Bolton Wanderers: Coyle’d and ready to spring

Saturday saw Owen Coyle's Bolton gain another valuable 3 points in an emphatic 5-1 win over Newcastle at the Reebok moving them into 4th place before the Sunday fixtures had kicked off (Manchester City overtaken them into 4th spot after their win over Fulham).

Since Coyle's arrival at Bolton after the dismissal of Gary Megson almost 12 months ago, much to the dismay of the Burnley fans that idolised the Scotsman, Bolton have started to adapt well to his attractive style of play. One player that has been remoulded under Coyle is Johan Elmander.

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Super Swede: Elmander finishes off his wondergoal at Wolves in Bolton's 3-2 win at Molineux"][/caption]

Elmander never made the mark he was expected to make on the Lancashire side, but this season he has excelled alongside Kevin Davies, scoring 8 goals so far in this campaign - pretty impressive considering he scored 11 goals in total in his previous two seasons for the Trotters.  With Davies also gaining plaudits from the England camp as of late, confidence will be high for the two frontmen.

It's also worth noting that their strike partnership is debatably one of the most efficient in the league right now with 14 goals between them, 3 goals more than any other partnership in the Premier League (with Newcastle's Carroll (8) / Ameobi (3), Sunderland's Bent (6) / Gyan (5) and Tevez (9) / Balotelli (2) all contributing 11).

But all good strikers need good providers, which Bolton have in the shape of Matty Taylor, Lee Chung-Yong, Stuart Holden and Martin Petrov. Taylor and Petrov provide good Premier League experience, whilst competing for the left wing role, whereas Lee and Holden have promising futures ahead of them with their stellar recent performances.

Finally, at the back, there is the dedicated, consistent Jussi Jaaskelainen with future England prospect Gary Cahill leading the defence in front of him and his central defensive partner Zat Knight has pulled out some great performances too.

By no means am I suggesting that the Bolton squad would out perform the calibre of talent that you would find at top 4 clubs, however, the level of talent that Coyle is working with now as opposed to the players he worked with at Burnley obviously show that he is a manager that can get the best out of players.  To transform a side that was very physical and direct under Allardyce (and quite frankly a little lost under Megson) into a side that tries to outplay their opponents and have started to score freely is a wonderful accolade.

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Owen Money: Coyle has brought success to Bolton recently, but has it come at a cost?"][/caption]

One worrying aspect for Bolton is the recent news of their spiralling debts.  In the last year their debts have almost trebled, rising from £13.2m to £35.4m with their net debt lying at a worrying £93m.  This is partially to do with the recruitment of new players in this season and last, such as Lee Chung-Yong, Jack Wilshere and Ivan Klasnic and also retaining all their current squad too, which wasn't necessarily the ideal outcome for the board.

"We wanted to shed players in the summer to bring the wages down but we couldn't because the market has died."

Claimed chairman Phil Gartside, however he does insist that they will not be forced to "sell" their key players, however "trades" may be used in the near future.

However, can these debts be solved by the successful football that Coyle has been demonstrating via his Bolton squad lately?  Based on current performances, a Europa League spot would be in the minds of the fans, and should be a possibility provided that the players keep their performances up to this standard but we all know things are never simple in football.

Teams like Aston Villa have had a rocky start under new manager Gerard Houllier, but are they due a good run?  Will they make any inspired signings in the Summer? And will their impressive youngsters, such as Albrighton, Hogg, Clark and Delfouneso start excelling further?  It's almost inevitable that Roy Hodgson will turn things around at Anfield too, after their disappointing start, they will be looking to push their way into the European spots - not to mention their Merseyside neighbours, Everton.

So, there's a long road ahead for Coyle and his Bolton squad, but things are looking bright up North and maybe there'll be a few European teams suffering the ultimate test of a wet, windy Thursday night at the Reebok next season.

The Unwritten Policy of Team Selection

[caption id="attachment_277" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Outspoken: Holloway's views have been widely agreed with by the public."][/caption]

Last Wednesday's clash between Blackpool and Aston Villa saw Ian Holloway's team lose 3-2, however spotlight was raised on the team selection applied by Holloway for the match, which saw 10 changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Everton in their previous match.

"We'll have to see if anyone else does it but, come on, it's been put there as a deterrent. It has set a precedent and I've accepted it."

Mick McCarthy, 18/02/2010

Wolves were fined for an identical "breach" of policy which saw them make 10 changes in a game against Manchester United which they lost 3-0.  It took the FA two months to make a decision, but Mick McCarthy's side were eventually fined £25,000 for making the changes.

McCarthy accepted the fines with no argument, stating "We'll have to see if anyone else does it but, come on, it's been put there as a deterrent. It has set a precedent and I've accepted it." Holloway, however, does not seem to be rolling over to the authority of the FA.

