World Cup 2018: A Preview and Prediction

My thoughts ahead of World Cup 2018

 

With not long to go now until the world's eyes are on Russia, I thought I'd offer my own thoughts on who I think will be the front runners, stand out sides and inevitable flops of the 21st edition of the World Cup. I'll go through each group briefly giving my prediction on which two teams will emerge from each and go through the knockout rounds with the aid of FIFA's very own World Cup predictor. I won't claim to know everything about every player from each side, I won't even claim to have all the answers. It's just an opinion.

 

Group A

  

We'll start with Group A. The hosts Russia are joined by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Now regardless of ability or skill I honestly believe the hosts of any tournament always have an edge. Especially early on in the tournament. Some won't agree and that's absolutely fine. Russia aren't the side they once were in 2008 and probably won't make it through the group but they'll be backed by a huge support. They have a few decent players, the likes of Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba are familiar names plus keeper Igor Akinfeev. They will be resolute and steady and will provide a tough test for some of the more flair players in the group. Saudi Arabia will be hoping that they can capitalise on the hosts freezing and take a huge three points in the opening game. Only 2 of their squad play in Europe, that will no doubt be a small concern and recent changes in management there may hinder their chances. Egypt's hopes will no doubt all depend on the fitness of Mo Salah. An outstanding year for Liverpool with 32 Premier League goals and also helping his team reach the Champions League Final before leaving the field in Kiev with an injury. The instant fear was his World Cup was over before it had begun but reports suggest he will at least play one of the games. Logic dictates this will be the final group game against Saudi Arabia. Egypt may well need to win that to get through. Finally Luis Suarez and Uruguay will be hoping it's the Barcelona striker's feet that make the headlines and not his mouth (or teeth to be exact). Semi finalists in 2010 Uruguay present an interesting threat for the tournament. Not the strongest team but the favourite to win this group for certain. With Suarez and Cavani among their rank anything is possible.

 

My Prediction for Group A

1. Uruguay
2. Egypt
3. Russia
4. Saudi Arabia

Group B

 

  

Group B provides one of the clashes of the group stage with Spain meeting rivals Portugal. The Spanish seem to have put the disappointment of four years ago behind them and are fancied to go far. Euro 2016 was an odd tournament for them. Promising in the group stage they were beaten by Italy in a great tactical battle. A new manager has seen Spain return ready to have a crack at winning a 2nd World Cup. Familiar names litter the squad with Iniesta, Ramos, Busquets and Pique all looking for major tournament number 4. Portugal come into this World Cup having won the Euros two years ago. They have always threatened without quite realising the dream at the World Cup and will be hoping the same spirit can match the talent throughout the team. Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to add the World Cup to his collection of silverware. Morocco provide an interesting prospect and with familiar names among the squad are no pushovers. Unlikely to get out of the group but a decent side none the less and Iran taking part in another world cup will also be a tough test no to be taken lightly. Another side with some ex Premier League names among the squad.

 

My Prediction for Group B

1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Morocco
4. Iran

Group C

Group C sees one of the early favourites France take on Denmark, Australia and Peru. The French will be hoping to banish Euro 2016 final defeat from their minds in Russia. With a squad the envy of a lot of teams it's hard not to see them reaching the latter stages. Antoine Griezmann is the superstar but around him is a team littered with trophies. Denmark lead by talismanic Tottenham star Christian Eriksen will be a solid challenger to France in the group. Australia have become a solid qualifier but have flattered to deceive. Tim Cahil still being the stand out attraction at 38 years old tells it's own story. Peru arrive back at the World Cup after a 36 year absence and will have that free abandon that the likes of 2002 South Korea (ok yeah they were co hosts) and 2010 Uruguay had. No expectation.

 

My Prediction for Group C

 

1. France
2. Denmark
3. Australia
4. Peru

Group D

Similarly to Group C, Group D provides one outstanding team and three that could follow them through. Argentina lead by the man many consider the best of the modern age and the best possibly ever. Lionel Messi has it all, except a World Cup. If he is to push aside the critics in his homeland he needs to lift that trophy in a months time. It's not all on him, Higuain, Dybala and Aguero make up La Albiceleste's attack. It's a mouth-watering list when you think about it. It's hard to envisage a scenario where they don't win this group. Iceland make their World Cup debut two years after impressing at the Euros. For what it's worth, no bitter England comments from me. Iceland have been building for years and could actually have been in Brazil only to be thwarted in the play offs. It might be a tough ask to get through the group but rest assured if they do don't underestimate them. Croatia for years have threatened to really do something at a World Cup, this group of players is talented and with Real Madrid's midfield maestro Luka Modric pulling the strings you can be sure of chances being created. Nigeria make up the group and the super eagles may represent Africa's best chances of that illusive world cup winner. Several familiar names are in the squad and it's fair to say there is quality throughout it. A tough test for anyone who will face them.

 

My Prediction for Group D

 

1. Argentina
2. Croatia
3. Iceland
4. Nigeria

 

Group E

Group E sees Brazil one of the tournament favourites face Switzerland, Serbia and Costa Rica. The five time world champions will be eager to add a sixth crown after missing the opportunity to do so in their own back yard. I felt very sorry for them watching that 7-1 defeat to Germany. I wanted them to win that world cup. The World Cup needs Brazil, their exciting football and iconic yellow shirts are what the world cup is all about. This bunch of players has the capability to win it that much is for sure. Can they live up to the billing is another matter. Firmino, Jesus, Neymar, Coutinho, take your pick of who will be the star man. Switzerland offer a tough test, a strong side who showed flashes of quality at both the World Cup in 2014 and Euro 2016 but now possibly it's time to go one better. They've been high in the rankings for a long time now and with players such as Breel Embolo and Xherdan Shaqiri there is a hope they can do something. Serbia missed the last three major tournaments but are back now and will hope they can impress. A lot will depend on the form of Newcastle/Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and look out for Benfica's Luka Jovic as well. Costa Rica were arguably the story of the 2014 tournament, predicted to finish bottom of the group in 2014 they won it, knocking Italy and England out in doing so. It will be a tough ask to repeat that but never say never

 

My Prediction for Group E

 

