Like many African players of his generation, Augustine Azuka Okocha's first affiliation with the game came kicking around any spherical object on the dusty streets of his homeland. But by the start of the Nineties, with 'Jay-Jay' in his teens, the African player boom had just hit Europe and the lure of fame and fortune enticed many of the continents gifted youngsters to head away from home to follow the dream of a glorious football career.
His first break in European football was a rather inauspicious start, as an 18-year-old at German third division minnows Borussia Neunkirchen. His displays there soon brought a move to the Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt, where Okocha teamed up with, amongst others, Ghanaian Tony Yeboah. His exuberant style made him an instant hero, not least for having the honour of making Oliver Kahn grovel in the mud as he rounded him twice before scoring a simply brilliant individual goal against Karlsruher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjkYmTKHq0g
After a fall-out with Eintracht coach Jupp Heynckes, Okocha was moved on to Turkish champions Fenerbahce where he scored at almost a goal every two games for two seasons before Paris St Germain made Okocha the most expensive African player of all time by signing him for £14m in 1998. He enjoyed mixed fortunes in the French capital, failing fully to harness his immense ability into what was already an uncohesive team. With Ronaldinho eventually taking his spot, Okocha's contract was not renewed by the Parisians in 2002. With a failed big money move behind him, there were few takers for a player seen as an unnecessary luxury.
Following that summer's World Cup - where Okocha represented Nigeria against England - he was offered refuge at Bolton Wanderers. Sam Allardyce's shrewd use of the Bosman ruling saw Okocha join an unlikely cast already including Bruno N'Gotty, Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo, soon to be joined by El Hadji Diouf and Fernando Hierro. Budgetary constraints meant Allardyce's side adopted a less than aesthetic approach to avoiding relegation. Organised, obdurate and centred around a strong team ethic, Wanderers won over few neutral observers, yet one man was given licence to thrill. Okocha amazed spectators with a never-ending reel of skills, tricks and flicks, the next even less conceivable than the one before. The Nigerian combined the delightful party pieces with flashes of lightening quick dribbling and explosive shooting, to return a healthy goals tally. Okocha's unique brand immediately delighted his new followers. His full repertoire of audacious footwork, dribbles and passes added a glossier touch to what was an otherwise spit and polish Wanderers side. His debut season confirmed Okocha as one of the most flamboyant and entertaining players ever to grace the Premier League. His performances were littered with quite mesmeric, often unbelievable pieces of skill.
For once, Okocha appeared to fit into a team. The artist amongst artisans, Okocha was the jewel in Bolton's wrought iron crown, and provided the inspiration needed to help them beat the drop on the final day of the 2002/3 season at West Ham's expense. Jay-Jay, 'so good they named him twice', as Trotter's folklore will have you know, provided arguably his best football for the club at the end of that first season. He scored seven league goals, the most important of which came as the only goal of a 1-0 win over fellow relegation strugglers West Ham. With that game delicately poised at 0-0, a loose ball dropped to Okocha midway into his own half. The Nigerian ace strode purposefully forward into Hammers territory, shrugging off Joe Cole's desperate lunge before smashing home an unstoppable 25 yard drive into the top corner of the net. The goal invariably kept Bolton in the league and was voted their goal of the season and latterly their greatest goal in the premier league. The terrace idol then capped off a memorable first term with an exquisite final day free-kick against Middlesbrough to confirm survival, and celebrated with that dubious dance duet with Allardyce.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33nBKb8Pf8
Okocha's next three seasons at the Reebok Stadium coincided with the club's most progressive in recent history. They reached the 2004 League Cup final, losing to Middlesbrough but marauded up the table to eighth position. In 2004/5 another six Okocha goals helped Bolton up to sixth and a place in the Uefa Cup - the clubs first involvement in European football, which was again achieved the following season with a seventh placed finish. Okocha's involvement became more peripheral by 2006 and he left Bolton for a pay day with Qatar SC but returned to England for a final season before retirement, with Hull City who were duly promoted from the Championship in 2008.
Internationally Okocha was capped 75 times by the 'Super Eagles' and competed in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups, captaining the side in Japan and South Korea. In a golden era for Nigerian football, Okocha was part of the 'Dream Team' who won the 1994 African Cup of Nations and then Olympic Gold at the 1996 Atlanta games. Okocha never won the African Player of the Year award, but was runner-up in 1998 and 2004.
It’s hard to argue that Okocha ever fully utilised his immense ability. Many players have won and achieved more, few were ever as skilful, and certainly none were so good, they were named twice.
Name Augustine Azuka ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha
Age 36 (14/8/1973)
Position Attacking Midfielder
Clubs Borussia Neunkirchen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris St Germain, Bolton Wanderers, Qatar SC, Hull City
Club level honours Turkish Super League 1996, Chancellor Cup 1998, Ataturk Cup 1998, Trophee des Championes 1998, Uefa Intertoto Cup 2001, Football League Cup Runner-up 2004, Premier League Asia Trophy 2005, Football League Championship Play-off 2008
Nationality Nigerian
Caps/goals 75/14
National honours African Cup of Nations 1994, Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 1995, Olympic Games 1996
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Monday, 28 December 2009
Ragged Chelsea stop the rot; just.
Two goals in three second half minutes rescued a below par Chelsea from the prospect of shedding more festive points. After having their lead at the top of the Premier League slashed to just two points, the Blues lost an early lead to neighbours Fulham, when Zoltan Gera hooked home a loose ball inside the Chelsea six-yard box after only four minutes.
Carlo Ancelotti chose to make six changes from the Boxing Day stalemate at Birmingham, yet it was two of his fresh faces, Paulo Ferreira and Yuri Zhirkov, who were caught cold – conspiring to make a mess of a Paul Konchesky cross to present Hungarian Gera with an opportunity to open the scoring.
