Sport Columnists

Subterms

    More stories

    • 238 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Harry Redknapp: Fighters Xhaka and Partey are Arteta’s Vieira and Petit… and will be key to Arsenal beating Spurs

      by

      WHEN you think of those great Arsenal sides of the past, some of the greatest names to play the game come to mind.Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp are the obvious two, although there were so many others that you are spoiled for choice.
      Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are fast-emerging as one of the most important midfield pairings in Arsenal’s Prem historyCredit: Reuters
      The Gunners’ most famous link-up in the middle was Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, who helped them win the Double in 1997/98Credit: Action Images – Reuters
      Everyone remembers the fantastic football they played, how they would rip sides to shreds with their brilliant passing game.
      Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit were magnificent in the Gunners’ midfield and then Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto Silva after them.
      All great players and, although you don’t immediately think of Arsenal as a team of scrappers, up for a battle with anyone who fancied it.
      If things turned rough, those midfielders were all willing and able to fight against the best of them.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      They didn’t lose many, either, and you can add Ray Parlour to that list, as well.
      And that is  the thing you get with all the great teams.
      They can all turn on the style but you need to have a bit of a snarl to your game as well.
      Well, there have been plenty of Arsenal sides since those glory days under Arsene Wenger who have played great football.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      But when it got a bit nasty and they needed to roll up their sleeves, too often heads went down instead and they would be outmuscled.
      It has been their undoing so many times over the years.
      So when Arsenal went top of the Premier League table in August, most of us thought it was only a matter of time before things went belly up again.
      Only this season there is no sign of that happening.
      Mikel Arteta has got such a great blend that nobody is asking if they’re the real deal any more, as we  can all see that they are.
      Their football has been right out of the top drawer, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka magnificent down the wings, while Martin Odegaard is just  having a simply sensational season.
      But while they have the magicians — and none bigger than Odegaard — this time they’ve also got the dogs of war.
      And that could be the crucial thing that gets them over the line.
      Because while Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey might not win prizes for midfield style and sophistication, they have played as big — or maybe even bigger — part than most.
      Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard is having a ‘sensational season’Credit: Getty
      Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry formed a brilliant attack in front of Patrick Vieira and Co, but the current Gunners are exciting tooCredit: PA
      Both of them are real fighters — big, strong, powerful and aggressive — like a couple of minders taking care of the ball players around them.
      There’s no messing about, they just steam in, break things up, win the ball and then give it to others to make things happen.
      Partey looks the player we always felt he was, while Xhaka has gone from someone his own fans hated to someone they love.
      You’ll see how important they are in today’s North London derby because Tottenham will be right up for it — and any side with Harry Kane in it always has a chance.
      While Arsenal have the magicians — and none bigger than Odegaard — this time they’ve also got the dogs of war.Harry Redknapp
      But if Xhaka and Partey get on top in the middle, then I think those wingers will give Spurs’ full-backs a really tough afternoon.
      I can’t see Arsenal leaving with anything less than a draw, and  maybe three points, with how they’re playing.
      The bookies still make Manchester City title favourites and, obviously, when they’re in full flow they can mow down anyone.
      But they’ve also had a few bad performances this season, with a shock cup defeat at Southampton and league loss at Manchester United yesterday.
      Brentford went to the Etihad and won, Everton got a point there on New Year’s Eve and City are  well capable of chucking in the odd bad one.
      Read More on The Sun
      Arsenal and City still have to play each other twice in the league and it could be a different story after that.
      But it’s definitely the Gunners’ title to lose  — and this time nobody sees it as only a matter of time before they do. More

