I'm going to be covering Sunday's game for the "Journal" newspaper, which some of you might have seen around Edinburgh. This is as much an attempt to get my thoughts straight in advance of the game as it is a serious attempt at a preview, so please excuse my ramblings...
Both sides come into this weekend's match on the back of mid-week fixtures, although Hibs' 3-0 win over Brechin at Easter Road hardly bears comparison with Celtic's controversial defeat at The Emirates Stadium.
Wednesday's match did, though, allow Hibs to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, and indeed to build upon a run of five matches without defeat, stretching back to pre-season encounters with English Premiership sides Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers. The Hibs attack has looked sharp in that period, manging to find the target eight times, with the concession of only two goals in response being just as pleasing. Derek Riordan, in particular, has looked far more like the Deek of old, and not the slightly chubby bloke who returned to Hibs from Celtic. His free-kick against Falkirk would surely have received the attention it deserved, had it not been for the sudden and wholly unexpected glut of Ronaldo-esque goals that have chosen to grace the early weeks of the Scottish season, and it can surely only be Riordan's off-field issues which have conspired to keep him out of George Burley's Scotland squad.
Celtic, meanwhile, welcome Steven McManus back into their squad this weekend; the defender having laughed off the frankly ludicrous suggestion that he swap Celtic Park, European football and playing in front of 55 000 every other week for, well...Ipswich Town, and recovered from an injury to take his place among the first team squad at Celtic. Former Hibs stars Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell will also be among the Celtic squad this weekend, with both likely to start the match. Caldwell in particular will be determined to shake off a start to the season in which he has all but changed his name to Jona, while Scott Brown, habitually competitive, has resembled something close to a Tasmanian Devil on his previous visits to Easter Road in Celtic colours. This will no doubt continue tomorrow, and Hibs' diminutive midfield trio of Cregg, Rankin and McBride will have their work cut out as they try to contain Brown's infectious energy, alongside the ever-willing Landry N'Guemo in the heart of the Celtic midfield.
The most interesting side-bar to this Sunday's match will be the return of Tony Mowbray to Easter Road. Mowbray created the best Hibs team for many years during his time in Leith, bringing through the likes of Derek Riordan, Gary O'Connor, Steven Whitaker, Scott Brown, Kevin Thomson and Steven Fletcher, while also giving a platform to players such as Ivan Sproule and David Murphy. Mowbray got Hibs playing what those of the green-and-white persuasion like to call "the Hibs way", and for this he will no doubt receive a standing ovation this Sunday.
With so many ex-Hibs favourites returning to the ground this Sunday, it promises to be a keenly contested encounter.
Friday 28 August 2009
Eduardo da Silva - Cheat?
There's no denying that Eduardo was, in the vernacular, "F*ckin' at it" on Wednesday night, when he won himself a penalty in Arsenal's match with Celtic.
His manager's claim that there is not "conclusive" proof that Eduardo took a dive is laughable. There's proof right here (0.30)...
...or does Wenger expect us to believe that he "did not see ze incident", as per his normal line whenever one of his players is caught cheating?
Of course, it comes as no surprise that Wenger has once more leapt to the defence of his star - that's part of his job, and no one would expect anything else of him as Manager.
He does, though, begin to make sense later in this interview, in which he claims that UEFA's decision "...singles out a player to be a cheat". While UEFA should be applauded for taking this actively and demonstrably anti-diving stance, there does not seem to be any real reason for them to start taking action now, other than good old Gordon Smith sticking his oar in. I did not see any of the games on Wednesday night, nor Tuesday or Thursday this week, but I would bet my life that there were no fewer than ten instances of "simulation" in the Eduardo mould that will have gone unpunished: so much a part of the modern game has cheating in this manner become.
UEFA's action is the "right" thing to do - they may well struggle to justify it, though, and to put this action into place regularly, without every club, player and manager contesting every single penalty decision given against them, or every instance where they feel an opposing player has been "at it" in the way that Eduardo was.
I don't know the French for "a can of worms", but Arsene Wenger was 100% correct about one thing - that is what UEFA have opened here.
His manager's claim that there is not "conclusive" proof that Eduardo took a dive is laughable. There's proof right here (0.30)...
...or does Wenger expect us to believe that he "did not see ze incident", as per his normal line whenever one of his players is caught cheating?
Of course, it comes as no surprise that Wenger has once more leapt to the defence of his star - that's part of his job, and no one would expect anything else of him as Manager.
