Suarez Ban is Right, FA Inconsistency is Wrong

Lets get one thing straight. It is not the length of this ban that it is wrong it is the FA bans that have preceded it that are the major problem. I am a United fan so I am going to try and put this across as unbiased as possible.

There is no doubt Luis Suarez is an incredible footballer and will be a huge loss to Liverpool over the next 10 games. I personally don't think that he should be thrown out of the game as some have suggested but helped with the clear issues he has with containing his anger. In fairness he isn't the only player with anger issues. As many people are quick to point out United have had Cantona, Keane and to some extent Rooney who have committed acts of aggression that have shocked football.

The problem here is that Suarez is a repeat offender. He has already been banned once before for biting an opponent and seemingly has not learn from his mistake. Therefore this ban has to be harsher in order to really drive the point home.

But I do understand Liverpool fans' frustrations. When you see other players like Defoe getting off for the same offence with a yellow card, it can be a bitter pill to swallow and would leave you feeling hard done by.

Then there is the racism bans. These are what have really escalated the issue. They should have been longer in my opinion for both Suarez and John Terry and I do think the FA have been corrupt in their handling of Terry's case as he should have at least served the same suspension as Suarez did for what essentially is the exact same offence.

For years now the FA have been bungling up their disciplinary processes and I can even see why Pepe Reina launched his tirade against them for having double standards. It is true that the FA have appealed against bans that are correct against Wayne Rooney just so that he can play in a major tournament.

There seems to be a huge problem with football's governing bodies. Whether it is Sepp Blatter at FIFA and his suggestions of settling arguments that have involved racism with handshakes or the FA and their complete inability to get things right on any issue.

One thing that certainly needs removing in my opinion is this ridiculous 'if the referee has seen it and acknowledged it we can't act on it' stance that they take. Sergio Aguero produced one of the most disgusting tackles I have seen on a football pitch for a long time yet has not received a ban and there are other instances where the FA have decided to play dumb to obvious punishable offences.

Eden Hazards kicking of a ball boy is another example. Admittedly there was minimal contact and some would argue the ball boy deserved it but in all honesty there should have been further sanctions for the offence.

The truth is the FA's inconsistency has provided the fuel Liverpool FC's fans need to complain about the ban on Suarez. If they handed out these sort of bans on a more consistent basis then few could complain when a repeat offender receives such a high ban. The buck stops with the powers that be and until they get their act together this sort of outrage will continue to rumble on.

The light at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool is by taking  the example of Cantona. He used to play on a similar edge as Suarez before the infamous kung fu kick. He was sensational to watch but at times a real liability when it came to ill discipline. When he returned from his 8 month ban he was by far a better player and at times single handedly dragged us to the league and cup double in 1995/1996. 

The only way to really punish a footballer of Suarez's or Cantona's stature and ability is to take away the one thing that means the most to them and that is not £200,000 of their money, which has gone to a fantastic cause by the way, but the right to play football, the game they love, for a sustained period of time. As Suarez has said already, he is destroyed by the ban so hopefully this will sway him from committing similar offences in the future through fear of ever losing time on the football pitch again.

As for the FA, well one of the things that I think will help their public image regarding their disciplinary process in the future is the release of guidelines which show what offences constitute what length of ban. Racism in my opinion, and this is at the very harsh end because I truly detest it, should be a life ban. If a fan racially abuses a player at a game, they would be banned for life from attending games. I don't see how you can enforce  that and not issue the same punishment for the player regardless of who that player is or who he plays for.

Welsh Experience the Key to England Annihilation

Yesterday came and went in the blink of an eye for the English rugby team. What promised to be a glorious indication of Stuart Lancaster's progress as the head coach, ended up being a nightmare and a shot in the arm for the realist.

When it all boils down to it, Wales were by far and beyond the better team. There has been some arguments that England's number one fan Steve Walsh, reffed the men in white out of the game but in truth this is only a veil for the battered pride of the once impregnable England front row. And what about the domination in the backline? There is no way you can put that down to the man in the middle.

Truth be told there were two defining differences between the English and the Welsh yesterday. The first being motivation. It was all too clear from the word go that the home side were fired up for this game. Don't forget, after a humbling defeat against the Irish, they had a point to prove as a unit.

When they lost that day, and throughout their awful run through the winter, we heard how it was down to the injuries and that things would be different when their star players returned. For Wales they had to beat the English just to prove this point alone.

Secondly, and probably the biggest difference between the two sides is experience. Since the final whistle was blown I have seen a lot of Welsh people miss the point with the English effort by calling the useless and soft. Bragging rights can and always will cloud the brain and provide disorientated judgments.

The fact of the matter is England are still a young and developing rugby side, whereas a full strength Wales team are a side who have got into the habit of winning big games in the Northern Hemisphere. That experience told in what was a comprehensive and at times dazzling display of Welsh dominance that England could not compete with.

