Opinon - Ryan Giggs: From Class of 92 to Class of His Own

Ask any right back to have faced Ryan Giggs in his pomp and they would probably only be able to recall a blur of shaggy hair, a red flash and a trip to the physio to get their twisted blood straightened. Like an alien abductee society, the right back collective suffer flashbacks, a feeling of humiliation and a sense of helplessness with regard to the experience they have been through.

There is nothing extraterrestrial about what they faced, however it is safe to say that many of them have not come across such a devastating force before or since.

To watch Giggs in full flow was breathtaking, to see him today is sublime. Having progressed with age from an explosive winger to a slightly slower, more creative force that he is today is testament to a man who has played at the very top level for over 2 decades. The level of performance has not dropped, from a fresh faced teen in 1992 to the grey stubbled figure that stalks the Old Trafford playing area in 2011. For Halftimebovril, Ryan Giggs is the flagbearer of the Premier League era.

It is said that statistics can prove anything. I challenge any reader to find ambiguity in the following set. 11 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups and 2 Champions Leagues prove that Giggs is a major constituent of a winning side. You would have to travel far an wide to find a player with such an extensive medal haul, and wags rumour that Giggs has argyria from all the silverware he has handled.

When discussing Old Trafford longevity, a name that is immediately brought up is that of Paul Scholes. The heartbeat of possibly the most perfect midfield to have graced the Premier League. Alongside Giggs he had Beckham and Keane, and has won everything that Giggs has won. But for Halftimebovril, Scholes is second best, The midfield maestro converted from being a striker to advanced central midfielder early in his admittedly astonishing career. Giggs has been an out and out winger converted to central midfield general to rejuvenated winger in more recent times, and has still showed the propensity to dazzle during his 21st year at the top of the game.

At 37 years old, one would expect Giggs to be settling down on the Football Focus sofa in a flowery shirt, or perched on a stool with a badly fitted suit yelping in the Soccer Saturday studio. Having signed a new one year contract extension, he will be 38 when he finally calls time on his career at the "Theatre of Dreams". A one club man, he is one of a small collection to have been at the peak of their sport for their entire careers. Anybody that can be grouped with players such as Matthews, Seedorf and Maldini is a special player. To still be playing in a Premier League based almost entirely on strength, height and pace, and be controlling the games he plays in suggests that in time he may be appreciated more than he is now.

The saying goes that "time stands still for no-one". Yet Giggs, a one man rebuttal of the theory continues to adapt his game. Week after week he finds space and time where other players couldn't. The half-second he allows himself provides opportunity for team mates and consternation for opponents.

It would be a disservice to hark on past glories, so Halftimebovril will leave you with one thought...If Ryan Giggs had been born in Sao Paulo and been called Giggsinho, would we now be celebrating the career of one of the greatest players to have ever graced the beautiful game? Somehow, Halftimebovril thinks we would.

Lindegaard, Obertan, Bebe For Free...

An FA Cup 5th Round Tie dream for Crawley.

However, HTBovril thinks that the cup tie at Old Trafford showed more about what Sir Alex can call upon than the riches of Crawley.

It is true that Manchester City have been called the "Crawley of the Premier League" (ok, probably a lie) but Crawley Town showed that they could hang with the big boys.

Manchester United however...

For a start, one goal from a set piece is not great against a side 4 divisions below. Yes, the first team is top of the Premier League, but scratch the surface and the side really is not that great. Even "world class" players like Rooney looked distinctly average tonight. The one positive would be the performance of Smalling...but then one looks at his transfer fee (£10 million) and you think that a performance against a non-league sideis the minimum expected.

Crawley threatened on the counter, but Man Utd squandered possession. In the second half, Crawley threatened more than United, even with a forward line costing upwards of £50 million.

What this suggests is that when a few stalwarts leave United, they will be left behind, much like Chelsea now. Call this controversial but I believe that bar Fletcher and Rooney, Man Utd will not have a player capable of being called world class within 3 years.

