Football cult heroes: Andrei Kanchelskis

Procrastination is a dangerous game. Several wars were probably born out of leaders’ inability to remain happy with their lot; their hedonistic pursuits inadequately placed in a world full of riches.

I’m easier pleased, and four days off work moved me to set my brother and I the task of writing a short self-indulgent piece on one player who has lit up our 20 or so years of supporting the club we love.

Evertonians haven’t been blessed with trophies in recent times. Indeed it is 18 years since we last won a piece of silverware. In that time, the club has flirted with relegation, meandered in mid-table mediocrity, and punched heavily against the proverbial ceiling separating ourselves from dining at the Premier League’s top table.

We have, as with most clubs, acquired heroes along the way. Despite Everton’s inability to create a credible indentation on the Premier League’s 21 title races, we remain one of seven clubs to have featured every year since its inception and therefore Ben and I have a relatively decent pool of players to choose from.

To the steel so evident in the ‘dogs of war’ side that lifted the FA Cup in 1995, to the midget gems of David Moyes’ 11-year tenure, there is no shortage of players who could feature in this piece.

Duncan Ferguson will forever be immortalised as Everton’s talisman in the grey days of the nineties, when relegation battles became as common place as a Steven Gerrard raking pass. But there was one player whose arrival was so timely and unexpected. His stay on Merseyside akin to a steamy love affair so sweet it lent itself to the short-lived fling it was. Andrei Kanchelskis, Evertonians’ very own summer romance.

His arrival was anything but expected, or straightforward. A dynamic winger integral to Manchester United’s cause, he hit 14 league goals in 1994/95 as United narrowly missed out on the league and lost in the FA Cup final, ironically to Everton.

Rather than ready himself for a season in which United would eventually wrestle back the title, Kanchelskis found himself on the wrong side of Sir Alex Ferguson, and ousted from the club.

Various schools of thought exist as to how he came about swapping Manchester red for Merseyside blue. Sir Alex claimed in his autobiography Kanchelskis was unhappy about being left out of the side during times of injury. Ferguson claims the decision to sell the then 26-year-old was made before he was verbally threatened by the player’s agent to sell his client, while Ferguson also revealed he turned down a £40,000 bung delivered in an ornate Russian tea urn to his office.

Once several weeks of transfer wrangling between Everton and United had been sorted out, with the latter eventually agreeing to take the £1.5m tab payable to the winger’s former club Shakhtar Donetsk, Kanchelskis arrived as Everton’s club -record signing at £5m.

As a young Evertonian in London, I had to contend with Gooners who had no shortage of icons to choose from. But I had two – Ferguson and Kanchelskis, and that was enough for me. Their impact on my burgeoning relationship with the beautiful game telling, as I turned up to Arsenal soccer schools with Ferguson 9 etched on my back, and our blue and black stripy home socks pulled right up to my knees a la Kanchelskis (thus probably accounting for the rather unfortunate shaping of my feet today).

In just 18 months at the club he managed to tick all the boxes a cult hero should. He scored twice in his first derby against Liverpool. At Anfield. In the Kop. Everton running out 2-1 winners; their first league win at the rivals’ home in 10 seasons.

His first season yielded 16 league goals from midfield, including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Kanchelskis' impact on Everton’s fortunes was remarkable. The sixth-place finish he inspired in his first and only full season with the club was Everton’s first top half finish in five years and our best points tally since 1988 when we were challenging for the title. Indeed, his impact was more evident in the three years following his sale, when the club struggled to surpass the 40 points traditionally needed to remain in the division.

It was by no means a love affair to the death; his sale to Fiorentina during the second half of 1996/97 a result of a dip in form from the player and fortunes for the club. Kanchelskis’ final game in a blue shirt was a disappointing cup exit at the hands of Bradford City at Goodison. His last act of note a misplaced pass finding Chris Waddle before a beautiful chip sailed over the stranded Neville Southall and into the net. Everton 2-1 down, and out.

Manager Joe Royle explained Kanchelskis wasn't right in the head and his behaviour was having a detrimental effect on the team. Rumours also suggest the Russian Mafia who intruded on the player’s life were seeking money from a potential sale. The uncomfortable air of inevitability saw Chairman Peter Johnson sanction his £8m release to Florence.

Royle has since lamented letting Kanchelskis go without a fight:

“He had a succession of niggling injuries and knew the Italians wanted him. I could see it was getting to the other players. In the end I felt it was really getting on top of him. In hindsight, if I was in the same position again I’d probably just send him on holiday for a few weeks.”