Fulham fell back into line as the inevitable Chelsea pressure increased, but the hosts lacked initiative and ideas, and their ample midfield possession was never converted into any sort of tangible threat. Didier Drogba twice lashed efforts on target from the edge of the box, but otherwise Chelsea’s play was dealt with comfortably by an organised and energetic Fulham.
As the first half wore on, a Chelsea equaliser grew less likely, as the league leaders resorted to swinging in optimistic crosses at Drogba from an array of deep positions, and indeed it was Roy Hodgson’s inspired unit who could have grabbed a second goal just before the break, when Petr Cech tipped over Clint Dempsey’s shot.
Chelsea emerged for the second half with added vigour, yet signs of an equaliser were nigh. The Cottagers appeared composed as Chelsea’s melee of midfielders scurried to force an opening. Mark Schwarzer was again wise to a Drogba spin and shot, before the Ivorian forward was criminally left unmarked at the back post to equalise Branislav Ivanovic’s cross on 70 minutes.
Only three minutes later and the game had swung full circle as Schwarzer could only parry a Daniel Sturridge shot onto the leg of Chris Smalling and agonisingly over the line.
In the end it was a hard earned and in some ways fortunate win for Chelsea, and one which didn’t look likely for long periods of this Stamford Bridge encounter.
Carlo Ancelotti: “The first half was not good, the second half was better - we played with great determination. It was not easy but we deserved the win. In the second half we changed our system, put Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou out wide and that was better. Drogba not only scored but worked very hard and gave strength to the team. It was good for him and for the team."
Roy Hodgson: “Chelsea had a lot of the ball and we did a lot of defending but that can happen when you take an early lead. It's very disappointing to put in such a great performance and have nothing to show for it. It would have been nice to have gone away with a least a point - we pushed Chelsea to the limit and we can consider ourselves very unlucky.”
After such an impressive showing against Arsenal at The Emirates, the proceeding statistics have not made pleasant reading. A run of just one win in seven games has been well documented, yet Carlo Ancelotti and the rest of the mouth pieces at the club have thus far managed to dismiss the sequence as freak-like. A concoction of mis-fortune and a few frayed edges, which would quickly be resolved. However, for over an hour of this West-London derby, Chelsea’s performance hinted at deeper lying issues.
As well as looking unsteady defensively, the Blues appeared motionless in attack, rolling the ball around unopposed in midfield for large periods before the lame assaults fizzled out before they had started. Against a well-drilled Fulham, Chelsea’s midfield was made to look like it was – one paced, narrow and predictable. Even without the dependable Brede Hangeland – replaced by Premier League debutant Chris Smalling – Fulham were unruffled as Chelsea inevitably and incessantly forced the ball Drogba’s way for inspiration.
To the frustration of the home fans their sides forward forays lacked incisiveness and invention. The play was condensed centrally as Chelsea’s battery of central midfield players formed an orderly queue to receive possession. When the ball was dispatched wide, it was to the full-backs, deep, and with the permission of Fulham. With Frank Lampard quiet and Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole doing their best to stifle attacks, confidence and conviction wilted from the league leaders.
After half-time Ancelotti deposited Kalou and Joe Cole to either flank to add a semblance of width to his formation in what was now a quasi-4-3-3. The move did stretch Fulham more and freed up central space for Lampard to roam, yet decent chances were still scarce. Jon Obi Mikel summed up the home side’s travails by slicing horribly wide twice from distance.
An equaliser was not imminent and the game could have been put to bed had Bobby Zamora been able to help Ricardo Carvalho’s under-hit back header past Petr Cech. The miss was to prove costly as with twenty minutes to go Drogba steered a header beyond Schwarzer, before the Aussie stopper inadvertently deflected Sturridge’s cross-shot onto Smalling and into the goal.
It was a cruel and undeserved blow to man and team. Smalling, like many of his colleagues, had barely put a foot wrong on an afternoon in which Roy Hodgson’s increasingly impressive side were entitled to at least a share of the spoils. But Hodgson is a wise old owl, and will welcome in 2010 with widespread optimism. After humbling Manchester united last week, this will again be seen as another feather in the Fulham cap.
Carlo Ancelotti has gone so far as to say he’ll strip naked if Chelsea sign anybody in January. The thought of seeing every nook and cranny of the rotund Italian’s torso does not sound quite as unpalatable to Blues fans as seeing their side labour through the month without Drogba. With the African Cup of Nations almost here, Ancelotti and the Chelsea powerbrokers must decide whether to stick or twist during the January transfer window, with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Franck Ribery seemingly available – and needed.
Chelsea 2 – 1 Fulham Drogba 73, Smalling (og) 75 – Gera 4.
Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech – Ferreira (Ivanovic 64), Carvalho, Terry, Zhirkov (A Cole 83) – Mikel (Sturridge 70) - Ballack, Lampard – J Cole – Kalou, Drogba
Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer – Pantsil (Etuhu 66), Smalling, Baird, Konchesky - , Dempsey, Murphy, Hughes, Duff (Riise 85) – Gera (Johnson 71) - Zamora
Carlo Ancelotti chose to make six changes from the Boxing Day stalemate at Birmingham, yet it was two of his fresh faces, Paulo Ferreira and Yuri Zhirkov, who were caught cold – conspiring to make a mess of a Paul Konchesky cross to present Hungarian Gera with an opportunity to open the scoring.
Fulham fell back into line as the inevitable Chelsea pressure increased, but the hosts lacked initiative and ideas, and their ample midfield possession was never converted into any sort of tangible threat. Didier Drogba twice lashed efforts on target from the edge of the box, but otherwise Chelsea’s play was dealt with comfortably by an organised and energetic Fulham.
As the first half wore on, a Chelsea equaliser grew less likely, as the league leaders resorted to swinging in optimistic crosses at Drogba from an array of deep positions, and indeed it was Roy Hodgson’s inspired unit who could have grabbed a second goal just before the break, when Petr Cech tipped over Clint Dempsey’s shot.
