For three years we have witnessed him at St. James’ Park, elbow resting almost jauntily against the dugout roof, history and passion at one with dignity. This is the demeanour of a man, searching for the football moment of pure joy and liberation, when heaven smiles and the gods of football shine down upon St. James Park. But on a sombre Saturday, after an untimely Champions League elimination, the knight’s hair looked whiter, the wrinkles etched more deeply, the Robson sparkle absent. For the hero, bleeding black and white blood, the sight of some of his expensive acquisitions refusing to […]

It’s ten games into the League One season and Leeds United remain unbeaten. Nine wins and a draw. Three points off the play-offs. This for a team docked fifteen points at the start of the season. Many pundits thought that the fifteen point penalty would send Leeds spiraling into League Two and beyond. A point of no return. But what if the points deduction was a catalyst to success? That the Football League handed Leeds United a powerful focus. A motivational tool that every manager craves for. An enemy to unite his team. A THEM! A THEM is an opposing […]

‘The difference wasn’t necessarily technical. It was about belief’. The words of Hull City manager Phil Brown after their four goal defeat to Chelsea. So what Phil really means is that Chelsea had four times the belief that Hull City did. Belief means that you don’t stand and watch whilst the opposition demonstrate how good they are. It’s about imposing yourself on the game. Remember the belief that Wimbledon had when they shocked the football world in the 1988 FA Cup Final. They exuded no doubt. They backed themselves. They backed each other. They knew that their team-spirit was second […]

So what now for Chelsea after the departure of Jose Mourinho? Two scenarios present themselves. The first is that the club goes from strength to strength. The players, under a new manager, play the brand of stylish Champions League winning football the owner dreams of. The second is that, the players, feeling sorry for themselves, simply fall back into the Premier League pack and the dream fades. So – which will it be? The answer partly depends on how the players respond to Mourinho’s departure. If he has created a culture full of self-leaders, charged with making their own decisions, […]

Having won nothing since 1991, to narrowly miss the play offs was an achievement to be lauded, but it cannot be enough for the club with the largest fan base outside the premier league. This season, pundits were predicting a possible return to the Premier League. But, four games into the Championship season, and Sheffield Wednesday are without a point. Four games; four defeats. Although earlier season form may not be an accurate herald of what could follow, it generates, nevertheless, uncertainty and lack of objectivity. We might want to describe such a state as an equation: high expectancy + […]

So Derby County are out of the Carling Cup after conceding goals late into full time and extra time. But why should a Premiership side be prone to the concession of last minute goals against Championship opposition? When a side starts conceding last minute goals its a sure sign of over-anxiety. A team that has forgotten how to win. Which Derby have. Last years Championship play-off final probably seems a lifetime ago now. The intensity of the Premiership quickly establishes new habits and patterns. Including losing. With defeat comes lack of confidence. With the lack of confidence grows doubt. Doubt of course, […]

A home defeat for Birmingham. Craig Bellamy winning a controversial penalty for the Hammers. Steve Bruce is less than impressed. ‘Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree, but the small clubs don’t seem to get those decisions’. It’s interesting language from the Birmingham manager. Bruce is drawing on the classic ‘us against them’ psychology. Little old us fighting against the odds. Against the authorities. Against the big boys. It’s designed to create an enemy. An easy focus for his team. But can you imagine Roy Keane saying this about Sunderland? Calling Sunderland a small club? They may be compared to […]

After tonights game against Everton, Tottenham are bottom of the league. Played two – lost two. It’s no cause for alarm – yet. But it’s not what the faithful were expecting. Those expectations. How they weigh on the shoulders of this team. Being bottom is a good place at the moment for Tottenham. The expectations may start to lift. Then these players can start to express themselves. At the moment it’s all too much. Like Stephen Ames partnering Tiger Woods. Too many people scrutinising your game. No place to make mistakes. This isn’t fun anymore. Martin Jol has to find […]

With the cheque-book out in the close season, there has been much speculation concerning Tottenham’s ability to finally break the dominance of the top four. Martin Jol’s spending confirms ambition. Thus expectations are high at White Hart Lane. Those expectations brings pressure. Pressure brings fear of making mistakes. Expectations. Pressure. Fear. Not a formula to crack the code of Champions League Qualification. To do that will require a bit more daring. A bit more belief. Forget about the pressure of qualifying for the Champions League. Set out to play a brand of football that is worthy of the Champions League. That allows the players to express […]

It’s the Norwich City pre-season squad photo and there is no sign of Youssef Safri. For manager Peter Grant it’s the final straw. ‘I’ve hid behind it for a long time. So many things have been going on. If you don’t want to be here, it makes my decision easier’. It tells us something about how tolerant Peter Grant is. ‘I’ve hid behind it for a long time’. Why? And at what price? When England were building their rugby World Cup winning squad of 2003, Sir Clive Woodward and his team imposed a strict code. If you were late for […]