He does, though, begin to make sense later in this interview, in which he claims that UEFA's decision "...singles out a player to be a cheat". While UEFA should be applauded for taking this actively and demonstrably anti-diving stance, there does not seem to be any real reason for them to start taking action now, other than good old Gordon Smith sticking his oar in. I did not see any of the games on Wednesday night, nor Tuesday or Thursday this week, but I would bet my life that there were no fewer than ten instances of "simulation" in the Eduardo mould that will have gone unpunished: so much a part of the modern game has cheating in this manner become.
UEFA's action is the "right" thing to do - they may well struggle to justify it, though, and to put this action into place regularly, without every club, player and manager contesting every single penalty decision given against them, or every instance where they feel an opposing player has been "at it" in the way that Eduardo was.
I don't know the French for "a can of worms", but Arsene Wenger was 100% correct about one thing - that is what UEFA have opened here.
Monday 24 August 2009
Rangers in Last Minute Penalty Shocker!
Picture the scene...
A tense game comes right down to the wire. Locked at one goal each, with only minutes to play, footballing purists everywhere are hoping that the game will be decided by a moment of skill; a wonder-strike from thirty yards into the top corner, perhaps, or a Maradona-like waltz through an entire team, if we're very lucky.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but this is the SPL, and not exactly the stuff that football purists dream of.
Rangers, having had a man sent off early in the game, and having fallen behind after their goalkeeper, McGregor, doing little to justify his manager's faith, managed to fluff what can only be described as a pass-back from a Hearts forward into his net, pull a goal back through McCulloch. The game remains tight, with real chances few and far between.
Then the inevitable happens - a Rangers player through on goal takes a tumble. A crowd is silenced, awaiting the decision of the man in black. This silence is not, though, one of suspense, or that of a person waiting for a decision. It is one borne out of the Scottish football fan's familiarity with the unwritten laws of the game, the best-know of these being that if Rangers need a penalty, Rangers get a penalty. Shockingly enough, then, Rangers are awarded an 89th minute penalty, which is duly dispatched by Boyd, breaking his duck at Tynecastle in Rangers colours, and giving the Ibrox side the victory.
How unusual.
A tense game comes right down to the wire. Locked at one goal each, with only minutes to play, footballing purists everywhere are hoping that the game will be decided by a moment of skill; a wonder-strike from thirty yards into the top corner, perhaps, or a Maradona-like waltz through an entire team, if we're very lucky.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but this is the SPL, and not exactly the stuff that football purists dream of.
Rangers, having had a man sent off early in the game, and having fallen behind after their goalkeeper, McGregor, doing little to justify his manager's faith, managed to fluff what can only be described as a pass-back from a Hearts forward into his net, pull a goal back through McCulloch. The game remains tight, with real chances few and far between.
Then the inevitable happens - a Rangers player through on goal takes a tumble. A crowd is silenced, awaiting the decision of the man in black. This silence is not, though, one of suspense, or that of a person waiting for a decision. It is one borne out of the Scottish football fan's familiarity with the unwritten laws of the game, the best-know of these being that if Rangers need a penalty, Rangers get a penalty. Shockingly enough, then, Rangers are awarded an 89th minute penalty, which is duly dispatched by Boyd, breaking his duck at Tynecastle in Rangers colours, and giving the Ibrox side the victory.
How unusual.
Saturday 22 August 2009
Hibs in Champions League push!
Who cares if it's only the second week of the season...
A look at the SPL table this evening reveals two very pleasing things. Firstly, Hearts are sitting only two places from the bottom, but secondly, and far more importantly, Hibs are sitting second top.
A deserved, but admittedly last minute, win over St. Mirren last week (see here for highlights), and a good 3-1 away to Falkirk today have given Hibs a 100% record at this stage, with 5 goals scored and 2 conceded. Should Rangers achieve the seemingly impossible, and fail to beat Hearts later today, Hibs could find themselves, with Celtic, as the only teams in the league with a perfect record. Magic!
As an aside, after The Spartans game today a Scottish footballing legend by the name of Eammon Bannon was in the pub, and, as ever, told me to stop growing. Eammon is a guy who has played in the World Cup for Scotland, for Hibs, Hearts and Chelsea, who won the League with Dundee United, and even played for The Spartans for a season or two, turning out against Clyde in the Scottish Cup, when, after a 0-0 draw at City Park, the Spartans earned a replay. Have a look at Eammon's goal (0.41) in Dundee Utd's 5-0 hammering of Borussia Munchengladbach way back in the day, when lots of people actually went to watch football at Tannadice:
A look at the SPL table this evening reveals two very pleasing things. Firstly, Hearts are sitting only two places from the bottom, but secondly, and far more importantly, Hibs are sitting second top.
