Michel Platini's Harsh Policies May define Sports In 2007!

This is rather a difficult question to hurriedly give an answer. But if you take out time to ponder longer, you may come along so many defining issues and events that in your view, defined 2007.

I started watching football at the age of 8 years. Well that was rather late but you can not blame me because, when i was younger my parents wouldn't buy a television set. And so while i have developed love for the round leather game earlier it wasn't until i was eight years old before i could have the luxuary of watching football matches. As a matter of fact it wouldn't have been if not that i became increasingly obnoxious at home and will never stay put in the house as long as a football match was going on. The only reason my father yielded to buying a TV set was to get me to stop going to other people's house to watch matches. He felt it was embarassing to him, so he agreed with my mother if there was a TV set at home I would stop going to people's houses- And it worked!

Since then my interest in football has grown into some colossal sort that i may claim to be an unrecognized football comentator. I did not play football because my father wouldn't have it. That one was not negotiable but i'm sure he would have seen things differently if it was to be now. Apart from that i don't like getting injured. For me football is a game of injuries.

This is not a story of my life but to say that i have never been worried about an issue like i am currently about the policies Michel Platini is about to introduce or has introduced which is about to destroy this beautiful game that i have loved with all my life.. Most disagreeable is the quota system bruhaha.

I have more than the one reason opponents of the policy are fronting.
Let me be a little selfish here. Starting from home,
1. I think Eyimba wouldn't have achieved the fit they achieved if the team was made up of only indigenes of Abia State.

2. A quota system will take world football backwards and worse than the pre Joe Havalanche Era when football development was lopsided and African and Asian teams were minnows. I know that the only reason why FIFA tries to make the hosting of the World Cup go round is to give these countries and their neighbours the opportunity to grow football.

4. It will take away genuine competition and what will be left is a boring talentless football all over the world.

I think that Platini is not trying to save football but unkowing killing it because of a myopic attempt to make European teams always have the better of African teams. In my view it is selfish and improper.

Africans currently have talented players who can not be absorbed by the level of football at home. While European players shall have their homes to fall back to, African players shall either have to become bench warmers in their various clubs or retire. In the long term, the effect will lead to a widened gap between Europe and Africa in World Championship. African teams are increasingly becoming strong enough to beat these world football powers showing that football has moved to a different level in the continent. Platini despises this and is bent on reversing the trend.

The Players Union in England recently in a release called 'Meltdown' declares their support to Platini's stance on this matter.

I see this as a declaration that African players who have help to developed European Leagues (despite the Peanuts paid to them as wages) are now being considered parasites who deserve only to be trampled upon. We are supposed to be living in a global world where national boundaries are of little or no importance. Have we been deceived again? I think this though very recent will define sports in 2007.

What in your view has defined sports in 2007? Join the Debate Here!
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Arsenal Survived a Scare!

Arsenal are starting to feel the absence of it's midfielders sidelined by injury. Arsenal's strenght is known to be in the midfield, but in the last two games when Cesc, Flamini and Alex hasn't played together, for the first time i saw Arsenal play without midfield control. It was so bad so that rather than play the usual 4-5-1, due to depletion of midfielders Arsene had to play a 4-4-2 starting an Eduardo something is unlikely to do in such critical matches.
Though Newcastle had enough Motivation to come all out and play the way they did, i still think yesterdays result should not be viewed as a bad one for the gunners. A point away from home against a team who's manager's job is at stake was a hard earned 1 point and i refuse to see it as a bad result. I think it is rather a result that shows that even Arsenal are maturing and now able to soak pressure when it comes and not break at the first weight of pressure. That was something Man U did very well last season. Chelsea did that very well three seasons ago and in the Carling cup final last season. The ability to hold on when the pressure comes is part of the attributes of champions. So i will say, let's hail their efforts! Newcastle also ofcourse had a deserved one point. There isn't any better way the points should have been shared. It would have been unfair for either of the teams to have lost. If they can replicate that spirits other games, they definately should be on their way back up.