The outspoken Bristolian has been quoted in saying that he'll "quit if fined" and that the FA can't dictate which players are first-team players and which are not and he has an unquestionable point.  Due to the new rules of squad registration, every team must submit a roster of 25 players, with U21 players not required to make up those numbers.  Where does it state that some of those players must be played week-in, week-out?

"Let them try and fine me, it's an absolute disgrace. I'll show the Premier League."

Ian Holloway, 11/11/2010

These 25 players have all been picked to be used in competition, and of course the system could be "exploited" if a squad of U21 players were fielded, which would essentially give the whole 25 man squad a rest and would more likely be a weakened squad. Let us not forget that often a top 4 team playing in the Carling Cup would no doubt field an almost full side of youngsters or a general "weakened" side, but this is the Premier League - not the Carling Cup. Was this the case with Blackpool's squad against Villa though? Let's have a look at the squad run-down;

Richard Kingson - Ghanian national squad goalkeeper, 83 caps, played in the 2010 World Cup.
Chris Basham - a young player signed from Bolton, but still at 22 - thus must've been registered.
Rob Edwards - played 20 games for Blackpool in their last campaign.
Dekel Keinan - Israeli defender signed from Maccabi Haifa this season, 11 caps for Israel.
Keith Southern - a Blackpool player since 2002, played 45 games for Blackpool last season.
Ludovic Syvlestre - another new player, signed from Czech side Mlada Bolesav, has made 2 appearances for Barcelona.
Matt Phillips - youngster signed from Wycombe, part of the England U19 team.
David Carney - signed from FC Twente, part of the squad that won the Eredivisie last year, 31 caps for Australia.
Marlon Harewood - established Premier League player, playing for West Ham and Aston Villa previously.
Brett Ormerod - 36 games played last season, scored the deciding goal for Blackpool in the play-off final.
Jason Euell - Premier League veteran, playing for Wimbledon, Charlton and Middlesbrough - also the club-captain.

So, that's one U21 player, a few full international players and players who have featured heavily for Blackpool in the past.  Granted there a few new signings which haven't made as many appearances, but does that make them part of a weakened side?

[caption id="attachment_280" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fringe?: Sylvestre is one of many new signings for the Tangerines yet to make a name for himself."][/caption]

Have we reached the stage where a squad registration must also come with a Football Manager-esque squad status attached to it?  Will Charlie Adam be the "Key Player"? With names like Jason Euell making up the "Backup to the squad" numbers?  I wonder how the new players such as Keinan, Sylvestre and Carney feel about making part of a weakened squad too?  From my perspective, it looks like complete ignorance on be half of the FA.

But on one side you have this logical view at the Blackpool squad, and the other side you have the notion of if Wolves suffered the fine, then so should Blackpool?  And if Blackpool do escape a fine, then it would be double standards.

Whatever decision the FA make, I hope it is a fair one, but I'm sure many will agree with me when I say that I really hope we don't lose Ian Holloway as a result of it.

We'll Be Right With You...

Apologies for the lack of content lately, starting a new job and running this blog just didn't seem to end up hand in hand.

We'll get some new articles up as soon as possible!

A Come and Get Me Tweet

Over the past few months there has been one person who has interested me more so than others on my Twitter feed; professional footballer, Leon Knight.  This is because Knight has been voicing, quite publically, his views on his previous employers (and there are plenty of them) in light of his state of limbo that he found himself in after getting sacked from Rushden and Diamonds.

This is a really interesting case, as Knight has not played for Rushden for almost two years now, yet the Blue Square Premier club are still holding onto his registration rights despite sacking him and terminating his contract.  Therefore, if another English club wanted to sign the player they would have to pay Rushden a compensation package of £30,000 for his services.

This clause has warded potential suitors away from signing him, so Knight has been forced to play his football outside of his home nation with clubs such as Greek side Thrasivolous, and Scottish teams Hamilton and Queen of the South.

[caption id="attachment_239" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Anywhere but home: Leon Knight playing his trade at Hamilton"][/caption]

If you look at his past you’ll see his resume littered with clubs he has only stayed with for one season – the reasoning for the majority of these clubs is some form of fallout with the manager, squad or board. So from the outside, an average fan like you and me would think one thing – troublemaker.  However, Knight has really used social networking to get critics and fans on his side.

• He has used the Rushden registration case to gain sympathy from fans, showing that he is a footballer (who did have a potentially great future ahead of him) that just wants to play but is being restricted.


• He has blasted the Rushden board publically, showing that won’t shy away from potential media backlash.


• He has continually praised the majority of his previous clubs, showing that he is a team player and does love the game.


