• Home
    • Who Are We
    • USMNT Ramblings
    • Where Are They Now >
      • Mike Ammann
      • Chris Armas
      • Brian Bliss Part II
      • Petter Mellor
      • Gary Hamilton
      • John Robinson
    • My Club My Passion
  • Interviews
    • Robbie Mustoe
    • Cyle Larin
    • Daphne Corboz
    • Neil Stafford
    • Eric DaCosta
    • Ian McIntyre
    • Keidane McAlpine
    • David DiIanni
    • Keelin Winters
    • Rachel Daly
    • Arie Ammann
    • Andres Deza
    • EPL 2013 Steve Coxon
    • EPL 2013 Jeremy Melul
    • EPL 2013 Jim McGirr
    • EPL 2013 Elie Monteiro
    • EPL 2013 Lee Billiard
    • EPL 2013 Brian Tompkins
    • Derek Canavaggio
    • Dante Marini
    • Katy Freels
    • Lee Billiard - NWSL
    • Caitlin Foord
    • Sophie Schmidt
    • Jill Loyden
    • Brittany Bock
    • Veronica Perez
    • Kate Deines
    • Brendan Schimmel
    • Gerry Marrone
    • Lee Billiard
  • Extra Time
  • Off The Ball
  • Five For Friday
    • Gary Curneen
    • Dave Clarke
    • Andrew Kean
    • Dan Abrahams
    • Dave Hannigan
Soccer Banter

Extra Time with Dave Clarke 

2/22/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Why are Spurs considered a one-man team?  Are Liverpool a one-man team with Luis Suarez or Manchester United one with Robin van Persie?  Of course not, but lazy journalists and pundits take the easy option by defining Spurs as overly reliant on Bale.  If they did their homework they would know that Bale has only been playing well since the New Year and that Spurs players of the season are Aaron Lennon and Jan Vertonghen.   

Why do Spurs have to finish in the top four to keep a hold of Gareth Bale?  With a new stadium to fund, Spurs may end up selling the Welshman for an offer they can’t refuse, but finishing fourth will have no bearing on the decision.  Everton kept Marouane Fellaini and Liverpool kept Luis Suarez despite finishing outside the top four last year while Spurs kept Bale despite missing out on the Champions League.  There is nothing like the truth getting in the way of the story.

Why was there not more outrage in the media for the manner in which Juventus systematically and cynically fouled Celtic at set pieces in their Champions League qualifier?  Players are vilified for diving because it is considered blatant cheating. What Juve did was cheating too and has been a part of the club’s culture for years. UEFA and FIFA need to come down on all forms of cheating in the game and not just the diving. 

   

Picture
Why is Luis Suarez always vilified by the English media when he dives to win fouls, but Daniel Sturridge avoided criticism for his blatant dives against Man City and Swansea City?

Why did Neil Lennon start Efe Ambrose for Celtic in the tie with Juventus less than 48 hours after he played in the African Cup of Nations final in South Africa?  Ambrose was at fault for two of Juve’s goals and missed Celtic’s best chance of the game.  It was a gamble that did not pay off and leaves Celtic with little chance to advance to the last eight.     

Why are some pundits in the game so ignorant of the Laws of the Game?  The recent Newcastle United-Chelsea game is a case in point.  Demba Ba was kicked in the face by Fabricio Coloccini and there were calls for a penalty and a red card for the foul.  It was not a penalty.  It was an indirect free kick for dangerous play and at best a yellow card for the Newcastle defender.

Why is every error made by Manchester United’s David de Gea highlighted by the media and pundits, but similar errors in judgment by Man City and England keeper, Joe Hart, go unmentioned?

Why was the referee in the Real Madrid-Man United Champions League game criticized by the English media for blowing for full time before United could take their injury time corner?  If time was up then the referee was well within his rights to blow for full time.  Why should United have been given an extra couple of seconds just because they had a corner to take?  Did the experts want a repeat of the bizarre situation involving Clive Thomas at the 1978 World Cup when he blew for full time while the ball was in flight from a corner?  Brazil scored, but Thomas did not award the goal because he had blown as soon as the ball was kicked.  



Picture
Why was there so much uproar about Emmanuel Adebayor reporting back late to Tottenham Hotspur after he had played for Togo at the African Cup of Nations?  Did the players who participated in last summer’s European Championships report back to their clubs right away?  Of course they didn’t.  So why are Adebayor and other African players being singled out?        

Why has Alan Pardew not been called to task for being a hypocrite after adding a tenth French born player to his Newcastle roster to bring the total of foreign players at the stadium, formerly known as the Sports Direct Arena, to 20?  I seem to remember him having a lot to say at one time about the number of foreign players at Arsenal.   

Why are more questions not asked of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal when financial constraints are cited as being a factor in their current predicament?  Arsenal have a wage bill that is $1.5 million more than Spurs, their main competitor for a top four place.  That is 10 players on over $100,000 per week difference between the two sides.  Arsenal have also invested heavily in the transfer market and their team against Bayern Munich was purchased for $170 million.  Surely such expenditure warrants beating lower league opposition in the League Cup and the FA Cup and a more competitive performance in the last 16 of Champions League? 


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Dave Clarke

    Head Women's Soccer Coach at Quinnipiac University and US National Staff Coach who received a Masters in Journalism from QU.  A Spurs and Celtic supporter.


    Archives

    September 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    September 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011


    Categories

    All
    Andre Villas Boas
    Gold Cup
    Lionel Messi
    Luis Suarez
    Mls
    River Plate
    Scottish Football Association
    The Fa

    RSS Feed

Soccer Banter: Been Kicking Since March 1, 2011