A deserved, but admittedly last minute, win over St. Mirren last week (see here for highlights), and a good 3-1 away to Falkirk today have given Hibs a 100% record at this stage, with 5 goals scored and 2 conceded. Should Rangers achieve the seemingly impossible, and fail to beat Hearts later today, Hibs could find themselves, with Celtic, as the only teams in the league with a perfect record. Magic!
As an aside, after The Spartans game today a Scottish footballing legend by the name of Eammon Bannon was in the pub, and, as ever, told me to stop growing. Eammon is a guy who has played in the World Cup for Scotland, for Hibs, Hearts and Chelsea, who won the League with Dundee United, and even played for The Spartans for a season or two, turning out against Clyde in the Scottish Cup, when, after a 0-0 draw at City Park, the Spartans earned a replay. Have a look at Eammon's goal (0.41) in Dundee Utd's 5-0 hammering of Borussia Munchengladbach way back in the day, when lots of people actually went to watch football at Tannadice:
Thriller in the Pans
Saturday 22nd August 2009,
East of Scotland League, Premier Division
Preston Athletic 1 - 2 The Spartans
East of Scotland League, Premier Division
Preston Athletic 1 - 2 The Spartans
The Spartans came away with three points yesterday afternoon, but they were made to work for the full ninety minutes by a determined and well-organised Preston side.
The Spartans came out flying, and dominated the early part of the game, taking the lead with a fantastic Dean Hoskins free-kick that flew into the bottom corner of the net from fully 25 yards. Chances followed for both teams in an entertaining first half, and Preston pulled level after a goal mouth scramble presented their left winger with an opportunity. His first strike was blocked; his second, too, but there was nothing returning Spartans legend Kevin Brown, keeping goal in the absence of Chris Flockhart, could do to stop the Preston player's third effort, as it rocketed into the top corner.
Half time: Preston Athletic 1 - 1 The Spartans
It was the home side who had the better of the early going after the break, and the Spartans struggled to break this pattern. Kevin Brown made two excellent saves, with one, in particular, denying ex-Spartans star Craig Manson a certain goal, while Sean McAuley, returning to the Pennypit for the first time after his summer move to The Spartans, cleared an effort off the line when it seemed certain that Preston would take the lead.
The substitute benches were cleared as both teams chased a winning goal, with Henretty, KaderMoffat replacing Hoskins, Etale and Malin, respectively. It was to be the combination of two of these substitutes that won the game for The Spartans.
Henretty, taking up Hoskins' position on the left wing, drove down the line, and, just when it seemed he would be crowded out by two Preston defenders, swung an excellent ball into the box. Kader was first to it, and able to get in amongst the home team's two giant centre backs to head the ball home in the 92nd minute, giving The Spartans a huge win, and a three points that could have great significance come the end of the season. and
Full time: Preston Athletic 1 - 2 The Spartans
The Spartans came out flying, and dominated the early part of the game, taking the lead with a fantastic Dean Hoskins free-kick that flew into the bottom corner of the net from fully 25 yards. Chances followed for both teams in an entertaining first half, and Preston pulled level after a goal mouth scramble presented their left winger with an opportunity. His first strike was blocked; his second, too, but there was nothing returning Spartans legend Kevin Brown, keeping goal in the absence of Chris Flockhart, could do to stop the Preston player's third effort, as it rocketed into the top corner.
Half time: Preston Athletic 1 - 1 The Spartans
It was the home side who had the better of the early going after the break, and the Spartans struggled to break this pattern. Kevin Brown made two excellent saves, with one, in particular, denying ex-Spartans star Craig Manson a certain goal, while Sean McAuley, returning to the Pennypit for the first time after his summer move to The Spartans, cleared an effort off the line when it seemed certain that Preston would take the lead.
The substitute benches were cleared as both teams chased a winning goal, with Henretty, KaderMoffat replacing Hoskins, Etale and Malin, respectively. It was to be the combination of two of these substitutes that won the game for The Spartans.
Henretty, taking up Hoskins' position on the left wing, drove down the line, and, just when it seemed he would be crowded out by two Preston defenders, swung an excellent ball into the box. Kader was first to it, and able to get in amongst the home team's two giant centre backs to head the ball home in the 92nd minute, giving The Spartans a huge win, and a three points that could have great significance come the end of the season. and
Full time: Preston Athletic 1 - 2 The Spartans
Thursday 13 August 2009
Scotland: Awful in Oslo?