1. Brazil
2. Switzerland
3. Serbia
4. Costa Rica

 

Group F

Group F throws up another likely interesting tussle for 2nd spot. Of course Germany are the holders and favourites to take the crown again. They have it all, strength in depth, excellent management, play decent football and have a ruthless will to win and belief. It's difficult not to envisage them picking up that trophy. Alongside them in the group are perennial qualifiers Mexico. There's something about Mexico that I really like. They always seem to be in games and have got through the group in each of the last 6 World Cups. I personally would enjoy seeing them go on and get a bit further this time around. They have a good squad, maybe now is there time. Sweden come into the World Cup after a 12 year absence and without Zlatan Ibrahimovic represent a slightly different prospect than with him. Still it's a good team packed with solid players, if not outstanding in quality it's still got plenty of experience. South Korea round off the group and this will be their 9th World Cup finals in a row. A great achievement already and will be keen to show their own quality. Son Heung-min is the star man in a team that on it's day can beat the big boys.

 

My Prediction for Group F

 

1. Germany
2. Mexico
3. Sweden
4. South Korea

 

Group G

Group G brings us to England's group. My attitude to the England national team over the last few years has gone from a mild interest with scepticism to almost completely no interest with a feeling of I'd rather watch almost anyone else. Don't get me wrong I want England to do well and I do actually like Gareth Southgate as a man. He's shown some qualities that we have lacked where he has brought younger players into the team and has also insisted on the joined up thinking between U21 level and below and senior level. These are all positive steps in the right direction. As for the present team, England are simply not in that top level of teams anymore and the aim of winning this world cup is vastly beyond them. Belgium will be the favourites for the group and a lot has been made of their golden generation. A talented squad with several players who play in England will make for an interesting last group game for both, a likely decider for first place. Panama will like the likes of Iceland, Iran and Peru no real expectation. Tunisia are not a side to be taken lightly, they will provide a decent test for England's opener.

 

My Prediction for Group G

 

1. Belgium
2. England
3. Tunisia
4. Panama

 

Group H

The final group gives us in my opinion one of the most intriguing. A fairly even group and a good mix of countries from different parts of the globe. Colombia will go into it as slight favourites. They were one of the stories of 2014 and with James Rodriguez they have a player who can change a game in the blink of an eye. Poland also have an outstanding talent who plies his trade at Bayern Munich. Robert Lewandowski scores goals for fun and may just be the difference for Poland in the group and possibly beyond. I was pleased to see Senegal qualify, I have fond memories of 2002 where they shocked France in their opener. It's good to see them back and with a strong side with star man Sadio Mane coming off the back of another great season, they will be ones to watch. Finally rounding off the group is Japan, a side you always feel is capable of something. They've become a main stay of qualification and will be hoping to go one better than last time around in Brazil.

 

My Prediction for Group H

 

1. Colombia
2. Poland
3. Senegal
4. Japan

Knockout Stages



The good thing about the World Cup is the fact the structure allows you to actually make a full prediction. Even with the Euros now you need to know who will finish 3rd and then work out who they will play which can take forever. From my group predictions it gives us these last 16 ties with the side I think will progress written next to them;

Uruguay V Portugal -Portugal

France V Croatia -France

Brazil V Mexico -Brazil

Belgium Poland -Belgium

Spain V Egypt Spain

Argentina v Denmark -Argentina

Germany V Switzerland -Germany

Colombia V England -England

 

This leaves a quarter final line up of;

Portugal V France -France

Brazil V Belgium -Brazil

Spain V Argentina -Spain

Germany V England -Germany

 

This would set up these semi finals;

France V Brazil -Brazil

Spain V Germany -Germany

 

So the World Cup third place play off would see;

France V Spain -France

 

Leaving the showpiece itself a re run of the semi four years ago.

Brazil V Germany -Germany

 

A German win in my opinion is on the cards again.

It may sound like a boring prediction but it's the one I'm going with. Germany had it all, a good manager, a squad packed with talent, a winning mentality and crucially winning experience. Not only the World Cup four years ago but the confederations cup and U21 Euros last summer as well. It's difficult to find any faults. Possible over confidence maybe but aside from that nothing.

 

 

 

The Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament and Ones to watch.

Predicting the golden boot winner is always difficult, there are so many options. Ronaldo, Messi, Aguero, Suarez and Muller. All of which are good options however slightly left field I'm going to say Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus. After a season where he's been part of a record breaking City side he comes into the World Cup in decent form. His record of 9 goals in 15 games for Brazil is impressive and given I've predicted his side will be runners up there's a good chance he'll play a fair bit. As for the overall player of the tournament I'll say Germany's Toni Kroos. A mainstay of Real Madrid's European conquering of the last few years, Kroos is arguably the best midfielder in the World at the moment and what better way than to seal that crown than winning the World Cup. Names to look out for, Serbia's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been attracting a lot of attention recently. Germany's Timo Werner is coming into the World Cup after two very good season's for RP Leipzig. Denmark's Pione Sisto and Kasper Dolberg both catch the eye, the Danes are one of a number of teams with dark hoarse qualities. All in all it should be a very good tournament and a good watch.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tom 

 

 

 

Sheffield Wednesday Season Review 2017/18

As the curtain comes down on another season lets take a look back over the campaign. The highs and lows of what has been a frustrating season for all connected with Sheffield Wednesday.

 

A Frustrating Year

I'll be honest, I've been looking forward to sitting down to write this for a while because that means the season is over and we can look forward. It's fair to say I don't think many of us will want to remember 2017/18 too fondly though there are some positives to take from it and we will get into those later on. It's been a year where we have fallen well short of early season expectations. After two years of play off challenging near misses we have finished 15th. Some particularly bad results and long periods without winning have been tough to take. I don't think I need to bore anyone who is reading this with in depth analysis of each game and try and explain how some of those results happen as it's largely pointless. A change of manager in December and an injury crisis the like of which is probably the worst in the history of the club made the 150th year of this great club a tough one to watch.

 

 

Carlos Carvalhal's departure: Was it the right decision?