    • 263 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      Harry Redknapp: I love the magic of the FA Cup… but it has stung me as both a player and manager

      by

      THERE are some games that live with you forever — and this weekend always brings back loads of memories for me.But the way the FA Cup is treated these days, I doubt many current players will look back on the competition with the same affection once they’ve retired.
      Harry Redknapp looks back on his FA Cup memories as a player and managerCredit: Splash
      Harry Redknapp’s West Ham was eliminated by Wrexham in 1997Credit: Getty
      The third round was always one of THE big days of the year.
      And the draw itself wasn’t too far behind either.
      I was in a West Ham side that had three World Cup winners in Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
      But even though they’d won the biggest competition of all, they would be crowded round the radio with the rest of us to find out who we had drawn.
      Read More on Football
      There were times we’d rush back into the dressing room from training, still in our kit and caked in mud, before tuning in. It was such a big deal.
      And there was certainly no way any manager would even consider playing a weakened team. That was just unheard of.
      In fact we’d have special FA Cup training weeks. We would go to Southend for a couple of days and have a walk on the beach to prepare for a game that was always very special.
      I’m not talking about the final here — this was the early rounds. And any changes were because of injuries — everyone wanted to play.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      West Ham were also knocked out by Mansfield in 1969 with Redknapp on the teamCredit: Mansfield Town Football Club
      It was just magical, even though I was on the wrong end of a few shocks.
      West Ham — with Hurst, Moore, myself, Billy Bonds, Frank Lampard Snr and the rest — were beaten by Mansfield in a game that was snowed off FIVE times.
      That particular nightmare in early 1969 became known as ‘The Miracle in the Mansfield Mud’ — but sadly it wasn’t the only giant-killing I was involved in.
      In January 1997, I was West Ham manager when Wrexham came to Upton Park and broke our hearts with a 90th-minute winner from Kevin Russell.
      Then two years later we lost a third-round replay 1-0 away to Swansea, then in the lowest division, after a 1-1 draw at our place.
      If there are any shocks these days you always hear the excuse, “Oh, they played a weakened team”.
      Well, I’m sorry, but I’m just not having it.
      At the start of each season, how many teams have a genuine chance of winning the Premier League? Three or four at best. Sometimes only a couple.
      If there are any shocks these days you always hear the excuse, “Oh, they played a weakened team”. Well, I’m sorry, but I’m just not having it.Harry Redknapp
      By the time the FA Cup starts of course some will be fighting to stay up and I can understand why that is the priority with all the money involved.
      But the majority pretty much know they are safe, so why not have a go for a trophy? Most of them don’t — and it will be the same this weekend.
      If you’re, say, Brentford, Fulham or Aston Villa, this is your chance to win a pot.
      When I was at Portsmouth in 2008, we knew we weren’t going to win the league but were seventh or eighth in the table and gave the FA Cup a right good go.
      We played our strongest team in every round, beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on the way to the final and ended up winning the thing!
      Read More on The Sun
      It was one of the greatest days in Portsmouth’s history, one of the best in my career and gave us memories none of us will ever forget.
      There’s a lot that has changed for the better over the years but the FA Cup definitely isn’t one of them — and, sadly, I can only see it getting worse. More

    • 263 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Troy Deeney: I love Arteta’s touchline antics and Arsenal stars will want to know their manager is in trenches with them

