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.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Nqobizitha Maenzanise - Rest In Peace
There is many people still trying to come to terms with the sad loss of the late Highlanders, Zimbabwe Saints and Amazulu, Nqobizitha Maenzanise, a football legend of note, who died at Mpilo Hospital of Bulawayo in the early hours of Monday after a stroke while at work.
It is understandable that few will find words to describe an immensely talented footballer and amazing human being. His contribution to football until he captained the Warriors of Zimbabwe, was always a class act of passion, integrity and skill. Humptey made football look so easy and extremely entertaining by technical antics that dazzled and baffled the opponents.
So unbelievable was his vision and passing that few players in the world can match what he did. He dribbled well and scored amazing goals for his many clubs that included lower non-league teams like Matebeleland High City which he played for in between his careers at Bosso, Chikwata and Usuthu. It is at one of the matches against this team that I had a first personal encounter with him.
As a man, Maenzanise knew what mattered and what he wanted. His stubborn nature was mistaken for mischief. Having started his civil life as a Court Interpreter, he was well aware of the law and the rights, hence he knew when to stand his ground. What many people may not know, is that Humptey did not stand only for his rights, but for others.
I began to interact more with the football maestro at the beginning of my coaching career. What struck me at this level of our dealings was how he suddenly changed calling me, referring to me as 'Topi'. That felt extremely unfair and irregular given his status as a revered national skipper and me, a mere first division coach who he played against as a substitute of a reserve team. Suddenly he would be offering to carry my bags and begin to ask football questions. Those who know the man, you can guess the intelligence of his questions.
Humptey was very inquisitive and provoked thinking in terms never imagined. He never ceased to amaze as he sought to solve football intricacies, some theoretical and others practical. I began to ask him to attend courses, as I always did to former greats like the late Joseph Machingura. Initially, I thought it would be easier for him to finish his playing career before he could get his first coaching qualification. He never waited for that and since football came naturally in his veins, he was by far the best student in his class.
To many who were in his class, his humility became one surprise element of his humanity. He was one man mistaken to be crude and rude until you greeted him and you conversed. So involved and helpful was Humptey that he would be like a ball-boy for the entire 2 week course. It is only at that time that Maenzanise would agree to call me 'Ndex' like everyone else. To put it into perspective, 'Topi' is a term used for seniors and elderly. In many ways, your age-mates never refer to each other with that term, no matter how much different the statuses between the two.
Many will always bear testimony of a humble man who was extremely gifted, loved the football game and had passion to help the youths as well. He was a player who made the job of coaches like Cosmas 'Tsano' Zulu, Philemon 'Fintsho' Dangarembwa and Gibson Homela amongst others, a lot more easier as he understood tactics and was a dead ball specialist of a high calibre.
Rest in peace Humptey!! What a player!!!
It is understandable that few will find words to describe an immensely talented footballer and amazing human being. His contribution to football until he captained the Warriors of Zimbabwe, was always a class act of passion, integrity and skill. Humptey made football look so easy and extremely entertaining by technical antics that dazzled and baffled the opponents.
So unbelievable was his vision and passing that few players in the world can match what he did. He dribbled well and scored amazing goals for his many clubs that included lower non-league teams like Matebeleland High City which he played for in between his careers at Bosso, Chikwata and Usuthu. It is at one of the matches against this team that I had a first personal encounter with him.
As a man, Maenzanise knew what mattered and what he wanted. His stubborn nature was mistaken for mischief. Having started his civil life as a Court Interpreter, he was well aware of the law and the rights, hence he knew when to stand his ground. What many people may not know, is that Humptey did not stand only for his rights, but for others.
I began to interact more with the football maestro at the beginning of my coaching career. What struck me at this level of our dealings was how he suddenly changed calling me, referring to me as 'Topi'. That felt extremely unfair and irregular given his status as a revered national skipper and me, a mere first division coach who he played against as a substitute of a reserve team. Suddenly he would be offering to carry my bags and begin to ask football questions. Those who know the man, you can guess the intelligence of his questions.
Humptey was very inquisitive and provoked thinking in terms never imagined. He never ceased to amaze as he sought to solve football intricacies, some theoretical and others practical. I began to ask him to attend courses, as I always did to former greats like the late Joseph Machingura. Initially, I thought it would be easier for him to finish his playing career before he could get his first coaching qualification. He never waited for that and since football came naturally in his veins, he was by far the best student in his class.