We all know by now (and if you didn't you can thank me for saving you the pain of watching it), that Scotland were beaten comfortably last night. Well and truly humped. "Embarrassed", some have said. There will have been enough wailing, gnashing of teeth and over-the-top cries of anguish in this morning's newspapers, with calls for the head of our national manager no doubt the order of the day. That, however, will get us absolutely nowhere. So, without further ado, let me get onto the real staple diet of the Scottish football fan. Forget your pie 'n' bovril - I'm talking about blaming the ref.
It was almost inevitable that, somewhere along the line, last night's referee was going to make a decision or two that would prove decisive. This is not because all referees are terrible; it's not because referees want the game to be about them, and not the players (although some of them undeniably do); it is simply because yet again, FIFA have appointed a man from a mickey-mouse League to an important International match.
No matter how high up the FIFA list last night's official might be, no matter how many boxes he might tick on the FIFA assessor's clipboard, the fact is that a man who earned his stripes, and now earns a living, refereeing games in Luxembourg is not used to handling big matches and big players. This was shown in the way in which he allowed both Carew and Riise several fouls before eventually booking them - even letting Carew away with a blatant dive soon after his eventual yellow card had come - before booking Scotland's Gary Caldwell for his only two fouls of the game, less than a minute apart, and consequently showing him the red card that changed the game in Norway's favour. Consistency is all anyone can ask of a match official, and this was sorely lacking from the man in the middle last night.
Of course anyone can have an off day, but it seemed last night, as Craig Levein noted, that the referee was trying to balance things up by booking Caldwell for his first challenge, having already taken the names of three Norwegians. In basketball, we call that a "make-up call" - as in the referee has called a foul to atone for an earlier mistake. He gives one team a dodgy decision, and so fabricates a foul in their favour to even the score. Caldwell's two fouls, each taken on its own merits, likely warranted bookings. The same, though, could be said of Riise's first three fouls, yet he received only one yellow card, before smashing the ball into the Scottish net for Norway's first goal to compound our misery after Caldwell's dismissal.
Had the referee been consistent in his application of the rules, two things could have happened. Firstly, he might have sent both Carew and Riise from the field before Caldwell received his first caution, had he applied the same rules to their indiscretions as he did to the Scottish defender. The other possibility is that the leniency the official demonstrated in his dealings with the Norwegians could have been extended to Gary Caldwell, allowing him to stay on the park, and Scotland to continue the dominance that had characterised the first third of the match.
It is not, though, fair to pile all of the blame for last night's horror show at the feet of the referee. He might have sent Caldwell from the field, but it was Caldwell himself who got into a battle of strength with John Carew, allowed the big striker to turn, exposing Caldwell's lack of mobility and pace, before the Celtic defender grabbed a fistful of red-shirt, and pulled Carew back. Whether Carew had a grip of Caldwell's shirt is immaterial - forwards get away with things like that; hence the term "striker's challenge" - but for a defender, pulling the jersey is a bookable offence nine-and-a-half times out of ten.
Caldwell might have been unlucky, he might not. The only thing that matters is that he was sent off, and, with him, went all chances Scotland had of getting something from that game. Despite my complaints about the referee, and his decision to send Caldwell off, the thing that was most worrying was the way in which the Scottish team collapsed thereafter.
The man charged with organising the best players our country has been able to produce did not have his finest day yesterday. Things were not looking good even before kick-off, when the words "Graeme" and "Alexander" appeared together in the centre of the Scottish midfield. Taken separately, those two words do not appear threatening, but, when combined, they produce an abominable aberration of an idiot, now conveniently sporting a girly headband so as to identify himself to the opposition as the least capable man on the park. Previous Scotland managers have had the sense to keep Alexander out of the way - right back, perhaps; left back in a crunch; but, ideally, left out. Burley plonked Alexander right in the middle of the park, where he could do the most damage. Things were not looking good at this point, and they were not to get any better. A glance to the left of Alexander was almost, but not quite, as spine-chilling: Chris Commons. A further glance to the right wing: Ross McCormack. Had this been a FIFA "Let's see how many wee chubby guys we can get on the park" Cup Qualifier, we'd have been onto a winner. Sadly, this was not the case, and we were left to confront a side boasting a 6ft 5 inch centre back, and a 6ft 4 inch centre forward, with two men who can only be described as Pygmies in our line up, in a hugely important FIFA World Cup Qualifier. Fantastic.
Perhaps these criticisms are unfair. Perhaps Burley's hands are tied by the limitations of the players available to him. Then again, perhaps he should not have allowed his players to go drinking after the game in Holland, and prevented the "Boozegate" scandal from taking place. Perhaps he should have found a way to get on with Kris Boyd, who, despite being a Rangers player, and hence having sold his soul to David "El Diablo" Murray, is the best goal-scorer we have in Scotland. Perhaps it is Burley himself who has cost Scotland the services of three players who surely would have been in, and strengthened, last night's Scotland team in vital areas.