Is Martin Jol The Problem With Spurs?

This is the reason why Man U and Arsenal remain a model club fro anybody to emulate. Sacking Jol won't bring the club into winning ways. It takes more than that. We all know that Spurs have got the resources to be in the top four of the premiership. The reason they are not there is entirely the fault of the management. The team except in the last transfer made it a culture to sell out it's best player every year.

Spurs is too much in a hurry to succeed whereas their action in about three seasons now dose not show that they really want to succeed. We can't finish counting how many of their very good upcoming players they have been tempted by the love of money to sell.

New or old ,manager, until there is some stability in the squad, spurs will remain far from being in the top four.
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Nigerian Football Association Still Working Hard To Kill Our Football

The fact that the NFA is confused is a forgone conclusion. My only prayers is that, something happens to bring the Super eagles back into glory days.Then if only our league can get soem attention. We thwarted a beatiful league , cause so much pains to alot of teams all in the name of meeting up with European Calender. But now afetr all that we still fail to start on the stipulated date. Someone must be drunk in the NFA.

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The Real Reason Jose Mourinho Was Sacked!

The game between chelsea and Man U is going to give Abromovich a little bit of what to expect without Mourinho.

Jose must have really been a big pain in Abromovich's neck. Imagine Abromovich throwing 20 million ppound down the drain just to get rid of Mourinho!

I was watching Chelsea TV this morning and I finally came to reality with the real reason why Jose was sacked. Abromovich wants chelsea to start playing attractve football. The type Arsenal and Man U plays that sees a 70,000 and above capacity stadium filled week-in-week-out in order to bring back all the money he has spent on the team in the past three season's amounting to over 250 million pounds. It is understandable that Abromovich is a business man who is in business for profit. The truth is that
even if chelsea wins the champions league, the take home pay can not be up to one tenth the amount Roman has lavished on Chelsea and he knows this. Apart from endorsements, the other very sure way of getting back that money is to get the Stadium filled everytime like Arsenal. Records have it that, chelsea's last two premiership matches were played in almost empty stadium.
Abromovich is said to attribute this to chelsea's style of play which he says is boring. Agreed fans love winning, but they also want to enjoy their money. The truth is this, real Chelsea fans will always go out to watch their team, but only chelsea fans wounldn't fill the seats all the time. The game needs to be attractive enough for non Chelsea fans to come arround and that's how you fill the seats.

For example, chekc out this headline: 'Wenger amazed by Arsenal support, calls for bigger stadium'

Arsenal has just moved into 70,000 seater stadium not yet two season and the manager is already calling for a bigger stadium to accomodate the increasing number of fans.
News also have it that despite the fact Arsenal has not won anything in the past four seasons, the board is about to release an end of year report that is set to make Arsenal the second richest club in the world. Whoof! I think this is what Roman wants. He needs to get back his investment and no one should cause him for that.
Yes, the fans love to win but the club owners love to make money. So it's about having a balance in the two.
On Chelsea TV this morning, a Chelsea fan pointed out that Barcelona was able to win a brace; the Champions league and Spanish League while playing beautiful football. I know that for mourinho, he feels slighted by this as it seems like he's being asked to copy Arsene Wenger.

Home Improvement Firms Make Life Easy

A friend of mine thought of moving to a new home close to a week ago. He's used to having people do everything for him including wash his clothes, clean his home and of course cook for him.

When he got a new job in Abuja some months ago and moved to stay with an uncle pending when he can get his own place, the reality of living alone with no one around to do his dirty jobs began to loom large before him.

He thought he could cope with handling some of the little things like start cleaning his own home when the time comes. But he also had the weakness of loving classy things. Through out our school days even while still living in the hostel, his corner usually has a taste that makes you think you are at home. I mean your father's house. Now no one was going to send maids all the way from Calabar to Abuja to keep him clean and especially fix his new home. He had to do it himself I thought.

Funny enough the rich always have a way around all their problems. Who would have thought that Home Improvement companies could solve such a lazy man's headache? While i was still thinking Adams went online t search for home improvement firms and came across a few.

