More Chelsea Heroics, Liverpool’s Managerial Hunt and Terry over Ferdinand. Another busy few days in the football world…

As the dust settles on last night’s Champions League final epic in Munich, you just wonder if these Chelsea players are able to grasp the sheer magnitude of their achievement. Although it doesn’t quite match the drama of Liverpool’s run to the final and eventual win back in 2005, it is along the same lines. The difference being that this Chelsea team is superior to what that Liverpool team was.

Of course the purists out there will argue that Chelsea haven’t set the world alight with their football. No, they haven’t, but so what, their guts, determination and the clichéd word “character” have been immense since their second leg victory over Napoli in the last 16. Players putting bodies on the line to make last minute tackles, blocks and clearances, is in my eyes every bit as beautiful as the sumptuous football that the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal play.

One interesting stat from last night, Bayern were awarded over twenty corners during the initial 90 minutes. Chelsea dealt with every one of them, then with their first corner Bayern didn’t do their job and Drogba punished them. We cannot say it’s all luck on Chelsea’s behalf, of course they rode their luck a bit and even more so against Barcelona in both legs of the semi-final but they defended bravely and resolutely and that corner stat from last night is evidence of that.

Let’s not forget that this Chelsea team has endured it’s own fair share of bad luck in this competition. A somewhat dubious goal from Liverpool’s Luis Garcia at the semi-final stage back in 2005 saw them eliminated and they were then beaten on penalties by the same opponents at the semi-final stage in 2007.

The West London side lost out in the final the following year against Manchester United, also on penalties and nobody will forget the injustice of the semi-final second leg against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in 2009 when a series of clear penalty calls fell on deaf ears. It’s clear they’ve had their share of misfortune so let’s not begrudge them this victory, the important thing is that they kept coming back for more.

Similar to the semi-final second leg in the Nou Camp, every single Chelsea player can call himself a hero but of course there were stand out performances;

Ashley Cole, the best player on the pitch last night, making at least five crucial blocks as well as several telling tackles. On top of that, his energy levels never diminished, he was up and down that line all night leading from the back and keeping an eye on the inexperienced Ryan Bertrand ahead of him.

The consistency in his game is frightening, always delivering exceptional performances. Cole’s display yesterday evening at the Allianz Arena took me back to his stifling of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo against Portugal in Lisbon’s Stadium of Light at Euro 2004.

Obviously, other players stood out, Gary Cahill was immense as was David Luiz and  Frank Lampard provided the kind of dynamic performance that has convinced me he still has plenty left in the tank.

That’s brings us to the phenomenon that is Didier Drogba, time and time again the Ivorian influences and decides big games. You can go back as far as 2007 where he delivered winning strikes in both the Carling and FA Cup finals. Drogba also scored the winner in Chelsea’s 2010 FA Cup victory over Portsmouth and just this year, he provided the winning goal against Liverpool to secure Chelsea’s fourth FA Cup success.

Let’s not forget it was Drogba’s goal that decided the first leg of the semi-final against Barcelona and his equaliser and winning penalty that secured Chelsea’s first Champions League title last night. Would you give him the contract he wants?

Switching subjects now, Liverpool’s hunt for a new manager following the dismissal of Kenny Dalglish is an interesting and tricky search given that there is no clear candidate. Perhaps the players would welcome Roberto Martinez and I have slightly altered my stance on the Spaniard to now think he would be a decent appointment.

However, the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Andre Villas Boas are non-runners for me, Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed a promotion and a good year in the Premiership with Swansea but calls for his appointment are a classic example of “A Flavour of the Month” man.

As for AVB, his dismissal at Chelsea and the way the media perceive him make it in my view impossible for him to succeed at Anfield. If results turn sour he along with Rodgers do not have the authority or pedigree to command the time to turn the situation around. Perhaps you could say the same about Martinez but I just have an inkling that those Liverpool players could warm to his enthusiasm.