A manager earns his money, particularly in International football, through his ability to motivate and organise the players at his disposal. He does not have enough time with them to work on their skills or their abilities - he must simply mould someone else's players into an effective team. Last night, the Scottish team were flat from the moment Caldwell left the pitch, and descended into a disorganised mess thereafter. 2-0 down at half-time, with 10 men on the park, and Burley, it seems, does nothing during the interval. Injuries mean that the Scots end up with a back four comprised of three right backs and a left back in Calum Davidson who has been in the International wilderness for something close to seven hundred years, and this eventually leads to the Norwegians notching two further goals, with one Carew effort, which replays have shown to be over the line, not given, in a belated "make-up call" incident on the part of the Officials.
Burley has been quoted as saying that everything that could have "went" wrong last night, did go wrong. He's not wrong there. The worrying thing was that he seemed powerless to stop it, to exert any control over his players, or to inject any passion into them or their performance. Last night, a game that began very promisingly for the Scots turned into an immensely damaging result, in terms of our hopes of earning a play-off spot in our group, and in terms of the confidence of the side going into two vital matches against two sides who have already defeated us: the mighty Dutch, and the mighty, erm...Macedonia at Hampden Park.
We have a battle on our hands to reach the coveted play-off spot for next year's World Cup, but at least if there are yet more embarrassing defeats along the way, the Tartan Army will be able to get a pint for less than £8 after the game.
It was almost inevitable that, somewhere along the line, last night's referee was going to make a decision or two that would prove decisive. This is not because all referees are terrible; it's not because referees want the game to be about them, and not the players (although some of them undeniably do); it is simply because yet again, FIFA have appointed a man from a mickey-mouse League to an important International match.
No matter how high up the FIFA list last night's official might be, no matter how many boxes he might tick on the FIFA assessor's clipboard, the fact is that a man who earned his stripes, and now earns a living, refereeing games in Luxembourg is not used to handling big matches and big players. This was shown in the way in which he allowed both Carew and Riise several fouls before eventually booking them - even letting Carew away with a blatant dive soon after his eventual yellow card had come - before booking Scotland's Gary Caldwell for his only two fouls of the game, less than a minute apart, and consequently showing him the red card that changed the game in Norway's favour. Consistency is all anyone can ask of a match official, and this was sorely lacking from the man in the middle last night.
Of course anyone can have an off day, but it seemed last night, as Craig Levein noted, that the referee was trying to balance things up by booking Caldwell for his first challenge, having already taken the names of three Norwegians. In basketball, we call that a "make-up call" - as in the referee has called a foul to atone for an earlier mistake. He gives one team a dodgy decision, and so fabricates a foul in their favour to even the score. Caldwell's two fouls, each taken on its own merits, likely warranted bookings. The same, though, could be said of Riise's first three fouls, yet he received only one yellow card, before smashing the ball into the Scottish net for Norway's first goal to compound our misery after Caldwell's dismissal.
Had the referee been consistent in his application of the rules, two things could have happened. Firstly, he might have sent both Carew and Riise from the field before Caldwell received his first caution, had he applied the same rules to their indiscretions as he did to the Scottish defender. The other possibility is that the leniency the official demonstrated in his dealings with the Norwegians could have been extended to Gary Caldwell, allowing him to stay on the park, and Scotland to continue the dominance that had characterised the first third of the match.
It is not, though, fair to pile all of the blame for last night's horror show at the feet of the referee. He might have sent Caldwell from the field, but it was Caldwell himself who got into a battle of strength with John Carew, allowed the big striker to turn, exposing Caldwell's lack of mobility and pace, before the Celtic defender grabbed a fistful of red-shirt, and pulled Carew back. Whether Carew had a grip of Caldwell's shirt is immaterial - forwards get away with things like that; hence the term "striker's challenge" - but for a defender, pulling the jersey is a bookable offence nine-and-a-half times out of ten.
Caldwell might have been unlucky, he might not. The only thing that matters is that he was sent off, and, with him, went all chances Scotland had of getting something from that game. Despite my complaints about the referee, and his decision to send Caldwell off, the thing that was most worrying was the way in which the Scottish team collapsed thereafter.