• He responds to fans a lot of the time, answering questions that most players would dare to answer in respect to the backlash any answer could receive, showing that he wants to please the fans whenever possible.

After reading his tweets for a month or so now, I probably share the same view as a lot of other fans who have done the same – I feel sorry for the guy!  He obviously wants to play, he’s has had his problems in the past, but the relationship he has with the fans and the desire he shows for the game is obvious to see.  Essentially, Leon Knight has transformed his come and get me plea to a universal come and get me tweet.

From troublemaker to sorrow figure through one medium, Leon Knight, you are a very intelligent man.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean this sarcastically either.  I genuinely think Knight has orchestrated a fantastic PR campaign and it was all down to one social medium and word of mouth – something that some PR agents would spend unspeakable amounts of money doing.

But social mediums like Twitter can often cause controversy too.  Leon Knight may not be a globally known footballer, however you can argue that case with Darren Bent.  When you have a global following, the media spotlight is a lot brighter, and that spotlight was shined in Bent’s direction after his Twitter outburst in 2009.

[caption id="attachment_238" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Controversy: Darren Bent put his eventual transfer to Sunderland at risk due to social networking."][/caption]

It came in light of the striker’s transfer from Tottenham to Sunderland in the Summer transfer window last season.  After Sunderland fans discovered the striker was an passionate tweeter, they were encouraged to sign up to the site and persuade him to join the club.  This sparked such replies in the realms of “Why can’t anything be simple. It’s so frustrating hanging round doing jack s***” and “Do I wanna go Hull City NO. Do I wanna go stoke NO do I wanna go sunderland YES so stop f****** around levy” (sic).

Bent later apologised for the rant, saying that he was acting out of frustration to his proposed transfer to Sunderland and did not mean to cause any offence to Daniel Levy.  After clinching his transfer to Sunderland, his Twitter account was removed so he could focus on the job at hand, and what a job he did in the North-East.  Since then, an account has been reactivated for the England striker, and he seems to be staying out of trouble for the meantime.

When you compare the Leon Knight and Darren Bent cases, they don’t seem to dissimilar.  A player wanting to leave the shackles of a club he does not want to be at, to show their fans that they have ambitions elsewhere.  But, if Knight was at a more high profile club than Rushden and Diamonds, the story could be a lot different for him.

In an age where social networking and technology are taking over our lives, it is no surprise that players choose to use these tools.  It gives them another output into the world and a closer connection to their fans, however it does open the floodgates for any negative media feedback and rarely will they pick up on any positive feedback, as is the way of the British media.

Incidentally, you can follow Leon Knight at http://www.twitter.com/LeonKnight82 - it’s a very good and interesting read.

U21 Spotlight: Marvin Sordell

Watford, thus far, have managed to set a very impressive record with their goalscoring ways.  All 21 goals scored by Watford have been by English players, and with them sitting in an unexpected 4th place, they'll hope the goals keep coming.  Marvin Sordell has played a big part in this record, scoring 5 of the goals (plus another goal in the League Cup), just one goal behind top scorer Danny Graham.

The Hornets are starting to develop a name for themselves with developing young talent.  It was at Watford where Ashley Young, before he moved to Aston Villa in 2007 for a club record fee, started to showcase what he has to offer.  More recently such talents like Scott Loach, first-team England U21 goalkeeper, and Sordell are still playing their trade at Vicarage Road.  And we can't forget where David James started his career before he made a name for himself with Liverpool.

Sordell's career, however, started at neighbouring London club Fulham where he played as a schoolboy.  Then he moved onto Watford and signed up for a two-year scholarship in 2007.  In 2008, he was loaned out to non-league side Wealdstone for a work experience placement (yes, even professional footballers have these).  He scored 2 goals during his short stint there where he made 5 appearances.

[caption id="attachment_224" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Instant impact: Sordell didn't hang around to showcase his talents for Watford"][/caption]

After impressing during his scholarship, Sordell signed a professional contract with the Hornets in 2009.  He made his professional debut only 2 games into the new season, replacing experienced striker Nathan Ellington in a 2-0 away defeat against Sheffield United.  Only 10 days later he managed his first senior goal too, forcing an eventual 2-1 loss to Leeds in the League Cup to extra time.

Manager Malky Mackay saw the player as a prospect, so during the January 2010 transfer window he was sent out on loan to League One Tranmere Rovers to gain more first-team experience.  The loan deal was initially for one-month but was later extended.  In total, Sordell managed 1 goal for the Merseyside team in 8 appearances.

As the tail-end of the 2009/10 season approached, Mackay opted to put his faith in Sordell and give the youngster some playing time, despite Watford having a potentially nervy end to the season.  He repaid the manager's faith by scoring a fantastic goal against Coventry, tipping off a 4-0 victory to regain the air of confidence in the squad.

