Search This Blog

Thursday 30 June 2016

Euro 2016: review on exit, Luka Modric

After Croatia miss out on a position in the last 8 of Euro 2016, we take a look at how Luka Modric performed for his country throughout the tournament, and what influence his play had on Croatia getting as far as they did.

At this tournament, Modric has played a strong part in a particularly strong side in Croatia. There midfield has been the most exciting element of their squad and Modric has been at the heart of that alongside Ivan Rakitic, the pair have looked strong, and have shown their great strength and ability holding Croatia together.

Modric had an immediate impact on the Croatian team as soon as the tournament began.Scoring their first goal which turned out to be the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Turkey. His commitment to the team within this first game was unquestionable. He was always looking to make things happen, controlling the game as the Engine in the Croatian midfield.

Another aspect of Modric's game which he demonstrated during the Euro's is his passion for his country. He showed this when he got particularly upset when Croatia were knocked out of the tournament. He looked gutted. This clearly shows that a big part of his game is helped by his desire and passion to play.

Overall unfortunately, Modric couldn't prevent Croatia's exit from Euro 2016, but he is still a huge player with bags of ability, who should be proud of what he produced this tournament.

Euro 2016: English football improving?

With England crashing out of Euro 2016, I thought I'd take a look at the state of English football at this current moment in time, is it good? Is it bad? Or is it laughable! Let's take a look.

1.leagues more competitive than ever.
One thing which is surely a positive for English football is how competitive all professional English leagues are becoming. In my opinion it looks like the championship is in for its most competitive season ever next season, with some huge teams down there like Newcastle and Aston Villa, as well as many of the big clubs already stuck in England's 2 level of football. This is hugely advantageous as it attracts better games, better atmosphere and better player development at a competitive level ! This will hugely help out players as they develop through their careers as they will have a higher workfare to put in a strong performance, after some incredibly competitive lower league performances.

2.dont underestimate in the cup
Another important thing for bigger clubs to consider, which is fantastic for smaller clubs, is how in a cup game levels of football sometimes aren't that far apart, and more often we are seeing smaller clubs upsetting bigger ones. This is hugely beneficial for the English game as it shows development of lower league clubs and how they can compete at a high level. Not so great for the bigger team but ah well!

3. The players performances
As for English players, performances have been rather good in recent times. We had an English top two in the premier league goals coring table this season which is brilliant for the national side. Another benefit to this of course being it allows for competitive nature between English players to show them that they can do it and they can be top BPL goal scorer if they work hard enough.

Another benefit to the current set up of English players is many showing great potential are particularly young, players like John Stones and Marcus Rashford. Who are showing such great potential for their age. In my opinion we are still very far from other great national teams, but keep producing young talent who can only get better and we may begin to catch up with some of Europe's powerhouse teams. With such great players playing in the Premier League, English players absolutely thrive, and they need to be oven the opportunity to do so, so we should definitely encouraged bringing more through in the future.

Overall I think England's football scene will need to pick itself up after a poor performance in Euro 2016, much needs to change to the national set up to make it much stronger. However,things are slowly looking up for English football. The new tv deal will have its benefits and drawbacks but I'm sure with another season vast approaching we will be looking forward to it all !! Let me know what you think about the state of English football at the moment down below ! Thanks .

Wednesday 29 June 2016

Video replay in the EPL?

The Premier League, one of if not the biggest league in the world, still consistent mistakes. Consistent mistakes in how in game decisions are made in within seconds of an incident happening, with only one view of the incident and nothing else. Should video replaying be allowed in the Premier League to be used as a review system for big decisions ? I think so, here's why.

One problem with refereeing at the moment, and this is no fault of the referees themselves, but, what one referee may consider to be a red card in one game may not be perceived to be a red card for another ref in another game. Its clear to see that this is unfair, surely there should be an even playing field around all referees decisions and there shouldn't be different perceptions. Video replaying would allow for this, a group of referees could review the decision and come to a fairer judgement. At the moment teams are having players suspended for some things when some players and being suspended more incidents twice as bad, and that isn't fair at all.

Another reason why video analysis should be introduced into the game situation is because it's already there, every weekend we as fans sit back and watch replays of incidents and highlights and zoomed in different angle shots on every tackle or decision , surely a ref seeing all of these angles will allow him to make a much better judgement. Why not let a team access this information and pass it on to him. It is essentially already in the game just the referee, the one ultimately who makes the decisions, is the last one too see it, surely this is wrong.

Overall the decision to bring in video technology is probably a much needed one and soon ! Before more incidents take place and wrong decisions or unfair decisions are being made. As I said before though no fault of the referee, I feel they should be given as much support as possible, in order to make the right decision.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Helen Ward: Becoming Welsh.

Becoming Welsh

I often get asked, and even more so in the last few weeks, who I support – England or Wales? My answer is, simply, Wales. This is usually followed by; “but you’re English?!

Well, yes, I was born and raised in England, indeed I still live in England as I always have done and until the age of 22, I saw myself as English.

I know, you can’t just change your nationality in the same way that you would change your washing powder, but when the chance came to represent Wales in international women’s football in September 2008, my outlook on my nationality suddenly changed.

My mother’s parents were both born in Wales and they also had the opportunity to represent the country in sport before the war broke out, and it is through them that my Welsh heritage stems.

I made my debut in the red of Wales against Luxembourg andwith the dragon on my chest, as soon as THAT anthem began, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I knew I was in the right place. There’s just something about it, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, that stirs the emotions and pulls everyone that is singing it together.

I am fast approaching my 70th cap for Wales and when you’ve stood side by side with your team and sang THAT anthem on so many proud occasions, it is impossible not to feel like you were meant to be Welsh from the start. I have worn that badge and represented those around me for the best part of 8 years, there is no way I could support anyone else. I made sure I quickly learnt the words, well, at least I tried to learn the sounds (it’s quite tricky!), as I knew how important it was to be able to join in with some of the most passionate and patriotic people I have had the pleasure to meet once the music began.

The way the Welsh handle themselves, the pride and the passion they show in everything they do, you just can’t ignore it.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t just flick a switch overnight and become non-English. I didn’t suddenly want them to lose every time they played, I still like to see them do well. After all, my husband is a very proud Englishman! I just don’t see them as my team or my country when it comes to sport. I’m too involved and I’m too proud of my team and the countrywe play for.

Each and every time I pull on that red jersey is an honour and I can only thank the staff, players and fans who have accepted me as one of their own.

So when Wales were drawn against England in the group stages of Euro 2016, my heart laid with only one team, the boys from the Valleys.

Chris Coleman’s troops have lifted the nation and made everyone sit up and take notice. When a team comes together as they have, and 7, 8 even 9 of the players on the pitch are giving you an 8 or 9 out of ten in terms of performance, you have got a chance of making a mark.

Bale, of course, steals the headlines and rightly so. He can change the course of a game in an instant such is the quality he possesses. But the other 22 players – and all of the staff - have played their part, no doubts about it. The likes of Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey, James Chester, Ben Davies and Joe Ledley have all been outstanding throughout. Chris Gunter, Wayne Hennessey, Ashley Williams and Neil Taylor – consistently solid. Then there’s Dave Edwards, Sam Vokes, Hal Robson-Kanu and little Joniesta (Jonny Williams) who have all made a huge impact when called upon either from the start or off of the bench. Those who haven’t enjoyed the game time they would have hoped for have, I’m sure, played a key role in the background making sure those on the pitch are at the top of their game whilst being ready, if and when they are needed.

Their motto says it all – Together Stronger – and that is what they truly are. They have made history and they are making a nation proud. Whatever happens, they will return as heroes.

CYMRU AM BYTH!

Helen Ward
@helenwardie10

can Wales do it? their story

Wales have shocked everyone this tournament and have announced themselves as one of the biggest success stories of Euro 2016. For such a tiny nation nobody even expected them to qualify never mind to be going into the Quarter final of the tournament after a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland. I'm going to be taking a look at what they have done well so far this tournament and ultimately judging to see if they can go all the way.

1. Team effort
Wales so far this tournament have been the perfect example that if a team works hard enough they can achieve great things. People are looking towards this current set of players as some of the most passionate to put on the shirt. Every player knows how well they have done for their country and they're looking to do the best they can to make their country proud. There efforts are showing as they now find themselves in the quarter finals.

2. Star men.
2 players have done incredibly well so far this tournament for Wales, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsay. Both are the stars of Welsh football and have done their country proud. Most recognised has been Ramsey's work rate, as well as his ability to spot that killer past, which we have been used to seeing in the Premier League. As for Bale for me he has been one of the best players at this tournament so far, scoring 3 goals during the group stages to help Wales progress.

3. So can they do it
If Wales are to get far in this competition they need players like Ramsey and Bale to find real form. These are two players who can win matches for Wales and they need to switch on. If Bale can keep up his good form he can guide Wales to victory, as he did so many times during qualification for this tournament. It's a tall order but Wales are going the right way about it. It will interesting to see how the next game goes. Good luck to all you Wales fans out there!

Monday 27 June 2016

Euro 2016: review on exit, Granit Xhaka

Yesterday we all saw Switzerland exit Euro 2016 after a defeat to Poland. This saw the end to what has been a particularly frustrating tournament for Switzerland. They struggled to really get off the mark and have an impact on Euro 2016. One positive however did come from the Swiss side and that is now Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka. Arsenal fans were excited to see what Granit was all about and many weren't disappointed with what they saw. Here's my opinion on How he played.

Firstly lets clear up people slating him for missing the penalty which saw his side sent home. The vast majority of players at some point will miss a penalty, should they therefore be held accountable for the loss, no not at all. It could've been anyone who missed and missing doesn't make it that one players fault, there were plenty more things that could've been done by Switzerland prior to penalties which could've helped them win the game.

One thing that was incredibly good by Xhaka was his ability to pick out a pass. He came out of Euro 2016 having 89% passing accuracy overall, making the most passes out of any player, with one of the highest success rates. He managed to create 10 chances in the 4 games he played in which is a great effort from a young player who is only 23 years old.

Another positive for Arsenal fans is his defensive mind set. Xhaka likes to sit very deep and conduct the game from a defensive midfield position, but unlike many defensive midfielders, he isn't only concerned to win the ball. He also often shows signs of creativity, and can combine every defensive midfield aspect by being able to shoot, tackle and create, making him a very strong well rounded player.

Admittedly, he didn't have the perfect tournament, but age is on his size. He has time now to work hard at Arsenal to get a place in their squad to prove what he can do, and to improve on what he isn't so good at. Meaning by the time the Premier League season comes around he is already comfortable and working hard in what could be a very strong Arsenal set up.