So what should be the conclusions that are taken this tournament? Forget who should go on the Lions tour, those questions will answer themselves nearer the time. For Wales the conclusion is that they are at this time, and by some distance, the best side in the northern hemisphere. The challenge for Howley and the imminently returning Gatland is now to move forward with this and progress on the World scene.

When they next match up against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa next they must be looking to win and affirm their place at the top table of the game. If they don't it will be the biggest waste of potential the sport has seen since New Zealand throughout the 90's and early 2000's.

For England the conclusion is not as bleak as our welsh friends are writing it to be. The positives are that we won 4 on the bounce without perhaps ever really playing that well. Yesterdays defeat must be treated as a lesson. The sort of lesson that even Sir Clive Woodward had to overcome on his way to leading his side to World Cup glory.

They are starting to formulate a skeleton to work around and as they play more games against top quality opposition, more results like the win over New Zealand in the autumn will follow.

But we must do something about our struggling back three. Ashton has to be dropped for him to rekindle his form, Wade and Varndell need opportunities to assess whether or not they can produce their club form at international level.

More importantly, England need to remember that the whole point of Lancaster's mission is to build for 2015. With two years to go, we are progressing, getting stronger and learning lessons both good and harsh. All of this will put us in good stead moving forward and next year England should be targeting revenge and the ending of their Welsh hoodoo and in due course the taking of the Six Nations crown.

These mission statements alone show the difference. Wales are chasing progress to catch the South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders, whilst England are chasing the Welsh. It will be interesting to see, this time next year, who has achieved their objectives.

What's Happening at Arsenal?

As a Manchester United fan I can't help look at what is going on with Arsenal and think what has happened?  Just 10 years ago this summer, Arsene Wenger was gearing his side up to go a full league season unbeaten, now there is an air of uncertainty over his future and the club looks at times to be in complete disarray.

Part of me is relieved at this, as it has removed a potential challenger to the throne of Premier League champions leaving us only to deal with our noisy neighbours. But part of me sympathises and misses the intense rivalry that a fixture against the Gunners would bring.

In 2006 they were Champions League finalists and known throughout Europe as being one to avoid in the draw. Their slick style of football used to tear defences to shreds and they were spearheaded by arguably the greatest striker to play in the modern day Premiership, Thierry Henry.

Now they are being made to look like rank amateurs by a team that in all honesty are a great side but perennial underachievers. There is a growing unrest with the supporters and some are even calling for the once untouchable Arsene Wenger to be sacked.

But this is the problem with modern football. Everyone has an opinion but very few are grateful for what they have. When the now legendary Sir Alex Ferguson first took the hot seat at Old Trafford, things started grimly  and after 3 years unrest grew among supporters who were fed up of watching their bitter rivals Liverpool win everything.

His head was called for and at one game a banner was unfurled at Old Trafford saying "Three years of excuses and it's still crap...ta-ra Fergie.". Yet the United board, to their credit decided to back the man they brought in from Aberdeen and now they can look back with pride at their decision.

In Wenger's case he messed things up from day one by having an immediate and highly successful impact on a club that up until that point had been labelled boring and had gone 6 seasons without even competing for a league title. Admittedly they enjoyed domestic cup successes in 1993 and captured the Cup Winners Cup in 1994 but lets face it for a club of Arsenal's stature if they are not competing in the league then they are underachieving.

The point I am trying to make is Wenger didn't have the slow and fruitless start to his Arsenal reign that Ferguson did at United. He gave the fans what they wanted there and then and then continued to sustain it with top 2 finishes for the following seasons before building a team that couldn't be beaten in the 2003/04 season.

Fast forward to now and he is facing an eighth season without a trophy. Is it time to sack Wenger? Well I would argue no. Things have changed behind the scenes at Arsenal drastically. David Dein who continually backed Wenger throughout the glory years is no longer there and now they have the same frustrating thing as Liverpool and so many other clubs have had, an American on their board.

Financially he has had money to spend but only on the basis he cashes in on his prize assets first to make room. It is evident that Wenger was in the process of building another invincible team but for this policy. Had he been able to hold on to his talent his team could well have looked like this Szczęsny, Clichy, Vermaelen,Sagna, Fabregas, Wilshere, Song, Walcott, Cazorla, Van Persie and Podolski with Diaby et al in reserve. The majority of these players have now moved on or are rotting in a squad that is consistently having to be reinforced by youth instead of the top talent thanks to the boards restrictions on what Wenger can do in the market.

Now the board are promising fresh cash to spend in the summer. Anyone who suggests Wenger is not the man to spend it should remember that over the years he has signed Viera, Henry, Anelka, Overmars, Petit, Van Persie, Walcott, Fabregas and the rest. Who's to say that now he finally has the financial backing of his board without having to sell his best players, that Wenger can't rebuild and go again. 

So now is the time to go out there and get behind the manager who gave you endless success through the latter part of the 90's and early 00's instead of booing him. Repay the manager for all he has done in the past and give him next season to reward you for your loyalty. If he flops next season, then enough should surely be enough.