      by

      AFTER Mikel Arteta threw a wobbler on the touchline the other night, I’ve heard a few people urging the Arsenal boss to keep calm.They reckon that it’s important not to lose your head, especially in a title race, and that Arteta’s antics might have a negative effect on his team.
      Mikel Arteta’s touchline antics vs Newcastle were criticised by someCredit: Alamy
      But Troy Deeney has backed Arteta for setting a tone for his playersCredit: Getty
      But I disagree with that and I think his players will, too.
      If you’re playing a crucial match, you want to know your manager is in the trenches with you.
      It’s not so much about showing ‘passion’. It’s about intensity. It’s about a manager setting a tone for his players.
      I see Arteta kicking every ball, slinging the ball back in for throw-ins and getting in the ear of the match officials — and I like it.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      Against Newcastle on Tuesday night, Arteta was particularly hyper and I think he overstepped the mark right at the end when he was appealing for a penalty for handball.
      That was a case of clutching at straws and it looked as if he felt Arsenal were simply entitled to get a penalty.
      But, generally, I love Arteta’s demeanour on the touchline.
      One thing I do know for a fact is that the Spaniard is not putting on any kind of a show during matches.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      I’ve heard from his players that he has the same sort of intensity during every training session.
      I think this is one of the reasons why Arteta is really getting a tune out of his players this season.
      Most of the very best managers are the same — Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola.
      Even Arsene Wenger, supposedly one of the nicest gentlemen in the game, was sent off several times.
      Being successful in management is not all about keeping a cool head. I’ve had managers who are even more manic than Arteta — one in particular, Walter Mazzarri at Watford.
      To be honest, he was an absolute nutter during matches.
      Mazzarri would be up and down the touchline, frequently on the pitch while the ball was in play, swearing in Italian, sweating profusely.
      He was maybe a little over the top. If you were winning, you’d have a sly smile at him.
      If you were losing, you did wonder whether he was doing more harm than good — that some players wouldn’t react well.
      Mazzarri’s successor, Marco Silva, was clever. He would leave it to his fitness coach or other assistants to get into the referee’s ear on his behalf.
      I see Arteta kicking every ball, slinging the ball back in for throw-ins and getting in the ear of the match officials — and I like it. Troy Deeney
      Nigel Pearson knew he had a bit of a reputation with referees so, by the time he was at Watford, he would try to kill the fourth official with kindness.
      I tell you something, though, however loud it is inside a stadium, players always hear what their manager is shouting — pretty much every word.
      It then becomes a case of selective hearing.
      We will hear every word of praise we get from a gaffer but if we’re getting criticism we will cock a deaf ’un.
      But the way managers act and what they say during matches really can have an affect on the outcome of a game.
      Arteta will not be calming down on the touchline any time soon and his players won’t want him to.
      As he enters his first title race as a manager, he will be even more aware of the effect his words and actions have — it becomes psychological warfare.
      Arteta described it as ‘scandalous’ that Arsenal’s two penalty shouts against Newcastle were turned down by the officials. That was a classic deflection technique.
      Putting the blame on the referee and VAR when Arsenal simply hadn’t done enough to break down an excellent Newcastle defence in the 0-0 draw at the Emirates.
      Just like Jurgen Klopp, when Liverpool were well beaten at Brentford the previous night.
      Klopp claimed talking to referees was like speaking to his microwave. He knew it was an easy headline to deflect the fact that his team hadn’t been good enough.
      Players appreciate that kind of thing too — especially if you know that you personally have had a stinker.
      You know your manager has taken some heat off you.
      Read More on The Sun
      Of course, Arteta doesn’t want to have a Kevin Keegan-style meltdown in front of the cameras and I don’t think he will.
      But if you are expecting the Arsenal manager to chill out on the touchline, you can think again — he’s probably going to get even more intense from here on in. More

    • 288 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Karren Brady: David Gold was kind, thoughtful and one of the Three Musketeers – life at West Ham will never be the same

