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by Barney Corkhill… 
Controversy, cheating, and conspiracy.
These have been the three buzzwords this week in football’s latest soap opera as Thierry Henry’s “Hand of Frog” put France through to the World Cup in South Africa at the expense of Ireland.
Twenty-three years after Diego Maradona made enemies with every person in England with his infamous “Hand of God”, Henry seems to have done the same with the Irish.
With the ball bouncing out of play, Henry clearly used his hand to claw it back in, before poking it across the goal to William Gallas, who headed in from a yard out.
Much to anger and astonishment of the Irish, however, the referee didn’t blow for a handball, instead awarding the goal to the French.
Understandably, everyone involved not wearing a blue shirt was incensed, and the fallout has made the back pages of newspapers all over the world.
The most recent news is that FIFA, football’s governing body, has rejected Ireland’s appeal for a replay of the match.
But should they have let another match take place?
First, I will look at the argument from the side of the Irish.
Not only did Gallas’ goal rob Ireland of a place in the World Cup for the first time since 2002, but it also robbed them of history and an awful lot of money.
The price of a World Cup campaign to the economy has been quoted as being as high as £1-2 billion, money Ireland will now have to go without. Undoubtedly, Henry’s handball is the most expensive in history.
To go out in such circumstances is incredibly galling, particularly considering they had put in so much effort just to get to that stage.
But should the size of the implications of the result have any impact on FIFA’s decision? No, I don’t think they should.
A game of football is a game of football, and controversial things happen all the time. FIFA can’t sanction a replay because then it’d be one rule for matches with a lot at stake and another for the “less important” matches.
I remember having a similar feeling at the end of the Tottenham vs Manchester United game a few years ago. In that match, you will remember, Pedro Mendes had a shot from the halfway line which clearly crossed the line after Roy Carroll’s mistake.
The referee and linesman, however, insisted that it hadn’t, and Spurs were robbed of a goal.
I distinctly remember feeling a massive sense of injustice for Tottenham at the end of that game, and I strongly believed that it should have been replayed. The match was much less important than Ireland and France’s World Cup qualifier, but FIFA has to treat them both the same.
The laws of the game are the laws of the game, be it at Sunday league level, Premier League level or international level.
Did England get a replay against Argentina for Maradona’s handball? No. Unless FIFA want to set a new precedent that they will follow thereafter, they have to abide by their rules.
Under the circumstances, then, the match couldn’t have been replayed, and FIFA made the only reasonable decision. I do, however, think that a change of rules should be thought about.
A post-match panel of officials could look at any controversial decisions and decide what action should be taken. Whether this action could be extended as far as a replay in extreme circumstances is up for debate.
What it could include, though, is a citing system similar to that in rugby, where a player can be penalised after the match for incidents the referee has missed or misjudged the seriousness of.
Would this be applicable to Thierry Henry though?
Well, to answer that it must be established whether he handled the ball on purpose.
Henry has since admitted the ball hit his hand, although he insists it was accidental, and has apologised and even said a rematch would be the fairest option.
But replays suggest he did handle the ball on purpose.
When it first strikes his arm, it looks like a natural reflex action, but then he seems to scoop the ball back into play with his hand.
He knew he was cheating at the time, but I don’t think he was thinking of the consequences of his actions or the major ramifications they would have.
He instinctively tried to keep the ball in play and create a chance for his team. Yes, this is technically cheating, but it is no worse than diving or any other form of bending the rules for your own gain.
Henry is unfortunate that his actions have been magnified due to the importance of the game, and I don’t think he would have been cited had the system been in play.
Should he have owned up? In a perfect world, yes, but he can’t be expected to. Incidents like Paolo Di Canio catching the ball because the opposition goalkeeper was injured are heart-warming moments, but they are most certainly the exception to the rule.
So is Henry a cheat? I suppose that, by the letter of the law, he did cheat, but I would have done the same and so, I’m sure, would most of the Irish bemoaning the hand of Henry.