Chelsea emerged for the second half with added vigour, yet signs of an equaliser were nigh. The Cottagers appeared composed as Chelsea’s melee of midfielders scurried to force an opening. Mark Schwarzer was again wise to a Drogba spin and shot, before the Ivorian forward was criminally left unmarked at the back post to equalise Branislav Ivanovic’s cross on 70 minutes.
Only three minutes later and the game had swung full circle as Schwarzer could only parry a Daniel Sturridge shot onto the leg of Chris Smalling and agonisingly over the line.
In the end it was a hard earned and in some ways fortunate win for Chelsea, and one which didn’t look likely for long periods of this Stamford Bridge encounter.
Carlo Ancelotti: “The first half was not good, the second half was better - we played with great determination. It was not easy but we deserved the win. In the second half we changed our system, put Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou out wide and that was better. Drogba not only scored but worked very hard and gave strength to the team. It was good for him and for the team."
Roy Hodgson: “Chelsea had a lot of the ball and we did a lot of defending but that can happen when you take an early lead. It's very disappointing to put in such a great performance and have nothing to show for it. It would have been nice to have gone away with a least a point - we pushed Chelsea to the limit and we can consider ourselves very unlucky.”
After such an impressive showing against Arsenal at The Emirates, the proceeding statistics have not made pleasant reading. A run of just one win in seven games has been well documented, yet Carlo Ancelotti and the rest of the mouth pieces at the club have thus far managed to dismiss the sequence as freak-like. A concoction of mis-fortune and a few frayed edges, which would quickly be resolved. However, for over an hour of this West-London derby, Chelsea’s performance hinted at deeper lying issues.
As well as looking unsteady defensively, the Blues appeared motionless in attack, rolling the ball around unopposed in midfield for large periods before the lame assaults fizzled out before they had started. Against a well-drilled Fulham, Chelsea’s midfield was made to look like it was – one paced, narrow and predictable. Even without the dependable Brede Hangeland – replaced by Premier League debutant Chris Smalling – Fulham were unruffled as Chelsea inevitably and incessantly forced the ball Drogba’s way for inspiration.
To the frustration of the home fans their sides forward forays lacked incisiveness and invention. The play was condensed centrally as Chelsea’s battery of central midfield players formed an orderly queue to receive possession. When the ball was dispatched wide, it was to the full-backs, deep, and with the permission of Fulham. With Frank Lampard quiet and Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole doing their best to stifle attacks, confidence and conviction wilted from the league leaders.
After half-time Ancelotti deposited Kalou and Joe Cole to either flank to add a semblance of width to his formation in what was now a quasi-4-3-3. The move did stretch Fulham more and freed up central space for Lampard to roam, yet decent chances were still scarce. Jon Obi Mikel summed up the home side’s travails by slicing horribly wide twice from distance.
An equaliser was not imminent and the game could have been put to bed had Bobby Zamora been able to help Ricardo Carvalho’s under-hit back header past Petr Cech. The miss was to prove costly as with twenty minutes to go Drogba steered a header beyond Schwarzer, before the Aussie stopper inadvertently deflected Sturridge’s cross-shot onto Smalling and into the goal.
It was a cruel and undeserved blow to man and team. Smalling, like many of his colleagues, had barely put a foot wrong on an afternoon in which Roy Hodgson’s increasingly impressive side were entitled to at least a share of the spoils. But Hodgson is a wise old owl, and will welcome in 2010 with widespread optimism. After humbling Manchester united last week, this will again be seen as another feather in the Fulham cap.
Carlo Ancelotti has gone so far as to say he’ll strip naked if Chelsea sign anybody in January. The thought of seeing every nook and cranny of the rotund Italian’s torso does not sound quite as unpalatable to Blues fans as seeing their side labour through the month without Drogba. With the African Cup of Nations almost here, Ancelotti and the Chelsea powerbrokers must decide whether to stick or twist during the January transfer window, with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Franck Ribery seemingly available – and needed.
Chelsea 2 – 1 Fulham Drogba 73, Smalling (og) 75 – Gera 4.
Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech – Ferreira (Ivanovic 64), Carvalho, Terry, Zhirkov (A Cole 83) – Mikel (Sturridge 70) - Ballack, Lampard – J Cole – Kalou, Drogba
Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer – Pantsil (Etuhu 66), Smalling, Baird, Konchesky - , Dempsey, Murphy, Hughes, Duff (Riise 85) – Gera (Johnson 71) - Zamora
Statistics
Chelsea - Fulham
10 - Corners - 6
18 (11) - Shots (on target) - 3 (3)
10 - Fouls - 13
1 (0) - Yellow cards (Red) - 1 (0)
2 - Offside - 3
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Birmingham remain defiant as Chelsea hit cold turkey
League leaders Chelsea missed the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points, by being held to a goalless draw by an obdurate Birmingham City.
Carlo Ancelotti's side bossed the game throughout, but his side fell the fairer side of a linesman’s flag to disallow Chucho Benitez's 30th minute poach for offside. Up until then, Chelsea monopolised possession, and grew as an attacking threat, with Daniel Sturridge looking lively on his full league debut. The visitors concise passing pressed Brum back deep into their own half as they looked to raid using the pace of Benitez and Cameron Jerome. Birmingham were happy to relinquish the ball, and it was no surprise that the Londoners constant probing of the Blues’ defence created a host of chances. Joe Hart saved superbly from Frank Lampard and Sturridge, Didier Drogba volleyed over, whilst Alex smashed the bar with a free-kick and Sturridge lashed wide right on half-time to punctuate numerous other shy's from a variety of distances and angles.