      by

      DAVID GOLD of the Three Musketeers died this week, and life at West Ham will never be the same for David Sullivan and I, nor quite so enjoyable.At such a sad time it’s important to hold onto the happy memories which give you strength as you come to terms with the fact that someone so important to you won’t be in your life anymore.
      David Gold passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86Credit: PA
      Gold and Karren Brady worked together at Birmingham City and West HamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      David was a kind and thoughtful man, who was a key to the partnership that took over Birmingham City and then his beloved West Ham.
      I first met him 34 years ago when I was 19, and at 23 when I took over Birmingham City we formed our football partnership and became the Three Musketeers — he, David Sullivan and I.
      There was a great friendship, respect and trust between the three of us. Over those years, we have gone through so much in our business and personal lives.
      I went from teenager to middle-aged woman with two children and he was always supportive and a dear, dear friend.
      READ MORE ON DAVID GOLD
      A gentleman in every sense of the word, he made time to speak to everyone, from the warehouse to the stewards without any airs and graces.
      He lived for his family, his football and his friends.
      He and David Sullivan never missed a home or away game in 17 years of owning Birmingham City and not many owners can say that!
      He also made his time at St Andrew’s a family affair. His mum, in her 80s at the time got very involved.
      Most read in Football
      She set up Monday bingo mainly for pensioners and went to every match with her son.
      He took his daughters and later his beloved grand-daughter to West Ham. All of them his pride and joy. He was never happier than when he was with his girls.
      He claimed he drank whisky because he thought his tipple, Tia Maria, wasn’t manly enough, we always had a giggle about that!
      He flew his own helicopter, once landing in my back garden, only narrowly missing a tree.
      He also crashed his plane at the training ground. Passengers beware, none of us would fly with him!
      One of the greatest days in his life was becoming an owner and joint-chairman of West Ham in 2010 with DS, both life-long Hammers fans.
      In 1990, before they owned Blues, together they owned 27 per cent of West Ham.
      But the club’s owners at the time would not even give them a seat at games let alone the board, so they sold their stake, sadly, after about a year.
      No wonder they had tears in their eyes when their Boleyn dream became real — two lifelong fans, two local boys made good, two best friends taking over their boyhood club.
      DG played for West Ham boys teams, but his father refused to sign the scholarship forms, said he had to get a proper job!
      The best he could do was keep a prized scrapbook of his mentions for the teams as well as the medals he won playing for the club as a lad.
      He really did love WHU, he was a supporter through and through.
      No question he was the East End boy made good. Growing up in poverty in a terrace house opposite the Boleyn Ground, he built his own retail business with his daughters by his side and eventually moved to a mansion with his own golf course.
      He has seen his club transfer successfully to the London Stadium and the Hammers growing in hunger for the big successes the Musketeers worked so hard for.
      No doubt he’ll be wearing our colours in heaven; I bet he is having a kick about with his hero Bobby Moore right now!
      Tributes have poured in from across football for him; from players, boards and managers.
      Read More on The Sun
      One of the most touching was the applause Spurs fans gave him at Crystal Palace — from our fiercest rival, he would have loved that unique act.
      For me and David Sullivan it is the end of an era. And we will miss him terribly. More

    • 275 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Karren Brady: Dele Alli should be at his peak but he’s getting booed at Besiktas, his career is a warning to youngsters