Comment, create, debate below!

Cult Heroes – FA Cup Special

The FA Cup. Most romantic competition in the world or unwelcome distraction from the league campaign? Ask any fan from any club who compete and their dream is that big day out at Wembley, their captain climbing the mountain of steps, with weary legs, their body pushed to the limit, all for the chance to lift the gleaming cup and share in a moment of jubilation.

Players from across the world seem to share the same view. It is the one they all want to win. Seasoned campaigners with La Liga, Copa Libertadores and Serie A winners’ medals in their cabinets speak highly of the oldest club cup competition in the world.

Managers of top clubs and even relegation threatened teams have put out weakened sides in recent seasons, leading some to think that the FA Cup is being devalued.

Whilst this is a very erstwhile subject, and one that will be covered in further posts, today we celebrate those who have lit up the past 4 decades of Cup competition and proved likely (and unlikely) heroes.

1970’s

RONNIE RADFORD

There can only be one winner for moment of the 70’s when discussing cult hero moments. On February 5^th 1972, Radford sealed his place in FA Cup folklore by scoring that goal against Newcastle. Probably the most famous goal scored, the long range strike sparked a pitch invasion and left a young John Motson shouting. Years later the clip is still played prior to any potential giant killing. What a goal! What a goal indeed.

1980’s

DAVE BEASANT

Liverpool went into the final of the Cup in 1988 as odds on favourites to win the famous trophy. They didn’t gamble on being upstaged by Wimbledon, the upstarts from London known simply as “The Crazy Gang”. Having already secured the Division 1 title (ah halcyon days!), Liverpool might as well have had their name inscribed before kick-off. They didn’t reckon with a resolute goalkeeping performance from Dave Beasant. In what would turn out to be his final performance for the Don’s, Beasant became the first goalkeeper to captain an FA Cup winning side but most importantly was the first person to save a penalty in the showpiece.

1990’s

PAUL RIDEOUT

Halftimebovril has a special place in its insulated cup for an unfashionable Everton striker called Paul Rideout. The year was 1995. The opponents, a Manchester United team featuring Schmeichel, Keane, Sharpe, Hughes and a much younger Giggs and Scholes. After 30 minutes of play, Rideout secured his legacy in the hearts of Toffee fans by heading in the rebound from a Graham Stuart shot that crashed against the crossbar. That goal provided Everton with their only cup success between winning the Championship in 86/87 and now in 2011 when another potentially trophy less campaign beckons.

2000’s

STEVEN GERRARD

For a specific moment to gain a player cup cult hero status in what was arguably the greatest FA Cup Final of all time it must have been pretty special. Believe me, it was. In 2006, the sun was beating down on Cardiff, and the Millennium Stadium, hosting its last final rocked to the chanting, celebration and jubilation of Hammers Fans watching their team closing in on a first FA Cup for 26 years. Liverpool fans sat in the bar with me were crying into their beer. Then the unthinkable happened. Injury time, the score 3-2 to West Ham, a clearance from a Liverpool cross fell to Gerrard a full 30 yards from goal, and first time, on the volley he fired in an unstoppable shot into the bottom left hand corner, leaving half a stadium (and half a city) jumping for joy.

So now you know what makes halftimebovril feel warm inside when reading about how the cup “has lost its magic”. Who would you pick as your cult hero in the most famous competition in the world? Debate, provoke or just reminisce below.

Opinion - Walking On Water? Or Up The Creek Without A Paddle.

It was only 10 weeks ago that Derby County were riding high in the Championship, sitting pretty in 4th spot looking to push on and substantiate a promising start to the season.

