It's time to let the wounds heal

Meath County Board confirmed on Tuesday night there will be no replay of Sunday’s controversial Leinster Senior Football final as they have refused to offer Louth an olive branch so now it’s time for the Wee County to put the bitterly disappointing day behind them, even though it feels so very wrong to do so.

For those from outside of Ireland, or anyone who is from Ireland but has been living under a rock for the last four days, Louth were robbed of their first Leinster crown in 53 years thanks to a goal from Meath forward Joe Sheridan that never should have been allowed.

It was clear to see for the 48,000or so supporters in Croke Park on Sunday and however many were watching on TV, that Sheridan carried the ball over the line before throwing it further into the back of the net, but three important men missed this – the referee and his two umpires.

The scenes that followed were even more disgraceful as referee Martin Sludden was attacked by a small number of incensed, but still out of order, Louth supporters.

However, on Tuesday both Louth and Meath County Boards received copies of the referee’s report on the game, in which Mr Sludden admits he should not have given the goal but claims he was about to give a penalty, but then realised the ball was over the line and awarded a goal.

I nearly fell off my chair when I read the quotes, if they wanted to rub salt in the wounds they could have waited until they were a little more healed.

The report overlooked the fact that before any issues of penalties or goals, that it should have been a free out for a square ball (you’re not allowed in the small box before the ball, for our UK readers).

Also, that the fact his umpire never raised the green flag to signal a goal immediately after it crossed the line, which is the general rule, should have told the referee something but he seemed to just tell his umpire to raise the flag rather than discuss the situation with him.

The referee claims he ‘saw the ball had crossed the line’, which raises the question, how can you give a goal when you don’t know how it got there?
If Mr Sludden believed it was a penalty, then why not just give it when there’s doubt over the goal?

It is all irrelevant now anyways as the matter has been dealt with. However, Mr Sludden should never get to referee a senior championship game again after Sunday but I feel the GAA will look kindly on him giving the situation he was put through after the final whistle.

The Meath players and management have taken a lot of abuse for the incident but they should not be held to blame for what occurred, they did what any team does and that is do everything you can to win.

It’s the job of the officials to ensure the rules are adhered to but the way ‘goalscorer’ Sheridan conducted his interview afterwards were wrong as they showed little remorse for the Wee County.

Sheridan refused to admit it wasn’t a goal, saying on the Sunday Game that he played the ball over the line when replays and pictures clearly show him over the line with the ball.

He would have done himself a great favour to admit it shouldn’t have been allowed and apologised, even a certain Thierry Henry had enough grace to do that.

And the Meath board SHOULD have offered a replay, as there was little chance of it being sanctioned by the Leinster Council anyways but they would have come out on the moral high ground.

However, they decided not to and that’s where the matter should stop now. Louth are talking about taking a legal route on this but it’s pointless as it is laid out in black and white that what is said in the referee’s report is the result is final, unless the winning team offer a replay.

What the Louth management need to do is get their players focused again, as the campaign is not over yet. Yes, there’s no Leinster title but there’s the All-Ireland qualifiers to comprehend and they are one match away from an All-Ireland quarter final.

It’s not going to be easy to pick themselves up from such a heart-wrenching defeat but if Louth can put in another performance like the one on Sunday and take their chances when they get them, then they’re capable of causing any team problems on the day.

Let’s just hope that an afternoon like Sunday never happens to Louth again but we’ve said that before...

This could be a shocking World Cup but in a good way

So the World Cup begins today and after much worrying about South Africa being ill-prepared to host the tournament, much worrying about a host of star players picking up injuries and much worrying amongst the players on what colour boots to wear, it looks like it could be an exciting four weeks of football.

Exciting because I feel there is the potential for more than a couple of upsets that will cause a stir and yet again convey the magic of tournament football.

With the favourites, Spain, having a history of bottling it on the big stage, it leaves the race for the coveted crown fairly open.

Along with Spain - Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Holland, Italy and, not surprisingly, England have been some of the nations touted with a strong chance of claiming glory.

However, all those teams have huge doubts about their credentials to go all the way.

Argentina may have one of the most gifted footballers in the world on the pitch in Lionel Messi, but their former great Diego Maradona is in charge and he was, quite frankly, bonkers with his squad selection.

Leaving Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti at home despite them leading Inter Milan to Champions League glory is more than enough proof that, while it might not be cocaine now, Maradona is definitely on something.

Germany are missing Michael Ballack through injury and with former tournament hotshots Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose not firing on all cylinders this season, the former three time winners may struggle.

Brazil have ditched the flair and Ronaldinho too, with former World Cup winner, now manager, Dunga favouring a more conservative approach. This could be their downfall as their defence is hardly as robust as the Italians’ or the Germans’ but let’s hope stars like Robinho, Kaka and Fabiano defy their boss and bring some of that well loved samba style to South Africa.

Spain have a reputation for bottling it on the big stage but there is one country who are ahead of them in the league of the, eh, bottle jobs and that is Holland.

No matter how much class they have in their ranks the Dutch always seem to crumble under pressure but, with the likes of Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie in the squad, they could have a say.