Of course, the dreamer in me hopes that they could lure a Guardiola or a Mourinho to Merseyside but that is probably unlikely. That is however the standard the Fenway Sports Group should be aspiring to because at the end of the day, this is Livepool FC we are talking about.

Roy Hodgsons squad selection for Euro 2012 didn’t throw up any surprises, it was always going to be a straight pick between Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and I’m not surprised that the latter got the call. I still feel that Ferdinand has had a tremendous season domestically at Manchester United with Jonny Evans blossoming alongside him but I feel that Hodgsons decision was forced by the following;

Let’s admit that England aren’t blessed with options at centre half, the injury to Chris Smalling only served to highlight this even more. While I think Ferdinand is still an outstanding centre back, the fact is John Terry is a better partner to the other centre back options that England have. Joleon Lescott has enjoyed a good season with Man City but when I look at him at International level, he looks uncomfortable.Fair enough, Gary Cahill isn’t much better but what gives him more of a chance of playing is his familiarity with John Terry and Ashley Cole from his club football at Chelsea. Even a central defensive partnership of  Terry and Lescott or Terry and Phil Jones gives England a slightly more solid look than if Ferdinand was paired with either.

So England could potentially be looking at a back four of Johnson/Jones, Cahill, Terry and Ashley Cole with Joe Hart behind them. Given Chelsea’s defensive heroics in the Champions League this season and Joe Hart’s wonderful form for Manchester City, a back five consisting of three Chelsea players and a Man City goalkeeper isn’t at all shabby. England may very well be toothless going forward at this summer’s European Championships but they could also be hard to beat.

McCarthy, Wigan, Martinez, Kean, Blackburn, Drogba and Carroll – A busy few days in the Football World…

The news was confirmed yesterday that James McCarthy would not be going to this summer’s European Championships on account of the fact that his father has fallen ill. The importance of a football tournament fades away into the background when faced with a situation like this, undoubtedly everyone wishes his father, McCarthy himself and his family the very best.

Indeed confirmation of McCarthy’s father’s illness makes his recent performances in a Wigan shirt all the more impressive. The former Hamilton man has been a mainstay of their team all season and has formed a solid bed rock alongside James McArthur in Wigan’s engine room.

His game has improved significantly and undoubtedly he has played a key role in Wigan’s survival. In spite of the difficult period he now faces into, it was wonderful to hear him re-affirm his commitment to playing for Ireland, he didn’t have to and went up in my estimation when he did.

My impression of the Irish squad overall; Good – A breakdown of 3 goalkeepers, 7 defenders, 8 midfielders and 5 strikers is a nice balance. Delighted at Simon Cox’s inclusion and even more so at the inclusion of James McClean. I think we all know the team that will play but we now have more than decent options off the bench in the form of Fahy, Gibson, McClean, Walters and Long. You just hope that all of these see sufficient game time come the summer.

Wigan Athletic next and their wonderful end to the season under the tutelage of Roberto Martinez surviving under the Spaniard for a second season running. It does make you wonder what they were at for the rest of season when they produce form like this at the back end when the chips are really down. Martinez intimated himself that they had been poor but that he felt a shift in their performance level in and around the February mark.

Six wins from their last eight games including away wins against Liverpool and Arsenal and a home win over Man United is “top four” form. A remarkable achievement but Wigan now need to move to that next level and join the likes of Stoke and Fulham in securing top ten finishes consistently, focusing on looking up rather than looking down.

A brief word on Shaun Maloney, a player who has always promised so much but has been dogged by injury, what a finish to the season he’s having. It just goes to show the importance of getting a run of games under your belt. Well done to him.

As for Blackburn, Bradley Orr’s interview last night in which he gave unerring support to his manager Steve Kean was refreshing to say the least. Players often shun responsibility and throughout the season it was always Kean who fronted up to the media. Rarely did we see a Blackburn player come out and support the manager so good on Bradley Orr for lending his support.