To answer the questions straight from the off, yes. It was the right decision and I say that as a big Carlos fan. Whatever your opinion of Carlos the one stat you have to look at is in his last 16 games as manager of Sheffield Wednesday we won just 3 of them. 3 wins. For a team with expectations of challenging for the top two that is not good enough. The mood around the club was toxic, the fans had lost patience with the manager and in my time I can't remember a manager losing the fans in that manner and ever keeping his job. The defeat in September to Sheffield United made it an almost impossible task as there was no room for error. Of course it isn't all on one man but so often in football the manager is always the first to fall. The fact that we were effectively out of the conversation for automatic promotion by early October after losing at Bolton who hadn't won a game in the league all season and out of the play off race by mid December after a disastrous 3-1 defeat to Norwich who hadn't won at home for three months. meant something had to change.

 

 Jos Luhukay

So after the exit of charismatic Carlos came the softly spoken Dutchman Jos Luhukay. Thrown into the heat of a Steel City Derby in his first game it was fair to say Jos had a rather unique start to life in Sheffield. When he came in from my point of view the only expectation I had was to keep the club in the division for next season. Considering he didn't have players such as Hooper, Forestieri, Lee, Bannan, Lees, Westwood and Fletcher available along with others when he arrived. He had a tough start with three games against at the time top 6 sides and also had to deal with the FA Cup with a patched together squad. It's been well documented he's brought through several youth team players from the Under 23's which is something Wednesday haven't done well enough for a long time. He changed the familiar 4-4-2 to a 5-3-2 and it's worked. He's given certain players a new lease of life which has in not only kept Wednesday up but allowed the fans to start to look more positively towards next season.

 

 What does Jos have to do?



The simple answer here is keep going. Keep this gradual progression going. In the last eight games of the season only Fulham had picked up more points that Wednesday. Since winning at Elland Road in March Wednesday have been fantastic. It's helped that the likes of Tom Lees, Barry Bannan and Fernando Forestieri have all returned from long term injuries. I've said many times about Forestieri and will keep saying it. The man is one of the best players in the division. He can change games in the blink of an eye. He's a supremely talented footballer who we must do everything to keep fit for 46 games next season. Barry Bannan has been immense on return as well. Not just his passing and his ability to pick people out but his all round tenacity and his determination makes him a fans favourite and rightly so. We missed him so much throughout his time of the side-lines and like Fernando we must keep him and keep him fit. We can't afford to lose him as I don't see how you would replace him. Added to all that it would be remiss of me not to mention a couple of unsung hero's of the recent revival. Daniel Pudil rewarded for his efforts this season with a new contract has been fantastic. In a back three he's able to do what he's good at with assurances from the other two centre halves. He's a player with vast experience at this level and it's important we have players who know what it takes to succeed at this level. Joey Pelupessy arrived as out only January recruit and in my opinion has been fantastic. A bright character he catches the eye with his pressing and tackling, he can pick a pass as well and I believe with a full pre season with the club and with the few months of English football he has picked up since arriving under his belt he will grow into a fine player for Sheffield Wednesday. Despite only being here since January he seems to have fitted in nicely with the squad and always seems to be one of the players desperate to celebrate with the fans. A mention as well must go to the two young keepers Joe Widlsmith (not unsung by any stretch of the imagination) and Cameron Dawson who have both been excellent. Both Sheffield lads who both support the club as well makes it impossible not to want the lads to do well. Both have great qualities as well and credit must once again go to Andy Rhodes for his good work in their development.

 

This division is unforgiving and will be just as so next season. While this year's competition has been competitive I don't feel the quality has been there of the last few years. That isn't to belittle the achievements of the likes of Wolves and Cardiff or teams who have had good seasons like Millwall (Neil Harris manager of the year for me) Preston or Sheffield United it's just the view of someone who has seen his team play at this level for the majority of his time watching football. Next year will be tough but not impossible. Building blocks are in place.

 

 Injuries

I'll be honest, I don't want to talk too much about injuries because it falls on deaf ears quite a lot of the time. The fact of the matter is injuries are not the reason we didn't get promoted or finish in the top six but they are the reason we were dragged into the periphery of the relegation battle. I tried to have this conversation with a Sheffield United fan a few weeks ago and as soon as the word injuries go brought up there was a roll of the eyes and the usual "every club has injuries". Now this statement is true every club will at some point throughout the season have to deal with injuries however does every club lose the core of a team that has finished 6th and 4th to longer term injuries? I'm not so sure. Anybody who's watched Wednesday this season can tell you the difference when certain players have been in the team. Bannan for example, Kieran Lee not being available for so long has meant we've missed something in the midfield that not many players can provide. Last season you could say injuries had an impact as we lost players at key times but ultimately we couldn't blame them as a major reason for underachievement. This year there no doubt they have played a major part in why we haven't been able to mount a 2nd half of the season challenge. I've felt massively for Jos because it's been hard for him to implement his ideas while dealing with the injury crisis. I bet there were times in the first few months where Jos went home to wherever he is living in Sheffield, sat down and thought "Why on earth did I take this job?". I remember back in December when we played Wolves at home and before the game me and my dad were sat in the car listening to BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven and Rob Staton read out the list of players unavailable for the game and anyone who'd tuned in halfway through would have been forgiven for thinking he was reading out the team for the game.

 

 The boy from Boro, the Kosovan King and the rejuvenated Joao

Sheffield Wednesday's 2018 Player of the Season Adam Reach

I've deliberately not mentioned three players throughout this piece. Three players who we have been so important for different reasons. The first of these is Adam Reach. Adam who arrived for a then record transfer fee for Sheffield Wednesday has been fantastic this season. I was a big admirer of his from before his time here when he was at Middlesbrough and then Preston North End during his loan spell in 2015/16. He's played in nearly every position for us which considering he's only been here since August 2016 is some achievement. His endless running is to be admired as well as his leadership qualities which have been needed this season. He's added goals to his game which has been a huge plus and lets be fair there have been some belters in there. Aston Villa away especially, to try that after just 20 odd seconds is something special. The 2018 Sheffield Wednesday player of the year and richly deserved. Keep it up Adam.

