ole Gunnar Solskjaer)
Honourable mentions- Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Jesper Blonqvist, Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister, Paul McGrath, Bryan Robson.
Follow me on Twitter @ohiskaka1990
Not many people know that I was once an Arsenal fan. Perhaps it will come as a huge surprise to those who know me as one of the most passionate MUFC fans who ever lived-----don't slate me just yet. There is an explanation for every action a man takes, however foolish or unconvincing it might sound or seem to be.
I am a Nigerian, born , bred and buttered and Kanu Nwankwo, who in my opinion is the greatest footballer to come out of the most populous black nation of the World, is one of my idols. Those who know the 2 time (96 & 99) African footballer of the year's rise to fame and rare ability to overcome a career and life threatening heart defect will of course share my sentiments. It was little surprise when after the recovery, he signed for London giants, Arsenal in February 1999, then I was already an Arsenal fan of 3 years standing, but Kanu's arrival even made my love for the club wax stronger. I also supported AC Milan and Real Madrid at that time, but the gunners topped the bill for me. To cut the long story short, I switched allegiance to Manchester United after watching video clips of Fergie's 13 years in charge just when he was being knighted in June 1999, then something struck me. Believe me, not even the recordings of my Parents' wedding was as captivating and spell binding as the phenomenal rise from grass to grace of the Manchester Club in just a short space of time. I didn't need any more convincing to join the band wagon of people singing the praises of the now knighted Alex Ferguson.
Now back to why we are here...... Scotland has produced some of the most talked about mangers in World football.----Shankly, Stein, Dalglish, Busby etc The Country has contributed at least 5 of the best managers in the history of football, but none can be compared to SIR ALEX FERGUSON. A friend of mine came up to me some days ago and asked why it is so special that this immensely gifted walking talking success story is so celebrated and revered and also that other managers have spent more years at various club sides in the world.....then came my question----who can spend such an amount of time at an ILLUSTRIOUS FOOTBALL TEAM like MANCHESTER UNITED??????he was tongue-tied. Then I concluded that he had found the answers to his questions.
Tomorrow, the Legends' Legend will clock 25 years as Captain of the Manchester United ship. Not all those years have been plain sailing, but you must agree with me that the better part of these unforgettable years has been filled with glory, passion and unrivaled eminence. From that fateful day in November 86 to this present time, it has been one victory or the other, one record breaking moment, one great player to another and indeed one great man. Ferguson has been the chief orchestrator and master tactician of different sets of players who have gone on to rewrite the history books and etch their names on the sands of time.
According to the MIRROR, the Messiah from Glasgow has signed a total of 100 players and by my reckoning, at least 70 of them have contributed in no small measure to the success that embodies the record English champions today.
We can decide to go into all what he has achieved as manager of MUFC. He has won just 37 trophies in his 25 years at the helm.JUST i said, well maybe I am being ungrateful, but on the contrary, it is a sarcastic statement of how he has performed in all of these years. A record 12 EPL Titles, 2 Champions League crowns, 5 F.A Cups, 4 League cups, 1 FIFA World Club trophy, 1 intercontinental cup, I European Cup Winners Cup, etc Perhaps his only regret till this very day will be that he hasn't equalled or eclipsed the European cup success of the late coaching spectacle, Bob Paisley. Whatever his weaknesses may be, his strengths and astonishing capabilities considerably outweigh them in all ramification. From the 750, 000 quid shrewd acquisition of Peter Schmeichel to the 19 Million pound signing of new Number one, David De Gea, Sir Alex has seen it all and done just about everything.
Like every other human being, he has made a few mistakes.....Massimo Taibi, the Italian who unfortunately is now a reference point when howlers and unforgivable mistakes are made not only by goalkeepers, but outfield players, is one of such noteworthy errors. When the indispensable Dane-Peter Schmeichel left just after the unprecedented and yet to be matched treble winning 98-99 season, SAF sought the apparent goal keeping dexterity of the then Venezia safe hands. It was one he would come to rue, as the dude was a complete shame, making only 4 league appearances for the treble winners......the last being the 5-0 whitewash by Chelsea in which of course he was the main culprit. Perhaps Sir Alex was trifled because he initially kept Milan's goal for a one year period. There were others like Juan Sebastian Veron who cost more than 25 million pounds from SS Lazio, but couldn't just become the player Fergie expected him to be, although he occasionally showed flashes of the unarguable quality he possessed, he never really lived up to expectation. Liam Miller, David Bellion, Eric Djemba-Djemba (who the supporters jeered with songs like he is so f*cked that they named him twice, in direct opposite of the Nigerian midfield maestro, Austin JAY JAY Okocha, who was praised for being named twice as a result of his immeasurable talent.)-----he played for, and captained Bolton Wanderers in that same period.- and a few others are examples of the rare loop holes in his celebrated 25 year reign.
He has also made some astute signings- rare gems like Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andre Kanchelskis, Jaap Stam, Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Javier Chicharito Hernandez, Fabian Barthez, Wayne Rooney, etc are some of the exceptional purchases he has made. Add that to his very well talked about 'FERGIE FLEDGLINGS' comprising of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt, and the unmistakable David Beckham. One memorable accomplishment of the youngsters was when they went on to overturn Newcastle's seemingly unreachable lead of 14 points to win the 95-96 EPL Title and FA Cup, making it even more impressive. What made it all the more fantastic was that the team was dismissed as kids by former Liverpool defence stalwart and MOTD (Match of the day) pundit, Alan Hansen who quickly sent a firing shot at the youthful Manchester United team after only the first match of the season where they lost 3-1 at Villa Park----little did he know that it was a learning process.
