Match Previews - Home Nation, Euro Qualifiers.

Over the next few days the home nations get their qualifying campaigns for EURO 2016 in France under way.  There will no doubt be a lot of ups and downs during the groups over the course of the next year or so but I think there is a lot for fans to look forward to.  With the amount of teams reaching the final stages of the tournament in France increased from 16 to 24, this is going to be the best chance for a few years that almost all our home nations can be really competitive in qualifying.  Some tough games on the horizon, most notably Scotland who have to face Germany in their opener but even with this I can see all our teams getting to France with maybe one exception.  N. Ireland may struggle with the lack of quality throughout their whole side but they are fighters and will not give up.  They could spring a decent result here and there and then who knows what could happen.  Fingers crossed everyone performs as well as they can and the fans enjoy supporting their countries.

GEORGIA v REP. of IRELAND - SUNDAY 7TH K.O. 17:00

Martin O'Neill finally kicks off his first competitive game for the Republic after taking over in November, taking on Georgia away from home.  Although the home side have improved themselves over the last ten years or more they still should not be a match for the Irish.  If O'Neill cannot get his players motivated then Roy Keane is there to look into the whites of their eyes and tell them straight what they need to do.  I fully expect Rep. of Ireland to get a win here and follow it up with a good qualifying campaign.

HUNGARY v NORTHERN IRELAND - SUNDAY 7TH K.O. 17:00

Another home nation kicking off away, as Northern Ireland attempt to start their campaign off in style.  This will be tough for Ireland, Hungary are no world beaters but they are good enough to get a win in this game.  N. Ireland have got a knack of getting a surprise result or two now and again so fingers crossed they can spring one here, however I think they should be more than happy if they come away with a point to start the qualifying group off.

GERMANY v SCOTLAND - SUNDAY 7TH K.O. 19:45

Well it does not get much tougher than this for Scotland, their first group game against the World Champions.  The Scots under Gordon Strachan have been playing well and made themselves tough to beat, however this German side is a proper team and work for each other as well as having an immense amount of individual talent.  I do not expect Scotland to get a beating as bad as the Brazilians did from Germany but I do expect them to lose, I can see it being a closer game than most imagine and the Tartan Army to come away with plenty of Pride.

SWITZERLAND v ENGLAND - MONDAY 8TH K.O. 19:45

The fans have gone quiet for England, and the pressure is on to get a result and win a few supporters back in this game.  It is definitely the hardest game England should face in qualifying.  Switzerland have the ability to match a lot of teams in European football and I fully expect them to make it hard work for England.  In a lot of ways it is a must not lose game for Roy Hodgson as he sets about restoring pride in his team, I think a lot of fans will accept a draw as long as it comes with a positive performance to give fans hope and optimism for the campaign ahead.

ANDORRA v WALES - TUESDAY 9TH K.O. 19:45

Gareth Bale takes on Andorra on Tuesday....ummm I mean Wales take on Andorra.  In fairness Wales have been getting some decent results over the last 12 months without playing that well.  They also do now have a number of established and high profile top-level footballers.  Ashley Williams, Aaron Ramsey and of course Bale are the stars and they will all have to be at their best and have good support and performances from their team mates.  With these three players as well as solid boys around them I fully expect Wales to come away with all the points, as long as the artificial pitch they will be playing on does not affect the game too much.

By @AshleyCalver1

George Burley - Almost Forgotten Man + Steve Sedgley INTERVIEW.

GEORGES' CAREER

George Burley started his football career at Ipswich Town in 1973 coming through the now predigest youth academy at Portman Road.  His debut did not come much harder when he came up against Manchester United and a certain George Best; he showed his talent and character in an outstanding performance reportedly marking Best out of the game.  Over the next 12 years with Town he was rarely out of the team and helped the club through the most successful period in their history.  Over the rest of career he played for Sunderland after leaving Ipswich, staying for a few years before a short stint at Gillingham before he found his way back in Scotland where he played for Motherwell, Ayr United where he started on his managerial career being player-manager then moving onto Falkirk as just a player.  George came south of the border again to become player-coach at Colchester in 1994 but by the time the turkey had been plucked that year he had taken over as manager of Ipswich Town, the place where he first started his playing career.

