Match Previews-

weekly look at the fixtures

16

vaMPire weekend-

interview with sPurs fan and vaMPire weekend

druMMer chris toMson

28

Barry GlendenninG-

the chanGinG face of sPorts journalisM

08

04

lukas Podolski-

titus chalk writes on the GerMany and

arsenal forward

1304

Lukas PodoLski

-

TiTus ChaLk

Few players can boast 108 caps aged 27 and still divide opinion

quite like Podolski. But you get the sense with him, there’s

much more to come.

08

Barry GLendenninG

-

Then & now

The growth of online blogs has spawned a new generation of

sports journalists and experts, but what effect has this had on

traditional journalism?

16

MaTCh Previews

-

Chris Mann & adaM BaTe

With the title wrapped up we look at the chase for Europe and the impending melee to

avoid relegation.

28

vaMPire weekend

-

dan Byrne

Chris Tomson tells us how he became a Spurs fan; remembers

USA ‘94; and talks about the future of ‘soccer’ in the States.

nexT GeneraTion

-

PauL GreCh

English clubs may have strug-gled in Europe this season but at youth level they’re thriving. With Aston Villa winning this years tournament, the future

looks bright for England.

Online:www.fieldmatchday.com

@field_matchday

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Founders:Dan Byrne & Paul Gleeson

Contributors:Adam Bate @ghostgoalTitus Chalk @tituschalk

Barry Glendenning @bglendenning

Paul Grech @paul_grechIndia Hobson

@IndiaHobsonChris Mann

@equaliserblogJon Summers-Muir

@JSummersMuirWell Made

@Wellmadestudio

Designed by: Well Made Studio

Published by: Spiel Publishing Ltd

With Thanks:Sean,

Caitlin,Katie

& Poppy

04

Lukas PodoLski

When Lukas Podolski said his farewells to his beloved hometown club 1.FC Köln again last season, a sense of resignation gripped his most loyal fans. Having done everything he could to keep

the club up last season – scoring 18 and assisting nine goals – a parting of the ways was inevitable as the Billy Goats slipped into the second divi-sion. The question was though, whether or not a high-stakes move to the Premier League would work out better than the prodigal son’s last move away to pastures new: a difficult three-year period at Bayern Munich beginning in 2006, which saw the then hottest talent in German football wither on the bench. Was he too immature? Too used to being a big fish in small pond? And would it be any dif-

ferent this time round? Fans in Germany certainly asked themselves those questions, but did so with something approaching parental concern. What-ever the ups and downs of his career, Podolski has indisputably saved his best for the national team, scoring 44 goals in 108 appearances, earning the public’s good will and affection. He will never be forgotten for the part he played in Germany’s 2006 World Cup love-in and retains a place in fans’ hearts, even as he faces more competition than ever for his berth in Joachim Löw’s youthful Nationalmannschaft. The good news for Podolski is that despite playing in a struggling side again this season – which even the most ardent Arsenal fan would acknowledge – he has produced decent numbers in his debut year in a new and more demanding league. Hitting double figures in both assists and goals (all competitions combined) is not to be sniffed at and it is no surprise to have seen him consistently picked by Löw for Germany despite his move to the Gunners. What remains up for debate, though, is whether either Löw or Arsène Wenger is getting as much out of “Prinz Poldi” as they could be.

sinCe exPLodinG onTo The sCene in 2003,

Prinz PoLdi has had To ChanGe and adaPT

his GaMe. FroM suPPorT sTriker To

LeFT winGer, whaT’s nexT For The

LikeaBLe GerMan?

Lukas Podolski

Podolski has indisputably saved his best for the national team, scoring 44

goals in 108 appearances, earning the public’s good will and affection.

FieLd — issue 04

Lukas PodoLski

05

FieLd — issue 04

Lukas PodoLski

06

FieLd — issue 04

him bearing down on goal on his strongest foot more often, unleashing the kind of missile he did against Montpellier, West Ham and Southampton this season. If he can do that on a more consistent basis he might finally shrug off the diminutive Prinz Poldi and prove to his doubters he can yet be king.