Overall in my opinion Xhaka is showing the potential to be a very strong player, and if he irons out some inconsistencies I'm sure he can go far. He will be looking to get into a strong Arsenal side next season to prove what he can do, he is more than capable of performing in the Premier League. As with many players however, it is vital he adapts fast, and hits the ground running come the new campaign.

Sunday 26 June 2016

Euro 2016: England V Iceland preview

England managed to get through the group stages with relative ease in the end. After 1 important win against Wales and 2 Drawers against Russia and Slovakia. We move on to play underdogs Iceland, who have amazed everyone including their own commentary team with how far they have come. They will still be a tough test for England, they will be putting every ounce of effort into every thing they do. Let's take a look at how England can look to beat them.


Roy's boys haven't fully been put under pressure yet, particularly with regards to the defence. Iceland are going to be looking to exploit England's weaknesses but they will struggle to do so, due to some of the strength in England's midfield.

I think England should set up the way they did in the 2nd half against Wales. They showed real intent. The midfield as I previously mentioned is crucial to England getting a victory in today's game. I think we should stick to the same midfield as we did in the first and second group games. Wayne Rooney has had 2 incredibly strong performances within this position and when on the ball he has looked the most calm and composed player, and he will be looking to build on this. Another midfielder who has stood out for me this tournament is Tottenham's Eric Dier, his holding role has been so solid and secure, and I think anything other than keeping him in this position would hugely hinder England's chances.

To exploit Iceland we should look to control the midfield as well as trying to create a good amount of chances for our more attacking player. We know that on their day, England's attack can beat any defence, and the Iceland one isn't particularly strong. So we should look to overpower them in attack, get amongst their defence early and try to create real problems which could lead to great chances.

We shouldn't underestimate Iceland however, they have proved that they deserve to be where they are with the performances that they have put it. They've shown great strength and character as well as passion and will be looking to pick weaknesses in English play.

I feel they are going to try and beat England with counter attacking football. We could see Iceland at times having every man behind the ball attempting to defend the goal,and will look to form an opening through catching England on the break. They could however come out all guns blazing and attempt to get an early goal to weaken English spirits,. Either way England have to be wary as any errors could lead to exit from the tournament.

Overall I think that England can win this game and progress into the quarter final. I don't think its going to be easy however, and some great football and strong performances will be needed. Let's hope for a good game! Leave your score predictions in thecomment section below!

Euro 2016: How will sunday's big clubs fair.

3 Favourite's this seasons Euro 2016 tournament play today, and after yesterday looking at how the slightly lower ranked teams may be able to beat the higher ranked, it's now time to see how the favourite's can stop this from happening, and how each individually can win they're fixtures today.

1. France
The home nation for this tournament go up against Ireland in today's 2pm kick off, they will be looking to put in a good performance in order to progress to the next stage of the tournament. One of their strongest assets is Dimitri Payet, he has impressed in the Premier League this season and is also showing his strength so far this tournament for France. He is going to have to play well against an Ireland side who will be looking to mark him and stop him finding space, Payet thrives off of space and freedom, He is the key to France unlocking Ireland later on today. They also show great strength with regards to the depths in their squad. Their defence midfield and attack are all incredibly capable and filled with world class players. They also boast incredible youth players, such as Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been performing well both domestically and for his country. If they utilise his Strengths, as well as Payet's ability to attack, they should, with the quality they have, easily overpower Ireland.

2.Germany
As I have said before in posts, I back Germany to win this summer's tournament. They have the best squad depth in my opinion and if they utilise this like they did in the World Cup in 2014, there is no reason why they can't win again. With possession being one of Germany's main footballing tactics, the strength in their squad means Germany have the ability to out pass opposition, not allowing them any time on the ball by keeping it for themselves and dominating the pace of the game. They also have the back up of one of the best defences and goalkeepers in the world at this current moment in time. Combining the two they become an incredible force, one so difficult to be taken advantage of. If they get chances they can get goals, with many attacking players in their squad capable of causing problems. If they can get hold of the ball and dominate, its going to be difficult for even the best teams to beat them.

3.Belgium
For me, Belgium are one of the most exciting teams at this summer's tournament. Some of their players are on another level of good. A personal favourite for me within the Belgium squad is creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Belgium got off to a particularly slow start with a group stage defeat against Italy, but since then have shown what they are capable of and why they aren't here just to make up numbers. I think De Bruyne's creativity is going to be key for Belgium if they are going to a beat a surprising Hungary side. Another factor which they need to utilise is the strength in their defence. They have very capable defenders who have performed consistently throughout this last Premier league season in Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweirald. If these two can perform well together again I think they will be very difficult for Hungary to break down, which could limit the oppositions chances.

Overall I see no reason why these sides can't all win today. They have the stronger squads in comparison to their opposition, but this is what makes them favourites. They will still all have to prove their quality on the pitch in Today's fixtures in order to come out victorious. I have every faith in them.

Saturday 25 June 2016

Euro 2016, big upsets?

Getting into this stage of the tournament some big teams remain, and also some surprises. This post is to tell you all about why we shouldn't just expect the favourites to win every game and why we could see a few upsets during this round of 16.

1. They got this far.
For perhaps smaller Nations like Wales and Iceland as well as both Northern and the Republic of Ireland it is incredible that they have got this far in the tournament. This puts them at a huge advantage because it allows them to play without fear as they are already over exceeding expectation. They can go out and focus on the football. This differs to many bigger Nations like Spain and Germany because they have the added pressure put upon them that they are expected to win. They are expected to over power teams and are heavily criticised every time they don't do this. As well as this the prospect of getting further in the competition and making history for their nation will lead to a much more passionate performance from the smaller nations. They will be fighting for every ball and meaning every pass and shot more than some teams who may be taking the smaller side for granted, leading to opportunities and unexpected results.

2. Every team has talent
Another factor which could contribute to some big upsets is that every team has big names capable of changing matches. For example most notably Wales who have Gareth Bale, joint top goal scorer so far at the tournament and he will be looking to add to this in every game which he gets an opportunity. Even teams like Iceland and the Republic of Ireland have players who feature week in week out in the Premier League who are strong enough to compete against bigger teams. All it take is for one player to score early against a favourite side and the whole game and maybe tournament can turn on it's head. Teams like Germany will have to play under pressure where they have to get goals and they may struggle to do this.

3. The fans believe
Obviously not a direct link to success, but the difference in having 20,000 fans behind you in a stadium can make a huge difference. It can motivate players to work harder and give their all because they know how much it mean to their fans. For example look how passionate the Iceland fans were. We've all seen the video of their commentator going crazy, and in my opinion fans getting behind a team is certainly a factor which an help smaller teams beat bigger ones.

Obviously not every favourite is going to lose, but potentially they could, and above are a few reasons why. We are at a stage in the tournament where better sides can be knocked out simply because they don't perform on the day, and smaller sides can be victorious. It's always much more entertaining when the small teams do well ,so in a way I hope they do all win, as I'm sure there fans will want them too as well.

Euro 2016: Croatia V Portugal preview

We are now getting further into knockout stages of this summers Euro 2016 tournament, with today being the beginning of the Round of 16. Every game is now vital to every team, as a loss means removal from the tournament. In one of today's 3 fixtures, outsiders Croatia take on a rather reluctant Portugal side in what should be an even battle, which could see one great moment or one controversial one deciding the outcome. Who will come out on top? Here are a low down on each sides chances in today's later kick off.

1. Croatia
Croatia have been outstanding so far this tournament. In getting to this stage they have proven their class beating the likes of Spain and Turkey to prove that they aren't here to be walked all over. They welcome back Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic in tonight's fixture after missing them in the Spain win. This will help their chances incredibly. Luka Modric has the class and consistency to win at any level, he is therefore a huge asset to the Croatia team and could be influential in the side getting the victory to progress tonight.

Modric isn't the only class act within this Croatia side however, another player to be on the look out for in tonight's game is Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. He has worked tirelessly so far this tournament, working hard and scoring 2 goals for Croatia during the group stage. If he is to continue this scoring form he could be in contention for the golden boot, which he will be wary of. So he will be looking to perform well once again for his nation tonight.

Overall Croatia look to have a very strong line up, and are going to take some beating. They aren't short on confidence and have a team including Champions League winners who are capable of great things. The key for Portugal I think is to try and break up Croatia's midfield and not allow them time on the ball, which I'm sure they'll be looking to do.

2.Portugal
As for Portugal I'm sure they'll be looking to improve on an unconvincing group stage. They struggled at times despite the strength in their side. This in turn will make them the underdogs for that fixture, but with a squad of this depth that shouldn't be the case. If they play control possession and chances like we know they can, they could quickly and easily put Croatia under pressure.

All eyes will be on Ballon D'or winner Christiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid front man hasn't got up to full speed yet but this won't be a problem. He is a top performer, who can change games in an instant. Portugal will need him to be at his best tonight. They'll be looking for a strong performance from Ronaldo if they are to win.

Portugal do have the talent elsewhere however to carry them across the line against Croatia. They need to utilise the wings, particularly with their top goalscorer of the tournament Nani, who will, like Perisic, be looking to improve his goal tally. Portugal as I said have the depth to go on to great things, they have a strong midfield capable of stopping Croatia. They also have some exciting younger players progressing through the squad at this tournament including 18 Year old Midfielder Renato Sanches, who looks to be showing great potential. As well as Valencia Midfielder Andre Gomes, who at 22 years old can also control Portugal's midfield and if allowed to the game.

Overall, both teams have huge chance of winning tonight's game, and it doesn't appear to be a one sided fixture on paper. Both teams match up evenly which should make for a strong competitive fixture. Going on form, I feel if Croatia can control the game in midfield, they will be putting themselves in a great position to win the match, but if chances come to Portugal and particularly Ronaldo, I cant see him missing them.

Friday 24 June 2016

Euro 2016: potential top goal scorers

Now that the group stages are over its time to look towards potential golden boot winners. The group stage is a great chance for players to get off to a flying start with regards to netting goals. From now on however the further you get in the tournament will help, I'm going to be taking a look at a few players capable of winning the golden boot, and why they might be worth backing.

1. Gareth Bale
The wales front man scored 7 in qualifying and now has 3 goals after 3 games within the tournament. This makes him joint top goal scorer. His goal scoring tally relies heavily upon how long Wales can last from now on in. It works both ways however, as his goal scoring could be vital to keeping them in. He has a good supply from Arsenal midfielder, and if the pair can continue to link up, the goals will come for the in form Gareth. Bale also boasts the ability to score set pieces, this will of course also help his chances of coming out with the golden boot at the end of the tournament.

2.Alvaro Morata
After starting slowly Morata is now joint top with Bale. Having scored 3 goals. He has the advantage over Bale because Spain have a stronger depth in their squad and therefore a greater number of players who can provide for Morata. They also have a higher chance of staying in longer than Wales because of their stronger squad, giving Morata more play time to get goals. He often needs to be supplied well for his goals which could be his downfall, as Bale is very good at creating his own chances.