The second half followed a similar pattern with the Brum happy to contain rather than control. Chelsea remained the more intent to grab a winner, but ran into tenacious opposition not happy to surrender a recent nine-game unbeaten run. As the game's deadline approached, Chelsea's attacks gained an air of desperation rather than conviction. Hart pulled off another fine stop to deny Salomon Kalou, and Florent Malouda – later dismissed for a second yellow - should have given Chelsea a late lead but failed to get sufficient contact on Kalou’s centre. At the other end Birmingham threatened sporadically mostly on the counter, Petr Cech did well to claw out a Seb Larsson free-kick but was otherwise untroubled. All square, definitely a point gained for Birmingham and two lost for Chelsea.
Joe Hart: “It's one of the first games I've actually had something to do. The lads have been absolutely awesome so there's no surprises we're getting results and where we are in the league.”
Carlo Ancelotti: “It is not a good result for us but, as for what we did on the pitch, I think we played well. We had a lot of chances, showed very good heart and the goalkeeper for Birmingham made very good saves. We are disappointed with the result but not for the performance of the team. We improved after the last time against West Ham.”
Going into the game Birmingham found themselves as the form team in the League coming off a run of nine undefeated. On the other hand, Chelsea’s usually Scrooge like defence had been beset with festive goodwill; leaking twelve goals in their last six games in all competitions, winning just once.
In truth, little attention was paid to the formbook as Chelsea stamped their class and authority on the game from the first whistle. Despite the lack of goals this was a thoroughly engaging affair. Birmingham appeared comfortable with letting their more illustrious visitors take the initiative and it’s probably an indictment of Chelsea’s overall dominance that little was made of the decision to rule out Chucho Benitez’s goal on the half hour. A loose ball from a set-play was delivered back into the Chelsea box, and with Didier Drogba lying prostrate on the turf, Benitez looked just onside with the Ivorian’s trailing leg as he slid home Liam Ridgewell’s nod across. The offside flag came to Chelsea’s rescue but they had plenty of opportunity to rue their own bad luck as a combination of Joe Hart and their own errant finishing meant they were unable to claim the maximum points haul.
Alex McLeish’s side were limited as an attacking threat, but the team performance as a whole characterised their recent renaissance. The centre back pairing of roger Johnson and Scott Dann soldered arms to rebuff most of which Chelsea threw at them, meaning the dangerous Drogba threatened only via proximity. In front of them, the midfield was a picture of industry and toil, constantly running, harrying and destroying Chelsea’s midfield patterns. It was another feather in the cap of McLeish who has solidified the unit of troops at his disposal to find themselves just a point adrift of Liverpool, in eighth position at the half-way stage, and Carson Yeung’s chequebook is yet to be taken out of it’s wrapper.
From a Chelsea perspective it’s difficult to pinpoint any major failings in this game. Apart from score they looked calm, assured, and overall, good. Given Birmingham’s recent run and optimism, Chelsea asserted a control over their hosts, and were the better team in almost every aspect. However, that has been the case in a few of the games of late, which is worrying given their penchant for squandering points. Since beating Arsenal at the Emirates the Blues have picked up only six points from a possible twelve, meaning their lead at the summit could be slashed to one point if Arsenal win their games in hand. Such a position seemed inconceivable at the start of the month after the Gunners were so ruthlessly dealt with, but a mixture of complacency and confusion now threatens to derail Ancelotti’s push to regain the Premier League title.
Goal-scoring options are severely hindered when Drogba is marshalled well, and with only one league fixture remaining until Chelsea’s African contingent embark on the Cup of Nations, a temporary goals solution would be welcomed to make himself known before more points are dropped.
Birmingham City 0-0 Chelsea
Birmingham City (4-4-2): Hart - Carr, Dann, R Johnson, Ridgewell – Larsson ( D Johnson 88), Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden (Fahey 77) – Jerome, Benitez
Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech - Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, A Cole – Mikel (Ballack 85) - Belletti, Lampard (J Cole 79) – Malouda - Sturridge (Kalou 67), Drogba
Carlo Ancelotti's side bossed the game throughout, but his side fell the fairer side of a linesman’s flag to disallow Chucho Benitez's 30th minute poach for offside. Up until then, Chelsea monopolised possession, and grew as an attacking threat, with Daniel Sturridge looking lively on his full league debut. The visitors concise passing pressed Brum back deep into their own half as they looked to raid using the pace of Benitez and Cameron Jerome. Birmingham were happy to relinquish the ball, and it was no surprise that the Londoners constant probing of the Blues’ defence created a host of chances. Joe Hart saved superbly from Frank Lampard and Sturridge, Didier Drogba volleyed over, whilst Alex smashed the bar with a free-kick and Sturridge lashed wide right on half-time to punctuate numerous other shy's from a variety of distances and angles.
The second half followed a similar pattern with the Brum happy to contain rather than control. Chelsea remained the more intent to grab a winner, but ran into tenacious opposition not happy to surrender a recent nine-game unbeaten run. As the game's deadline approached, Chelsea's attacks gained an air of desperation rather than conviction. Hart pulled off another fine stop to deny Salomon Kalou, and Florent Malouda – later dismissed for a second yellow - should have given Chelsea a late lead but failed to get sufficient contact on Kalou’s centre. At the other end Birmingham threatened sporadically mostly on the counter, Petr Cech did well to claw out a Seb Larsson free-kick but was otherwise untroubled. All square, definitely a point gained for Birmingham and two lost for Chelsea.
Joe Hart: “It's one of the first games I've actually had something to do. The lads have been absolutely awesome so there's no surprises we're getting results and where we are in the league.”
Carlo Ancelotti: “It is not a good result for us but, as for what we did on the pitch, I think we played well. We had a lot of chances, showed very good heart and the goalkeeper for Birmingham made very good saves. We are disappointed with the result but not for the performance of the team. We improved after the last time against West Ham.”