[caption id="attachment_225" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Eye for goal: Sordell has managed 5 league goals already this season (Getty Images)."][/caption]

Fast forward to the 2010/11 season and Sordell has proved his worth.  As mentioned above, the young striker has managed 5 league goals in 10 games (achieving the desired 1 in 2 ratio so far) and they don't seem to be stopping quite yet.

As a reward for this fine form, in late September, Marvin was offered a new contract to hold him down at Vicarage Road.  A fine plan by the team as he seems to be following in the footsteps of previous youth successes.  It's not just the board and backroom staff who have noticed his talents either - Sordell was also nominated for Championship Player of the Month for September.

However, in signing a new contract with the club, he has shown good values and a level head in terms of the future.  Sordell was quoted in saying "...there is a long way to go before I can feel established...I can't afford to get carried away just because I have scored a few goals".  For a young player to have such modesty is a great thing to see, and will no doubt help him along his development.

[caption id="attachment_226" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Pace: Sordell uses his pace to his advantage in the final third."][/caption]

With the future of English football being heavily under the public eye in light of the disappointing World Cup campaign, players like Sordell are many years away from achieving such accolades, but will no doubt be one of the many players under the watchful eye of whoever will be England manager come the 2014 World Cup.  The first step for the player will be U21 caps, and if his form continues, Stuart Pearce would be a fool to pass up his talents.

The Premier League Injury Minefield

Just under two months into the 2010/11 Premier League season and the unexpected, serious injuries that are already mounting up are starting to create the simile of Football Pitch to Minefield.

Of course, there have been horrific injuries in previous seasons - Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey spring to mind from previous seasons - but for this many injuries to be racked up in only two months of play is something that needs to be looked at.

There have been views and opinions that certain teams have been opting for these type of tactics against the teams which could out-play them on the field, but not based on facts, just purely opinions. However, it's quite easy to see how these type of opinions can be crafted in the minds of opposing fans.

[caption id="attachment_172" align="aligncenter" width="402" caption="Out of action: Zamora makes up part of the list of casualties in the Premier League this season."][/caption]

One typical example is Wolves and mainly their captain; Karl Henry. Henry has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons recently. Initially for turning the tables on Newcastle bad boy Joey Barton, hounding him continually throughout the game and catching a few badly timed tackles on the Newcastle midfielder.  This was almost considered ironic to some fans though, considering Barton's previous incidents and off-field behaviour (some of which is covered in another blog of ours, which can be found here).

However, the height of this media attention was reached a week later in Wolves' clash against Fulham. Henry was involved in a tackle on Fulham's Bobby Zamora that left him with a broken fibula, being put on the sidelines for 4 months. After reviewing the tackle, opinions were split. Henry did play the ball, but his trailing leg caught Zamora and led to the devastating injury to the striker.  The injury was unfortunate news for the England camp too, with the 29-year old reaching the best form of his career and recently earning his first cap.  Fingers crossed for Bobby that the injury doesn't affect this form too drastically.

[caption id="attachment_171" align="aligncenter" width="466" caption="Brutal: Henry's brutal tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez (Press Association)."][/caption]

Fast forward to last week's game against Wigan. Wolves lost the game 2-0 but focus was yet again put onto Henry with a horrendous tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez, leading to a direct red card, after just 11 minutes.  In the second half, poetic justice was served, with Gomez scoring a fantastic free-kick just after the hour mark to give Wigan the lead.  Post-match, Henry admitted the tackle was bad and unnecessary, apologising to his Wolves team-mates for the tackle, in my opinion he knows inside that he needs to clean his act up.

Another player who has taken the media spotlight for the wrong reasons is Manchester City and Holland midfielder Nigel de Jong.  Even before the season had started, de Jong was highlighted for his aggressive on field behaviour.  The 2010 World Cup final featured 13 yellow cards, the most ever in a World Cup final, and 46 fouls in total.  De Jong was involved in one of the more dangerous fouls.  A high foot caught Xabi Alonso square in the chest, almost replicating the famous Cantona Crystal Palace "karate kick".

[caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Dangerous: de Jong's high foot caught Alonso in a shocking World Cup final (Getty Images)."][/caption]

However, we can't just spotlight de Jong from that game, a lot of the Dutch team implemented "dirty" tactics in the game and other questionable tactics throughout the competition, leading to the disapproval of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff.  But de Jong was yet again brought to the public eye for his antics.  Newcastle were at the brunt of the tackles yet again.  This time new boy Hatem Ben Arfa felt the wrath of the Dutchman.