The match, it must be remembered, was as important to France as it was to Ireland. If you had a chance to slightly bend the rules if it meant going to the World Cup finals, would you do it? I know I would.
On that point, would Ireland be so accepting of a replay if it was Robbie Keane who handled and they who had progressed?
The incident also opened up the seemingly endless video technology debate, which I will be discussing in a future article.
It also caused several members of the Ireland set-up to question whether FIFA favour the bigger, more glamorous nations, an argument spurred on by the seeding of the qualifying teams.
This ensured the likes of Portugal and France wouldn’t meet each other, instead getting potentially easier ties.
Viewers in neutral countries would rather see Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry than Richard Dunne and Damien Duff, that is a fact, but favouritism cannot be spawned from greed and potential money-making.
Whether or not FIFA planned, or rather expected the bigger teams to go through will be cause for argument until the World Cup kicks-off, but for now, the Irish just have to lick their wounds and get on with it.
I sympathise with them, I really do. I can imagine the whole country is printing off pictures of Henry to stick on their dartboards, and I would be doing the same if England were in their position, but I don’t blame Henry for doing what he did and I certainly don’t blame FIFA for not allowing a replay.
In fact, the only people that can be held responsible are the officials. Ireland were just unlucky that they were stuck with a referee and linesman who, like Robbie Keane and co., won’t be making the trip to South Africa.
by Barney Corkhill… The Greatest Ever series is back! In this installment I look at the greatest defensive midfielders to ever play football.
A few months ago, I wrote a list of the top 10 central midfielders of all time in which the majority of players were attacking. This led to requests to do a separate defensive midfielders list, so here I go!
Enjoy!
10. Diego Simeone (ARG)
When Simeone’s name is mentioned here in England, one’s mind is immediately cast back to the 1998 World Cup, where he deliberately got David Beckham sent-off. While this is a black mark on his career, he more than balances it out with the amount of accolades he has amounted throughout his career.
While he was considered something of a journeyman at club level, never playing more than 100 league games for any one club, at international level he was a fixture in the Argentinian side.
He won 106 caps, breaking a record previously held by Diego Maradona, on his way to helping Argentina to two Copa America titles. He also won a La Liga title, a Serie A title, a Spanish Cup, an Italian Cup, and a UEFA Cup during his illustrious career.
9. Dunga (BRA)
Dunga faced stiff competition from fellow countrymen Mauro Silva and Zito for his spot on this list, but his overall importance to a star-studded Brazilian side just gave him the edge.
Another player who featured more prominently at international level than club level, Dunga won 91 caps for Brazil, captaining them to World Cup glory in 1994 and another final four years later.
Despite facing critics for his “Un-Brazilian” style early on in his career, Dunga’s continued effort, determination, and desire won over his sceptics as he became a vital member of a team containing Romario, Ronaldo, Cafu, and Roberto Carlos, among others.
8. Graeme Souness (SCO)
Ask any Liverpool fan who the key players were during the Bob Paisley era and Souness’ name will always be one of the first mentioned. The tough-tackling Scot provided vital presence, intimidation, and quality in the Liverpool midfield.
Throughout his career, Souness won five First Division titles, three European Cups, four League Cups, and an Italian Cup in addition to 54 Scotland caps.
As well as being one of the best midfielders to play in English football, Souness was also one of the hardest. You could be sure when you faced him that there would be no quarter given or asked.
7. Edgar Davids (NED)
Edgar Davids is one of the most instantly recognisable players of all time due to his dread-locked hair and protective glasses. He didn’t waste the spotlight that came with this attention either.
He quickly gained a reputation as a typical defensive midfielder, breaking up the play before launching an attack for his own team. Such was his tenacity in doing so that he was nicknamed “The Pitbull” by Ajax manager Louis van Gaal.
In a trophy-laden career, Davids won three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Cup, three Serie A titles, and an Italian Cup. Internationally he won 74 caps for Holland.