Make no mistake, Steve Kean is a brave man and I do think there is a good manager in there somewhere. At the end of the day, it’s his players that have left him down. Christopher Samba jumping ship in January did him no favours, Scott Dann, a €7million signing hasn’t delivered and has looked uninterested at times. David Goodwillie has also disappointed. Others have impressed such as Yakubu, Steven N’Zonzi and Junior Hoilett and Blackburn will now struggle to keep a hold of them.

Essentially, Gary Neville couldn’t have put it any better last night, they all need a break from each other, supporters, players and the manager. Everyone at Blackburn just needs to get to the end of season, re-access, regroup and get on with rebuilding and trying to bounce back.

Briefly a couple of other issues that caught my attention over the weekend. Firstly, Didier Drogba and his new contract: Will he stay or will he go? Most people are aware that a substantial offer is on the table to go and join his former strike partner Nicolas Anelka at Chinese outfit Shanghai Shenhua.

Given the performances that Drogba has turned in for Chelsea this season especially since the departure of Andre Villas Boas, you would think that the hierarchy at Chelsea should do all they can to keep Ivorian.

His contribution to big games has been remarkable, the former Marseille man has now scored in four separate FA Cup finals and led the line brilliantly over two legs against Barcelona scoring the all important winner in the first leg.

In spite of age (Drogba is now thirty four) once a player is influencing big games or in Drogba’s case deciding them, then you keep a hold of that player. Unfortunately if Drogba does stay, it will probably be the detriment of Fernando Torres.

Finally to Andy Carroll and the calls for his inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for Euro 2012. Carroll was magnificent in Saturday’s FA Cup Final. He bullied and rag dolled Chelsea’s centre-halfs from the moment he was introduced, scored a fine goal and very nearly forced extra time with a second but for a wonderful save from Petr Czech. Let’s not forget as well, it was the big Geordie’s winner in the semi-final over Everton that secured Liverpool’s place in the final.

Evidently Carroll can perform on the big stage, his problem like so many other players is consistency, fair enough there has been an improvement in his performances in recent weeks but not enough to warrant a place in the England squad. If Carroll can sustain something close to last Saturday’s level of performance consistently over a run of ten or twelve games, then he’ll be an England starter for the next ten years.

If Hodgson does want that type of player in his squad, then at this time he would be better served by taking Peter Crouch who has a fine record at International record but was phased out under Fabio Capello. I think Big Andy will yet have his day but not just yet…

Hodgson over Redknapp? Not a shock choice but maybe a wrong one…

As the FA make their move to secure to services of Roy Hodgson and not Harry Redknapp, you can only wonder if the decision will come back to haunt them. Inevitably, there will be a slight backlash from the public who along with the media craved Redknapp’s appointment.

Let’s not get carried away here, if all goes to plan and Hodgson does become the next England manager, it is still a very good decision by the FA. His pedigree isn’t in question, experienced at both club and International level, he has managed Switzerland with whom he reached the last 16 of the ’94 World Cup and qualified for Euro ’96.

He then enjoyed spells at the U.A.E. and most recently Finland, bringing them to the brink of qualification for Euro 2008 and getting the best out of players in the twilight of their careers such as Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyppia. He has also managed big clubs domestically, Liverpool and Inter Milan spring to mind so his CV is not in question.

Hodgson has overachieved domestically with West Brom both last season and this season and with Fulham a couple of years back. He established the West Londoners as a top ten side and took them on a wonderful run to the Europa League final knocking out Juventus along the way before losing to Atletico Madrid in the final.

What adds even more weight to all of this is his reputation amongst football’s two main bodies, Fifa and Uefa. He has sat on technical committees for both organisations, observing tournament scenarios amongst other aspects so it is clear that he is very well respected within the game and has more of an international pedigree than the people’s favourite Harry Redknapp.

Hodgson is now under immense pressure to hit the ground running, starting with a friendly win over Norway next month. Issues have to be addressed surrounding the next captain and whether or not a European championship squad can include both Rio Ferdinand and John Terry in light of Terry’s outstanding court course for the alleged racial abuse of Rio’s younger brother Anton Ferdinand.

