GOOD RIDDANCE BLATTER, YOU CHARLATAN

The news broke this afternoon that FIFA's long-term president, Sepp Blatter, stepped down from his role as the head of football's governing body. The 79 year-old was a polarising figure but deep down, a classic charlatan.

D. Ray Morton, 2nd June 2015

Sepp Blatter gave a short speech and announced his resignation as FIFA leader today

What a week it has been for FIFA. Shamed and arrested officials were veiled with hotel bedsheets as they were escorted into the back of FBI vans causing huge embarrassment for the organisation. Meanwhile, Sepp Blatter had been re-elected as president of the governing body causing huge frustration and listlessness amongst fans of the sport who had been sick of the 79 year-old's seemingly never-ending reign of terror. Now he steps down and we can all exhale a relieved breath.

Blatter had all the hallmarks of a classic conman. To his inner circle, his employees in Switzerland and visitors to the FIFA headquarters, he would regale them in his origins tale. A young lad coming down from the Swiss mountains with a ball clutched in his arm, a dreamer ready to change the world of football for the better. What a vision.

In truth, Blatter never really kicked a ball in his life (as Diego Maradona pointed out some months ago). His origin was in politicking around various Swiss sports organisations before slithering his way towards the top of the FIFA tree. A long journey but not the mystical fairytale he so often portrayed.

Even in his manifestos, he gave little. He would maintain that he was the head of FIFA, that everyone knew what he was about and that would be it. Amazingly, it managed to keep him there for a very long time. There are many reasons for this but the clearest would appear to be his elevation of the non-European confederations to, perhaps, the chagrin of the established order. He did, in his time, bring the World Cup to Asia and Africa for the first time.

It is over for the old man now and he leaves hanging his head under a cloud of shame. Who knows what lies in store for FIFA and Blatter personally. Maybe he can write a sci-fi book about playing aliens in intergalactic football as he had previously hoped for his darling organisation in the 22nd century. Football will move on and hopefully move on in a manner in which the sport can regain some much-needed credibility. The world's game deserves more than crooked baby-kissing hand shakers.

FOOTBALL PODCASTS WORTH LISTENING TO

Nowadays we are bombarded with a multitude of podcasts one can listen to during your commute or your workout and football is no exception. With so many to choose from, it can be a bit of a minefield finding the best ones. Here is our take on the best football podcasts.

D. Ray Morton, 28th March 2015.

The Guardian Football Weekly

This one probably jumped into a lot of peoples' heads immediately and it likely is the best all-round football podcast if you only catch one or two a week. It gets released on Mondays and Thursdays and is hosted by everyone's favourite, James Richardson (@acjimbo), the old host of the massively popular Gazzetta Football Italia which used to air on Channel 4 throughout the '90s (when Serie A ruled the world!). AC Jimbo, as Richardson is nicknamed, is usually joined by a few of The Guardian's football writing staff. Irishman Barry Glendenning (@bglendenning) is featured regularly and his dry sense of humour blends wonderfully with Jimbo's quips, pun and often hilarious euphemisms. Other regulars include perma-happy Football Manager junkie Iain Macintosh (@iainmacintosh), serious West Ham fan Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg), husky-voiced Arsenal enthusiast Amy Lawrence (@amylawrence71) and narrative-weaving Championship expert Simon Burnton (@Simon_Burnton). Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) occasionally features and is something of a treat to listen to with his expansive take on the unpredictable world of football. Foreign expertise is regularly provided by James Horncastle (@JamesHorncastle) (Italy), Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) (Spain), Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) (Germany) and Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) (France). If you only get the chance to listen to one football podcast, make it this one.

Listen to it here: http://www.theguardian.com/football/series/footballweekly

Some of the Football Weekly crew with host James Richardson on the far right. A great bunch of lads!

The Times The Game

A bit less light-hearted and a touch more in-your-face, The Times' football podcast is hosted by the great Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti), the Italian loudmouth who is not afraid to ask the tough questions and shoot down weak, ponderous opinions. Being a huge fan of professional wrestling he takes something of a promoter/manager's "heel" persona and inflicts it on his guests. It is released once a week on Mondays and mainly covers the English game. Regulars include the grumpy voice of reason that is Matt Hughes (@MattHughesTimes) and qualified female referee Alyson Rudd (@allyrudd_times) who offers top insight when it comes to those officiating howlers so talked about in the Premier League. Sometimes a shouting match but nearly always entertaining, check it out.

Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/the-game-podcast

ONE World Sports Beyond the Pitch

Beyond the Pitch, or BTP for short, is little less known than the two already mentioned but this American-based soccer podcast is thorough and well-researched thanks to its host with the booming voice, Antö (@rossoAnto). The pod covers a wide range of topics and is usually split into several sections with various experts being interviewed. Although a lot of US and Asian football is covered due to ONE World Sports' audience, many European clubs are also discussed in long, in-depth segments and are well worth a listen.

Listen to it here: http://www.beyondthepitch.net/

BBC World Football Phone In

A real one for the football hipsters here, BBC's long-running World Football Phone In is a must listen for fans of the global game. Hosted by Nigerian-English Dotun Adebayo (@dotunadebayo) and usually featuring South American football encyclopaedia Tim "Legendinho" Vickery (@Tim_Vickery), there is a wealth of knowledge offered here which cannot be found in other pods. You can actually come away from it thinking your understanding of the game has went up several notches. All manner of topics are discussed as they take the calls of late night football-obsessed listeners. Definitely worth checking out for a more far-reaching take on all things global soccer.

Listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wf

The Sound of Football

What catches the attention here right away is that strangely familiar intro music. Scratching your head wondering what it is? You might be surprised to know that it is the theme music from the retro football game Striker which was available on the Super Nintendo back in the early '90s. Established in 2009, the podcast is described as "improvised" and the conversation generally revolves around broad topics concerning the game, so one can listen to the backlog of these and find plenty of enjoyment. Jan Bilton (@JanBilton), Terry Duffelen (@terryduffelen) and Graham Sibley (@grahamsibley) are the regulars and they offer a more grown-up, considered approach than the nauseating, sophomoric din that is its overrated rival podcast The Football Ramble. Definitely worth a shot if you want a roomy discussion rather than the usual weekend update stuff or fools screaming across each other.

Listen to it here: http://www.sofpodcast.com/

Irish Times Second Captains Football

The Second Captains lads do like a photo op but they do make a very entertaining football podcast

This is certainly the go-to Irish football podcast. Presented by Eoin McDevitt (@eoinmcdevitt) with analysis from Ken Early (@kenearlys) and injections of humour from Ciaran "Murph" Murphy (@saveciaranmurph), the format revolves around Ken's "Report on Sport" followed usually by two segments featuring discussion with various football experts from around Britain and the continent. The banter flows smoothly and the pod stands head and shoulders above other Irish efforts like the heavily-clichéd Back Page Football and the crudely-produced The Final Third. Like The Guardian's pod, it is released twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays and also features an all-sports sister podcast. Highly recommended.

Listen to it here: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/second-captains

HOW TO IMPROVE THE EUROPA LEAGUE

UEFA's second major club tournament, the Europa League, could use some modifications to become a true meritocracy and to raise the profile of the competition in general. Here are a few suggestions.

D. Ray Morton, 26th February 2015.

With this season's Europa League champions guaranteed a spot in next season's Champions League, the status of UEFA's "B" tournament has increased quite a bit. Now clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham and Italian sides who notoriously underachieve at what is perceived as a waste of time, have something more to play for.

There are a few inconsistencies in the format that need ironing out. First of all, the group stage is way too over-bloated. The sheer amount of groups alone is absurd. To remedy this, more pre-qualifier rounds should be scheduled so that the group stages fall in line with the eight group layout of the Champions League.

Secondly, the round of 32 is overkill. To avoid this, do not allow teams that finish third in their Champions League groups to enter the Europa League at all. Why should a team that finishes third in a group get the consolation prize of another tournament rather than, say, teams that get knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16? This safety net has to go and the competitions must be kept separate.

Finally, in order for teams to truly be awarded on merit, runners up prizes need to go. This means teams that lose domestic cup finals but still get into the competition would be discounted. Should a cup-winning team already qualify for Europe through league position and happen to triumph in a domestic cup, the next spot should go to the next highest league team, not cup final losers.

The same goes for the Europa League final itself. Say, for example, this year's final is Wolfsburg vs. Everton and the German side triumph. Wolfsburg will likely qualify for the Champions League via league position in Bundesliga, therefore that leftover Champions League spot would not go to Everton who will likely finish well off the Premier League European spots. It should be given to a team that did it via performance in their domestic league, Germany rather than England in this example perhaps. How UEFA should decide this is their choice but they have come up with creative ways in the past to give sides European appearances, like the Fair Play award.

Traditionally, the European Cup was the big one but the Europa League's precursor, the UEFA Cup, was not far behind in terms of achievement. Many considered the UEFA Cup harder to win because it would feature several teams from the top leagues and not just one. It has been a long time since UEFA's secondary tournament has been held in such high regard but some functional changes could bring a lot of that excitement back.