The man charged with organising the best players our country has been able to produce did not have his finest day yesterday. Things were not looking good even before kick-off, when the words "Graeme" and "Alexander" appeared together in the centre of the Scottish midfield. Taken separately, those two words do not appear threatening, but, when combined, they produce an abominable aberration of an idiot, now conveniently sporting a girly headband so as to identify himself to the opposition as the least capable man on the park. Previous Scotland managers have had the sense to keep Alexander out of the way - right back, perhaps; left back in a crunch; but, ideally, left out. Burley plonked Alexander right in the middle of the park, where he could do the most damage. Things were not looking good at this point, and they were not to get any better. A glance to the left of Alexander was almost, but not quite, as spine-chilling: Chris Commons. A further glance to the right wing: Ross McCormack. Had this been a FIFA "Let's see how many wee chubby guys we can get on the park" Cup Qualifier, we'd have been onto a winner. Sadly, this was not the case, and we were left to confront a side boasting a 6ft 5 inch centre back, and a 6ft 4 inch centre forward, with two men who can only be described as Pygmies in our line up, in a hugely important FIFA World Cup Qualifier. Fantastic.
Perhaps these criticisms are unfair. Perhaps Burley's hands are tied by the limitations of the players available to him. Then again, perhaps he should not have allowed his players to go drinking after the game in Holland, and prevented the "Boozegate" scandal from taking place. Perhaps he should have found a way to get on with Kris Boyd, who, despite being a Rangers player, and hence having sold his soul to David "El Diablo" Murray, is the best goal-scorer we have in Scotland. Perhaps it is Burley himself who has cost Scotland the services of three players who surely would have been in, and strengthened, last night's Scotland team in vital areas.
A manager earns his money, particularly in International football, through his ability to motivate and organise the players at his disposal. He does not have enough time with them to work on their skills or their abilities - he must simply mould someone else's players into an effective team. Last night, the Scottish team were flat from the moment Caldwell left the pitch, and descended into a disorganised mess thereafter. 2-0 down at half-time, with 10 men on the park, and Burley, it seems, does nothing during the interval. Injuries mean that the Scots end up with a back four comprised of three right backs and a left back in Calum Davidson who has been in the International wilderness for something close to seven hundred years, and this eventually leads to the Norwegians notching two further goals, with one Carew effort, which replays have shown to be over the line, not given, in a belated "make-up call" incident on the part of the Officials.
Burley has been quoted as saying that everything that could have "went" wrong last night, did go wrong. He's not wrong there. The worrying thing was that he seemed powerless to stop it, to exert any control over his players, or to inject any passion into them or their performance. Last night, a game that began very promisingly for the Scots turned into an immensely damaging result, in terms of our hopes of earning a play-off spot in our group, and in terms of the confidence of the side going into two vital matches against two sides who have already defeated us: the mighty Dutch, and the mighty, erm...Macedonia at Hampden Park.
We have a battle on our hands to reach the coveted play-off spot for next year's World Cup, but at least if there are yet more embarrassing defeats along the way, the Tartan Army will be able to get a pint for less than £8 after the game.
Monday 3 August 2009
Derek Riordan - in trouble again
http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2568371/Derek-Riordan-arrested-for-a-breach-of-the-peace.html
This is the news that Hibs star Derek Riordan was arrested on Saturday night, after committing a breach of the peace following the refusal of door staff to admit him to Garibaldis club on Hanover Street in Edinburgh, despite Garibaldis not actually being part of the "Unite" group of clubs in the City that have collectively banned Riordan from their premises.
For a start, the Sun story, linked above, is typical sensationalist bollocks, but there is no denying that it's about time Deek learned when to keep his mouth shut - he's 26 years old, and really should have realised by now that when the Police become involved, he's fighting a losing battle. Much of this is, however, due to the fact that he is Derek Riordan, and his reputation goes before him in situations like these. People, including PCs, expect trouble when they see him outside a nightclub, and will react far less sympathetically than they would to the average man in the same situation, particularly when there's the chance of getting your name and picture in the newspapers, as Garibaldis have managed today.
I have some sympathy for Riordan, as it must be a pain to be unable to go out with your mates, particularly in your home city. I also think he is victimised to some extent when it comes to things like this, but there is only so much sympathy one can have for a 26 yeard old man, earning very good money, who is meant to be a role model for Hibs-supporting kids everywhere (and make no mistake, the numbers of "Deek" and "Riordan" Hibs strips suggest that there are thousands who idolise him), who just keeps banging his head off the same closed door. Hopefully this will be the last time he gets involved in something like this, as news items such as these detract from the things that should be remembered about Derek Riordan - his goals!
This is the news that Hibs star Derek Riordan was arrested on Saturday night, after committing a breach of the peace following the refusal of door staff to admit him to Garibaldis club on Hanover Street in Edinburgh, despite Garibaldis not actually being part of the "Unite" group of clubs in the City that have collectively banned Riordan from their premises.
