Sir Bobby Robson - Not just a football legend

Well it’s been a while, too long in fact, since my last blog. With holidays, decent weather (I say decent, I really mean there’s some breaks in-between showers) and a few other things that kept getting in the way. Anyways, I felt it fitting to begin again with a small tribute to a legend – Sir Bobby Robson.

It was only when I watched the fantastic BBC tribute programme to the former footballer and manager that I realised how much good work outside of football that he actually did.

Doing so much charity work while also balancing his career and battles with cancer –beating the disease four times before it eventually got the better of him last Friday – is truly amazing.

During this time it was likely that by associating his name to his and other cancer charities he indirectly saved many lives, a success that outshines any trophy he ever won.

One other thing that I never knew about Robson, was the torment he went through with the English media during his tenure as the national coach.

Caught in the middle of a tabloid war at the time, The Sun and The Daily Mirror used him as a pawn in their readership battle.

In a way it wasn’t personal, as whoever was the manager at the time would have received the same shocking treatment but it was harsh and a lot of it over the top.

However, it was the way in which he dealt with it that proved again what a terrific person he was.

Maintaining a good relationship with other members of the press and attending lunches put on for him by the media after the 1990 World Cup, showed he could still show respect, maybe not to the reporters and editors who hung him out to dry, but to the others who didn’t. Too often today people involved in sport tar all journalists with the same brush.

How fitting that the last game of football he was to ever attend was an England win over Germany with the winning goal being a penalty, even if it was only a charity match I’m sure he enjoyed a win over the Germans.

Sir Alex The Great

Let’s put all biased opinions aside. Let’s talk about facts. Let’s talk about the greatest manager of all-time – Sir Alex Ferguson.

An emphatic 11 Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups, three Carling Cups, one European Cup Winners Cup, one Super Cup and one World Club Cup are the list of honours Sir Alex has picked up in his 23 years as manager of Manchester United.

Then put that with the three Scottish Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups, one European Cup Winners Cup and one Super Cup that he won at Aberdeen. The greatest ever? Without a doubt.

It’s hard to find the superlatives to describe the feats the Scot has achieved during his career. However, his eleventh league title at Old Trafford may just be the sweetest of the lot.

Why? It’s simple, because it marks one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all-time. When Sir Alex took over at Old Trafford, United trailed Liverpool 18-7 in league titles. In 23 years at the helm, Ferguson has equalled it and is now looking to surpass it.

United and Liverpool fans constantly argue what was the greatest comeback – the injury time turn around in the Nou Camp by Fergie’s men over Bayern Munich in 1999 or the Merseyside club’s amazing recovery against AC Milan in 2005 when they were trailing 3-0 at half-time. 18-7 wins hands down in my opinion.

To make it even sweeter for the Scot was that this one had Liverpool as the challengers and, more importantly, Rafa Benitez as the chasing boss.

The pair made no attempt to hide their dislike for each other this season and even after Rooney, Ryan, Ronaldo and Rio lifted the Premier League trophy high into the Manchester sky, Benitez refused to congratulate his rival. It could be seen as disrespectful, it could be seen as poor sportsmanship, it could be both but I don’t think Sir Alex was worried anymore.

Have no doubt, as the Spaniard rubbed his goateed chin on Saturday night wondering what could have been, Ferguson would have been popping the cork of his favourite red wine and wondering if his rival understood the phrase – “stick that in your pipe and smoke it”.

For once he wasn’t infuriated and ready to give the hairdryer treatment, he was smiling and happy, and Benitez was the one left smouldering.

Ferguson loves challenges, loves rivalry and loves winning even more, especially when there’s a special personal edge to it.

When Ferguson started out at United, he was entering into a voyage unknown, just like Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan did when they conquered the new world.

Trailing 18-7, the Liver Bird was singing from its perch but Fergie was hoping to make it squeal in agony.

He was famously quoted back in 2002: “My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool off their f****ing perch”.

He was bold and brave just like the explorers and he wasn’t afraid to meet the challenges that stood before him.

Ferguson tracked down Liverpool and planted the United flag firmly in the history of English and world football.

The angry man that all United fans have grown to love has built team after team that follows his way of rage, brilliance, thoughtful ambition and, for most of the time, football played at its most beautiful best. His philosophy of success and joyous football seeps through to his squad and the results follow.

But let’s be honest, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Sir Alex, it took a while to settle in, he nearly got the sack but he was given time - six and a half years in fact - to take United to the top of English football. How every manager nowadays would love that amount of time. Ferguson had it, he used it and he’s never looked back.

However, blows have come along the way, but even Columbus and Magellan had their obstacles to pass, and for Sir Alex one such which was Arsene Wenger who came strutting into English football with new mentalities and unknown foreign star players. They tested Fergie, they beat him but they couldn’t withstand the backlash and now they lie on the ropes, barely making it into the Big Four.