To many who were in his class, his humility became one surprise element of his humanity. He was one man mistaken to be crude and rude until you greeted him and you conversed. So involved and helpful was Humptey that he would be like a ball-boy for the entire 2 week course. It is only at that time that Maenzanise would agree to call me 'Ndex' like everyone else. To put it into perspective, 'Topi' is a term used for seniors and elderly. In many ways, your age-mates never refer to each other with that term, no matter how much different the statuses between the two.
Many will always bear testimony of a humble man who was extremely gifted, loved the football game and had passion to help the youths as well. He was a player who made the job of coaches like Cosmas 'Tsano' Zulu, Philemon 'Fintsho' Dangarembwa and Gibson Homela amongst others, a lot more easier as he understood tactics and was a dead ball specialist of a high calibre.
Rest in peace Humptey!! What a player!!!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The new official Highlanders website impressive
The Highlanders Football Club has taken a positive step in setting up a new website that many have been calling for after the previous one was neglected and not functional. The latest pages are very impressive to the eye and just having that up and running is commendable.
The website is well thought out and well-designed. There is a lot of club colour representation, typically. The black and white stripes dominate the front page and there is no question as to message being portrayed. Besides the excellent slide show of the club pictures, recent and historic, there is a rich photo gallery to enjoy.
The welcome page has a poll that is easy to utilise as one can vote on the matter in question with one single click. The page shows a summary of all top stories as well as the league standings and top goalscorers chart. One can easily leave a comment by introducing themselves and using their e-mail and post without much fuss.
Of course, it can be better in many ways, like the voting poll settings. The poll takes you away from the Highlanders page instead of popping up another tab. There is a little bit too much colour due to the bold and wide borders of black and white on the sides. These eat away too much space for main material. Dealing with that will de-clatter the site and lesson the burden on the eyes.
It still remains to be seen how much up to date the site will be and how much time feedback and response will take from the administrators. While it is not expected to be manned 24/7 due to financial limitations, a turn-around of 24 to 48 hours will be fair.
There is few things also that one can notice; the few advertisements and lack of sponsors. The one bars slides with three of the ads and as you browse below, there is another bar that slides with 'Our Partners'. The list has a few names that I have no doubt deserve to be there under that banner, but I am not sure of their contribution to the well being of the team.
BancABC are a sure strong partner while I would say the Castle Lager partnership is a loose one given that the breweries sponsor the league. I guess the same can be said with Mbada Diamonds. Adidas could qualify by default since their alliance is mainly with BancABC. I am not sure of any further cash-injection any of the listed 'partners' have made or will make.
In that questionable list is the conspicuous presence of Liverpool and Supersport among others. It could be that they are doing something somewhere that has not been brought to our attention and in that case, it would be a great pleasure to give them visibility on the site which is expected to have a fair share of traffic once the league kicks off and the team performs.
At the time of writing I was the 29605th visitor and many thousands are expected to flock in there for the updates on a daily basis. That is one great feature to have on the website, the views counter as potential web sponsors will want as much traffic to advertise on the site.
I recommend as many photos as possible on the gallery, from 1926 to 2014 if possible and one hopes traffic to the site will swell and fan contribution will be very much visible. Well done Highlanders. God Bless Bosso!
(Visit the website at http://www.highlandersfc.org.zw/)
The website is well thought out and well-designed. There is a lot of club colour representation, typically. The black and white stripes dominate the front page and there is no question as to message being portrayed. Besides the excellent slide show of the club pictures, recent and historic, there is a rich photo gallery to enjoy.
The welcome page has a poll that is easy to utilise as one can vote on the matter in question with one single click. The page shows a summary of all top stories as well as the league standings and top goalscorers chart. One can easily leave a comment by introducing themselves and using their e-mail and post without much fuss.
Of course, it can be better in many ways, like the voting poll settings. The poll takes you away from the Highlanders page instead of popping up another tab. There is a little bit too much colour due to the bold and wide borders of black and white on the sides. These eat away too much space for main material. Dealing with that will de-clatter the site and lesson the burden on the eyes.
It still remains to be seen how much up to date the site will be and how much time feedback and response will take from the administrators. While it is not expected to be manned 24/7 due to financial limitations, a turn-around of 24 to 48 hours will be fair.
There is few things also that one can notice; the few advertisements and lack of sponsors. The one bars slides with three of the ads and as you browse below, there is another bar that slides with 'Our Partners'. The list has a few names that I have no doubt deserve to be there under that banner, but I am not sure of their contribution to the well being of the team.
