money vs passion

With the rise of the new multi-billionaire fashion accessory, the football club, can money truly buy success?

As Manchester City crashed out of the Europa League, with stars on the pitch like Tevez, Barry, Kolarov, Silva, and for 36 minutes Mario Balotelli, is this team that's worth a few hundred million, really cutting the mustard?

The easy answer would be "No", but have they improved? have they bought some of the best players in the world? are they going to get better? will they get to the heights of united?  who knows...

Personally, as a complete neutral, I think it's great that there is another team in the premiership that can attract stars from across the world.  I do think that the money in football is ridiculous, there is no doubting that, but if everyone else is doing it....

Why shouldn't man city fans love the fact that they can now mix it with the big boys in the league, fair play to them.  But for me the one thing they don't quite have yet, and whose to say they ever will, is that caliber of player that you look at and instantly associate everything to do with that club, with them.  I'm talking about your Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Carlos Puyol, Raul, Steven Gerrard, the kind of player that bleeds their team colours, the kind of player the fans couldn't and wouldn't imagine playing for any other club.  Now don;t get me wrong I am completely aware that all the players mentioned will have earned their fair whack whilst signed to their prospective clubs, but are they the kind of players that are just playing for money? or do they truly love their club, fans, and day to day job? would they put their body on the line for a result?  I think in some cases this is shown week in week out, John terry on countless occasions has put his body where others wouldn't, I remember him being kicked square in the face not that long ago as he made an attempt to rid the ball from his own area.  A level of commitment that i couldn't see Mario Balotelli ever showing for City.  Again, I appreciate it's easy to pick on "super Mario" (apt nickname) as I don't think there are many less committed football players about, theres the odd, "i'm injured every week, but pay me a fortune because if i'm not i'm brilliant" such as Mido who has been pulling that one off pretty successfully for at least a good 5-6 years now.  But for me there doesn't seem to be that kind of passion in the squad, nobody that would die for the cause.

Even Chelsea after their abrupt rise to fame and fortune, managed through a series of successful seasons to develop a squad, that in the end developed into a passionate, trophy hungry, blue blooded, team of winners.  I think it's pretty safe to say that Chelsea fans would hate to see Drogba, Malouda, Essien, Cole or Cech leave for another club, for "a new challenge" ( which between the lines, is clearly, a bigger wage packet every month) As for me surly the challenge whether you're in a blue shirt or a red shirt, is to win that 50/50 tackle, make sure you get on the end of that corner, get an extra yard on the winger.  The only difference is the passion you feel for the team you're doing it for, surely?

I don't doubt that with the right investment in youth, and experience, and the right kind of characters at the club, that in the long run city could push themselves into the higher tier of European football, and be tarnished with the same brush as United and Chelsea.  And who am I to say that Carlos Tevez won't become Man Cities greatest ever player?  But not yet, theres no balance, passion, or drive in that team, which are things that right now money can't quite buy.

If I was a premier league manager ( which i'm not) I would rather have 11 darren fletchers, John Terry's, Dirk Kuyt's, players that love their club more than they love the game itself, over any of the current City squad, every day of the week.  But thats just me, a fan of football, passion, brought up watching Paul ince put his shirt on 5 seconds before he steps on the pitch every single week without fail, watching cult heroes, like Paulo Dicanio, Gianfranco Zola, Juninho, Matt Le Tissier do everything in their power every single week to help their team to success, and thats what football needs, players not  employees.

Toure Gate.

In the wake of the decision over Kolo Toure's Manchester City future, another multi-millionaire star faces a potentially career threating ban.  Barely a season goes by without an outrageous drug test scandal, Adrian Mutu, Mark Bosnich, and the, "I forgot to go" Rio Ferdinand to name a few prime cases.  

Now I'm all for innocent until proven guilty,  now I'm all for innocent until proven guilty, but if the ivory coast star is proven to have taken illicit substances then, the question has to be asked,

 "why on earth would you  risk your reputation, and your career?"

Its not just football that has this problem, in 2004, Dwayne Chambers famously failed a drugs test, in the wake of the Olympic games letting an entire nations hopes diminish.  As a massive football fan growing up the thought of becoming a professional footballer, or athlete was something dreams are made of, and the notion of becoming a professorial sportsman, I would like to think would have overpowered me to do whatever it takes to succeed.  And maybe this it is this overpowering feeling of competitiveness that drives these athletes to push the boundaries that little bit further, to "bend" the rules in their favour, and cheat their way to success.  