Going into the game Birmingham found themselves as the form team in the League coming off a run of nine undefeated. On the other hand, Chelsea’s usually Scrooge like defence had been beset with festive goodwill; leaking twelve goals in their last six games in all competitions, winning just once.
In truth, little attention was paid to the formbook as Chelsea stamped their class and authority on the game from the first whistle. Despite the lack of goals this was a thoroughly engaging affair. Birmingham appeared comfortable with letting their more illustrious visitors take the initiative and it’s probably an indictment of Chelsea’s overall dominance that little was made of the decision to rule out Chucho Benitez’s goal on the half hour. A loose ball from a set-play was delivered back into the Chelsea box, and with Didier Drogba lying prostrate on the turf, Benitez looked just onside with the Ivorian’s trailing leg as he slid home Liam Ridgewell’s nod across. The offside flag came to Chelsea’s rescue but they had plenty of opportunity to rue their own bad luck as a combination of Joe Hart and their own errant finishing meant they were unable to claim the maximum points haul.
Alex McLeish’s side were limited as an attacking threat, but the team performance as a whole characterised their recent renaissance. The centre back pairing of roger Johnson and Scott Dann soldered arms to rebuff most of which Chelsea threw at them, meaning the dangerous Drogba threatened only via proximity. In front of them, the midfield was a picture of industry and toil, constantly running, harrying and destroying Chelsea’s midfield patterns. It was another feather in the cap of McLeish who has solidified the unit of troops at his disposal to find themselves just a point adrift of Liverpool, in eighth position at the half-way stage, and Carson Yeung’s chequebook is yet to be taken out of it’s wrapper.
From a Chelsea perspective it’s difficult to pinpoint any major failings in this game. Apart from score they looked calm, assured, and overall, good. Given Birmingham’s recent run and optimism, Chelsea asserted a control over their hosts, and were the better team in almost every aspect. However, that has been the case in a few of the games of late, which is worrying given their penchant for squandering points. Since beating Arsenal at the Emirates the Blues have picked up only six points from a possible twelve, meaning their lead at the summit could be slashed to one point if Arsenal win their games in hand. Such a position seemed inconceivable at the start of the month after the Gunners were so ruthlessly dealt with, but a mixture of complacency and confusion now threatens to derail Ancelotti’s push to regain the Premier League title.
Goal-scoring options are severely hindered when Drogba is marshalled well, and with only one league fixture remaining until Chelsea’s African contingent embark on the Cup of Nations, a temporary goals solution would be welcomed to make himself known before more points are dropped.
Birmingham City 0-0 Chelsea
Birmingham City (4-4-2): Hart - Carr, Dann, R Johnson, Ridgewell – Larsson ( D Johnson 88), Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden (Fahey 77) – Jerome, Benitez
Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech - Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, A Cole – Mikel (Ballack 85) - Belletti, Lampard (J Cole 79) – Malouda - Sturridge (Kalou 67), Drogba
Statistics
Birmingham City - Chelsea
7 - Corners - 11
6 (2) - Shots (on target) - 15 (7)
6 - Fouls - 17
1 (0) - Yellow cards (Red) - 3 (1)
4 - Offside - 3
Monday, 21 December 2009
Premier League Lessons: Juninho
In the post-season of 1995, the England football team hosted a four-team Umbro Cup as part of their preperations for the following years European Championships. Joining the hosts were Sweden, Japan and current World Champions, Brazil.
The pre-tournament hype surrounded the prospect of the first viewing of the 18-year-old striking phenomenon, Ronaldo. In the final match of the round robin format, the PSV hot-shot scored Brazil's second goal over Terry Venables's team in a 3-1 win at Wembley. however, it was another player, scorer of a sublime free-kick to equalise Graeme Le Saux's early goal, and Brazil's current Player of the Year who came out of the game with reputation firmly enhanced.
Oswaldo Giroldo Jr, or Juninho as he would become known, was a diminutive attacking-midfielder and part of a successful Sao Paulo side of that era, who had scooped a number of domestic titles as well as the 1995 Copa Libertadores. Already part of the 'Selecao', and in the cross-hairs of Europe's top clubs, a move abroad beckoned.
So then, cue relative near disbelief when in October of that year, Middlesbrough FC, newly promoted to the Premier League and backed by enterprising young Chairman Steve Gibson, announced they had captured the playmaker for a club record fee of £4.75m. Boro had just moved into the Taylor report friendly Riverside Stadium. The forecourt adorned the decrepid wrought iron gates from their previous home at Ayrsome Park, which were locked shut by administrators when they were close to extinction in 1986. The arrival of a Brazilian international footballer brought a sense of excitement and expectation not just to a club, but to a region as a whole.
For the struggling industrial town of Middlesbrough, anywhere south of Doncaster is considered exotic, so when a boy from Sao Paulo strolled into town, the place went delirious. The natives flocked to the Riverside to see their new star, Juninho's impish figure emerged from the bowels of the stadium to perform a few keep up's to the delight of his new worshippers. He may have known little or nothing about his new team, but that mattered none to the fans who instantly took 'the little fella' to their hearts. It wasn't long until the feeling was reciprocated.
By 1995, English football had only been allowed back into Europe for a couple of years following Heysel, and most domestic defences had yet to be fully exposed to the quick feet and minds of top foreign attackers. Only a year previous, Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister had been brutally tormented by the rapier movements of Romario and co in the Camp Nou, and Juninho began to inflict similar pain on the leaden-footed lumberers he encountered.
Juninho made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United at the Riverside, setting a goal up for Jan Aage Fjortoft, before scoring his first goal a month later in a 4-1 defeat of Manchester City. In his first season at Boro he returned only two league goals, but that does not do his contribution justice. He was a constant menace, causing a trail of destruction wherever he went. His nimble footwork left defenders desperately swiping at fresh air, leading to panic attacks in and around opposition boxes. Individually he excelled, collectively he inspired. Middlesbrough were rejuvenated by their little magician and finished in a respectable twelfth position, sandwiched between Chelsea and Leeds.