07

Lukas PodoLski

Podolski is in many respects a casualty of European football’s drift away from 4-4-2; a player schooled in a different era to the young tyros tearing up

German football at the moment, who learned their trade in the nation’s post-Euro 2000, fully reformed academies. Podolski was never meant to be a lone striker, as adept at defending from the front as holding up the ball and creating and finishing chances off himself, nor was he really ever destined to be a winger; all tricks, pace and pressure. Instead, when he burst onto the scene in 2003, a golden future as a support striker in a front two opened up before him, only to be snuffed out by football’s prevailing tactical winds. In that sense, it is a wonder he has continued to perform so well, despite clearly battling the limitations of his footballing education in a compromise position out of the left. His detractors in Germany, who say he lacks footballing smarts, tend to overlook the fact that the young players currently hogging the limelight learnt a very different skill set to Podolski – and it is no wonder they are shining in the current climate of high intensity, hard press-ing, vertical football en vogue in the Bundesliga and beyond. What no-one can dispute is the searing sizzle of Podolski’s left boot and, as the player searches to re-invent himself like fellow genera-tional standard-bearer Bastian Schweinsteiger did with his move into central midfield, it has to be wondered why he is not deployed on the right as an inside-out winger. Fans in both Germany and North London would no doubt love to see

instead, when he burst onto the scene in 2003, a golden future as a support

striker in a front two opened up before him, only to be snuffed out by football’s prevailing tactical winds.

Words by Titus ChalkPhotography by Ben Duffy

Front cover in association with Adidas

FieLd — issue 04

08

A few years ago on what was, at the time, one of those rare occasions when I’d been unshackled from the desk at Guardian Towers and released into the wild to file a match report, I pitched up at the press box at Craven Cottage to cover an FA Cup third round tie. Fulham were entertaining Peterborough United and it was a predictable dull affair, with just the eight goals, many of them raining in during the closing minutes and all of which had to be described in a tiny allocated Observer sport

section slot with enough room for 300 words and submitted moments after the final whistle. There are occasions the comparatively stress-free vocation of a career in bomb disposal seems more alluring.

Prior to kick-off I’d taken my place alongside an elderly gentleman I knew to be Brian Glanville, leading football writer, Fleet Street legend and well-regarded doyen of the press box. I’d come armed to the teeth with stats, form guides, player profiles and enough back-up technology to power a nuclear submarine. Mr Glanville had a pen, a notebook and a phone. As I recall, he was also sporting a cravat. He introduced himself and for the ensuing 90 minutes conversed at great length about assorted issues of that and other days, pausing to script the occasional brief handwritten note, while all around him younger cub reporters pounded laptop keyboards, conferred by committee over the iden-tity of assorted goalmouth scramble protagonists and – as the clock ticked towards deadline – loudly cursed inconsiderate players for adding to the workload with goals that were as late as they were unnecessary. At the final whistle as the happy and victori-ous Cottagers filed out of their charming riverside stadium, he punched a number into his mobile, announced himself to whichever sports desk flunkie answered - “Good afternoon, Brian Glanville at

Then & now: The arT oF The FooTBaLL

journaLisM has ChanGed a LoT in reCenT

years. BuT whaT’s To Be said For The oLd-

sChooL haCk, arMed wiTh onLy his Pen,

PaPer and a Phone? Barry GLendenninG

exPresses his adMiraTion For one oF The

BesT in The Business, Brian GLanviLLe.

Fleet Street

FLeeT sTreeTFieLd — issue 04

i’d come armed to the teeth with stats, form guides, player profiles and enough back-up technology to power

a nuclear submarine. Mr Glanville had a pen, a notebook and a phone.

FLeeT sTreeT

09

FieLd — issue 04

by pro-zone-obsessed Opta-geeks catering for audi-ences increasingly hungry for on-the-whistle web reports liberally sprinkled with possession stats, pass completion rates and assorted other nerdish niche data, it was a truly educational eye-opener to step back in time and witness a peerless master of his craft at work. Unlike this ham-fisted imbecile, I bet he didn’t get the name of the Peterborough goalkeeper wrong that day.

Craven Cottage here” - and without much more than the occasional moment’s pause to consult his handwritten scribbles, proceeded to recite a word perfect account of the rout that had just unfolded down the phone, before making his way below stairs to the press room for a brew to await the managerial post mortems. As exercises in the noble art of old school football reporting go, it was textbook. An articulate, unflappable, friendly, gentle well-travelled campaigner who has forgotten more about football than most of his colleagues will ever know; I have not crossed paths with Glanville since, but often recall that day at Craven Cottage. I recalled it while in a blind panic as Reading scored three goals in the final seven minutes to come from behind and beat West Brom at the Madejski Stadium

earlier this season and again while trying to think of 600 words to chisel out of the ether to describe a scoreless draw between Crystal Palace and Bolton on a freezing afternoon a couple of weeks later. “What would Brian Glanville do?” I wonder to myself, generally at the most inopportune times of deadline-looming, blind football-reporting panic.In a world of football-writing increasingly occupied

Words by Barry GlendenningIllustration by Jon Summers-Muir

10

FLeeT sTreeT

an articulate, unflappable, friendly, gentle well-travelled campaigner who

has forgotten more about football than most of his colleagues will ever know; i have not crossed paths with Glanville since, but often recall that

day at craven cottage.