At the time a ten year old Evertonian was not privy to the finer nuances surrounding Kanchelskis’ final months in blue. He was left inconsolable and baffled by the sale of an icon. A cult figure whose dalliance with Everton will always be much more than a summer romance.

The Moyes Question

Onwards and upwards: Moyes wants progression, but will it be at Everton?

David Moyes’ contract situation is a subject that has been bubbling under the surface in recent weeks. It cannot be culpable for performance levels dipping, neither can it be discounted.

 

Everton’s league record in the 2012 part of this season reads: Played 20. Won 8. Drawn 9. Lost 3. Goals for 33. Goals against 25. Points 33. Points per game 1.65. Win percentage: 40%.

 

For 2013, read: Played 6. Won 2. Drawn 3. Lost 1. Goals for 7. Goals against 7. Points 9. Points per game 1.5. Win percentage: 33%.

 

Sure, the fitness levels of Kevin Mirallas and Seamus Coleman may have had a bearing on performances, as the free-flowing attacking football has unquestionably been hit by their absences.

 

And, although it is difficult to start drawing up comparisons six games into 2013, since Moyes let it be known in December he harbours hopes of one day managing in Germany, Everton's win percentage has fallen and performances levels have dropped despite retaining the bulk of the first-team squad.

Kenwright and Moyes will hold off on contract discussions until the summer

While many Evertonians want Moyes to stay, every appointment has an expiry date. Bill Kenwright and Moyes have spoken of five-year cycles in the past, and it is unlikely Moyes would be willing to buy into another five years should the uncertainty over investment linger. Nor would he be expected to work indefinitely under such financial restrictions.

 

Flavour of the month can move pretty quickly in football, and it is testament to the stability and longevity of Moyes’ tenure he is rightly celebrated in footballing circles. At Everton, the majority of fans trust his management implicitly, but three or four negative results in succession, and Moyes’ moaners will become more vocal.

 

With Everton's limited budget and strong core of players limited to 12 or 13 bodies, that is not beyond a possibility. Approaching 11 years in charge, whether privately or publically, Moyes appears to be casting his net elsewhere. This is to be expected.

 

The fast turnover of management in the Championship this season is an example of how quickly things change in football. And despite the changes at Blackpool, Nott’m Forest and Blackburn extreme examples, they are endemic of how football can be cruel to managers.

 

Managers are judged purely on results. When they are struggling for points, they are removed. Therefore while they are held in high esteem, it is equally right they take opportunities when they arise.

 

Although pure speculation at this stage, Moyes courting a new challenge in the Bundesliga is understandable while he is revered relatively highly in football.

 

In many ways, this season is a watershed moment in Moyes’ Everton reign. And it appears he sees it this way as well.

 

Before the Oldham game, Moyes revealed all talk of extending his current contract will be left until the summer when it expires.

 

It is highly unlikely Moyes will renew his contract should Everton finish outside the European places and trophy-less. He may argue he has taken the club as far as he can, and that another manager deserves the chance to propel Everton to the next level.

 

Alternatively, should Moyes win the FA Cup, he may also chose to walk away, leaving on a high and with something tangible for his time at the club.

 

It therefore appears Everton's league standing will dictate whether Moyes renews his contract. Should they qualify for the knock-out stages of the Champions League, you can take it as read his time at the club will be extended.

 

A fifth or sixth-place finish resulting in the Europa League is an intriguing scenario. Four European quests have left him wanting more, and I should think he’d want to stay. It is two years since Everton were in the Europa League, and would therefore constitute short-term progress.

 

But, this situation will present more though-provoking, and further challenges. Moyes will consider this secondary to Champions League qualification, and may walk away on the premise he has been unable to break through the glass ceiling of qualification for Europe’s elite cup competition.

Crown jewels: Fellaini and Baines are vital components in Everton's top-four ambitions 

It will also result in a summer of uncertainty over two of Everton's biggest assets. Marouane Fellaini will almost certainly kick up a fuss either via his father or the Belgium media, while Leighton Baines may be tempted by Champions League football should a club come calling.

 

The prospect of losing marquee players isn’t new to Moyes, but it may well be one that he feels he has outgrown.

 

Sure, Moyes has a decision to make. In the meantime, it is up to the players to ignore speculation over his future and ensure Everton's season is played out right until the final kick in May. I for one hope it is enough for the manager to extend his 11-year association with the club. 

Forever Blue

Tim Cahill, the name is synonymous with Everton.

The term legend over used, but not here.

From his debut against Mancunian reds, and his first goal against neighbouring

blue,

The man became the epitome of this club, a gem - like us - born Blue.

His first season brought European nights back to Goodison.

