Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Money and style
Programme article from 27th Sept ECFC 1-1 Woking
Last Thursday, Jonathon Woodgate endured what must surely be one of the worst ever debuts. Woodgate signed for Real Madrid over a year ago, but hadn’t played in a competitive match for them due to injury. Having finally got himself fit, he was rewarded with a starting role against Athletic Bilbao. Real had had a shaky start to the season, taking 3 points from 3 games in La Liga and losing 3-0 in their first Champions’ League match. The manager was likely to get the sack if the team didn’t win. In steps Woodgate, ring-rusty and desperate to justify the £14 million Madrid paid for him. Sadly, it didn’t quite go to plan.
In the 25th minute, Woodgate tried to deflect a 30-yard shot from a Bilbao player past the post but only managed to head it past his own goalkeeper. Not a great start. He also picked up a booking for a late tackle that showed his lack of match practice. 1-0 down at half time and things were not looking good for Wanderley Luxemburgo, the Madrid coach.
While Real managed to improve in the second half and take a 2-1 lead, things got worse for Woodgate who picked up a second yellow card in the 66th minute and left the pitch shaking his head in disbelief. While it wasn’t quite the worst possible start because Madrid managed to win 3-1, it was pretty close.
Real clearly demonstrate that spending lots of money doesn’t guarantee success. Despite having splashed out hundreds of millions of Euros on players such as Beckham, Zidane, and Ronaldo, they have won nothing for the last 2 years. While Chelsea have been accused of buying their success, Madrid show that there must be more to it than the ability to buy any player you want. Jose Mourinho has clearly been central to Chelsea’s achievements.
Recently, there have been complaints about the style of football that Chelsea play, which certainly contrasts with that of Madrid. While Real aren’t known for their defence, which is why Woodgate’s return was so important for them, Chelsea win many games 1-0. Their success is based on a solid foundation at the back, rather than free-flowing attacking football.
This reliance on defence has lead some to accuse Chelsea of being “boring” and “bad for football”. It’s certainly true that they have been struggling to sell tickets for some matches this season, which is a strange problem for the Premier League Champions to be facing.
Mourniho’s response to all this has been that he is under no obligation to entertain and that Chelsea’s style is a winning style, which is all that matters. Perhaps he is right: after games where City have played brilliantly and lost, many people leave thinking that they would have much preferred an ugly 1-0 win.
On the other hand, ugly football doesn’t attract new fans for the long-term. It’s interesting to note that while crowds in the Premier League, where 4-5-1 has become the formation of choice, have fallen sharply this season, attendances in the football league and Conference are at least holding firm, if not slightly increasing. I see this as a reaction against high prices and a lack of entertainment in the Premier League. Perhaps the problems at the top of the game will lead some fans of Premiership clubs to look closer to home for their football diet. For the sake of clubs like ours all over the country who struggle to make ends meet, let’s hope so.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Virtual Management
My programme article from the Burton Albion game on 24th September. A thrilling read as always......
I’ve been playing different versions of Championship Manager (or Football Manager as it has now become) for a number of years with varying degrees of success. If you’ve not come across it before, it’s a simulation game where you manage a club of your choice, from the Premiership down to the Conference North or South. For a game that has little on-screen action, relying as it does on your understanding of statistics, it is ridiculously addictive.
It’s hard to explain exactly why people (and I know from speaking to others that it’s not just me who finds hours disappearing when playing it) get so drawn in. I would guess that it’s got something to do with the fact that you can play a full part in bringing success (if only virtual) to your favourite team. It plays on that part of most supporters that thinks they could be a success in real life management if only they were given the chance.
In recent years, virtual success has been hard to come by for me. I’ve been forced to dine out on past glories (much like Tottenham) for a few years now. The high point of my Championship Manager career came when I dragged relegation favourites Exeter City from the 3rd Division (as it was then) to the dizzy heights of the Premier League. We managed to finish 2nd a few years running and therefore qualify for the Champions League. I was however, like so many City managers, severely hamstrung by finances.
When we gained promotion to the Premiership, the club splashed out £30 million to build a 16000 capacity all-seater stadium, leaving us massively in debt. Despite selling out for all games, and playing in the Champions League for a few years, the club was making a huge loss. After a few years where City finished in the top 3 of the Premier League, I had one season where we finished 16th. I was sacked. I’d dragged the club from nowhere to the glamorous world of the top flight of English football and was given my P45 after one mediocre season. That’s gratitude for you.
As you can tell, I’m still bitter about the whole thing.
Is the idea of ECFC playing in the Premier League a crazy pipe dream and only likely to happen on the computer screen? The obvious answer is yes: to “do a Wigan” (that is go from the lower reaches of English football to the top) you have to spend a lot of money and that generally means having a seriously wealthy benefactor who is willing to pump millions into the club without any wish to get it back. However, there is increasing evidence of top-flight football losing its appeal: the Times has reported that crowds are down 15% this season and that television ratings for Premiership matches are falling.
What this could mean is that, as less money will be pumped into the top of the game, there is more hope for clubs like ours that rely on supporters, rather than the whims of one man or woman. Many people will say that it’s a complete waste of time to even think about the likelihood of Exeter City playing Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in league football. It’s certainly true that the first, second and third short-term priorities are to get back into the league and that “Premiership football” wouldn’t even be listed in “seriously long-term plans”. However, it’s nice to dream once in a while and its good to know that the dream could, possible, perhaps, maybe, come true one day, isn’t it?