6. Didier Deschamps (FRA)
Didier Deschamps was the “water-carrier” of the French side as they embarked on their “golden generation”. Every team needs one, and Deschamps carried out his task to perfection, doing all the unseen, dirty work before giving the ball to the headline-makers such as Zinedine Zidane, Eric Cantona, and Thierry Henry.
Despite this, his value to the team wasn’t ignored as he was named as captain for the successful 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 campaigns. At the time of his retirement from international football, Deschamps was France’s highest capped player ever, with 103.
His club career was laced with silverware too, as he helped his respective clubs to two Ligue 1 titles, two Serie A titles, an Italian Cup, an FA Cup, and two Champions Leagues titles.
5. Patrick Vieira (FRA)
However good Deschamps was individually, he was ably assisted by two other great defensive midfielders, the first of which was Patrick Vieira. The lanky Frenchman offered everything the shorter Deschamps didn’t, forming a formidable partnership.
Vieira went on to eclipse Dechamps, however, winning 107 international caps thus far, as well as being part of the same World Cup and European Championships winning squads.
At club level, Vieira came to prominence with Arsenal, winning three Premier League titles, including captaining the “Invincibles”, and four FA Cups. Elsewhere, Vieira has won four Serie A titles, although one of these was revoked due to Juventus’ match fixing scandal.
4. Claude Makelele (FRA)
The third Frenchman in a row on this list is the token unsung hero. For years, Claude Makelele was under-appreciated, so much so that Real Madrid let him go to Chelsea instead of increasing his wages.
It was at Chelsea that everyone saw what a quality player he was. In many ways he was the perfect defensive midfielder, simply winning the ball and making a short pass to keep possession. He was so successful in this position that it is now known as the “Makelele role”.
During his career, Makelele won a Ligue 1 title, two La Liga titles, two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and a Champions League. He made 71 appearances for France, including helping them to the 2006 World Cup final.
3. Roy Keane (IRE)
Few men encompass the phrase “fighting spirit” as much as Roy Keane, who became a talisman for Manchester United during the most successful period in the club’s history.
His duels with fellow great Patrick Vieira are legendary, as are his crunching tackles and short fuse. Behind all the aggression, however, was a player of immense quality, with Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledging him as the greatest player he has ever coached.
Under his leadership, United won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cup titles, and a Champions League. He later won a Scottish League title and Cup with Celtic, as well as winning 66 Republic of Ireland caps.
2. Frank Rijkaard (NED)
While Johan Cruyff led the first era of “Total Football”, Frank Rijkaard, along with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten brought it back. This Dutch triumvirate became the dominant force in both international and club football.
His time at AC Milan and role in the 1988 European Championships brought him to worldwide acclaim as he fast became regarded as one of the best players on the planet.
During his club career he won five Dutch league titles, three Dutch Cups, two Serie A titles, a Cup Winners’ Cup, and three Champions League titles. He made 73 caps for Holland, including playing an integral part in the triumphant 1988 European Championships.
1. Lothar Matthaus (GER)
Matthaus was the only defensive midfielder to make it on to the original central midfielders list, and it’s not hard to see why. His five World Cup campaigns remains a record for an outfield player, as does his 25 World Cup appearances.
During his club career, Matthaus won seven Bundesliga titles, three German Cups, a Serie A title, and two UEFA Cup titles. Internationally, he helped Germany to the 1980 European Championships, and led them to World Cup success ten years later.
Matthaus went on to win 150 caps for Germany, a record which still stands today. He was also awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1990 and became the first player to be named FIFA World Player of the Year one year later. At the age of 38, Matthaus proved his immense longevity by being named the German Player of the Year for a second time.
Lothar Matthaus—the greatest defensive midfielder of all time!
by Barney Corkhill… “Who is the best player in the world?”
This question is often asked in footballing circles, with the candidates changing on a regular basis. The current nominations include the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka.
However, when it comes to who is the biggest footballer in the world, the candidates are few and far between.
First, what do I mean by “biggest?”
No, I’m not talking about the tallest, before I get any smart comments on this piece saying, “Cristiano Ronaldo’s bigger, he’s over 6′!”