Dedication, work-rate, professionalism and spirit, the blueprint of a new

dawn.

Euro nights were short-lived, but not his qualities.

The corner flag celebration was born in the North-East, while his late goals

became ritual.

His talents were soon showcased on the world stage,

A double brought down the Japanese.

The first Aussie goal at a World Cup,

A cult now for club and country, his status on the up.

Further accolades made their way, as his stock continued to soar.

Now dining at the top table, one of 50 nominees for the Ballon D'Or.

Suitors shuffled and sniffed, but his loyalty never wavered.

An EFC breaking news double special, contract extensions for Arteta, and

his mate Cahill.

A metatarsal break gave brief relief to teams and corner flags across the land,

But his comeback and a leap so exquisite had James' face in his hands.

Derby goals continued to tally up, his name written into folklore,

Tim Cahill now etched alongside Dixie, where he'll remain forever more.

A Tiny tear was shed by Evertonians,

As the news filtered through.

Although gone, he's never forgotten.

The boy from Sydney,

Forever Blue.

How do you solve a problem like England?

Arrivederci Fabio: Capello and Bernstein's showdown talks ended in a handshake and farewell

Fabio Capello sensationally resigned as England manager yesterday just 121 days before the European Championships get underway in Poland and the Ukraine.

Four months before the first ball is kicked, England are without a manager, and a captain.

Many have tried and failed in the hot seat. Capello’s reign will ultimately be remembered for the shambles at the World Cup two years ago, where England succumbed to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Germany.

But Capello isn’t the problem. Nor McClaren, Eriksson, Keegan or Hoddle.

England’s record in major tournaments since they lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966 has been far from stellar. Semi-final appearances at Italia ‘90 and Euro ‘96 the best they have managed.

The fact England has arguably the best league in the world is more to do with foreign imports since the inception of the Premier League, Sky’s money, and the fact England is a swell place to live (despite the recent arctic temperatures).

England currently lie fifth in the FIFA world rankings, but their record against the cream of world football defies such lofty status.

In the last two years, England under Capello have faced Spain, Holland, Germany, Brazil and France.

A 2-2 friendly draw with Holland in August 2009 was followed by a 1-0 defeat in Qatar at the hands of Brazil that November.

The thrashing to Germany followed, while a 2-1 reverse to France at Wembley in November 2010 didn’t inspire confidence in the national side.

The one anomaly to these set of results is of course the 1-0 victory over Spain last autumn. That, paired with a comfortable victory by the same scoreline to Sweden a few days later, was supposed to propel England towards to Euros this summer.

However, true to form, circumstance and ill-decision have derailed this momentum.

The points is, England have flattered to deceive for almost five decades, and despite a wealth of managerial talent to pass through the revolving doors at Soho Square, few have come close to replicating Sir Alf Ramsay’s feat.

The archaic structure that is the FA is at the root of the national side’s problems.

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan tweeted to say he thought the FA Committee was ‘old school’. Despite his lack of affiliation to the sport, he was not wrong.

It is chock-a-block of old bigwigs who need a kick into the 21^st Century. Not enough time and effort is spent on grassroots, and the much-delayed home for England’s future stars, St George’s Park, is long overdue.

The academy in Burton won’t be ready until August. Just in time for a new manager one could argue. But too late for a generation that would have benefitted from similar tuition seen at Clairefontaine, a football centre famed for providing the platform for France's onslaught towards World Cup glory in 1998 and Euro 2000 success.

In many ways, the latest chapter in England’s helter-skelter history encapsulates how the FA has always operated: by dilly-dallying and missing the boat.

The debacle that set the wheels in motion for Capello’s resignation, the allegations made against John Terry, should have been cleaned up by now.

The incident involving Anton Ferdinand took place at Loftus Road on October 23. Over three months ago.

Terry’s behaviour both on and off the pitch over the past two years has not been in keeping with that of national team captain. The trial is scheduled for July 9, eight days after the Euro 2012 final. Therefore, there is no question he was rightly deposed last week.

But why has it taken this long?

Furthermore, after Capello’s words to Italy's state broadcaster RAI, where he totally disagreed with FA chairman David Bernstein's decision to strip Terry of the captaincy, three days elapsed before he was summoned to a meeting.

Bernstein was not bold enough to dismiss a man who openly rebelled against an organisation who paid him a reported £6m annual salary. It gave Capello time to assess his options, leaving the FA with egg on their face once more.

St George’s Park, Terry, Capello. A pattern is beginning to emerge.

There is no firm leadership at the FA and, as Martin Samuel argued in today’s Mail, Capello quit over a basic point of principle - that the football man does the football. And when this is taken away, he walks away.

