AuthorBoth Outcasts We are going to start this off by saying that Neil Taylors challenge on Seamus Coleman in the Ireland v Wales World Cup Qualifier was horrendous and he rightly deserved a red card for it. There were a few other challenges during the match as well that also probably deserved more than the card they got and I think if Coleman’s injury had not occurred all us lovers of British football would just be saying that it was a typical feisty affair between close rivals. Matches between the Home Nations typically tend to have a more physical edge to them than other international games and so there was always going to be some committed challenges going in.
AuthorJeffEyesRimmer Currently sitting fourth in their World Cup qualifying group after a 2-0 loss to Bulgaria, resulting in the sacking of their coach, the Dutch are in serious danger of missing out on another major tournament.
What has happened to the Netherlands and how are they below the likes of Wales and Peru in the FIFA rankings? This was a team that was ranked at number 1 in 2011 and is now not far away from being taken over by Ecuador and Iceland (no disrespect to them). How have the Netherlands dropped so much after successful recent World Cups (second place in 2010 and third in 2014)? AuthorJeffEyesRimmer Following on from our previous article on managers being sacked after only a short time I thought a short article on the fastest sacking of all time was in order. While I think giving someone only 4 months to try to turn around a failing club is harsh how about…
AuthorJeffEyesRimmer After running a poll on our Twitter feed it seems that the majority of Derby County fans, 61%, (thanks to everyone that voted) thought that Steve McClaren deserved more time at the helm than the measly 4 months that he had in charge. I questioned back in October whether McClaren was a good appointment and there were ups and downs but he did take Derby from 4th bottom to 10th in the League, not a bad effort at all. Other team’s managers in the Championship, like my very own Cardiff, have been in similar positions this season and have rightly been praised for steady progression up the table.
AuthorBoth Outcats A controversial suggestion for football purists but things that could improve the game should always be discussed and not immediately thrown out right? Could a Sin Bin rule similar to rugby be a benefit for the game. Coupled with the green cards currently being trialled in Serie B (more about them later), they could help tackle two problems that the majority of football fans want addressed; that of simulation and poor player behaviour.
So with that in mind I thought looking into the merits of a Sin Bin style rule in football might be a good idea. My fellow Outcast disagrees. AuthorJeffEyesRimmer Much has been written of N’Golo Kantes impact on Leicester last season and Chelsea this season, in fact I wrote that losing him was one reason for Leicesters poor form this season. It is looking likely that Kante will become the first player in EPL history to win two tittle two seasons in a row with two different teams and it would be thoroughly deserved. Hes been brilliant and has to be on the list for player of the season surely.
Kante has brought a level of dynamism to the EPL and a different style of central midfielder. I don’t think you can class Kante as a defensive midfielder as such, hes more than that. It’s a style that breaks up play further up the pitch, with more tackles and interceptions in the oppositions half of the field than in your own. This obviously leads to more opportunities at goal and many teams will be looking at the impact of this all running, all tackling midfield role and searching for the next Kante. There are a number of players that fit the bill nicely. Below are just a few young players that could transfer targets for teams searching for their own Kante. AuthorJeffEyesRimmer Football is such a fickle beast, if last season was a fairy-tale then this season has been a nightmare for Leicester City. It’s an understatement to say the Foxes are having a bad domestic season so far and one win in 2017 and only 3 goals in the League says as much. The win over Liverpool this week glosses over the rather shambolic football offered up by Leicester this season. Last season’s unlikely Premier League win was an anomaly really and lets be honest if not for the Championship victory the likelihood is that Claudio Ranieri would have been sacked earlier this season.
But they did win the League last season and many thought that would protect the Tinkerman from the sack this season. Obviously it did not. While many have cried outrage and the death of football as we know after the sacking of Ranieri we ask the question – Why have Leicester been so poor this season? |
AuthorsJust Some Fans Writing About Football. Archives
June 2018
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