The sobriquet 'Fergie Fledglings', coined by the media, was seen as a re-incarnation of some sort, of the 'Busby babes'.(of which 8 members painfully lost their lives in the infamous Munich air disaster in 1958)
It is very uncommon these days to find your enemies or rivals eulogize your sterling endowments even if they were/are as glaring as Gervinho's forehead. But just like his impeccable Mancunian journey, the praises and tributes have been flying in from different areas of the World. Coaches, former players of the club, active players, football association bosses...just mention it, have all contributed their views as regards this significant day in the life of the Scot, Manchester United and the World of Sports in general. Arsene Wenger argued that SAF's record is remarkable and will be very difficult, if at all possible to match. Today's opposing manager (we play Sunderland later today) and former captain, Steve Bruce was always going to offer kind words in respect of his former manager and a man he still calls BOSS. He said Fergie has been a mainstay and a colossus and that he often used anger to get the best out of his players. He also added that his attitude and passion for the job is unparalleled. In his words, 'how can you just describe a man who had a champions league game the previous night and is back at work at 7.40 am in the morning?' I would say Divine. El Tel (Terry Venables) wasn't left out in admiration of the British knight. He put him above the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and others and called him the PERFECT MANAGER. Even old foe, Kenny Dalglish could not hold back his adulation of the most successful British manager living or dead....calling him all the nice things on planet . Players like Javier Hernandez, Ryan Giggs etc, also made their voices heard in appreciation of what Fergie has done in the past 25 years. Although Chicharito Hernandez was not even conceived when SAF took over from Ron Atkinson, the period he has spent with him is enough to adore the veteran coach. Even David Beckham who perhaps bore the worst brunt of Fergie's fearsome rage (famously called the hairdryer treatment) in 2003, when after an F.A Cup 4th Round loss to Arsenal, the great Scot kicked a boot which hit the former England skipper just above his left eye and required stitches, never hides his love and admiration for the Sir of Carrington. At any given opportunity, he says very wonderful things about the man who everyone can't help but revere.He was again full of encomiums for his former manager when asked about what he felt concerning his forthcoming SILVER JUBILEE, calling him a great man and one of the few people (alongside his parents) who made him the SUPERSTAR he is today.
Aston Villa great, Dion Dublin has also laid claim to the fact that he is the reason why Fergie is so successful. He pointed out that had he not been injured, Fergie wouldn't have signed Eric Cantona from Leeds United. A few people might have agreed with him, but majority are of the view that a certain Mark Robbins,scorer of the late winner against Nottingham Forest in the 1990 Fa Cup third round clash, was the man who saved Fergie's job and now the rest is history.
Journalists and sportswriters also had their say in glowing admiration of the man who has defied logic and cemented his status as one of the greatest sportsmen who has ever lived. Perhaps, amongst all the people who said very esteemed things about Sir Alex, one person's statement of fact stands out in unequivocal terms. His son and now Peterborough manager, Darren Ferguson who was also under his tutelage as a player, was of the opinion that his father wouldn't have accumulated all these many titles if not for his mother, Lady Cathy Ferguson. I totally agree with him. It was SAF's wife who persuaded him to have a change of heart when he decided to resign his position as manager of the most successful club side in England (in terms of domestic titles won) at the end of the 2001-2002 season in which the team came 3rd behind Liverpool and champions, Arsenal (won the EPL AND FA CUP double). Nine years on, it has been a jolly good ride and he will continually thank his wife for convincing him to continue as he immediately claimed back the title in the very next season 02-03 after upturning the 10 point lead Arsene's Arsenal enjoyed 3 months to the end of the season. Ruud Van Nistelrooy being the main catalyst with 25 league goals (44 in total). From that time to this day he has added 5 EPL Titles, 1 FA Cup,I UCL, I FIFA World Club trophy among others. Such has been the devastatingly unbelievable run of Manchester United that all other clubs have been left in its wake, except recently, FC Barcelona. In that same year, after going back on his decision to abandon his managerial commitments with the red army, he made it categorically clear that his main priority was to 'KNOCK LIVERPOOL OF THEIR PERCH'. True to type, he has finally done that this year and he is in no mood to stop as Manchester City and Barcelona have brought upon him an entirely new, intense and very uphill challenge which he intends to rise to and be victorious before he finally calls time on his DISTINGUISHED AND OUTSTANDING CAREER. Who can bet against him??? I wouldn't even waste a penny.
This is my IDEA of FERGIE's FINEST XI---
Van Der Sar, G.Neville, Vidic, Bruce, Irwin, Keane, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Ronaldo, RVN (Ruud Van Nistelrooy)
Subs- Schmeichel, Stam, R.Ferdinand, Evra, Butt, Kanchelskis, Rooney, OGS(Ole Gunnar Solskjaer)
Honourable mentions- Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Jesper Blonqvist, Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister, Paul McGrath, Bryan Robson.
Follow me on Twitter @ohiskaka1990
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