“what would Brian Glanville do?” i wonder to myself, generally at the most inopportune times of

deadline-looming, blind football-reporting panic.

FieLd — issue 04

Play the Social Media

Field

FoLLow us on TwiTTer and FaCeBook For The LaTesT news, CoMPeTiTions

and oFFers FroM FieLd

12

The (nexT) GeneraTion GaMes

When Arsene Wenger said that the early exit of English sides from the Champions League should serve as “a massive wake-up call for us...it means that the rest of European football has caught up” he provided an easy sound bite for those with a fatalistic outlook to latch on to. That this comment received so much attention in the days that followed served as a reminder that many are eager to deal in kneejerk-ism. What all this failed to acknowledge, however, was that an English side had won the Champions

League just eleven months earlier. And that every English team had made it trough the initial rounds of the Europa League despite all of them regularly fielding significantly weakened teams. Indeed, what made this year’s edition of the Champions League particularly interesting wasn’t the anomalous absence of an English side but the fact that the core of three of the sides that made it to the semi-finals - Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - was made up of players that came through their own ranks. If there is anything that English clubs should aim to copy, then it is that. And, perhaps, they already are. Whilst it is often criticised (and, in most cases, with good reason), the academy system is delivering. English national sides regularly make it to the final phases of international age tournaments where they routinely are among the best teams. Perhaps more tellingly, three English teams made it to the semi-final stage of the second edition of the Next Gen tournament, a competition that brings together teams from twenty four of the

wiTh The aCadeMies oF Bayern MuniCh,

BarCeLona and Borussia dorTMund

ProduCinG PLayers who have Fired TheM To

The seMi-FinaLs oF The ChaMPions LeaGue,

PauL GreCh Looks aT The sTaTe oF The

enGLish aCadeMy sysTeM

The (Next) Generation Games

the first next Generation series was won by inter Milan Primavera,

coached at the time by now first team manager andrea stramaccioni. Players are also making their mark

with Marco Benassi (pictured) following his former boss to the

first team and featuring in both the europa league and seria a.

FieLd — issue 04

The (nexT) GeneraTion GaMes

13

FieLd — issue 04

15

The (nexT) GeneraTion GaMes

finest academies from across Europe. In the end, it was Aston Villa who won the all English final against Chelsea (Arsenal finished fourth) ensuring that they went better than Liverpool’s third place finish in the first edition of this competition. An element of English teams’ success is down to the law of averages: six of the twenty four sides come from the Premier League meaning that there is a better chance than most of English football having a team in the final stages. Yet this should not be allowed to belittle the rising standards of English youth football. Some clubs still seem to be a cut above the rest - Ajax last season and Sporting Lisbon this time round under-lined why they are renowned for producing fantastic players - but for the most part tactically, physically and technically the English team’s players are on par with what’s coming out of the rest of Europe. For these players, the Next Gen tournament is providing an excellent, perhaps vital, learning experience. When Raheem Sterling and Andre Wisdom went to make their first starts in Europe for Liverpool this season, they already had an indica-tion of what to expect having played against sides from different cultures last season. So too Nathan Ake, the young central defender who made it into the Chelsea line-up from the start in their Europa League game against Rubin Kazan. There will be plenty more similar examples in the future. Or, at least, there should be unless the short-termism that often strangles English football - the sort of mindset that feels that it is essential to plunder foreign leagues so as to ensure that a lead with the rest of Europe is retained - prevails. The signs are positive. Aston Villa may have struggled in the Premier League but they have also given vital experience to a significant number of young players that have come out of their system. Plenty more could come from the side that prevailed in this year’s Next Gen. In Wenger Arsenal have one of the great believers in youth talent in the world. Liverpool have already seen a number of players progress to the first team and given their owner’s stance of living within the club’s means it is clear that their academy will increasingly be playing a

significant role. So too Tottenham who, without too much publicity, have been building one of the finest set-ups in Europe. The same can be said of Chelsea and Man-chester City both of whom have invested significant amounts in their systems and are being rewarded with a number of talented individuals.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether these individuals will be given the space to progress. For them the temptation to chase success by going for readymade solutions - even if it is to fill up their squads - is greater than most. If that happens then it would be true that whatever lessons were to be had from this season’s Champions League would have gone to waste.