The reigning champions Italy haven’t been touted about as much as I would have imagined. They were just edged out by Spain in Euro 2008 on penalties so they are far from also rans, but with captain Fabio Cannavaro the wrong side of 30 along, with a couple of other key players, maybe this squad is on its last legs.

Every time England qualify for a major tournament the phrases ‘this is our best chance’ and ‘this is our time’ are echoed around in the media.

Ironically, this year they seem to have tried to dampen down all that pre-tournament excitement and tried to be realistic when this time it is in fact their best chance since 1966.

England have always lacked something at the big tournaments, usually a player with pride, passion and the talent to take a tight game by the scruff of the neck and smash home a goal out of nowhere and this time they have Wayne Rooney, a much improved player over the last four years who is in top form.

However, penalty shoot-outs always have a say in the World Cup and that is England’s Achilles heel which could yet again be their downfall.

So with the so called big boys all with doubts hanging over them here’s hoping to some of the ‘smaller’ teams causing some upsets.

While there was cries of fixes, corruption etc when South Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2002, it was nothing short of fascinating to watch.

The plucky Koreans did their nation proud when they played out of their skins to knock both Spain and Italy out along the way, before Germany finally defeated them.

This year there are a few teams who could cause an upset or two.

Ivory Coast, if they can be counted as an outsider with their surprisingly strong squad, have a superb chance of making a big impact in South Africa.

Serbia are well within their means of taking on the big nations with a number of players with big stage experience, including Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic, Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic along with Marko Pantelic of Ajax and not to mention Inter Milan’s Dejan Stankovic.

If Serbia finish second in their group they could face England and I’m sure Fabio Capello would rather different opposition than the robust and well-organised eastern Europeans.

It would also be a bit of a surprise to me if Portugal perform at this World Cup. Despite having one of, if not the best player in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo, they lack any real firepower up front.

However, the Real Madrid man could find the net enough times to give them an outside chance of success.

If we don’t get a shock with the results, then we’re sure to get a few with during the games as sadly no World Cup would be complete without a controversy.

Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ in 1986, Rivaldo’s despicable play acting in 2002, Maradona’s drug test failure in 1994, the sham game between Germany and Austria in 1982 and Zidane’s head butt in the 2006 final are just some of the incidents that have left a bitter taste over the years.

Will there be controversy in South Africa? Maybe. Diving? Without a doubt. Offside debates? For sure. Video technology? Sadly not thanks to Mr Blatter but that’s a whole different debate.

But let’s just hope there aren’t too many controversies, a few upsets, some moments of magic and more exciting football than you could shake a stick at. Don’t know about you but I can’t wait. Bring it on!

Rooney cannot be calmed if England want success

There’s only two days to go to the start of the world’s biggest football tournament and it seems Wayne Rooney has lost his temper and is a reckless man who could ruin England’s hopes at the World Cup in South Africa.

Rooney ranted at the referee in England’s last warm-up game against local minnows and suddenly everyone is worried that the Manchester United striker is a ticking time bomb ready to explode and blow the World Cup for a nation.

Preparing a scapegoat? Sounds like it. There has to be one after all, why not Rooney? Why not the one who is carrying the hopes of a nation on his back?

The fact remains that in probably every game the England No10 played for his club this year, he swore at the referee, even if it was from afar on certain occasions. Why is it suddenly a big deal?

In fact, John Terry does it a lot, Steven Gerrard also has a go at testing his French skills on a regular basis on the pitch and I’m sure everyone’s loveable giant Peter Crouch has showed his dismay at more than one referee this season.

The referee in question in Monday’s game, Mr Jeff Selogilwe, claimed Rooney said ‘F*** you’ in an outburst towards him. Should he be swearing? No. Will it get him sent off in South Africa? Unlikely.

The reaction to this incident, which would have been nothing if the referee had not spoken to the press, has been over the top.

Suddenly all the enthusiasm and passion Rooney shows on the pitch is now recklessness and stupidity.

Certain members of the media have been claiming Rooney constantly shows his frustration when his, and his fellow players’, performances drop below par. Since Monday’s incident, some are complaining that he is harming morale with his constant berating, some claim he is risking a red card when he jumps into a tackle to regain possession and some say he needs to calm down.

To them people I would say don’t be so inane. As an outsider looking in on the foray surrounding England at South Africa, Rooney’s passion is key, in my view to any slim hopes of success at this World Cup for Fabio Capello's men.

He has led the line for Manchester United all season with that same passion, a fire in his belly that his keeping the hunger for success warm. He lets his team-mates know when they’ve made a mistake, he shows his anger at himself when he loses possession by sprinting 40 yards to reclaim possession and he inspires others around him.

In an age of overpaid players, who couldn’t care less what colour shirt they’re wearing but more about the zeros on the pay cheque, Rooney’s attitude is a breath of fresh air.

When he wears the white of England or the red of United, he wants to succeed, he has the passion, so much in fact it has the potential to boil over but Rooney has only been sent off once since the infamous Ronaldo wink incident in 2006.

Rooney has matured greatly since that night in Germany and being managed by men like Sir Alex Ferguson and Capello has certainly helped. The striker has put all that over aggression into his performances which have reaped dividend to say the least.