Everything was handled. According to him, he didn't even have to think but just said what he wanted. they did the thinking. Everything was organized there in the UK and then shiped to Nigeria. How do you describe a firm like Anglina Home Improvement that dose a job including pimp your windows, Kitchen, Garage doors etc.? How easy can life be? Now i see why footballers still live in lush plush homes despite spending all their time on training pitches.

Golden Eaglets Of Nigeria- World Champions

I personally was not online to give you a detailed update of the match. thanks for Toba1909 who made it a point of duty to inform every forum member who was not watching the game for one reason or the order. Besides I commend his courage of being able to do this. Boy o boy, those Boys (eaglets) gave me the shakes! I can't believe what just went down in Seoul today. I never expected such a resistance from this spaniards. Jesus! They do worth every hype poured on them.

At a point i almost gave up. When you failed to score and instead hit the wood works twice, i thought it was going to be a bad day.
I thank the referee especially for fair officiating. That's what we can achieve in a level playing ground.

Asian referees seem to always give us what we deserve. All in all, i say congratulations every Nigeria

Nigeria 2- 0 Lesotho

Yes it's over and Nigeria has won the game. But it was a sshame and total embarrassment for the entire nation. How can we allow such an important game to be taken to that kind of pitch? I am starting to think that the NFA only got whiff of the match just last night. Otherwise, i see no reason why they souldn't be prepared for the game. The nFA should stop toying with ourr football. This whole idea of taking the game round the country dosen't serve the interest of football in Nigeria.
If any state wants to host a game, damn! Such a state should be ready. I hope Lesotho dosen't petition on this match. It noiw seems like it was adeliberate attempt to rob them of the game. We have the lagos stadium and it was abondoned. We moved to Abuja, have we also abandoned that to move to Warri now?

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Japan 0-3 Nigeria

I am sitting down here browsing and watching the Nigeria Vs Japan match. I'm sure the game will be over by the time i finish posting this. I's already 88 minutes and Nigeria is leading by 0-3. The game was a real marvel and waoh! we almost got a fourth goal. Ok free kick given Rabiu was just brought down.

Ok. I was saying that i have a hunch this boys might just come back with the cup. I have not had this kind of conviction in a long time. Oh! It's all over. Nigeria just won the game 0-3. They didn't just win, they played the kind of football i used to see a real Nigerian team play. Immediately they difeated france, i knew all the boys need is focus and they can come back home with the cup.

Japan 0-3 Nigeria

I am sitting down here browsing and watching the Nigeria Vs Japan match. I'm sure the game will be over by the time i finish posting this. I's already 88 minutes and Nigeria is leading by 0-3. The game was a real marvel and waoh! we almost got a fourth goal. Ok free kick given Rabiu was just brought down.

Ok. I was saying that i have a hunch this boys might just come back with the cup. I have not had this kind of conviction in a long time. Oh! It's all over. Nigeria just won the game 0-3. They didn't just win, they played the kind of football i used to see a real Nigerian team play. Immediately they difeated france, i knew all the boys need is focus and they can come back home with the cup. So Up Nigeria.
Up Nigeria!

Man U in Another Transfer Saga

Carlos Tevez recently agreed a deal with Man U but the deal seems to have ran into troubled waters. West Ham is said to be claiming ownership of the player, whereas the players agent says he still have certificates proving the player dosen't belong to west Ham. Tevez is said to have sent a letter to West Ham yesterday for termination of his contract and same is also said to have been rejected.

FIFA and the FA seem also not to know how to get out of this one. With MAn U not knowing to whom to pay the transfer fee to, Tevez's dream of playing at old trafford come next season might not come to pass afterall. The situation is very complicated and looks set to take the path the Mikel Obi saga took sometime ago.

Is it time for Man U to think of a different option upfront? It seems Tevez's case might be heading to the court.

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Cesc Fabregas to Madrid?