Words by Paul GrechPhotography by India Hobson

FieLd — issue 04

when raheem sterling and andre wisdom went to make their first starts

in europe for liverpool this season, they already had an indication of

what to expect having played against sides from different cultures

last season.

Man CiTy v wesT haM

16

Manchester City v West Ham

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 12:45 - eTihad sTadiuM

1968 last May, but Manchester United were too strong this time around and, coupled with a poor European campaign, it has added to the sense that this season was a missed opportunity to progress. Mancini’s summer signings, tactical tweaks and motivational methods have all been ques-tioned. In particular, the decision to proclaim Robin van Persie as the difference between the Manchester clubs as early as December was a curious message to send to his side. The key players in his team must also come under scrutiny too, with the spine of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero unable to come close to recreating last season’s heroics. Mancini, of course, remains adored at City in a way that Allardyce can only dream of at Upton Park. Even the prospect of leading West Ham to their best league finish in more than a decade is unlikely to bring anything warmer than respect. As the man himself would no doubt be happy to point out, he’s Allardyce not Allardici, after all.

“I won’t ever be going to a top-four club because I’m not called Allardici, just Allardyce.” It’s a state-ment that has left West Ham boss Sam Allardyce open to ridicule over the years. And yet, when his Hammers side travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Roberto Mancini’s deposed Premier League champions Manchester City, there is surely no debating which manager has exceeded expecta-tions this season. Allardyce has been doing just that for years now. With his functional football and healthy ego, it is easy to be churlish where the 58-year-old is concerned. But he is rightly proud of a record that shows he’s left all seven clubs he’s managed in a higher position than where he found them. Al-lardyce gets results – and with West Ham currently 10th in the Premier League, he is on course to lead them to the first top-half finish by a promoted club since Birmingham City achieved the feat in 2010. While it has been a season of overachieve-ment for Allardyce, it’s been a frustrating campaign for Mancini’s men. The Italian rightly received huge praise for bringing City their first title since

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Adam Bate

17

everTon vs. FuLhaM

Everton v Fulham

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 15:00 - Goodison Park

instant lift. The first green shoots of regeneration.A dozen minutes later, another goal. Duncan Ferguson firing the team to only its second win in 13 games. A final score of 2-1, the first step on the road to an altogether brighter future. And to follow? 10 points from eight games. The comfort of 15th place. Deliverance achieved. The first mission had been survival, but this enigmatic new leader had a bolder vision. In the years to come there would be cup finals, a taste of Europe and persistent overachievement in a division skewed by the money of others. Moyes’ Everton have been the only outsider to continually threaten the domination of the division’s elite. For that they have rightly earned respect and praise. The Toffees’ decade-long renaissance has been one of the Premier League’s most uplifting narratives. This is where it all started.

He was just a name back then, David Moyes. A name without association. It was the visit of Fulham to Goodison Park. The first game, Saturday 16th March 2002. Simonsen; Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Pistone; Gemmill, Gravesen (Sent Off 28), Carsley, Un-sworth (Blomqvist 75); Ferguson, Radzinski (Moore 46). Van der Sar; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Marlet; Collins, Malbranque, Legwinski (Gold-baek 77), Saha; Boa Morte (Hayles 46), Goma (Ouaddo 46). Legacies are built gradually through the determination of great men. Start from first princi-ples and reach for the skies. There was enthusiasm from the fans, but perhaps limited expectation. Deliverance from relegation was the only expec-tation in those formative first weeks, remaining hope fearful of dark descent. It took just 27 seconds for the revolution to reap its first rewards. David Unsworth lashes the ball into the net and galvanises the blue side of Stanley Park. Curtain up on the Moyes era, an

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Chris Mann

souThaMPTon v wesT BroM

Southampton v West Brom

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 15:00 - sT Mary’s sTadiuM

18

than their current position. Despite having a game in hand on Everton who currently occupy 6th place they find themselves eleven points behind. A more realistic target for Clarke might be to finish above the club he worked for last year as assistant to Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool, who going into the final five games of the season are only five points ahead of the Baggies. Both managers though can chalk this off a season well-done. Despite being many bookies favourites for the drop at the start of the campaign, West Brom have defied expectation and continued to build after a solid year under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson. Southampton, similarly, have proved they’re more than capable of competing at this level and will go into next season confident of achieving more.