 

 

There are few players that split opinion more than Atdhe Nuhiu. Anyone who knows me knows I have always been a huge fan of him. Tall, strong, good touch and gives 100%. What's not to like? A lot of his critics will come back with, 'he's a striker and he doesn't score many goals.' Well for the 2nd time in his time at Sheffield Wednesday he's finished top goalscorer. Under Carlos Carvalhal he had a slightly different role where he was more a foil for others rather than the main focal point himself and even in this role I feel he was vastly underappreciated. Regardless of whether you like him or not the facts are his goals along with others have kept us up and we've been able to lean on him for the last few months. Added to all that the fact on Sunday he became the first player for 17&half years to score a hat trick in the 2nd tier for Sheffield Wednesday and the first to score one at all since November 2010 is something for him to savour. He has a role to play in this team going forward should he choose to stay. I would be sad to see him leave, he's a cult hero similar to player such as Reda Johnson Jose Semedo and Miguel Llera. Men who haven't grown up here but have gained an understanding of this club in a similar way to the fans. If Sunday was his farewell (at the time of writing he hasn't signed a new deal) then what a way to bow out.

 

Lucas Joao's re-emergence is also something to be admired. Joao who spent the 2nd half of last season at Blackburn was probably 5th/6th choice striker upon his return. His reappearance in the derby back in September was a surprise and for a brief moment was a devastating success. Scoring a lovely goal it's a shame it didn't lead to more than a distant memory. For me Joao has everything he needs to go on and be a success. Big, strong, physical, good feet, skill, pace and his partnership with Atdhe Nuhiu has delivered a hatful of goals. He scores all different types of goals as well, throughout his Sheffield Wednesday career he has delivered with headers, curled shots, placed shots and powerful ones as well. A trait that is very useful. I believe working with Nuhiu has massively helped him grow and hopefully it continues. There was a lot of excitement when he arrived and I hope there's a lot more to come from him.

 

 The departing captain and the mercurial winger

It's always a strange this to see long serving players leave. Glenn Loovens signed for Sheffield Wednesday amid a really tough period. 1 win in 16 games. He actually put pen to paper under Dave Jones but made his debut under Stuart Gray in a 2-1 over Leicester. From there on it he became a vital part of a defence which prior to his arrival had been chopped and changed from week to week. His leadership and calmness under pressure made him an obvious choice to become captain in the summer of 2014 and from there on in he remained. I can remember many a good display from him and was a key part of a record equalling defence. His presence around the club will be missed. Sunday was an emotional day for him I'm sure and it was a fitting send off that on 44 minutes he came off to a standing ovation and not only the fans clapping him off but his team mates as well. I wish him all the best in whatever he goes on to do next.

 

The other departing player on Sunday was Ross Wallace, another experienced head with more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Scorer of important goals and assister of important goals. Wallace has arguably rivalled Forestieri for the 'Most important moment of the last few years' award (just rolls of the tongue that one). He's been a fantastic signing, the two goals against Brighton in the Play Offs in 2016 were fantastic, his goal against Arsenal was wonderful, his goal down at Fulham was quite simply outrageous. He's a fantastic character (who can forget nicking the note from Huddersfield's Elias Kachunga) and you could see it meant a lot to him on Sunday with hordes of fans wanting photos and signatures. Like Loovens I wish Ross all the best in wherever he goes next. Whoever gets him is getting a fabulous player and a great character. Good luck Rosco.

 



Glenn Loovens and Ross Wallace with Owls Chairman Dejphon Chansiri

 A nod to the Chairman

During what has been a difficult season Dejphon Chansiri has taken a lot of criticism. Now criticism itself isn't a bad thing provided it's done in a respectful and constructive manner. Let's not forget this man has put his own money into this club and has only ever wanted to do the best for it and it's fans. Some of the things that have been said about him have been very unfair and I hope he realises that the majority of fans are very much behind him and appreciate his efforts. His decision to bring in former Charlton Atheltic CEO Katrien Meire in a similar position at Hillsborough caused some debate and I was one of those who was critical and while it's only been a short while it appears to have not been a bad appointment. Small changes that have been made at the club since her arrival have no doubt been partly down to her. It's been good to see her at games and getting involved in things like the kids fun day at Easter. I hope she's a huge success for years to come. I still and always have believed that Dejphon Chansiri only wants to do the best for the club and when things have gone wrong he has fronted up and explained why. Some fans who have wanted him out have short memories, lets not forget we were crying out for someone like him. Has he made some mistakes? Yeah, but who hasn't, nobody is perfect and he'll be a much better chairman for dealing with a season like this than before.

 

 

If you've made it this far, thanks very much for reading. Let's hope for a better season next year.

 

WAWAW

 

Tom.



Steel City Derby Preview: Can the Owls cause an upset at the Lane?

So here we are again, a few days away from the big one, the game that means pretty much everything in Sheffield. Red against blue, Blades against Owls, Captain Blade against Ozzie and Barney Owl. However you wish to portray it, this is the game to watch in this city.

Back in September when I sat down to write a preview of the game at Hillsborough I like a lot of Wednesday fans was fair confidant of an Owls win. With good reason given we were on a fairly decent run in the league and players were looking something like their previous versions of the past two seasons. Unfortunately as we all know it turned into a disaster. It was fairly shambolic baring the 20 minute spell at the beginning of the 2nd half before we decided to kindly hand any initiative we had back to United. Let's not dwell on that though, let's look forward to Friday night.

Jos Luhukay

 

As we all know Wednesday appointed Jos Luhukay as manager last Friday and his first game will be the Derby clash at Bramall Lane. Now a lot of people have said that it's a terrible first game for him, while I understand the reasons behind that and argument and respect the points being made I disagree. I actually think it's a great game for him, if we lose well we were expected to. If we win it he get's a major boost in support and the fans confidence around him will be increased tenfold. How many Wednesday managers could walk into their first home game with a Derby win under his belt already? What feather in his cap that would be. I'm not saying it will be easy, it wont but going in with the attitude of "this could be 5 or 6" is just daft. Let's not forget United aren't exactly in great form themselves. I'll come onto that later but as for Luhukay it's virtually no lose for him. I can't see him making loads of changes from what we've been seeing over the last few weeks as quite frankly there isn't a lot he can do due to the amount of bodies in the treatment room at the moment.