3.Outside chance Romelu Lukaku
Once again Lukaku could potentially get the golden boot, as long as Belgium keep performing. Belgium slipped up in their first game and any more performances like this will hinder Romelu's chances. He currently has 2 goals and heads into his name game with a strong Belgium squad behind him, and after a successful season I'd bag him to get more goals if given the opportunities. He's a very strong forward who is good at hold  up play but can also create chances for himself, giving him a great chance at getting lots more goals.

4. Others in contention
There are a few players who have began scoring well, but just may fall short of  the golden boot prize. These players are...

1. Dimitri Payet- Payet has 2 goals so far this tournament, he is at an advantage in that he is brilliant with free kicks, but he may struggle as the chances may not always come his way, being a midfielder. Although in the inspiring form he is in he could keep finding the net, so I wouldn't count him out completely

2. Nani
Another play where this is also the case is Nani, being a wider play he may not always get the chances but so far he has taken the ones he has got and finds him self on two goals. He needs to hope Portugal keep providing for him because they aren't having the best of tournaments, but Nani is working hard and I'm sure will continue to do so.

3.Bogdan Stancu
The Romanian man has scored 2 goals so far this tournament and boasts a shot on target percentage of 80%. This man is an example that its not always the huge named teams who have the highest goal scorers. However, Romania may struggle to progress due to some of the huge talents still left in the competition, and this will hugely limit Stancu.

Overall there are many players still in contention to win the golden boot. This is due to the competitive nature of the tournament so far, in another week or so we may have a better idea of who could win the golden boot, but for now its just best to sit back and enjoy the goals.

Euro 2016: my prediction of the winner.

We are now in the last 16 of Euro 2016, she stage is set for the knockout phase of the tournament to begin. I've decided now is the time that I want to cast my opinion on who is going to win it and why. I don't know if this is going to happen obviously but from my eyes. this country has the biggest chance.

My winners are Germany. They look an incredible force and despite Spanish dominance with regards to European football like the Champions League and Europa League, I think this Germany team is better combined than the Spanish team. Here's why.

1. Squad of stars
One Reason why I think Germany will win Euro 2016 is because of the strength in their squad. Every member bar a couple play at the highest level. Many of them have one the World cup together. Many win the Bundesliga every season together at Bayern Munich and a select few have one the Champions League. These players are used to winning, and rightfully so as they have performed incredibly well to do so.

2.Workrate
If you thought the individuals were good, the way they work as a team is even better. Players like Toni Kroos, not known for his speed or work rate, out ran every play on the pitch in Germany's first game, he was in inspired form. Every player in the squad wants the ball at their feet and works hard when they've got it, making them incredibly difficult to intercept or break down. The Germany   defence is also incredibly experienced and very strong, as well as having Manuel Neuer in goal making it very difficult for teams to score.

3. Confidence
Germany have no reason to fear losing, this is also another huge factor, they've won the World Cup and since then German players have dominated domestic football. Why should they feel they are going to lose? they have no reason to play with fear and no reason to feel fear against opponents.

I think Germany will win this years tournament, however I'd love to be proven wrong, other teams winning would be magnificent for them! Obviously there are so many teams still in contention and I'd like to see someone else win, but Germany has such a strong squad, I can easily see them winning. Let me know in the comments below who you think will win and who you want to win!

BPL Predicitions: Tottenham's chance?

After a strong season under Pochettino, finding themselves in Champions League football next season, Tottenham have exceeded all expectation. So taking a look into the 2016/17 campaign, do Tottenham have a chance of winning the Premier League? I'm going to be taking a look at a few reasons why they may or may not have chance in the next campaign.

1.Young stars
One Reason why they may be able to win the Premier League next season is due to some of the younger players in their squad who are playing incredibly well. Combined with some more experienced players who could be purchased in the transfer market, as well as players like Moussa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen, the younger players can thrive and learn from these players, making them stronger and better to compete with the top teams. Not only that but Pochettino likes to play these younger players week in week out. This in itself would give them a great boost of confidence as every week they are gaining Premier League experience, and doing it all together could lead to the youth of Tottenham becoming a very dangerous force.

2. Sign Big
I think one of the most important things which Tottenham have to do is to sign big players whilst they are in the position to do so. Strike whilst the iron is hot as they say. Signing big now will only improve the squad adding to the depth that they already have to create a real strong challenger for the Premier League title. As evident from the end of the 2015/16 campaign, when some key players are missing, results can go missing also, so big players must be signed to fill these rolls for when injury and suspension come in throughout the course of the season.

3. Too much competition
one factor which could prevent Tottenham from winning the league is the huge competition for the title this year. With new big managers at Chelsea, Man City and Man United, it could bevery dificult for Tottenham to compete for the top prize. Nevertheless the players and manager will be up for the challenge and its difficult to tell yet just how influential the new managers will be, so don't count Tottenham out yet.

Overall I think after huge progression last year Tottenham obviously are in with a shot at the title. They must remain strong and build however if they would like to compete, build strength on strength and become a powerful side which teams are going to fear. Look out for any of my predictions for other teams coming soon, and let me know in the comments which team you'd next like to see this on.

Wednesday 22 June 2016

EFL fixture release: 3 reasons to get excited for the Championship

The Championship in England is often a league of drama, intense battles and high scoring games. As teams compete for a place in England's top flight of football. The championship this season is lining up to be particularly tasty, here's why.

1. The most competitive ever
After last season's Premier League, 3 big clubs were relegated. In all this has led to the Championship having one of its strongest line ups ever seen before. With around 12 of it's 20 teams previously playing at Premier League level. This shall lead to some huge games for all clubs involved, and there should be some great matches. Also there are two Champions League winning manager's in the Championship now in Roberto Di Mateo and Rafael Benitez, adding to the pot another factor of why some teams may fair better than others.

2. The TV
The new TV deal will also hugely benefit Championship clubs, for example the teams who were relegated from the Premier League received 80 million pounds for doing so. This money as well as increased money for bigger clubs in the championship allows for a higher quality of players to be purchased. Many people don't agree with the TV deal but it obviously has it's benefits as well as it's drawbacks.

3. Most of all, the talent.
The main attraction of the Championship and football league in general for me is some of the young English talent we see come through sides every year. Most notably last season players like Leeds United's Lewis Cook. Players with real intent on helping their side. Also due to many Championship sides perhaps being older clubs, the fans are incredibly passionate about their team, following them up and down the country in their thousands and some of the photos and videos you see are incredible. This makes the Championship an incredible League to follow, the football is good and so are the fans, nothing more you could want.

So to summarise. The Championship is certainly a great and passionate league full of great supporters and clubs all looking to make the break to top flight football. As the season unfolds we will see new stars and performers and just who can break off into the Premier League for the season after.

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Germany to win Euro 2016?- what are their chances

This young talented Germany side burst on the scene in 2014 winning the World Cup in Brazil. Since then they have been the instigators for change in other national set ups offering further opportunities for young players. There is no doubt that they have an incredibly talented squad but is it a team capable of taking the title. I shall be looking at if they can do it or if they will struggle.

1. Easy
When Germany get in control of a game they make it look easy. They are a very strong passing side who once in possession are hard to stop. It takes an incredibly formidable opponent to knock them from their stride and lead them to playing a different style of football. The passing game is the A plan and it takes a strong performance to knock them from this. Whilst keeping to this plan they also create chances and score, seeking out defensive mistakes or any lack of concentration by players and they look to exploit that. This factor would suggest they could win the tournament because the strength in their squad means mistakes are few and far between.

2. depth
As I previously mentioned, Germany have an incredibly strong line up, not only do they have a strong starting 11 but subs and reserves are also incredibly strong. This allows for a great amount of rotation to meet the requirements of any opposition they face. It does however make the team selection incredibly difficult as so many players stand out, but as any manager will tell you this isn't a bad thing. When you have 3 or 4 players who can all offer the same thing in most positions on the field you can easily rotate allowing for fresher legs and to work out exactly how you want play without the worry of a weak link

3. What may stop them
The 2014 world cup winners could be stopped by what stopped England from winning last night. Teams who turn up to defend and only counter attack to release pressure and hope they can grab a goal. Poland prevented Germany from scoring well in their 0-0 draw and any one chance to come their way could've led to them taking all 3 points. Germany must be aware of this, they do boast one of the strongest defences in the tournament however so it will take a lot to beat.

My opinion
There is no doubting that Germany are capable of winning. Part of me can see them winning it easily be another part doesn't want them too. I want their to be a shock in who wins this year, a rising talent. Although Germany have more talent than some nations behind so they could take it. As long as they do so in exciting fashion I can't wait to see the drama unfold.

Euro2016 : Englands top 3 players of the group stage.

Some England players put incredible shifts in within the group stage, most notably players performed best in the Wales game but strong performances throughout have led to the 3 lions qualifying in second place in group B. Just who were the 3 main stand out players? I'm going to be taking a look and giving my opinion on why.

1. Wayne Rooney
Captain, England's controlling midfield man. I think what made Wayne so good throughout the group stage was everyone's previous doubts over his ability. Many didn't believe he deserved a place in the team after a poor Premier League run of form. In the first two games more specifically he proved any doubters wrong. He was inspiring in central midfield controlling the play and has been praised for this. His ability to pick a pass helped England spread the play and his work rate allowed him to win the ball back from players who would otherwise be looking to attack. He struggled coming on as a sub against Slovakia but overall Wayne should be proud of his efforts, as he really did prove why he's worthy of the captaincy.

2. Kyle Walker
Despite only featuring in two fixture in the group stage, Walker was incredible asset down the right hand side. With players like Rooney picking him out more often than not, he had license to attack in both of the matches he featured in and particularly against Wales, where he had the beating of his man every time the ball was played out to him. His pace certainly helped him but he also showed good dribbling abilities to beat his man on countless occasions against Wales, he was certainly an unexpected stand out performer in this one.

3. Eric Dier
England's holding midfield man. Scored a wonderful goal in the first group game and looked steady in every game he played in. He just adds the extra support to the defence which meant throughout the entirety of the group stage they were never really put under significant pressure for long periods of time, as Dier was cutting the ball out. For a young player Dier shows great maturity with his ability to make the right decision under pressure with regards to passing, which some young players may struggle to do and make mistakes. Dier has a very level head and remains composed, and his consistency is what has earnt him a place in my top 3 performers for England.

We go on now looking towards our next opponent. We need more players to put in strong performances if we are going to progress. Hard work from attackers and chance creating from defenders are two things which stick out for me, we've got to get goals. This is because some teams will soak up all of our pressure then go down the other end and score, and there's nothing we can do about that. We need to remain confident and remain attacking, and then the chances and goals should come.