Like any potential England manager, he has to handle the media extremely carefully. He does have a habit in press conferences of becoming irritated at certain questions and is sometimes a bit long winded in answers which may frustrate fans and media alike. He was certainly guilty of this during his time at Liverpool and must learn from his mistakes.

As for Harry Redknapp, you would hope that Spurs recent slide hasn’t impacted on the FA’s decision to choose Hodgson over him. If Redknapp was the right man three months ago then he is the right man now. For me Redknapp’s recent record is superior…

FA Cup winner with Portsmouth in 2008 and a year previous when Pompey were languishing in the relegation zone he guided them to safety against all the odds. In October of 2008, he took over a Spurs side second from bottom and drove them to a top eight finish.

The following year in the 2009/2010 season, Spurs qualified for the Champions League, the first team to break the stranglehold of the so called “top four” for five years, taking Liverpool out of the equation and keeping big spending Manchester City at bay.

Competing in the Champions League, they thrashed holders Inter at White Hart Lane and knocked out AC Milan in the last 16 before succumbing to Real Madrid.

Looking at league positions right now, Spurs are fourth while Hodgson’s current side West Brom are tenth. Spurs are competing at the top end of the table, playing in big games and influencing the title race.

There’s no doubt who the more successful manager is at the moment but perhaps more importantly which one is managing the better players. The answer to that is Harry Redknapp, because at the end of the day, these England players are talented, we all know that, what they need is the right manager to rid them of that fear and inhibition they experience at major tournaments and in home matches at Wembley.

Anytime a new manager is appointed, a team expects a “bounce” from that person’s arrival, fresh ideas, new impetus, style and direction. Harry Redknapp would have arrived into this summer’s European Championships on a wave of optimism from fans and media alike. I don’t care what anyone tells me, players benefit from that, media articles written in support of a manager galvanize supporters and all of this collectively has a positive impact on a team.

History has proved it, when Kevin Keegan was the outstanding candidate amongst players and fans alike back in ’99, England won his first game in charge 3-1 against Poland at Wembley courtesy of a Paul Scholes hat-trick.

Some might say, look what happened Kevin Keegan after that. I accept that point but what was important was that England received that initial positive impact, the same way Redknapp helped save Pompey from relegation in ‘07 and turned Spurs season around when he first took over at White Hart Lane back in ‘08. Martin O’ Neill has achieved something similar at Sunderland this season and to his credit Roy Hodgson turned West Brom’s campaign around last year.

I understand that the FA’s decision could not be driven by media and supporters demands, but what about the players in all of this? There are those that may feel that players should keep their opinions to themselves but such is the world we now live in, these views are very much in the public domain.

Both Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney backed the potential appointment of Harry Redknapp. It’s hard to see how Frank Lampard would not support his own Uncle becoming the next manager and surely Redknapp has the support of players within his own Spurs contingent namely Scott Parker, Kyle Walker and Jermain Defoe.

Other players such as Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard have previously stated their admiration for him and Gerrard’s Liverpool teammate Glen Johnson saw his career turned right around while playing for Redknapp at Portsmouth. I also believe that if England were to coax Paul Scholes out of International retirement which has now taken on more importance given Jack Wilshere’s injury, then Harry was the man to do it.

Overall you just get the feeling that these current England players would have loved playing for Redknapp and it’s hard to get past the fact the FA seem to have missed a big opportunity. No doubt the players will respond to Hodgson but the question will always linger in the wake of poor performances and results; “I wonder would Harry have gotten more out of them?”

Perhaps we are forgetting that Hodgson himself has been quoted as saying that he would not like the job if he did not have the backing of the media and fans alike. Even without their support, it’s hard to see him walking to the dugout at the Hawthorns next season instead of walking down the tunnel at Wembley, the England job is simply too big an opportunity to pass up.

It now becomes crucial that the fans get behind Hodgson as well as the media and some have already voiced their support which is a good sign. No question about it, Roy Hodgson deserves his chance, his timing is awful but that’s not his fault.