 

The Game Itself

 

As for the match itself Wednesday come into it bottom of the form table, hardly ideal but this is a derby and anything can happen. I will point out that in previous derbies, 2012 for example we were in torrid form and look what happened there. United as of writing have made three signings in the last two days and we have depending on how you look at it 10 first team players out injured. A lot of predictions that I have already seen have United to win by a few clear goals but football doesn't work like that. As threadbare as the squad is at the moment we still have players of quality that can influence the game. Under the lights at Bramall Lane might just bring out the best in one or two of the players and give them a chance to give something back to the fans after a dismal campaign so far. In terms of form as I've already mentioned we're not exactly flying high and neither are the blades. Since winning at Burton and going top of the table they have only won once in the league at home to Sunderland, defeats at Millwall, Preston and at home to Bolton and Fulham have dented the promotion push. They are not the immoveable object that they have been portrayed. Not to say they don't deserve credit for the season they're having of course they do but beatable.

 

Prediction

 

From my point of view I'd take a point, we can win it and if we do then the players will deserve credit for doing so. If we play to the capabilities of the Forest performance on Boxing day we have a damn good chance. If we turn up like we did at Brentford and at home to Burton then we'll struggle to get a point. Tactically I have little to no idea how we will line up in terms of a system. Some have suggested Luhukay is a 4-2-3-1 man which would make sense. It's a system that has worked at Wednesday in the past. I'll say an optimistic 1-0 win in favour of Wednesday. Keeping it tight and taking a chance. I'd love someone like Jordan Rhodes to score it, really give him a boost of confidence and win over some of the doubters.

 

So that's my opinion on this Friday's game, regardless of line up or whatever else, let's get behind them and regardless of what happens on Friday stay behind them for the rest of the campaign. The players need the fans at the moment. Let's hope the lads can deliver only our 2nd win at Bramall Lane since 1967.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Tom

My brief thoughts on Carlos Carvalhal

As we sit on the eve of Christmas Sheffield Wednesday are contemplating a new era after today parting ways with Carlos Carvalhal. I wasn't going to write this but having thought about it for the last hour or so I feel I should. I think it's right I put to words my thoughts on his departure.

 

A lot has been said and written about Carlos and firstly I want to say he has handled himself with tremendous class and dignity since he walked through the door at S6. He took to Sheffield quickly and became very much one of us. He quickly gaged what the fan base was about and realised the potential of out club. That first season was fabulous, there were so many highs, the obvious 3-0 win over Arsenal, the play off semi finals against Brighton, beating Cardiff in the penultimate game of the season to seal 6th spot. I could go on, last season despite some moans and groans, we got better, we won more games and finished higher and truly believed back in the summer we could kick on. Why didn't we? There are many reasons and at 9PM on Christmas eve I can't say I can be bothered to go into them. It's for another day. Overall Carlos' time has come to an end, the atmosphere at the end of yesterday's clash with Middlesbrough was pretty bleak. The boos and calls for Carlos to go was tough to hear to be honest. I personally said he should have gone after Norwich, not that I think changing the manager would have made a major difference to the season but just to try and change something and lift some of the apathy that is around the club at the moment. You could argue he could have gone before that and yeah maybe but for me it was after that game down at Carrow Road. Quite a few have said he should have gone in May after the play offs and I can see the arguments for that however I'm pleased we at least gave Carlos a chance, I'm pleased we rewarded relative success from his first two seasons.

 

As for who takes over that's for Mr Chansiri and others to handle, there are a few names floating about. Some interesting some definite ones to stay away from. All I'll say is I hope whoever it is get's the 100% backing from our fans, we can't afford to become a club that goes through managers season after season. I'd prefer it to be done relatively quickly but If we must wait for the right man then so be it.

 

Finally I'd just like to once again thank Carlos for his hard work, dedication and the footballing memories he brought. I'll miss him, I hope in time he'll be remembered as fondly as he should. The only negative is it didn't quite end the way we all wanted it to.

 

Thanks Carlos, all the best.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tom

Sheffield Wednesday 2017/18: The Story So Far

So after 16 games of the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship Season I'd like to give my take on the current state of affairs at Sheffield Wednesday. I want to keep it strictly to on the pitch matters, we could be here all day if I went into the off the field matters, we all have an opinion on it and that can be saved for another blog in the near future.

 

Position

I'll begin with the most important statistic, the current league position. After 16 games we sit in 11th position with 23 points. Now while none of us would have taken that at the start of August it is important I think to remember we are only three points off the top 6. Is it inconceivable to think we will be in there in the next few weeks? I don't think so. If you look at the season so far there are several areas that people have picked up on. In my personal opinion the defensive issues we've had this season have been the biggest problem for us. Over the last three seasons we've accumulated 17, 17 and 16 clean sheets. That's a fairly decent record and to only have 2 at the moment is a bit of a worry. It's slightly ironic that after a wonderful performance at the weekend (a 2-1 away win at Aston Villa) I'm writing about the defensive solidity. If you look at some of the goals we've conceded this season they are preventable and hopefully the return of Glenn Loovens, a player I've been a massive fan of ever since he walked through the door, will add that calmness and leadership that seems to suit the players around him. Tom Lees for example looks half the player when Glenn Loovens isn't next to him. None of this is a slight on Joost Van Aken who in my opinion has done fairly well while here. It didn't take the fans long to take to him, singing his name after 25 minutes against Nottingham Forest. He's still learning the English game which is very different to the Dutch Eredivisie. Consistency in selection will be important from now on in. I'm not against the idea of picking a team to win specific games on a game by game basis but we have some of the best players in this division and they need to on the pitch for us more often than not.