Monday 20 June 2016

Euro 2016: England V Slovakia, post match review

So England have managed to qualify for the next stage of Euro 2016, we once again didn't make it easy for ourselves but we have got through and that's the most important thing. I'm going to looking at how the Slovakia game went and what England need to do to improve for the next stage of the competition.

Slovakia, a rather dissapointing match in the end, we got a result we needed but despite dominating possession, failed to create any real openings or chances against a Slovakia side who showed no real intent. Martin skrtel could've defended English attacks by himself, in fact he near enough did. Hodgson sometimes need to concede before he makes correct substitutions as once again his substitutions were poor. Starting your captain on the bench is poor, then bringing him on in a position he is yet to play in in this tournament is wrong, testing new things in the middle of a major tournament is poor, we need the players to perform for Roy this tournament now to protect the England manager due to some of his poor decisions.

However, we did show in this game the ability to control a game, we maintained a certain element of control throughout which is good and it introduced a few players who are yet to feature in this tournament to the level of football needed to compete, incase they are needed later down the line. Which is good, although their was a real lack of urgency and desire tonight, England should be aiming to kill off every opponent and they didn't look to do so tonight.

looking ahead
Its vital we go forward now and as fans and players put our frustrations aside and concentrate on the next opponent, we are getting towards the business end of the tournament now where teams will begin to punish us for not taking chances. For me in the next fixture we must set up how we did in the second half against Wales, we need to try and create chances, playing too much football just inside the opposition half makes it very hard to create.

The problem we face is that opposition from now on aren't going to be sitting back on England letting us attack because they need to score to go through just as much as England do, so we need to create and take chances better so we don't get punished. This is rather advantageous however because it allows for a much more open game so more chances will be available if we play the right team to create them.

Overall England's performance against Slovakia  was particularly frustrating for fans as we were certainly the better team and should've produced more to win the game, but we did make it through. We must look forward now to the next game and go on and be positive to try and win that, be confident and create. Let's hope we can get through it to the next stage! Come on England !

Euro 2016: Top performers so far

The Euro 2016 group stages are coming to an end this week and so far in the tournament their have been some outstanding performances. I'm going to now take a look at the top 3 performances of the tournament so far.

Dimitri Payet V Romania

First game of the tournament, the whole of Europe watching. France struggling against a resistant Romanian side, Until Payet inflicts his damage sending a shot flying into the top corner. Not only a fantastic goal, but a fantastic performance from a player who has had a fantastic season. Within the game Payet not only scored but got the first assist of the Euro 2016 championships. He also in total made 8 passes which created chances, and showed elements of skill in the right areas to help build French attacks. Deschamps described him as the "only player capable of opening Romania up." Payet was substituted and went of with tears in his eyes and with a standing ovation, starting off his Euro 2016 campaign in fine fashion.

Kevin De Bruyne V Ireland

De Bruyne and Belgium struggled in their first game but came through in the second, beating Ireland comfortably 3-0. The stand out performer in this game was Kevin De Bruyne. The headlines were taken away from him by Romelu Lukaku's man of the match performance but with one assist and involvement in each goal, De Bruyne was also a star. He looked calm and fearless on the ball and was given the room to work his magic. He now has involvement in 10 Belgium goals in his last 10 matches, with 5 goals and 5 assists, and his showing his capabilities at a top level.

Toni Kroos V Ukraine

Here is evidence of another dominating midfield display. Kroos absolutely controlled the game against Ukraine. acting as a holding midfielder, central midfielder and occasionally attacking midfield in game where he really showed off his strengths. His ability to pick out a pass has always been second to none, but I was surprised at just how high his work rate was. He dominated the midfield making interceptions and making challenges to put German back in possession and back in charge of this fixture. His football brain is incredible and he see's things before they even happen, and he is doing a vital job in midfield in a strong German side, his game against Ukraine was dominating.

Overall these 3 players are just certain examples of good performances, not necessarily the top 3 but the 3 which caught my eye. Let me know in the comments or on twitter who would make your top 3, and we can also see how these players progress as the tournament continues.

Sunday 19 June 2016

England V Slovakia, Match Preview.

England sit nicely at the top of Group B with  one game to go against a challenging Slovakia side, but as we know from the last game for Wales, one bad result can change everything. I'm going to be taking a look at what England can do in order to win on Monday, against Slovakia.

1. The team
After a fine performance in the second half V Wales, I think the team selection will be changed, and there will be more attacking emphasis. Unfortunately I think Harry Kane may be dropped for the tie. He hasn't been performing when he has needed to and has been limited with opportunities. So I don't think he will feature, particularly not in the first half. I think that either Sturridge or Vardy should  start up front in place of Kane, I'd maybe look more towards Sturridge, although he can be particularly greedy. Also, I would give young Marcus Rashford an opportunity to start against Slovakia, he showed great composure against Wales when he came on and showed some really strong qualities which he should look to build on in the coming games. For me the player who would make way for Rashford is Raheem Sterling, and I'd keep the Lallana on the other side of the new striker. They are the only squad changes I think that should be made. Leave the rest of the team as it is because the whole squad have been performing particularly well.

2. The Midfield Battle
For England to really control the fixture, the midfield need to work incredibly hard. Slovakia's danger comes from attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik, who will have to be stopped, and managed well by England defensive midfielder Eric Dier. Dier has proven his quality in the last couple
 of games for England, scoring a fantastic free kick against Russia and breaking down the Welsh midfield in Last Thursday's fixture, he again will be pivotal to the success of Hodgson's side. Another successful player to play in the last two fixtures in Midfield is Wayne Rooney, in both fixtures he has shown his maturity and class by controlling the midfield and working hard, being a great link between Dier and the slightly more attacking Dele Alli. Wayne is going to have to do exactly the same in order to cause a problem against Slovakia, they cant build an attack if Wayne is controlling the ball, and if his play is dictating the tempo of the game, Slovakian attacks may be sloppy.

3. Slovakian Threat
Slovakia have been surprising in this group, they have shown their attacking strength in their 2-1 win over Russia, where one strong performance by Marek Hamsik won them the game. This is what England must be wary of, if Hamsik catches England off guard early on we could be in trouble. It is therefore vital that we get our defensive midfield and central defenders on the ball early, keep them alert and let them play their way into the game to be ready for counter attacks, because Slovakia will try to  soak up all England pressure, before releasing an attack to try and catch Roy's men out.

Overall once again it should be an exciting fixture, another one. If England play to the best of their ability they can easily overpower the Slovakia side and finish the group in first position. If the players aren't up for it however, we could find ourselves in a fighting battle, either way it should be a great spectacle. Come on England!

Euro 2016:Belgium arrive, post match thoughts

Belgium opened their Euro 2016 campaign with a disappointing defeat to Italy. Yesterday they played Ireland, and there was a complete turn around. They won comfortably in the end leaving Ireland in a sticky situation, but can Belgium go on to win Euro 2016 from here and if so, what is going to help them.

1. Kevin De Bruyne
The Manchester City midfielder played incredibly well against Ireland. In my opinion for Belgium to be successful at this summers tournament they must rely on him to be a link up midfielder between the deeper midfielders and attackers. He has fantastic vision to play a pass and works hard for his team. For such a young player he shows such a maturity in knowing when to pick the correct pass through to the striker. He plays with such confidence that he doesn't mind trying to make risky passes, which often have great consequences, yet when they don't the Belgium midfield can work hard to get the ball back.

2.Strength in Depth
This brings me onto the next thing. Look at the strength in depth in the Belgium squad. Within their bench they have a £20 million plus rated striker in Marseilles Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke who Liverpool bought for over 30 million, as well as two huge Serie A players in Radja Nainggolan and Dries Mertens. Each of these names are players capable of coming onto the pitch and making an impact, as well as the strong first 11, it is no wonder that the team is so highly ranked. This allows the manager do greatly vary his tactics, with such a good squad being able to adapt to various positions, enabling them to change to meet the accordance of any opponent.

3. Fan Base
Obviously with the tournament being hosted in Neighbouring France. Belgium fans are in an ideal situation to make the trip to cheer their team on, and many have done so. This not only increases the passion of the players because they want to perform for their home nation and the fans who have made the journey, but knowing all of your supporters are there boosts morale between the players, as with every goal celebration, the players bond with the fans. They see how happy the fans are in them and this spurs them on

Overall it is evident that Belgium have a remarkably strong squad, capable if they keep putting in strong performances of winning this summers tournament. They must build upon their victory and take that momentum into the last group game if they wish to qualify, they will be wanting to win this won. I imagine their price of winning the tournament has now changed after a bumpy start, but if they work hard at it they could certainly win this tournament.

Saturday 18 June 2016

Manchester City FC, who should the blues sign this summer.

With the arrival of  Pep Guardiola this summer it is undeniable that changes to the Man City squad will be made, and with the clubs money, there will probably be some big signings coming to the Etihad this summer. I'm going to take a look at where the new manager should look to strengthen if he wants to build on the already great squad that City have.

1. Improving the defence.
Man City have tried hard to fill the gap next to Vincent Kompany with a similarly capable player and shave struggled to do so. With his injury as well in the last BPL campaign they have struggled defensively. They need to fill this role with class, maybe Guardiola will look to do that.

So who would be suitable. If we are looking at a potentially huge signing, I would definitely like to see a return to Manchester City for Jerome Boateng. I think he would be a great addition to the Man City defence. He would be a great servant alongside Vincent Kompany. Although obviously it would take a tremendous offer to take the German away from Bayern Munich, but that could be the sort of signing Guardiola is looking to make, he is certainly capable of making this sort of signing.


2. A wide defender. or two.
To really be successful, every position has to be filled by a strong player. Manchester City at the moment are lacking in a class left and right back, Zabaleta is strong but getting older, and two solid full backs could provide real security for the two defenders in the middle.

Looking at the left back position I think taking another Bundesliga player in Wolfsburg's Ricardo Rodriguez could be a perfectly strong addition to the squad. He's currently showing us his capabilities in Euro 2016 for Switzerland and is impressing, and I think would definitely be open to a Premier League move this summer, to better his career particularly at Man City. He could bring security in defence as well as attacking options, which City like to do in getting their full backs forward.


As for the right back spot, one player capable of filling that spot in Guardiola's back for is Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal.  The Madrid star could possibly be moved away from the Bernabau by Guardiola, and would certainly be a great asset for the City side with experience at such a high level, winning the Champions League this season. He is younger and more technically aware, and his age means he can adapt his ability to the Premier League, and could be a terrific signing for Champions League bound City.