Only joining the North-East club on transfer deadline day, merely just over a month ago, Ben Arfa had outlined his desire to play for Newcastle and in the Premier League.  It's devastating to see a young player with such a bright future, in form, having their career brought to a standstill due to a needless injury.  The nature of the tackle was similar to that of Henry's on Zamora, a trailing leg doing most of the damage.  De Jong did catch the ball but went through the player in the process, thus not earning a red card, or even a booking, for his efforts.

[caption id="attachment_175" align="aligncenter" width="466" caption="Hampered progress: Ben Arfa had to be stretchered off the field at the City of Manchester Stadium"][/caption]

There have already been repercussions for de Jong's actions on the international stage too.  Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has dropped the player from the next round of European Championship Qualification matches due to his actions on the field stating that the challenge was "wild and unnecessary".  This decision seems to be a popular one with the Dutch fans too, a top newspaper in Holland conducted a poll to see what the fans thought of van Marwijk's decision - a whopping 90% backed the coach in his decision to leave de Jong out of the squad.  However, fellow tough tackler and international team mate Mark van Bommel simply claimed "Nigel should not change his game, we need him as he is. But maybe he should occasionally go into a tackle slightly differently."

The Dutch midfielder even has further history of these rash tackles.  Bolton and USA player Stuart Holden suffered a fractured fibula in the hands of a de Jong tackle in a friendly against the Netherlands around 7 months ago.

But what can be done about it?  Considering that the Ben Arfa tackle didn't even cause referee Martin Atkinson to utter a blow of the whistle, I think it's the actions of managers which can make the difference.  Van Marwijk has set a good, albeit late, example of this with his treatment of de Jong.  Also, consider Joey Barton, a player who has certainly calmed down a lot in recent months.  Some could attribute this to the punishment he's received for his off the field antics, but some could also attribute it to the advice, guidance and counselling of his manager Chris Hughton, coaches and people around him.  Barton is always going to be a tough tackler, but it's clear to see there is a lot more sensibility to his game as of late.

Don't get me wrong, there will always be big crunching tackles, especially in England, but with the correct training and an emphasis on timing - injuries like these could be reduced.  But this is a double edged sword, with career threatening tackles like these becoming more frequent, will players be using it to their advantage?  The last thing we want constant diving or simulation for ninety minutes as there's enough of it in the game as it is.  Only time will tell, hopefully not at the expense of any more in form, promising players.

U21 Spotlight: Neil Taylor

In the first of many, we're setting the spotlight on an up and coming prospect outside of the Premier League.  This week all eyes will be on new Swansea City signing; Neil Taylor.

Taylor was signed from Wrexham in this years Summer transfer window for a fee, only recently settled, of £150,000.  The Swans were in dire need of a left-back after losing previous full-back Federico Bessone from a free transfer to Leeds United and mainly relying on the, near enough, Libero Alan Tate to play in the position last season.

The signing of Taylor was met with mixed feelings by the Swansea fans.  Whether he would make the step up comfortably from Blue Square Premier level to promotion-chasing Championship level was to be seen but he was seen as a good prospect to the future and added another Welsh player into the ranks of the South Wales side.

Taylor started his footballing career at a young age, joining the academy at Manchester City at the age of 9 where he spent six years with the Manchester club.  However, his City career was brought to a halt after suffering an injury which prompted him to move on, where he opted to move closer to home with Wrexham.

[caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Dragon: Taylor returned to his home country to showcase his bright future."][/caption]

He joined the Wrexham academy at age 16 in 2007 and did not take long to sign a professional contract.  Taylor made his debut for the Dragons in a Round 2 League Cup match against Villa, coming on as a substitute in the final 10 minutes.  Unfortunately for him, Villa were 5-0 up at the time.  He made his full debut for Wrexham a month later in a League Two match against Stockport.  From there he became a regular figure in the back 4 for the Wrexham which lead to Brian Flynn calling up Taylor to the Welsh U21 squad.

Following his success with Wrexham, earning 13 caps at U21 level, Swansea City were reported to be interested in the left-back.  The reported interest came at a high when the Welshman declined a new contract offer from the Dragons in April 2010.

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="White Is the New Red: Swansea confirmed the signing of Neil Taylor for their 2010/11 campaign."][/caption]

After 75 appearances and 3 goals for Wrexham, the eventual signing was confirmed at the end of June 2010,where the Swans swooped for Taylor with a to be confirmed compensation fee (agreed to be £150,000 plus 10% of any future profit earlier this month) due to the player being under-24 and out of contract with his club.

Neil secured his debut for Swansea coming on as a half-time substitute for Albert Serran.  Since then, Taylor has come in to solve the left-back problem for the South Wales club, making six appearences so far and even with the return to fitness of the regular back four of Tate, Monk, Williams and Rangel - Taylor seems bullish to keep his place in the starting eleven.