Fast forward to the present day, and The Rams are a mere 7 points from the relegation zone and on a run that has garnered only 2 points from the 18 available in the last 6 games. Since Boxing Day they have been beaten home and away by Forest, lost to a Sven inspired Leicester and knocked out of the FA Cup by Blue Square Premier side Crawley Town in what was arguably the shock of the 3rd round. The next 3 games include must win fixtures against fellow relegation strugglers Sheffield United and Scunthorpe, and failure to net a minimum of 6 points from 9 could see them looking even more nervously over their shoulders at the teams below them.

However, it is unfair to look at these statistics and stories without putting them into context. Former manager Billy Davies took Derby into the Premier League through the play-offs in 2007, and the future seemed bright at Pride Park. Yet a dour campaign with only one win courtesy of a Kenny Miller wondergoal against Newcastle saw them finish with a record low points total of 11. Even the appointment of former Wigan manager Paul Jewell failed to stop the slide, and Derby were forced to slink back to the 2nd tier of English football having been relegated before April.

It seemed as if Derby had got into the habit of losing and Jewell found himself on the wrong end of the "it's not you, it's me" talk commonly heard in boardrooms up and down the country, shortly followed by the clinking of champagne glasses. Now, after being given a run of 2 years in charge, it seems as if Nigel Clough could be following the same fate.

When Clough took the hotseat at Pride Park, having previously been courted by the side he scored over 100 goals for, he was lauded as being a potential saviour of a team in dire need of a kick start. Who better to provide this than the so called "Son of God"?

If we lived in a perfect world, Clough would be able to bring the players in he needs whilst offloading the deadwood holding a sleeping giant back. He hasn't been able to hold on to his best players whilst relying on loanees such as Alberto Bueno and Daniel Ayala to shore up a team that seems to be in terminal decline.

Yet losing your best players should be no excuse for demotivating and publicly castigating the ones that he and the board have been able to retain. Dean Moxey and Tomasz Cywka have both been singled out for criticism as Derby slid down the table. Poor man-management, uninspired team selection, a team clearly short on confidence and an inability to formulate, let alone action a Plan B has led to Derby fans protesting spontaneously. Couple all the above problems with Chairman Tom Glick and his promises to invest in the summer, and you finally understand the frustrations that Derby fans contend with on a weekly basis.

Come Saturday though, standing on the touchline at Glanford Park the heavens open, Derby fans will find out whether the "Son of God" will walk on water, or whether he will sink into obscurity.

Opinion - Moyes Not The Merrier

Another weekend, another defeat. David Moyes, usually not the most placid of characters at the best of times has just watched his side lose 2-0 to a rejuvenated Bolton side. There is no shame in losing to a side that Owen Coyle has moulded into a hard to beat side who also play attacking football. There is however, an underlying problem - the "M" word.

At the risk of regurgitating an often broached subject, it is worth looking at what is happening and what could happen if Moyes was given the funds that a top team deserves.

Everton are the side who in the last 10 years have brought through Jack Rodwell, Tony Hibbert, Leon Osman and a certain Wayne Rooney. Their academy system should be lauded, as all these players have come through the ranks to become established first-team players and in one case at least a world superstar, ranked amongst the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and co.

The transfer dealings also show what a good job Moyes has done whilst operating on a comparatively small budget. The combined cost of Jagielka, Howard and Arteta is around £10 million. Phil Neville, their current Captain, cost a paltry £3.5 million to prise from Manchester United. Furthermore, Moyes has signed players such as Joleon Lescott, brought from Wolves for £2.5 million but sold to Manchester City nearly 10 times that amount. This allowed Moyes to bring in Bilyaletdinov and Distin alongside Dutch World Cup finalist Johnny Heitinga.

Chairman Bill Kenwright, a lifelong Toffees fan has stated that he believes having a firm and sensible financial footing is the way to go. But with the new UEFA regulations on financial fair play due to come into force at the start of 2013, Everton could find themselves left behind big spending Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United as they vie to improve their squads before the regulations come into play.

It would be foolish for a club to rely on these regulations making the playing field level, but as Everton remain a selling club, see Steven Peinaar and his January move to Spurs, rival clubs are widening an already large gap. The only way Everton can hope to compete is to regularly qualify for the Champions League, or at the very least be reaching the final stages of the Europa League.