 

Should we be higher up in the league? I'd argue yes we should, I said at the start of September after the first international break that we needed to take at least 12 points from the next 18 available (taking us to the next break). We took 10 which despite being disappointing you could still look at it and say we should have beat Cardiff and should have had at least a point at Birmingham. So it wasn't a disaster. As for the next set of games we couldn't have started it much worse with defeats to Bolton and Derby. Now I'll touch more on those two games in a moment but I will say that 7 points from the last 9 were very pleasing. There was a lot of criticism after the Barnsley game regarding the performance and while it wasn't great it was still enough for me to win that game and had it not been for a fantastic goal from Harvey Barnes we would have won it. Millwall was a tough battle against a team who to be fair were a lot better than I gave them credit for at the start of the season and made it difficult but we ground out a much needed win. You could feel the nerves around Hillsborough as the game drew to a close desperately clinging on to a vital three points. It did feel like a big weight had been slightly lifted. The Villa game on Saturday was fantastic, an amazing start with Adam Reach scoring his third goal in as many games and let's be honest it was the best of the three by a country mile followed by a very convincing display and that proves what this group of players are capable of. Of course the other man who scored in both of the last two games is the club's record signing, Jordan Rhodes. Now if there has been anyone who has been in Jordan Rhodes' corner over the last 11 months it's me. Let's look at the facts, he's got a proven record at this level of scoring goals consistently. The stat that was going around before the Millwall game was that he hadn't scored in 24 league games (including play offs) which was a slightly unfair stat given quite a few of those games he only played 5-10 minutes off the bench. He isn't the kind of striker that you can chuck on as a late sub to try and nick a goal in my opinion. The last two games have shown you needed start him, let him grow into the game and provide him with service and he will score. Has he always had that kind of service when he's been on the pitch? Well that can be argued either way for me, I'd say he did last season but not so much this and that partly comes down to what I've just said. Game time. If he plays more he'll score us goals I have doubt about that at all.

Two in the last two for Jordan Rhodes

 

Carlos: In or Out?

Now we come to the big question, Carlos Carvalhal. Should he still be the head coach of Sheffield Wednesday? For me I'm not one to call for a manager's head. I don't think it's particularly fair and I don't think after the job he has done it was unfair to say he'd earned another go at it. Let's just quickly rewind the clock in his first season he over achieved. We took teams by surprise and very nearly did it. Last season we at times shot ourselves in the foot. I think we beat ourselves a lot last season and if you look at the stats the one thing we didn't do was put the ball in the back of the net often enough. The amount of games we had where we dominated for 25-30 minutes and didn't score only to let a daft goal in the other end and heads drop happened to often. I know a lot was made of the 'change in style' but personally I don't think a lot changed in terms of the way we played we were just a hell of a lot more clinical in 2015/16 and while being harder to break down in 2016/17 we took away our potency which is why the signings of Jordan Rhodes and Sam Winnall in January made sense. Back to Carlos, I'm still behind him. I didn't have a lot of questions over him after the Bolton game because I felt everything that went wrong at Bolton (refereeing decisions aside) was preventable. I remember saying to my dad after the game he needs to change it for Derby to convince me he was still the right man and to be fair to Carlos he did. The team he selected at Pride Park was the correct team, he'd finally decided to stop persisting playing Adam Reach at left back and Glenn Loovens was back at the heart of the defence with the captains armband around his arm. Brilliant. Within 4 minutes Glenn had been sent off for a bit of a daft challenge on Matěj Vydra and we were 1-0 down from the resulting penalty. We lost 2-0 and to be fair played ever so well. After the red card I thought we'd get absolutely battered so to actually come away a bit disappointed to not get a point wasn't too bad. You couldn't judge Carlos after that game because any tactical plan was gone after 4 minutes. Since then we've taken 7 points from 9 and when you look at that it's been a decent response. Carlos showed on Saturday that once again he can mix it with the best in this division in terms of team selection and tactics. I'm still firmly in the Carlos camp and I won't shy away from saying it. I do think the most important thing to consider about the Carlos debate is that the chairman is still behind him. All you can ask for from a chairman/owner is clarity on situations and he's been 100% clear on Carlos. He's here to stay now whether you choose to believe him or not is entirely up to you but I've always been someone who without personally knowing someone will take them on their word. This is no different. I know one or two people reference the events of September/October 2006 when Paul Sturrock signed a new three year contract only to be sacked three weeks later but these are very different times. I also quickly want to address this idea that because Sheffield United are doing well following their promotion back to this level after 6 years that that has put more pressure on Carlos and the players from the fans, well maybe it looks and feels that way at the moment but come May Carlos and his players will be judged against the positions of the last two seasons. That's where the expectation comes from back to back play off campaigns. Not Sheffield United. The one area which hasn't been talked about as much as I think it should is if you look back to when Carlos Carvalhal arrived we've got a remarkable record where in the League we've only lost three games where we've scored the first goal (Ipswich August 2015, Birmingham September 2016 and Fulham May 2017). Now this says a couple of different things to me, it says that when we have a lead we tend to grow in confidence and it says starting games on the front foot is the best way to play. Of course it's easy to sit here and say that and I'm sure the team always goes onto the pitch wanting to start well but sometimes we don't help ourselves. Of course there is a counter point to this, what happens when we fall behind and it's sadly not as good a stat. In the same period of time we have only come back to win after conceding the fist goal 9 times in 108 games under Calos which I think is something to be addressed. To add a little more to it 8 of those games were at home and only one was away. Put it simply, if we concede first away from home we don't tend to win. Something I'm sure the management team at Hillsborough will be well aware of. It's something that I do think will need to be addressed in order to achieve what we all want which is promotion.

 

So What now?

So after the final international break of 2017 is over, Wednesday have a big run of games ahead. Starting with a Saturday 3 O'clock kick off at Hillsborough (yes I know they'll never will catch on) against Bristol City. If it's anything like the last meeting at Hillsborough between the two then it will be a good game. In fact if it's anything like the last few meetings with them there will be goals. After that trips to Ipswich and Reading followed by a home game with Hull and a trip back to east Anglia to take on Norwich. After that two home games on the bounce against Wolves and Middlesbrough. That takes us into Christmas and if we can be pulling crackers and watching crap TV after taking 15 points from those then I think most sensible people would be fairly happy with that. Overall it's a tough run of games and with a hell of a long way to go yet we can only do one thing which is get behind the team and support them.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Tom

 

Steel City Derby: A preview

So here we are, five and a half years since the last one Sheffield Wednesday's next opponent is our city rivals Sheffield United. A lot has changed in that time since Chris O'Grady's 73'd minute winner back in 2012. Wednesday have been promoted, had a takeover, big investment and a couple of cracks at the Play Offs. United have endured another 5 seasons in League One after missing out in 2012, an FA Cup Semi Final in 2014 and a League cup Semi Final in 2015 before sealing promotion in 2017. This is a derby that has been eagerly anticipated since Danny Ward saved Fernando Forestieri's penalty back in May.