But in order to fully understand this unique and unusual love affair, we must recall the heartbreak of the 1996/97 season. Buoyed by the success of Juninho, Bryan Robson was further armoured by the arrivals of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson. Despite the star turns, the side struggled overall, and after having three points controversially deducted for failing to field a team against Blackburn Rovers, the Teesiders were relegated.
Juninho's own form was imperious, not only did he score ten league goals and put in numerous brilliant displays, but he won the hearts and minds of fans all over the country with his selfless determination, straining every sinew in a desperate attempt to keep his team afloat. After failing to beat the drop on the final game of the season, one of the enduring images of the campaign was seeing little Juninho sat crestfallen on the Elland Road turf, sobbing uncontrollably, genuinely sharing the hurt of lifelong Boro fans. Just a week later there was more anguish as they lost out to Chelsea in the FA Cup, having already lost the League Cup final to Leicester.
With the World Cup at the end of the following season, demotion to the second tier of English football meant Juninho had to leave and was transferred for £12m to Atletico Madrid, taking with him the blessings and adoration of every Boro fan. His time at Atletico started well until a broken leg curtailed his progress. After that Juninho failed to regain his form in the Spanish capital and was subsequently loaned back to Boro as well as to Vasco de Gama and Flamengo back in Brazil, before returning to the Riverside for a second permanent spell in 2002. Although he finally gained glory with the 2004 League Cup, Juninho could never fully recapture the brilliance of his first spell in the North East.
After seeing out his career with Celtic, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Sydney FC, Juninho renewed his affiliation with his beloved Boro by rejoining them as their 'South American Representative' in 2009.
There are players who have played more games and scored more goals for Middlesbrough Football Club, but surely there can be nobody that has managed to create such an immediate and indelible bond with the people like that little fella, Juninho.
Name: Oswaldo Giroldo Jr ‘Juninho’
Age: 36 (February 22nd, 1973)
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Clubs: Sao Paulo, Middlebrough, Atletico Madrid, Vasco Da Gama, Flamengo, Celtic, Palmeiras, Sydney FC
Club level honours: 1993 Copa Libertadores, Supercopa Sudamericana 1993, Intercontinental Cup 1993, Recopa Sudamericana 1994, Copa CONEMBOL 1994, Brazilian Champions Cup 1995, Brasileiro Serie A 2000, Copa Mercasur 2000, Football League Cup 2004
Nationality: Brazilian
Caps/goals: 50/5
National honours: FIFA World Cup 2002, FIFA Confederations Cup 1997
The pre-tournament hype surrounded the prospect of the first viewing of the 18-year-old striking phenomenon, Ronaldo. In the final match of the round robin format, the PSV hot-shot scored Brazil's second goal over Terry Venables's team in a 3-1 win at Wembley. however, it was another player, scorer of a sublime free-kick to equalise Graeme Le Saux's early goal, and Brazil's current Player of the Year who came out of the game with reputation firmly enhanced.
Oswaldo Giroldo Jr, or Juninho as he would become known, was a diminutive attacking-midfielder and part of a successful Sao Paulo side of that era, who had scooped a number of domestic titles as well as the 1995 Copa Libertadores. Already part of the 'Selecao', and in the cross-hairs of Europe's top clubs, a move abroad beckoned.
So then, cue relative near disbelief when in October of that year, Middlesbrough FC, newly promoted to the Premier League and backed by enterprising young Chairman Steve Gibson, announced they had captured the playmaker for a club record fee of £4.75m. Boro had just moved into the Taylor report friendly Riverside Stadium. The forecourt adorned the decrepid wrought iron gates from their previous home at Ayrsome Park, which were locked shut by administrators when they were close to extinction in 1986. The arrival of a Brazilian international footballer brought a sense of excitement and expectation not just to a club, but to a region as a whole.
For the struggling industrial town of Middlesbrough, anywhere south of Doncaster is considered exotic, so when a boy from Sao Paulo strolled into town, the place went delirious. The natives flocked to the Riverside to see their new star, Juninho's impish figure emerged from the bowels of the stadium to perform a few keep up's to the delight of his new worshippers. He may have known little or nothing about his new team, but that mattered none to the fans who instantly took 'the little fella' to their hearts. It wasn't long until the feeling was reciprocated.
By 1995, English football had only been allowed back into Europe for a couple of years following Heysel, and most domestic defences had yet to be fully exposed to the quick feet and minds of top foreign attackers. Only a year previous, Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister had been brutally tormented by the rapier movements of Romario and co in the Camp Nou, and Juninho began to inflict similar pain on the leaden-footed lumberers he encountered.
Juninho made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United at the Riverside, setting a goal up for Jan Aage Fjortoft, before scoring his first goal a month later in a 4-1 defeat of Manchester City. In his first season at Boro he returned only two league goals, but that does not do his contribution justice. He was a constant menace, causing a trail of destruction wherever he went. His nimble footwork left defenders desperately swiping at fresh air, leading to panic attacks in and around opposition boxes. Individually he excelled, collectively he inspired. Middlesbrough were rejuvenated by their little magician and finished in a respectable twelfth position, sandwiched between Chelsea and Leeds.
But in order to fully understand this unique and unusual love affair, we must recall the heartbreak of the 1996/97 season. Buoyed by the success of Juninho, Bryan Robson was further armoured by the arrivals of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson. Despite the star turns, the side struggled overall, and after having three points controversially deducted for failing to field a team against Blackburn Rovers, the Teesiders were relegated.