“It was not a very good game but we are unbeaten in six games and I am happy with the clean sheet,” explained Mauricio Pochettino after last weekend’s 0-0 draw against fellow purveyors of continental style and elegance Swansea. West Brom manager Steve Clarke was slight-ly less enthused by their performance against Newcastle last week, albeit not completely sur-prised considering it was only their second game in 34 days. Clarke will also have been happy to see defender Billy Jones finally break his duck for the club as he tiptoed through the Newcastle defence and slotted past Rob Elliot, becoming West Brom’s first English goalscorer this season. Pochettino has no such concerns regarding the goalscoring ability of his English contingent. Despite last weekend’s stalemate Southampton pose a considerable threat upfront with Ricky Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana in-terchanging as part of a mobile front three, sup-ported by the solid functionality of players like Steven Davis, Jack Cork and the superb Morgan Schneiderlin. At this late stage in the season, it looks unlikely that West Brom will finish much higher

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Paul Gleeson

19

sToke v norwiCh

Stoke v Norwich

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 15:00 - BriTannia sTadiuM

Ryan Bennett and Elliott Bennett was enough to give the Canaries a vital win and lift them to 38 points, one ahead of today’s opposition who sit just beneath them on 37. Speaking after last weeks games, both Hughton and Pulis expressed their belief that 40 points would be enough; a win for either team today would give them deliverance on that expec-tation. But with Aston Villa and Wigan both having a game in hand, it’d be dangerous to assume that 40 points will guarantee safety. Sunderland in 1997, Bolton in 1998 and more recently West Ham in 2003 are all testament to the fact that the holy grail of 40 points isn’t always enough to secure your status in the Premier League.

As battles go, Stoke’s match against Norwich is one of two teams that embody their managers. Norwich, who are as likeable and mild-mannered as teams come versus Stoke, who are the snarling, angry embodiment of their manager, Tony Pulis. Up until last weekend’s 2-0 victory over QPR, it seemed Stoke had lost some of that bite, vigour and determination which made them one of the league’s most feared teams. Just one week on though, things are looking a lot more promising at the Britannia. With both Peter Crouch and Cameron Jerome back in the fold, Stoke looked a com-pletely different proposition last weekend. For all Kenwyne Jones’ brute strength and aerial prowess, he has neither the finishing ability of Crouch nor the athleticism to work the channels like Jerome. To Pulis’ credit he acted swiftly and decisively in making the necessary changes to halt what seemed an inevitable slide back into the Championship. What the fans will want to know is: what took so long? Over in Norfolk, Chris Hughton will be much happier following last weekend’s victory over bottom-of-the-table Reading. A goal apiece from

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Paul Gleeson

wiGan v ToTTenhaM

Wigan v Tottenham

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 15:00 - dw sTadiuM

Unfortunately for Martinez, Tottenham are likely to be ready for it too when they travel to the DW Stadium on Saturday. Spurs are led by Andre Villas-Boas, the only fellow thirtysomething manager in the Premier League, and are locked in a three-way battle with London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea for the remaining Champions League qualifica-tion spots. A confidence-boosting turnaround against Manchester City last weekend is likely to have restored belief and there’s little chance Tottenham will be taking their hosts lightly – Wigan have beaten Spurs at White Hart Lane in two of the last three seasons. But Jermain Defoe, who hit the winner against City, will be looking a little further back to the astonishing 9-1 result between these sides in which he scored five times back in 2009. Anything close to a repeat of that scoreline and Wigan surely risk losing their enviable record as the only team to have played in the top division of English football but never be relegated from it.

Wigan always haul themselves out of trouble at the death, don’t they? It’s a myth that’s been growing in the telling ever since the Latics’ dramatics last season in which they picked up an astonishing 22 points from their final 10 games to survive with a bit to spare. In truth, it was surely a one-off. The previous season their final 10 games earned them 15 points and the year before that brought just eight points. There were quite specific reasons for Wigan’s late upturn in fortunes last year. The January 2012 acquisition of wing-back Jean Beausejour helped Martinez make sense of a formation switch to 3-4-3 that allowed Wigan to be proactive – providing a problem for the opposition that many managers had forgotten how to solve. A year on and the element of surprise has been lost. As a result, Wigan can’t rely on late heroics and manager Roberto Martinez knows it. “We have been in this position before and know what to expect but that doesn’t make it easier,” he said. “It is going to be a really tough ending of the season and for me it is the hardest battle we have had for a few years but we are ready for it.”

