Is the Orlando Pirates ship sinking fast?

The game of football is hard to understand. Of course, football is football but it is not just football. There are teams and coaches who get away with breaking fundamental rules and things go well for them. It is not always given to depend on fortune. In many ways, teams make their own luck, but what does that mean.

In the modern game, and the future game as the English are working on right now, you do not play the same way against everyone in your league nor in a different competition. Neither do you play home and away matches with blinkers. This is barring the philosophies and beliefs of the clubs and coaches. The complexity of playing styles and patterns are fundamental in any coaching and planning and often revolve around the question of 'what' and 'where'.

Under Harry Redknapp and to a lesser noticeable extent, in the current campaign, Tottenham Hotspur produced scintillating performances and miraculous results in Europe and lost domestic fixtures will chilling regularity. For many, that was bizarre. For coaches and managers, that was normal, as long as the understanding of the demands of the competition differences were never factored in.

Cup football and league matches very different and balancing the two is no mean task. It is a tough ask indeed., especially when the team is running rings around opponents in one tournament or competition. The theory is never to change a winning team or formula. This phenomenon is true, in my country and your country, in Africa, in Europe, big leagues, small leagues.

During their campaign in the Africa Champions League, South Africa's Orlando Pirates played football last seen in Africa decades ago. This made them conquer all and sundry until they reached the final. They lost under very unfortunate circumstances. That football was not sustainable in the league in South Africa. The Ghosts started suffering the same Champions League syndrome by trying to play catch-up in the ABSA Premiership.

Roger De Sa would soon pick up that there must be a clear difference between the domestic league and African football. The level is much higher on the continent, the demands are tactical and the professionalism more sound. The impatient Irvin Khoza showed the coach the road but until the incoming coach realises to disengage the continental football mode, Pirates will continue to be the sterile attacking team they are right now.

Pirates are playing brilliant football but the penetration is lacking in a huge way, especially the patience in delivering the final ball. There is usually too much space at higher levels of the game and no space to play in a domestic league. I believe RDS was well suited for the Ghosts and that he would have turned things around very soon. With all their efforts and no goal to show for it, the incoming Vladimir Vermosovic will ride the crest if the team scores the first goal in his first match.

The goal has been eluding the Happy People despite their entertaining football. With time, the Champions League syndrome will die a natural death and VV will get the credit of steadying the Bucs ship. Not that VV is a bad coach, he is coming to a good team already. Anyone can coach the Pirates now and get away with murder because the players are committed but results are not forthcoming. Not yet.

By contrast, Kaizer Chiefs do not even know where their goals are coming from. Everyone gets comfortable hitting the ball from anyway and it flies in. They do not even need to score some of the goals themselves. The same is true in their defensive areas. They can all take a break off the field and their match still goalless. Such is football sometimes as you will remember that we said that one creates their own luck.

As for the Sea Robbers, if VV fails to deliver in the first few matches, the players will begin to doubt his philosophies and attribute his departure from Chiefs a few years back as something coming to haunt them. African players usually do well under foreign coaches, especially the whites. VV does not need to be astute to turn the Pirates fortunes, but needs to be fortunate enough to be at the right p[lace at the right time, and I think he is. If not, the Pirates ship will be sinking, and fast.

Champions League - Chelsea should have known better

Chelsea were beaten home by arch-rivals, Manchester United, at home by a solitary goal. While they will have a chance to turn the tables on the slender lead of United, I am amazed at how much noise they made about a 'non-penalty' when they played United. United is and always will have the backing of UEFA and The FA for the remainder of our lives, both on the domestic scene and in Europe.

Like Barcelona, they will enjoy the support of the former 'men in black' especially at crucial times. Chelsea were victims of that mild incident against Barca when Didier Dogba made a polite statement about his humble opinion on the referee. While it became a lsesson to a lot of teams, The Blues did not take notes, and will continue to sing the blues.