 

Chris O'Grady sealing a win in the last Steel City Derby

 

What does this game mean?

I doubt anyone that is going to read this will need any introduction to what this game means to the two sets of fans. I wouldn't dare be arrogant enough to try and speak for all of them. What I will do is tell you what it means to me. Back in 2012 after Sheffield United's play off final defeat to Huddersfield I was asked by a friend was I disappointed they'd not come up with us. My response was something like this,

"Are you f*cking joking? I've not stopped laughing at them. I hope we never play them again." I stand by these comments from my 16 year old self. I'm not one of these fans that looks forward to the derby, there's so much pressure on them. True they are the best games to win but they are also the worst to lose. I don't believe any fan that say's they aren't nervous before one. Now that the game is here the familiar feeling of nerves that only this fixture can bring. For me the only kind of scenario that compares however odd this may sound is something like the Crystal Palace game in 2010(we needed to win to stay up for those who may have wiped this from memory) where losing just isn't an option. Now take the fact it's Sheffield United away and it just becomes another early season league game. Nothing will be decided on Sunday that much is obvious but I'm sure proper football fans will understand what I mean.

The game itself

 



Billy Sharp: Will he feature on Sunday?



So how do I see this particular game going and where will it be won or lost. I won't claim to be an expert on Sheffield United but I have seen a bit of them. They have had a very good start which didn't surprise me. A lot of teams that come up with the kind of momentum tend to start well. Do I feel they are in a false position? Maybe just a little. It was interesting on Saturday that the one big question over them that I had was without Billy Sharp and new signing Clayton Donaldson where would the goal come from and it didn't come. Important to bare in mind it's one game and I personally think Sharp, Donaldson and Leon Clarke will all be fit but it's worth pointing out. From our point of view it's a case of just doing what we know we can do. I might be called biased for saying this but I'm struggling to see a better squad than ours. We know that if we perform to the levels we know we are capable of then we should beat anyone in this league. If we start like we did against Nottingham Forest then I'd be fairly confidant of a victory. Wednesday have found teams that sit back and but 10 men behind the ball and hope to nick it on the counter tricky to break down over the last 2 seasons but United are unlikely to do that meaning an open game could well be on the cards and that suits Wednesday.

 

The Key Men

 

So in a game of this size and importance who do I think will be the key in making sure it's a Wednesday win? Firstly will start of with the man in form at the moment Gary Hooper. Hooper's importance to Wednesday became apparent last season when he wasn't in the side. We missed his link up play, his ability to slot into space that not many others do and of course he scores goals and having scored 4 in the last 4 he'll be itching to make that 5 in 5 and as any Celtic fan will tell you he knows a thing or two about scoring in a derby. As does his current partner in crime up front Steven Fletcher, now anyone that knows me knows I've been Fletcher's biggest critic but since April he's been one of our best players. He's brought the form from the end of last season into this and he's been very good. He's played in big derby games before, he knows what they're all about. He supports Hooper well and as a duo the stats are there to prove it they get the best out of each other and the team benefits massively. Kieran Lee's return to the side has been a major shot in the arm, we missed him so much in August. I can't tell you the amount of times during August I said "when Lee's back you'll see how much of a difference he makes" and it's proved to be the case. His ability to get about the pitch as he does will be important on Sunday, it's a cliché but you need legs in a game like this and Lee provides them. Another thing you often need in a game like this is guile and Ross Wallace has that in abundance. He's been a massive part of what Carlos has done here since they both arrived. He can create goals from nothing weather that be for himself or for others, when we get accused of a 'lack of passion' the first player I'd pick out to counter act that rather stupid comment is Ross Wallace. Look at him when he scores, he's another one that has played in big derbies before. He'll be key if selected. The final player I'd pick out from our squad is a player who I don't think get's anywhere near enough credit especially recently after an excellent start to the season and that's David Jones. Cool, calm, collected Jones has been key in the upturn in results. He's often overlooked when the likes of Lee, Bannan and Wallace play well but often they play well because Jones allows them to. His ability to put his foot on the ball and provide a solid base to allow those players to do what they do so well is key. He'll be key on Sunday for me, another one who's played in big games before. A lot of people have mentioned over the last few days about the midfield battle being the key to the outcome of this game and I'd probably agree with that and Jones' role could be the most important of the lot. Oh and he's another one who can provide the odd screamer as we saw against Sunderland.

 

 

David Jones celebrating his superb strike against Sunderland.

 

Summary

 

So to sum up then, how do It see it going? In truth I don't care too much if it's a good game or not I just want to win. It's got all the ingredients to be the best Sheffield Derby for many a year but that's not really what anyone who'll be there at Hillsborough on Sunday cares about. Blue and white or red and white the only thing that matters is three points. Wednesday have held the bragging rights for an awful long time. United will be fired up for it and I have no doubt we will match that. There has been a lot of talk about the fact that United have a fully British squad and there manager and captain are blades so that means they'll be more passionate about it. Nonsense. Just to clear up the myth of the 30 men in Wednesday's first team squad 9 of them are non British/Irish. Only 1(Joost Van Aken) is pretty much guaranteed to start this game if were honest. Quite a few are injured meaning it's likely to have a fairly British feel to it. Another poor journalistic approach I've seen chucked about is this nonsense about Carlos maybe not understanding the derby. I have three counter points to this. 1) Carlos has been very aware of all the other derby games we have played under him, Leeds, Rotherham, Barnsley etc. Why is this one any different? 2) He's managed the likes of Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas they both have fierce and rather intense derby games themselves. 3) He lives in the city, he probably has to interact with blades fans when he's out and about. Carlos is a cleaver man, he knows all about what this game means and he'll have his players up for it. All in all I predict it to be a tight game, if both teams do try to attack then I think it could be a very entertaining game however given the nature of how these games tend to go I think a narrow Wednesday win is the mostly likely outcome. As I said before I'd take that every day of the week. We are capable of smashing them without a doubt but I don't care if it's the worst performance of the season as long as we win. Let's really get behind them on Sunday and hopefully play a part in another derby win for the Owls.