IPSWICH YEARS

After taking the helm at Portman Road, George transformed the team into a young exciting team who stuck to their beliefs and played football, as they believed it should be, on the grass with plenty of movement, attacking and passing.  His success was almost instant, he brought through several young players through from the academy and after some very close encounters with the play-offs he finally led his team to the Premiership in 2000.  Mr Burley followed this up with a fantastic achievement of a 5th place finish in their first season back in the top flight, only missing out on the top four on the very last day of the season. He won Manager of the Year along the way for a feat that I cannot see being repeated for a very long time.  After a struggle with the extra fixtures following the European qualification his side was relegated and after a poor start to the Championship, George and Ipswich parted ways in 2002.

DERBY COUNTY

George Burley stepped into the Derby hot seat when John Gregory was suspended in 2003, and he immediately put a halt to the clubs decline in fortunes, and steered them away from the bottom of the table for a comfortable finish.  He took over permantley after John Gregory was officially sacked.  Within two seasons George had transformed Derby into contenders for a promotion place despite having a shoestring budget, just falling short in the play-offs in 2005.  Soon after Burley resigned, reportedly due to strained relation with then director of football Murdo Mackay.

HEARTS

A short but successful stint at Hearts followed in 2005, and the promise and style he brought showed what a good side he could put together.  His Hearts side flew to the top of league winning 8 out of his first 10 games, shortly after however he left the club after major shareholder Vladimir Romanov announced he would be taking full control of the club.  This was a real shame as it was seen that this Hearts team with George at the helm had all the potential to at least split the big two in Scotland if not even go above them.

OTHER CLUBS

He had spells at Southampton, Crystal Place, and Cypriot side Apollon Limassol with not much to shout about.  Wedged between those clubs he became Scotland national team manager although as many before him he struggled to qualify for major tournaments in a rather limited talent pool.

INTERVIEW WITH STEVE SEDGLEY

One player who has a lot of admiration for George Burley is former Ipswich player Steve Sedgley, a two time FA Cup winner with Coventry and Tottenham respectively and a man the Ipswich staff thought so highly of they paid £1million to take him to Portman Road in 1994.  I was lucky enough to speak to Steve and get his opinions on his old gaffer.

What was George like to work with day to day? 

I enjoyed my time under George, he was approachable, knowledgeable and he would share a laugh and joke with the players

Was he a good man manager?

Yes, he joined Ipswich at a difficult time and we all suffered some damaging results, which resulted in relegation. He had to deal with some strong characters amongst our group but to his credit, turned it around and developed a side that was able to challenge for promotion and played entertaining football.

Anything unusual about training or was it just old-fashioned hard work to get ready for a game?

Nothing different to what a pro footballer expects, hard work, organised and the ability to let the players enjoy training and keep them focused which is never easy! A lot of youngsters came through under him and went on to play at top level.

How much influence do you think George had on their development and careers?

Absolutely lots! Good young players still need someone to give them their chance, he believed in the youngsters but also protected them and most of all played them in a team and formation they can gel in, that's not luck!

Do you think he made you a better player?

Yes, as I said earlier the season he joined was difficult, a lot of players weren't happy due to results, not playing etc me included but he changed that, and he was brave to play a 3-5-2 system and played me in a sweeper role in which I played some of my best football and most enjoyable football albeit outside of the premiership.

I look back at that time and the team we had with great memories.

A lot of near misses for that Ipswich team with the play-offs, how did he get the players going every season after the disappointment?

George installed some terrific players, very talented who also were mentally tough so he kept adding to this to keep the squads belief in themselves and eventually George and the club got their rewards.

Do you think he could still do a job at the top level of football? Or championship?