      by

      THE collapsing career of Dele Alli is a warning to every young footballer.But what kind of a warning?
      Dele Alli is struggling in Turkey as the Besiktas fans boo himCredit: Getty
      And what of the future of Aaron Ramsey?
      With Arsenal, he bordered on becoming one of those midfielders who would play great football into his late-ish 30s, like Luka Modric.
      That intimation of fame appears to have been lost as he downsizes clubs until you wonder where he will stop.
      The same is true of Dele, although he’s only 26 against Ramsey’s 32 and has already slipped into Turkish football, scrapping to be a regular first-teamer on loan with Besiktas.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      No one quite knows why this has happened.
      He has slowed from the exhilarating ball player he was in his teenage years with Spurs, a perfect contrast with Harry Kane, whose early days were nowhere near so impressive.
      But as the England captain was consolidating scoring goals for his club and country, Dele was sliding away from his World Cup 2018 place, on to Everton and then to the other side of Europe where, over Christmas, he was booed by his own crowd.
      As a Cardiff kid, Ramsey was talked of in the same terms as Dele and Arsenal were his choice among a host of Premier League clubs.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      A double leg fracture delayed his entry into the Gunners’ gallery of great players but he smashed his way into it with energy and goals to spare from 2014.
      Over the next five years he was on the FA Cup-winning side three times and was so significant for Wales in their historic Euro 2016 run to the semi-finals that he was named in the team of the tournament.
      Three years later, Juventus moved in with what clearly was an irresistible offer of a reputed £400,000 a week and the player with an engine that would have worked an airline, flew off to Italy on a four-year deal.
      Few would have guessed the then 29-year-old’s career was on a slide.
      Maybe his lifestyle isn’t what it should be but brief research uncovers nothing more than a penchant for pretty girls. If that is career-damaging, thousands of star players wouldn’t have made it.Karren Brady on Dele Alli
      But after one successful season was followed by two undistinguished, he regressed to Rangers in Scotland and then Nice, for whom he scored in the first minute of his Ligue 1 debut in August.
      Since then? Zilch.
      Ramsey played all but three minutes of Wales’ three matches at the World Cup last month.
      A man once described by Steven Gerrard as “the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League” is off the radar, perhaps soon to fetch up in the USA. Maybe Ramsey grew too old too soon.
      Dele should be at his football peak, not plodding away all but out of sight.
      Shortly after joining Spurs for £5million from MK Dons in 2015, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year in consecutive years and was also named in their Team of the Year.
      Then England called.
      The peak was the 2018 World Cup, when the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, but even then, at 22, he wasn’t quite the player he used to be.
      A season later, he was out of the squad and on the sidelines.
      That’s the stuff films are made of, except that the hero sees the error of his ways and fights his way back and into the team in the final reel, Rocky style.
      As I said, we don’t know what errors he has made or if it’s just that the motor is running out of juice early.
      Maybe his lifestyle isn’t what it should be but brief research uncovers nothing more than a penchant for pretty girls.
      Read More on The Sun
      If that is career-damaging, thousands of star players wouldn’t have made it.
      George Best did supremely well but the cause of his problems wasn’t beautiful women but booze. More

    • 250 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Freak Haaland nailed on to get 40 goals… but what can we expect from Arsenal, Newcastle and Gakpo in 2023?

      by

      HERE’S what SunSport columnist Troy Deeney is looking forward to casting his eye over in the Premier League and beyond as we hit 2023…HOW MANY RECORDS WILL ERLING HAALAND BREAK?
      Troy Deeney reckons Erling Haaland will score 40 Prem goalsCredit: Getty
      First and foremost, Haaland will be tasked with helping Manchester City chase down Arsenal at the top of the table – but he is a pure goal scorer, and will be wanting those records too.
      When I look at him and what City are doing, it is impossible to see how he doesn’t score 40 goals and that is mental to say.
      He only needs 12 more goals in 23 games to reach Mohamed Salah’s tally from last season. It isn’t even out of the blue for him to score six goals in two games.
      If he is on 35 goals heading into the last few matches of the season, I feel sorry for anyone who has to stop him. He is a freak, a lovely freak to watch.
      WILL A JANUARY SPLURGE HELP ARSENAL’S TITLE BID?
      Buying new players to bolster their squad is all well and good, but it is about bringing in new players and maintaining the consistency they have had so far this season.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      They don’t need too many additions, but if they do sign someone else, how does that dynamic change things? They have a happy squad, and you need to keep it that way.
      There is a growing expectation that Arsenal really can do it the longer they are top, and if they come out of the next month unscathed, I will start believing.
      But I just wonder that if City catch them, and I believe they can, will Arsenal recover from it? I actually feel they will finish as low as third come the end of the season.
      Deeney thinks Arsenal could finish third this season despite their flying startCredit: Getty
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      WILL SOUTHAMPTON, WOLVES AND EVERTON STEER CLEAR OF TROUBLE?
      These are the three teams that I worry about the most when I think of relegation and survival in the Prem this season.
      Most read in Football
      They are three teams who we thought could break into the top 10 for the past few years, but have they now missed that window? The bottom is now looks like where they belong.
      Two of those three have changed managers – I am really interested to see how they get on, especially Nathan Jones at Southampton and will he be given enough time to turn that club around even if they go down?
      HOW WILL CODY GAKPO SETTLE IN?
      It will be interesting to see how this signing influences Jurgen Klopp’s rotation policy with his attacking players at Liverpool, especially someone like Darwin Nunez who is going through a tough patch right now.
      Gakpo needs time to develop and grow into the striker that we all know he can become, so who will drop out every now and again from the likes of Nunez, Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino in order to give him that?
      I don’t think the kid is a No.9, but someone who could drift across all three positions up top.
      Cody Gakpo watched his new Liverpool team-mates face Leicester on Friday at AnfieldCredit: Sky Sports
      ARE LEICESTER NOW A NOTHING-TEAM?
      By their own lofty standards in recent years, they have had a poor, poor season, and it is turning into a real nothing season for them. It is just about staying up.
      But with their money issues and needing to still sell to buy, are they now just back to what they have been before the title win and FA Cup glory – a middle-of-the-road team?
      They still haven’t replaced Kasper Schmeichel, they still haven’t found a replacement for Jamie Vardy.
      The whole squad is a bit iffy at the moment, they have stagnated in the transfer window and they are where they are as a result.
      CAN NEWCASTLE CONTINUE TO SOAR?
      They have lost one game all season. To me, that’s frightening. Should they go and finish in the top three or even top two, it will be an incredible story.
      Leicester’s Prem win in 2016 still stands above everything else. No one saw that coming.
      But Newcastle would come close if they can finish the job and keep competing with the very best from where they were last year.
      Eddie Howe has built a really balanced team.
      FA CUP REPLAYS RETURNING
      Not just from a club’s perspective, but from a fan’s perspective, it brings a lot of excitement — and they are vital for teams who don’t have massive budgets.
      Portsmouth have Tottenham away. If they manage to earn a draw, then they get a big night at Fratton Park.
      Read More on The Sun
      That would probably keep them alive for another year.
      Gillingham have Leicester. Chesterfield have West Brom. Oxford have Arsenal at home. I was brought up on the FA Cup and chances like this, one replay can change their entire financial year. It can change a player’s career. It’s magic. More