Now we do not know what to believe any longer. Today we hear that Fabregas can't do without Arsene. Tomorrow we hear he's asking Arsenal to please listen to the madrid offer. I have also heard Arsene wenger is asking for Robhino as part of the deal.

My comment? I think Wenger will be making a great mistake if he allows such a sensational player like Cesc to leave bearing in mind that he's yet to attain his best and is already making so much waves.

If Fabregas leaves, Arsenal might die the real death. For me I don't think thiery's exit will be as consequencial as a Cesc exit

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Man U wins the Tevez Race

After so much ado and many speculations, Man U has quietly snatched what I will term 'one of the most sensational players in the premiership in the past season'. Carlos Tevez single handedly took west Ham away from relegation despite all the controversies around his transfer to West Ham. Many can sometimes do alot as i can not understand why a struggling team like west Ham could even imagine selling off the best player. The mistake spurs have been making all this years before finally learning their lessons. Come next season, we are likely to have another struggling west Ham. I don't see any sense in this transfer.

In the mean time, let's congratulate Sir Alex on this very important coup .

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A Fans Lamentations as Thiery Leaves

On the forum today a fan replies to a forum post on Thiery Henry's departure and Eduador Da Silva's arrival........................

So many years ago Arsene picked Henry from Juve where he was rottening and built him up into the beauty he became. What people forget is that a footballer blossoms under a particular coaching system, club and most importantly--the fans. Thierry instead of going away with some dignity decided to open his mouth-which is becoming rotten again- too wide by hurting our sensibilities. Yes he played champagne football. yes he scored most goals. Yes he did this and all that. But that is history now. For those who might think i am being too harsh I want to say I don’t share all your historical perspectives. I have also been an arsenal fan for over 30 years. We have seen them come and go. Haven’t we? When Ian Wright was leaving our opponents said it was over for arsenal after a glorious period by Graham. But what happened? Our magician reached into his hat and brought out Thierry like a rabbit. The rest up till last week has now become history.

Let me call the attention of gunners to certain facts. How many matches did Henry play last season? How many of the most important matches were not affected by what one gunner called "nameless, mysterious injuries"? The fact is that he lost the arsenal plot that night in Paris against barca. Thereafter he signed a piece of toilet paper he has now flushed down the toilet!

Now Arsene has performed his magic again. Let them call Da Silva a Croat. To me and for football he is Brazilian. His hero is not Henry. It is-wait for it-Romario! As far as I am concerned our biggest loss is not Henry it was Viera. I also fancied Cole now at Portsmouth. So let Henry now blend into the barca team and coaching plans at almost 30.one gunner says he might also find himself in Los Angeles, Turkey or UAE 2yrs from now! I bet that will be something. We must remember that the English premiership league is like Hollywood. Others are like Bollywood and Nollywood. You can ask Beckam. While he played in England he was a demi-god. Now he is trying to pick up his broken pieces.

Most gunners knew that Thierry was a terrorist to the young gunners on the Field. He had a way of looking at Adebayor, Van Persie and Fabregas when they made mistakes that was menacing. Today I was glad to read a gunner say that those players can now mature naturally without Thierry’s long shadows. Ronaldo did not mature properly at manure until their former captain left!

So goodbye king Henry. Welcome Da Silva, the king is dead and the king lives as far as i am concerned gunners should not pay attention to our black hot-headed brother Drogba and his comments on Arsenal. They should read what "mr cool" lampard said yesterday. The coming season to me hold very awesome possibilities for us even more than the disastrous 2006/2007.that is why i said it will be a matter for the hungriest.

Nigeria Makes first Impact at U-20 World Cup

Yesterday was a good one for our boys representing Nigeria at the world U-20 championship. I never gave them a chance reason why was that following the kind of preparation they had, you can't help both hope only on prayers for them to make an impact.

That however dosen't mean i now give them a chance. I watched the match and i must say in some cases they were really impressive. I hope whatever is driving them on continues. It just might be a miracle for us. Some times people make a head way when you least expect. I pray it happens but i won't stake my money on it.