There has even been reported Premier League interest for the highly-rated Welshman already, but for the meantime, Taylor will be determined to help the Swans become the first Welsh Premier League team.  However, this reported interest can only be good for the player, and a good sign for the national team with a barrage of promising youth players coming through - most of whom have started their full international careers already.

Picklive: The future of Fantasy Football?

I first stumbled upon Picklive when it was under its previous moniker, Football3s.com, after reading about it in a magazine article or forum (don't ask me where that article/forum post is, because I plain can't remember!) but noticed it had been re-branded as Picklive in time for the 2010 World Cup.

[caption id="attachment_105" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Future: Could sites like Picklive be the future of football betting and fantasy football?"][/caption]

The basic idea of Picklive is simple, it's a way of combining fantasy football, with betting, with your own forecasting of the game.  Often used in conjunction with live televised games, Picklive enables you to pick 3 players for a 7 and a half minute period (they've also recently released a full 90 minute version of the game too, more on that later), with 3 potential substitutes to use too. Those chosen players then score points, in a fantasy football-esque way, but in a much more live, real-time environment.  For example a simple completed pass nets your player 1 point, whereas a goal would get them 20.  However, where there is a positive, there is a negative.  If your player was to fail a pass they'd lose 1 point, if they were to get sent off they'd lose 20 points.  Full details of the scoring can be found here.

Over the 7 and a half minute period the points accumulate up and at the end come the spoils! This is where the betting element comes into play.  Picklive offers two main types of game "mode".  Classic and Big Game.

Classic mode consists of 7 and a half minute games, with the aforementioned scoring, and requires a £1 stake on entering.  The game will not start with less than 6 players, and once at least 6 have joined within the given time limit the game begins.  This accumulated stake is then spread among the podium finishers, who come first, second and third.  First place gets 70% of the pot, second gets 20% and third gets 10%.  There's a maximum of 25 players in the room too, so a win could win you up to £13 just by showing "you know your stuff".  25% of the pot is taken as a rake, but the Picklive staff need a salary after all!

The Big Game mode is something I haven't dabbled in yet, but do intend to.  It's £2 entry as opposed to £1 and the game lasts the full 90 minutes.  Same scoring rules apply, and same win percentages apply for first, second and third.  However, there is no restriction in how many people can join in and those lovely folks at Picklive also add an extra £10 to the pot.  There's a lot more foresight required in this version and it truly does mirror fantasy football but with a much more accurate and detailed view of the whole game instead of the standard "2 points for staying on the field for 90 minutes" malarky.

[caption id="attachment_106" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Choices, choices: The main Picklive user interface"][/caption]

In addition to the standard game modes, there are also weekly promotions ran.  "Cardiff Wednesday" (where "we make nothing and are blindly giving away all of our money in the pursuit of promotion." - which certainly gave Swansea fans like me a chuckle) see's the person who scores the top cumulative score across all Picklive games on a Wednesday wins a tidy little pot of their rakes from the nights games.  Plus, there's a weekly jackpot for the cumulative highest score over all games in one week, often totalling over £100 mark - not bad for £1 entry.

So, is it the future of Fantasy Football?  It may well be.  It certainly is a great addition to the match day experience when you're watching from home, it gets a good bit of banter going especially when your player pops up from nowhere with a goal and you get the classic "told you so" moment.  Even if this scoring system was implemented into the more popular fantasy football games, it would definitely make a difference on some players scores no doubt.

Another interesting aspect is that it truly shows you who is working on the field and who isn't, or rather who isn't being given the chance to work.  Once you see certain players amassing huge amounts of points due to the amounts of passes, interceptions or tackles they make in a game, it really shows you how good a game they had.

I've seen the site develop a fair bit over the past few months and it certainly seems to be going places. If this article has got you interested, head over to their site and sign up, especially now as they're offering a £5 bonus!

The Second Chance Saloon

Coventry City have confirmed the signing of jailbird Marlon King on a one-year contract.  King had been training with Coventry ever since his release from prison in late July 2010.  He will no doubt be an unpopular figure in the eyes of Coventry's opposing fans, but should he be given his second chance? And what do Coventry's fans themselves think of him joining the Sky Blues?

[caption id="attachment_88" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Return of the King: Marlon King has joined Coventry on a one-year contract after his jail sentence. (Getty Images)"][/caption]

King has a history of offences littering his CV, dating as far back as 1997 ranging from violent crimes to motoring offences, once receiving a 18-month sentence, which was reduced to 9, for one of the aforementioned motoring offences.  So should someone like King be given another chance? Debatably not just his second chance but maybe his third or fourth.