    • 200 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      New Club World Cup outranks European Super League for self-preening greed, Gianni Infantino must be stopped

      by

      FIFA’s idea to stage a 32-team Club World Cup in 2025 outranks even the European Super League in self-preening greed.Fed on the success of the football in Qatar, no doubt president Gianni Infantino thinks he has timed his announcement as perfectly as Kylian Mbappe’s sliding volley in the World Cup final.
      Fifa recently announced plans for a new Club World CupCredit: Getty
      He could not be more wrong.
      Already forces which swatted aside the Super League plan, which was to be a private competition between a dozen European clubs, are preparing to go to war again.
      Infantino believes he is a special man, from his white trainers to his expenses claim for a £8,795 mattress at home.
      He is well named.
      Read More in Football
      The infantile pre-tournament rant that he felt a kinship with Qataris, gays, disabled, Africans, migrant workers and women all because he had ginger hair, made me wish Sepp Blatter was back in charge.
      Infantino got away with the most unlikely World Cup venue outside the Moon and no one challenged it.
      He has now constructed this new tournament, as unstable as a wooden house in a rotten tree and is so pleased with himself that he couldn’t wait for the World Cup to finish before he unveiled it.
      Foisted on our sport by a bunch of crooks, Qatar worked because of worldwide enthusiasm for a great competition.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      It did not work for the hundreds of migrant workers who died building the stadiums.
      Cramming it into the middle of the European season wasn’t popular, either.
      But the fact that national associations were persuaded (bullied) into it were grounds enough for similar arrangements to be put forward for this Club World Cup.
      Full of conceit, Infantino struck at the opportune moment to introduce his tournament, which he says would be played every four years and, he must have estimated, would dwarf the Champions League’s appeal and income.
      There appeared to be no thought about player exhaustion or how the lucky 32 clubs would be chosen, only hints that 13 places would go to European clubs.
      We have no further details yet but let’s say England will be granted one entrant.
      How does that come about?
      Presumably, the Premier League champions from the preceding competition would be chosen — but there must be doubts otherwise a more complete outline surely would have been announced?
      The fact Fifa have not yet announced how they will jam 48 teams into the 2026 World Cup rather supports my view that it is hit and hope.
      Still, it is possible that clubs will be selected by invitation.
      If so, you can bet Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus would receive very favourable treatment regardless of where they finish in their domestic leagues.
      This renegade trio has not given up on a European Super League because they see it as a huge money-spinner.
      And that is, despite the do-good speeches from Infantino & Co, the true motive for a Club World Cup: The billions to be made from huge attendances, TV rights and sponsorship.
      Fifa may see themselves as the United Nations of football but their ambitions are undermined by weak-kneed acceptance of Qatar’s stances and by the way in which previous committee members were corrupted.
      Read More on The Sun
      Infantino now has a third term as president and plans to remain until 2031.
      His latest grab must be defeated. More