3. Finally, a winger.
a strong outlet winger is something that the midfield dominated Man City are looking out for. I think the perfect man for this job is Borrusia Dortmund Premier League target Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The winger impressed last season, his pace and good dribbling made him difficult to stop for opposition like Liverpool in the Europa League. He has been heavily linked back with a move to the Premier League, and in my opinion Man City is the place he would fit in the best. He is versatile and culd play a more central role if needed, but if out on the wing he is a great outlet for City, for them to set him off on a run whilst they all move forward to build an attack, something which City haven't had is a really strong wide man and Mkhitaryan could be the perfect solution.



Overall, it would obviously be highly unlikely to sign all of these players, but they have the money. They have the option to do so and even signing a couple of these players would make their side much stronger and more exciting. With many capable managers arriving in the Premier League this season, City need to spend well to have a title winning chance, and I think, signing a few players with the ability of the ones named above, they'll be off to a great start, let me know what you think in the comments.

Euro 2016: The Three outsiders

Obviously, a few of Europe's giants like Spain and Germany will be up there as the favourites to win this years Euro 2016 tournament. There are however, some rank outsiders who have shown great ability in the early stages of the tournament, who could not only upset some of the bigger Nations, but also have the capability to win the tournament. Here are my 3 outsiders with a chance of winning Euro 2016, and here is why they may win.

1. Croatia
Croatia have a very strong midfield. In fact they have a very strong team, they overpowered Turkey in their opening game of the tournament, after they got the goal they looked defensively strong and held out the 1-0 lead. They also looked comfortable in their second match of the group stage, in fact their fans may have prevented them getting all 3 points after crowd trouble had the game stopped, leading to Czech Republic coming back into the game after the restart. They have 2 incredibly influential players in midfield in Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, both of these players have performed incredibly well so far and are solid assets to the Croatian side, they bond the midfield together. As well as this, wide man Ivan Perisic is a great outlet down the wing, enabling the spread of play to a wider position to create threat from a different angle. As long as the defence remains strong i think Croatia are really in with a chance of taking this tournament away from one of the favourites. They still have to work hard in their next game however against holders Spain, so we shall see just how good they after that game.

2. Italy
Strangely, Italy haven't been spoken about much this summer. It is believed that they have their weakest ever squad, but still they have began their Euro 2016 campaign with 2 wins, against the highest ranked side in the tournament Belgium, and Sweden. Two tough opponents. Once again part of their success is their midfield, but it is not my any means the strongest of Midfield's an Italy side has ever had, but still they show their capability leading to two wins. A fantastic goal by Eder showed that playing two upfront was helpful, with Italy being one of the only sides at the tournament to set out that way, and they could indeed cause upset. Their defence is remarkably strong as well as their goalkeeper. With all of them starring for Italian giants Juventus this season, they are totally used to playing just like they do for their club, without the difficulty of them having to get used to each other. They have a great chance because not only do they have ability, but after two wins they have confidence. Could this be their year?

3. Poland
Poland believe it or not actually boast a rather strong team. Talisman Robert Lewandowski no doubt helps, but after catching my eye in a draw against Germany, I wouldn't be too surprised if they went far this summer, maybe if not winning, stopping teams capable of doing so. They have a lot of strength in their decide, many of their players play at a top level of club football, and this has certainly helped develop the Polish team. They have the right to be optimistic being on 4 points in a tough group. They do need to now try and see out the group with a big performance in their last group game, but with the surprising depth they have, it wouldn't surprise me to see them frustrate opposition and go far in this tournament.

Obviously most teams are still in contention to progress past the group stages, but are any team really showing the ability to go on and win it? let me know leave a comment below! or tweet me! Good luck to all teams.

After Spain win again, BPL Vs La Liga

After Spain comfortably beat struggling Turkey 3-0, I am going to be taking a look at just how the La Liga is such a stand out league, and whether the Premier League can be compared to it, and how it's affecting the National teams for both sides.

1. Money
Unfortunately, as with many things in football nowadays, money is a key factor in determining the success of some clubs, both in England and Spain. Real Madrid boast being currently the richest club in the world, and Barcelona aren't far off them. Not only does this help the sides recruit the top players, but also build their home grown talent to a scale unseen in the Premier League. The Premier League still has an incredible amount of money amongst its ranks, but where we are struggling, is failing to produce world class home grown talent, England have began to import their talent, with it being cheaper, which often has an impact on the national team. Despite some players in England becoming very good at what they do, there isn't one stand out player for England where you would identify them as being world class. In comparison, Spain has a handful of players who are definitely world class, players like Sergio Ramos, Iniesta, Pique players who have won at every level, and that's certainly lacking in England at the moment.

2. the competition
Despite some opposition to this statement, generally the Premier League is a much more competitive league than La Liga, particularly within the last 4 seasons. Which is evident from 4 different sides winning the league in 4 seasons. Something which hasn't happened in any other major European country. Which has both its positive and negative effects. Positiviely it allows for English players to develop at the highest level, striving their ability to work hard and compete in order to win.The downside of this however is often English players are overlooked for foreign stars who can come in and do the job better, so have more success than English players.Players like Edin Hazard and before that Christiano Ronaldo. This is different in comparison to Spain because instead of being overlooked, the biggest Spanish names go to the biggest Spanish club, because there isn't such a desire for huge talent, only by a few large clubs who can then train the players and put them in the Champions League to improve, making their national side very strong as players are already used to performing on such a big stage, that experience goes a long way.

3.The chemistry
The final thing which dramatically helps for Spain is that the majority of their players play for the same clubs, week in week out. This is similar to Germany,also a very strong national side. many English players are dotted all over the Premier League, granted their are quite a few spurs players in this England set up but that's the only club who seem to be believing fully in their English players. The chemistry between players makes their game better, they know exactly what each other are capable of and where they are going to be.

Overall both leagues have their strengths, the BPL is such a highly viewed league it would suggest it's better than La Liga, but La Liga sides won both European trophies this season, meaning they've won both European trophies for three years in a row now, so they must be doing something better than Premier League sides, but for me, the bpl is the best league in the world. Let me know what you in think in the comments or on Twitter !

Friday 17 June 2016

Euro 2016, Potential Premier League signings, who to look out for.


Some players at this years tournament are either signing for Premier League clubs this summer or at the moment are heavily linked, so I thought I'd take a look at some of these players, and see how they are performing at the tournament, and see just where they can fit in to the Premier League side they're linked with or signing for.

1. Granit Xhaka
Swiss midefielder Xhaka will be signing for Arsenal when the summer window opens. He has impressed in his first two games at the Euros, picking up man of the match in both games. He is a strong holding midfielder, who sits rather deep picking out importance passes. He ha already played an important part in a surprisingly strong Switzerland side, could he be the player to stabilise the Arsenal midfield? could he be the signing to guide them to a Premier League title?

2. Alvaro Morata
The Spanish striker is only merely linked with Chelsea and Arsenal, but with Italian Giants Juventus saying they wont be renewing their loan or signing the forward if given the chance by Real, it suggests the forward is up for sale. Morata has a habit of scoring important goals in important games, helping Juventus into the Champions League final most notably in the 2014-15 campaign. He hasn't particularly impressed at the Euros so far, he has much to improve upon, but the advantage of signing such a player is at the age he is, being only 23, he has much to learn as he matures into his centre forward role.

3.Milan Badelj
Some what unknown, the Croatian midfielder has been part of a strong squad in Euro 2016, and Croatia have been impressive so far, leading them to being outsiders to winning the tournament. Badelj however hasn't been a name that rings any particular bells for me with regards to his performances so far in this usmmers tournament, but with interest from Tottenham, with the player rated at £12 million, he could be a player to look out for.

4. Antoine Griezmann
With interest shown from Arsenal and more recently Chelsea, the young forward has risen at Atletico Madrid and will be looking to impress in the upcoming games for France within this tournament. An incredibly hard working and particularly prolific striker, he could fit in at both clubs, although maybe with his slight lack of strength, could struggle to adapt to the Premiere League. He would be a great asset for any PL club however and is certainly one to look out for, could he be gracing the Premier League next season?

Overall there are obviously many players on display at Euro 2016 looking to secure a move to a bigger club. Playing well is key to any teams successes at tournaments like this, and as we saw with star James Rodriguez at the 2014 World Cup, can lead to a player dramatically improving his career. Many players playing in the tournament I'm sure will move to the Premier League, but the 4 I've picked out are just some players to watch over the next month, to get excited about next season.

England V Wales. What we learnt

Yesterday's group B game between England and Wales was one of drama, passion, tears and celebration for England fans. Gareth Bale struck for Wales shortly before half time, scoring a well hit free kick which Joe Hart could've done better to save. The goal momentarily silenced the 20,000 strong England crowd and everyone feared the worst, but after a superb second half performance where this time England did dominate,the 3 lions managed to turn the game around and win 2-1 with a late goal from Daniel Sturridge. The game was a tense one, a must win for England,and they did. What did we learn from England's performance yesterday? and where should we go from here looking forward to our last group game.

1. Roy the reactionary
One thing we learned from yesterdays game is that Roy Hodgson does see what the fans see, and he did understand the importance of getting 3 points from the fixture. He was criticised after the Russia game for only using one striker, and letting that one striker take set pieces. After this didn't particularly work he made and immediate change leading to Wayne Rooney stepping up to take corners. Also with some reluctancy, he did eventually bring on more strikers, 3 in fact, and this was the action which brought change into the way the squad was set up. Although we had to go 0-1 down before he made these changes, the changes he did make turned the game on it's head, and credit to Roy for changing things.

2. Rashford was a worthy choice
Now, I know he wasn't on the pitch that long, but what he did in the time that he was on was impressive. He looked so calm and composed when he got the ball, which for someone of his age, I know I wouldn't even be able to walk on the pitch in a game of that atmosphere and magnitude, so it's remarkable how composed and calm he is when in possession, he makes things look easy, and i definitely think he should have some involvement in England's next game, just to give him more experience at a different level.

3. Rooney needs to stay in midfield
For the second game running Wayne Rooney controlled the midfield, his work rate is incredible and he works so hard for the team. He always looked to be calm on the ball, playing good passes into wider positions in an attempt to push and stretch the Wales back 3, and he did this all game long and never looked to be stopping. I don't think that he could compete as well upfront now that he has matured, but he still could do a job further up the pitch, but why should he now he's performed well for two consecutive games at keeping England midfield together.

Looking forward
Yesterday after England scored a late winner, we saw just what it really meant to the squad and coaching staff. We saw true passion and desire which can go a long way in boosting the fans confidence in the team. It also gives a great amount of confidence to the players, as they go into the last group game top of the group. Be warned though, Slovakia have proved tricky opponents and aren't completely out of it themselves, so they will be looking to upset England. So England should look to stay sharp, play with intent and with the same desire as we did Vs Wales and Roy's side should come out on top. I think after such strong performances by second half attackers Harry Kane will struggle to get back into the team. So it will be interesting to see what Hodgson goes with for the next game, but lets hope we can win it. Stay tuned for a preview of the Slovakia game coming out soon.