Rooney needs to be left to let rip, to let that fire breathe and roar like one of these English lions that you go on about all the time. He has the passion that others crave but if Capello tries to stifle it by telling him to calm down then England’s slim World Cup chances will be well and truly smothered.

Khan can't help himself

Amir Khan faces Pauli Malignaggi this weekend in New York and is a clear favourite to dispatch of the American in similar fashion to which fellow countryman Ricky Hatton did 18 months ago.

However, while the Hitman was, and still is, a fans’ favourite in the UK, Khan has yet to win a large fan base in this country.

Some put this down to racial prejudice with the Bolton fighter being a strict Muslim from a family which descends from Pakistan but while some bigots may think like that, it is not the reason most boxing fans dislike him.

Prince Naseem Hamed had no problem earning the respect of fight fans this side of the Atlantic despite his arrogance as he brought glamour to the sport in Britain.

But while the British nation cheered a 17-year-old Khan to an Olympic silver medal in the 2004 Athens Games, many were soon turned off the Bolton boy wonder when he turned professional.

Many, including myself, were enraged by his arrogance and the way he put himself about at such a young age. He spoke as if he deserved to be a champion already, when he was just simply a boy in a man’s game.

And when Breidis Prescott knocked him flat on his back within a round in September 2008, fight fans cheered and a fair few smiles were raised.

However, Khan changed, or at least I thought he did, when he started working with coach Freddie Roach. He seemed to focus on his boxing again, just like the 17-year-old amateur that the nation went wild for. I began warming to him and by following him on the social networking site, Twitter, it was clear to see he was focused on training hard and being a top professional.

However, when Carl Froch, who did publically criticise Khan in the past, lost out to Mikkel Kessler last month, Khan made a massive error and showed yet again his immaturity which must have had his promoters cringing.

Khan used both his social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, to lambast Froch and publically mock his fellow countryman in the wake of the defeat.

Now while Froch is also another fighter who is not liked by many, and had harshly criticised Khan, the Bolton fighter should have had the sense to get past this and not ruin the rebuilding of his reputation.

Boxing is a gentleman’s game and all pre-fight tension between fighters is usually put behind them when the final bell rings (see Mayweather v Mosley) but Khan has no respect for his fellow professionals and there lies the reason why many dislike him.

This was soon followed by a ridiculous claim by Khan that in 12 months time he will be ready to face Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. Yet again he embarrassed himself.

Khan needs at least three years to get anywhere near the level of those two greats and must yet get past the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez before he could even consider stepping through the ropes to face Mayweather or his gym partner Pacquiao.

It was another case of disrespect from Khan and he wonders why many within the sport don’t respect him or take him seriously. He needs to be told to focus on his boxing and turn the fantastic skill he has into the finished article or he will soon be ditched by promoters, coaches and even those fans that stand by him.

French flop Benzema pays for costly error

As Karim Benzema sits down today to book his summer holiday, fresh in the knowledge that he won’t be at this year’s World Cup with France, I wonder will it play on his mind the decision he made last summer to join his apparently ‘beloved’ Real Madrid instead of Manchester United.

The Reds had coveted the talented finisher for a number of years as he led the line for Lyon, who dominated the French League in the noughties.

However, last summer when the United transfer kitty was apparently bulging after the exit of Ronaldo to Madrid, the English club were outbid by the Spanish giants for the French striker.

Benzema had his heart set on Madrid, despite being keen on a move to United the previous year, but I’m sure the extra zeros on the contract at the Bernabeu helped him change his mind.

A lot was expected of Benzema, he cost €35million and it was presumed he would lead the line for the Galacticos with the experienced Raul coming to the end of his illustrious career.

However, he has only featured mainly as a substitute this season with his cameo appearances only bringing 8 goals in a La Liga campaign which Madrid have scored goals for fun at stages.

It came as no surprise to me then yesterday when Raymond Domenech left Benzema out of France’s World Cup squad for South Africa.

Domenech has made some crazy decisions during his tenure as boss of France but, while some may be disappointed by his decision to leave the striker out, the majority will understand why.

Strikers need to have confidence and going into the World Cup they need to be in form, Benzema is not, but it could have been so different.

Last summer he took a professional risk. He saw the money at Madrid. He saw the revolution that was taking place and he wanted in but it proved to be a costly error for his career, if not his pocket.

United had lost a 35 goals-a-season midfielder and were in desperate need of added firepower, Benzema was their target and was seen as an excellent strike partner for Wayne Rooney.

The Frenchman was sure to be a regular starter at Old Trafford, obviously as long as he settled in well, and he could now be heading to meet up with his international team-mates to prepare for the biggest stage in world football.

But yet again we have another footballer who would rather risk sitting on the bench with a fat pay cheque than the guarantee of first team football elsewhere.

It’s not like United are a small club, and maybe with Benzema they would now be celebrating winning the title but, with Sir Alex Ferguson apparently thinking of another attempt to lure him to Old Trafford this summer, maybe he should think twice about trying to sign the French flop, using last year as an eye-opener to Benzema’s real hunger for money rather than football.