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FieLd — issue 04

Words by Adam Bate

newCasTLe uniTed vs. LiverPooL

Newcastle United v Liverpool

27.4.13 - kiCk oFF 17:30 - sT jaMes’ Park

that delivers alleviation of fear. This is the fixture of ecstatic anarchy. This is the fixture that devised its own folklore before our very eyes. The voices have demanded this moment. They will have it. The fevered air, the coarse glare of the lights. The sweeping flash of immaculate movement. “Barnes. Rush. Barnes. Still John Barnes. Collymore closing in…”

A fixture clothed in beautiful chaos, matches between Newcastle United and Liverpool are a portal into a surrealist past. Transporting us back to football’s Kodachrome age, this is a fixture that carries a comforting aura of permanence. This has never been a simple meeting of clubs. A contest between two institutions at the hearts of their communities, these are teams steeped in distinctive regional cultures. Guardians of what remains of the game’s working class nature in this most commercial of leagues, Newcastle and Liverpool are clubs shaped by the zealous devotion of their cities. Of all the Premier League’s offer-ings, this might be its most stubbornly ethereal. Not only are contests between these sides a crucible of sporting passions, they are frequently blessed with a restless creativity. Graced by mercu-rial brilliance, this is a fixture that has connected many of the league’s most compelling talents in the spirit of grand absurdity. Ginola, Asprilla, Albert. Barnes, Fowler, Suarez. Few fixtures can lay claim to such a consistently potent cocktail of flair and high drama. The black and the white. The crimson. Raking passes and impossible speed. A cauldron of boiling energy. Vision, a pass. A tortuous run

22

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Chris Mann

23

readinG v QPr

Reading v QPR

28.4.13 - kiCk oFF 13:30 - The Madejski

game to play when you’ve been played for a fool and left in a spin on the Kia Joorabchian client carousel. Fernandes is not alone. Reading owner Anton Zingarevich is probably experiencing a similar sinking feeling in the Premier League playground. Having been fleeced for a reported £60,000 a week to purchase five goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak, but providing little else in the way of funds, the Royals chief responded in the only way any self-respecting billionaire would – by sacking the manager who made promotion possible. As such, Brian McDermott is long gone. Replaced by Nigel Adkins, the man he pipped to the Championship title less than a year ago. It’s the very definition of change for change’s sake. And so, as the last rites are read for these two teams, the respective owners will sit wondering where it all went wrong… Perhaps while the rest of us have to settle for the grim spectacle on the field, Messrs Fernandes and Zingarevich might be better advised locating the nearest mirror.

When the television cameras decided they’d be turning their attention to Loftus Road for this bottom-of-the-table clash between Queens Park Rangers and Reading, they were surely anticipating high tension and an afternoon of ups-and-downs. Instead it has the feel of a rather macabre exer-cise. The viewer is cast as voyeur, intruding on private grief. Not that those present are rushing to take the blame for the sorry state of affairs. While success has many fathers, failure is an orphan - and QPR boss Harry Redknapp is anxious for you to know it. He explains: “If I had started at the start of the year and we’d have been where we are I’d have gone, ‘Yeah, I put the team together lads and I’m sorry I’ve put a bad team together and that’s where we are’. I’ve tried my best with what we’ve had and it’s not been good enough.” Sadly, this is about as close as you’re likely to get to a mea culpa from Henry James Red-knapp. Ignore the ever-inflating wage bill and the £20million outlay in January that has helped yield just eight points from the 10 games since. It’s all Mark Hughes’ fault, you see. As diversionary tactics go, it might just work for Redknapp. For QPR owner Tony Fernandes, it’s a trickier blame

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Adam Bate

24

CheLsea v swansea

Chelsea v Swansea

28.4.13 - kiCk oFF 15:00 - sTaMFord BridGe

Cup winning manager Phil Scolari and saw his successor Guus Hiddink lift the FA Cup; then he sacked Andres Villas-Boas and saw Roberto Di Matteo lead the club to an unprecedented FA Cup and Champions League double. This season though, Swansea’s method of management has won out with Swansea beating Chelsea in the League Cup and holding them to a draw in the league. Despite the infamous ball-boy gate Swansea look to have the indian sign over Chelsea and heading into this fixture will have hopes of continuing their good record against them. It’ll be interesting to see in the long-run which team has the greater success over a pro-longed period: Swansea’s prudency or Chelsea’s extravagance? At the moment extravagance is winning out but with financial fair play soon to come into effect who knows what’ll happen over the next few seasons.