FFP ONLY BOLSTERS ELITE BRAND CLUBS

Every football club in Europe must operate within the parameters of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations but the rules do not encourage competition and seem only to serve teams with a global brand already in place.

D. Ray Morton, 16th January 2015.

British transfer record signing Ángel Di María will not be Manchester United's last mega purchse

Some comparisons were made in the past week about the managerial records of Manchester United's current manager, Louis van Gaal, and last year's horror show ran by David Moyes. At this stage of last season, United had accumulated the same amount of points (though their league position is superior). It begged the question, just how well is van Gaal really doing and how can United push on and become the force, again, that they were under Sir Alex Ferguson? Their solution? Cash. Having spent a fortune last summer, including the British transfer record signing of Ángel Di María, they are set to do the same again between now and the end of next August. There is talk of spending €150m on three targets: AS Roma's Kevin Strootman, Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne.

In this supposed period of austerity and responsibility in football, how is it possible for United to shell out such vast amounts of money whilst other clubs remain hamstrung by revenue limitations? It is all about the size of the brand. There are maybe a handful of teams with this luxury. United are one of them. A huge corporate brand that flogs merchandise throughout Asia in the manner of which smaller clubs can only dream of. Barcelona, Real Madrid and arguably Bayern Munich are also amongst this elite. Nouveau riche sides like Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris St. Germain do not have this luxury as their spending comes from wealthy individuals as opposed to generating revenue through merchandise sales and sponsorship deals. Although Chelsea, City and PSG aspire to dominate Europe, they are still outside that top bracket when it comes to flogging replica kits globally.

This global brand gravy train for the few brings about many questions. Seeing as these few clubs can continue to spend massive amounts of money thanks to the strength of their brand, does it not make football less competitive from a strictly capitalistic sense? Spend all you like as long as it is not from some rich man's pocket. This is something that is new to football. Though many clubs would produce their own players in the past, teams really only improved considerably when they were bankrolled by a wealthy owner. Who could imagine a Brian Clough in this era, a great manager famed for bringing small provincial clubs from the lower divisions to challenging in the top flight? That was done through old-fashioned investment and sound coaching.

Brian Clough, though a socialist politically, cleverly used his owners' capitalist endeavour to reach success

FFP removes this possibility because every investment made needs to be backed up. There are inconsistencies, such as the building of Man City's development centre which does not fall within the jurisdiction of FFP. The idea is to try and spend a fortune developing home-grown players rather than spending it in the transfer market. Either way, such projects will just become "player factories" where young players will get moved on in order to generate money for the main team. These players will never get a look in. Since City have funded this ambitious youth system, not a single player from it has made a first-team appearance. Chelsea do similar things in that many of their players get loaned out to feeder club, Vitesse Arnhem, where their price rises without any true chance of breaking into Chelsea's real first-team.

So there is a glass ceiling there for these just-off top clubs. Is this really good for football? Is it just financial reshuffling that ensures the rich stay rich? When UEFA came out with the idea for FFP, it seemed like money in football was finally going to be cleaned up. It has not been. It has only been moved around differently leaving smaller clubs with a sense of limitation, frustration and confusion.

A GERMAN SHOULDN'T BE IN BALLON D'OR RACE

Football's greatest individual prize will be awarded soon with Real Madrid's Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo being the hot favourite to win the award for the second year in a row. There are many people within the game suggesting the prize should go to a German, however. Here is why that argument does not hold any real weight.

D. Ray Morton, 27th November 2014.

Ronaldo has, again, been magnificent in the past calendar year and fully deserves the top individual prize in the game

Cristiano Ronaldo has set phenomenal numbers in the past year. As his club Real Madrid achieved Champions League glory, Ronaldo racked up 51 goals in competitive club level matches. He was the top goalscorer in both La Liga (31) and the Champions League (17). Already this season, he has 26 goals in all competitions. These figures are astounding and are the mark of a great individual player in his prime. Why then is there such a push for a German to be awarded football's biggest individual prize this year?

Germany did win the summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil but it was not a team that featured one great individual. It was a collective, a well-oiled unit that got the job done in a football tournament that has lost its gloss in comparison to UEFA's Champions League. Manchester United legend and Ronaldo's former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, pointed out some years ago that the Champions League had overtaken the World Cup as the sports premier competition. The World Cup gets a lot of attention due to its international appeal but it is no longer football's bread and butter. The Champions League is the true testing ground at the highest level.

