No-Time Tolouse For Tottenham – Alan’s Summer Sporting Diary

Summer Diary 20

Sat 10 August.

[Photo: Alan Hill]I’m starting to get those gut feelings about the Premiership. I see Chelsea as champs, with Arsenal as the wild card if they capture a world class striker this summer. Moneybags Man City buying 2nd regardless, United 3rd or worse. I think Rooney has already cost them the title and it would have been the same if Ferguson had stayed on. Mourinho’s unsettling of him is a masterstroke, whether Chelsea get him or not. Moyes has just lost his first home game, the vibes aren’t great.

Spurs 4th or 5th, Better if Bale stays and resumes his commitment to the club. If he goes, it looks like we will still have improved the squad overall, particularly if we solidify the midfield with the purchase of Etienne Capoue, the French international. Apparently Arsenal are after him too, so there is No Time Tolouse. Anyone remember the Monty Python sketch with the misspelt Terry Gilliam cartoons? No? Never mind. Google it for a laugh. For us it’s all going to depend on how quickly the new signings gel and if they can transfer their undoubted talent to the demands of Premiership football.

[Photo: Alan Hill] Is it Aaron Lennon? [Photo: Alan Hill]Greg Dyke on the World Cup

Greg Dyke has made a couple of significant statements. I am pleased to see him stick up for the England team and having the courage to point out the difficulties caused by the approach of Premiership clubs and some players to international tournaments.  Many fans will feel the same. However, the Qatar situation could undermine any good works he tries to achieve. He has come out and said that the FA oppose having the Qatar 2022 World Cup being played in June. Don’t we all?

The problem arises when he appears to acquiesce to the idea that it will probably be played in the winter. I guess he feels obliged to say that because the FA is part of the wider FIFA organisation that awarded it to Qatar in the first place.

That is going to cause huge controversy and unusually, I sympathise with Scudamore’s views on behalf of the Premier League that the disruption to successive domestic seasons is too great. Despite Qatar’s massive financial influence securing the competition, someone needs to grasp the nettle and revise the decision and advise them that it is just not on.  Sepp Blatter said he would never agree to goal line camera technology and then had to change his mind. I am sure that if they really wanted to they could find sufficient evidence to show that the original decision allocating the 2022 World Cup was flawed in the first place.

Let’s face it; the World Cup is a summer competition. It is a football competition and must be played in a location and environment that is conducive to football. That means not in the middle of the desert. It means not on the mountain slopes of the Himalayas. It means not underwater. They should make that clear before bids are invited. Otherwise the Greeks could put in a bid for it to be played in Atlantis. It would make about as much sense as playing it in Qatar.

I am always saying that players should show more respect for the national side and never refuse a call up. This is the one case when I would make an exception. I think the PFA should speak up on behalf of them all and make their position clear, now, years in advance. A statement along the lines of,  “On behalf of the young footballers who may be skilled and lucky enough to represent their country in 2022, we are concerned about the risk to their health and safety of playing competitive international football in the summer in Qatar. We are also concerned about the risks to fans in such heat. We are therefore issuing this statement now in good time, recommending that players make themselves unavailable for this tournament. We would also support them in refusing selection if the tournament is moved to the winter, due to the disruption it would cause to their Premier League careers over successive seasons and the problems it would cause for their clubs.” They could also encourage the PFAs from the leading footballing nations to take a similar stance.

If FIFA don’t back down, I don’t think it would be unreasonable or beyond the capabilities of the FA/Premier League to lead in the creation of an alternative competition for the summer of 2022, along the lines of Kerry Packer’s break away in cricket, or the current Indian Premier League.

Of course, unless the Premier League start to seriously support the FA and England instead of paying lip service to it, England won’t be qualifying anyway. Food for thought…

Espanyol

Espanyol at WHL this afternoon. Here’s hoping for an improvement over the performance in Monaco. I’ll be watching it on ITV4.

World Athletics Championships

The World Athletics Championship gets under way today. After all the wonders of the Olympics last year, I just can’t be bothered with them. The drugs have spoiled it for me. Since London, most of the top sprinters have been found to be drugs cheats and a drug cheat has even been appointed to a leading position, what kind of message does that send to youngsters? I feel sorry for Mo Farah, carrying the torch on his own, pretty much.

The Ashes

Australia were 12-2 and then at 12 noon Chris Rogers has just survived another confusing DRS review that would have been 34-3. What a shambles it’s made of cricket. Can’t you just see goal-line technology going the same way? Keep the pressure on England. Late update – guess what? Rogers goes on to get 101 not out after the fiasco earlier. Bad light stops play with the Aussies having recovered to 222-5 putting England firmly on the back foot.

Draw at White Hart Lane

The Espanyol game ends in a 1-1 draw. Spurs performance was better overall than in most of our other friendlies. Soldado scored on his debut, albeit with a penalty and looked confident. Paulinho had a headed goal disallowed for a narrow offside. Danny Rose has clearly developed during his spell at Sunderland and looked strong. Talking of strong, Dembele was back close to his unshakeable best; tackles bouncing off him. Great to see Sandro back. Chadli looking competent and Andros Townsend lively. We were suckers for failing to defend set pieces though, just like at the end of last season. We have not mastered zonal marking. Free headers galore. Ian Holloway and Premiership opponents over 5’6” will be licking their lips and rubbing their hands at the same time. That’s one win in 6. Plenty of practice needed in the coming week.