Thursday 16 June 2016

England V Wales preview, Must Win Game.

The importance of this fixture today is incredible. Both teams are going to battling for everything and it has the potential to be history in the making. A win for Wales would see them top the group by 3 points with one game to go, leaving them in a fantastic position guaranteeing their qualification. If England win it would put them top of the group, and after a disappointing result in the Russia game, they'll be looking to improve dramatically. The loss would have a worse impact on England, presuming we remain in the competition after more violence last night with 36 arrested. England would sit 3rd in the group and qualification would become a much tougher task, especially now Slovakia are in contention for qualifying. So I am going to take a look at what England need to do well to win, and what aspects Wales show great strength in which could lead them to victory.

1. England
After a disappointing result last time out, it is still fair to say in that game England put in a fine performance, managerial tactics hindered them, but the players did perform. This could once again be one of England's downfalls if not managed carefully today. We are facing a different sort of opponent in Wales and really either a change in formation of change in emphasis on certain player positions should be taking place. We've brought 5 attackers to these finals, and so far only one has featured. I liked to see more of Jamie Vardy, the Premier League's top goal scorer as with a defence experienced in the Premier League, Wales will be fearful of his pace and finishing ability.

Another factor Hodgson needs to consider what system he is going to use to attack the Welsh defence. Is he going to play two striker up front, what would that mean would happen to the wider plays? who should he replace on the wing? For me I think despite some encouraging runs in the Russia game Raheem Sterling is unfortunately one of the players who could be missing out today, only because he isn't as well rounded as some of the players in the squad, who against a very well rounded Welsh side, could be very important.

I do feel if Hodgson plays to his teams strengths keeping Rooney in the midfield with Dier holding, but maybe taking a risk with two strikers, we could easily defeat Wales, but their passion and desire could stop Roy in his tracks.

2.Wales
Wales are certainly not a team to underestimate. They have shown that in qualifying. Just to be at this tournament is remarkable for them. This means that they are taking advantage of this situation, passion and desire in unquestionable from this group of players, making them tricky opponents. They could cause England problems very easily if they want the game more, which why wouldn't they. They are in fine form after a win in their opening games and are in a great position within the Group.

One factor which could determine their success is one man. Gareth Bale. If not dealt with effectively Bale could cause real problems for England, he boasts incredible pace and strength, and has an eye for goal, being Wales most prolific goal scorer within qualifying. Wales are going to be looking to get the ball out too him at every available opportunity, and he could really inflict damage on the England back four, being the high quality player that he is.

Another factor which if Wales utilise could stop England is their midfield and defensive link up play. The ball seems to get trapped in their midfield and defence when they get into a passing rhythm. Their midfield can be rather compact when defending making it difficult for sides to break down. With England packing their midfield also it could make for a tough game for both sides, ending depending on which midfield is stronger.

Overall, and one important thing to look at, is that a draw is not really an option for either of the sides, we should expect to see both teams attacking from the outset to try and win the game. There's no doubting how important this match is, to players nad fans alike. Who will win it, its tough to say, as Wales are looking strong and England are capable. Either way its the highlight of today's football and we should all enjoy,only time will tell who can do it.

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Euro 2016, after the first group games who is on top.

After the first round of all group stages matches, we have been given an idea of who could be in contention to take this years title, many teams impressed within their first game but not all came alway with three points, I'm going to be taking a look at some of the sides who look capable of victory this summer,but still have some areas to improve, if they are infect going to be victorious.

1. Germany
Undoubtedly Gernany were going to get a mention in here somewhere, so why not start with them. They did indeed impress writhing their first game, gaining 3 points from a 2-0 victory with Ukraine. Some individual performances portrayed title winning talent within the game including the dominent midfield display from German Toni Kroos, who completely controlled the tempo of the game in midfield with his presence, combined with Ozil's eye for an assist And Thomas Muller's eye for goal Germany look a strong force, one which opposition may struggle to contain over the coming matches. In spite of this, the world champions didn't dominate as much as they would have liked too, there were times when Ukraine could have caused an upset, but the sign of a great team is getting 3 points even when you aren't playing your best football, and that's exactly what Germnay did.

2.Spain
The Spanish began their defence of the European crown with a 1-0 win over Czech Republic, a very mixed performances which saw Sergio Ramos and co come away with the best possible outcome, but during a strong passing performance for Del Bosquets side, Spain did struggle to generate real chances, and against more structured better quality teams this may comeback to bite them, but obviously the first match only sets the tone, after a few more games they may show their experience and begin to take chances and assert their dominance over other teams.

3.France
France similarly to Spain boasted particularly strong assets in their game, they were the eventual winners in an exciting Euro 2016 opening game with a 2-1 victory over Romania. With Payet scoring the winning goal things were looking good for France, however they didn't look this dominant throughout this display. Defensively at times they looked stranded against a Romania team who were passionate and committed about everything they did. They could've taken the lead very early on but failed to capatalise on a golden opportunity, which could've altered the outcome of the game incredibly. France looked strong going forward, but the back four lacked chemistry between each other, and a world class striker may utilise this.

Overall, after one game it is hard to tell who is going to take the title, but these 3 sides are certain contenders for winning this years, combined with outsiders like Italy and Croatia, but with many team still playing strong football anyone could win, making the tournament so interesting due to each teams competitive nature. We can only hope that the rest of this tournament is remembered for fine football and goal scoring rather than the violence which has marred certain matches so far.

Monday 13 June 2016

3 Things Germany can teach England

Germany began their Euro 2016 experience with a 2-0 win over Ukraine, at times they looked unplayable and unlike England, they honestly looked to control the game, so after England's strong performance but disappointing result, what can Germany teach us with regards to getting results over the line but not only that, looking ahead what can they teach England about how to produce on the big stage.

1. Proof in the Youth
Germany boast quite a few talented young players within the national squad. Players like Jonas Hector, Julian Draxler, Mario Goetze. Even players that seem to have been playing for so long still are not that old like Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng, and because of this 9 times out of 10, , they are often guaranteed a place in the squad until they are much older, due to their early gaining of experience at such a high level, and most are thriving off that.Letting the players grow through first team experience at international level is maybe something England should take not of, Hodgson chose to bring another striker in Marcus Rashford, maybe he should start him.See what he can do, instead of bringing him to have him watch us exit the tournament then not pick him in his next squad selection. Obviously there are stepping stones to improve like the Under 19s and 21s which is vital, but if the player has impressed regularly in the Premier League, such a high performing league, then surely if they're good enough they are old enough.

2. Same tactics,different players
My second view of what Germany can teach England is how to set themselves out, obviously when players become injured it gets very difficult, but throughout qualifying England tried different tactics and players trying to find something that worked, but never finding anything too conclusive. Still some ideas were working better than others. Then, in the first game of a major tournament, a completely new system is being tried out, one previously not seen with some players playing out of position in it. Look at the German side, every player in their team knows their role inside out, because there formation and tactics are following a trend of what has worked for them in qualifying. England just seem to be probing and planning and plotting, but nothing conclusive is in place yet to assure confidence in the fans that we have a strong set up. Obviously as new players arrive tactics and formations will change, but it shouldn't happen all at once, it takes time to mould to a new way of playing, particularly if the players aren't used to the positions they are now playing in. Probably not something which should be put in place in the first game of a major tournaments, but of course adapting to defend against opposition threats is still sometimes vital.

3. if you want to win, play to win.
Germany were in a similar situation to England, 1-0 up but with Ukraine still creating. Where the difference came was Germany didn't stop everything to protect their one goal cushion. They kept going for another goal, eventually leading to one late on. England struggled to create towards the back end of the second half, and after defending so dearly, conceding took a lot out of the players which won't help their confidence. we should've taken it up a gear when Russia came out strong after half time and really put the pressure on, but it wasn't for the want of trying, just certain substitutions and changes could've seen things go differently. England need to play to their strengths, we had the Premier League's top goal scorer on the bench as an unused substitute, a striker who's best asset is his pace, who would cause havoc against one of the tournaments oldest and slowest defences.

Now over to you! let me know on twitter, or In the comments section, where you think it went wrong against Russia, and where England should look to improve. What should Roy do to change things? what players need to be changed? and most importantly where will England finish in this tournament? for me if we beat Wales I'm happy, but that will be harder than we think, but we must keep believing. 

Twitter: Get in touch with me and follow me on twitter link here

Sunday 12 June 2016

Post match reaction: England V Russia- the "Beautiful" game

Marred by fan violence, surrounded by blame, covered in elements of disappointment. Fair to say England have done it again! getting things right first time around just wouldn't be English would I! but in a game tarnished by post match trouble, there are so many positives to take from this England performance.

Outstanding individual performances.
Some players were incredibly strong, most notably Wayne Rooney, who was unlucky to be substituted, Eric Dier also played well and worked hard and put England in the lead before the late Russian equaliser. Adam Lallana caused problems in the first half being involved in multiple chances, Kyle Walker was unplayable at times in the first half, and England should've had the game killed off by the time the half time whistle went.

The problem for me.
painful to say after one game and I really hope his managerial experience shows, but Roy Hodgson struggled tonight, some of his tactical changes were wrong. Taking off Rooney, playing Raheem Sterling in a position in a set up where he struggled to create, coming more suited to the role as the game progressed. Playing and unusual formation was only the beginning of the frustrations for me. playing Lallana in a position similar to a right wing position, where granted he played well for fourty minutes and then began to fade, but through no fault of his own.  No Jamie Vardy? everyone knows how slow the Russian defence is, and how well Vardy could exploit that weakness, even as an impact sub, but no. One painful thing to watch for me is hanging on at 1-0, which if even if in full control of a game is risky as it allows absolutely no room for error, but when Russia were slowly improving and causing more of a threat the later the game went on. Frustrating.
Wilshere is being blamed by some for the goal, the Wilshere who has been out all season through injury and who comes on in a position we know isn't is strongest, in a game where every battle is key. it's mad to blame him. Bringing James Milner off the bench, he can be a threatening midfielder, but stuck on the left side of midfield he can't be, he's got to adapt, crazy.

Overall the thing that is most frustrating is Hodgson's inability to build a team, a team who bond and do not play because they are the best player, but because they are the player most suited to that position for the style that manager wants to play. He got it right with Rooney, then subbed him off.

England are already in a sticky situation, but as I said in the intro, at times in that game we should've been scoring for fun, creating left right and center, and coming away with 3 points. It isn't all bad, but it's sometimes so infuriating to watch.

sorry for the rant, if we win I promise to take everything I say back, I want Hodgson to succeed, I believe he can, but he's doing his best at the moment not to reassure me. Beating Wales is a must for England

Thanks
GD

extended report: To what extent is Football Hooliganism still prevalent within the Modern day English Game?