As styles of ownership go, there can’t be two more different clubs than Swansea and Chelsea. Under the ownership of Huw Jenkins Swansea have built slowly and carefully, ensuring the long-term future of the club and spending only within their means. Chelsea on the other hand are the antithesis of sensible spending; the original oil-rich, big-spenders for whom money is no object. It’s not just financially where these clubs differ. Huw Jenkins has ensured stability at Swansea over a number of years in contrast to Chelsea’s haphazard system of hiring and firing managers on Abramovich’s whim. Whether it’s Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers or the current manager Michael Laudrup each manager has had to buy into the pre-existing structure at the club, meaning when and if they leave, the club can continue with little distribution. Compare this to Chelsea where each new appointment see’s seen an overhaul in terms of playing style and staff, leaving the club in a continual state of flux and change, not knowing quite what to expect next. In terms of purely winning trophies, it’s difficult to argue with the Chelsea owners method. After all, this is the man who for sacking almost always equals trophies. First he sacked World

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Paul Gleeson

25

arsenaL vs. ManChesTer uniTed

Arsenal v Manchester United

28.4.13 - kiCk oFF 16:00 - The eMiraTes

It always seemed a formality. Van Nistelrooy ap-proaches with conviction, gives Lehmann the eyes. Crossbar. A death rattle shakes Old Trafford. Then the raging torrent of vitriol, the sneering faces and flailing arms. The exhilarating poison of an extraordinary rivalry.

III Tuesday 1st February 2005 - Caged men. Wild-eyed men. The adrenaline of the battle.

“I’ll see you out there. I’ll see you out there. I’ll see you out there and shut your mouth up. Every week, you. And you think you’re a nice guy.”

“Roy! Roy! Come on. Roy! Come on.”

“He’s the one who said it. He should shut his mouth up.”

“I’ll talk to him. I’ll sort this. Yes? Yes?”

The rolling of thunder. And out to dance under those lights.

I Sunday 1st September 2000 - Brilliance makes a habit of refracting the course of time. Push it forward, slow it down. The ball is played to the feet of the French-man. No danger perceived, nothing expected, nothing to work with. Surrounded by faceless bodies. Then his magic bends time. Firstly, ac-celeration; the flick that levitates the sphere knee high. Second, slow motion; two perfect arcs, the motion of the shot and the long, dreamy loop into the net. Barthez forlorn, an observer of the majesty of a moment. A crowd suspended in a single moment of disbelief before the ballistic outpouring of realisation. The master basks in the genius of his improvisation, the freeform idol of Highbury.

II Sunday 21st September 2003 - The Invincibles lived all elements of their reputation. A confound-ing clash of beauty and violence; aesthetes with a spirit of steel. A single moment to summarise a thousand emotions. The Theatre of Dreams filled to witness the obliteration of the interlopers. Neville with the ball in. A tangle of bodies and a single shrill blast of the whistle. Forlan and Keown tumbling across the grass. Confusion. A penalty.

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Chris Mann

26

asTon viLLa v sunderLand

Aston Villa v Sunderland

29.4.13 - kiCk oFF 20:00 - viLLa Park

lack of. After just three games in charge, Short’s decision to appoint Di Canio looks to have had the desired effect. Since arriving he has invigorated the team in a way that O’Neill seldom managed to do during his final month’s in charge. Lambert continues to be frustrated by his team’s lack of consistency, which is understand-able as they’ve often erred from the brilliant to the dire in a matter of days. Speaking after Monday’s defeat to Manchester United, Lambert made a point of targeting this match against Sunderland, referring to it as a game “we’ve got to win.” Despite Sunderland’s recent good form, Di Canio was at pains to point out he doesn’t feel Sunderland’s safety is anywhere near ensured, saying: “Once again it was one step forward but the main job is not done.” With both managers targeting this match as potentially making or breaking their season, it’s all to play for at Villa Park.