Lionel Messi is currently the second favourite behind Ronaldo to challenge for the Ballon d'Or. Trophyless at the end of last season, Messi has kicked back into gear this season and has rediscovered his very best form in recent days having scored back-to-back hattricks domestically and in Europe. Despite his injuries and dip in form last season, did any German out-perform him, for club and country without even mentioning Ronaldo? Not likely.

The Ballon d'Or's credibility was dealt a further blow by the exclusion of Luis Suárez in the shortlist for potential winners. Did his silly bite at the World Cup warrant undoing what was an incredible season at Liverpool where he practically dragged an unfancied team single-handedly to near-Premier League glory?

Individually, the Germans don't match up. Philipp Lahm's name has been touted and the recently-retired international does deserve respect but how big an impact does he make? Is he a match-winner? Hardly. How much impact can he possibly have playing at either right-back or as a tidy possession keeper in midfield for Bayern Munich?

Manuel Neuer is another name in the conversation. He only seems to be mentioned because he has been in and around greatness over the past year but has not really provided it himself. Thibaut Courtois' performances for Atlético Madrid were far more impressive at club level and at international level, Neuer did not have much to do for Germany with a good team in front of him. Indeed, he could easily have been sent off in the World Cup final for his flying knee on Gonzalo Higuaín.

Neuer can poke fun at Ronaldo's underwear ads but to say he has had a better year, individually, than the Portuguese is a stretch no pair of pants can take

That leaves maybe Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller's names in the hat but again, how big an impact did they have on their own? Müller is a fine poacher and deserves admiration for consistently delivering despite his lack of technical prowess but he should not be mentioned in the same breath as the Ronaldos and Messis of the football world. Kroos is a great midfielder but is now at Real Madrid and is not exactly their biggest star there. At the Bernabéu, Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos are considered to be key players and Kroos is, for now, merely a good addition to their midfield options.

Were Ronaldo to miss out on the award, FIFA would appear to be engineering their Ballon d'Or award to promote their tournaments, not UEFA's. Messi does not quite deserve it this year despite, and oddly so, being awarded the Golden Ball award for being the World Cup's best player. Neuer, Lahm, Kroos and Müller do not deserve it just for being in a fine international team (and probably not an all-time great one). Give it to Ronaldo. He has been the best and fully deserves it.

BALOTELLI'S GERRARD-PIRLO COMPARISON IS LAUGHABLE

Liverpool's controversial new striker really rates his club captain and even goes so far as to compare him with Italy's peerless midfield maestro. Is this just the latest example of Balotelli crazy talk?

D. Ray Morton, 16th October 2014.

Mario Balotelli, recently dropped by the Italian national team, certainly seems to be buddying up with his new captain, Steven Gerrard, recently retired from the England national team

Mario Balotelli has come out with yet another cracker of a statement. The Italian international, born in Palermo to Ghanaian immigrants, is known for coming out with controversial soundbites but this one seems outright bizarre.

Comparing his club captain, Steven Gerrard to his Italian teammate Andrea Pirlo, in an interview with Sport he said: "Gerrard is an amazing player. I had really not seen much of him before this season, apart from for England, but wow. I think of him as being at the same level as Pirlo."

He continued: "Vision, technique, but he is powerful as well. Stevie can do anything. It’s going to be very difficult for the team to find another player like him in the future."

His words are complimentary, hugely so, but puzzling. Why would Balotelli compare two polar opposite player types with virtually nothing in common other than the fact that they have played in similar on-field positions, not roles, for the past twelve months?

Both players retired from international football after last summer's World Cup and as England fans released a collective sigh of relief for change, fans of the Azzurri started to panic. For their countries, Gerrard and Pirlo's contributions have been radically different. With Gerrard's legs having gone and the Liverpool skipper stepping aside, Roy Hodgson's team go in search of finding a new deep midfielder, someone with an engine to suit their direct game. In the case of Italy, finding a replacement seemed a hopeless task until new manager Antonio Conte immediately convinced the mercurial Juventus midfielder to come back. Truth of the matter is, at international level at least, Gerrard was never a key player for his country whereas an entire team, effectively so, was built around Pirlo.

Pirlo is also a born winner with the medals to prove it. He has won the highest domestic honour of becoming Serie A champion five times: twice with AC Milan and having just completed three-in-a-row, including an undefeated season (2011/12), with Juventus. He has bagged the Champions League twice with Milan and won the 2006 World Cup with the national side. Steven Gerrard has had successes, notably beating Pirlo's Milan in an unforgettable 2005 Champions League final triumph in Istanbul but domestically and internationally, he has always come up short, never winning that lucrative but elusive Premier League title.