    • 300 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Lionel Messi achieved his World Cup dream but he did not do it alone – this was the best Argentina team he’s played in

      by

      LIONEL MESSI finally got his hands on football’s greatest prize as he led Argentina to World Cup final glory against France.It is obvious and understandable that all the headlines are about him and all the spotlights are on him. 
      Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball as best player at the World CupCredit: Getty
      Messi was backed up by his team-mates as Argentina won their first World Cup since 1986Credit: Getty
      He is a breathtaking talent, and even France fans will find it hard to feel bitter about Messi’s dream coming true.
      But he did not do it alone. 
      Football is a collective sport and this always looked like the best, most functioning team that Messi has ever been part of in an Argentina shirt.
      The man of the match for the first hour was his long time team-mate Angel Di Maria.
      Read More On Messi
      When Messi and Argentina won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics it was Di Maria who scored the only goal of the final. 
      When Messi and Argentina won last year’s Copa America – a vital stepping stone on the way to this triumph – once more it was Di Maria who scored the only goal of the final. 
      And it was Di Maria who did much to befuddle the French defence. 
      This time he was used wide on the left. 
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      He often operates on the other flank, sometimes as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2 rather than as a winger. 
      He can even play in the midfield trio. 
      Whatever the team needs, he does. 
      It is hard to think of another world class player with such little ego.
      Julian Alvarez was brought into the side when it became clear that Messi would be a more sporadic figure than Argentina had planned. 
      They needed the extra mobility of the Manchester City man, a striker with the soul of a midfielder. 
      And his partnership with midfielder Enzo Fernandez, his old colleague from River Plate was vital to the campaign – and a pointer to a post-Messi future.
      Rodrigo De Paul provided midfield thrust, Alexis Mac Allister was full of subtlety and the centre back combination of Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi creaked occasionally but came through the competition better than anyone could have expected. 
      And behind them Emiliano Martinez proved to be the best goalkeeper that Argentina has produced in decades. 
      Over the course of the competition he did not have a great deal to do, but came up with vital saves in both open play – the one from Randal Kolo Muani at the end of extra time averted disaster – and in the penalty shoot outs.
      This was a team effort. 
      As a collective they had to dig deep when they could have been shattered by having victory snatched from them – in the last minutes of normal time against both Holland and France. 
      On both occasions they bounced back well in extra time, snatching back a momentum that seemed to have been stolen by the opposition. 
      For this to happen, everyone had to be on board. 
      A few moments of genius from Messi would not have been enough to guarantee the title.
      Read More on The Sun
      It is fitting, then, that the last kick, the decisive penalty that confirmed Argentina as champions of the world, came from the boot of Gonzalo Montiel, the reserve right back and one of the least glamorous players on the field. 
      It might have been Messi’s World Cup, but he could not do it alone, and there was a kind of poetry in the identity of the last Argentine to take a penalty.
      Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty in the shootoutCredit: Getty More