In the modern day Premier League, it’s perhaps no surprise that a meeting between a club located in the former industrial heartland of Wearside and one in the midlands brings together two owners from the United States of America. That’s about where the similarities between Randy Lerner and Ellis Short end, though. During their time in charge the owners have adopted very different strategies to bring trophies to these success-starved clubs. Whilst Lerner has praised leniency, Short has begun to acquire a reputation as an owner who is quick to pull the trigger on an underachieving manager. This is perhaps best summed up with how the owners have treated their managers this season. Despite poor performances by Aston Villa under Paul Lambert, Lerner has never given the impression that his job might be under threat. Short, on the other hand, moved swiftly to replace boyhood Sunderland fan Martin O’Neill when it became clear he was unable to arrest the clubs alarming slump in form. As the season draws towards its conclusion, it’ll be interesting to see which owner’s decision proves most effective: Lerner’s faith or Short’s

FieLd — issue 04

Words by Paul Gleeson

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Picking what team to support is an odd thought for many Premier League fans, we often see these fans as sojourners in the land of fandom but for club football proselytes the choice is both important and the only way to fully experience football.

So he picked Spurs, instead:

A sponsor’s name may not be the traditional route to supportership but it seems to have done him well as Spurs fortunes have improved in recent years. Despite the disappointment of missing out

Since Vampire Weekend’s debut album in 2008 they have achieved worldwide success. Their second album, Contra, reached number three in the UK charts and number one in the US. More famed for friendship with fashion designers and campaigning for Barack Obama, they are unlikely football fans but drummer Chris Tomson is an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan; going to as many games as he can a season and often seen wearing his shirt at gigs. I talked to Chris about his love of Spurs:

Growing up in New York, Chris tells me he ‘rooted’ for the New York/New Jersey Metrostars (now New York Red Bulls) but that it wasn’t until he moved to Ireland for University that he was exposed to club football:

“I grew up knowing soccer but over the last few years we’ve had improved coverage of the Premier League in the states and interest has exploded. Six or seven years ago it wasn’t really shown but now it is everywhere.”

“It was in about 2005 that I discovered the whole world of club football and the

Champions League. I was hooked and I had to pick a team.”

“That was the year Liverpool had that in-credible final, but I couldn’t chose them or Manchester United or Chelsea. If you are from there supporting them is alright but to come in from nowhere and choose them would be kind of lame.”

“I liked them. At the time they were a young team... and their sponsor [Thomson] was just a ‘h’ away from my last name!”

PerhaPs PiCkinG a TeaM To suPPorT Based

on The siMiLariTy oF The CLuB sPonsor To

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Vampire Weekend

vaMPire weekend

29

FieLd — issue 04

vaMPire weekend

on Champions League qualification last season, Chris is happy that the team is on track this year:

Despite this slight discomfort with Premier League manager turn-around, Chris is pleased with the impact of the new manager at Tottenham and thinks that Villas Boas is a better manager for his troubled time at Chelsea:

Perhaps due to the differences of the MLS fran-chise system Chris was a football fan long before he was a club supporter. He believes that both his and his country’s love of the game was bolstered by hosting the World Cup in 1994:

Despite this optimism about the game’s future in America, Chris was coy on the USA’s chances in forthcoming International Tournaments:

“I think the last few years have gone kind of almost to plan. We’ve had flashes of bril-liance and maybe not quite delivered but all of the potential is still there. When we play at full potential and have no injuries we are pretty good.

In the off season last Summer, I was sur-prised that [Redknapp] went. Even though that Champions League final was so annoy-ing, we still finished 4th. Maybe watching American sports gives a different perspec-tive on when a manager can be sacked. Its not like basketball when if a Head Coach gets fired you can see it coming. Quick firings and mid-season firings are much more frequent in the Premier League. I understand where it comes from but it is still surprising when a team has a crappy few weeks and then the manager is gone.”

“They [the board] have gone for a younger man and maybe some more attacking foot-ball. I think [Villas Boas] was humbled, as any manager would be, by the Chelsea experience and this season he has handled things better. Maybe less of the attention has been on him and he has just made good decisions. He has done a really good job this year.”

“I never got too deep into playing football outside school but I was the captain of my highschool team. For people of my age and a few years each way, us having the World Cup in ‘94 was important. I remember seeing Italy v Mexico in Washington DC; I think it made kids who played soccer fall in love with it a little more. For an athletic kid growing up, soccer has become a sport you can be proud to play. It’s not the case anymore that you will be told that some other sport is better. So 1994 was really important.”

“I’m not going to say that USA will win a World Cup in the next few years but looking back it is amazing that we were not at 1990. We’ve had 20 years of qualification and are pushing on.”

Vampire Weekend’s third album is titled Modern Vampires Of The City, and will be released on

13th May 2013 on XL Recordings

Interview by Dan Byrne arranged by Shoot Music Promotions

Words by Dan Byrne

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FieLd — issue 04