Andrea Pirlo continues to play a key role for club and country but is rotated wisely to get the best out of his technical talent and invaluable experience

The England vs. Italy match at the World Cup just over three months ago demonstrated a gulf in quality or at least effectiveness. As England ran around like headless chickens, Pirlo orchestrated a possession masterclass with his side coming out 2-1 victors. It is perhaps this lack of international success that haunts Gerrard similarly to two other midfielders of England's "Golden Generation": Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard. While all three were heroes to their respective clubs, they never quite won over their entire nation the way Pirlo has.

With effective use of rotation from his club Juventus, Pirlo continues to be an important figure in their Serie A-leading side as Gerrard has had his critics this season for a loss of form. It seems Pirlo and those around him know who he is and how to use him better than how Liverpool and England have treated Gerrard. In his recent book, I Think Therefore I Play, Pirlo enlightens us about what kind of a person he is: "Generally-speaking, I reckon I'm a pretty switched-on guy. I've an opinion about everything and I'm not afraid to express it, defend it and, where necessary, shout it from the rooftops". 

This seems a world away from the bottled-up character of Gerrard which was revealed to us in March this year when he admitted he had been seeing a shrink, not just for on-field issues but also for issues in his personal life. Reflecting on his frustrated psychological state he revealed why: "...you bite your children’s heads off from time to time...blame Alex (Gerrard’s wife) for everything and blah, blah, blah!" and continued: "I am a lot more patient as a person now and I think I’ve improved as a person." This before THAT SLIP and the subsequent collapse of Liverpool's title charge followed by an even more miserable World Cup campaign.

So it seems Balotelli is quite a long way off when comparing these two vastly different personas. But hey, should we expect any bit of sense from Super Mario? Probably not.

HAVE CHELSEA SEWN UP THE EPL ALREADY?

Chelsea avoided defeat and tormented their greatest challengers for the Premier League title on Sunday. Despite conceding late on, you get the feeling that this will be José Mourinho's year and the other sides are noticing it too. Here are some thoughts on this weekend's matches in England and on the continent.

Frank Lampard may have reluctantly saved Manchester City's skin at the Etihad but Chelsea fans should not be upset as avoiding defeat and dampening their opponents' spirits was key

Chelsea manager José Mourinho must be a rather pleased man. Pleased, that is, in spite of his former player, Frank Lampard, denying him a win at the Etihad in the Blues' visit to Manchester City. Thing is, a victory would have sealed the Premier League title race shut. A draw is fine, however, especially the manner in which it was achieved. City were desperate and even resorted to weak criticisms of their opponents after the game. Manuel Pellegrini insisted that Chelsea play like Stoke! A classic case of sour grapes, the Chilean perhaps frustrated at the signs that this City side has lost that bit of hunger that delivered them the league title last season.

Manuel Pellegrini's post-match comparison of Chelsea and Stoke was both outdated and inaccurate

Onto Manchester United. To anyone that watched it, my words here will not even begin to describe the autrocity that befell them. Cruising to a 3-1 away win at little Leicester City, United's woeful defence conspired to throw away a commanding lead and ended up losing 5-3 in what was arguably the most entertaining game of the season so far. Attacking play ruled the roost and United's attempt to put the game away fizzled pathetically. Young Tyler Blackett was screamed at by captain Wayne Rooney after conceding the equaliser. Rooney had been the one who lost the ball to set up the goal. His confidence damaged, Blackett was later sent off for a professional foul in the penalty area, one of two United conceded on the day. It was a mess all-round, credit Leicester, as Louis van Gaal appeared shell-shocked answering questions post-match.

Tyler Blackett's confidence must be crushed after being screamed at by Wayne Rooney, giving away a penalty and getting sent off. A bad day at the office overall for the youngster

Liverpool also lost out. This time to West Ham at the Boleyn Ground. Without Daniel Sturridge, they are missing something and the players Brendan Rodgers has signed in order to cover the Luis Suárez void are hardly filling their fans with confidence. Good manager that he is, some feel he got a tad lucky to have inherited the world class Uruguayan and perhaps only achieved last season's second place finish thanks the transitional nature of the campaign where many top teams changed managers.

Bubbles in your face: Brendan Rodgers will have to rethink things after going down 3-1 at West Ham

Tottenham flopped in front of their own fans in a very AVB-like performance in their 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion. It was back to sterile possession, moving the ball slowly from side-to-side without any real aggression. This pattern of play is still rooted in the Spurs squad despite two managerial changes since André Villas-Boas was shown the door.