So what is needed? Everton are not a club who would want a foreign takeover. Their history is in the side streets next to Goodison Park, not an Emirates bank account. What they need is to have an owner willing to put the necessary money in to keep their best players (Baines is being linked to Bayern Munich and Manchester United) whilst investing in the future. If this is done and Moyes remains in the hotseat, we could once again see the resurrection of the great team of the mid 80's, denied their rightful place in history as one of the best teams in Europe due to the Heysel disaster.

What do you think? Is Kenwright correct to keep the pursestrings tight? Has Moyes taken Everton as far as they can go? Have the fans been spoilt with talents like Rooney and Rodwell coming through and expecting the rest of the team to be as good? Start the debate below.

Match Review - QPR 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest

Stout defending by a resolute Nottingham Forest team reduced to 10 men after the sending off of Radoslaw Majeski earned a point for the Midlands side and maintained their recent good run of form.

From the kick off Forest showed attacking intent, winning 3 corners within 5 minutes as QPR stumbled out of the blocks. However it was QPR who struck the first meaningful blow, with Tommy Smith picking the ball up on the right side of midfield, running at the Forest defence and placing a sweetly struck curling shot into the bottom corner beyond the despairing dive of Lee Camp in the 16th minute.

After 23 minutes, a moment of madness from Majewski saw him receive a straight red card from referee Mark Clattenburg. Mr Clattenburg had no choice but to give the young Pole his marching orders after a dreadful two footed lunge on the impressive Adel Taarabt. It was only down to good fortune that the QPR captain was not seriously injured, and he was once again the heartbeat of a team that has only been beaten at home once this season.

Facing a team with such a formidable home record is daunting with 11 men, but down to 10 and Forest fans were beginning to fear the worst. Yet only a few minutes after the sending off, Forest found themselves on terms with QPR, a 30 yard free kick from Forest talisman Lewis McGugan hit David McGoldrick on the knee as it was sailing wide and rolled past a wrong footed Paddy Kenny.

After racking up corners for fun in the early part of the game, the 10 men of Forest very nearly took the lead when Wes Morgan rose the highest from yet another corner, forcing a fine reaction save from Kenny with his legs. Forest showed verve and adventure up to half time, sending Wes Morgan and Luke Chambers forwards at every opportunity.

A recurrence of the hamstring injury that had kept Tommy Smith out allowed for the introduction of on-loan Ishmael Miller. He provided a more direct threat to the Forest defence and consistently tested Joel Lynch, brought on for Marcus Tudgay at halftime to combat this threat. Forest found themselves doubling up on Miller, allowing Fourlain and Taarabt space to create problems.

As the second half progressed, Forest, with only David McGoldrick up front were defending with two tight banks of four, and any clearance was short lived as Forest found themselves resisting wave after wave of QPR attacks.

For all their numerical advantage, the only clear chance came from a corner from QPR when Bradley Orr outjumped his marker only to see his header cleared off the line by Chris Gunter having beaten Lee Camp.

At one point in the second half, QPR were enjoying up to 70% possession, however a series of blocks from Chambers and good defensive work from Wes Morgan ensured that the scoreline remained even. As the clock ticked down, Paddy Kenny found himself employed more as a sweeper than goalkeeper, but Forest resisted the attacks, and could have scored on the counter-attack when Lynch fed Tyson who crossed for the advancing left-back late on.

Forest boss Billy Davies was obviously delighted with the backs against the wall defending, and although the winning run has come to an end will certainly view this as a point gained rather than two dropped.

MOTM: QPR - Adel Taarabt - Talismanic performance, nearly every move was instigated by the Morrocan.

MOTM: Forest - Luke Chambers - Allowed Smith to drift inside for the first goal but recovered well and made numerous excellent blocks to keep the scores level.