 

Oh and just a quick one for these people that support other clubs that have been having a go at both Wednesday and United fans for hyping the game up. It's the first one for five and a half years. We're allowed to be a little bit excited for it. It's funny how a lot of these people support clubs with no real rival.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tom

 

Why I don't rate Wayne Rooney.

Rooney a Legend? Not for me

Following the news that England's all time leading goal scorer is hanging up his International boots I'd like to put into words why I don't consider the Everton striker to be an England Legend. This is mostly about his England career not his club one.

 

I accept that it's an odd thing to not think the countries top goal scorer isn't a legend for his country but it's deeper than that. I think we get lost in this idea that numbers are the be all and end all and to an extent they are but it only takes a few minutes to look into those numbers and form an opinion on them. Let's got back a few years before we do that though.

 

Rooney up to and including Euro 2004

When Wayne Rooney broke onto the scene at Everton I don't deny he was a very exciting prospect, he was a rough striker that had no respect for anyone he came up against and that's a good thing. He was powerful and had the technique to score goals, the famous one against Arsenal is a great strike no denying that. England fans were well within their rights to be excited about this young lad. He broke into the England set up under Sven-Göran Eriksson and became a mainstay. He lit Euro 2004 up and arguably was England's best player at that tournament. If he'd not got injured who knows what might have happened. We could have gone on to win it had we not lost infamously on penalties to Portugal. After that summer's exploits Rooney got his move to Manchester United which was fairly deserved in my opinion. Big club who at the time were rebuilding after losing the title to Arsenal's invincibles.

 

 

The next 2 years and World Cup 2006

 

After his move to Manchester United Rooney was arguably the first name on an England team sheet and to be fair that was probably justifiable. He was the form striker heading into the World Cup in Germany and although he went into it injured there were a lot of hopes pinned on him. We all hoped he could produce the kind of explosive displays he put in in Portugal 2 years before. He didn't. His biggest impact was getting sent of stupidly against Portugal in the quarter final. Yeah you can blame Ronaldo all you want but Rooney was daft and paid the price. He had no positive impact on that campaign and that was for me a key turning point in Rooney's international career.

 

The next 4 years

 

Now to be fair to Rooney it's not his fault the FA decided to replace Sven-Göran Eriksson with Steve McClaren, a man handed the best group of England players since 1990 and failed to qualify for Euro 2008 in Austria/Switzerland. I believe under a decent managed England would have gone close in that tournament. Rooney arguably was in his best shape and just a year or so out from his peak. We'll never know what he could have done at Euro 2008 so it's unfair to judge him too much in this period.

 

The prime year and South Africa

 

The 2009/10 season was for me Wayne Rooney's best. He did score one more goal 2 seasons later in 2011/12 but in 2010 I'd say Rooney was England's best striker by a distance. There was no reason at all for him to not go out to South Africa and perform. Of course it isn't all down to him but he was one of the senior players, he was at his peak and he was in red hot form. He was dreadful, again not alone in this at all but this was another tournament he hadn't performed in and it was a major disappointment. For me I remember after England's humiliating 4-1 defeat to Germany thinking that if players like Rooney couldn't perform in a tournament like that after the season he'd had when would he?

 

A stupid red card and Euro 2012

The 7th of October 2011 for me summed Wayne Rooney's England career up. A daft red card against Montenegro in the last qualifier before the tournament meant he'd initially miss all three group games of the competition. Deserved in my opinion, a needless act of idiocy just like the stamp in 2006. He hadn't leant 5&1/2 years on. It was reduced on a appeal to two which for me was very lucky and this meant that now manager Roy Hodgson could justify taking him to Poland/Ukraine. England did ok without him, a very creditable draw with a good French team and a belting game against Sweden where England came out 3-2 winners in what I still think is the best England game in terms of excitement for years. Rooney returned for the last group game against Ukraine and to his credit scored a good header. Finally a tournament goal for Wayne Rooney again. Could this be the Launchpad for him to go on and justify the belief that some still had in him in an England shirt? The answers no, England were toothless as a side against Italy and were beaten again on Penalties.

 

World Cup 2014 and Euro 2016

I'm sure anyone reading this will agree neither of these tournaments were England's finest hours, I'm not going to blame Wayne Rooney for either campaign. The only thing I will say against him for them is that I don't really know why he was there in France in 2016. We weren't playing him as a striker and we had better midfield options, he was poor across all the games and despite a penalty against Iceland didn't do anything of any real merit. The world cup two years earlier was similar, his goal against Uruguay was a decent finish from memory but again in a defeat. The fact he was given the captaincy after that world cup was strange, it was time then for him to move on in my opinion. Let the younger talent come through. Instead we had to sleepwalk through another very poor campaign where Rooney's presence in my opinion was a hindrance to those players not a help.

 

The Numbers

So let's actually look at the goals of our record holder, where and who have they come from. Firstly there are 7 from international tournaments. 2 against Switzerland and 2 against Croatia at Euro 2004. His best tally at a single tournament, 1 against Ukraine at Euro 2012, 1 against Uruguay at the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil and 1 against Iceland at Euro 2016. Now with all due respect to all those sides I would hardly call it worth of legend status which is what this blog is about. So 7 of his 53 goals have come in tournament football which in my opinion isn't good enough. That leaves 44 goals in Qualifiers which often England are expected to win comfortably and Friendlies which England seem to take very seriously while the Germanys, Frances, Brazils and the like treat as well friendlies. Don't get me wrong he's scored against France and Brazil in his time and some other decent sides like Denmark and Croatia but is this really what we've come to call a legend? A legend should be something that is almost unattainable. The team of 1966 are legends, there are a few from prior to that and past it of course there are but Wayne Rooney's name for me isn't among them. He did a decent job for England I won't deny him that and for a lot of people my age he is probably the most consistent face we've seen for England but is that enough to make him a legend? I don't think so. I hope I've at the very least been able to offer a different view point to the Gary Lineker lead love in that is doing the rounds at the moment.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tom