Then the Russian tycoon arrived, armed with money and ploughed it into Chelsea and the ‘Special One’, Jose Mourinho. They tested United. They fought, they won two battles but after that their leader walked out when the fightback had begun and Ferguson led his men to victory in the war, winning three titles in a row and beat them in the Champions League final.

This year saw United and Ferguson come under pressure from their fiercest rivals in Liverpool. And what a year to equal the record.

The Merseyside club would stop at nothing to keep United away from their precious record and Benitez understood this but for some unknown reason started a war of words with Ferguson. Big mistake!

Challenging the master of mind-games when you already have his back against the wall, as Liverpool did with their seven point advantage back in January, is nothing short of lunacy. It backfired and it backfired spectacularly.

United not only closed the gap but flew past quicker than a Formula 1 car at full throttle, creating a seven point lead that proved, despite a minor blip from the Old Trafford outfit, unsurpassable.

So as United swept past Arsenal on Saturday and into the history books, Benitez and his team cannot feel anything else other than that they were overpowered by a greater force, outwitted by a man with far more experience and shown they have still a way to go before they can pick up the illustrious crown again.

The worrying thing for them and other would-be challengers is that Ferguson has by no means lost any hunger along the way, he is not happy yet.

“I’m not looking at equalling anyone, winning more titles with this team resonates with me far more than that,” he declared as the title celebrations ensued.

“More titles can mean anything but this team is young enough to win more. I am always looking, that’s the way I am. I am never really happy.”

If Columbus had this hunger, he might have gone on to find the real India.

Hatton plays the game wrong against Pacman

So I stayed up into the early hours of Sunday morning to see five minutes and 59 seconds of boxing action which might seem not worthwhile but it certainly was worth ruining my sleep pattern for.

What was seen was one of the greatest boxers of this generation, as Manny Pacquiao dismantled Ricky Hatton with unbelievable ease.

Never before have I seen the right hand jab of a southpaw used with such ferocious precision, Hatton seemed to miss them though because he got caught flush with 80 per cent of them.

I knew what to expect from the Philippine, having been first introduced to the 'Pacman' when he blitzed Marco Antonio Barrera back in 2003. You know he's going to come out throwing shots faster than the eye can see.

However, that was the shock for me because Hatton didn't seem to know what was going to happen and despite all his pre-fight talk of using his jab, having composure and moving his head to work his way in, the Hitman approached the fight as if it was like he was back in the MEN five years ago, fighting some other journeyman that Frank Warren pulled off the street.

With his head down and hands low he went at Pacquiao time and time again, in the aggressive nature that Freddie Roach had predicted, and planned for.

Right from the opening bell Hatton flew at his opponent and right from the opening bell Pacquiao landed his jab straight down the middle.

Hatton kept coming in a straight line, head still and just looking for the power shots. It would have been harder for his opponent to miss.

The British boy brought the crowd but he didn't bring his pre-fight tactical plans to the MGM Grand which, I imagine, will make Floyd Mayweather Sr decide to step down as his coach if he wasn't going to already.

Whoever thought in the Hitman's camp that the Philippine did not have the power or the ability to maintain his ferocious speed at the light welterweight division, should also quit.

He just destroyed one of the legends of the ring in Oscar De La Hoya, and even if the Golden Boy was off colour or past it, that was at welterweight, why could he not do the same at a lower weight?

In fact I would have been more worried that Hatton would not have the power after yet another draining training programme to make the 10 stone limit.

Let's not take anything away from the pound-for-pound champion, Pacquiao was superb.

He and Roach got the tactics spot on and used Hatton's over the top aggression against him.

It was Roach's words after the fight that signified the simplicity in their preparations.

"Every time Ricky throws his left hand he pulls it back and cocks it and he's wide open for a short right hook on the inside from a southpaw stance.

"I knew it was over because it seems like Ricky doesn't have the ability to adjust.

"He fights the same way over and over again. I've watched him for the last two-and-a-half months. I know him pretty well."

It may seem obvious to watch the tapes and find the weaknesses but in the professional game with all the hype, money and pressure for excitement, it's sometimes forgotten.

The way that the tactics were employed, worked to utter perfection. It could not have worked any better.

It typifies Roach, a pure perfectionist that makes sure his fighters are ready for whatever lies ahead.

He took on Pacquiao as a decent slugger and turned him into a boxing master who's record of beaten opponents now reads like a Hall Of Fame list.

Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, De La Hoya and now Hatton are just some of the greats he has beaten.

In my opinion he should only fight once more before calling it a day as a true ring legend and turning his attention to the world of politics.