I mean in all honesty, is taking drugs to enhance performance that much worse than, taking a dive in the penalty area, destroying a nations hopes of world  cup action for the first time in decades with a horrendously obvious handball, in a world cup qualifier?  Does it warrant a two year ban? does testing positive for an illegal substance, make you worse than a player who aggressively confronts and head butts a premier league assistant manager? Or attacks an oncoming opponent by elbowing him in the side of his head, and getting away scott free?

There are many cheats involved in sport, and as every week passes there isn't an incident that doesn't make headlines on the back pages of the tabloids.  But why do violent and aggressive players, not get tarred with the same brush as the illegal substance users?

there are some wonderfully talented individuals in the game of football, and some that love playing the game that has become their life, and some that wouldn't no matter what risk it for anything.  could you ever imagine a Ryan Giggs headline, with an accusation like that of Joey Bartons not so innocent actions.  Or Paul Scholes, throwing away his career, by failing a drugs test.  now I'm not a United fan but players like this are truly idols, they play the game they love and would never, ever do anything that would tarnish such a luxury in life.

I hope for the sake of his career that Kolo is innocent and that there is a medicinal explanation for the failed dope test,  but if this isn't the case then he, in my book will be added to the list of cheats in the game of football, who continually drag the games reputation lower and lower.

List your best 11 angels Vs Devils.

11 players with untarnished records Vs 11 players at the heart of a tabloid scandal.

from Barcelona to Birmingham, via Brisbane road...

everyone loves an underdog. They always have and they always will, if you're a total neutral watching a match a part of you inside is willing the no hoper's get an early chance, defend like beavers, park the bus, and keep that world beating striker out the game for as long as possible.  This last week has seen all of the above, with arsenal hosting Barcelona, nobody gave them a chance a week before the match even kicked off, some even had Arsenal dubbed as Barcelona light, which in truth they've been called much worse.

I couldn't wait for the Catalans to turn up and beat arsenal at their own game, watch Xavi and Iniesta run the show mesmerizing the likes of Wilshire and Nasri, with their passing ability and seamless "everywhere-ness".  To be fair to Barca thats exactly what happened from the moment the ref blew his whistle Barcelona set out to do what they do best make the beautiful game look, well, beautiful.  When David Villa ran free and smashed home the first goal of the game, no one saw what was about to happen, not even Messi and his world destroying team mates, and why would they, they were 1-0 up away from home in complete control of the game, then for 5 minutes towards the end of the second half RVP and Andre Arshavin turned the game on its head, with the aid of the wonderful Jack Wilshire who truly showed a degree of world class ability, going toe to toe with some of the worlds greatest midfielders.

unquestionably one of arsenals finest hours, turning over one of the best footballing sides in history in front of 70,000 of their own fans, truly inspirational, and most importantly putting them in good stead for the ever elusive "quadruple".  surely this night was destined to be the start of something special for the gunners as they set their sights on some long sought after silverware.

hiccup number 1.  four days later the gunners traveled to leyton orient  where this time they had the tag of odds on favourites in a match that like the previous encounter with Spanish champions could only end one way, a walk in the park for the visiting side.  But the battling underdog, did everything in their power to stop the north London club strolling through to the next round of the FA cup earning a vital home draw, resulting in a replay back at the emirates.

A major upset, but nothing compared to what was about to happen at wembley in the Carling cup final, a competition that arsene wenger has been ridiculed for never taking seriously, for years, he continually named a "weaker" youth side against every opponent.  But not this year, 2011 arsenal wanted to win the Carling Cup, and they set their stall out to do so, and once they had reached the final, to play Birmingham, i'm pretty sure there was red and white ribbon on the trophy before the match kicked off, because, why would they throw it away now? surely they would just run riot, hit the blues for 3 or 4, pick up the medals and be off, preparing them selves for a trip to the camp nou, to prove they more than just Barcelona light, and can hold a flame to anyone at any level.

again the underdog battled, and again prevailed, within the space of nine days Arsenal dealt a crippling blow to arguably the best team in the world, and got punished by a team that 99 times out of a hundred they would play off the park.  The gunners have had an up and down few days, with upsets aplenty.

So if the trend was to continue to follow the gunners, surely on Wednesday night they will turn up at the Camp Nou, and leave staring down the barrel of the next round tie.