BRIAN GLANVILLE
writes for worldsoccer.com each week.
ARGY BARGY
13/09/06
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SO what of West Ham? After their disappointing draw last Sunday at Upton Park against a rejuvenated Aston Villa, their clearly troubled manager Alan Pardew spoke of the “circus” in which his club had been embroiled and insisted that its traditions would be safeguarded.
Which alas begged the question of who would safeguard them. Ideally, Pardew himself, whose sincerity and commitment are beyond doubt, but he knows as well as any of us that if the club is sold – a matter which, together with the arrival of Javier Mourinho and Carlos Tevez, clearly constitutes the circus in his eyes – his own managerial position is hardly guaranteed. Heaven help us, there is even talk of the discredited Sven Goran Eriksson being brought in. To do what?
The whole prolix affair is steeped in mystery. Where is the money involved in the arrival of the Argentines really coming from? From an Israeli billionaire? From Arab interests, even oligarch Russians? And how come no initial transfer fee has been paid for the Argentine couple? The implication being that whoever owns their contracts will sooner or later be moving them on? No real wonder that Pardew should feel that his West Ham team, who were lucky not to lose, were affected by all the turmoil.
Yet I would take issue with those critics who decried the display of Tevez, when he eventually came on as a sub. Yes, he may not yet be fully match fit – how could he be in the circumstances? – yet he moved capably and effectively from one wing to the other, beating his man and crossing dangerously, and he is strong on the ball.
As for Villa, inspired by the arrival of Martin O’Neill, they have a rare capture in the Bulgarian Petrov – a Celtic player under O’Neill – who made a remarkably incisive and effective debut in the Villa midfield. But equally impressive, if not more so, was Gareth Barry, outstandingly influential as an attacking left back, with his menacingly inswinging left footed corner kicks, even with his right footed shooting which so nearly brought a goal, with his all round proficiency. Asked afterwards whether he though Barry should be in the England squad, O’Neill, though properly eulogizing him, diplomatically said that in so far as he himself had been turned down for the England role of manager, it would be wrong of him to comment. Barry, however, could well be the answer to the eternal problem of whom to play on the England left, now that Downing’s lack of pace and ball skills have so embarrassingly been shown up. That Eriksson should have discarded Barry and ignored him so long is surely one more nail in the Swede’s gilded coffin.
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Ashley Cole’s endless whingeing recalls the catch phrase of that splendid American comic, Rodney Dangerfield, “I don’t get no respect.” Does he deserve any? His case against Arsenal looks lamentably thin.
Certainly he got scant respect from the Charlton right winger, Dennis Rommedahl, who I saw run riot in the second half at Stamford Bridge last Saturday first against Wayne Bridge, whose exuberant first half overlapping came to an abrupt end, then against Cole who came on as a sub. That Rommedahl, who had scored for Denmark three days earlier, hadn’t started the game seemed something of an aberration by his manager Iain Dowie who at least had the good grace to enthuse about him after the match. What it showed, as did the performance of a newly self confident Sean Wright-Phillips in the first half was that wingers emphatically live, and that full backs by and large just are not used to playing against them.
Arsenal, judged by their struggles against a Middlesbrough team which forced a draw in Highbury with only one single shot, certainly need them, and there is surely a case for using Theo Walcott there, on the right. While common sense would decree that Tomas Rosicky, outstanding for the Czechs against Wales in Teplice, should be given a central playmaking role in midfield, rather than be banished to the flanks.
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Speaking of wingers, how said it is that one of the best of them, the dynamic Aaron Lennon, should be injured – and on the training ground at thus – them condemned to miss weeks of the season; and at least the next England game.
That mediocre McClaren, so easily satisfied by that meagre victory in Macedonia – should have failed to start him on the left – yes, I know he did well against the flaccid Greeks – seemed something of a hangover from McClaren's Boro days. The fact is that England in Skopje were back to the old, pedestrian ways to which we became so sadly accustomed under Eriksson. There were fawning encomia for Steve Gerrard’s performance on the right flank against feeble Andorra, and one of the worst left backs ever to be seen in an international game. In Skopje, where the opposition was substantially stronger, Gerrard was largely ineffectual. Whether or not he plays there for a now clearly vulnerable Liverpool side – how must they be lamenting, after the error at Everton, letting the excellent Scott Carson go on loan to Charlton – he is no winger at all, but essentially a powerful and driving central midfielder.
Last Saturday was something of a right winger’s day. It was heartening to see that gifted outside right, Wayne Routledge, largely mothballed since joining Tottenham from Palace, feeling his oats again at Newcastle for Fulham, where his crosses caused chaos in the suspect Newcastle defence – how long can Titus Bramble survive?
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A big black mark for the insensitive and ill-mannered Brazilian Confederation, with their fatuous veto on their interpreter at Spurs after the entertaining match between Wales and Brazil.
Having efficiently translated manager Dunga’s answers to questions from the English press she was obliged to sit silent while Dunga conferred with the Portuguese speaking Brazilian journalists at some length. It wasn’t, she assured me her fault; she was under orders not to interpret those exchanges. Orders which defied common sense and constituted something of an insult to the assembled English journos: myself included. I can read the language, but cannot speak it.
That being said, this was surely a positive and persuasive British visit for Dunga, above all with the 3-0 conquest of an Argentine team admittedly not match fit. Wales, especially when the splendid indestructible Ryan Giggs was on the field for the first half, competed as best they could, but the gap in class was all too palpable. Even though the manager John Toshack wasn’t wrong when he emphasised that his team yet again – as, alas, in Teplice – had thrown away the chances it created. If as and when John Hartson, who now seems ready to play for Wales again, returns, perhaps the finishing will radically improve. In recent seasons his powerful presence, often as a lone wolf, has been essential
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