I’m talking about the most well-known, commercially viable footballers—the footballers who have taken their stardom and created a worldwide brand.
Only a handful of players have ever reached the very highest level in this field. In some ways, this commercial success can cement a player’s legacy and cause them to live long into the memory of everyone who knew about them.
For example, Pele was seen as commercially viable, and as such was sold as a massive draw-card and a global superstar.
Garrincha, on the other hand, was far from commercially viable. His low IQ, his defects, and his sheer naivety made him a no-go for many of the commercial aspects of the game.
Despite being considered on a par with Pele in terms of his ability, he is often forgotten from the elite in football history, merely because he wasn’t as well known.
However, this commercial success could arguably be a detriment too. David Beckham is considered a celebrity now, leading many to forget what a fantastic footballer he was and still is.
Beckham’s big-name status was confirmed when he left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003. The £23 million transfer fee was repaid within days from shirt sales in Asia alone.
Similarly, the exceptional reception at Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid presentation on Monday seemed to confirm his joining of this elite group.
Over 70,000 fans are reported to have turned up to see his unveiling, more than Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Figo, or any of the other Galacticos.
In fact, the only player to have drawn more fans to his presentation is Diego Maradona, when he drew 75,000 after signing for Napoli.
It is safe to assume, then, that Ronaldo is now the biggest individual sporting entity in the world.
But is he as big as Beckham was when he left Manchester United?
I don’t think so.
A week or so ago, while at Glastonbury Festival, me and a few of my mates were asking who was truly an A-list celebrity, known all around the world, and we came up with a surprisingly short list.
Michael Jackson was in there, a choice cemented by the reaction to his death later that day, as were the Beatles, Barack Obama, and Beckham.
Ronaldo was not, and to be honest, I can’t see him coming anywhere near that level.
Will there ever be a film making cultural references to Ronaldo that even non-football fans would understand, like there was with Bend It Like Beckham? I doubt it.
Neither Curl It Like Cristiano nor perhaps the more appropriate Cry Like Cristiano have the same ring to it.
The reason I ask this question is because of the importance it holds to Real Madrid.
Many may not see the commercial aspect as important, but for Florentino Perez’s master plan, it is vital. Somehow, he has to make £80 million back from Ronaldo’s transfer.
A lot of that will be made through shirts, merchandise, and other factors that will only become relevant if Ronaldo is commercially successful as Beckham was.
However, even if Ronaldo was as big as Beckham, the sheer scale of the transfer fee, and the subsequent wages, would mean a lot more fans would have to buy into the Real Madrid franchise.
This, coupled with the need to recoup Kaka’s enormous transfer fee as well, could prove difficult, even for someone of Perez’s business acumen.
The Galactico idea is as much about success off the pitch as it is on it, and Ronaldo has a huge billing to live up to in both aspects.
Is he up to it? Time will tell.
Does he have the same appeal as David Beckham? Not in my opinion, but their careers have taken very similar paths up to this point, and if that continues, Perez may have struck gold once again.
By Barney Corkhill… As you all would have heard by now, Manchester United have accepted a world-record £80 million bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
That’s right, Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently only worth £20 million less than Newcastle United!
Unless Ronaldo does something miraculous and actually sticks to his word after saying he was happy at United and will be there next season, Madrid would have added another Galactico to their ranks just days after securing the transfer of Kaka.
The deal would mean that Madrid have broken the world record transfer fee twice in the last three days, a definite exclamation of intent.
These transfers come a little over a week after Gareth Barry left for Manchester City, meaning that, by the 11th June, the three biggest transfer sagas of recent times are already over.
Last summer, the main talk was about Ronaldo and Barry, while in January it was Kaka that filled the most column inches.
So the question that raises is…what on earth are the journalists in the papers, or indeed the budding journalists here on Bleacher Report, going to write about this summer?
With Ronaldo out of the question, Barry out of the question, Kaka out of the question, and Real Madrid’s manager out of the question, there is nothing left to write about for the speculative writers!