You do wonder what Harry Redknapp is potentially letting himself in for.

Would the FA have stood by their man in the same way Tottenham have in recent weeks?

So, how do you solve a problem like England?

Recent events have cast serious aspersions on how the FA is run, but it is not the only concern.

Capello was supremely qualified for the role: Seven Seria A titles, four Italian Cups, two La Ligas, one Champions League and a Super Cup in a managerial career spanning 21 years. Add to this a win percentage of 66.67 with England.

One could even argue his three-and-a-half year tenure with the national side was a relative success.

Barring the humiliating exit at the hands of Germany, where there were no mitigating circumstances (Matthew Upson perhaps one), his record in qualification was exemplary, and a fresh, exuberant England team was beginning to blossom this qualifying campaign.

Capello ultimately struggled to assert his authority on the England side

Capello, in my opinion, walks away from this with his dignity intact as he proves he is not merely a puppet.

His club record puts Redknapp to shame, so there’s nothing to suggest two years down the line after a World Cup in Brazil, we won’t be returning to the same old issues as to where the problems lie.

Redknapp may be the people’s choice, but it doesn’t solve the crux of the problem: the FA.

It is too easy to say, ‘see how Spain do it, let’s follow them’.

What works for one, doesn’t necessarily work for the other. What is clear though, is that a change in approach, organisation and delivery is needed from the FA.

Keri-Anne: the first of many

Swimmer Keri-Anne Payne cemented her place in London 2012 last week when she won gold in the 10k open water event at the World Championships in Shanghai.

Despite having to deal with flying limbs, scorching temperatures peaking at over 30c, Keri-Anne ploughed her way through to become the first of 550 athletes to represent the UK next summer.

Making a splash: Keri-Anne is bucking the GB trend ahead of 2012 

Keri-Anne is regarded by many to be the poster girl of British swimming - and with good reason.

But what do we know of our young Olympian?

She was born in Johannesburg, moving to Britain at 13 when her parents decided to return home.

Now settled in Stockport, the 23-year old is engaged to long-term boyfriend David Carry - a fellow swimmer.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Keri-Anne won silver in the inaugural 10k race, while a year later, she grabbed her first world championship gold in Rome.

Add to this last week's success, and the 23 year old's achievements to date are staggering.

The wave she is riding at the minute shows no sign of abating. In October she travels to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games. Here she will look to conquer the 200m and 400m indoor races, a far cry from her long-distance endurance tests.

And with Keri-Anne already the English record holder for the 200m and 400m individual medley, she has already demonstrated she is able to juggle the severe differences between endurance swimming and the sprints.

Many top athletes have already withdrawn from Delhi. World heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis and her British rival Kelly Sotherton are out, while the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, is yet to decide.

Bucking the trend is commendable, but it awaits to be seen whether Keri-Anne has made the correct decision, as burn-out is a possibility with the countdown to London well under way.

But it would be wrong to question the decision making of a born winner, an athlete who knows how far they can push their body, in a career that has so far yielded so much.

With less than a year until the greatest sporting event arrives on our doorstep, 2012 promises to be a massive year for British sport and Kerri-Anne is all set to play her part.

Two wrongs don’t make a right



Iniesta thought he was picking up a one-way ticket to the Bernabeu

UEFA today revealed they are considering banning Andres Iniesta, Barcelona’s midfield maestro, for a further game in this season’s Champions League.

Iniesta picked up a caution for failing to retreat the required distance at a free-kick during the quarter-final first leg against Shakhtar Donetsk, triggering a one-game ban which saw him sit out the second leg in the Ukraine.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and for Iniesta it meant he could return with a clean slate for the semi-final first leg, which turns out to be against El Classico rivals Real Madrid.

The imposed sanction comes after UEFA match officials alleged Iniesta’s faux pas was deliberately incurred.

But Iniesta is only guilty of flouting an absurd rule that needs reviewing.

Article 22 of the Regulations of the Champions League 2010/11 states:

“In case of repeated cautions:

…from the first match in the group stage, a player is suspended for the next competition match after three cautions in three different matches, as well as following any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc).”

This law is flawed.

It means a player could potentially miss the Champions League final for incurring three misery yellow cards in the ten games it takes to get to Wembley.

That hardly merits a suspension of that magnitude, does it?

Sure, if a player is a menace on the field and is a constant threat to his fellow professionals, one could argue the suspensions are serving their purpose.

But anyone who watches the bread-and-butter of our domestic game, then tunes in to watch Europe’s premier knock-out competition will tell you the referees are far more trigger-happy on the continent.