Mauricio Pochettino showed more passion than his players at White Hart Lane on Sunday

North London rivals Arsenal had more joy when they put away plucky Aston Villa thanks to a barrage of three goals in the space of no more than seven or eight minutes. Mesut Ozil was back to his best playing in his preferred central role though many will still write him off as a flat track bully no matter how Arsene Wenger portrays him.

Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck did enough to keep their critics quiet against Aston Villa

 

Across Europe, there were goals galore in Spain as clásico rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona both recorded high scoring victories away to Deportivo and Levante respectively. Real won 8-2 thanks to a storming hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca notched up five and kept a clean sheet in a game where Lionel Messi starred in something of a playmakers' role despite missing a penalty. In Italy, Juventus showed they are still the team to beat despite a change in management. They visited Milan at San Siro and came away with a 1-0 win thanks to a Carlos Tevez strike.

Lionel Messi has become creator-provider...penalty misser under Luis Enrique in his deeper playmaker role

 

Without Champions League or internationals and only minor cup competitions to be competed in this mid-week, this gives teams an ample opportunity to refresh and rethink now that the major European domestic campaigns are starting to take shape. We are not too far off October, the month before the sack race. Giddy up!

SOFTLY, SOFTLY: CONCUSSION AND CARDIAC CONCERNS IN FOOTBALL

The English Football Association have announced a new rule that will prevent players who lose consciousness during a game to re-enter play. This is just the latest in a series of moves that is changing football and many other contact sports at all levels.

D. Ray Morton, 6th August 2014.

Uruguay's Álvaro Pereira was one of several knocked out cold playing in the World Cup just gone

The FA will introduce a couple of new things in the upcoming season: World Cup-style shaving foam to ensure defensive walls stay in their place and a very non-World Cup-style “concussion rule” that will involve preventing players who lose consciousness during a match to re-enter play. Indeed, this past World Cup featured at least three head injuries of note that may well have twisted the FA's arm in terms of taking action. Uruguay's Álvaro Pereira, Argentina's Javier Mascherano and Germany's Christoph Kramer were each knocked unconscious at different stages of the competition but were allowed to continue play despite serious risk of injury. The FA's rule will take the power out of the manager's hands and give it to the club's medical staff.

 

Last season, former Tottenham manager André Villas-Boas was heavily criticised for allowing his goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to continue playing despite being knocked out for several minutes during a match against Everton. Villas-Boas did not want to waste a substitution and was satisfied that Lloris continue after he had demanded to do so himself. The criticism of Villas-Boas, who had never won over the English media anyway, was a little over-the-top considering managers wish to win at all costs and there was no rule that insisted he remove Lloris. Now the concerned onlookers have got their wish. Players who pass out will not be allowed to play on and teams will be forced to use a substitute, or in the case that all three are used, the team will have to play on with a man less. One wonders how a truly cynical opposition side could take advantage of such a situation.

Tottenham's Hugo Lloris regaining consciousness after being KO'd against Everton last season

This new rule does not seem ideal. Logic would dictate that, in the event of such an incident, a club might be offered an additional substitution, one which would not impact on their basic right to make three regular changes in a game. It would not be an ideal solution but it would be fairer to a side that have a player injured, by the opposition more than likely, and are not left in the lurch as a result. Concussions are dangerous and football's governing bodies need to be vigilant but this new rule seems like more of a problem than a fix. It should also be noted that although once-off concussions can be serious, children or athletes who have had repeat concussions are at a much higher risk and perhaps such carefulness need not go too far. Football is not exactly a sport where concussion is endemic like in rugby or in fight sports.

Another big thing in football right now is cardiac monitoring. A few incidents in recent seasons have brought this into the spotlight. Fabrice Muamba's brush with death in March 2012, Piermario Morosini's passing in April of that year and Daniel Jarque's death in 2009 all raised flags. Cardiac monitoring is so prevalent in football currently that Queens Park Rangers' Loïc Remy just failed a medical which prevented a move to Liverpool. Is this an overstated risk, however? Professional footballers are playing more than ever and an underlying condition is often either undetected or there is no underlying condition in the first place. Death occurs in endurance sports when athletes, who may have perfectly good cardiovascular health prior to their escapades, simply push themselves too far. Companies are being set up with the express goal to push heart rate monitoring into every facet of sport akin to post-Second World War spiv turning up at your doorstep, peddling their stolen wares. An athlete like Frank Lampard, who has what doctors would describe as a larger-than-normal heart, might not even make it into an academy were he a youth player today.

Although the FA's intention with the unconsciousness rule is in the right place, it proposes too many questions and could become very sloppy indeed. It is important to look after players but they must not be overly-mollycoddled and those who practice over-vigilance must remember that football is not ballet. We do not want twenty-two Petr Čech caps on the pitch.