Unfortunately, this will probably lead to more sensationalist rumours and sagas than usual.
No doubt Liverpool will have to sell Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, and their half of the Mersey river simply to stay afloat and not “do a Leeds.”
Rafael Benitez will also become Chelsea’s new manager after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked for losing his first preseason game in charge, before Benitez himself gets the boot for failing to win the prestigious Community Shield.
Speculation will be rife to his successor before Arsene Wenger, who has meanwhile been linked to the vacant Liverpool post and the not-so-vacant Real Madrid, Tottenham, and France posts, steps up to the plate.
Wenger won’t last long, though, as defeat in his fourth match means Chelsea lose their most prized possession, the UWCC title.
Emmanuel Adebayor will have agreed personal terms with AC Milan, but then the horrible realisation that he will actually have to move, something he doesn’t take too kindly to, would creep up on him, prompting to offer his services as an Emmanuel Adebayor tribute statue outside the Emirates.
Finally, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, and Chuck Norris (in that order) would have been added to Real Madrid’s Galactico list, each breaking the new world-record transfer budget before they realise there is a recession going on.
OK, so maybe things won’t get that speculative. After all, we still have Carlos Tevez, right?
By Barney Corkhill… Yesterday afternoon saw the end of an era for the Premier League and, in particular, Newcastle United.
After 16 years as a top flight club, in which they had challenged for the title, Newcastle’s fate was sealed with a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, condemning them to Championship football next season.
Newcastle’s Premier League era began with a legend, or rather, a “Messiah” and finished in the same vain.
Kevin Keegan’s first reign as manager brought with it the golden age of the modern era, as they came within touching distance of a first piece of silverware since the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup of 1969.
The thought that Alan Shearer could have repeated those heroics by achieving safety was wishful thinking by those still clinging to the days when Shearer was their goal-scoring hero.
A few weeks ago, B’R’s David Gore coined the phrase “Messiahs before managers” and I can’t sum it up better.
Since Mike Ashley lost the fans’ support, that has been the philosophy he has stuck by.
When Sam Allardyce was leading Newcastle to a now enviable 11th place in the league, the confusingly spoilt fans chanted “You don’t know what you’re doing” to him.
I say confusingly spoilt because they have no reason to be so. Yes, they have a rich history with players like Jackie Milburn, Paul Gascoigne, and Alan Shearer himself, and a great stadium, but, when it comes to a bragging contest, they haven’t had any ammo for 40 years now.
In fact, before Allardyce they had Glenn Roeder and Graeme Souness in charge, neither of whom excelled Allardyce’s achievements.
Why, then, did those brainless fans berate Allardyce so readily?
Simple. Newcastle fans are among the worst in England.
Let me explain that statement before I cause uproar amongst any reading Geordies.
Newcastle fans are often considered among the best fans in the country, along with those of Liverpool and Portsmouth. And, at times, this is more than justified.
However, it all depends on whether or not they take a liking to the man in charge. If they do, then they will be the most loyal fans you come across. This has been seen in recent times with the second coming of Keegan and currently with the management of Shearer.
If they don’t like the man in charge, see Allardyce, Souness, and to a certain extent Joe Kinnear, although I think he won them over a bit, they can be hugely detrimental.
During his tenure at Newcastle, Allardyce won 34 points in 24 games, an average of 1.4 per game. This would have given them a total of 54 points this season, a tally that would have been enough to secure them European football.
Sam Allardyce did know what he was doing.
In comparison, Keegan won 24 points in his 21 games, an average of 1.1 point per game (enough for a 13th place finish), while Shearer won just five points from his eight games in charge, an average of 0.63 points per game, which would have secured them just 24 points over a whole season, a bottom place finish.
Alan Shearer is the man who doesn’t know what he is doing.
So why don’t the Newcastle faithful get on his back?
Messiahs before managers.
I truly believe Mike Ashley only hired Alan Shearer to get the fans off his back following Keegan’s departure. The fans can be Newcastle’s biggest help, but also their biggest hindrance.
So does the blame lie with the fans?
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