Free-kicks and yellow cards are dished out like hot cakes, just ask Duncan Ferguson how he faired with Pierluigi Collina when Everton flirted with The Champions League in 2005.

A suspension is easily acquired from three innocuous fouls.

Yes, Iniesta’s petulance merited a booking, and the footage does not look good for the gifted Spaniard as he awaits UEFA’s decision on Wednesday.

If the ban is imposed, the Spanish midfielder will sit out the crunch first leg against Real on 27 April at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Iniesta’s infringement is understandable, considering the baffling rules that are in place.

Why should he have missed the first leg of the semi-final for acquiring three yellow cards?

It is not as if he is a constant threat on the field, in fact he is quite the opposite, and to deny a player of his quality the opportunity to showcase his talents in a game of this magnitude would be farcical to say the least.

Yes the rules are in place, but he has worked within their ludicrous nature to ensue he and his team have the best possible chance of winning a fourth European title.

If UEFA don’t like it, they should flag up their own performance and regulations. Not Iniesta’s.

Shameless!

How two ‘role models’ make this evening's clash a shameful occasion for football

Party: What could have been for Wayne had he not found stardom

An air rifle going off. A calculated forearm into the back of someone’s skull. It’s the sort of script that would not look out of place in a Guy Ritchie film.

Instead, these are the actions of two experienced England international football players and role models to millions of children worldwide.

On Saturday, Wayne Rooney helped Manchester United cruise to a 4-0 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium.

But the game will be remembered for all the wrong reasons as, eight minutes in, England’s star player charged into midfielder James McCarthy, appearing to use his forearm to get the better of his marker.

What kind of an example does this set to youngsters; those who replicate the actions of their heroes in the playground the next day?

A couple of weeks ago, Rooney scored the goal of the season when he acrobatically won United the derby game against cross-city rivals City.

The day later, kids up and down the land will have attempted to replicate this act of virtuosity.

But will this mean this time they will be smashing into their pals in order to get a shot on goal?

Rooney’s prodigious talents were born on the streets of Croxteth, Liverpool, where he grew up. Yes he has produced some breathtaking moments in his short career, but this latest indiscretion makes him more street-brawler then street-baller.

Rooney’s United will come up against Chelsea tonight, who have a less-than-squeaky clean player on their books also.

Ashley Cole’s latest faux pas has seen him not only take a firearm into Chelsea’s training base in Cobham but, apparently against his better judgement, fire it at a 21-year-old work experience student.

Ashley Cole: shooting himself in the foot once again

What kind of a work place has Roman Abramovich created at Chelsea that a 30-year-old, 87-capped international footballer feels it ok to bring an air rifle into work with him?

Both players should know better, but repeatedly seem to take advantage of the privileged positions they have found themselves in.

The two have continuously flouted the lifestyles many would love to swap, but yet they constantly keep finding themselves at the mercy of their clubs, who persist in supporting them through thick and thin.

Cole’s manager Carlo Anchelotti said: “What do we have to do now? Kill him? No. We have to support him. It would be very different had he not said sorry.

“We are not happy because he stepped over the line, but we have to support him.”

On the work-expo, Anchelotti said: “We’re really disappointed for the guy who was a victim in this.”

Hardly an apology, Carlo.

But when will these two learn? 

This was the perfect opportunity for both the FA and their clubs to throw the book at them.

Rooney and Cole should be facing lengthily suspensions, starting at Stamford Bridge tonight.

No player likes to miss the big games, and if the FA had made an example of them, perhaps it would have gone a long way in curbing their mischievous streaks.

Graham Poll, a former Premier League and World Cup referee, has argued once referee Mark Clattenburg (surprise, surprise) dealt with the Rooney incident on the field and indicated he did as much in his post-match report, there was very little the FA could do retrospectively.

Yes we all want to see the best players playing on the biggest stage, and no doubt this may have played on the minds’ of the FA bigwigs who ran the rule over the collision.

But at what cost? McCarthy could still be in intensive care or permanently handicapped from the assault. While the 21-year-old who was a victim of Cole's stupidity could have seen his life turned upside down, if not taken away from him.

Neither have had to face up to past indiscretions - Cole losing wife Cheryl the only anomaly to this rule - so expect further misdemeanours down the line.

Instead, it appears the worst Rooney will face is a hotter reception than usual from the Chelsea fans, while Cole will face disciplinary measures internally from his club, which will ‘remain in-house’, according to Anchelotti.

Tonight they line up on opposition teams as Chelsea and United go head to head in a crunch game in the race for the Premier League.

But in truth, they both represent a thug culture that, I’m afraid to say, makes it a shameful evening to be a football fan.