With the winner of Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Marquez in July getting the privilege of facing the Philippine to decide who really is the true pound-for-pound champion and probably the greatest fighter of the last decade.

Good is not good enough

Last night in Bari Irish fans witnessed a fantastic result for their national team as the Republic picked up a 1-1 draw with World Cup champions Italy, but was it really a good result?

Before the game a point away from home against Italy would be a great result for most nations but when the home side go down to 10 men early in the game (even though it was a ridiculous red card) then it gives you a chance and it’s a chance which should be taken.

Ireland dominated the game from the moment they kicked off after Italy’s goal, yet it took until the 87th minute again they got that much-deserved equaliser .

Everyone seemed happy with the result yet I couldn’t help but feel that we had missed a great chance to cause a real shock.

Don’t get me wrong, I know Ireland are nowhere near the level of Italy but any team with a man less will struggle and we had them on the back foot for at least 70 minutes, yet could only score until the final three minutes.

It’s disappointing in my view as we would have gone top of our World Cup Qualifying group and it would have given us a real chance of automatic qualification, never mind the play-offs.

However, the country was delighted today as we drew with the World Champions. So what? We could have won.

I would see this as two points lost but even Giovanni Trapattoni was happy. It seems things still haven’t changed since Roy Keane’s days in a green shirt.

The Corkman was always agitated by his fellow countrymen’s attitude of ‘we gave it a good effort and did well’.

‘Well’ was never good enough for the fiery midfielder and I echo his sentiments.

Last night proved that attitude still exists even though I thought the experienced Italian manager had filtered it out.

The Republic of Ireland football team have always seemed happy just to be there, to be in Italy playing the World Champions seemed good enough, just as it does every time we get to a World Cup.

With a 10 men Italy and us dominating the game with the majority of the possession, nothing but three points and moving to the top of the group should have been satisfying.

We saw what happened when Keane stood up against this mentality so I doubt anyone else will dare, let’s just hope the dropped points doesn’t hamper our qualification chances.

Jealousy is a terrible thing

Last weekend saw one of Ireland’s greatest sporting achievements, as our rugby boys clinched a long-awaited Six Nations Grand Slam.

I don’t claim to be a huge rugby fan, however, I wouldn’t consider myself jumping on the bandwagon of our recent success as I remember watching, as a child in the early nineties, Ireland pick up their fair share of wooden spoons so I have been there for the bad times as well.

After one of the most tense sporting occasions I have witnessed in recent times, I felt proud of our rugby team and more importantly I felt proud for my country.

So your probably thinking where is this going? Well here’s my point, strangely the small shop around the corner from my flat stocks The Sunday World, an Irish Sunday tabloid newspaper that I always read back home (I live in Preston if you don’t know).

So on Sunday morning, bleary-eyed from the night before, I went to pick up the paper expecting celebration pictures, the match report from an undoubtedly ecstatic rugby correspondent and in-depth analysis from the experts.

All of which I did find but after being engrossed in the four or five pages of rugby I found myself through to the GAA pages (Gaelic Football and Hurling for our English readers) where I would expect them to report the sport that was in the shadow for that day.

What I did find shocked me and proved to me the amount of bitterness that lies in some quarters of the GAA world towards Ireland’s successful international sports.

Pat Spillane, a GAA pundit and schoolteacher, described in his weekly column how he felt that the skill and excitement of rugby played the day before was no better than a Junior League Gaelic Football match.

For those of you who don’t know the GAA system the level he was suggesting is roughly the standard of Sunday League football in England, maybe the lower levels of non-league if it was two top teams.

Spillane then went on to suggest that rugby has had an advantage of being a professional sport with money to hire coaches to come to schools where GAA is lacking.

Well, that is there own fault, first of all the GAA’s ignorance towards professional sport has left them behind on some fronts of development of young players. Secondly the GAA can afford to pay coaches to travel to schools to teach rugby, they just don’t want to cough up.

The pundit did mention that he was supporting the Irish team in their success but that he doesn’t see the appeal of rugby as a sport. I’m sorry but you won’t find many things as thrilling as a player having one kick that could either win the game or lose it, which is the position Wales’ Stephen Jones found himself in at the death last Saturday.

There’s also the charge Ireland made straight after the Welsh drop-goal, not exciting? Try telling that to the Irish fans that nearly took the roof off the Millennium Stadium when Ronan O’Gara returned Ireland’s lead with his drop-goal.

Nevermind the skill or the excitement, it doesn’t matter what sport it is, for a small nation with limited resources everyone should be proud of success whether it be rugby, soccer, GAA or even tiddlywinks.

The fact that Spillane would begrudge rugby their day before our summer is full of ‘his’ GAA is nothing short of disgraceful. Shame on him.