Juninho's own form was imperious, not only did he score ten league goals and put in numerous brilliant displays, but he won the hearts and minds of fans all over the country with his selfless determination, straining every sinew in a desperate attempt to keep his team afloat. After failing to beat the drop on the final game of the season, one of the enduring images of the campaign was seeing little Juninho sat crestfallen on the Elland Road turf, sobbing uncontrollably, genuinely sharing the hurt of lifelong Boro fans. Just a week later there was more anguish as they lost out to Chelsea in the FA Cup, having already lost the League Cup final to Leicester.
With the World Cup at the end of the following season, demotion to the second tier of English football meant Juninho had to leave and was transferred for £12m to Atletico Madrid, taking with him the blessings and adoration of every Boro fan. His time at Atletico started well until a broken leg curtailed his progress. After that Juninho failed to regain his form in the Spanish capital and was subsequently loaned back to Boro as well as to Vasco de Gama and Flamengo back in Brazil, before returning to the Riverside for a second permanent spell in 2002. Although he finally gained glory with the 2004 League Cup, Juninho could never fully recapture the brilliance of his first spell in the North East.
After seeing out his career with Celtic, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Sydney FC, Juninho renewed his affiliation with his beloved Boro by rejoining them as their 'South American Representative' in 2009.
There are players who have played more games and scored more goals for Middlesbrough Football Club, but surely there can be nobody that has managed to create such an immediate and indelible bond with the people like that little fella, Juninho.
Name: Oswaldo Giroldo Jr ‘Juninho’
Age: 36 (February 22nd, 1973)
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Clubs: Sao Paulo, Middlebrough, Atletico Madrid, Vasco Da Gama, Flamengo, Celtic, Palmeiras, Sydney FC
Club level honours: 1993 Copa Libertadores, Supercopa Sudamericana 1993, Intercontinental Cup 1993, Recopa Sudamericana 1994, Copa CONEMBOL 1994, Brazilian Champions Cup 1995, Brasileiro Serie A 2000, Copa Mercasur 2000, Football League Cup 2004
Nationality: Brazilian
Caps/goals: 50/5
National honours: FIFA World Cup 2002, FIFA Confederations Cup 1997
Friday, 18 December 2009
It's friends re-united in Champions League ties
The draw for the latter stages of European competitions took place on Friday morning, and threw together some intriguing tussles.
The tie of the round is arguably the clash between Inter and Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho squaring up against his former employers for the first time since his acrimonious sacking in 2007. The first-leg at the San Siro will also see Carlo Ancelotti return to his old stomping ground, whilst his previous team, Milan, face a meeting with Premier League champions and last year’s beaten finalists Manchester United.
The draw represents a tough ask for the Milanese duo, paired against two of the strongest sides on the continent, and two of the favourites to triumph come May. What will also be interesting is to once again see how the Italian sides fare against the English. Over the last few seasons, barring Milan's defeat of Liverpool in the 2007 final, the English have dominated proceedings, both in terms of results, and progression through the tournament as a whole.
On the face of it, little appears to have changed since the same stage last season when Chelsea deposited of Juventus and Inter bowed out meekly to Man Utd. If anything Chelsea are stronger than they were during Guus Hiddink's infancy at the club. Ancelotti has succesfully implemented the diamond formation and restored Didier Drogba to full working order. Barring some wobbles from set-plays, the Londoners appear ominous, and Mourinho will need to remind us just how special he actually is.
Just this week Nerazzurri General Manager Ernesto Paolillo stated that the Portugueser's future as Coach was not directly related to their performances in the Champions League. Which is probably just as well given that Mourinho's European record since being at the helm is average at best. After taking over from Roberto Mancini an instant emphasis was placed upon Mourinho to improve on his predecessors failings in Europe. Although no direct mandate was issued by the club's top brass, the impression was that Mourinho would elevate la beneamata to the level of Europe's elite, so far, progress falls somewhere between slow and none existent.
Getting knocked out by Chelsea may not be an immediate threat to the 'Special One's' position, but it would certainly not help at a time when he continues to attract negative press. His recent sending off at Juventus and exchange of pleasantries with a journalist has further bolstered the ranks of the anti-Mourinho brigade. As he will attest from his Chelsea dismissal, elements of his personality can grate on people inside, as well as outside the club. Fail again in Europe and he will also find few hiding places in the media.
As opposition, Chelsea could be deemed to be the best and worst possible outcome. If Inter do not raise their game from the paultry offerings of the group stage, they will be beaten. Therefore, both Mourinho and his players go into the tie knowing vast improvement is needed. Defeat Chelsea, and the psychological barriers which seem to affect inter in Europe can be overcome.
With each teams Tacticians knowing the other sides game in fine detail, the clashes could end up being cagey affairs, more likely to produce fireworks are the red devils of Manchester and Milan. The old boys reunion theme is continued with David Beckham returning to Old Trafford to face a team his new club have eliminated from this competition twice in the last five years.
A couple of Hernan Crespo goals for the Rossoneri sent United packing in 2005, before a Kaka masterclass devastated Sir Alex Ferguson's men in 2007. This year, il diavolo will again need a Brazilian to fire - or two of them if possible. Alexandre Pato has suitably impressed enough this season to suggest he can ruffle a few of United's defensive feathers, whilst Ronaldinho saves his stellar performances for such spectacles.
Prior to last week's home reverse to Palermo, Milan had seen an upsurge in fortunes following a sluggish start to the campaign. That spell of results saw them win in the Bernabeu and hold Real Madrid at home. Those displays should inspire Milan against a United side not wholly convincing after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, but despite coming out unscathed with the Galactico's, Milan contrived to take only one point from six off group whipping boys FC Zurich. Such inconsistencies can produce shocks, but not trophies.
Overall, on paper and in practice, Inter and Milan give a lot away to the English duo, but both are capable of causing a relative upset, and bringing a glimmer of pride back to the Peninsula.
Elsewhere Fiorntina are rewarded for their endeavours by meeting Juve conquering Bayern Munich, whilst the bianconeri meet Ajax in the Europa League last 32 with Roma playing Panathinaikos.