TOP 5 SMALL NATIONS IN WORLD CUP HISTORY

D. Ray Morton, 22nd June 2014.

With Bosnia & Herzegovina having been, somewhat cruelly, eliminated from the World Cup last night and Costa Rica excelling in a way no-one expected with wins against Italy and Uruguay, it got me thinking. Who are the best small nations in World Cup history? When I mean small, I do not mean geographically. I mean population-wise. The Netherlands, for example, is a small area but has a population of over 16 million. Here, we will look at countries with less than five million people inhabiting them. This is the top five run-down of small nations in World Cup history.

5. Northern Ireland

 

Though "Norn Iron" have not qualified for a World Cup since 1986, their record in the tournament for a nation of only 1.2 million people is somewhat remarkable. The country did not enter the first three World Cups and failed to qualify in 1950 and 1954. They did get through in 1958 and performed admirably, getting past their group via an additional play-off against Czechoslovakia which they won 2-1 after extra-time. This paved the way to the quarter-finals where they fell to Just Fontaine and France in a 4-0 defeat.

Between 1962 and 1978, they could not get in but they managed to qualify for two World Cups in a row in 1982 and 1986, the "golden age" of Northern Irish football. In 1982, they famously beat Spain on Spanish soil with Gerry Armstrong as the hero as they got out of their group again. This led them to a second group phase of three teams, which was the format at the time. Unfortunately, another heavy defeat to France sent them packing.

Gerry Armstrong's winner against Spain in 1982

Making it to Mexico in '86, this time they failed in the group stage when they were pitted against Brazil, Spain and Algeria. Nevertheless, for such a small nation to qualify for three World Cups and to overcome the initial stage twice, is a superb achievement.

4. Costa Rica

 

 

Though Costa Rica did not first qualify for a World Cup until 1990, their record in the competition is stellar for a country of 4.5m people. Indeed, they raised many an eyebrow in that first World Cup by reaching the round of sixteen eventually falling to Czechoslovakia. They qualified in 2002 and 2006 but were twice eliminated from the group stage but they make this list because of their exploits in this current World Cup where they have shocked Uruguay and Italy and are on top of Group D, the supposed "group of death" with six points from two games. A stunning achievement for a team with winning odds of 2500/1 before the competition began. They deserve credit for being a surprise package. A victory against a hapless English side next Tuesday would be the icing on a very delicious cake.

3. Republic of Ireland

 

Like Costa Rica, the Republic of Ireland did not qualify for their first World Cup until 1990 where Jack Charlton lead the boys in green to an unexpected quarter-final appearance in a dour tournament where defensive football was king. This suited Big Jack's "put 'em pressure" tactics as they escaped the group stage thanks to three draws against England, Egypt and the Netherlands respectively. They drew 0-0 with Romania in the second round but went through on penalties thanks to Pat Bonner's famous save. Into the quarter-finals they went, without winning a single match, where they were knocked out by Italy and Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci's winner.

They would have their vengeance against the Italians four years later when they upset the pre-tournament favourites with a heroic 1-0 victory in Giants Stadium, New York after Paul McGrath had the game of his life following Ray Houghton's speculative long-range opener. They got through their group despite being humbled by Mexico and were then eliminated thanks to the Dutch in the second round.

Reflections on the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 win against Italy in 1994

Their third World Cup appearance did not come until South Korea and Japan in 2002. Managing to get out of their group containing Germany, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia, even without Roy Keane, they faced Spain in the last sixteen. They managed to drag the Spanish all the way to a penalty shoot-out but came up short. A shame considering a quarter-final place would have meant facing a beatable South Korea (provided Byron Moreno was not in charge). Still though, three World Cups and never a group stage exit is a fine record.

2. Croatia

 

Since Croatia could enter World Cups from 1998 onwards, they have failed to qualify just once in 2010. That means they have qualified for four out of five tournaments, an indicator of the country's excellence in the sport. They made a huge impact in their début World Cup, getting all the way to the semi-finals and then winning the third/fourth place play-off to secure the bronze medals. It took hosts and eventual winners France to knock them out in extra-time in the semi. Davor Šuker was the star of the show scoring six goals in seven matches winning the Golden Boot in the process.

Šuker was Croatia's goal machine in 1998

The next two campaigns were disappointing with two group stage eliminations but this year, they look good to get out of their group despite losing their opening game to Brazil thanks to some poor officiating. They look capable of advancing provided they can beat Mexico and could go far with the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic in their ranks. Croatia's seemingly constant supply line of highly technical players should be an inspiration to any small nation attempting to climb the international football ladder.