BancABC are a sure strong partner while I would say the Castle Lager partnership is a loose one given that the breweries sponsor the league. I guess the same can be said with Mbada Diamonds. Adidas could qualify by default since their alliance is mainly with BancABC. I am not sure of any further cash-injection any of the listed 'partners' have made or will make.
In that questionable list is the conspicuous presence of Liverpool and Supersport among others. It could be that they are doing something somewhere that has not been brought to our attention and in that case, it would be a great pleasure to give them visibility on the site which is expected to have a fair share of traffic once the league kicks off and the team performs.
At the time of writing I was the 29605th visitor and many thousands are expected to flock in there for the updates on a daily basis. That is one great feature to have on the website, the views counter as potential web sponsors will want as much traffic to advertise on the site.
I recommend as many photos as possible on the gallery, from 1926 to 2014 if possible and one hopes traffic to the site will swell and fan contribution will be very much visible. Well done Highlanders. God Bless Bosso!
(Visit the website at http://www.highlandersfc.org.zw/)
Monday, February 17, 2014
Arsenal are genuine pretenders.
If you read this a week ago, it would have read; "If it flies like a bird, looks like a bird, it is probably a plane." Arsenal never fail to prove me right. Despite their strong claim to the title this season, I never believe they are champions elect. That 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool was embarrassing for a team that was supposed to announce its arrival to the conquerors of domestic leagues. That remains a huge set back, forget about the revenge in the FA fixture this weekend.
As much as the Gunners were too eager to prove their fragility, Manchester City were busy making a nuisance of themselves, dropping easy points. Well, the loss to Chelsea in particular was really not a bad thing thing for football. I have an issue with that result given how much I had seen the boring side of Jose Mourinho's side toil by huffing and puffing against mediocre sides. The falter by Arsenal and City just throws everything I believe about the English game out of the window.
As it is, I will not be making any new predictions and the twists and turns seem to be coming thick and fast. The probabilities seem to metamorphoses week in and week out. The slumps suffered by these teams can prove decisive as they have a potential to be relevant at the end of the season. Teams go through lean spells. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur had their share and if their last few matches are anything to go by, they may be over the hill. It could be that the Gunners and the Citizens are taking their turn in their fortunes.
The Blues still have to show us where they are, where they want to be, rather than bask in the glory of once in a blue moon sublime performances of Oscar at one time and Edin Hazard at another. The further inconsistancy by Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea will see Liverpool snatching the 'title condenders' tag. Regardless of their form, Manchester United and Spurs are very much unlikely to get there.
I am tempted to ignore Chelsea's shelving of Demba Ba and Fernando Torres. Both could be very useful to Arsenal. The title could be decided easily as I thing that the pair are the most under-utilised players in the world right now. I am not sure that it is the case based on their ability and inability but I think their services are not compatible with a project Mourinho has in mind. But what a waste!
As for Arsenal, they will always look and fly like a bird. Maybe, just maybe this year is theirs but I doubt it very much. I think they are genuine pretenders.
As much as the Gunners were too eager to prove their fragility, Manchester City were busy making a nuisance of themselves, dropping easy points. Well, the loss to Chelsea in particular was really not a bad thing thing for football. I have an issue with that result given how much I had seen the boring side of Jose Mourinho's side toil by huffing and puffing against mediocre sides. The falter by Arsenal and City just throws everything I believe about the English game out of the window.
As it is, I will not be making any new predictions and the twists and turns seem to be coming thick and fast. The probabilities seem to metamorphoses week in and week out. The slumps suffered by these teams can prove decisive as they have a potential to be relevant at the end of the season. Teams go through lean spells. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur had their share and if their last few matches are anything to go by, they may be over the hill. It could be that the Gunners and the Citizens are taking their turn in their fortunes.
The Blues still have to show us where they are, where they want to be, rather than bask in the glory of once in a blue moon sublime performances of Oscar at one time and Edin Hazard at another. The further inconsistancy by Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea will see Liverpool snatching the 'title condenders' tag. Regardless of their form, Manchester United and Spurs are very much unlikely to get there.
I am tempted to ignore Chelsea's shelving of Demba Ba and Fernando Torres. Both could be very useful to Arsenal. The title could be decided easily as I thing that the pair are the most under-utilised players in the world right now. I am not sure that it is the case based on their ability and inability but I think their services are not compatible with a project Mourinho has in mind. But what a waste!
As for Arsenal, they will always look and fly like a bird. Maybe, just maybe this year is theirs but I doubt it very much. I think they are genuine pretenders.
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