It takes some bravery for Aidy Boothroyd, who managed King in his most successful spell at Watford, to take him on at Coventry but you cannot deny his ability on the pitch.  When Boothroyd was at Watford with King, he managed almost a goal every other game, scoring 36 league goals from 81 league games and also earning the golden boot in their play-off winning season in 2005/06.  So, ability-wise this surely can't be a risky deal?  King's confidence should certainly be hit in light of recent events however this may not be the case in respect to his previous convictions, not necessarily a quality you want from your player though.

We can't just look at Marlon King as the only "villain" in this area.  Other noticable names that have come under the public spotlight for their off the field antics and eventual jail time over the past decade include ex-West Brom striker Lee Hughes, ex-Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick and Newcastle's Joey Barton.

[caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Charged: Joey Barton, Luke McCormick and Lee Hughes have all served, or are serving, jail sentences."][/caption]

Lee Hughes has made a respectable return back into the public eye.  After being jailed for death by dangerous driving in August 2004 he was sentenced with six years in jail, eventually serving 3 years after his release in August 2007.  Whilst in prison he stayed with his football roots, playing games for Featherstone FC, a part-time side who make up part of the Staffordshire County Senior League.

Upon his release he was almost instantly signed up by Oldham Athletic, signing a two year contract at Boundary Park where he scored 25 goals in 55 appearences - keeping up his impressive scoring record of the days before his sentence.  Since then he has had a loan spell at Blackpool and secured a contract at now League One Notts County, signed under the 'Sven regime'.  Hughes was essentially one of the big names in that era for Notts County and absolutely excelled in League Two, scoring 30 goals and winning the golden boot for the 09/10 season.  Many County fans will no doubt have forgotten his troublesome past now and surely has been re-accepted back into society.

Joey Barton has a reputation of being a trouble-maker on and off the field.  The height of his misdemeanour's came in May 2008 where he was sentenced to 6 months in prison, however serving only just over 2 and a half months inside.  Other incidents Barton was involved in was during his time at Manchester City.  These include a training ground assault on former team-mate Ousmane Dabo and even going out as far as stubbing a cigar out in, reserve player, Jamie Tandy's eye.  Unlike Hughes, Barton has redeemed this trouble-maker side throughout his career.  However times might be changing with him taking a more conservative approach in Newcastle's return season to the Premier League - time will tell.

Lastly the case of former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick.  McCormick was breaking into the Argyle first-team squad, sharing and eventually gaining goalkeeping duties with existing first-teamer Romain Larrieu.  But in July 2008 his contract was cancelled after light of the events where he killed two children in a car crash.  There isn't much to say about McCormick's case, he was convicted with death by dangerous driving and DUI after pleading guilty and jailed for seven years and four months.  Thus far he has served over two years of the term, but will it be a case similar to the aforementioned players, and be released earlier?  And when he is released, will he perform similarly to Lee Hughes and make his way back into professional football in a respectable manner?  Both players were convicted for similar offences, but the decision will obviously be up to McCormick.

Health vs. Fitness in Modern Day Football

On September 13th 2010, former Celtic and Bristol City player Evander Sno suffered a suspected heart attack during an Ajax reserve game in Amsterdam.  Sno, thankfully, was resuscitated on the pitch and brought to a nearby hospital to recover.

[caption id="attachment_66" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Health scare: Evander Sno was revived after a heart-attack on the field. (Source: SNS Images)"][/caption]

After only 18 minutes on the field, Sno had collapsed and had to be given a defibrillator three times before he was fully revived.  Reserve team coach Albert van der Dussen said "He looked surprised to see so many people standing round him. I don't think Evander realised what was going on but everyone was greatly relieved when it was all over.

"The ambulance crew then took over and took him to hospital."

It'll be interesting to see how his career unfolds after this scare as surely doctors will encourage him to hang his boots up, which is such a shame as he seemed like such a prospect after coming through the ranks in Holland.

However, this isn't the first time that a professional footballer has been on the receiving end of a health scare and unfortunately many modern day footballers have been tragically lost due to unexpected heart attacks.

The big names that people may recognise who have been taken from us include Sevilla's Antonio Puerta, former West Ham United and Manchester City player Marc-Vivien Foé and Motherwell's Phil O'Donnell.  Another player who I would like to mention was a player from my supported team, Swansea City, and that is Besian Idrizaj.  Besian was only twenty-two years old, as was Puerta, which adds to the shock of their untimely deaths.  These players do not form the definitive list either, however one things seems common throughout a lot of these tragic events and that is the cause of death; often to do with the heart.