Some teams are created great. Other teams achieve greatness. These have greatness thrust upon their shoulders. It may just happen that Real Madrid may find themselves in the same situation as Chelsea. Crying will not win the Cup. Usually, the referees make money in 90 minutes, while the coach has so much work to do until match day. If there is anybody who cares less about the resources and families of coaches, it is the referees. The just destroy these lives with a blow of the wind.

Barcelona registered a 5-1 win at home. We await the 2nd legs eagerly.

The rot of the Beautiful Game, courtesy of UEFA

Barcelona beat Arsenal because they were a better team. The referee messed up not only his job, but the livelihood of several grown-up men with families and a couple of teenagers. It may have been a genuine mistake, but how many times does football survive fatalities like this?

A couple of finals ago, UEFA showed how rotten they were in preferring Barcelona to Chelsea for revenue purposes. Didier Drogba was eventually fined and suspended for politely putting his humble opinion across.

In the transfer window, you remember how Howard Webb was not ‘available for sale by Manchester United’. A few people have cried foul on how lenient United are treated by the FA.

The rot is not only manufactured in the FA and UEFA offices as many can testify. England has been diplomatic in trying to explain how they lost the bid to Russia to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Questions are still being sought about the strength of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid. Some think that the winning bids guaranteed the President a life-time of fortune.

FIFA courts controversy with chilling accuracy. Their top officials were ready to sell their votes for hosting the World Cups like dried fruit in an African market. At the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup, the ‘no-goal’ by Frank Lampard was the climax of their blunders. The Cameroon 2-1 defeat to England in Italia ’90 was one pure conspiracy. There are many.

They are not alone. CAF own other football associations which are football dinosaurs. They do not to pull off any antics anymore to qualify them for African Nations Cup or the World Cups. It will not be surprising if qualifier matches are cancelled altogether. The only reason they are actually still being played is that they provide further level playing ground for looting funds. Syndicates have to make money.   

The CAF Presidency is a full-time career and there is no successor born yet. Zimbabwe was supposed to host the 1998 AFCON Cup. It was whiskered off to the north. Only South Africa hosted the Cup until the 2010 Edition in 2010. It will be a long time before the region sees another. The North and West has hosted and won everything besides South Africa who hosted and won the 1990 version. African Player of the Year awards are the domain of French speaking nationals.

Where is the beautiful game of football going? A gentleman like Arsene Wenger will not let his honest opinion to protect his character. Jose Mourinho has been labeled ‘loud mouthed’. These guys will find it hard to be honoured for the way they revolutionised the game. One day, they will tell all.

Coming to Arsenal, they dig their own grave anyways. It is not once or twice, but almost always that when they matters in their own hands, they give away the initiative. That is the mentality of boys. The Gunners cannot be old boys anymore. If they cannot be men enough, Wenger should wield the axe and chances are that the boys may mature ‘footballically’ if the manager himself is axed.

These players and Wenger have been involved in a perennial and sterile relationship for a long time to necessitate external fertilisation or surgery. If you read me correctly, that change must happen whether the Gunners bag both the league title and the FA Cup or are empty handed at the end of this season. It may a revolution his troops are fighting but without hearing any gunshots, how are we to know?

Arsenal Avalanche of Goals Over Sporting Braga.

Arsenal threatened to run riot in the first half of the UEFA Champions' League match at the Emirates and that remained just a threat by half-time despite the 3 goals scored by Cesc Fabregas (8 minute pen), Andrei Arshavin (30 min) and Chamakh (34 min). Two genuine penalty cases were denied by a 5-men refereeing panel until that 8th minute when Fabregas converted a penalty resulting from Chamakh being felled in the box by the goalkeeper.

One way traffic ensued as Arsenal went into training mode displaying the usual crisp passes they do only when they are on the front foot. Braga were grateful for the half-time whistle.

