Bleacher Report - World Soccer

Hull City's Jimmy Bullard a Banker For Barclays

Carolina Tiger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:21:57 -0500

It was announced today that Hull City's Jimmy Bullard was the recipient of this month's Barclays Player of the Month Award.

Bullard had put in some inspirational performances for the Tigers since his return from a long-standing knee injury that saw him miss all but 37 minutes of last season for the Tigers.

Since returning to fitness Bullard has scored two first team goals in four games and assisiting in almost all of the Tiger's recent goals. He has helped to lead the Tigers to a four-game unbeaten run that has carried the East Yorkshire club four points clear of the relegation zone.

This was Bullard's first Barclays Player of the Year Award.

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Arsenal Seeks Potential Prospects to Re-enforce Its Lineup

robin s — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:12:10 -0500

yet another season is hampered by injuries and Arsene wenger is desperate to get the season back on track . Everything got off to a flying start and for a moment it gave an impression that , atlast arsenal are ready to challenge for the titles.minor setbacks at manchester wasn't enough to hinder the free flowing football of arsenal . yet again , the highbury gods cursed the beautiful emirates with a series of injuries to decisive players. Arsene wenger is emotionally attached to all his young guns and he always wants his youngsters to get maximum exposure at the topmost level. Although , the future looks bright with the budding talents , the current scenario is not so bright . Arsenal faithfuls are eagerly waiting for a trophy from the past 4 years but as usual NOVEMBER is dreadful for the gunners. Robin Van persie was transforming into a deadly striker but again the injury has laid him down . Arsene wenger was very confident about van persie's abilities and he even mentioned that Robin is the best striker in premier league.Injury to the so called best player raises so many questions : will the team sustain without his services for the rest of the season??Can they score without him?? Last couple of games easily demonstrated the importance of a player of the calibre of Robin . Wenger must be regretting the fact that he didn't sign any top notch strikers in the summer to strengthen the attacking force . Now its high time that wenger must find a replacement for the injury prone striker . Defence too looks fragile and a strong centre back partnership is must for an attacking side like arsenal . goalkeeping woes are getting worse , Almunia is ever so unpredictable with his poor positioning and lack of awareness . vito mannone showed glimpses of his abilities against Fulham but didn't get enough opportunites of late . Wenger already mentioned that he's going to spend in the winter transfer market and let's have a look at some of the likely players who can make a difference to the current arsenal squad and possibly end the trophy drought..

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The Sporting Hand Shake: Why Doesn't Arsene Wenger Like It?

Carolina Tiger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:39:45 -0500

Yet again, Le Professeur has failed to shake an opposing manager's hand after a defeat. Mark Hughes has lambasted the Arsenal manager for his show of sporting disrespect.

"Maybe he's used to winning games, and when he does lose sometimes he doesn't know how to behave," said Hughes.

"I have been to the Emirates Stadium and been beaten 6-2 but I still offered my hand at the end. It is the least you can do."

"I am a little bit disappointed in that respect. You should be a bit more gracious than that because it is unnecessary."

"We all hurt when we get beaten. No-one is more upset than me. But you should always offer your hand."

This isn't the first time Arsene Wenger has not offered an opposing manager his hand after a game. Last season in the F.A. Cup Wenger refused to offer his hand to Hull City's Phil Brown, claiming that Brown was too busy remonstrating with the referee at the end of the game so left the field. This inspite the television replays refuting his claim.

The Frenchman's response to Hughes' claim was ambiguous as ever.

"I think I have nothing to say. I am free to shake hands with whom I want after the game."

"I have no professional courtesy."

His last statement seems to indicate a certain amount of pompousness on his part. This unsporting act would seem to be at odds with the urbane and refined nature of a very fine footballing brain, but with his team performing less than sterlingly of late his usual demeanour has take a back seat to a more surly and conceited man.

Let's hope Arsenal get back to winning ways so we can start to see the best from their most talented Frenchman.

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Thierry Henry's Hand of God: Where Does This Leave Football?

Carolina Tiger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:03:14 -0500

In light of recent events in Paris the debate for video evidence in football has raised its ugly head again.

With Thierry Henry's "Hand of God" moment the Republic of Ireland exited the World Cup in the cruelest of fashions, but where does that leave football as a whole?

FIFA have come out and stated that there will be no change to the rules for the World Cup in South Africa next year. Ireland's request to replay the tie again was always doomed to failure—for one simple reason, "Precedent".

The fact that France have got to the World Cup Finals by cheating has not been lost on anyone, but any hopes of Ireland gaining a replay of the match, or even an extra spot at next year's finals, were always doomed to failure.

The implications of any changing of the outcome of the match in light of the video evidence would be like opening every contentious decision up to video scrutiny. The just thing to do would have been to replay the match as Ireland had wanted, but that would set a precedent.

Once that door is open there is no hope of closing it. Would Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premiership because of Carlos Tevez's inclusion as an ineligible player then demand that Manchester United replay their match against West Ham? I know that is an extreme example, but if FIFA make the decision to change their rules for one then they could do it for another.

The best course of action for FIFA would be to lay out a strong set of post match rules based on video evidence. If a player is found to have cheated in a game, for example handling the ball in the box as Henry did or clearly diving to "win a penalty" or get a player sent off, then a "video review panel" could give punishments to the players or the clubs if the referee missed it.

A three-man panel should be made up of an ex-referee, ex-player or manager and a legal expert or official of the sports governing body. The ex-professionals on the panel should be voted onto the panel by their peers so that there is no show of bias.

They should be able to hand out player bans for simulation, or other contentious issues raised teams on the wrong end of decisions or by the governing body, and players who are accused should be allowed to appeal the charges.

The cost to teams that have been cheated can be immense as Ireland have just discovered, not just for the nation but for everyone involved. The FAI have lost out financially, the Irish players have lost out because it could have boosted their careers in immeasurable ways. The Irish fans have missed out on possibly going to a tournament that for a nation of Ireland's size is very very difficult to qualify for at the best of times.

However, I don't feel that results on the field should be changed. If an official missed a call or made a bad decision on the field it stays on the field. The only way that sportsmanship can return to football it would seem is for players to be punished for their transgressions.

It doesn't help that diving is now called simulation. By calling it simulation it validates it and makes it appear to be much less of a bad thing.

It is also common place now to say that when a player dives in the penalty area they win a penalty, that should stop. They haven't won a penalty they have cheated to gain an advantage. The player should be banned for at least five games. If they persist and do it again increase it to a 10-game ban, and then a 15-game ban.

Coaches, managers, and team owners will start to tell their players to stay on their feet because losing a player for so long can be more detrimental to a side than the possible short term advantage of the penalty.

These punitive penalties won't help Ireland but in this instance it would have been prudent for FIFA to ban Henry for at least nine games. This would preclude him from taking any further part in the French team's South Africa campaign.

It would only be of small consolation to the Republic of Ireland but it would certainly send a clear deterrent to future cheats of the game.

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The Top (Er) 11 Goal Celebrations Ever

Carolina Tiger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:15:36 -0500

Jimmy Bullard's fantastically funny goal celebration for Hull City against Manchester City, has helped to put to bed the ghost of last season's media hyped assault on Tiger's boss Phil Brown (well at least for now). Brown had done the same to his under performing players last Christmas to much constination by the British media and Bullard's antics diffused a tense week for the Manager and his team. I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the other famous goal celebrations, as the festive season rolls around. In the immortal words of Spinal Tap's, Nigel Tufnel, "Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?"

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