Most definitely, you don't lose your knowledge and hunger overnight it's the people within the game that are influenced by others which results in jobs becoming tougher to get, it's a cut throat industry!

Did you know him personally? Outside of football, what was he like?

Yes I do, we don't bump into each other much but when we have we still have a laugh and joke and it's always good to catch up

Do you look back at that time in your career fondly?

Apart from my first season, which went horribly wrong on the pitch, I look back and count myself lucky for my time at the club.  It's a well-run club, fantastic people with a great fan base

SUMMARY

With his track record at transforming teams for the better, there is no doubt in my mind and indeed a few football people minds that George Burley could still do a job at the top end of football and good job too.  Unfortunately his name has been out of the loop for a while and with football if you're not in the headlines you can be forgotten.  I hope that will not be the case with George as he has proven his credentials and is always a manager keen to give youth a chance and developing players, which in the British Isles is a quality that should not be overlooked.  I am sure we will see Mr Burley given a chance soon in the game and when he is I expect him to be as successful as he can with whichever club it may be.

By @AshleyCalver1

INTERVIEW - Clent Alexander, Part Two.

THE MLS, THE STADIUMS AND THE FUTURE.

From the outside looking in, the MLS appears as a healthy and growing league, is this the same impression you get from being someone involved inside the game in America?

Major League Soccer and its owners have done a great job of growing the sport of soccer in America.

One problem some clubs have is finding stadiums to play in; a high profile example is Beckham’s Miami team struggling to find a site suitable for their football specific stadium. Have you encountered such problems and is it the major concern when talking about the growth of the game?

Having our own stadium is something I have wanted for San Diego and us for 5 years. I have been researching what we need to do and how we will make it happen for the past 2 years. We are at a point now where we have a preliminary plan in place and are searching for a proper location.

I don’t believe we will see the same type of opposition that David Beckham and his group are having. There is a great need for another venue in San Diego besides where the Chargers and Padres play. We are looking to fill that void and our Part Owners will have ownership in that venture too.

We are continually told that more and more Americans are getting passionate about football.  Do you see this as a true statement or something that has become exaggerated after a successful world cup?

It is definitely true that the popularity of our sport is on the rise in the U.S. Smarter people than me see the growth potential as well. Look at how TV rights for soccer are now being sought after. NBC outbid Fox Soccer for the rights to the Premier League. ESPN is negotiating with Major League Soccer to air more games. The result is having more soccer on TV. That will feed the upward growth of the popularity of the game in America.

Do you see a day when the NPSL can become a force in terms of competing with MLS to be considered the top league in America, or do you think it will continue to unofficially become a league that MLS and NASL teams can use to develop their players?

Compete with MLS. I don’t think so. Compete with Div 2 and 3? That is definitely a possibility. We have teams in over 70 cities across the United States (Div 2 has 12 and Div 3 has 14).

We in the NPSL have the footprint to be a huge force in the U.S. Soccer market. We just need a little more organisation. I firmly believe we can be considered more than just a developmental league. We are in the right place at the right time in the history of soccer in America.

I work full-time on soccer now days and with the experience I have in business, the Internet, in social media and in soccer; I am ecstatic to be involved. I look forward to helping the sport continue to grow.

Ultimate goal: A World Cup Championship for USA!

More information about San Diego Flash and investment opportunities can be found here -  sandiegoflash.com

Match of the Week - Everton Vs Chelsea

Not many stand out match ups this weekend in the premier league, a few taking on more importance i.e. Spurs v Liverpool on Super Sunday is an important game after Tottenham's start with maximum points this campaign and Liverpool with their own big money signing in Mario Balotelli and looking to bounce back after the defeat at Man City.  The pick of the weekend for me though is at Goodison Park with Everton taking on Jose's Chelsea, after the toffees showing against Arsenal last week there is no doubt Chelsea will be in for tough game and this match could be very important in the blues title challenge and Everton top four push.