After the break, Braga further showed how disjointed in defence they were, marking horribly and out of synch with each other. In that discord, Fabregas, Arshavin and Alex Song were so close to embarrass the visitors. Fabregas (54 min) and substitute Carlos Vela (69) and Vela (84) actually did, putting the Gunners 6 up.   

Other results Bayern Munchen 2 - AS Roma 0, Cluj 2 - FC Basel 1, Marselle 0 - Spartak Moskow 1, Zilina 1 - Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 2 - Ajax 0, AC Milan 2 - Auxerre 0.

Arsenal Avalanche of Goals Over Sporting Braga.

Arsenal threatened to run riot in the first half of the UEFA Champions' League match at the Emirates and that remained just a threat by half-time despite the 3 goals scored by Cesc Fabregas (8 minute pen), Andrei Arshavin (30 min) and Chamakh (34 min). Two genuine penalty cases were denied by a 5-men refereeing panel until that 8th minute when Fabregas converted a penalty resulting from Chamakh being felled in the box by the goalkeeper.

One way traffic ensued as Arsenal went into training mode displaying the usual crisp passes they do only when they are on the front foot. Braga were grateful for the half-time whistle.

After the break, Braga further showed how disjointed in defence they were, marking horribly and out of synch with each other. In that discord, Fabregas, Arshavin and Alex Song were so close to embarrass the visitors. Fabregas (54 min) and substitute Carlos Vela (69) and Vela (84) actually did, putting the Gunners 6 up.   

Other results Bayern Munchen 2 - AS Roma 0, Cluj 2 - FC Basel 1, Marselle 0 - Spartak Moskow 1, Zilina 1 - Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 2 - Ajax 0, AC Milan 2 - Auxerre 0.

Arsenal Avalanche of Goals Over Sporting Braga.

Arsenal threatened to run riot in the first half of the UEFA Champions' League match at the Emirates and that remained just a threat by half-time despite the 3 goals scored by Cesc Fabregas (8 minute pen), Andrei Arshavin (30 min) and Chamakh (34 min). Two genuine penalty cases were denied by a 5-men refereeing panel until that 8th minute when Fabregas converted a penalty resulting from Chamakh being felled in the box by the goalkeeper.

One way traffic ensued as Arsenal went into training mode displaying the usual crisp passes they do only when they are on the front foot. Braga were grateful for the half-time whistle.

After the break, Braga further showed how disjointed in defence they were, marking horribly and out of synch with each other. In that discord, Fabregas, Arshavin and Alex Song were so close to embarrass the visitors. Fabregas (54 min) and substitute Carlos Vela (69) and Vela (84) actually did, putting the Gunners 6 up.   

Other results Bayern Munchen 2 - AS Roma 0, Cluj 2 - FC Basel 1, Marselle 0 - Spartak Moskow 1, Zilina 1 - Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 2 - Ajax 0, AC Milan 2 - Auxerre 0.

Arsenal Avalanche of Goals Over Sporting Braga.

Arsenal threatened to run riot in the first half of the UEFA Champions' League match at the Emirates and that remained just a threat by half-time despite the 3 goals scored by Cesc Fabregas (8 minute pen), Andrei Arshavin (30 min) and Chamakh (34 min). Two genuine penalty cases were denied by a 5-men refereeing panel until that 8th minute when Fabregas converted a penalty resulting from Chamakh being felled in the box by the goalkeeper.

One way traffic ensued as Arsenal went into training mode displaying the usual crisp passes they do only when they are on the front foot. Braga were grateful for the half-time whistle.

After the break, Braga further showed how disjointed in defence they were, marking horribly and out of synch with each other. In that discord, Fabregas, Arshavin and Alex Song were so close to embarrass the visitors. Fabregas (54 min) and substitute Carlos Vela (69) and Vela (84) actually did, putting the Gunners 6 up.   

Other results Bayern Munchen 2 - AS Roma 0, Cluj 2 - FC Basel 1, Marselle 0 - Spartak Moskow 1, Zilina 1 - Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 2 - Ajax 0, AC Milan 2 - Auxerre 0.