I had my doubts over the appointment of Maradona as the Argentina manager but it seems I overlooked one key fact, the man’s ability to inspire, and get even todays top players and Sir Alex Ferguson star struck.
As Alex Ferguson said, “It is arguable who is the best player in the world but without a doubt, he is in the best two or three.”
This was after the living football legend dropped in at United’s Carrington training complex to have a chat with Carlos Tevez. I bet the other players were jealous.
Rio Ferdinand whom Maradona presented with a signed shirt as a birthday present had this to say, “He was been the best. He was my idol and part of the reason why I started to play football. I can’t hold him in higher esteem than that. To be able to shake his hand, get a cuddle of him and a picture, it made my birthday……I think the gaffer would probably like him to come every day the way he raised standards in training….Everyone was trying to impress him. I hope he will go back to Argentina and say he’s seen a great player - Rio Ferdinand!”
That just about sums it up. Put a tactics astute by him and you have the winning formula.
Rory Delap today put a huge dent on Arsenal’s ego and title challenge in Stoke’s 2 - 1 victory. The boy simply can throw a ball. His throw in are more dangerous than a corner kick and more likely to result in a goal than Beckham or Pirlo’s free kick.
Just have a look at this video if you have any doubts.
What a birthday present that the Argentina Football Assoation presented Maradona with today. He is the new Argentina manager and that is no joke.
The weird thing is that the name Maradona does not evoke emotions of one the greatest footballers ever to grace the world stage, but that is to us and not to Argentina. So easy to forgive one of your own, especially one that has given you so much in the past.
I wonder how he is going to tell his players not to party, how is he going to instill discipline in his players. Great footballers do not automatically make great managers, but that is no reason not to beleive Maradona will make the cut.
It is Argentian after all and he is blessed with a good group of players. When the clock strikes 60 minutes and he is losing, a draw of just a 1-0 win, that is where the manager in Maradona will have to make good tactical decisions, and we will know for real if he has the mark of a manager.
On the plus side, nothing better than being given that pre match pep talk by your boyhood heroe hey.
There is no doubting that Harry Redknapp is a genious of a miracle worker. Robbo over at the BBC has an interesting article on Harry’s move to Tottenham.
Am feeling some Harry love, so here are some of his quotes, and just watch the video below if you have doubts of the coming end to the Tottenham Bentley culture.
How fitting that a long throw, led to a deflated shot that ended Chelsea’s 86 game home run. Liverpool are rightly over the moon, but does todays victory signal that the premier league trophy will be crossing over to Mersyside. I doubt it.
There have been several false dawns but this season we are seeing a different Liverpool. Coming back from behind in matches they appeared destined to lose. Todays match was also won without Torres. Like I always say, making judgements now is a bit too premature, we have to wait for the Christmas period. That is when a squads strength in depth is trully tested.
If we were to make predictions using the current results, Hull would at least qualify for the UEFA Cup, I hope they do, but am not really putting my money on that one.
Interesting shake up at the bottom of the league. One of my favourite managers, Harry Redknapp has finally got his chance at a big club, well a biggish club, actually a club that for so many years was seen as the most likely to break into the big four Tottenham.
The appointment pretty much guarantees that Tottenham will still be in the Premier League come next season. Survival is what Harry knows best, remember the way he turned around Portsmouth.
Looking over at the Newsoftheworld, same story, but in this case United want Mourinho. A source inside Mourinho’s camp, one inside Old Trafford, another in the Chelsea dressing room all saying Mourinho will be suceeding Fergie.
A source inside my head says that is a bit of bull….. Despite the animosity during his time here, Mourinho does fit the bill to suceed Ferguson. He has the character, the coaching prowess and would immediately garner respect from all involved.
I would not bet against Roy Keane as well, the respect is there and he is doing well on his apprenticeship at Sunderland, come to think of it my money is on Keano.
No longer the Chelsea manager, and so he can speak the truth about the Stanford bridge player in a way that only Mourinho can. Of Drogba he said “I am not the Chelsea manager any more and I don’t have to defend them any more, so I think it’s correct if I say Drogba is a diver.”
The man of no few words then added, “Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Robin van Persie are the divers who dive more.” Still got that London Arsenal thing Jose, I see.
The statement on Drogba is not really much of a revelation the playing himself having said, sometimes I dive, sometimes I don’t. Intelligent fella indeed.
When will these boys ever learn, a single simple word, RESPECT. I guess our singing their names every weekend and idolation gets into their heads.
The German national team captain Michael Ballack has been summoned by Joachim Low to discuss his future after he criticised him in the media for his treatment of veterans like Kuranyi and Frings.
Kuranyi was told he would not play for Germany again while Low is in charge after he left the Westfalenstadion at half-time of their World Cup qualifying victory over Russia because he was left out of the 18-man matchday squad.
The coach was justified there was he not and should tell Ballack the same thing in my opinion, or since he is Ballack, bench him for three games or to hammer the message home.
That credit crunch thing is burning things all over the place. The banking sector problems have affected Liverpool owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, are not able to renew their financing arrangements with the now publicly owned Royal Bank of Scotland.
The Timesonline is speculating that the pair are putting the club up for sale. Despite the financial climate a titled chap in the middle east who goes by, Sheikh Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, is as always interested to pump up the £550 million. Just give him the club this time will yah.
Sure he can kick a free kick or two but he is certainly not the best footballer to have graced this planet. We have however not witnessed so much furor over a chap who kicks a ball around for a living.
The Timesonline is reporting that Beckham has been invited to train with A.C Milan. Last American off season he trained with Arsenal, that can be understood, a club close to his home doing him and England a favor. But for a club of Milan’s stature to lower itself to L.A Galaxy level just for a photo op, or maybe to get guys like me speaking is way beyond beleif.
The circus sorrounding Beckham can be looked at in two ways, how pathetic our game has changed that looks and celebrity clout overshadow perfomance on the pitch, or you can just praise his business acumen. Though I doubt that Becks has much of an IQ off the field, so praise should be to his wife and advisors.
You can argue that the chap should be praised for raising the profile of the sport but that is like saying your water board should be praised for raising the profile of drinking water.