[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="609" caption="Tragic: Puerta, Foé and Idrizaj all died of sudden heart conditions during their playing careers before they reached their 30s."][/caption]

We would think that fantastic athletes like the players we watch week in week out would be medically sound, but that is not the case.  Heart Specialist Stewart Hillis who works for the SFA in Scotland has outlined the requirement of cardiac screenings for players due to the increased speed and intensity of the game and the training sessions they take part in.  "You can be fit but you might not be healthy" Hillis added.  It's a shocking revelation to the general public to realise even some of the fittest people in sport can be at risk to health scares like this.

In a paper titled "Causes and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes" by Massimiliano Bianco, Sante Bucari and Paolo Zeppilli, published by the International Boxing Association, the causes of these incidents are investigated.  The conditions are categorised as exercise-related sudden death or ESD and are described as unexpected and witnessed sudden cardiac arrest occuring within 1 hour from an exercise bout in an apparently healthy person. The paper also lists the most frequent heart diseases attributed to these conditions.  They include Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Foé's diagnosed condition) and Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Puerta's diagnosed condition).  They conclude the same sentiments of Hillis - that athletes should be encouraged, if not forced, for cardio screenings to detect these conditions as they can often be concealed rather than overt.

The awareness of this will no doubt be increased due to the well known names suffering - proving that even at the very top, no one is invincible.

Our best wishes go out to Evander Sno for a speedy recovery, and to the friends and family of all of those who have suffered a loss by ESD.

Saint Adkins for Southampton?

Southampton have appointed former Scunthorpe United boss Nigel Adkins as Alan Pardew's successor.  The deal which was originally reported to have broken down was confirmed on Sunday, with Southampton offering the 45-year old a three year contract at St Mary's, but will he get the Saints marching?

[caption id="attachment_42" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nigel Adkins: New Saint on the Block (Getty Images)"][/caption]

So, who is Nigel Adkins?  Fans from outside of the Football League may not recognised the name and he is certainly a lower profile manager than Pardew, but by no means does that imply he isn't up to the challenge.  Joining Scunthorpe originally as a physio in 1996 after a managerial spell at Welsh side Bangor City, he was appointed as caretaker manager in the light of Brian Laws departing Scunthorpe for Sheffield Wednesday in the tail-end of 2006 and was appointed permanently.  The step up from physio to manager was certainly a big one, but Adkins adapted to the role like a fish to water.  Scunthorpe gained promotion to the Championship in his first season as Champions, winning the league a clear six points above Bristol City.  The unexpected success of Adkins was recognised by the fans, who created one of the chants of the season in - "Who needs Mourinho, we've got our Physio".

In the following season the Iron were relegated back to League One but yet again bounced straight back into the Championship via the play-offs under Adkins' wing. Scunthorpe cemented their place in the Championship in the 09/10 season, avoiding relegation to the expense of Sheffield Wednesday.  His style of football has been admired by many, turning Scunthorpe into a good footballing side, keeping the ball on the ground with a free flowing, attacking style.  Dispite finishing 20th, they managed to score 62 goals last season - to put that into context, 5th place Leicester City scored 61, 7th placed Swansea City scored 40 and 8th placed Sheffield United scored 62 also.  They formed a lethal partnership up front in the shape of Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes, unfortunately both players moved on at the end of the season with Hayes moving to Championship rivals Preston and Hooper taking the hop across the border to Celtic.  With strikers like League One top scorer Ricky Lambert and ex-Spurs man Lee Barnard at new team Southampton, Adkins will surely be looking to get the most out of the two.

Without their former strikeforce, Scunthorpe have still shown their worth in the top tier of the Football League, however the departure of Adkins will definitely affect their changes of staying up for another season.

[caption id="attachment_40" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pardew: Should he have been sacked? (Getty Images)"][/caption]

But was this change necessary?  Nigel Adkins will certainly bring attacking prowess to the Saints, but should Pardew have been up for the chop in the first place?  The dismissal came at a very peculiar time too, not after a disappointing draw... not after a shocking loss... not after losing the dressing room... but after a very convincing 4-0 away win against Bristol Rovers.  But maybe they had a bad record before this win?  Well there were two losses: one to Premier League Bolton in the League Cup, one to Championship-relegated Plymouth on the opening day and a 1-1 draw at home to Leyton Orient.  A slow start for sure, maybe a little too slow for chairman Nicola Cortese and co.

Southampton were touted to be up there with the promotion contenders and maybe it wasn't the best of starts, but sacking such an established manager like Alan Pardew, a manager who almost steered Southampton into the play-off spots despite their 10 point deduction at the start of last season?  He definitely should've been given more time, and since his departure, Southampton have suffered two losses against Swindon, including a 3-0 loss that knocked the holders out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and a loss against Rochdale.  3 games.  0 points.  6 goals conceded.  0 goals scored.  So should Pardew have left?  Questionable.  Very Questionable.

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