1. Uruguay

 

Uruguay's triumphant 1950 team

With a population of only 3.3 million, Uruguay are surely the ultimate small nation in World Cup history. Not only did they win the 1930 and 1950 editions of the tournament (they did not enter in '34 and '38), they have qualified for eight other World Cups and only failed to qualify five times. They are World Cup regulars when their population would indicate that they have no right to be that. Of all those tournaments they got in to, they were only knocked out in the group stage three times and finished fourth three times in 1954, 1970 and in 2010 to many peoples' surprise. Their overall record is having played 47, won 18, drawn 12 and lost 17 with 76 goals scored and 65 conceded. That is simply incredible considering the World Cup's greatest team, Brazil, has a population of 198 million which is over 66 times that of Uruguay. Remarkable.

TOP 10 FOOTBALL FOODS

TOP 10 FOOTBALL FOODS

D. Ray Morton, 28th February 2014.

More than ever before, footballers have to eat like true athletes. Gone are the days of pudgy midfield maestros like Jan Molby and gone are days of beer and a visit to the chipper after picking up a victory. Modern footballers are lean and fast nowadays and like a professional boxer or an Olympian, they have to maintain their tip-top shape. The following is a top ten list of foods that footballers should regularly consume.

10. Apples

A common complaint a footballer might have are the hunger pangs on matchday. They are told to eat a light meal some four hours before kick-off and often, one might get hungry again in that period. Solution: Apples. Being a complex carbohydrate that provides some fiber, apples are an excellent source of quick energy that won't bloat the stomach. Apparently two apples provides more energy than a cup of coffee so even non-footballers should think about the humble apple as a morning booster worth taking on board.

9. Porridge (oatmeal)

A bowl of porridge is a great source of rich carbs and plenty of fiber so every elite athlete should start the morning with a good old bowl of it. It can be pretty dry if over-cooked so the key is to heat it carefully so that it that it doesn't turn too solid. Add chopped fruit, seeds, honey or brown sugar to sweeten it up without having to resort overly refined sugars and artificial sweetners which shouldn't be in the cupboard of any pro athlete.

8. Eggs

Eggs have made a bit of return when it comes to healthy eating after the cholesterol hysteria of the '80s and '90s, that suggested eating more than a single egg a day can be harmful, went away. Eggs are a superb source of protein and can be cooked in so many ways that it's easy to incorporate them into most meals. Always buy free range as cheap eggs may not be as nutritious due to awful conditions battery chickens live in.

7. White rice/pasta

Though white rice and pasta are thought not to be as nutritious as the brown varieties which contain a wholer grain, it can be an extremely effective recovery carb taken immediately after a strenuous training session or match. The energy is released more quickly a recharges the body. It is rumoured that the Champions League-winning AC Milan team of 2006/7 used to eat pasta in the dressing room even before getting a chance to hit the showers! Talk about serious systems.

6. Brown rice/pasta

Brown rice and pasta plays a different role in an athlete's diet than the white versions. These digest better due to the fiber content and give slow release energy which makes them better as a pre-match carb eaten a good few hours before the game.

5. Broccoli

Arsene Wenger is hailed as the man that introduced broccoli to the Arsenal ranks as well as his blend of fluid attacking football. Cruciferous vegetables are essential in a balanced diet and top players need to get their greens in order to take advantage of all those natural vitamins and enzymes.

4. Salmon

Salmon is an excellent source of protein and omega-3. Even people who hate fish usually put up with salmon because of its meatier taste compared to oilier fish like tuna. Check your sources when buying it however because quality varies but it's worth spending the extra bit on guaranteed goodness.

 

3. Chicken

Chicken is extremely versatile and very few people dislike it. A fine source protein, chicken is easier to digest than red meat. It is better to avoid eating the skin but even grilling it with a bit of paprika results in a delicious meal. Avoid thinly-sliced delicatessen chicken as it often has unwanted additives. The same goes for petrol station chicken rolls. Free range is key.

2. Sweet Potato

Referred to as yams in the United States, sweet potato is a healthier non-starchy alternative to other carbs. Rich in vitamins many Premier League nutritionists recommend them as the perfect post-match meal accompaniment with protein-containing meat or fish. They can be cut and cooked as oven fries and are arguably even more scrumtious than traditional chips. Take it easy on the sauce however.

1. Steak

Steak might be one of the best meats a professional footballer can eat. Packed full of protein, it's also high in iron which is essential for efficient red blood cell production. Delicious when prepared correctly, master the art of cooking the perfect pan-fried steak. Use good quality oil and take it easy on the salt and you're set to go!