The Fall of England's Greatest

Over the past couple of days/weeks/months/years it has been pointed out to me more and more that I like to talk, share my opinions and have a good rant about everything that is anything. So much more so that I have taken it upon myself to put my thoughts down into words and start a blog.

With that said it was strange then that I found it difficult to come up with my first topic when it came to starting to actually write my blog. There is plenty going on in the world at the moment, what with Richard III being found in a car park in Leicestershire and Peter Odemwingie refusing to leave a car park in West London last week and all that is going on in the fight to allow equal marriage.

But I guess the thing that really caught my eye this week and really provoked my thoughts was the re-emergence of everyone's favourite football hero Paul Gascoigne.

Less than a week on from one of our other national treasures announcing that he would be donating his undoubtedly over generous salary to a children's charity, Gascoigne or 'Gazza' as he is affectionately known to the nation has reared his head once more in his never-ending battle with the booze.

Now before I get started here don't get me wrong I sympathise greatly with the guy when it comes to his deterioration. I remember growing up as a youngster and watching this incredibly gifted, bleach blonde haired genius score, what is to me one of my favourite England goals, behind a last minute free kick scored by the previously alluded to David Beckham, to secure a memorable win against the Scots at Euro 96.

Gazza had everything as a player, style, skill, a deadly eye for goal and an undeniable passion to represent his country at the sport he loved. The comparison with the late great George Best is uncanny, although for me Best is still the greatest player to have lived (If Pele says that then who are we to argue).

It's just a shame that this comparison continues further than just with his on pitch playing ability because for all the wonderful memories of great goals and match winning performances, I also remember watching Gascoigne throw it all away. And  what for? The premature and perhaps unfair end to his England career? For people to consistently use this as an excuse for what proceeded Glenn Hoddle's decision to leave him out of the squad for the World Cup in 1998, should try taking a look at someone like Rio Ferdinand.

Here we have a player who's only obvious crime to cost him his place as a regular international was the temerity to be the brother of the man racially abused by the seemingly in-disposable former England captain John Terry.

Yet Ferdinand has dealt with it, not by going off the rails, or hitting the local bars to drown his sorrows. He has stayed with his club and continued to produce exemplary performances at the very height of English football and has had to deal with some tough injury lay offs on the way. 

What is the difference? Most people will say that it is that he made the decision to join Manchester United when given the chance whereas Gazza passed that up, and therefore benefited from the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson. But in truth that is only, if, buts or maybes.

The true difference is 'will'. Ferdinand, don't forget, was also banned for missing a drugs test for a lengthy 8 month period where it would have been easy for him to turn to the drink but again during a difficult time in his career he had the will to stay focused on what was important.

Paul Gascoigne sadly doesn't have that. He has the support of the whole nation, which Ferdinand doesn't, yet he still doesn't have the will to stay clean and sort his life out.

Now he has been bailed out by his old friend Chris Evans and a few others, most notably Ronnie Irani, Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan. Make no mistake about it these men obviously care for the man they can call a friend but surely their companionship and closeness could help him far more than sending him to the US for more rehab.

The best quote to sum up the situation with Gazza came through Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers Association, when he was questioned by former footballer Peter Schmeichel over stepping in and helping the lost superstar.

His response was: "There isn't a player we've done more for over my time at the PFA. In fact, we've been criticised for doing as much as we have, because he has not made the improvements that some of our other members have."

That is the hard-line fact there for those who argue that this man wants to be helped. If he truly wanted it, he would have accepted it on one of the countless times he was offered it and not wasted time that could have been spent on others who needed it.

Now we are told to pray for Gazza, and we have to listen once more to those who are helping him such as Piers Morgan preach through Twitter that we should sympathise with him and get behind him when in reality our sympathy and support can be directed to far more worthwhile people in the world who suffer from terminal illnesses such as cancer, leukaemia and heart disease to name but a few, and who are not lucky enough to have their futures in their own hands.

In my case for instance I have over the past year and a half lost people close to me through the effects of a stroke and heart disease and most recently cancer. I would much rather spend my time reading about money, enthusiasm and time being spent helping people who are battling to overcome these illnesses than read about a former footballer, turned wife beater not battle alcoholism.

For me it is an insult to call alcoholism a disease. I read a far more accurate description in a tweet that summed it up perfectly when it said that it wasn't a condition you wake up with one day like cancer or heart disease. It is a dependency that grows through exposure to excess over an extended period of time.

Although I may not appreciate it as a disease, I do however appreciate the seriousness of its nature and I know of people who have both beaten it and let it beat them. There is one thing that separated those people and it is Will.

Gazza is a man who has children and a young 7 year old nephew who has in recent times signed to his beloved Newcastle United. If that can't give him purpose or motivation  to sort out his life, it doesn't matter how much money his big earning, showbiz friends throw at him. He will lose his battle and the world will look back and remember Gazza for less than what he truly was, and that was possibly the most gifted English footballer of all time.