Within the 1980s England was undergoing a dramatic change. With Margret Thatcher at the forefront of it. There were many changes in industry affecting the working man, with the proposal to increase mechanisation in mines which led to strikes by the miners. Typically miners came from working class families, who worked hard all week and Saturday mornings and then in the afternoon would go to watch their local football team. Football violence had been on the rise since the early 1970s and really came to a peak during the 1980s and the problems for English working culture probably enhanced this, it was a chance for people to get relief from the stress of their working lives. Football Hooliganism was a big problem for England, with on average 25 major incidents reported each year. This gradually increased with the rise of Firms springing up by the majority of major English clubs. I will be looking at the rise of football hooliganism and what has been done since the 1980s to prevent such serious incidents, and whether that has worked or not, comparing the reports of hooliganism now compared to the extreme events of the 1980s. By prevalent I mean how significant these offences are and how common and serious cases of hooliganism are. By hooliganism I mean violence and discrimination, groups of fans targeting others with the intent of hurting them.

The events of the 70s- One major incident of the 1970s was the stabbing of a young Blackpool fan at their home ground Bloomfield road, by a Bolton Wanderers fan. The victim was only 17 years of age when his life tragically ended on the 24th of August 1974. This particular tragedy heavily impacted on the decision to introduce segregation of fans and fencing at football matches because things were getting far too out of hand. The stabbing changed the lives of so many people, so much so that a memorial was still held 40 years later by Blackpool fans to mark the anniversary of the tragedy. Football Hooliganism was just dealt with incredibly reluctantly by the police during the 1970s, so many people took part in the activities and many were never around for the police to catch them, they had all left the scene of the crime they commit, most hooligan crimes were petty, most commonly vandalism, however sometimes cases were a bit more serious, with assault and Grievous Bodily Harm and like in the case young 17 year old Kevin Olsen, the Blackpool fan mentioned above, murder also took place in what was a dark age for football culture. One major problem was that there were no surveillance of football fans, no CCTV cameras or way of getting evidence for those who committed the crimes, most of the time, if they were caught during the 70s, hooligans would just be imprisoned overnight before release in the morning. Incidents like this and many small incidents led to a huge uproar in the 1980s with English violence becoming much more prevalent at the majority of big games, many incidents occurred that had a major impact on the way society viewed football fans in General. The amount of arrests peaked in the 1988-89 season with 6145 arrests being made across the professional English game, this doesn’t mean this was the exact number of cases, it means this is the number of people who got caught and detained for their actions, and realistically only a small minority actually did get caught.

One major changing point in the 1980s concerned English football fans in European matches. All English teams were banned from playing in Europe in 1985 due to crowd troubles caused by Liverpool fans, at the event the rioting forced a wall to collapse causing the death of 39 people and injuries to over 400. Liverpool were playing a European match against Juventus when the violence broke out and this tragedy happened. This incident highlights just how violent these fights and riots were, it wasn’t just a small scrap between a few people, these events happened on a wide scale and clearly many people’s lives were affected by the tragedy that happened. None of this behaviour of course is justified and rightly so, English teams were banned from playing in Europe for 5 years by the football association. A ban which Prime Minister Margret Thatcher agreed with. This step marked the beginning of realisation to the English Football association marking a gradual clamp down on football hooliganism.

Another clear indication of out of control Hooliganism within the 1980s was the Kenilworth Road riot on March the 13th 1985. It took place at the stadium of Luton town football clubs ground of Kenilworth road in an FA cup tie versus Millwall Football club. The game ended in a 1-0 win to Luton town however the score line was far from what the game was remembered for. In anger at losing, Millwall fans took to the pitch and stormed towards opposing fans, where they then battled with policemen.Millwall fans ripped apart the stadium as they went destroying chairs, tearing them out of stands and using them as missiles to throw at any opposition, on that one night, 47 were injured, 33 of those being police officers. After all of this violence only 31 arrests were made and 29 members were charged. A total of £60,000 worth of damage was done to the ground and nearby railway station. The main issue with this was that much more could’ve been done to prevent so many casualties. The tickets for the game were not all sold prior to the match day, this was a major factor as it meant Millwall fans could easily outnumber police and home fans by buying tickets on the day of the game, meaning there weren’t enough people to control them if violence broke out. Also problems had been occurring all the way through the game with it being stopped 4 times. If the game had been abandoned it could’ve prevented trouble but it could’ve also enhanced it. This was a clear indication that there just weren’t enough safe guards in place to protect the innocent people just wanting to attend matches and clearly things had to change.

The consequences of the riot were a national debate led by Margret thatcher, she believed a membership card scheme should be introduced to prevent those looking to cause trouble from attending the game. Millwall football club was charged £7500 even though that was repealed after protest by the Millwall manager. The owner of Luton Town football club did not take this lightly, he banned away supporters from attending Luton matches for 4 years, saying that he was disappointed because once again the majority had been punished for the acts of a minority. Luton MP John Carlisle reacted much more drastically saying we must, I believe, inflict upon these hooligans the sort of physical pain that they last night inflicted on others."

I managed to get a first-hand interview with Manchester united fan Jayne Witts (Witts, 2015), who used to be a season ticket holder for Manchester united football club during the 1980s, to get some more information on what sort of things used to happen at these games.One thing that she explained to me was how hooliganism was only common at away games, as she travelled to matches by coach, the only time fans attacked at home games was if away fans got sight of their coach. Incidents like this rarely happened however she could recall one incident of playing against Chelsea at home, when Chelsea fans met the coach as it was leaving Manchester and smashed every window of the bus with bricks and rocks and any rubble they could find, the windscreen was damaged and she recalls how everyone had to duck underneath the windows so they wouldn’t be hit by the enemy fans missiles. She described one incident of where in a 1980s away game against Liverpool, Manchester United fans were held in at the ground by police, to try to prevent problems, however it just gave Liverpool fans the chance to regroup in the streets around the ground and wait for the fans to be escorted away by the police. AS they exited the ground they were set upon by multiple gangs of fans, she describes them as throwing anything bricks to tree branches. Even glass bottles were thrown. She can recall the disturbing image of a man next to her being caught on the side of the head by a glass beer bottle, cutting his ear and she mentioned how the blood seemed to pour from the side of his face. This was no place for a young teenage girl, this was no scene anyone should remember from a football match. During the 1980s, the majority of teams had gangs called ‘firms’, these were essentially gangs who aimed to fight other firms when the two teams football fixture came up. Many firms were just interested in violence and a fight at the game, to show their clubs dominance, however for example Manchester United’s firm The Red Army, also committed other crimes, as explained by ex-hooligan Colin Blaney in his book “hotshot” indicates how certain divisions of The Red Army were known to smuggle drugs, commit armed robberies and even occasionally committed jail break offences. This little piece of information clearly indicates how much of a problem football Hooliganism was during the 1980s, with criminals, hiding behind their football club, using them as a mask for their criminal activity. It was also concerning that young teens, looked up to these people as heroes, and wanted to follow them , this produced a whole new generation of criminals, which was clearly a problem for the police and the public were becoming more at risk by wanting to watch their local football team, more at risk season upon season. With arrest rates becoming higher and higher, change was needed.

During the 1980s, Hooliganism was described as ‘The English disease’ with the violence spreading fast, it wasn’t long before the international game was tarnished as well, with England fans now taking their club firms onto the international stage, this broadcasted England’s problem to the world. Meaning change was becoming more and more relevant.

One factor which began to have an effect on football Hooliganism in England was in fact the development of CCTV cameras, these cameras were introduced for high risk businesses like banks in the 1970s, and throughout the 1980s became much more widely used. The cameras would be situated almost everywhere including around stadiums, covering the entrances to grounds, nearby car parks and public houses. This was vital for the police as it meant they could closely monitor the cameras to see if any football violence was about to take place, and if it did it meant they could get to it quicker, and it provided evidence to begin to impose bans and arrests for the people in question. This in certain aspects was revolutionary for the game as not only did it mean that the police had more control, but with Hooligans realising that more people were getting caught committing hooliganist offences, they themselves would be less likely to commit those same crimes as now they would be punished for it. The effects of CCTV were incredible, with it Still influencing the game today, for example of the First of February 2014, 4 men known to be Queens Park Rangers fans attacked a London pub which had Burnley fans inside it, the four men were caught by CCTV cameras and were arrested in 2015, all four men were given prison sentences and were banding for attending football matches for 6 years under the football spectators act of 1989. I carried out a questionnaire using the smart survey website, I then posted this on twitter, I got 41 replies and 24 of the replies said that CCTV was one of the most important factors in the battle against Hooliganism.

The football spectator’s act of 1989 (Crown, 1989) was another attempt at preventing hooliganism, bought in to ensure crowd safety it has many branches subsections in which offences are covered and banning orders and arrests are result of committing any of these offences. The biggest ban that you can receive is a banning order in which you receive a large fine, you cannot attend any matches in the country, you cannot travel abroad, and you are not allowed to enter local towns on match days. This would of course lower the chances of hooliganism taking place because if you went against this banning order you could be imprisoned.

Another factor that impacted preventing hooliganism was police having cameras upon their person, this was vital because it was further evidence to start charging those who have committed hooliganist crimes. It meant that when incidents happened, and fans attacked the police, they were already being recorded, as soon as hooligans began to notice this it would immediately make them think twice about what they were doing. It meant that Hooligans stayed clear of the police, so with an increase in police escorts for away fans, it led to a decrease in incidents. This was revolutionary for the police fight against hooliganism. From the questionnaire that I carried out I found out that 17% of the 41 people I asked thought that police with handheld cameras was beneficial, so clearly compared with CCTV this wasn’t in the fans perspective the best option.

As for police escorts these also largely restricted the opportunities for home fans to attack away fans, as security was strong with large numbers of police surrounding away team coaches, allowing a free pass straight to the ground. This was key to preventing small outbreaks of hooliganism and violence on the way to matches. It ensured that overall crowd safety was almost guaranteed on the way to matches, these prevented the original outbreak of trouble, which limited other outbreaks because the trouble often started on the way to the game, so if there wasn’t that original problem then trouble would be less likely to occur. From the survey I personally carried out, 38% of the 41 people thought that Hooliganism was prevented partially by police escorts, this confirms that of the 41 people that I asked, almost half thought that the escorts were beneficial.