For a start, the Sun story, linked above, is typical sensationalist bollocks, but there is no denying that it's about time Deek learned when to keep his mouth shut - he's 26 years old, and really should have realised by now that when the Police become involved, he's fighting a losing battle. Much of this is, however, due to the fact that he is Derek Riordan, and his reputation goes before him in situations like these. People, including PCs, expect trouble when they see him outside a nightclub, and will react far less sympathetically than they would to the average man in the same situation, particularly when there's the chance of getting your name and picture in the newspapers, as Garibaldis have managed today.
I have some sympathy for Riordan, as it must be a pain to be unable to go out with your mates, particularly in your home city. I also think he is victimised to some extent when it comes to things like this, but there is only so much sympathy one can have for a 26 yeard old man, earning very good money, who is meant to be a role model for Hibs-supporting kids everywhere (and make no mistake, the numbers of "Deek" and "Riordan" Hibs strips suggest that there are thousands who idolise him), who just keeps banging his head off the same closed door. Hopefully this will be the last time he gets involved in something like this, as news items such as these detract from the things that should be remembered about Derek Riordan - his goals!
Sunday 2 August 2009
Scotland U18 v Georgia - Classification Game
With top-scorer Ali Fraser having sat out the whole of the game to this point, the Scots have struggled in his absence, trailing by a score of 55-40 going into the final quarter. Chikviladze leads the Georgian attack, with 16 points, with Ioseliani not far behind on 13. Scotland are led by Lee Reilly on 11 points, and his City of Edinburgh club-mate Ali McKay, on 10.
The Georgians start the 4th quarter with a 3 from Bakradze. 58-40
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Missed shots by both teams keep the score level for the next minute, before Ali McKay earns his 11th and 12th points of the game, with a lay-up off an assist from Johnny Bunyan, his first of the game. 58-42
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7:46 to go, and Javakhshvili of Georgia is called for an unsportsmanlike foul. At the break of play, Fraser Glass comes into the game to replace starting guard, Johnny Bunyan. McKay misses the free throw, and turns the ball over on Scotland's next offense. Happily, though, he makes amends for this almost immediately, stealing the ball from Tavartkiladze only seconds later.
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A Scottish miss under the basket is quickly turned into a score at the other end for the Georgians, who extend their lead to 60-42 on Ioseliani's lay-up, with 6:32 left to play.
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The Scots quickly call a time out, and Dale Grieve comes into the game to replace his Arbroath Musketeers team-mate, Ian Black, with Calum Nicol also coming in in place of Lee Reilly. Ali McKay makes a lay-up on the next possession, taking his total to 14 points, and the score to 60-44.
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McKay makes another quick lay-up, taking the score to 60-46, and taking his own tally to 16. The Georgians respond with a jump-shot from Bakradze, giving him 10 points for the game, and restoring the Georgian advantage to 16 points.
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4:25 to go, and Fraser Glass picks up his first assist of the game, as he feeds Josh Crolley for a lay-up. 62-48 in favour of the Georgians
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Nicol grabs his 5th board of the game, but the Scots can't convert at the other end, as Grieve misses a jump shot. The rebound is secured by Dvalishvili, for his 12th of the game.
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3:33 - the Georgians run the shot-clock down to 4, before Chikviladze makes a lay-up, taking his total to 18 points, and the score to 64-48. The same player throws down a dunk 40 seconds later, having stolen the ball from McKay, extending the Georgian advantage still further.
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2:43, and McIlwraith answers with a 3-pointer for the Scots. 66-51
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Glass notches his 2nd assist of the game, as he sets up Nicol for a lay-up. Nicol absorbs contact and makes the shot while drawing a foul, also knocking down the free throw to take the score to 66-54.
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Georgia answer with a lay-up of their own, from Tchitchveishvili, for his first basket of the game, 68-54
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McKay goes to the line, and splits a pair of free-throws, taking his own tally to 17 points, after having drawn a foul on Dvalishvili, who fouls out of the game with 45 seconds to go. 68-55
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Glass again finds Nicol for a lay-up, picking up his 3rd assist, while Nicol takes his tally to 7 points. 68-57
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12 seconds to go, and Sanadze makes one of two free throws after McKay's 3rd foul of the game. 69-57
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8 seconds on the clock, and McKay makes a lay up, off of Glass' 4th assist of the afternoon, as well as drawing a foul, though he is unable to convert the free throw.
Final Score - Georgia 69-59 Scotland.