KEY PLAYERS

Romelu Lukaku is the obvious danger man for Everton, he has proved in the last two seasons he can score in the premier league and his general play and teamwork are just as important as evidenced with his assist last weekend.  Not to forget he will be determined to prove to Chelsea that he was worth a starting place and they made a mistake in letting him go.  Another key player for Everton is Sylvain Distin, the centre back has certainly not got the pace of his younger counterparts but his positioning and defensive awareness are still second to none and will certainly be tested against the attacking force of Chelsea.

Eden Hazard for Chelsea is a definite threat, a world class footballer who has started the season like he wants to prove he is just that, albeit against what some may call lesser opposition in the blues first two league games this will be a stage to show what he can do against a well organised and dangerous side.  Courtois in goal for Chelsea I will pick as they other key man for them, they have a strong defence as usual but Everton have shown they can break through even the best defence on their day and Courtois will be called upon as their last line of defence, in his first real test against a top premier league team in a Chelsea shirt, a good performance could see him cement the No.1 shirt for the foreseeable future.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

Everton

Howard, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Naismith, Mirallas, Lukaku.

Chelsea

Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Oscar, Hazard, Willian, Costa.

SUMMARY

This really could go either way, I say that purely on the fact that it's at Goodison Park, were this game at the Bridge then I would say Chelsea all day however good Everton are.  The good news for the toffees is its not and if Everton can start well and dictate the tempo early on then the Goodison faithful will be in full voice and can definitely inspire their team to a good performance.  Saying that Chelsea are still Chelsea and I would expect them to create and score with all the talent at their disposal, cannot pick a winner in this one, tough one to call so will sit on the fence and say a score draw.

By @AshleyCalver1

Team of the Week.

Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)

Has pressure to perform after replacing Cech and was solid in what was an open game against the newly promoted and attacking Leicester team. He made some excellent saves including a fantastic one on one with David Nugent.

Eric Dier (Tottenham)

For the second week in a row, another cracking display from Dier and another goal as well to help Spurs in their perfect start to the league campaign. His first real test will be stopping Sturridge and Balotelli of Liverpool next week.

Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)

His league form has continued after his impressive world cup, his confidence from the summer is increasing every game, two clean sheets in two league games.  Cannot ask for more from your centre back, plus there’s a solid partnership with him and Senderos developing.

Seamus Coleman (Everton)

In a game Everton dominated and should have won comfortably, Coleman was a prominent and continuous attacking force. He grabbed a goal and was consistently on form throughout.

Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

A key figure in a defence that has only shipped one goal in their opening two games, Ivanovic has been Chelsea’s rock, another solid week in which he provided the assist for Diego Costa’s goal. The fixture against Leicester wasn’t as easy as some had predicted his dedication and determination helped ensure Chelsea get all 3 points.

Stewart Downing (West Ham)

Reinvigorated since his transfer from Liverpool the winger was in devastating form against Crystal Palace this weekend. Some players aren’t cut out to play at big clubs where the expectation week after week is huge, Downing seems to excel without that expectation and should kick on and improve even more.

Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

Ramsey’s goal was instrumental and helped Arsenal come back from 2 down to what had been a very composed Everton side until he struck 7 minutes from time. Fairly anonymous for most of the match and yet he stepped up during a key moment, the sign of a great player.

Nacer Chadli (Tottenham)

After sitting out the opener against West Ham he scored twice to condemn QPR to 2 defeats in 2 games. He’s slowly beginning to prove his worth and make his mark on this spurs side.

Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

The transfer of the summer on performances so far. Fabregas has taken on the responsibility of filling the departed Lampard’s boots with ease, devastating going forward and another assist. It’s only a matter of time before the goals start flowing from his boots.

Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City)

After a good pre-season he is putting in performances that count in the league now, a thorn in Liverpool's side most of the game, got himself an assist and a goal. He’s really putting up a fight for his place in the starting line-up.

Mauro Zarate (West Ham)

Playing just behind the top man he was immense in driving the hammers forward and inspiring his team mates around him.