Another factor that contributed to preventing Hooliganism was more safety with regards to the stadiums themselves, Football stadiums changed dramatically after the tragic Hillsborough disaster on April the 15th 1989 (liverpoolfc.com, n.d.). With 96 Liverpool fans dying on that day after overcrowding in the stadium. The incident led to the removal of standing areas in all big English football stadiums. Standing areas still remained in smaller leagues for lower teams, but seating was required by all premier league clubs. Not only did this prevent overcrowding within the ground but it also meant fans charging across stadia to attack rival fans much more challenging. With areas of segregation between fans and areas where fans can’t get at each other. This was good because often in games, away fans would attempt to take control of areas of the stadium where home fans were situated, by charging it and violently removing any fan that tried to stop them. This was incredibly common in the 1980s with multiple reports being mentioned in Dougie and Eddy Brimson’s book “everywhere we go” which has multiple detailed accounts of football hooliganism. The changes in safety hugely lowered the chances of violence happening within the ground. From the research that I carried out and the questionnaire I looked at I discovered that out of the 41 people I asked 15 people thought that one of the important reasons why there’s less hooliganism now than there were 30 years ago was because of all seater stadiums, one person even thought that nowadays more safe standing areas should be incorporated because hooliganism has been clamped down upon so much. Another thing to think about is that with the huge re development of stadiums, clubs now needed to raise ticket prices to allow for the huge costs of the stadiums, this meant that the stereotypical hooligan couldn’t afford this ticket price or would refuse to pay such a large amount to watch people play football. Ticket prices rose in some instances by 200% throughout the 90s with an adult ticket ranging from £8 at the start of the decade to £24-30 by the early 2000s, with this still constantly increasing to this day.

Throughout the 1990s, football received an incredible re vamp within England, with television beginning to broadcast games more frequently, and paying large money to do so, the way football was broadcast to the country completely changed, you now didn’t have to travel to the match to watch it, you could watch it from the comfort of your home. This alone decreased Hooliganism as less people would have to attend matches. Not only this but also, the increase in cameras and game poured more money into the Football associations accounts, meaning they could now afford to further police matches, and now that the whole world could see clubs on television, no owners of bigger football clubs wanted their club to be tarnished with the reputation of violence at their matches, so they too attempted to restrict violence because to them the club was a business and they didn’t want their business to be given a bad reputation. Television really put English football on show, it widened the audience of football from people who wanted to cause trouble to new people who were developing a thorough passion for the game, more middle classes were becoming fond of the sport, and who could afford just a little bit more to pay to watch matches.

Banning orders were the only real legislation introduced to attempt to prevent hooliganism, the aims of the orders were to catch those committing hooligan crimes, fine them and then put a ban on them which prevents them from attending football matches, certain offences come with different banning orders, for example one ban is a season ban from attending home and away matches with the club you were caught by, and then also a warning will be sent out for other clubs to deny you entry, or you can have the same ban for a longer sentence. For example on the 18th of April 2014, 4 fans were given lifetime bans for invading the pitch at Wolverhampton wanderers versus Rotherham united (wolves fans are banned for pitch invasion, 2014). Wolves decided to press charges on the men, and they were later fined and given the banning order. The most extreme banning order that can be expressed in English football is as mentioned above, a ban on attending any game across the country for 6 years,(only individual clubs can ban you for life) not being allowed to attend the local town centre on match days, and not being allowed to travel abroad at all (Rossitter, 2014). This of course changed people who actually did want to support their team, and separated them from those who were just out and out criminals, it changed many peoples opinion and gave them a more level head, especially if their team was in European competitions, and they wanted to travel abroad to follow their team, or enjoyed watching the national team. From the questionnaire that I carried out, banning orders were the most popular answer with regards to why Hooliganism has lessened in the last 30 years (Didcote, 2015), with 29 out of the41 people saying it’s the reason why, that’s 74%, this clearly shows that when put in place in the late 1980s it was incredibly influential.

So how much of an impact did these changes towards the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s have on football, looking towards football now. 21st century football is still showing massive improvements from that of the 90s, more money is being invested now than ever before. Arrest rates have dramatically lowered since the 1980s, for example in the 2007-2008 season 3616 arrests were made in the top four professional divisions in England, this is still definitely a large number, however its dramatically lower compared to 6185 in the 1988-89 season (Conn, 2009). This shows that arrests rates have nearly halved. The figures from 2007-8 represent that only 0.01% of those who attend matches are being arrested for hooliganism. This clearly shows that some of the methods of prevention that I have talked about have worked, or are ongoing and still working, but clearly with 3616 arrests still made there is clearly still room for improvement. However from another statistic from 2008, we see that the police are confident that hooliganism is on a decline, this is because 41% of matches in 2008 had no police even attend them.

Arrests then further decreased in the 2012-2013 season, with only 2456 arrests made across all 4 professional divisions in England, with 589 new banning orders, so clearly the banning orders are working, we can conclude from these two sets of data, with the 2007-08 statistics and 2012-13 statistics that Hooliganism is still being further prevented, with police doing everything they can to stamp it out of football all together. However, the lowest season of arrests ever recorded was the previous year, the 2011-2012 season, where only 2,363 arrests were made (Cockerton, 2013), so does this mean that from the 2012-2013 statistics that hooliganism is on the rise? I shall look at some instances of recent times and see how they compare to the extreme events of the 1980s.

Looking at the questionnaire that I created, only 17% of people who answered knew of a hooliganist incident in the last 10 years, that’s 7 people out of the 41 asked. When later asked to explain what this was, one fan spoke about ‘fans clashing in the Champions league in Rome’ and another spoke about domestic hooliganism with ‘nearly all premier league teams having a “firm” which controls that aspect of the club, for example Manchester City’s blazing squad who have caused numerous amounts of trouble in the last few years.’ These were the only two detailed accounts which the people I asked knew about, this clearly indicates that hooliganism isn’t really a commonly known thing, in most circumstances, only those who are involved with the groups know about the events taking place, and wouldn’t be so happy to speak about them. Another thing I collated in my questionnaire was whether people thought hooliganism would ever be wiped out completely, and 95% said no it would always remain a part of the English game. This indicates that even though people don’t know of cases of Hooliganism they can clearly see that it still exists.

These incidents are now less common, but they still happen. For example, not that long ago, on the 9th of March, the daily telegraph had an article entitled ‘Football has not regressed but the FA needs to react’ This follows an FA cup pitch invasion by Aston Villa fans at their home ground of Villa park after a local cup victory over rivals West Bromwich Albion. Villa fans invaded the pitch whilst some West Brom fans reportedly hurled seats at them, some West Brom players were also seen to be assaulted by Aston Villa fans as they attempted to leave the pitch, with one player Callum McManaman reportedly punched. The article points out how CCTV will catch out those who invaded the pitch, and it states that it does not mean we are returning to the darker ages of the 70s and 80s.However it does mention how The FA really needs to hit this publicised action of crime hard, to prevent those who may attempt to do the same sort of thing.

This circumstance is clearly one that is relatable to those events of the 1980s, especially with the throwing of seats and violence towards players, however, the reliability of Newspaper sources does have to be questioned because they do have to make the event appear extreme to ensure that people buy a copy of their newspaper, so that needs to be taken into account when analysing this source. However with the evidence that we have, it is fair to say that this particular event was similar to one of the 1980s, however there was such an uproar about it, and the football association were immediately called into action, which emphasises that there is now no place for this sort of activity in the game and every incident is treated incredibly seriously, to try to prevent anything like it happening again, which is clearly a good sign.

Another incident in the same month was the case of Cambridge United fan Simon Dobbin, who was left in intensive care on the 24th March 2015 after being in a fight after his clubs 0-0 draw with Southend United (sport, 2015). The man aged 41 was reportedly set upon by a group of 15 rival men who gave him a serious head injury, three arrests were made as the police used CS gas to break up the brawl.

This is clearly an incredibly serious incident, one which cannot be stopped by CCTV or increased banning orders, because it took place outside of the ground, 2 hours after the match had finished. This is the problem with Hooliganism, its moving. It’s often no longer just a competition to try and better a rival firm during a game or trash the teams local pub, its moving much further away from the police at stadiums and into towns and cities, and they are timed attacks and assaults from hooligans who just cannot keep themselves out of a fight. This is a huge problem for police because with nearly 350,000 fans attending just premier league games alone every week, how can the police track what every fan is going to be doing two hours after these games, despite it being only the small majority that want to go out and commit these crimes, it’s still a major concern because like in the situation of Simon Dobbin, he nearly lost his life just because he attended a football match, which shouldn’t be the case.

Another incident took place on March the 8th 2015, with a Watford fan this time being attacked by a group of Wolves fans walking back to the train station with a group of friends after the game, the group were heavily outnumbered and the 44 year old was left in a critical condition after the attack (association, 2015).

This is another prime example of where the violence isn’t at the ground, it’s in the surrounding areas, where it’s more hidden and people are further away from the protection of the police, in streets where there aren’t as many CCTV cameras and where fans are vulnerable, which is exactly why it’s done. The problem is that there is very little that the police can do to prevent these attacks that can happen anywhere, other than making all away fans be picked up directly outside a ground by bus, which would obviously cost a vast amount of money and use a lot of police time. Policing and preventing hooliganism at football matches is already costing a huge amount of money, around 25 million pounds is spent on policing football events every season, with these numbers rising as more fans attend matches.

From the cases that I have looked at I am quite surprised at what I have discovered. I have found out that ultimately, preventing hooliganism completely will be nearly impossible, and despite arrests at matches lower than the 1980s, I still feel Hooliganism is a problem within football that can be limited further. I feel that Hooliganism has not so much slowed down, although of course arrest figures show that it has, but I think it’s developed around the legislation that has been put in place. For example the reason for so much violence at football grounds within the 1980s compared to now is because back then fans could get away with that, a group of fans could get into the  home fans stand without other fans realising until it’s too late and a big brawl has broken out. However they cannot do that now as they will get caught, so they have moved further away from stadiums and areas where the police are likely to expect trouble, and have moved into nearby town centres or perhaps quiet streets that lead to railway stations which fans need to get on. Its developed from a small scrap between fans that they see as a good bit of fun on a Saturday afternoon, to an event run by organised criminals, aiming to target fans at their weakest to boost their reputation amongst other fans, despite not being on such a large scale as the 1980s events have become much more planned and sinister. It is also important to remember that it really is the smallest minority of people who commit such offences, one in every 14000 in 2012-2013. But this does not make it okay, as I have explored many of the cases recently are incredibly serious and extreme, leading to long prison sentences and life changing scenarios for those who are victims to these attacks, which shouldn’t be happening and is tarnishing English Football.

Another important thing to take into consideration is that events surrounding hooliganism are sensitive topics, these events have affected lives, and of course clubs do not openly want to reveal about their fans being violent so some events may be toned down so not to scare the vast majority of football fans who enjoy watching their local teams.

To conclude, hooliganism is still incredibly prevalent within the English modern game, it has changed since the 1980s and there have been significant improvements, however events of a different kind now take place, although there may not be as many participants involved in these events, and there may not be as many arrests, the event still happen and still change lives, which should not be the case.