This week sees the conclusion of the first half of the seasons fixtures before the winter break, which, conveniently enough comes at a very welcome time for Ciro Ferrara. After nose-diving out of the Champions League and losing more ground on Inter, the pressure on Ferrara has been cranked up a couple of notches. Quotes attributed to the agent of Russia manager Guus Hiddink have suggested la vecchia Signora had been in touch enquiring about the Dutchman's availability, which prompted Juve to release this fairly innocuous statement, "We have never taken into consideration any trainer because Ciro Ferrara enjoys our utmost trust." Very reassuring, Ciro.
We also have the chance for a little bit of history this week, if Alessandro Matri can once again find the back of the net. The Cagliari ace headed home during round 16’s draw with Napoli, meaning he’d struck in seven consecutive Serie A games, equalling a club record set by Rossoblu legend Gigi Riva. One more against Udinese at the Friuli and it’s eight in a row, the club record outright, and a strong chance of a call-up to la Nazionale. Good luck, Alessandro.
The tie of the round is arguably the clash between Inter and Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho squaring up against his former employers for the first time since his acrimonious sacking in 2007. The first-leg at the San Siro will also see Carlo Ancelotti return to his old stomping ground, whilst his previous team, Milan, face a meeting with Premier League champions and last year’s beaten finalists Manchester United.
The draw represents a tough ask for the Milanese duo, paired against two of the strongest sides on the continent, and two of the favourites to triumph come May. What will also be interesting is to once again see how the Italian sides fare against the English. Over the last few seasons, barring Milan's defeat of Liverpool in the 2007 final, the English have dominated proceedings, both in terms of results, and progression through the tournament as a whole.
On the face of it, little appears to have changed since the same stage last season when Chelsea deposited of Juventus and Inter bowed out meekly to Man Utd. If anything Chelsea are stronger than they were during Guus Hiddink's infancy at the club. Ancelotti has succesfully implemented the diamond formation and restored Didier Drogba to full working order. Barring some wobbles from set-plays, the Londoners appear ominous, and Mourinho will need to remind us just how special he actually is.
Just this week Nerazzurri General Manager Ernesto Paolillo stated that the Portugueser's future as Coach was not directly related to their performances in the Champions League. Which is probably just as well given that Mourinho's European record since being at the helm is average at best. After taking over from Roberto Mancini an instant emphasis was placed upon Mourinho to improve on his predecessors failings in Europe. Although no direct mandate was issued by the club's top brass, the impression was that Mourinho would elevate la beneamata to the level of Europe's elite, so far, progress falls somewhere between slow and none existent.
Getting knocked out by Chelsea may not be an immediate threat to the 'Special One's' position, but it would certainly not help at a time when he continues to attract negative press. His recent sending off at Juventus and exchange of pleasantries with a journalist has further bolstered the ranks of the anti-Mourinho brigade. As he will attest from his Chelsea dismissal, elements of his personality can grate on people inside, as well as outside the club. Fail again in Europe and he will also find few hiding places in the media.
As opposition, Chelsea could be deemed to be the best and worst possible outcome. If Inter do not raise their game from the paultry offerings of the group stage, they will be beaten. Therefore, both Mourinho and his players go into the tie knowing vast improvement is needed. Defeat Chelsea, and the psychological barriers which seem to affect inter in Europe can be overcome.
With each teams Tacticians knowing the other sides game in fine detail, the clashes could end up being cagey affairs, more likely to produce fireworks are the red devils of Manchester and Milan. The old boys reunion theme is continued with David Beckham returning to Old Trafford to face a team his new club have eliminated from this competition twice in the last five years.
A couple of Hernan Crespo goals for the Rossoneri sent United packing in 2005, before a Kaka masterclass devastated Sir Alex Ferguson's men in 2007. This year, il diavolo will again need a Brazilian to fire - or two of them if possible. Alexandre Pato has suitably impressed enough this season to suggest he can ruffle a few of United's defensive feathers, whilst Ronaldinho saves his stellar performances for such spectacles.
Prior to last week's home reverse to Palermo, Milan had seen an upsurge in fortunes following a sluggish start to the campaign. That spell of results saw them win in the Bernabeu and hold Real Madrid at home. Those displays should inspire Milan against a United side not wholly convincing after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, but despite coming out unscathed with the Galactico's, Milan contrived to take only one point from six off group whipping boys FC Zurich. Such inconsistencies can produce shocks, but not trophies.
Overall, on paper and in practice, Inter and Milan give a lot away to the English duo, but both are capable of causing a relative upset, and bringing a glimmer of pride back to the Peninsula.
Elsewhere Fiorntina are rewarded for their endeavours by meeting Juve conquering Bayern Munich, whilst the bianconeri meet Ajax in the Europa League last 32 with Roma playing Panathinaikos.
This week sees the conclusion of the first half of the seasons fixtures before the winter break, which, conveniently enough comes at a very welcome time for Ciro Ferrara. After nose-diving out of the Champions League and losing more ground on Inter, the pressure on Ferrara has been cranked up a couple of notches. Quotes attributed to the agent of Russia manager Guus Hiddink have suggested la vecchia Signora had been in touch enquiring about the Dutchman's availability, which prompted Juve to release this fairly innocuous statement, "We have never taken into consideration any trainer because Ciro Ferrara enjoys our utmost trust." Very reassuring, Ciro.
We also have the chance for a little bit of history this week, if Alessandro Matri can once again find the back of the net. The Cagliari ace headed home during round 16’s draw with Napoli, meaning he’d struck in seven consecutive Serie A games, equalling a club record set by Rossoblu legend Gigi Riva. One more against Udinese at the Friuli and it’s eight in a row, the club record outright, and a strong chance of a call-up to la Nazionale. Good luck, Alessandro.
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