The Georgians start the 4th quarter with a 3 from Bakradze. 58-40
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Missed shots by both teams keep the score level for the next minute, before Ali McKay earns his 11th and 12th points of the game, with a lay-up off an assist from Johnny Bunyan, his first of the game. 58-42
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7:46 to go, and Javakhshvili of Georgia is called for an unsportsmanlike foul. At the break of play, Fraser Glass comes into the game to replace starting guard, Johnny Bunyan. McKay misses the free throw, and turns the ball over on Scotland's next offense. Happily, though, he makes amends for this almost immediately, stealing the ball from Tavartkiladze only seconds later.
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A Scottish miss under the basket is quickly turned into a score at the other end for the Georgians, who extend their lead to 60-42 on Ioseliani's lay-up, with 6:32 left to play.
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The Scots quickly call a time out, and Dale Grieve comes into the game to replace his Arbroath Musketeers team-mate, Ian Black, with Calum Nicol also coming in in place of Lee Reilly. Ali McKay makes a lay-up on the next possession, taking his total to 14 points, and the score to 60-44.
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McKay makes another quick lay-up, taking the score to 60-46, and taking his own tally to 16. The Georgians respond with a jump-shot from Bakradze, giving him 10 points for the game, and restoring the Georgian advantage to 16 points.
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4:25 to go, and Fraser Glass picks up his first assist of the game, as he feeds Josh Crolley for a lay-up. 62-48 in favour of the Georgians
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Nicol grabs his 5th board of the game, but the Scots can't convert at the other end, as Grieve misses a jump shot. The rebound is secured by Dvalishvili, for his 12th of the game.
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3:33 - the Georgians run the shot-clock down to 4, before Chikviladze makes a lay-up, taking his total to 18 points, and the score to 64-48. The same player throws down a dunk 40 seconds later, having stolen the ball from McKay, extending the Georgian advantage still further.
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2:43, and McIlwraith answers with a 3-pointer for the Scots. 66-51
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Glass notches his 2nd assist of the game, as he sets up Nicol for a lay-up. Nicol absorbs contact and makes the shot while drawing a foul, also knocking down the free throw to take the score to 66-54.
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Georgia answer with a lay-up of their own, from Tchitchveishvili, for his first basket of the game, 68-54
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McKay goes to the line, and splits a pair of free-throws, taking his own tally to 17 points, after having drawn a foul on Dvalishvili, who fouls out of the game with 45 seconds to go. 68-55
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Glass again finds Nicol for a lay-up, picking up his 3rd assist, while Nicol takes his tally to 7 points. 68-57
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12 seconds to go, and Sanadze makes one of two free throws after McKay's 3rd foul of the game. 69-57
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8 seconds on the clock, and McKay makes a lay up, off of Glass' 4th assist of the afternoon, as well as drawing a foul, though he is unable to convert the free throw.
Final Score - Georgia 69-59 Scotland.
Scotland U18 v Denmark
The JM lost yesterday in a close-fought encounter with Denmark. The Danes, including the tournament's top scorer, Thomas Laerke (27ppg), took the first quarter 29-19, and although the Scots went on to win each of the last three quarters of the game, they could not peg back the entire deficit, and lost by 4 points, 68-72. Ali Fraser was, once more, huge for the Scots, with 28 points, which came off of 14/15 shooting from the field, and 5 rebounds, but with only Josh Crolley joining Fraser in double figures, with 10 points to go along with an excellent 14 rebounds, the Scots did not have enough fire power this time around to overcome the Danes, who hit seven 3 pointers to Scotland's 1 in yesterday's match.
The result means that the Scots will take on Georgia, over whom they have already enjoyed a victory in this tournament, this afternoon to decide the 15th and 16th rankings in this year's European U18 Men Division B Championships, with the Danes moving on to contest the 13th and 14th places with Iceland.
Top Performers
Scotland: Fraser (28 points, 14/15 2pt FG, 5 rebounds) Crolley (10 points, 14 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 steals)
Denmark: Laerke (27 points, 4/7 3pt FG, 3 steals), Berdstedt (13 points, 14 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 steals)
The result means that the Scots will take on Georgia, over whom they have already enjoyed a victory in this tournament, this afternoon to decide the 15th and 16th rankings in this year's European U18 Men Division B Championships, with the Danes moving on to contest the 13th and 14th places with Iceland.
Top Performers
Scotland: Fraser (28 points, 14/15 2pt FG, 5 rebounds) Crolley (10 points, 14 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 steals)
Denmark: Laerke (27 points, 4/7 3pt FG, 3 steals), Berdstedt (13 points, 14 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 steals)
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